“semitisches pantheon”. eine “männliche tyche” - MOSAIKjournal.com

SPACE AND SCENERY | 299
yt” (xntit st m wADyt) 99 – i. e. in the hypostyle hall between the IV th
and the V th pylons of the Karnak temple. 100 As we said earlier, this
room has another name – “Hall of Crowns”, as the coronation of
Thutmose III and the purification of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III
were conducted there. 101 Thus, in the hypostyle hall the kings Hatshepsut
and Thutmose III were purified before entering the temple’s
interior where the coronation ceremonies were performed.
From this evidence we can explain the symbolic presence of Hathor
in the hall – the goddess was considered to be the giver of water
who performed the purification of the pharaoh, as depicted, for
example, in the relief scenes of the VIII th pylon at Karnak. 102
Besides, Hathor was worshipped as a patroness of the dead,
emerging from a papyrus thicket to meet the deceased. 103 This observation
allows us to trace another connection of Hathor with the
hypostyle hall, that symbolized the primeval marsh overgrown with
reeds, the border between the dark waters of Nun and the primordial
hill (= the temple sanctuary). 104 In this room the god Amun-Re
appeared on coming out of the sanctuary, hence another name of
the room was “Hall of appearance” (wsxt xayt) 105. Furthermore, the
fact that the hall contained the Osiride statues of Thutmose I leads
to the conclusion that this space was associated both with the royal
tomb and the afterworld. Thus, the Hall wADyt symbolically represented
the district of the West where Hathor as “Mistress of the
West” accompanied the sun-god and the deceased pharaoh, protecting
them throughout their journey in the Underworld.
It is also necessary to have in mind that the Hall wADyt was
connected to the Akhmenu temple through a long passage. This
probably meant that there was a relationship between the images of
Hathor in Hall wADyt and Akhmenu. In this case, the scene of the
Hathoric procession from Akhmenu definitely refers to the cult of
the goddess emerging from a papyrus thicket and escorting the
99 LACAU – CHEVRIER (1977–1979) 100–101.
100 BARGUET (1962) 311.
101 Urk. IV, 573.
102 The pylon was constructed by Hatshepsut cf: PORTER –
MOSS (1972) 174 (517).
103 pAni, cf. FAULKNER – GOELET (2008) pl. 37.
104 SHAFER (1997) 6.
105 BARGUET (1962) 314.