The Role of Breastfeeding in Ancient Egyptian Religion and Kingship

该项目研究了古埃及古王国时期(约公元前2450年至公元前31年)古埃及寺庙和古墓中神圣的哺乳母题(古埃及国王由女神哺乳的描绘)所扮演的宗教和政治角色。我正在分析这一时期寺庙或陵墓建筑群中已知的每一个神圣的护理场景，通过对每个场景的王冠和主题的图像化分析，以及对每个场景的伴随铭文的文字分析。此外，某些场景将作为案例分析它们在神庙或陵墓中的位置以及它们与周围场景的关系。我将重点研究以下问题：神圣的护理主题在埃及神庙和陵墓的上下文中扮演什么角色？这些场景与其他场景有何关联和相互作用？这些场景可以揭示古埃及神圣王权的本质？这些场景揭示了女性在埃及宗教、王权和世界观中所扮演的角色？为了进行分析，我已经开始创建一个数据库，记录埃及神圣哺乳主题的每次出现(大约130个场景)。由于所有这些场景都没有发布，或者发布时没有可用的线条图或照片，因此前往埃及拍摄这些场景将是必不可少的。数据库和照片将在期末论文中公布。神圣的护理场景被认为象征着国王被众神收养，他接受了成为国王所需的神圣保护和权力。这一普遍接受的理解在很大程度上依赖于Jean Leclant(1951&1960)的著作。莱克兰特和后来的学者(Maruejol 1983；Budin 2011；Gomez-Landero 2016)通常只关注特定数量的场景，如某个时期或地点的场景，并在很大程度上独立于其更大的装饰背景来研究场景。虽然这些研究方法在许多方面都被证明是有用的，但这些场景本来是一个更大的项目的一部分，当考虑到它们的背景时，将获得更多的理解。因此，对所选案例的语境分析将使我的研究能够为我们理解这一主题及其在不同语境中的使用做出独特而重要的贡献。我的研究也将有助于我们理解古埃及的王权以及女性在宗教和政治中的作用。这些场景在国王和女神之间创造了一种个人联系。因此，它们的使用、肖像和文本可以阐明关于国王与神的关系的信仰，以及这些信仰可能随着时间的推移而发生了怎样的变化。此外，这些场景描绘了国王依靠女神获得营养和照顾。这样，对这一母题的研究有助于我们更好地理解女性在古埃及世界观中的作用及其在政治和宗教中的应用。

This project examines the religious and political role played by the divine nursing motif (depictions of the ancient Egyptian king being breastfed by a goddess) in ancient Egyptian temples and tombs from the Old Kingdom through the Greco-Roman period (ca. 2450 BCE - 31 CE). I am analyzing every known divine nursing scene from a temple or tomb complex during this period through an iconographic analysis of the regalia and subjects of each scene and a textual analysis of each scene's accompanying inscriptions. Additionally, certain scenes will act as case studies for a contextual analysis of their location in the temple or tomb as well as their relationship to surrounding scenes.I will focus on the following research questions:What is the role of the divine nursing motif in the context of Egyptian temples and tombs? How do these scenes relate to and interact with other scenes?What can these scenes reveal regarding the nature of divine kingship in ancient Egypt?What do these scenes reveal regarding the role of women in Egyptian religion, kingship, and worldview?For this analysis, I have begun to create a database of each appearance of the Egyptian divine nursing motif (approximately 130 scenes). As all of these scenes have not been published or were published without usable line drawings or photos, a trip to Egypt to photograph such scenes will be essential. The database and photos will be made available with the final dissertation.Divine nursing scenes are believed to have symbolized the king's adoption by the gods and his reception of the divine protection and power needed to be king. This generally accepted understanding relies largely on the writings of Jean Leclant (1951 & 1960). Leclant and later scholars (Maruejol 1983; Budin 2011; Gomez-Landero 2016) have generally focused on only a select number of scenes such as those of a certain period or location and have largely examined the scenes independent of their larger decorative context. While these methods of study have proven useful in many ways, these scenes were meant to be part of a larger program and more understanding will be gained when their context is considered. As such, the contextual analysis of the selected case studies will allow my research to make unique and important contributions to our understanding of this motif and its use in various contexts.My research will also contribute to our understanding of ancient Egyptian kingship and the role of women in religion and politics. These scenes create a personal connection between the king and a goddess. Thus, their use, iconography, and texts can illuminate beliefs regarding the king's relationship with the divine and how these beliefs may have changed over time. In addition, these scenes depict the king dependent on a goddess for nourishment and care. In this way, this study of the motif can help us better understand the roles played by women in the ancient Egyptian worldview and its application in politics and religion.