God's Wife

For the novel by Henry Baum, see God's Wife (novel).

God's Wife (Egyptian ḥmt nṯr) is a title which was often allocated to royal women during the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. The term indicates an inherited sacral duty, in which the role of "God's Wife" passed from mother to daughter. The role could also exist among siblings, as in the case of the role of "God's Wife" being shared or passed by daughters of Ahmose-Nefertari, Satamun (I) and her sister, Ahmose-Merytamun.[1]

Despite certain allegations found online, the role of "God's Wife" is not the same as the title "God's Wife of Amun", which is a separate sacral title, involved in the "Divine Cycle" myth of the deity Amun.[2][3] Only two 18th Dynasty queens held this title, being Ahhotep and Ahmose-Nefertari.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Troy, L. 1986. Patterns of Queenship: in ancient Egyptian myth and history: 98. BOREAS14. Uppsala: ACTA Universitatis Upsaliensis
  2. ↑ Gitton, M. 1984. Les divine éspouses de la 18e dynastie. Centre de Recherches d'Histoire Ancienne 61/Annales Littéraires de l'Université de Besançon 306. Paris: Les Belles-Lettres.
  3. ↑ Robins, G. 1983. The God's Wife of Amun in the 18th Dynasty in Egypt. In A. Cameron and A. Kuhrt, Eds., Images of Women in Antiquity: 65-78. Cranberra: Croon Helm.
  4. ↑ Troy, L. 1986. Patterns of Queenship: in ancient Egyptian myth and history: Appendix A, 18.2 and 18.3. BOREAS14. Uppsala: ACTA Universitatis Upsaliensis
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