An upon the day of the festival; and if the king happened to be there, it was his privilege to perform the appointed ceremonies. These consisted of sacrifices and prayers; and the shrine was decked with fresh-gathered flowers and rich garlands. endless profusion of offerings was placed before it on several separate altars; and the king, frequently accompanied by his queen, who held a sistrum in one hand, and in the other a bouquet of flowers made up into the particular form required for these religious ceremonies, presented incense and libation. This part of the ceremony being finished, the king proceeded to the presence of the God (represented by his statue), from whom he was supposed to receive a blessing, typified by the sacred tau, the sign of Life. Sometimes the principal contemplar Deity was also present, usually the second member of the triad of the place; and it is probable that the position of the statue was near to the shrine alluded to in the inscription of the Rosetta Stone. Some of the sacred boats, or arks, contained the emblems of Life and Stability, which, when the veil was drawn aside, were partially seen; and others presented the sacred beetle of the Sun, overshadowed by the wings of two figures of the Goddess Thmei or Truth, which call to mind the cherubim of the Jews.* The dedication of the whole or part of a temple was, as may be reasonably supposed, one of the * Vide Clem. Strom. v. p. 243., on the Ark of the Hebrews and the Adytum of the Egyptians; and Woodcut No. 469. in the next page. most remarkable solemnities at which it was "the prince's part" to preside. And if the actual celebra b No. 469. One of the Sacred Boats or Arks, with two figures resembling Cherubim. a and b represent the king; the former under the shape of a sphinx. tion of the rites practised on the occasion, the laying of the foundation stone, or other ceremonies con No. 470. Dedication of the pylon of a temple to Amun by Remeses III., who wears on one side the crown of Upper, on the other that of Lower Egypt. nected with it, are not represented on the monuments, the importance attached to it is shown by *It is singular that the mace and rod in the king's hand on these occasions are the same as those used in the chase of the hippopotamus. the conspicuous manner in which it is recorded in the sculptures, the ostentation with which it is announced in the dedicatory inscriptions of the monuments themselves, and the answer returned by the God in whose honour it was erected. Another striking ceremony was the transport of the dedicatory offerings made by the king to the Gods, which were carried in great pomp to their respective temples. The king and all the priests attended the procession, clad in their robes of ceremony; and the flag-staffs attached to the propylæa of the vestibules were decked, as on other grand festivals, with banners.* The coronation of the king was a peculiarly imposing ceremony. It was one of the principal subjects represented in the court of the temples t; and some idea may be formed of the pomp displayed on the occasion even from the limited scale on which the monuments are capable of describing it. I have already mentioned the remarkable manner in which this subject is treated in the temple of Medeenet Haboo; and therefore refer the reader to a previous part of this work ‡, where I have described the procession given in the accompanying plate.§ Clemens introduces an account of an Egyptian procession, which, as it throws some light on similar ceremonies, and may be of interest from having *As in Woodcut, Vol. II. (1st Series) p. 129. It occurs in the same part of the Memnonium or Remesseum, as of Medeenet Haboo. Vol. III. p. 287. to 289. § Plate 76. some points of resemblance with the one before us, I here transcribe. "In the solemn pomps of Egypt the Singer usually goes first, bearing one of the symbols of music. They say it is his duty to carry two of the books of Hermes; one of which contains hymns of the Gods, the other precepts relating to the life of the king. The Singer is followed by the Horoscopus, bearing in his hand the measure of time (hour-glass) and the palm* (branch), the symbols of astrology (astronomy), whose duty it is to be versed in (or recite) the four books of Hermes, which treat of that science. Of these one describes the position of the fixed stars, another the conjunctions (eclipses) and illuminations of the Sun and Moon, and the others their risings. Next comes the Hierogrammat (or sacred scribe), having feathers on his head, and in his hands a book (papyrus), with a ruler‡ (palette) in which is ink, and a reed for writing. It is his duty to understand what are called hieroglyphics, the description of the world, geography, the course of the Sun, Moon, and planets, the condition of the land of Egypt and the Nile, the nature of the instruments or sacred ornaments, and the places appointed for them, as well as weights and measures, and the things used in holy rites. Then follows the * Poika. It is a question whether this should be translated the palm or the phoenix. Vide suprà, Vol. I. (2d Series) p. 305. + Vide suprà, p. 205. 217. The feathers are of the ostrich, not of the hawk, as already observed. The usual palette represented in the hands of scribes. Vide Plate 45. figs. 1, 2. and 4. &c. Stolistes, bearing the cubit of justice* and the cup of libation. He knows all subjects relating to education, and the choice of calves for victims, which are comprehended in ten books. These treat of the honours paid to the Gods, and of the Egyptian religion, including sacrifice, first fruits, hymns, prayers, processions, holydays, and the like. Last of all comes the Prophet, who carries in his bosom a water-jar, followed by persons bearing loaves of bread. He presides over all sacred things, and is obliged to know the contents of the ten books called sacerdotal, relating to the Gods, the laws, and all the discipline of the priests." + One of the principal solemnities connected with the coronation was the anointing of the king, and his receiving the emblems of majesty from the Gods. The sculptures represent the Deities themselves officiating on this as on other similar occasions, in order to convey to the Egyptian people, who beheld these records, a more exalted notion of the special favours bestowed on their monarch. We, however, who at this distant period are less interested in the direct intercourse between the Pharaohs and the Gods, may be satisfied with a more simple interpretation of such subjects, and conclude that it was the priests who performed the ceremony, and bestowed upon the prince the title of "the anointed of the Gods." With the Egyptians, as with the Jews §, the in * Vide infrà, on the Procession of the Ark of Sokari. + Clem. Alexandr. Strom. vi. p. 196. Vide Plate 78., and Woodcut, No. 468., suprà, p. 268. |