KINGS OF THE SKY

Here, the 16th Century bust (brass and bronze) of an Oba, king, of the Benin Empire. The Edo people of Benin are descendants of an ancient warrior kingdom known as Igodomigodo, which existed as early as 350 B.C. During the Igodomigodo Kingdom era, the Edo were ruled by Ogisos, ‘kings of the sky.’ Following the death of the last Ogiso, the Igodomigodo chiefs experienced political and social instability and requested help from the neighboring Ife Kingdom. According to history, the Ife King sent his son, Prince Oranmiyan Odede, to help stabilize the kingdom. During his stay, he took a woman named Erinmwide as his wife and the two had a son, Eweka I, who became the king of the Edo people and Oba of the newly named Benin Empire. The ancient Empire of Benin had its seat in Benin City of modern day Nigeria where the Eweka dynasty still exists today. Their fashion, language, and art is a testament to their rich culture and ancient traditions.
Photo Credit: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/312290

MEMNON: An Ethiopian King and Hero in Greek Mythology

Μemnon: An Ethiopian king, demigod, and Greek hero whose skill in battle was considered to be almost equal to Achilles. In ancient Greek mythology, Memnon was born of Tithonus, a mortal prince of Troy, and Eos, immortal goddess of the dawn. Known as the “son of Dawn,” Memnon was raised by Hesperides, nymphs associated with the evening and golden sunsets. According to the lost epic poem Aethiopis, Memnon returned from his kingdom in Ethiopia to defend Troy during the Trojan war, killing Antilochus, a favorite of Achilles. Hydrias like this one from approximately 500 B.C. depict the great battle between the two heroes, Memnon and Achilles, as their goddess mothers, Eos and Thetis, watched close by. Achilles ultimately killed Memnon, who falls into the devastated arms of Eos and is carrried back to Ethiopia. Moved by her tears, Zeus grants Memnon immortality. 
First pic: ca. 500 B.C. - Hydria (water jug) depicting fallen hero Memnon being carried away by Eos (Metmuseum)
Second pic: 2nd Century A.D. - Greek statue of Memnon, an Ethiopian pupil of philosopher Herodes Atticus, named for the Greek hero Memnon (Berlin State Museums)

For More Info: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/246725 and  https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/254883 and http://www.smb-digital.de/eMuseumPlus?service=direct/1/ResultLightboxView/result.t1.collection_lightbox.$TspTitleImageLink.link&sp=10&sp=Scollection&sp=SfieldValue&sp=0&sp=0&sp=3&sp=Slightbox_3x4&sp=12&sp=Sdetail&sp=0&sp=F&sp=T&sp=18

Maryannu. 'Chariot Warriors' and 'Young Heroes' of Ancient Egypt

Maryannu was derived from the ancient Sanskrit term 'marya' and was used to identify charioteers serving in the pharaoh's army. The name maryannu appeared in the Amarna letters of Haapi, a commissioner around 1350-1355 B.C. Used as the first line of defense during battle, the chariot would be driven by one soldier while a second shot arrows and spears at their enemies. The Hyksos were the first attested people to use the chariot, while still more accounts indicate that Pharaoh Kamose of the 17th dynasty became the first pharaoh to use chariots in battle, dealing him great victories. Pictured here is a hunting scene using a chariot from the Tomb of Userhat. The second picture is a Nubian princess riding in an ox-driven chariot to provide gifts to the Pharaoh taken from the Tomb of Huy.

Photocredit: Metmuseum, University of Chicago

For more info: See http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/3generic3.shtml and https://oi.uchicago.edu/museum-exhibits/nubia/egyptians-see-nubians-subjects

GIVING TUESDAY

Giving Tuesday 

In honor of Giving Tuesday, Of Captivity & Kings donated to World Central Kitchen, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing meals for those affected by natural disasters. 

World Central Kitchen is currently active in dozens of cities across America in the wake of Covid-19, providing 250,000 fresh meals to children, families, and seniors daily with the help of small independent restaurants and delivery drivers. 

It does not matter how small your contribution is to improve the world. It only matters that you tried.

BARBERS IN KEMET & ANCIENT EGYPT

Barbers have long held a coveted position in history, being highly respected in Kemet and ancient Egypt. The first barbering services were recorded in 5000 B.C. in Kemet with tools formed from flint and oyster shells. Services were not limited to royals and nobility as everyone from soldiers to children could have their heads shaved and facial hair removed.  Hair removal in Kemet was arduous but essential. Both men and women had their heads shaved, a process that helped them stay cool in the heat. The writings of historian Herodotus in 400 BC revealed that Egyptian priests often shaved their entire bodies to avoid lice or any other impurity such as dirt that might interfere with their service to their gods. While in mourning, priests would allow their hair to grow. Razors, tweezers, and sharpened knives such as the one pictured have been found in tombs dating back to 1560 B.C. The great houses of the Pharaohs kept barbers on retainer and extended services to visitors and guests as a mark of hospitality. Barbers held great positions of trust, and served not only in the private sector but for kings and within temple walls. One such responsibility was given to a barber known as Ankhpakhered, a temple barber serving Amun, one of the gods of Karnak. His cartonnage, or funerary covering, was vibrant, colorful, and painted with winged deities. When a person holding a razor to your scalp or your throat doesn’t slip - it’s always a blessing. 
Photo Credit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

For more information: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/557688?searchField=All&sortBy=relevance&what=Facsimiles&ft=egypt&offset=0&rpp=80&pos=2 and https://www.vice.com/sv/article/wdax4x/a-woman-shorn-the-disruptive-history-of-the-female-shaved-head-345 and  https://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/cartonnage-ankhpakhered-barber-amun 

HORSES OF KUSH & NUBIA

Nubians and Kushites were renowned horse masters. The Kingdom of Kush would trade them in peacetime, use them for chariots during war, and even domesticate them for daily use. The Kushite stallions, noted by their black coats and ivory legs, were famous throughout the ancient world in ancient Kemet, Rome, and Assyria. Those who worked with or handled horses were especially prized, and Kushites were known to serve as horse grooms, riders, trainers, breeders, and charioteers. Several ancient Assyrian documents such as the Nineveh Horse Reports of 8th century B.C. mention the superiority of the “horses of Kush” and record receiving numbers in the thousands through trade throughout the Assyrian empire. One neo-Assyrian text cites a Kushite horse expert and “chariot driver of the Prefect of the Land” holding a high office in the military. The Kingdom of Kush often traded luxuries such as ebony, ivory, and Kushite stallions to ancient Egypt. Pharaoh Piye’s Victory Stele lamented the condition of horses found starving in the stables of a recently conquered city of Egypt. Pharaoh Piye remarked “…As I live, as Re loves me, as my nose is rejuvenated with life, how much more painful it is in my heart that my horses have been starved than any other crime that you have committed at your discretion.” In the 8th century A.D., John the Deacon, an Egyptian chronicler of early Christian Nubian Kingdoms, made note of how highly trained the Nubian horse was. Nubian horses would kick enemies using their front and hind legs in battle while riders fought atop their backs. Pictured here is a painting of a horse drawn chariot part of a larger limestone fragment taken from the tomb of 18th dynasty official Nebamun.

Photo Credit:  British Museum

For More Information: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/symbolic-equids-and-kushite-state-formation-a-horse-burial-at-tombos/E8C2DC364A448C46421C693023B587F1/core-reader and https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdfplus/10.1086/468525 

RISE OF THE SANDAL BEARER

Sandal makers and sandal bearers played an important role in Kemet and ancient Egypt. They were responsible for creating footwear for pharaohs, nobility, and commoners alike, especially when a person knew they would be traveling through dangerous or muddy terrain. Pharaoh Narmer, the first King of Kemet, was often depicted barefoot in keeping with other depictions of commoners, kings, and nobility. However, the Narmer palette, a slate green carving dating to 3200 B.C., represents Pharaoh Narmer barefoot and followed by a sandal bearer while Narmer himself uses one hand to hold his kneeling enemy and the other to raise his mace to smite him. Still more revealing of the importance of sandal bearers is the autobiography of Weni the Elder, a court official from the 6th Dynasty. Weni wrote that “When I was chamberlain of the palace and sandal-bearer, King Mernere, my lord who lives forever, made me Count and Governor ofUpper Egypt, from Yebu in the south to Medenyt in the north, because I was worthy in his majesty's heart, because I was rooted in his majesty's heart, because his majesty's heart was filled with me.” Even the 18th dynasty soles of a pair of sandals found in Pharaoh Tutankhamen’s tomb contained decorations of the Pharaoh’s enemies. Made from straw, leather and even gold, these people knew the importance of putting their best foot forward.

Photo credit: Metmuseum

For more info see: http://people.loyno.edu/~gerlich/161.weni.html and https://www.britishmuseum.org/pdf/Veldmeijer_a.pdf

Note: As an official of the 6th dynasty, “Upper Egypt” would not have been a term Weni knew or used as “Egypt” evolved from a Grecian term. The modern name Upper Egypt was actually Ta-Shemau in ancient times, a phrase meaning “The Land of Reeds.” Lower Egypt was called Ta-Mehu in ancient times, a phrase meaning “Land of Papyrus.” 

HONEY IN ANCIENT EGYPT

Medicines, balms, skin ointments, facial masks, liquid baths, hair protectants, food, desserts, fuel, and venom. These are just a few of the products that ancient Egyptians made from honey and bees wax. Archaeologists observed many tomb reliefs depicting honey hunters and found evidence of beekeeping and harvesting on palace grounds. Honey is known for its extremely low moisture, which prevents it from spoiling and its high acidity, which won't allow bacteria to grow but will kill them off. Known as the "lord of offerings" which would placate any god or goddess, sealed ceramic jars containing honey have even been found in ancient Egyptian royal tombs. With honey in almost every facet of everyday Egyptian life, it's hard to imagine a more important product. Its eternal shelf life was likely one of the reasons the ancients titled their pharaohs "The Bee King." Photocredit: Gathering honey, wall art from the tomb of Rekhmire (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

For more info see: https:/www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-science-behind-honeys-eternal-shelf-life-1218690/ and https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/history/honey-in-the-pyramids.aspx&ved=2ahUKEwig58Gc6I_dAhVPVd8KHaIFAPUQFjAAegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw3QmY30hN0sNoqFIQkdOq5d and https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/relationship-between-humans-and-honeybees-goes-back-9000-years-1809572we.mspxholosjf

HENNA IN ANCIENT EGYPT

An ancient cosmetic first developed in ancient Egypt, henna is more than just a beauty routine. Originating from the leaves of the flowering henna plant or Egyptian privet, henna has been found on mummies carbon dated to as far back as 3351 B.C. Often applied to the hair, skin, and nails, the ancient Kemetians and Egyptians used it to achieve tattoo-like designs on their skin, ginger-colored hair, and bright nails. Mummies of royalty and the nobility were discovered with the tips of their fingers still dyed a deep reddish-orange. Used by both men and women, henna designs appeared in the form of animals such as bulls, a symbol of status and virility, and on women with elaborate and creative designs. Later presented outside of Egypt as a state gift, Queen Mumtaz became the first Indian ruler to be decorated in henna, popularizing the art there in the 1600's.  Designs can include floral, large scale, bold, or even geometric patterns. Today, various forms of henna can be found around the world as temporary tattoos, in Morocco on doors as a way to ward off evil, in Sudan on brides during wedding celebrations, in Hindu bridal parties and more. Who says beauty is only skin deep?

For More Info: https://face2faceafrica.com/article/henna-designs-the-ancient-african-body-art-technique-that-is-in-great-demand-worldwide AND https://www-m.cnn.com/2018/03/02/health/egyptian-mummy-tattoos/index.html?r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

Photocredit: Metropolitan Museum of Art

KOHL

An ancient cosmetic depicted lining the eyes and faces of ancient Egyptian and Kushite men, women, and even death masks on tomb reliefs for centuries. From carbon dating and testing of kohl discovered in since excavated sarcophagi, we know that the ancient cosmetic was more than just a beauty secret that gave these ancients their alluring stare. Since its discovery, archaelogists have found medicinal properties in samples of the kohl. Related scripts and ancient texts pair it with beliefs that the cosmetic worn around the eye will ward off the "evil eye." Researchers testing low levels of lead salts found in the kohl discovered that the salts contained nitric oxide, an immune boosting chemical that wards off disease-causing bacteria.  This may have also protected the eyes of ancient Egyptians and Kushites from the sun and conjuctivitis related to marshy conditions along the Nile. Artifacts, documents, and paintings demonstrate that men, women, royals, and even servants donned kohl. Perhaps a lining of kohl a day kept the doctor away.

Photo credit: Brittanica: A painting of Queen Nefertari found in the queen's tomb.

For more info: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://relay.nationalgeographic.com/proxy/distribution/public/amp/news/2010/01/100114-cleopatra-eye-makeup-ancient-egyptians&ved=2ahUKEwiG5d71x-zcAhXquFkKHcNOCUIQFjAAegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw3DIBdniVbuOyPPkkOVfkoA&ampcf=1

#Egypt #Kush #ofcaptivityandkings #royal#KingdomofKush #king #Nabara #gold#Sudan #books #bookstagram #ancient#Meroë #Egypt #history #goddess#HistoricalFiction #reading #write #author#booklover #kindle #blackhistory#readersofinstagram #kohl #makeup#beauty #cosmetic #eyes

A FEAST FOR KINGS

Duck, beef, geese, sycamore figs, dates, antelope, and honey. Ancient Egyptian tombs were uncovered that contained dozens of boxes of luxury treats and delicious bites that the deceased may want in the afterlife. Some pharaohs spent years ensuring their food was preserved for all eternity. To keep these perishable foods ready to eat, they were mummified, just like their owners. Choice cuts of meat would be dried with salt for several days, bandaged, and covered with various resins before being packed into wooden boxes. The National Academy of Sciences revealed that beef ribs buried in King Tutankhamun’s grandparent’s tomb were covered with sap originating from a tree related to the pistachio in 1400 B.C. It is believed to have been imported from areas now inhabited by people from Syria and Lebanon, a luxury of the rich and powerful. Mediterranean and Egyptian cuisine uses a similar resin today known as ‘mastic’ or ‘mastik’ to infuse pine and smoke flavors in puddings, cheeses, sauces, and even coffee. In ancient Egypt, once you died and were mummified, one assumed aspects that resembled gods, gaining access to the Nile, and the ability to consume the same delicacies of the gods and goddesses they worshipped in life. For these reasons, preparing a tomb with all of the foods and things you might need became an important ritual. Apparently you could take it with you! 
Photo Credit: National Geographic

For more info see: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/people-and-culture/food/the-plate/2015/04/05/packing-food-for-the-hereafter-in-ancient-egypt/

ANTIBIOTIC BEER IN ANCIENT NUBIA

Even the ancient Nubians and Egyptians loved a good drink. Until recently when antibiotics were discovered in the bones of ancient Sudanese Nubians who lived over 2,000 years ago, we never knew just how good it was. While the staples of the Egyptian diet were bread and beer with evidence that both they and the ancient Nubians consumed leafy vegetables, grain, fruits, and fish, Nubian beer was laced with tetracycline, an antibiotic found in soil bacteria that thrives in warm, arid climates. In 2014, a Japanese team uncovered the tomb of an ancient Egyptian beer maker complete with colored frescoes depicting the process of its production and use in daily life. For the Nubian beer, researchers believe it was developed purposely for its antibiotic properties and found the tetracycline in the ancient bones of Nubians as young as 4 years old. The Nubian’s tetracycline-laced beer would have contained a golden-colored mass of bacteria floating on top, making it just as appealing as the taste. It’s not a surprise this would appeal to a culture known for its love and use of gold deposits prevalent on their land. I’ll drink to that!

For more information see: https://www.wired.com/2010/09/antibiotic-beer/ and https://www.cnn.com/2014/01/20/world/meast/egypt-ancient-beer-brewer-tomb/index.html

Photo credit: CNN

NSIBIDI: AN ANCIENT SCRIPT

The continent of Africa is home to a wide variety of languages and some of the oldest known written communication systems. The Nsibidi script developed by the Ekoi people of present day Nigeria and adapted by the Igb is chief among. Often recorded on ancient pottery, scholars agree that the ideographic writing was in use as early as 400 CE. Sculptures, clothing, calabashes, and the skin were decorated with this ancient writing and became used as a method of communication through gestures and writing between houses. Kept sacred and secret amongst government officials and elite members of society, these ancient symbols were used to record court proceedings and trials and demonstrate wealth and power. Slaves taken to the Caribbean islands still use a form of the writing today, known there as Anaforuana and veve symbols. With over 1,000 symbols, Nsibidi writing is elaborate and creative, serving as inspiration for artists and for Wakanda's language in the blockbuster "Black Panther." Ceremonial cloths with Nsibidi symbols like the Ukara cloth pictured here are still used among the Ekpe (Leopard) Society today. 
For more information see: https://africa.si.edu/exhibits/inscribing/nsibidi.html.

THE ART OF MEROITIC POTTERY

Meroitic Pottery is widely known for being finely crafted, heavily detailed in its elaborately painted decorations, and made using advanced technology such as pottery kilns and wheels to create them. Notable for its geometric designs and floral patterns, Meroitic ceramics are most instantly recognizable for their depiction of fauna and popular animals such as the crocodile, ostrich, and frog, all found along the Nile. In addition, cobra designs and pottery depicting ankh symbols of life or particular deities were also discovered. The Empire of Kush used Meroitic pottery as bowls, oil lamps, water gourds, cups, vases, and often buried them as treasures in royal pyramids. Meroitic artists molded pottery from clay until it was dense, but fine. The walls of the ceramics were found to be so thin and hard that archaeologists came to describe them as “eggshell pottery.” Much of the classic ceramics of Meroë were products of Lower Nubia. The first ceramic depicted here is a ceramic jar dated between 240-300 A.D. which was discovered in a tomb in Ballana, an ancient cemetery in Lower Nubia. The second dates between 100 to 300 A.D.

For More Information Visit: https://www.penn.museum/sites/expedition/art-and-industry/

Photocredit: https://oi.uchicago.edu/museum-exhibits/nubian-gallery and https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/548213

SEKHMET: MISTRESS OF DREAD

So rings the name of the Kushite and Egyptian Goddess Sekhmet. Widely known as the symbolic goddess of healing, this symbol contrasted greatly with her dual role as a warrior goddess known to protect the pharaoh or king and smite his enemies with death and plague in her lust for blood. Other names for the goddess included "Lady of Slaughter" and "She Who Mauls," though Sekhmet meant "The Powerful One." Sekhmet is depicted with the body of a woman and the head of a lioness wearing a solar disk and urareus on her head and often carrying an ankh, the symbol of life, in one hand. Several black granite statues of the goddesss Sekhmet were recently unearthed by archaeologists at Luxor.

Photocredit: https://www.mfa.org/collections/object/statuette-of-sekhmet-50

TA-SETI: LAND OF THE BOW

Nubia. An ancient land of rulers, warriors, miners, technology, pottery, and culture that still exists today. Nubia was known by the ancient Kemetic (now Egypt) term Ta-Seti, meaning 'Land of the Bow.' Texts dating as early as 2400 B.C. prove ancient Egyptians employed Nubian archers to strengthen their armies. Nubian archers also served as warriors in Persia's imperial army and beat back the Roman Empire's attempt to conquer the entirety of Nubia. In 641 A.D. when Arabians gained control of Egypt, Islamic historians noted in texts of the 8th Century that Nubian archers maintained such accuracy with the bow that Arabian invaders were forced to flee the Christian Nubian Kingdom of Makouria. With the ability to shoot their enemies through the eyes while on horseback, Nubians became known as "eyesmiters."

For more information see: https://oi.uchicago.edu/museum-exhibits/nubia/nubian-archers and https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/curatorial-departments/egyptian-art/temple-of-dendur-50/nubia

Photocredit: UNESCO

OF CAPTIVITY & KINGS EXCERPT: SICARIUS

“Come now, Sicarius. It is wonderful to have you returned and in such good health. I knew you would keep our dear Cassius safe.”

He moved a step to his right, carefully stacking the paintings he’d been asked to see to in an attempt to avoid her curious fingers. The large gourds of mixed paint were under the table, and he’d see to them next, lifting them for storage so the old man wouldn’t need to suffer from the strain.

“You are so strong,” she whispered softly, placing her right hand on his wrist, holding him there. Removing her palm from his wrist to flick her flaxen curls over her bare shoulder, she let her palla fall to her elbow, the top of her left breast exposed. Arching her back as she perched on the table she tipped her head to her left, narrowing her eyes at him. When he didn’t answer, she leaned towards him, her long hair brushing against his arm as she moved her lips closer to his ear. “Freedom looks quite good on you, you know. Don’t you agree?”

“Sicarius!”

She jumped at the sound of the voice, turning quickly, but not quick enough. The flash of surprise on the young apprentice’s face was the only sign that he’d seen anything. It came as quickly as it went. He was an artist training under the famed Grecian painter of Italy, brought to Cuicul to study landscapes and to learn. But he was still a slave.

“I apologize, mistress, I did not mean to interrupt.”

“Of course not, Liber.” She walked closer, placing one hand on the young apprentice’s cheek, smiling lightly as she slid the sleeve of her gown back up on her shoulder from where she’d let it fall. “I was just leaving. I meant to leave word with the Grecian. He is to paint me soon.”

“And a lovely work it will be, though I doubt he could do you justice,” Liber replied. The slave had a gift for words, he would give the boy that. Though Liber preferred to use his gifts for making pictures. It mattered little to Sicarius.

“Oh, stop,” she simpered, both rows of teeth showing as she grinned at him. “You ought not to tease me, you bad thing. Sometimes I have to remember you’re just a boy.” Her hand trailed slowly down his chest before she pulled it away. “I’ll return tomorrow before I leave for Constantinople. Cuicul is growing quite boring. Tell him as soon as he returns.” Without even glancing behind her for confirmation, she strutted from the room, her backside swaying in the folds of her robe as she left. She didn’t need to. Knowing she was giving a command to a slave was enough. It made her a dangerous person to cross.

“Hmm...you’re in trouble, aren’t you?” Liber said as he looked at Sicarius and back at the doorway to make sure she was gone. “She wants more than a painting I would say.”

He said nothing. And didn’t need to. She was like all the rest of the women who lusted after the steel and blood and violence of the life of a gladiator. The ones who sat as close to the center of the coliseum as possible so they were able to see each battle. Holding their hands to their breasts in fear and anticipation. Clutching their gowns at the knees and gathering the folds inside their palms as they caught their breaths in excitement. Augustus knew what he was doing when he commanded women be given certain seating much higher and further from the gladiators they came to see. Only the Vestal Virgins were permitted to sit at the closest edges, renowned as they were for their chastity. But Sicarius had seen the open mouths and quickly rising breasts, the teeth that bit at their bottom lips, the fingers stroking at the same. The Vestals were, after all, only women. And no magic spell could prevent one from feeling something as powerful as lust.

Only he was no longer a gladiator. He was rudiarii. A gladiator who had won his freedom through hundreds of gladiator fights - and the love of the mob.

USHABTI: Death, Magic, and the Afterlife in Ancient Kush

"WsB": Wesheb, the ancient Egyptian word meaning "to answer" perfectly defines the role of Nubian and ancient Egyptian ushabtis or shawabty's. These small funerary figurines were stored in the tombs of deceased Kushite royalty for hundreds of years during the Napatan period from about 750 to 270 B.C. The photo shows ushabtis taken from the tomb of Pharaoh Taharqa, a pharaoh of Egypt and qore (ruler) of the Kingdom of Kush during the 25th Dynasty. Made of gray serpentinite, these ushabtis were discovered on the floor in front of Pharaoh Taharqa's sarcophagus.

Ushabtis generally measured around 10 centimeters tall and were often carved to appear mummified, with a hoe in each hand and a rope with a seed pouch over the shoulder. These funerary figurines were meant to magically animate in the Afterlife to carry out manual labor and other tasks on behalf of the deceased when the inscribed 'Shawabty Spell' was spoken. Taken from Chapter 6 of the ancient 'Book of the Dead,' the spell called upon the shawabty to irrigate marsh, plough fields, and ferry sand from east to west at the command of the god Osiris in Paradise.

Photocredit: Smithsonian National Museum of African Art

For more information: https://africa.si.edu/exhibits/inscribing/scripts.html
For more information: http://www.mfa.org/collections/ancient-world/tour/nubian-art

Gold, Gods, & Titles: What's in a Name?

The Kingdom of Kush, an ancient kingdom in sub-Saharan Africa, was renowned for its gold deposits. Kushite Kings mined the gold, gave it as gifts to foreign lands, and molded it into precious objects and tomb treasures. This ram's head amulet is made of gold dating back to the 25th Dynasty of ancient Kemet (now known as Egypt) when Kushite Pharaohs ruled both the lands of Upper and Lower Kemet and Kush. It is dated between 712 and 664 B.C.

Reliefs and other representations show Kushite pharaohs with this ram's head amulet hanging from a cord worn about their necks. The Kushite god, Amun Ra, was closely associated with the ram, a symbol of virility and fertility. "Amun" became "Amani" in the later Meroitic Period of the Kingdom of Kush during 270 B.C. to 400 A.D. This is evidenced in the naming of certain rulers such as Pharaoh Tanwetamani, King Arkamani, Queen Amanitore, Queen Amanishakheto,  and King Natakamani.

Photocredit: @metmuseum
For more information visit: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1989.281.98/ and https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/06/070619-gold-nile.html

Writing Tip: Create Your Story Around Big Events!

Create your story around big events! It’s easy to get lost in your own story. Descriptions of food, historical information, an intriguing conversation - all of these can make your story believable and better, but it won’t make up for whether or not you’ve been able to hold your reader’s attention. When you are writing and outlining your story try something new. Instead of just starting at the beginning and starting to write, follow these steps. Ask yourself what your story is about, how it begins, how it ends, and then list at least five big events that will occur during your story. Look at the following examples below.

-Fighting off a rabid dog to save a loved one (Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God)

-A slaughter at a wedding (George R.R. Martin’s A Storm of Swords)

-Stealing an egg from a dragon (J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)

In J.K. Rowling’s case, each competition (saving a golden egg from dragons, rescuing your loved one from mermaids, fighting your way through an enchanted maze) during Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was a big event for the reader to get excited about and look forward to. These are all events that keep a reader interested. When reading your book you want to make sure that the only thing your reader is doing is turning the page with excitement, on the edge of their seats with bated breath as they ask themselves - what happens next?!