A coffin recovered at Dra Abu el-Naga, on the west bank of the Nile opposite Luxor, belonged to a woman named Merit who held the title Chantress of Amun.
It's good to read of the activities of women in ancient Egypt. They have been getting short shrift for as far back as I can remember- Hatshepsut notwithstanding.
What serendipitous timing! As we had talked about privately, I’ve had a piece scheduled for Friday for some time now that sent me rather deep into Eighteenth Dynasty Egypt while researching it. I’ve been particularly interested in the sensory world of ritual, so your discussion of the chantresses, incense, offerings, sound, and the way these could reach the divine really caught my attention. This arrived at exactly the right moment. Divine intervention from BCE.
It is fascinating to see that, even in the minds of our ancient ancestors, music held a profound significance in society. Musicians were not only valued in life but also revered and honored after death, as shown by the elaborate funerary practices dedicated to those like Merit, the Chantress of Amun. Her role in the temple of Amun at Karnak demonstrates the high esteem in which musical service was held during the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt.
How delightful it is to see not only a woman but a musical one honored as she was. And how great is it that this is published on a day we mourn a great chantress who passed in what can only be assumed in grace after a lifetime of songs. 🙏
Isn't this a wondrous discovery❣️ As part of my own research, development & ultimate design of the 21st C Sistrum :: Ceremonial Systrum™ aka Hathor Systrum ~ see https://tahya.com/ceremonial-systrum/ ~ I learned that as part of her 2001 doctoral dissertation Suzanne Onstein created a database of close to 900 women identified as musician-priestesses know to "rattle the sistrum before the divinities they served" and in so doing she recognized that the lack of research about the women who fulfilled this role "neglect(ed) a large segment of the population. The role was neither obscure nor unusual in ancient times..." I am encouraged by this and continue to be uplifted by the fact that musician-priestesses playing frame drum and Systrum are a part of a HERstorically long lineage of women who literally played a significant role in temple ceremony and community celebrations❣ Please visit my website for more info on the Ceremonial Systrum™ and I invite you check out the events page for opportunities to partake in the lineage & invoke blessings from the Goddess for the courage & strength necessary during these challenging times.
It's good to read of the activities of women in ancient Egypt. They have been getting short shrift for as far back as I can remember- Hatshepsut notwithstanding.
What serendipitous timing! As we had talked about privately, I’ve had a piece scheduled for Friday for some time now that sent me rather deep into Eighteenth Dynasty Egypt while researching it. I’ve been particularly interested in the sensory world of ritual, so your discussion of the chantresses, incense, offerings, sound, and the way these could reach the divine really caught my attention. This arrived at exactly the right moment. Divine intervention from BCE.
It is fascinating to see that, even in the minds of our ancient ancestors, music held a profound significance in society. Musicians were not only valued in life but also revered and honored after death, as shown by the elaborate funerary practices dedicated to those like Merit, the Chantress of Amun. Her role in the temple of Amun at Karnak demonstrates the high esteem in which musical service was held during the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt.
How delightful it is to see not only a woman but a musical one honored as she was. And how great is it that this is published on a day we mourn a great chantress who passed in what can only be assumed in grace after a lifetime of songs. 🙏
Isn't this a wondrous discovery❣️ As part of my own research, development & ultimate design of the 21st C Sistrum :: Ceremonial Systrum™ aka Hathor Systrum ~ see https://tahya.com/ceremonial-systrum/ ~ I learned that as part of her 2001 doctoral dissertation Suzanne Onstein created a database of close to 900 women identified as musician-priestesses know to "rattle the sistrum before the divinities they served" and in so doing she recognized that the lack of research about the women who fulfilled this role "neglect(ed) a large segment of the population. The role was neither obscure nor unusual in ancient times..." I am encouraged by this and continue to be uplifted by the fact that musician-priestesses playing frame drum and Systrum are a part of a HERstorically long lineage of women who literally played a significant role in temple ceremony and community celebrations❣ Please visit my website for more info on the Ceremonial Systrum™ and I invite you check out the events page for opportunities to partake in the lineage & invoke blessings from the Goddess for the courage & strength necessary during these challenging times.
✨𝒮ššᖶ 𝒮ššᖶ 𝒮ššᖶ ✨