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

SPACE AND SCENERY | 305
the morning sun), a hill with a head of Isis (= the body of Isis), and
an oval with the figure of Sokar (= the womb of Isis containing the
semen of Horus or Re). In other words, Isis was illuminated by the
morning sun and then conceived Horus or Re.
That the rite Xnm jtn of Hathor in the context of the Festival
of Sokar and then, of the Xnt @wt-@r Festival had sexual connotations
is confirmed by the relief scenes and texts of the Red Chapel.
As we know, the chapel’s south wall (the third register) depicts the
images of six way-stations used by Hatshepsut during the Opet
Festival. On its way to Luxor the bark of Amun-Re stopped in each
chapel, and the pharaoh (Hatshepsut or Thutmose III) performed
offering rituals before it. All of the chapels, except the first and the
sixth, bore the names, which were apparently related to various
ritual acts of Hatshepsut. 133 Of particular interest are the third and
the fifth chapels labeled respectively “Maat-ka-Re (i. e. Hatshepsut)
who is unified with the beauties of Amun” ([Mat-kA-Ra] Xnmt nfrw
Imn) 134 and “Maat-ka-Re who receives the beauties of Amun”
(MAat-kA-Ra Sspt nfrw Imn). 135
The word “beauties” can denote both, the light of the sungod
136 and the phallus of Amun-Min 137 (perhaps the image of this
god took part in the Opet Festival 138). So the word Xnm on the one
hand denotes the union of the statue with the sun-rays 139 and on
the other means the physical unity. 140 Therefore, the ritual actions
reflected in the names of the third and the fifth chapel seem to
refer to the symbolic intercourse of Hatshepsut with Amun. Since
the path of the Opet Festival procession from Karnak to Luxor
and backwards was probably related to the night journey of Re in
the Duat, the god Amun appeared in this festival as Osiris passing
the stages of the revival. Thus, performing certain rituals before the
chapels of Amun, Hatshepsut assumed the role of Isis (= Hathor)
133 CABROL (2001) 537.
134 Red Chapel, block 305.
135 Red Chapel, block 169.
136 Wb II 260 (11).
137 Wb II 260 (7); GAUTHIER (1931) 112.
138 CABROL (2001) 515–516.
139 Wb III 377 (16–17).
140 Wb III 377 (8–11).