In the lecture about King Tutankhamun there is a brief history and overview given of Thebes, the Opet Festival in the Temple of Luxar was mentioned. This festival was the biggest of the sixty-plus festivals celebrated annually in Thebes. More formally known as the “Beautiful Feast of Opet”, it was a celebration for the deity Amun.
The celebration took place during the flooding season and fruitful part of the agricultural year. This was typically during the first season of the year during the second month. The festival originally lasted eleven days, but continued to lengthen until it was approximately twenty-four days. Because fields were flooded, worker and commoners could enjoy and partake in the festivities because they were not working. They were not permitted to go past the Sun Court, however, which was just a regular court by the temple.
The purpose of the festival was to give energy back to the deities. It was thought that they would grow tired over the year. A proper execution of the ceremony would mean rebirth and a renewal of energy to the deities and monarch.
Some archeological artifacts found of the festival were carvings depicting statues of the deities to the Temple of Luxor, where they stayed for the length of the festival. The statues were washed and then dressed with the highest quality clothing and jewelry. They were the displayed on a shrine. Then the statues went back to Karnak, where the shrines were located. This marked the official end of the festival. Karnak and the Temple of Luxor were approximately two kilometers apart in distance. There isn’t too much known about the route they processional took to get from Karnak to the Temple of Luxor.
The deities depicted were Amun, Mut, and Khons. Amun is known as the “King of the Gods” and “God of the Wind”. He is considered the equivalent of Zeus in Greek mythology. Mut was Amun’s consort, and the “Queen of the Goddesses”. Khonsu was their offspring and the “God of the Moon.” It was thought that some of the power of Amun was transferred to the King. Then the King would symbolically re-consumate the Sacred Marriage of Amun and Mut with the Queen.
The first King to hold the Opet Festival was King Hatshepsut, who was actually a woman. It may have gone on before her reign, but she developed it and caused it to evolve into a large event. This was possibly for her to establish and demonstrate her power as a monarch. Other kings that presided over the event were Amenhotep III, Tutankhamnun, and Ramesses II. This festival was of great importance to Thebes and is why it was included in the background lecture about Tutakhamnun and Thebes.
I think this festival is one of the more interesting ones in ancient Egyptian history. The idea of taking physical representations of the gods is one that originated here, but did not end here. Similar traditions – the carrying of statues or other forms of representations of religious icons in parades and other ceremonies – shows up in the Vatican as well as Mexico and Spain. I do find it interesting how the Egyptians dressed their statues, however, in the finest clothing and silks – wouldn’t the statue have been carved with clothing already?
While I do not find it odd that the King is supposed to have had some of the power of Amun transferred to him – that is no new concept – I do find it strange that he then re-consummates his marriage with the Queen to symbolize the re-consummation between Amun and Mut. Really conflicting with that ritual, in my opinion, is that the festival was created, or at least revived, by a woman – re-consummation seems like something she would have left out, especially because she did not have a Queen technically. This could mean it was possibly added after her reign for several important kings, like Amenhotep III, Tutankhamnun, and Ramses II, also used this festival to their benefit.
This sounded like one important festival! I can’t help but feel that the flooding of the Nile may be a reason for the emergence of festival. Egypt, like all early civilizations, relied on the cyclical nature of the river to provide their wealth and sustenance. You can see this today in India, which has festivals to celebrate the gods and their connection to the Ganges, so I can only imagine that the execution of this festival would be crucial. Egyptians believed that the gods’ favor with them depended on the flooding of the Nile. If the gods didn’t have the energy, or the people did not show their gratitude, or make the proper sacrifices, then the gods would show their displeasure by keeping the river from flooding. By giving the gods their energy, the Egyptians were hoping that the gods would then be fully able to deliver another good flood cycle. Thus, a very religious people would have made sure that every day of the twenty four days was to the liking of the gods.
It’s also interesting to note that this only dates back to the New Kingdom. I’m sure that there were other festivals that celebrated the Nile’s flooding, since it was of such great importance, but Egypt had been around for at least a thousand more years before. It could be, as you have said, that Hatsheput may have brought it back to prominence to solidify her reign, but a festival with such ramifications as this, with the King and Queen of the Gods being worshiped, I can’t help but think that this must have been a longstanding tradition.