The Feast of The Tail Ch. 04

The high priest of the temple, Ptahmose, stood at the edge of the Nile, a well worn leopard skin draped over his muscular shoulder covering half his chest, and exposing the rest of his sun browned flesh. He bowed deeply as the family walked down to the temple steps. Ptahmose was an uncommon man, he held the offices of High Priest of Amun, Vizier to the Pharaoh and Mayor of Thebes all at once.

"Em hotep nefer weret, em hotep my dear friends!" the chief priest called out, his voice strong and full of warmth. "My heart fills with joy to gaze upon you again so soon, and on such a happy occasion."

"Em hotep, dear Ptahmose." cried out Tiye joyfully as she took his offered arm. Her children followed along behind and greeted Ptahmose warmly, saying words of peace.

"Come, come. Do come with me. We are all awaiting your arrival. Your brothers Anen and Ay are already here, my Queen, as are your parents and the rest of the royal family. Amenhotep, son of Hapu is here, Paatenemheb, Horemheb, Maya and many others.

A barge of lesser royals and nobility from Per Hay soon arrived behind the royal barge. Huya, the steward of Queen Tiye led the procession from the secondary boat.

The crowd around the temple cheered at their arrival, they leapt up, they sang and shouted. Children were placed on shoulders to get a better view, or pushed to the front of the crowd to hold flowers up as offerings for the princesses, throwing the wreaths at their feet as they walked past.

Everything was orchestrated to portray the royal family as powerful and potent. Music was perfectly timed, flower petals thrown at precise times. Drums beat in sync with footsteps, the procession was almost a dance.

The Queen led the way down the road lined with stone rams, her children followed behind flanked by nobles and officials. Sitamun's stomach churned. The moment was approaching, and she couldn't wait to catch a glimpse of Pharaoh, but her visage betrayed nothing. She was beauty and grace incarnate, as celestial and maternal as Hathor herself. Behind the royal party a crowd of priests, musicians, dancers and attendants lined up to follow making up a procession of over fifty people.

Karnak had been decorated with such splendour that on approach even the royal family were impressed. It surpassed the grandeur of the Opet Festival a few months before, and an energy of excitement passed through them.

Fragrant yellow and white flowers were scattered over smooth stone steps and up the path that led into the grand temple. The boat boys threw ropes onto the harbour into the hands of waiting attendants to tie the barge down.

Braziers of incense were lit on either side of the grand walkway below the feet of stone rams and the heady fragrance of exotic smoke wafted upwards in the gentle breeze. The frescos on the columns and walls of the temple had been retouched with fresh paint of red, blue, green and gold so they looked especially vibrant for the festival.

As they entered the temple they were shaded by stone columns and strips of white linen which hung from the temple walls, billowing gently from the Nile breeze. The heady scent of frankincense, myrrh and blue lotus filled their nostrils as they passed offerings on the temple floor laid down at the base of every statue. They passed Osiris, Isis, Horus, Amun Ra, Hathor, Sekhmet, Sobek, Seth, Ptah, Nekhbet, Nephthys, Nut, Shu, Tefnut, and Anubis, all dressed in their finest clothes for the special day.

Fat holy monks bowed solemnly to the family as they passed, their shaved heads gleaming with oil.

"This way to the stadium, my Queen." Spoke Ptahmose, directing them through the temple. "The crowd today is unlike any I've ever seen."

"Have my guests from Mitanni and Babylon arrived?"

"Yes, Great Lady, they have been in Thebes since yesterday evening. Worry not, they have been afforded every pleasure and every comfort."

"How did they seem?"

"Charming, your majesty. Exceedingly well. They long to see you, they speak so highly of your friendship."

"Good." Tiye nodded. "And Pharaoh? How fares he? Have you seen him?"

Sitamun listened closely behind them.

"Huy has informed me that your husband is well. Pharaoh has fasted and purified himself for the rites. Peace to your heart, Lady of Two Lands, today will be a perfect day. This way, everyone is waiting through here."

Ptahmose directed them towards an extraordinarily grand stadium that had been erected for the event. There was the chatter of ten thousand voices all around as the high priest led them through a dark passage towards a private box within the stands. Smiles immediately lit the faces of the family as they saw Mutemwiya, Pharaoh's mother along with Yuya and Thuya, parents of Queen Tiye sitting in the royal box. Cheers came from the crowd as they observed the Queen, the princes and all her daughters enter the box.

"Sister!" exclaimed Anen, the favourite brother of the Queen. He rushed over to embrace her, along with all her children.

"Anen, so good to see you." She responded fondly before greeting her oldest brother. "Em hotep, Ay. So good to see you."

"Good to see you, sister." Ay replied, embracing her and all the children in turn.

"Is that my Sita? My ibib!" Thuya, Tiye's mother, exclaimed as she hobbled over to greet her favourite granddaughter.

"Em hotep, mother of my mother." Sita kissed her aged cheeks as her grandmother clutched onto her for balance with her wrinkled hands and bony arms. Sitamun walked with Thuya over to Yuya who was still getting up from his chair. "And em hotep to you, father of my mother."

"Em hotep nefer weret Sitamun, and all my daughter's children." Yuya croaked, his rough face prickling her cheek. He greeted all his grandchildren in turn, first Sitamun, then Hotep, then Djhutmose and all his sisters. "Come and sit by your mother's father, Hotep. I've saved a seat for you, khered."

"Em hotep ibib Djhuti, ibib Iset, ibib Henu, ibib Nebet." Mutemwiya greeted her favourites, crooned over them, stroked their faces and handed them sweet honied cakes.

The family soon settled down after saying all their greetings, excited and ready to watch the games.

Queen Tiye, princess Sitamun and crown prince Djhutmose sat in the seats of honour. Henuttaneb and Nebetah sat with their cousins, the children of Anen and the children of Pharaoh's brothers and sisters. Iset sat herself beside her dearest friend, daughter of Ptahmose, Nefitiri, a priestess of Isis.

"Nefi, Lady Isis lifted her veil to reveal a dream to me last night, I must tell you all about it."

"You were blessed again, Iset?"

"Yes, I wanted to tell you as soon as I woke, but I'll tell you after the games and then you can tell me if you understand it any better than I."

"I doubt that, but I will listen to you always." Nefi whispered, taking Iset's hand in her own, before turning her eyes towards the stadium. "Father will open the festival soon, I expect."

"Em hotep nefer weret!" boomed Ptahmose, standing atop a podium in the box. "People of Khemi, people of the Upper and Lower lands, people of the river, people of Ra, people of Reth, Aamu, Nehesu, Themehu, and to all our guests, welcome. Em hotep to you all!"

The crowd cheered in response.

"We are here today in adoration of Amun-Ra as he rises from the eastern horizon, who rises, who shines as king of the gods, and Ra in his rising will imbue our Pharaoh with his great strength. As Atum in his beautiful appearance, rises, shines as the day breaks, Amenhotep, our lord and father!"

At his words Amenhotep III entered the stadium dressed in his ritual attire, his arms outstretched towards the people, his skin anointed with holy oils, his arms bound in gold and his shendyt had a jackal's tail attached to the back which hung down from his waist.

Sitamun leaned forwards to look closely, her heart in her throat, the rest of the crowd lost themselves in excitement. Women threw flowers and a few people even fainted at the sight of their living God.

Djhutmose looked closely at his father, he looked a little older around the eyes since last he saw him, with more lines around the mouth, but still strong, still proud. He remembered a story his old mentor, the previous high priest of Ptah, had told him. Long ago in ancient times the Heb Sed festival was a ritual murder of the Pharaoh once he was deemed too old to rule, named after 'Sed' one of the ancient jackal gods. The priests of the jackal would place the Pharaoh on the dais, gather around and stab him with sacred blades, one by one. As the jackals reclaim the flesh of the fallen to make room for the new, so we did too in days long past, to ensure the strength of the nation. Devouring the weak to make room for the strong. As Apep devours himself, as the serpent swallows his own tail, everything in the universe goes round and round, as the sun journeys into the west and returns in the east, we feast on ourselves, but those were the old ways. Those times were forgotten, and maybe they were just stories. It was hard to say, for those tales date back from before the first dynasty.

Djhutmose had told Iset the story when she was a girl, and he revealed a dark secret, even though the Queen had told him not to scare her, that in the inner sanctum of the Temple of the Jackal, they ate the flesh of the Pharaoh, for to eat the flesh of a God is to imbibe powerful ancient magic.

Now, and for the last two thousand years, the festival was about the renewal of the physical and supernatural energy of the king. The priests would say the words, the spells would be recited, it would be recorded on the walls and it would be as they say it would be. It will be written, and so it will be true.

Pharaoh will run alongside the bull, shoot his bow, puff out his chest and make a show of it. It will be easy, too easy, thought Djhutmose to himself.

"Hail Per-a'a Amenhotep, make way for him in his rising, as you sail the heavens our hearts are elated." Ptahmose announced.

"I have come before you as Lord of Two Lands, Atum Ra Horakhty. Bull of the West! Say I to the King of Eternity, come forth. I am the Lord of Protection. I have fought for you. I am one of the gods!" Amenhotep III spoke in a deep musical voice that carried its way up the stadium.

The Apis bull of the ritual was led into the stadium by a procession of monks.

"Bull of the West, one without blemish, one without a single white hair, one who is black as Khemi, black as the earth after the waters of the Nile, fertile after flood. Bull with seal set upon your brow, I know you, I know your name, I name you Apis." Pharaoh continued.

The bull snorted and shook his enormous sleek black head, the whites of his eyes showing as he was led into the centre of the stadium ground, pawing and kicking at the dust, tail whipping back and forth as he was led by the horns. The priests calmed the bull, stroking and petting his neck, reciting spells and calling his true name.

"What happens next?" Nebet whispered to her sister.

"Pharaoh is going to race the bull." Iset replied.

"Is it safe?" asked Henu, aghast.

"He will be fine, Henu don't worry." replied Nebetia, their beautiful cousin in her soothing voice.

"As long as Apis approves of Pharaoh's strength, he will be kept safe," said Hotep.

"Oh look, he's putting on the red crown of Lower Egypt." observed Nebet, pointing down at her father.

"Don't point Nebet." her mother snapped from her seat above.

"Father will run four laps between the two shrines with the bull wearing the red crown, then another four wearing the white crown of upper Egypt." Hotep informed his younger sisters.

"Then he will be carried by the priests to the Temple of Horus to receive the crook and flail," said Djhutmose. "After that he goes to the Temple of Set and is given a bow to shoot an arrow into the four directions."

"And then he raises the Djed Pillar." finished Hotep.

"Look, he's finished the race. The priests are carrying him off." Observed Nebetia

"What do we do now?" asked Henuttaneb.

"We wait." Djhutmose replied. "Once the rituals are completed he will return to raise the pillar and begin the wedding feast."

A lively chatter began to fill the stands once more. Hotep began discussing the finer points of senet with his grandfather Yuya, Henu and Nebetah pointed out some handsome young Mitanni men sitting in the nobles box, while Queen Tiye and her mother Thuya were catching up together and making a fuss over Sitamun's dress.

"He'll be raising the Djed Pillar for Sita tonight." Iset whispered, directing her laughs to Nefi and Djhutmose who had come to stand beside her.

"They'll be reenacting the Osiris story in his bedchamber, but I wonder at his age, will she be able to find his pillar from the Nile?" Djhutmose joked back.

"If Sita wants something she would be able to prise open the jaws of a crocodile to get it." Iset replied.

"Honestly, you two. Hush." Chided Nefitiri. "What if Sitamun hears you, you ought to have some more respect for her on her wedding day."

"But where's the lie?" replied Iset innocently. "It's a festival, lighten your heart, Nefi."

"Just because Sitamun never cries doesn't mean she doesn't feel, Iset." she replied. "Just be careful of what you say."

"What do you think of the stadium?" asked Djhutmose, changing the subject. "I oversaw the construction of this myself. I drafted the plans in the north and oversaw building work over the last few days."

"It's amazing." remarked Nefi. "And built so quickly."

"Djhutmose." Ptahmose appeared beside them. "Princess Iset. Daughter of my heart, Nefitiri." He bowed his head towards the girls. "May I speak with you for a moment, my prince?"

"Of course. Please excuse me, ladies." Djhutmose allowed himself to be led away by the Vizier.

"There are many handsome men here today, Iset." Nefi looked towards the nobles box and looked back at her friend.

"Are there?"

"Haven't you noticed? The Mitanni and Hittite princes have been directing smiles at you since we arrived."

"Well that is no surprise, where else but Egypt can you see a living goddess? I have no time for such men, however." Iset remarked, playing with the ends of her wig.

"What kind of man would interest you?" Nefi asked shyly.

"Men do not interest me. They are beneath me."

"You are a priestess of Isis, your namesake."

"Yes. What are you getting at?"

"I don't know if they would have spoken of it to you, the priestesses, I mean, you are a princess, perhaps it doesn't apply to you."

"What? What are you talking about?" Iset sat up and looked at her friend who was shifting uncomfortably.

"Keep your voice down, Iset." Nefi looked at her father who was busy conversing with the prince, and then she looked up at Queen Tiye sitting on her throne, ensnared in conversation with her brothers. "I am talking about the practice of making love to a stranger, in the name of Isis, to worship and honour her. Most women of Khemi will do it once in their lives, and all priestesses of Isis are expected to."

"The priestesses never told me. My mother must have told them not to." Iset looked up at the stands. "But I am no fool, I am not a calf eyed girl. Isis is my name, she is my goddess and my guardian. I would know a stranger in her name."

"But Iset, are you sure? I shouldn't have said that. I only wondered, but now I have said it I see why they would not want it to be so. You are a princess, the rules for mortals do not apply to you."

"I am, and I am also a priestess of Isis. If it is not beneath the Great Lady, it cannot be beneath me."

"You are sure?"

"I am." Iset leaned in close towards her friend. "Have you done it yet?"

"No.."

"Why not?"

"In truth I am a little frightened. I have seen the women selling themselves in Thebes, I have watched from the window, the men have been rough with them. Some of them are so big, I wonder that it does not hurt, but the women don't cry out in pain when they put it in." Nefitiri looked down into her lap. "I know it is my duty, but I am afraid of men sometimes."

"Do you want to do it together?"

"What do you mean?" Nefi asked, eyes wide. Iset was looking straight at her, almost into her.

"I mean we could do it together. We could choose someone, and I would do it with you, I will hold your hand if you like. I am not afraid."

"Maybe that would be nice." Nefi blushed at the thought of her friend seeing her so vulnerable, seeing her open for a man, but there would be nothing to fear if her friend were by her side. Iset was so strong, so determined, men made way for her, both young and old. "Yes, I would like that very much."

"Good." Iset squeezed Nefi's hand reassuringly, then set her eyes forwards. "Look, Pharaoh returns. He'll raise the pillar now."

"And then Sita will be married."

"Yes." Iset looked up at her sister, she was sat in the same way as she had been since they arrived, eyes front, back straight, a serene smile on her face. She had been spoken to by many people, and yet she was always so proper, she never seemed anything other than the perfect princess. Sitamun would hold pleasant conversation, ask the right questions, say the right things but always, always be playing her part and paying attention to the matter at hand. Duty first.

"Do you think she is pleased?" asked Nefi.

"I don't know. Honestly, I never know what she's thinking." Iset replied.

Ptahmose stood up again to begin his announcement, cutting their conversation short.

"By Osiris, the King of Eternity

Amenhotep, true of voice, light of heart

You are Osiris made flesh

Isis has drawn you out of the river

Your soul has been put back together

Reborn out of the dark waters

Like the lotus rising to Amun Ra

I am the pure hearted

I am the one who sees the secrets

I am the one who reads the festival book of the ba-soul

I am the Setem priest in his task

I am the one who takes up the plough

I plant the seed of your name

Amenhotep

O you who gives us bread and beer

May you reign for all eternity

Go in peace through the House of Osiris

Bring peace between the two lands

Be the river between east and west

Inundate us with the seed

May it lie in the black earth, Khemi

May you open the ways and cleave the world

Enter the depths and return

Destroyer of Apep

I speak the truth

Amenhotep is reborn

Everlasting of Amun Ra

The sun will never set upon you

I know you, I know your name

King of Eternity, Amenhotep"

The High Priest's words hung in the air for a moment, the crowd was silent, all eyes turned towards Pharaoh.

Amenhotep pulled on the ropes on the ground below, heaving and pulling, muscles straining as he lifted the pillar up in a show of strength.

There was a roar of approval from the crowd at his success.

"See me ennobled, illumined, equipped to rule. O, every God, make way for me. May there be bounty. May there be harvest. Let us begin the feast!" Amenhotep shouted from below, as the crowd threw ribbons and streamers and flowers and music began to play.

"Also on this day I make an announcement, that I, Pharaoh take my eldest daughter Sitamun to be a Great Royal Wife at my side."

The crowd cheered and eyes turned towards their princess, now Queen.

"I appoint my steward Huy as Sitamun's new steward."

Huy, who was in the nobles box bowed and smiled graciously.

"Furthermore I name my beloved eldest son, Djhutmose as co-regent! To aid me in all matters of the Two Lands."

"Djhutmose! Congratulations!" exclaimed Iset, standing to embrace her brother warmly.

He was stunned, he hadn't expected it so soon, but he smiled and made the signs of peace and thanks to his father.

"Now to celebrate!" Announced the King.