did ancient egyptians live a peaceful life

DID ANCIENT EGYPTIANS LIVE A PEACEFUL LIFE FREE

If a girl became pregnant, she would probably leave the troupe to head home to her family with proof of her fertility. Other theories could be that the young virgin girls joined itinerant performing groups – dancers, singers and the like – and during their time with these groups they experienced their first sexual encounters. With Egypt’s heavy emphasis on fertility as the defining nature of a man or a woman, this idea is a highly likely probability.

One of the theories that disassociates these women from being prostitutes, is that their sexual activity could be part of a “coming-of-age ritual”, just as circumcision was one for males.

Photo taken with kind permission of the Petrie MuseumĪnother idea pointed out to me by Daniel Kolos, an Egyptologist academically trained at the University of Toronto, is that this premarital sexual activity might be a prerequisite for marriage. All archaeological evidence for women with such tattoos shows them to have been New Kingdom female musicians or dancers.Ī Reconstructed Faience Beaded Dress. In fact, the Victorian era theory that these women were prostitutes is not backed up by evidence at all. There is no evidence that these women were paid for these fertility-related acts, so some believe that word ‘prostitute’ is probably an incorrect term for these women. They painted their lips red, and tattooed themselves on the breasts or thighs and even went around totally nude. Some of these women wore blue faience beaded fish-net dresses. The Egyptian sacred ‘prostitute’ (who was probably a highly regarded as a member of Egyptian society because of her association with different gods or goddesses (such as Bes and Hathor), rather than the street walker that the modern mind imagines) advertised herself through her clothing and make up.

DID ANCIENT EGYPTIANS LIVE A PEACEFUL LIFE FREE

Unmarried women, on the other hand, seem to be free to choose partners as they so desire, and enjoy their love life to its fullest. In the Tale of Two Brothers, the adulterous wife was found out, murdered and her body was thrown to the dogs. women got the worst punishment for adultery – a man might just be forced into a divorce, but a women could conceivably be killed for that crime. 1995, Daughters of Isis: Women of Ancient Egypt, p. But there were some advice to parents, written by scribes:ĭo not prefer one of your children above the others after all, you never know which one of them will be kind to you. Being a mother meant being able to keep her marriage secure and to gain a better position in society.īut an Egyptian family was not just a status symbol – the Egyptians loved their children and were not afraid to show it. In the Egyptian community, men had to prove their masculinity by fathering children, while the women had to be able to bear these sons and daughters. Where her twin sister Nephthys was barren, Isis was fertile. Taking after Isis, the mother goddess of Horus, Egyptian women strove to be intelligent, wise, mystical and mothers.

A women who had children was seen to be more fortunate than ones without. To the ancient Egyptians, the most attractive women tended to be the fertile ones. The stereotypical Egyptian image of a fertile woman.

Did ancient egyptians live a peaceful life