The tomb of Ramesses I (Men-Pehty-Ra) 19th Dynasty (around
1315–1314 BC).
Successor of Horemheb and founder of a new Dynasty, the 19th.
Ascending the throne rather old, he exercised the
highest position of power for a long time under his predecessor. He bore the
name of Paramessu at that time.
1) Origins
 The non royal origin of
Ramesses is attested on a statue recovered in 1913 by G. Legrain at the foot
of a giant of Horemheb, under the Xème pylon of Karnak. It was dedicated to
the "prince in the whole country, mayor of the city, vizier, Paramessu, who
the chief of the archers Sethy begat".
The inscription sculpted on the loincloth stretched on
the knees completes its titles thus: "chief of the archers, intendant of the
horses, chief of the seal, transporter of His Majesty, royal messenger for
all foreign countries, royal scribe, commander of the army of the Lord of
the Two Lands, chief of the priests of all gods, lieutenant of His Majesty
in Upper and Lower Egypt, ordering the mouths of the Nile, noble, mayor of
the city, vizier, Paramessu".
From this non royal period survives two sarcophaguses,
of which one will also be re-used by his great-grandson.
The Ramesside family is therefore, traditionally, a
family of soldiers.
He was from the East of the Delta, from the city of Tanis, situated on the
edge of Asia, an origin which could have an influence on some aspects of
Ramesside politics. It also explains the frequency of the Sethy name in the
family: "the one that belongs in Seth ", a
God particularly honoured in the oriental part of the Lower Egypt. One also
knows, thanks to a stela dated from Ramesses II, and discovery in Tanis
that, even before his advent, vizier Paramessu had sent his son Sethy to do
homage to Seth in his city.
The wife of Paramessu, Sat-Ra, also of non royal
origin, was the mother of his heir Sethy I.
One can wonder why Horemheb chose this man, who was already old, to succeed him. A general, like him, and a comrade-in-arms of Horemheb, this last one named him vizier, which allowed him to familiarise himself with the business of State, which he really had to know by the time of his accession to the throne.
Legrain found, in the feet of the Xth pylon of Karnak, two statues of Paramessu, at the side of two other statues representing Amenophis-son-of-Hapu; they had probably been placed there by Ramesses II to move closer to his ancestor of Horemheb, whom the official lists considered as the legitimate successor of Amenophis III.
Especially, it is possible to believe that he detected
in the son of Paramessu, Sethy(future Sethy
I), exceptional qualities. Besides, Sethy even had the advantage of also
having a son, which assured in theory the stability of Pharaonic succession
of which it had been deprived since the death of Amenhotep IV -
Akhenaton.
2) Ramesses on the throne
Ramesses was
regarded clearly as the founder of a new
dynasty, as the choice of its name of crowning (Men-Pehty-Ra =
Established (enduring)-is-the-power-of-Ra), shows; based on that of Ahmosis,
the founder of the XVIIIth Dynasty (Neb-Pehty-Ra =
Ra-is-Master-of-the-power).
The titulature adopted by Ramesses I insists on the bonds of
monarchy with the Gods. It does not yet present the warlike aspect which
those of his successors will have:
Horus name: strong bull who makes the monarchy green
(ie. perpetually renewed, as vegetation in the spring).
"The two Mistresses" name: the one who appears as king
as the equal of Atum.
Golden Horus name: the one who consolidates Truth and
Justice throughout the country of two parts.
King of Upper and Lower Egypt name: Established
(enduring) is the power of Ra.
Son of Ra name: Ra-ms-s ("it is Ra who put him in the
world").
After the time
of Amarna and the persecution of Akhenaton, Amon was re-established in his
rightful place and to the list of rare achievements which one can assign to
Ramesses I, one finds the original work of the great hypostyle hall of
Karnak, which would be finished by his successors.
But it seems that, perhaps expressing same mistrust as
Horemheb with regard to the Amon priesthood which had become very powerful
again, he wanted to give an important place, also, to the beliefs of the
Heliopolitans and Memphites.
The reign
of Ramesses I would be very in short, less than
two years. He apparently had the wisdom to associate his young son
Sethy, which would allow the latter to follow his father without any major
problem.
The tomb of Ramesses I carries the N°.16 of the Valley
of Kings (KV16). It is located opposite
that of Horemheb. It was discovered by Belzoni in October 1817. Considering
the brevity of the reign of the king, it remained unfinished.
There are three theories to explain the small size of the tomb:
*The first postulates that the sovereign already old
and could have been sick when he ascended the throne of Horus would have
from the start would have envisaged a small tomb. Only the completion of it
and notably that of the sarcophagus would have been done in haste.
*Another hypothesis is that the first room while
digging, which should have acted as the antechamber, was transformed hastily
into the burial chamber on the king's death.
*It seems in fact that it tomb was designed to be a
much larger monument but that the health of the king quickly deteriorated
and brought about, in a drastic way, a reduction to the initial program.
Plan (view,
after the SCA plan)
The tomb is rectilinear and measures "only" 29m. in
length. It includes two stairways separated by a corridor, culminating in a
small oblong chamber flanked of two annexes and a niche. A sarcophagus, made
of red granite, occupies a significant portion of the room (view
rs_199602).
A more complete plan can be found HERE
The decoration
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...The paintings of the tomb of Ramesses I are among the better
preserved of those of the royal tombs. |
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Only found in the
sarcophagus room.
It takes again at the same time the style and the themes of the hypogeum of
Horemheb. Besides, it is very probable that most of the craftsmen who
worked on the tomb of Ramesses I had already been in charge of the one of
his predecessor Horemheb.
One therefore find here the special blue-grey
background (already present, it should be noted, in Amenophis
(Amenhotep) III), with the same palette of intense and saturated colours. On
the other hand, for lack of time, paintings are applied here directly to the
plaster coated walls, without finding the splendid raised reliefs decorating
the tomb of Horemheb. The king having reigned only eighteen months, it gives
us an outline of what can be accomplished in so little time in a royal
burial at that time. |
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The tomb remained sealed after the king's mummy has
been moved from it, to protect it, in the XXIst Dynasty, by the devout
priests of Amon.
The tomb remained sealed after the king's mummy has been moved from it, to
protect it, in the XXIst Dynasty, by the devout priests of Amon.
One finds no graffiti in the tomb from Greco-Roman times. There is only a
little water damage. On the other hand the crackled ceiling threatened
downfall and a structure in wood has been installed around the sarcophagus
in order to support the vault.
It is in much the same way for the decorative program,
with scenes extracted of the Book of Gates and which one only finds from the
tomb of Horemheb (see below).
With this tomb and the one of Horemheb, one gets the
feeling that they wished to abbreviate it.
In fact, with the XVIIIth Dynasty one finds in the royal tombs of Thutmosis
I, Thutmosis III, Amenophis (Amenhotep) II, Amenophis (Amenhotep) III, the
Book of the Amduat, which will be very much reduced it is true for
Tutankhamun and Ay. This book will disappear with Horemheb and Ramesses I.
It will reappear with Sethy I, Ramesses II, Merenptah, ...replaced by the
Book of Gates.
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...The Book of Gates will be treated in details later on.
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The Book of Gates is a funeral composition whose
original name is unknown. It appears in the Valley of the Kings in the tomb
of Horemheb, then in that of the first representative of the XIXth dynasty,
Ramesses I.
It is one of the books which describe the nocturnal journey of the sun.
It replaces in this function that which was previously
used by the Book of the Amduat, by which it was extensively inspired.
As with the Amduat, the Book of Gates is divided into
sections and takes the general description of the nocturnal journey of the
sun in a barque within a framework including three registers.
The principal innovation, it is the appearance of a scene of judgement in front of
Osiris, after the 5th division. Thus the late king also will pass to
him in judgement. There is no doubt that this principal innovation was been
introduced because of the Amarna episode: if by chance a new "heretic" came
to occupy the throne of Egypt, it is quite out of the question to allow him
to become a funerary - royal! - for Eternity, if he has not acted in
accordance with Ma'at.
The very concept of the courtroom, unlike that of the
"Book of the Dead", is very austire. Note that Osiris is the only judge;
there is no assembly of the gods or accessers to assist him as in a tomb
private. Another innovation is the use of cryptographs (a process, however, already present
on the guilt chapels of Tutankhamun).
Finally, the main iconic characteristic of the Book of
Gates is the presence of gates, which are twelve
in number (the Duat itself includes eleven divisions). Note: the
first hour is followed by the first gate, which gives entry to the second
hour, and so on, until the twelfth gate gives entry to the day (the rebirth
of the sun).
These gigantic portals which punctuate the different
stages of the journey of the solar barque create the hours of the night and make reference to
essential elements of an Egyptian temple or the royal palace. Just like the
doors which follow one another in a building, they seem to lead the
traveller towards the heart of architectural space.
These gates, already quoted in the Book of the Amduat
on the other hand were never represented there.
A snake watches over each of them and its body
extends to the full height of the three registers.
With Ramesses I one finds
only excerpts of the 3rd and 4th hours.
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View JH 6: second
stairway
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After a first long flight of stairs, one arrives to
the actual entry (view sr_17080208).
The one here is greater than those of the tombs of the
XVIIIth Dynasty.
A downward corridor, with smooth walls but not covered
with plaster leads into a second stairway built into the rock. On each side
are two deep ledges, whose function is not obvious. They are not
decorated.
The sarcophagus chamber opens up directly at the
bottom of this staircase, where one would normally have expected the well
chamber.
| The
sarcophagus chamber - Overall view |
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View JH 1:
Overall
view |
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| View JH 5:
progression(s) |
What strikes one straightaway it is the small size of
the
room, the immense sarcophagus with its rounded lid
which
occupies a great part of it, and the very colourful
aspect
of the walls in a good state.
The size of the room only permitted the storage of a
small amount of funeral material, of which there already remained almost
nothing any more at the time of the transfer of the mummy of the king in
XXIst Dynasty. This material had to really much less in quantity to what has
been recovered from Tutankhamun [nb. : for which some still bemoan that he
was a "small Pharaoh" who had to have so few things in relation to others. I
don't believe anything of it.]
The progress of the scenes gives a good idea of
the progression of the deceased king in his
journey in the hereafter.
This here is split in
two, one part on the walls of the right, one part on the walls of the
left, result from the walls being based respectively on Osiris and on
Khepri. An interesting effect of symmetry results from this. That this, as
always in Egypt, is never complete.
We will follow the king's path successively in its two
directions, right and left from the entry.
| Progression
on the path to the right |
A - The wall on the
right of the entry :
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View JH 4 : Entrance
wall, on the right
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Either side of the doorway, two pictures of the
Goddess Ma'at welcome the deceased king.
They are a reminder that – unlike what was practiced before - the king
enters the room "of the two Ma'ats" (Ma'at(y)) that is to say a room of
judgement, and we will review on the opposite wall where he is going to be
brought before Osiris.
Ma'at receives the king : view
pb_19813
"Words spoken by Ma'at,
daughter of Ra when she welcomes her beloved son, the Osiris-king
Men-Pehty-Ra, just of voice, and when she gives him the throne of her father
Osiris, for eternity (twice)"
Behind the goddess : "Protection, life, stability, strength and an ever joyous
heart are all around her"
The king is then represented making an offering of two
vases of wine to the god Nefertum. He is presented once again as "the Osiris-king Men-Pehty-Ra, just of voice with the Great
God Lord of Busiris (= Osiris)". Before him : "Giving wine, so that he becomes(?) as Ra".
The God Nefertum is
easily recognisable by the open lotus which he wears on his head. His name
is also recorded above him. He carries in one hand the sign of life the
Ankh, in the other the Was-scepter of power.
This representation makes reference to Chapter 81B of
the Book of the Dead: "Formula to take the aspect of a lotus…. Oh this
lotus, this picture of Nefertum, I am someone who knows your name… " Thus
the birth of the sun is symbolised, which left for the first time from the
initial chaos, when the blue petals of the flower of the lotus opened.
This linking of Nefertum with the realm of the sun is
very old, since Spell 266 of the Pyramid
Texts proclaims that he is "the flower of the lotus at the nose" of
the sun god Ra.
From the New Kingdom, Nefertum is considered as the
god-son of the Memphite triad also including Ptah (who one will find on the
wall to the left of the entry) and the leonine goddess Sekhmet.
Above him : "Words spoken by
Nefertum, the Great God, Lord of Ta-Djeser (= the necropolis), who orders
one to appear before the Mountain of the West. Lord for Eternity, Governor
of Eternity."
Behind him : "Protection, life,
stability, power, around him like Ra."
One finds a great " Tiet
Knot "the (Knot of Isis) which refers to Chapter 156 of the Book of
the Dead "Formula for the Tiet-knot of red jasper…. You have your blood,
Isis; you have your magic power, Isis; you have your magic, Isis; the amulet
which is the protection of this Great God, that represses the one who causes
him wrong". The exact significance of the goddess's symbol remains
obscure.
B - The right
wall.
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View JH 3 : West
Wall
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North side
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South side
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Here one finds represented a part of the 2nd division
(or 3rd hour) of the Book of Gates
(reduced: the door (except the leaf), the upper register except the
beginning of the text placed in the 2nd register, the nine characters after
the snakes of the lower register, the end of the text in the bottom
register.)
The movement of the scenes is made right to left, so
prolonging the initial phase of reception.
Above of the representations in the top register, is an
"Egyptian cornice" surmounted by a Kheker frieze.
On this wall are dug, above the top of upper register,
two small niches destined to contain magic bricks, in number–theory - 4, and
which are supposed to be oriented according to the cardinal points.
Obviously this is not the case here. Undoubtedly, did the amulets contained
in the niches probably compensate for this ?
1) The first gate
This is represented solely by its leaf. The gate here,
on a yellow base, has the gigantic upright guardian
snake,
Aqeby (view
cd_20, view 62).
The text (in
retrograde writing, with inversion of the sense of the signs) : "Aqeby, he is on this leaf, he it opens to Ra. Open for the
one of the horizon, when he illuminates the dense darkness and who gives the
light in the Duat ! (= the Hidden Chamber). This gate is sealed after this
Great God enters there and Those-who-are-in-their-pylon (= the deceased)
moan when they hear the gate close itself again on them."
2) Register of the
barque
In the barque, is a ram-headed God
surmounted
by a solar disk (view
unidia_35668). It refers the nocturnal form of the sun, who combines the
bottom of
Osiris
and Ra. A clearer explanation is given in the tomb
of Queen Nefertari (Great Royal Wife of Ramesses
II).
The God stands under a canopy, a Was-scepter of power
in his hand, before him stands a protective snake. The canopy is surrounded
and protected by the folds of a great snake, Mehen.
One notes how much the crew of the barque is reduced:
there is only the God Sia to embody the power of knowledge at the front, and
the God Heqa for magic power at the rear.
The barque is hauled by four Dwawtyws (= inhabitants
of the Duat, the underworld).
Before the hauliers, eight standing mummies carry the
Barque of the Earth, which crosses a space symbolised by a rod or a gut (view
cd_13). Above this are seated seven divinities, and at each extremity is
the form of a cow's head (with Hathorian ears view
cm_2004890) and holding a bull. The rope of the hauliers enters the
muzzle of the right cow and exits from that at the other extremity, showing
that the barque is supposed to cross this gut, which makes of this crossing
a passage of ritual and rebirth. It is probably necessary to understand
(although it is not very clear) that it acts as an equal to the portage of
the barque of Aker in his underground domain, the two bulls back to back
which can represent the two mounds which one finds associated with this God.
Notice that the mummy bearers all wear the bent false beards of a blissful
death, which even pass in a non-realistic manner in front of the rod in
order to better emphasise them.
Before the hauliers and facing them, are four
Osiriform
characters in white shrouds, their head dressed with
the
klaft(view unidia_35663) are designated as "the wtAw (= bandaged ones) of the earth".
Above these representations, the text in retrograde
writing says :
"This Great God is hauled by the gods of the Duat,
this Great God arrives with the Barque of the Earth, at (the craft) of the
gods."
Ra says to them : "Oh gods who carry the Barque of the
Earth, carriers of the craft of the Duat, which your forms have raised, the
light is for your craft. Sacred (Djeser) is who is in it ! Does the barque
of the Earth flinch before me (?), the craft of Duat elevates my form. Here,
I cross the Mysterious Region to take care of those who are in it. The earth
trembles (twice). The soul is honoured, the double bull rejoices and the God
is satisfied with what he created."
These gods say to Ra : "Ra is honoured, his soul is
powerful (when it is) with the One of the Earth (?). These gods honour Ra
when he lies down. The barque rejoices, his duat is this craft. Then they
lament when Ra passes close to them. Their offerings consist of fresh
vegetables; their offerings are given them when (they) hear the voice of
those who haul this Great God. Those of the Duat in the sacred barque, who
are found in the land, command the wtAw of the earth."
"The roar of Khenty-mnt-f : Discover your heads! Hide
your arms! The air is for your noses; that your bandages are untied ! You
have the power of your gifts, you are satisfied with what I created !"
"Their offerings consist in breads, their beer is
the djsrt-drink, their refreshment, that is water. What we gives them as
offering, it is materials of lucid colour in the Duat."
The continuation of this text is a mutilated passage
of the Book of Gates, 2nd division (or 3rd hour), 1st register :
"(The holy gods who are in the
Duat) in their chapels, whose divine flesh the snake Sty guards the
chapels."
Ra says to them : "Your chapels (are open) and my rays
penetrate your darkness. I found you in mourning, your chapels sealed on
you. I give (air for your noses)."
3) Bottom register :
The God Atum leans on a stick before the
representation of the enormous snake Apophis (view
unidia_35669). The god thus prevents Apophis exerting his malefic action
and from reversing the solar barque. Curiously, the reptile is not shown as
one so often sees him elsewhere.
Above of the annexe, towards the right, is an
inscription : "The assembly of the gods, who repulses
Apophis." The divinities themselves are not even represented.
Notice that the representation of Apophis is located
directly under that of the divine barque.
4) On the left, after the
annexe, we find Atum standing in the same pose facing nine divinities
holding a sceptre and the Ankh sign of life, the "Lords of Provisions." (view
rs_06050411, view pb_19817)
The text above of these representations is in
retrograde engraving and says :
"That which Atum does (for) Ra:
to deify the God, to cast down the rebel. You are reversed, you who stand no
more! You are charmed you who do not find yourself anymore ! My father is
justified against you, I am justified against you, I repel you Ra, I punish
you for The One of the Horizon !
The Ennead tells Ra (when he) repulses Apophis : "Your
head is severed, Apophis ! Your folds are cut! You won't approach the barque
of Ra, you won't descend toward the divine barque! The flame is against you
coming from the Mysterious Region. We intended you to be annihilated !"
"They provide gifts for Ra, offerings for the One
who is the Head of the Westerners (= Osiris). One makes them offerings of
the land,
presenting them refreshment to those who have right to the offerings before
Ra."
Atum says to these gods who carry the sceptre and the
sign of life, to those who lean on their sceptres: "Repel the enemy of the
One of the Horizon, cut the flesh from the bad one !
These gods charm Apophis, they open the earth for Ra,
they seal (the earth on Apophis)."
C - The back wall, on
the right.
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View JH 1 : Back
wall
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On the back wall are represented four separated
scenes. Osiris and Khepris, terminate the two journeys, centre of the wall;
each side are eight characters. The groups present a nearly symmetrical
aspect, with the Egyptian cornice which takes the form of a roof above of
the divine representations.
On the right, the dead king is lead by Horus, Atum and
Neith in front of Osiris, seated on an archaic throne placed on a pedestal
(view
cm_2004888). It is the culmination of the journey in the beyond on the
right-hand path (Book of Gates, 2nd division (or 3rd hour)).
From the New Kingdom, the Egyptian theologists finally
succeeded in combining the Solar and Osirian fates, a priori
contradictory: Osiris became the nocturnal form of the sun. The Bau of the
two gods join, as is expressed by the formula: "Osiris, (who) is the Ba of
Ra, Ra who is the Ba of Osiris".
In front of Osiris, is a smaller character, an
Iwn-mwt-f priest, dressed in the panther skin (view
pb_19703). This priest represents the ideal son of Osiris who fulfils
the function of funeral priest.
Before Iwn-mwt-f : Words spoken
by Iwn-mwt-f, four times : "In peace, you are in peace, eternally and
forever !"
Above of Osiris, is an inscription which reproduces
the God's speech :
Words to be spoken : "I come, I
will be your protection. I establish your throne like that of Ra in the sky.
You rise (as the sun) eternally and forever in any place which you want,
Osiris who is to the Head of the West, Wenen-nefer, king of the
Living."
Horus wears the double crown and carries a sceptre. Above and before him :
Words spoken by Horus, son of Isis: "Go and come,
introduce him in the great palace which is in the Duat, in the middle of the
land of the Mountain of the West."
Above of the king : "I come
before you, King of the Gods, Great God, Lord of the Sky."
Above Atum : Words spoken by
Atum, Lord of the Two Lands and Heliopolis, Great God, Lord of the Sky, who
resides in the Two Lands.
Before him : Words to be
spoken: "I give you the appearances of Ra in the sky. That you may be like
him."
Above of Neith (view unidia_35661) : Words spoken
by Neith the Great, divine Mother, Mistress of the Sky, Mistress of the
Gods.
Before her : Words to be spoken
: "I give you the throne of Osiris so that you rest in it,
eternally."
The other representations, on the left-hand side of
the back wall are the culmination of the royal progression from the walls of
the left of the entry, we will visit these below.
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