Ankhesenamun's Name
So..What's in a name? Well, to the ancients, a name meant much more than something you were called. Like many cultures, the Egyptians believed that a name protected you, shaped you, even had a part in fufilling your destiny. Traditionally, Egyptian mothers named their child after the first words that came to their mind after giving birth. Therefore, names were usually long sentences. That's also why many Egyptian names had the names of gods/goddess in them. Through thousands of years, the spiritual and literal meaning of these names has been lost and now can really only be guessed at. To understand this would be to see it through the Egyptian mind. Sadly, we cannot do that. But, we have at least an idea of what their names would have meant. Pronunciation is another thing that also has been lost, particularly through the many translations the name has undergone. For example: Osiris to the Egyptians was Wesir. That really doesn't look or sound alike. Be that as it may, the name, meaning, and pronunciation of Ankhesenamun's name is:
Original Name: Ankhesenpaaten
Meaning: May she live for the Aten OR She lives through the Aten
Different spellings *: Ankhesenbaaton, Ankhesenpaaton, Ankhsenpaaten, Ankhsenpaaton, Ankhesenpaten
Pronunciation ?: ank (as in 'tank') es (as in 'test') en (as in 'men') pa (as in 'paw') ahh ten
Changed name: Ankhesenamun
Meaning: She lives through Amun OR She lives in Amun
Different spellings *: Ankhesenamen,Ankhesenamon, Ankhesnamun, Ankhesnamen, Ankhesnamon, Anchesenamon, Ankhesenamanou, Ankhsenamen, Ankhsenamon, Ankhsenamun
Pronunciation:
onk (as in 'bonk') es (as in 'test') en (as in 'men') ahh moon OR: ank (as in 'tank') kes (as in test) in (as in 'bin') ahh moon
What about 'Ankhesenaten'?
At least three times at Akhetaten Ankhesenamun's name is spelled 'Ankhesenaten'. The 'pa' ( flying bird heiroglyph) has been purposefully left out or ersased. Why? The only reason scholars can think of is a mistake on the workmen's part. I, personally find that idea a bit ridiculous, perhaps it was a sort of nickname. Others have suggested that when the 'pa' is left out, it reflects the older form of the language which had no definite article.(ie.,'pa')
A final word on destiny:
Ankhesenamun's name, in essence, would have had an effect on her destiny. 'May she live for the Aten', did she live for the Aten? This sounds more like a wish or prayer. We will never know what she truly lived for, be it Aten, Amun or nothing at all.
'She lives through Amun' Does she live through Amun? I think in a way she does.
Something to think about:
The Egyptians believed 'To speak the name of the dead is to make them live again' To them this was of utmost importance. If the body and image were destroyed, hopefully your name would remain intact. Ankhesenamun's has.
* The spelling possibilities are endless, these are just a few
The Importance of Ankhesenamun
--Who is she? Why was she important? How come I've never heard of her?
Who is she?
Ankhesenamun was a queen of Egypt in the 18th daynasty. She came to the throne after Smenkhkare's brief rule. Her husband was the ill fated and well known Tutankhamun. Ankhesenamun was a bit older than her husband by at least two-three years.
She kept the powerful image of queens that her ancestors did. The 18th dynasty had some exceptionally powerful and influential queens. She survived her husband, and after his death, she tried to keep her throne.
Why is she important?
Ankhesenamun is important for at least three reasons.
1) Ankhesenamun (originally Ankhesenpaaten) was one of six daughters borne to Akhenaten and his chief wife, the infamous Nefertiti. This period of rule starting around the end of AmenhotepIII's reign and into Tutankhamun's is called the Amarna Period (some extend this into Ay and Horemheb's reign). This period was a very complex, fascinating and unique one. It had never happened before and never will again. As a general rule, Akhenaten's vision of one god, the Aten, was looked upon with distaste and scorn. After his death, his only living offspring* watched the sure and total destruction of that vision. Her father was branded a heretic, a traitor, amongst other things and the speaking of his name was forbidden. Although the majority of this defacement took place in Horemheb's reign, it did start in Tutankhamun's reign. Ankhesenamun even had to take active part in it, by moving from the capital her father built to Thebes and being forced to change her name from Ankhesenpaaten to Ankhesenamun therefore casting off the accursed Aten. She not only lived at this time, but was the daughter of 'that damned one' thereby not only were they destroying her father's legacy but hers as well.
2)Ankhesenamun was Tutankhamun's wife. She was his only wife. They evidently loved each other very much and even had two children though both were stillborn. Brief as this couple's life was, with the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb by Howard Carter in 1922, what we knew of their lives was brought once again to light. True, Tutankhamun was relatively an unimportant king, he was no great conqueror or builder, but he is definitely one of the best know pharaohs. Almost everyone has heard of 'King Tut's' treasures.
3)Widowed, alone, afraid, Ankhesenamun did an unthinkable thing. She wrote a letter to the Hittites which were Egypt's enemies at the time pleading with King Shubiliumas for a son of his to marry. To say the king was suprised would be an understatement... he was shocked, so much so he thought a trick was being played on him! The Pharaohs, did ask for foreign wives, but a queen asking for a foreign king was unheard of! Never in any history had this been done, it was an exceedingly drastic step. But it was also her last resort.
How come I've never heard of her?
Ankhesenamun was under 25 when she wrote her letter, her whereabout's after that event mostly speculation, piecing together bits and pieces that don't quite fit. (isn't most of history?) Being the wife of an unimportant king, that would make her an unimportant queen, right? Perhaps not but still most people have never heard of Ankhesenamun and those who have know of her merely as 'Tut's widow' or the queen who wrote to the Hittites or even Akhenaten's daughter. But there aren't many who get that whole picture. Most scholars don't really care, some refuse to get into the matter as the whole Amarna period is frustrating to decipher. Think about it, had she not been Tutankhamun's wife and/or his treasures never been found, we'd here much less of Ankhesenamun. A sadly overlooked and forgotten queen of Egypt.
So..Is she important or not?
I have tried throught these web pages to present all I could on the queen. Some relevant, some more interesting than anything else. I personally believe she was very important, maybe even crucial to history, for the reason listed above and a few others. It is up to you, the reader to decide whether or not she is worth some more of scholars time and maybe yours as well.
* It is belived that she was the last surving daughter of Akhenaten, though it is remotely possible one or two may have lived as well. As for a son, Tutankhamun would be the only one that could be his son and that has not been definitelty proven.
Ankhesenamun
The third eldest of Ankhenaten's six daughters. Date of birth / first appearance: Although it is not possible to give an exact date of Ankhesenamun's birth, by using the dating of inscriptions from the Boundary Stelae from around Akhetaten / Amarna, it is possible to give a time frame into which Ankhesenamun (Ankhesenpaaten) had been born. (In his book 'AKhenaten, King of Egypt', C. Aldred states it is possible that the three eldest daughters were alive by Year 3).
Children of Ankhesenamun:
It is possible that during the last three years of Akhenaten's reign he attempted to father children with his three eldest daughters (Meketaten died while in child birth, shown from a graphic scene from the royal tomb). Both Meritaten and Ankhesenpaaten both gave him children - these were called after their mothers but with the addition of 'ta-sherit' after their names (junior).
The remains of two children of Tutankhamun and Akhesenamun were found within KV62 - both been girls, and both were premature births and died soon after birth (the first was of no more than 5 months gestation, the second possibly of 7 to 9 months gestation had a condition called Spengel's deformity with spina bifida and scoliosis)
Akhesenpaaten - wife of Akhenaten
Following the death / dissappearance of Nefertiti, Akhenaten had taken his eldest daughter, Meritaten, as his Chief Queen. During the coronation of Smenkhkare as co-regent with Akhenaten, Meritaten was to become the wife of this new king. Akhenaten himself took his next eldest daughter as his new queen - Akhesenpaaten (Year 15).
Ankhesenamun - wife of Smenkhkare
After the death of both Smenkhkare's wife, Meritaten, and Akhenaten himself, Ankhesenamun then married Smenkhkare for a short period of time (1 to 3 years).
Ankhesenamun - wife of Tutankhamun
On the death of Smenkhkare, the young boy-king Tutankhaten inheritated the throne - on his accession to the throne he was married to the older Ankhesenpaaten (Tutankhaten is thought to have been 8, while Ankhesenpaaten was 13) - during these first couple of years of Tutankhaten's reign they both lived in the North city of Akhetaten. Soon the royal court was to return to Thebes, the religion of Egypt was turned back from the heresy of Ankhenaten and the monothesim of Aten worship to the conventional worship of the 'old gods' (to reflect this change both the names of the new king and queen were emptied of the Aten influence and gave voice to the power of Amun the reinstated state god).
Ankhesenamun - letter to King Suppiluliumas
After the sudden death of Tutankhamun a letter was sent from Ankhesenamun to the Hittite King Suppiluliumas (it should be noted that the actual queen who sent this letter cannot be definitely stated (the queen is called 'Dahamunzu' and her died husband 'Niphururiya'), the letter has been dated to the latter end of the 18th Dynasty and given the wording of the letter the most favoured author IS Ankhesenamun, however, in his book 'Akhenaten - Egypt's false prophet' states that was Nefertiti (orignal queen of Akhenaten and Ankhesenamun's mother) that sent the letter). The letter requested that the Hittite king send one of his sons to marry the widowed Queen and so be the next pharaoh of Egypt. In the letter the queen states that;
'My husband has died and I have no son. They say about you that you have many sons. You might give me one of your sons to become my husband. Never shall I pick out a servant of mine and make him my husband!....I am afraid!'.
As the relations between the Hittite and Egyptian peoples were at this stage quite hostile, this strange and unprescendented letter received a very suspicious response, the Hittite king sent his chamberlin to Egypt to investigate, he met with the queen and brought back a second message:
'Why did you say "they deceive me" in that way? Had I a son, would I have written about my own and my country's shame to a foreign land? You did not believe me and you have said as much to me! He who was my husband has died. A son I have not! Never shall I take a servant of mine and make him my husband! Ihave written to no other country; only to you have I written! They say your sons are many: so give me one of your sons! To me he will be husband, but in Egypt he will be King!'
Suppiluliumas was finally convinced he sent his son, the Prince Zannanza, to Egypt - the plan was foiled by Egyptian who has no wish to see a foreigner on the throne of Egypt, the Hittite Prince was killed.
Ankhesenamun - wife of AY
After the failed attempt to marry an Hittite Prince, Ankhesenamun was obliged to marry her probably grandfather Ay (although linked to the royal bloodline he needed a stronger link). Little more is heard from Ankhesenamun - all that remains is evidence of her marriage to Ay, a blue glass finger ring with both her and Ay's name engraved. After Ay becomes King of Egypt, Ankhesenamun dissapears, in Ay's tomb there is no sign of her, it is Ay's wife Tiy who appears with him.
Was Ankhesenamun murdered? Her links with the Aten heresy too strong, her traitorous attempt to place an Hittite Prince on the throne sign her death warrant, once Ay was King he had no further need of her and wished to prevent others from similarly using her, or a further attempt to father with her finally kill her? No evidence of her tomb or burial has yet been find perhaps she waits in the Valley of the Kings or Theban tomb of the Nobles still!
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