“His mother, whom he loves”.
Happy Mother's Day!
Let’s meet someone who loved his mother:
Ihy was a high priest in the service of the first king of Egypt's 12th Dynasty—King Amenemhat I, ca 1960 B.C.
In his Saqqara tomb chapel, Ihy depicted his mother, Sat-Shendjet, along with the words, “His mother, whom he loves”.
"Sat-Shendjet" translates as 'Daughter of the Acacia Tree', which refers to the acacia tree sacred to the lesser-known primal goddess Iusaaset, the consort of Atum
Part of the Book of the Dead of Ani, a 19th Dynasty Theban temple scribe, reads:
" I have made offerings of incense. I betook myself to the Acacia Tree of the [divine] Children.
Sat-Shendjet's own mother may have given her a name which they hoped would give Sat-Shendjet protection as a "divine child". Mums are good like that.
Photo: Jeffrey Ross Burzacott
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