B) Frases desiderativas que expresan malos deseos
4. INSULTOS
The oldest celestial diagrams are found in the Dynasty 18 tomb of Senmut, the gifted architect of Hatchepsut who designed and was himself buried near her exquisite funerary temple at Deir el Bahri. The Dynasty 19 tombs of Seti I and Rameses IV also depict the constellations on the ecliptic and the polar regions with great detail. In these instances, the star map is provided to guide the Ka through the heavenly regions.
The temple of Khnum at Esna and Het-Her's temple at Dendera also possess star maps, but of a different character. They depict the actual ecliptical positions of stars and planets at the times the temples were dedicated. Computer analysis confirms the precision with which these celestial diagrams were rendered. The famous round Zodiac of Dendera-the only one of its kind discovered in Egypt-depicts the planets at sunrise on April 17, 17 c.E. and the sidereal posi
tions of the dekan gods at other places in the temple for 700 B.C. E.
Moreover, the Zodiac discloses other marvelous features. Markings on it show the spring equinox for the epoch of the temple's last dedication in 700 B.C.E., as well as orientations toward older vernal points. The original eastern axis of the Dendera Zodiac, which is inscribed with the hieroglyph for "east," intersects at the constellation Orion, lying between Gemini and Taurus. If this orientation reflects the spring equinox when the temple was first founded, then it gives the intriguing epoch of 6640-4480 B.C.E. *
Thus, it appears that measurement of the astrological ages was a significant component of the temple sky maps, and that the body of prophetic knowledge also associated with the temples may have been derived from them.1
Astrology
The legendary body of astrological knowledge known by the ancient Egyptians was said to be considerable by classical travelers in the later periods. We have spe
cific examples of only two forms of pure Egyptian astrology, as Graeco-Roman practices are often mixed with and represented as the former tradition. Political 1 Fagan, Cyril: Zodiacs Old and New. Llewellyn Foundation for Astrological Research: Los Angeles CA, 1950.
Original Western Axis
Temple Axis 71.5° North of East
Original Eastern Axis
Figure 24 (at left)-The Dendera Zodiac:
There are a total of six zodiacs depicted at Het-Her's temple complex at Dendera.
Egyptologists have designated them according to their location in the temple complex.
Dendera A is an oblong, linear zodiac located in a side room on the ground level known as
"The Silver Room." Dendera B is the famous circular zodiac on the eastern roof of the tem
ple. Dendera C is rectangular, covering the eastern and western halves of the western roof room known as "The Chapel of Asar." Dendera D is inscribed in strips, on the ceiling of the Outer Hypostyle Hall on the ground level. Dendera E is also in strips, in the same location.
Dendera F is located in the south corridor of the east wall, in "The Birth House of Auset."
Dendera B, the only circular zodiac in the Temple of Het-Her, is depicted in the illustration on the preceding page. It is located on the inner roof of the east chapel over the major tern-.
ple, on the western half of the ceiling, and is dated to the Ptolemaic Period, in the years prior to 30 B.C.E. The zodiac shows twelve Neteru (eight in the image of Heru and four of Het
Her-the divine pair of the temple) supporting the ceiling, one for each month of the Tetramenes. The outermost circle of the zodiac depicts the thirty-six dekan figures. They are numbered clockwise, and begin with Kenmut, who is positioned beneath a cow in a barque (equivalent to the constellation Argo Navis). To the right of this figure, a pillar surmounted by a falcon marks the temple's north-south axis and the plane of the Milky Way. This figure represents the ancient founders of the temple, the Heru Shemsu.
The next circle inward shows the twelve constellations on the ecliptic, the "signs" of the Zodiac. The Neteru of the planets-indicated by the stars over their heads-are situated near the astrological signs where they are traditionally "exalted," or in their most powerful places.
Known as the hypsomata, Jupiter is in Cancer, Mercury in Virgo, Saturn in Libra, Mars ·in Capricorn, and Venus in Pisces.
The enigmatic figure of a Uadjet eye within a circle is placed between Aries and Pisces, a probable indicator of the position of the equinox at the time of the temple's last reconstruc
tion (700 B.C.E.).
The innermost circle at the center shows the following polestars:
Name Figure Constellation Common Name
Khem Jackal Ursa Minor "Little Bear, Little Dipper"
Meshtiu Ox Leg Ursa Major "Great Bear, Big Dipper"
Hesamut Hippopotamus Draco "Dragon "
The polar orientation on the major axis of the zodiac is toward Gamma Draconis (Eltanin), the polestar of 5000 B.C.E.
Intersections of the vernal point were apparendy added during subsequent reconstructions of the temple. They are inscribed on the relief at the constellations of Aries, Taurus, and Gemini, orienting the vernal point of the temple's founding between the latter two. There, the hieroglyph for "east" intersects the constellation Orion, which rose at the spring equinox in 10,500 B.C.E.
In modern times, no definitive measuring device has ever been devised for determining the exact commencement of the astrological ages. This is due to the disagreement among astrologers about the precise beginnings and endings of the constellations.
astrology existed, a practice concerned with the affairs of groups and govern
ment. Genethliacal (natal) astrology-concerned with the destiny of individu
als-was also practiced, though in a much different form than today. Emphasis was placed on the power of the planets and stars in the mundane sky at birth rather than their placement in the signs of the Zodiac.
The original use of mundane astrology was confined to predicting fortunate and unfortunate days in the annual solar cycle. These were associated with divine events in the myths of the Neteru. For instance, the 14th of Tybi (our December
20)
was an unfortunate day, because it was the traditional mourning for Asar by his two sisters, Auset and Nebt-Het. Music and singing was discouraged on that day.
Natal astrology was apparently reserved for members of the Royal House in earlier times, and practiced by the solar priesthood of Heliopolis. Horoscopes from Dynasty 13 exist, carved into the handles of ivory batons and depicting the planets and constellationS at nativity. By the Graeco-Roman period, horoscopes similar to the ones constructed today (but rectangular or square in shape) were available to anyone who wanted to purchase one. Of particular interest are the horoscopes and star charts found on numerous coffms. Besides providing the ini
tiate with a celestial guide through the heavenly regions, they frequently depicted the birth horoscope of the individual. Such horoscopes are accurately drawn maps of the sky for the person's nativity. Comparing the ancient records with computer-generated horoscopes for the same times will show consistently that the Egyptian astrologer was adept at calculating planetary positions.
The horoscope was called Ami Unnut, the "record of wandering stars."
Demotic horoscopes of the Late Period show Greek influences, such as the adop
tion of the twelve-sign Zodiac. Most of the surviving material on horoscopy per se comes from the Graeco-Roman period, containing very little of early Sacred Astronomy. We have only a small reservoir of material on this vast tradition, though the Corpus Hermeticum mirrors some of the original wisdom and pro
vides a supplement to the astrological remains.
There is evidence of Horary (divinatory) astrology, consisting of tables which delineated the "lucky" and "unlucky" times of the day. For this practice, the day was divided into three periods: from sunrise to noon was under the realm of
�in
�lhe
�lhe
�ini
r
Khepri the renewed Sun; noon to sunset was dedicated to Ra the maturing Sun, and sunset to midnight was given to Atum the hidden Sun. But in religious prac
tice, the day was divided into four parts and daily solar observances were made at dawn, noon, dusk, and midnight. Thus, astrology for practical use was limited to a simple and practical method of determining auspicious times.