Hedvig Győry: Mélanges offerts a Edith Varga „Le lotus qui sort de terre” (Bulletin du Musée Hongrois des Beaux-Arts Supplément 1. Budapest, 2001)
HANS GOEDICKE: Anthropological Problems - Gynecological Questions
In order to bridge the division between the divine and mortal world physically an involved scheme was designed. It drew in part from literary sources, in part from extended existing mythological concepts, to produce a sequence of events correlative to the social customs surrounding human birth. In Hatshepsut's version it begins with Amun's discussing the beauty of Hatshepsut's mother with his divine council, a rendering clearly taken from the "Königsnovelle," where it is attested since the Protocol of Neferyt. 16 Amenophis III 17 shortened the opening event designed to link the divine and human sphere by having Hathor act as a go-between for Amun and the queen Mutemwia. It seems that Amun did not rely completely on the services of Hathor, because in the next scene he apparently instructs Thoth, the messenger of the gods. Amun must have been quite anxious that his affair progress; he seems to almost run ahead of his messenger. Obviously, Thoth was successful in arranging a tête-à-tête; the next scene - and I am using the copies of Amenophis III in Luxor - shows Amun and the queen seated on a couch. I doubt, that the two supporting goddesses - I don't understand what they were supposed to do were there as chaperons. The accompanying text in the Deir el-Bahari version is quite remarkable. Amun does not have much to say, but this should not deceive anyone. After a short lacuna it reads "... [after] he had [made] his form into that of her husband, the King Aa-kheper-ka-Re' . They found her as she rested in the innermost of the palace. She awakened because of the divine scent; she smiled towards his majesty. He went immediately to her; he ignited in love to her; he gave his heart away to her; he let her see him in his divine form, after he had come before her, so that she jubilated at the sight of his perfection; his love - it went into her body. [The palace flowed over with divine scent, and] all its aromas were those from Puntf She must have had quite a time, because the text concerning her states: "Spoken by the king's wife lahmes to the Majesty of this august god Amun lord of Karnak: 'My lord, how great are indeed your baust It is marvelous to see your face! You have embraced my body with your glory, your scent is in all my limbs, after the Majesty of this god had done with her all he wanted! '" 16 A. Hermann, Die ägyptische Königsnovelle, LAS 19, Glückstadt 193 8, p. 11 ; H . Goedicke, The Protocol of Neferyt (The Prophecy of Neferti), Baltimore 1977, pp. 14f. " For the version of Amenophis III, which copied the Hatshepsut formulation but probably had different motifs, see A. Gayet, Le Temple de Louxor, MM A F XV (1894), p. 18, pis, 62-73; H. Brunner, op. cit. (note 12), pis. 1-11; also H. Goedicke, Problems concerning Amenophis til, Baltimore 1992, pp. 97f.
