The Queen's Lament
Ankhesenamen is represented on many personal objects from the legendary tomb of Tutankhamen. Strangely, however, she is not represented upon the walls...
One of the most touching things in the tomb are flowers. A bouquet of flowers was found in the tomb, as well as a small wreth that was lovingly placed around the corba and vulture that guarded the pharaoh from his forehead. These particular guardian were on the largest and outrmost coffin of Tutankhamen. Almost everyone agrees that it was probably the young widowed queens hands that placed these farewell flowers in the grave of her much-loved husband.
Ankhesenamen's Lament:
"I am thy wife, O great one-- do not leave me!
Is it thy good pleasure, O my brother, that I should go far from thee?
How can it be that I go away alone?
I say: 'I accompany thee, O thou who didst like to converse with me,'
But thou remainest silent and speakest not!"
A note about the use of the word "brother:" although Tutankhamen may have been, in fact, Ankhesenamen's half-brother, this is probably not what she is referring to here. Lovers in Ancient Egypt called each other "brother" and "sister" as terms of endearment. A husband would call his wife "sister" and the wife would call her husband "brother." It does not mean that husband and wife were actually brother and sister, as outside the Royal Family, brother-sister marraiges were not the norm.
