Statuettes
decorated with designs which apparently represent tattooing have also
been discovered in many Egyptian Tombs. These statuettes, called "brides
of the dead," were buried with male mummies and were supposed to arouse
the sexual instincts of the deceased and ensure his rebirth by association
with Osiris, the god of resurrection.
Similar tattoo designs have been found on Egyptian mummies. The best
preserved of these mummies is Amunet. Parallel lines are tattooed
on Amunet's arms and thighs, and there is an elliptical pattern below
the navel. According to Egyptian scholar Robert S. Bianchi, the tattooing
has "an undeniably carnal overtone."[!]
In life Amunet was a priestess of the goddess Hathor (the Egyptian
goddess of love) at Thebes during Dynasty XI (2160-1994 BC). As principal
representative of all other Egyptian goddesses, Hathor symbolized
the cosmic mother who gave birth to all life on earth. Throughout
Egypt temples were erected and festivals were held in her honor. The
most important of these was the festival celebrating her birth, a
drunken orgy which was held on New Year's Day. All of the tattooed
Egyptian mummies which have been discovered to date are female. Can
we conclude that in ancient Egypt only females were tattooed? Probably
not. Designs which apparently represent tattoos are seen on paintings
of both men and women in Egyptian art, and statues of Egyptian kings
who reigned toward the end of the New Kingdom are engraved with hieroglyphs
and images of Egyptian gods which probably represent tattooing.
There is no
known word for tattooing in ancient Egyptian. However, a line in the
papyrus Bremer-Rhind reads: "Their name is inscribed into their arms
as Isis and Nephthys..." The hieroglyph (mentenu) which is here translated
as "inscribed" has a very general meaning which may also be translated
as "etched" or "engraved". This may be a reference to tattooing. However,
one female Egyptian mummy has both tattoos and ornamental scars, so
mentenu may also refer to scarring, branding, or cutting a design
with a knife. In Libya, both male and female tattooed mummies have
been discovered. Some male mummies bear tattooed images relating to
sun worship, and other male mummies, discovered in the tomb of Seti
I and dating from about 1300 BC., were tattooed with pictographs symbolizing
Neith, a fierce goddess who led warriors into battle. The earliest
known tattoo which is a picture of something, rather than an abstract
pattern, represents Bes, the lascivious god of revelry. In addition
to his duties as master of ceremonies at orgies, Bes also served as
the patron god of dancing girls and musicians. Bes is portrayed in
many Egyptian works of art as an ugly ape-like dwarf wearing an animal
skin. This image is found on steles and vases, while on amulets he
is often represented as a phallus. When hung at the head of a bed,
these amulets were used as a charm to ward off evil spirits. Bes's
image appears as a tattoo on the thighs of dancers and musicians in
many Egyptian paintings, and Bes tattoos have been found on female
Nubian mummies dating from about 400 BC.
Statuettes
decorated with designs which apparently represent tattooing have also
been discovered in many Egyptian Tombs. These statuettes, called "brides
of the dead," were buried with male mummies and were supposed to arouse
the sexual instincts of the deceased and ensure his rebirth by association
with Osiris, the god of resurrection.
There is no
known word for tattooing in ancient Egyptian. However, a line in the
papyrus Bremer-Rhind reads: "Their name is inscribed into their arms
as Isis and Nephthys..." The hieroglyph (mentenu) which is here translated
as "inscribed" has a very general meaning which may also be translated
as "etched" or "engraved". This may be a reference to tattooing. However,
one female Egyptian mummy has both tattoos and ornamental scars, so
mentenu may also refer to scarring, branding, or cutting a design
with a knife. In Libya, both male and female tattooed mummies have
been discovered. Some male mummies bear tattooed images relating to
sun worship, and other male mummies, discovered in the tomb of Seti
I and dating from about 1300 BC., were tattooed with pictographs symbolizing
Neith, a fierce goddess who led warriors into battle. The earliest
known tattoo which is a picture of something, rather than an abstract
pattern, represents Bes, the lascivious god of revelry. In addition
to his duties as master of ceremonies at orgies, Bes also served as
the patron god of dancing girls and musicians. Bes is portrayed in
many Egyptian works of art as an ugly ape-like dwarf wearing an animal
skin. This image is found on steles and vases, while on amulets he
is often represented as a phallus. When hung at the head of a bed,
these amulets were used as a charm to ward off evil spirits. Bes's
image appears as a tattoo on the thighs of dancers and musicians in
many Egyptian paintings, and Bes tattoos have been found on female
Nubian mummies dating from about 400 BC.