Even in the New Kingdom, where literature was more cosmopolitan, literature still adhered to a basic form which elevated Egyptian cultural values. Last modified November 18, 2016. In this capacity she seemed to have associations with Anubis. Solomon (reigned c.970-c.930 BCE) was very learned from the books of Seshat. She was the First and Foremost female scribe – accountant, historian and architect to both the pharaoh and the gods. Seshat, under various spellings,[2] was the ancient Egyptian goddess of wisdom, knowledge, and writing. License. A.G.H. You write well and have a wide-ranging mind. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. It is certainly beyond doubt that at least some of the daughters of the king were educated and the position of private tutor to a royal princess could be one of the highest honour (118-119). Published in Thoth and Seshat with the Tree of life. Among the early literate she was identified as the original author. Seshat assisted the pharaoh in the "stretching the cord" ritual. The ancient Egyptians believed that what was done on earth was mirrored in the celestial realm of the gods. However the New Years Festival predates Djehudi, it predates the 4th Dynasty of Ra, and is mentioned in text prior to the 1st Dynasty. If not shown with the hide over a dress, the pattern of the dress is that of the spotted feline. The famous 24th century BC Palermo Stone has multiple uses of Seshat's emblem. It was she who recorded, by notching her palm, the time allotted to the pharaoh for his stay on earth. Rosalie David writes: It would seem that the House of Life had both a practical use and a deeply religious significance. Arguing that there were few female scribes based on there being no "women's literature" in ancient Egypt seems in error as the literature of the culture could hardly be considered "masculine" in any respect save for the kings' monumental inscriptions. She was the female goddess of positions belonging mostly to men. The scribe Goddess took care of Thoth's library of scrolls and spells. Notify me of new posts by email.
Mistress of the House of Books is another title for Seshat, being the deity whose priests oversaw the library in which scrolls of the most important knowledge were assembled and spells were preserved. Name * Email * Website. Seshat - Leopard mixed media Original Art Print MagicMissBri $ 34.99.
She kept track of each pharaoh and the period for which he ruled and the speeches made during the crowning rituals. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Linguistic, architectural, and artistic similarities: The symbol for Seshat has been correlated in ancient times among the Hebrew as parallel with the symbol used for Jesus as evidenced in this Urn. The Tree of Life. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Seshat is often described as the Scribe Goddess as she was the record keeper for the Pharoah and the dead. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. She was profoundly and powerfully associated with the integration of heaven and earth, material and spiritual. [5], For Seshat: Digital History Databank, see, Seshat, depicted in a leopard skin, inscribing the, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Gardiner's Sign List#R.