Both could have been attracted to multiple genders or sexes, and so may have had a romantic and/or sexual attachment to their wives and each other. This practice was illegal and carried high penalties, but amazingly people continued to practice it anyway. Therefore, in this version of the myth, although Seth was engaged in what may be considered as a homosexual practice, the purpose of his actions were aimed at dominating Horus, and proving that he was the greater of the two. It would have been highly taboo to draw the queen in this manner. This image depicted the two men embracing each other affectionately. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. The Tale of King Neferkare and his General Sasenet, originating from the Middle Kingdom, tells of how Pepi II would creep from his palace at night and climb into the house of his general, Sasenet, and would leave before dawn. Neferkare and Sasenet. However, modern artists and psychonauts are at the end of a long chain of stoners that apparently began with subterranean artists working in caves who were starved of oxygen and thus “high.”. Lesbianism, on the other hand, has little to no evidence whatsoever in Ancient Egypt. Their behavior often goes against the western ideas of how a god acts. This has spawned a very intense debate. Osiris Isis Ankh Nekhbet Wadjet Pharasite Serket Horus Thoth Anubis Apophis Sobek Bastet Hathor Ayah Kassis Onuris Minmose Metronome It is a little weird that they held onto dead bodies for a few days sometimes to make sure people would not copulate with the deceased. È spesso menzionato, nell'ambito dell'omosessualità e della sua storia, come una prova della relazione omosessuale tra un faraone e un suo generale.D'altro lato, la letteratura rifletteva spesso i costumi dell'epoca: il racconto è critico nei confronti della condotta del re e potrebbe riflettere le opinioni degli antichi egizi - anche solo del popolo - nei confronti dell'omosessualità. The Ancient Egyptians have a history of using birth control; different methods can be found in the Kahun Gynecological Papyrus. 150,000-Year-Old Pipes Baffle Scientists in China: Out of Place in Time? There was supposedly an event in which the Pharaoh would ceremoniously ejaculate into the Nile to mimic Atum/Ra’s creation of Shu and Tefnut; that is, it was to encourage the fertility of the Nile. contraceptives) do not usually survive in the archaeological record, assuming they existed in the first place. Although homosexuality may have been looked down upon at the time, that does not mean that it was not practiced. Some consider it to be “a satire on human manners and desires, as the animal vignettes on the first third of the papyrus suggest,” which also mocks individuals of the upper class. about Elagabalus: The Hated Roman Emperor Who Was Killed And Mutilated! These LGBT Greek gods and demigods prove gay culture is no modern invention. It makes these all powerful beings very human-like and almost more approachable or relatable in a way. The origins of behavioral modernity and what exactly makes us human are topics which have fascinated people for hundreds of years. Male lovers in the Trojan War? (And) when he entered the Great House four hours were left until dawn.”. Another possible depiction of homosexual relations can be found in a story known as King Neferkare and General Sasenet . Various other substances were used inside of the vagina, including pessary made of crocodile dung. (Edit 10/26/14: Didn’t finish my thought on lesbianism!). King Tutankhamen is shown on a chest using a bow, an event in which the Pharaoh would ceremoniously ejaculate into the Nile, one can see a woman seated on a vase to pleasure herself, male extramarital affairs with unmarried women, Seth and Horus have had a long history of one-upsmanship, tries to assert his dominance over Horus by having sex with him, This tale alludes to the relationship between Osiris and Ra, The Ancient Egyptians apparently engaged in bestiality often, even after death a person still had sexual power. I really enjoyed the myths of the gods also. Tjeti retreated before the king without letting him see him. What can be gleaned from this story is that it was not homosexual relations themselves that were looked upon negatively but, like in Ancient Greece, the partner in the “passive” role who was disdained. I did not want to pass judgement or try to explain their ways of life through the eyes of a modern day westerner. Possibly, but whether they were or not it was acceptable to engage in these acts due to their culture. Even other ancient pantheons of Gods seemed to explore an open sexuality. Ancient Origins © 2013 - 2021Disclaimer - Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy - Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. His throne name, Neferkare (Nefer-ka-Re), means "Beautiful is the Ka of Re". I believe that sexuality has cultural and social components. Sexual matters and practices are quite difficult to discern in the archaeological record. There was apparently no concept of virginity or any sort of expectation for it. It is said that in Ancient Greece, there was no concept equivalent to the modern conception of “sexual preference”; it was assumed that a person would have both hetero- and homosexual responses at different times. There are instances in the Egyptian literary sources which may be interpreted as depicting homosexual relations (usually between males rather than females). Featured image: Close-up of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep from their joint mastaba (tomb) at Saqqara, Egypt. What was the REAL relationship Between Alexander the Great and Hephaestion? Seth and Horus have had a long history of one-upsmanship and some pretty awkward sexual tension. Adultery was highly taboo in Ancient Egyptian society with both men and women punished for this act. King Neferkare and General Sasenet Only a small number of pharaohs were immortalized in ancient fiction, Pepi II may be among them. Horus went to tell his mother Isis: “Help me, Isis, my mother, come and see what Seth has done to me.” And he opened his hand(s) and let her see Seth's semen. (I say this in a skeptical manner as I cannot find a corroborating article, merely one’s that reference this claim.) Timeless Mystery: How did a Swiss Ring Watch End up in a Sealed Ming Dynasty Tomb? King Neferkare and General Sasenet. This is in the context of pursuing a relationship with a married woman, so male extramarital affairs with unmarried women did not reflect badly on his character in the same way it did with a married woman or on cheating wives. When most people think of mummies, they picture the Egyptian culture, and sophisticated mummification procedures intended to create a bridge between life and death, resulting in preservation of the... Getting stoned, or high, has always been a way to escape the pressures of day-to-day reality. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there exists countless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts that have yet to be discovered and explained. He is one of the three royale guard in the Chrimera Ant community. Their Origins May Surprise You, Do you dare enter a fairy ring? Achilles The Greek hero Achilles was invulnerable excepting his famous weak heel, but a male shieldbearer broke through the warrior’s roman… A Mystery, Locked in Timeless Embrace. However, men were not granted a free pass: it has been recorded that in some communities cheating husbands would experience social stigma for their actions. Moreover, we must be careful when interpreting both written and artistic accounts of sex as we might cast our own assumptions and biases–such our inclination to ascribe to individuals monosexual identities–onto those who don’t fit into our mutually exclusive sexuality boxes. Achilles and Patroclus: Close Confidants or Passionate Paramours? Primary sources from the period are largely silent on the subject of same-sex love, and the principal evidence, which is open to interpolation, comes from just three areas: a myth about the gods Horus and Seth, a historical tale about Pharaoh Neferkare and his general Sasenet, and the excavated tomb of court officials Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep. About Neferkare Pepi II, Pharaoh of Egypt Pepi II (reigned c. 2278 BC – c. 2184 BC)[3] was a pharaoh of the Sixth dynasty in Egypt's Old Kingdom. In 1967, Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin spotted, and filmed, or so they claimed, a Sasquatch next to Bluff Creek in California. Exposing the Secret Sex Lives of Famous Greeks and Romans in the Ancient World. It has always seemed to me that the focus of death and the afterlife was more important in Egyptian culture than any other. It is obvious you put a lot of time and research into it and the information was well organized, informative, and extremely interesting. I found it interesting that virginity in Ancient Egypt held no significance. Neferkare and Sasenet. Maybe because they were seen as partially divine? Norms in regard to sexual behavior cannot be looked at with our Western understanding of sexual identity as many cultures, both past and present, do not create categories based on the same things we do. I could add, if you like reading old text some stories as the one of King Neferkare and general Sasenet. Individuals could freely pursue sexual relationships so long as both parties were unattached. The Copper Age: When Metallurgy Came to Rule the World. By putting Horus in the “womanly” or passive position, Seth would have elicited the anger of the other gods towards Horus. Emasculation for a man may have been a punishment for the rape of a married woman while consensual sex would result in both people being punished by whipping or mutilation, possibly even put to death. I found the information on homosexuality in Ancient Egypt to be interesting. One form of contraception included the use of acacia gum, about which it has since been learned that when compounded it essentially becomes spermicide. Translation of 5,500-Year-Old Babel Text from China Reveals Oldest Known Map of Inner Solar System, The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts, The Carthusians: Solitary Lives Dedicated to Pure Contemplation, Where are Ashkenazi Jews from? Restored, Isis has sex with her husband and thus conceives Horus. The Story of King Neferkare and General Sasenet . Some have suggested this reflects a homosexualrelationship although it is disputed that the text relates to Pepi II at all. (Though, some sources say that both men were equals in the sense that they were able to penetrate one another.) A more than likely fictional tale from either the 18th, the 19th or the 25th dynasty, Neferkare was a pharaoh and Sasenet was one of his generals. However, this is under the biphobic suggestion that these two men must be monosexual. The theory of them being siblings is a weird heteronormative approach to this relationship that quite honestly is baffling to the mind: they could not be lovers because their wives and children are depicted on their tomb’s walls. The true nature of the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus, characters in Homer’s Iliad , has long been a source of speculation. They were able to recover every part of Osiris except for his penis, so Isis created a new phallus for him. The best known case of possible homosexuality in ancient Egypt is that of the two high officials Nyankh-Khnum and Khnum-hotep.Both men lived and served under pharaoh Niuserre during the 5th Dynasty (c. 2494–2345 BC). Only a handful of direct clues survive, and many possible indications are vague and subject to speculation. You mentioned that it is necessary to be cautious when thinking about sexuality, as it was not thought of the same way throughout time and space. Temple at Abu Simbel, Egypt. I agree with your statement that trying to make heterosexuality fit while ignoring evidence seems to go against the core of what scientific research is about. The pharaoh went to Sasenet’s house, where he stayed for quite some time in the embrace of his lover before returning to his home. Seahenge: A Subaquatic Monument of the European Bronze Age, Shahr-i Sokhta, Mysteries of the Burnt City of Iran, Ancient Gandhara Kingdom Was A Melting Pot That Left Its Legacy in Art, Oxygen Deprivation Led To Altered States For Subterranean Artists, Benjamin Hornigold and the Republic of Pirates, New Kind of Neolithic Age Human Burial Ritual Found in Spanish Cave, Bacho Kiro Cave Reveals Volumes About Human-Neanderthal Relationship. The story goes that a man named Tjeti saw Neferkare walking somewhere during the night and decided to follow him. Gods Seth (left) and Horus (right) adoring Ramesses. It is well established that Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep shared the title of Overseer of the Manicurists in the Palace of King Niuserre. It is a parody piece of that myth, and is useful in determining that, given the tone, homosexual relations at this point in time were scandalous, but were not so taboo as to be unmentionable. I was surprised to read that Egyptians did not really have a concept of virginity as well. One fragment specifies that there was no woman, or wife, in Sasenet’s house, and the same incomplete sentence also contains the word ‘love’. Horus. 1. about David and Jonathan: A Secret Biblical Bromance? To understand this part of the myth, one has to bear in mind that Horus and Seth (also known as Set) were constantly engaged in a sort of rivalry. In addition to this, other indications of homosexuality in Ancient Egypt include Neferkare and Sasenet, a Pharaoh and his general who were rumored to have a relationship. Meanwhile Tjeti, son of Henet, waited until his majesty went away. Scene from inside Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep’s mastaba (source). Another much debated tale of a gay couple in Ancient Egypt centers around a … They are depicted embracing in the same manner as heterosexual couples, which carries the same connotations of closeness in the context of sexual relations. ( Public Domain ) After swearing the “Negative Confesion” (having not committed any of the 42 sins), the deceased’s heart would  be weighed to test the validity of their confession. about What was the REAL relationship Between Alexander the Great and Hephaestion? Then he reached the house of the general Sasenet. 55 The cultural construction of sexuality I thought it was great how they were some of the first to practice birth control as well. (On Hunter X Hunter) neferpitou was born a FEMALE!!! While tolerance is often presented as a sign of civilization’s advancement, a reading of Greek mythology reveals greater acceptance of homosexuality in ancient Athens than can be boasted within today’s world religions. According to the majority of the texts available on the subject, in ancient Egyptian (Pharaonic) society, heterosexual relationships seemed to be the norm. “I have not done wrong sexually, I have (not) practiced homosexuality”. Some like R. S. Bian… ( CC BY SA 3.0 ) The two men are depicted with their respective children standing behind them. Lilith: Ancient Demon, Dark Deity or Sensual Goddess? Although his primary interest is in the ancient civilizations of the Near East, he is also interested in other geographical regions, as well as other time periods.... Read More. Beyond Isis and Osiris, Alternate Sexualities in Ancient Egypt. The mythical mushroom portals of the supernatural, Is Bigfoot Real? One creation myth details how the first god (Atum or Ra), who created himself, fathered the next generation of deities through masturbation. The text does not state explicitly the thing that the pharaoh was doing with his general, though “that which he had wanted to do with him” is thought to be an indirect way of saying ‘sexual intercourse.’ If the pharaoh was indeed engaged in a homosexual relationship with his general, then it serves to reinforce the negative attitude of the ancient Egyptians towards this sexual practice. Ancient Egyptian Sexuality. In Egyptian mythology, Seth murdered and dismembered Osiris, necessitating Isis and Nephthys to collect the pieces. “Marriage is, of course, no evidence for a lack of ‘homosexual’ activities or inclinations, but it is an indication of the prevailing social attitudes.”. Then Horus placed his hands between his thighs and received Seth's semen. In the ancient world, the public were not so privy to information about the scandalous sex lives of central societal figures. Only a small number of pharaohs were immortalized in ancient fiction, Pepi II may be among them. about The Truth About Sex in Ancient Greece. Neferkare spent four hours with Sasenet, leaving only ‘after his majesty had done that which he had wanted to do with him’. At present, the strongest argument for homosexuality in ancient Egypt comes from two images from the Old Kingdom tomb of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep in Saqqara. A more than likely fictional tale from either the 18th, the 19th or the 25th dynasty, Neferkare was a pharaoh and Sasenet was one of his generals. Neferkare spent four hours with Sasenet, leaving only ‘after his majesty had done that which he had wanted to do with him’. In the tale of "King Neferkare and General Sasenet", three fragments of a papyrus dating from the late New Kingdom (although the story may have been composed earlier), report clandestine nocturnal meetings with a military commander – a General Sasenet or Sisene. Once before the house, Neferkare ‘threw a brick after stamping with his foot. Some have even gone so far as assert that Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep were conjoined twins to explain why they are touching so often in artwork. This tale, which is quite likely to be fictional, is about King Neferkare’s (known also as Pepi II) nightly exploits at the house of General Sasenet: “Then he (someone called Tjeti) noticed (?) about Achilles and Patroclus: Close Confidants or Passionate Paramours? September 2018 um 09:30 Uhr bearbeitet. After his majesty had done that which he had wanted to do with him (i.e. Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep from their joint mastaba (tomb) at Saqqara, Egypt. Were they friends or lovers? Neferkare spent four hours with Sasenet, leaving only ‘after his majesty had done that which he had wanted to do with him’. Risen once more thanks to Osiris, Sasenet seeks to set the story straight--that totally he isn't. Rather than believing that they were in a romantic and/or sexual relationship, the theory was immediately proposed that these two were merely brothers–nothing else. At Ancient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. It was interesting that they were proactive and knew different remedies to act as spermicides even back then and even in their harsh environment. the king's) deeds. Unlike diet or diseases, sexual practices do not to leave traces on human remains. Three tales of same-sex love in Ancient Egypt. The Weighing of the Heart from the Book of the Dead of Ani. I provide you with a link to the story! I did however, find the idea of necrophilia a little disturbing. about Exposing the Secret Sex Lives of Famous Greeks and Romans in the Ancient World, The Frightening Discovery of the Mount Owen Claw. [Online]Available at: http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/texts/horus_and_seth.htm, Dollinger, A., 2006. Pictures of men in both positions, where women were merely “assumed” to be a lesbian or have lesbian tendencies when she was unable to conceive. When Egyptologists first uncovered the tomb of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep at Saqqara, they were shocked to see that these two men not only shared a tomb, but that there was also art work depicted them in close, very intimate poses. [Online]Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/20/science/a-mystery-locked-in-timeless-embrace.html?_r=1, Wu Mingren (‘Dhwty’) has a Bachelor of Arts in Ancient History and Archaeology. Others consider it to be purely pornographic and that it was used as such. Still, sexual rumors have always existed and, in this way, historical... King Arthur is one of, if not the, most legendary icons of medieval Britain. It is also possible that Pepi II is the king referred to in the “tale of King Neferkare and General Sasenet” which recounts the clandestine meetings of a king and one of his generals with whom he was possibly having a homosexual relationship. ), 1974. Although there seems to be much more proof of men partaking in these activities than women.