Chapter 3. Decisions.

Hatshepsut sat at her grandmother’s feet gazing up at her as she told her the story of her father’s birth. She loved these times alone with her grandmother as they happened so infrequently. The wind blew in through the open windows allowing a gentle breeze to cool the room where they sat. The pool outside the window created a cooling effect and the shade of the palm trees which had been planted beside it added to this so that the room felt comfortable, but the fan bearers were there none the less fanning the two women.

It was midsummer, the hottest time of the year and they had moved the palace north to avoid the intense midsummer heat of upper Egypt. The building works were still in progress and her two brothers were over-seeing the projects initiated by her father. A new temple of Amen was being constructed near the Great temple of Karnak and it needed the authority of the two young men to ensure that the work was carried out properly. The workmen didn’t necessarily like being taken from their fields to carry out this construction work but the King owned them, and their land, and so they had no choice. They were fed meagre rations for their hard work and some felt very resentful. But none had the strength to resist and so their resistance came out in other ways, mainly through shoddy workmanship.

The two brothers kept a watchful eye on these ones and punished them by removing their rations if they proved to be too wilful. They also explained, rather haughtily that without this offering to the great God Amun, Lord of the world, that they themselves might never eat again. For wasn’t it The Great God Amun who fed them all, who made the waters rise and who brought fertility to this great land of Egypt?

The workmen weren’t too sure about this great God. They worshipped their own gods but they couldn’t be too sure who made everything happen so they gave in and worked to create this new temple to Amun, just in case. One could never be certain, they reasoned, so it was better to be safe. The Gods seemed to change all the time but who knew better than the Royal family? And weren’t the sons of the Great King of the Two lands his servants? Surely they too were privileged to be the bearers of Amun’s great beneficence? Better to just get on with it. At least that way they could eat.

So they worked in the heat of the sun and built this temple to Amen in the midst of their fields and homes.

 

Hatshepsut never tired of hearing stories about her father’s youth. How he had become King of the two lands and how he was graced with the power of the Great God Amun himself. But she never quite understood how it happened. Did Amun live within her father’s body? Did her father share his spirit with that of Amun? How did the power of Amun work through him?

“Goodness child, so many questions,” her grandmother had laughed. But she had noted the seriousness with which her granddaughter had asked the questions. These were not just the ramblings of an inquisitive child but the questions one would have expected from a student of the mysteries and as such could only be answered by one. Ahmose-Merytamun lifted her granddaughter’s chin with her delicate hand and looked into her ever questioning eyes.

“These are serious questions Hatshepsut and you are very young. Why do you want to know these things?”

Hatshepsut took her grandmother’s hands in hers and held them to her heart. She loved this woman above all else, this woman who had showed her how important women could be in the Egyptian court.

“Grandmother,” she said with a serious look on her face, “I am serious. I want to understand these great mysteries. I want to know how the Great Gods choose us to work through. I want to understand how we can speak their words and how to do their bidding. I want to know everything.”

“And do you not learn these things from your teacher? Does he not show you, through ritual, how to invoke the gods?” her grandmother questioned.

“Yes, he shows us how to petition the Great Gods of Egypt and how to light fires and how to burn the incense but this shows me nothing,” she said hotly, then, after a pause she added. “I want to learn the mysteries. I want to undergo initiation…I want to become the Great God himself, like my father.”

“Child!  Do you realise what you are saying? No woman has ever become the great God, only a king can fulfil this role. Don’t you understand this?” Ahmose-Merytamun was shocked, although she knew that this was not strictly true it challenged her.

“So why can’t I become King?” Hatshepsut was defiant. “Why can’t I fulfil the role of Lord of the Two Lands? After all, aren’t we the ones who are Amun’s daughters?”

Her grandmother stood up and quickly ushered the two fan bearers from the room. She turned back to her granddaughter who was now standing up, angrily straightening her now rather crumpled pleated dress. She looked flushed but still felt determined. Why not me? she thought. Why couldn’t it be me?

Her grandmother watched her for a minute then, sighing, poured a cup of cool water for them both. Such a strong child, she thought as she poured, but she just does not understand.

“Well?” Hatshepsut demanded to know.

“Hatshepsut. I will try to explain as well as I can but you must understand. This is how it has always been done. There is no other way. SShhhhh,” she said quickly as Hatshepsut opened her mouth to disagree. “This is how it always been. Don’t you understand?” But she could see that her granddaughter did not, or would not. She was a stubborn girl but this is why she loved her. She had a fire in her that she too had had in her youth. Where was it now? she wondered.

Ahmose-Merytamun handed her granddaughter the water and returned to sit on her carved rosewood seat. Hatshepsut remained standing, looking down at her grandmother.

“Hatshepsut,” Ahmose said patiently, “it is not the role of women to be the voice of the Great God. It is the role of women to support the voice of the great king, Amun’s representative.”

“But why?” demanded Hatshepsut. “Who says it has to be so? If we are the ones who carry the spirit of Amun in our bodies how is it that the men get to be his voice? I do not understand at all,” she said crossly and with a bang put her cup heavily on the table and walked over to look out the window at the still pool of water. Her grandmother winced but kept silent. She could see that Hatshepsut was struggling with this. After a few moments Hatshepsut turned to face her grandmother.

“Is this why we have to marry our brothers?” she asked quietly. “So that they can speak the Master’s words? Because they can’t do it without us?”

Ahmose was surprised at her use of this word, Master. Never had she heard the Great God Amun being called a Master.

“Yes child,” she replied perplexed now, but she explained it as she herself understood it. “As a woman you are a Divine Daughter of Amun but only the king can speak for him and do his bidding.”

Hatshepsut, to her grandmother’s great relief, appeared to accept this…finally.

“I see,” she said quietly, her back still turned to her grandmother. “So my brother will rule and I will stay silent?”

“Yes, child,” Ahmose replied warily, “That is how it is.” There was silence for a moment, a long moment.

“And is there any rule that says I cannot undergo initiation, even though I will not be ruler?” Hatshepsut continued. She would not give up.

Sighing heavily Ahmose said “No, child. There is no rule but it is not usual…”

“Then I wish to undergo the training immediately,” she said and turned to face her now very tired grandmother. “Can you express this to my father?” she asked.

“I can, although I will tell you now he will not be happy.” Ahmose said by way of a warning. She knew how well Hatshepsut loved her father and how much she still needed his approval.

Hatshepsut pulled herself up, standing regally and proudly. “Thank you. Please let him know of my wishes. And now I beg your leave.”

Ahmose-Merytamun nodded sadly and her granddaughter left the room. She sat there for a time wondering what had gotten into the girl. She worried that her granddaughter’s stubbornness and pride would cause an obstacle in the future but she worried more about Hatshepsut’s desire to become an Initiate. She knew that her son would never allow it and she worried for her granddaughter. But, she decided finally, she would have to leave it in the hands of Amun.

If he willed it then it would be so.

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

This is still a first draft and will need further additions and work.