"She (Seshat) also often offers palm branches (the hieroglyph for "many years") as a gift to a ruler." Often shown wearing a leopard skin further indication that she is an ancient goddess.
Seshat inscribing on the palm-leaf rib By Rameses II at Abydos |
Monday 25 April marks Sham El-Nasim, which Copts celebrate as part of Easter, but is one of the few days that Egyptians of all religions celebrate - since ancient times
Monday 25 April marks Sham El-Nasim (Shemu- renewal of life), in the same breath as Easter. The rituals and beliefs associated with today’s Sham El-Nasim celebrations link it directly to ancient Egyptian feasts.
Celebrated since 2700 BC by all Egyptians regardless of their religion, beliefs, and social status, the name Sham El-Nasim (Inhaling the breeze) is derived from the Coptic language that, in turn, is derived from the ancient Egyptian language. Originally pronounced Tshom Ni Sime, with tshom meaning “gardens” and ni sime meaning “meadows.”
Like most ancient Egyptian feasts, Sham El-Nasim was also affiliated with astronomy and nature. It marks the beginning of the spring festival, which is the time they believed day and night are equal, (when the sun is in the Aries zodiac) hence marking the beginning of creation. They confirm the exact date annually by sighting the sun in relation to the great pyramid. Ancient Egyptians named it The Feast of Shmo (the revival of life) and we have documentation that it was officially being celebrated in 2700BC. This holiday is one to connect with nature, they also paint eggs and actions that are also a part of "Easter Celebrations". According to wikiki, "Easter is linked to the Passover and Exodus from Egypt recorded in the Old Testament through the Last Supper and crucifixion that preceded the resurrection". The date for Easter is determined on a lunisolar calendar.
Fish was highly respected in ancient Egyptian beliefs. Salted mullet fish (known as fesikh), was offered to the gods in Esna in Upper Egypt to the extent that Esna’s ancient name was Lathpolis, which was the name of the original fish before it is salted.
As for colouring eggs, it’s a custom mentioned in the pharaoh’s famous Book of the Dead and in Akhenaton’s chants, “God is one, he created life from the inanimate and he created chicks from eggs.” Hence, the egg was a symbol of life to ancient Egyptians. Ancient Egyptians would boil eggs on Sham El-Nasim eve, decorate and colour them in various patterns, then write their wishes on these eggs, tuck them in baskets made of palm fronds and hang them on trees or the roof of their houses in hopes that the gods would answer their wishes by dawn. The habit of eating onions on that day is equally ancient.
The biblical accounts of Palm Sunday can be found in Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; and John 12:12-19.
See also Sukkot - The holiday lasts seven days
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Ḥauḥet (female) & Ḥeḥ (male) represented a member of the Ogdoad of eight primeval deities whose worship was centered at Hermopolis Magna since Old Kingdom onward. Infinity, millinium, eternity |
Tradition held that at least seven years would pass upon the death of the eze Nri before a successor could be determined;
A variant of this "holy"day (so ancient, its divine) is also celebrated among the Igbo. See my other posts on other similarities among Nigerian and West African cultures and the writings of the ancient Egyptians. The eze Nri was chosen after an interregnum period while the electors waited for supernatural powers to manifest in the new ezeNri. He was installed after a symbolic journey to Aguleri on the Anambra River.[3] There, he would supposedly use magical powers to collect stones from under the water, undergo a symbolic burial and exhumation, then finally be anointed with white clay, a symbol of purity. Upon his death, he was buried seated in a wood-lined chamber.[3] The eze Nri was in all aspects a divine ruler. The eze Nri's first son and daughter were required to undergo scarification's seven days after birth, with the eze Nri's daughter being the only female to receive ichi.
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Master of the Palastkapelle in Palermo |
I think we see the pattern here folks, with the number 7 being used to reference the source to complete the full telling these stories. Not to be taken literally.
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Igbo ichi marks |
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OBSSA IRIJI CEREMONY |
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