Reply To: The Gods of Ancient Egypt

[Tamara Toy]

The lack of separation between the kings and the Gods in Egypt is evident in such pieces as The Palette of King Narmer . The Falcon that represents Horus is holding the heads of the dead enemies, ones that are now forbidden to enter the afterlife due to decapitation, while King Narmer is about to strike another enemy. In this, Narmer and Horus are synonymous; they are two parts of a whole. In a Mesopotamian piece, The Stele of Naram-Sin , we see Naram-Sin as being closest to the Gods, but not as a representation of the Gods. The is no god aiding him in his fight against his enemies, although the light shining down could be seen as the gods blessing his actions. These examples show the difference in how both cultures use art to demonstrate their relationship with the gods. As well, the art depicting the Egyptian afterlife proves the importance they held in the afterlife and that preparing for it was a large part of daily life, while Mesopotamian art does not show such a concern for the afterlife in their art. It appears to be more involving the ruler’s direct contact with the gods to legitimize their rightful reign, as opposed to pleasing the gods for a fruitful journey into the afterlife.