UNESCO Ancient Civilizations of Africa (Editor G. Mokhtar)

The civilization of Napata and Meroe
as to leave no doubt about her decisive influence and specific status. She
also exercised an influence through a complicated system of adoption,
whereby the queen-mother, designated by the title Mistress of Kush,
adopted the wife of her son. Thus Nasalsa adopted Madiqen, wife of
Anlamani, who soon died and was succeeded by his brother Aspelta, whose
wife Henuttskhabit was eventually adopted by both Nasalsa and Madiqen.
On the stele of Nastasen ( — 335 to — 310) the upper scene shows his mother
Pelekhs and his wife Sakhakh each holding a sistrum which seems to have
been the sign of their office. The inscription of Anlamani says that he had
dedicated each of his four sisters to one of the four temples of Amun to be
sistrum players and to pray for him before this god.
The iconography confirms the enhanced status of queen-mothers. In
religious scenes on temple walls they occupy prominent positions, second
only to the king himself, whereas on the walls of the pyramid chapels the
queen appears behind the deceased king participating as the principal
person in the offerings presented to him.
In the later period these queens — either mothers or wives - started to
assume political power and proclaim themselves sovereign, even adopting
the royal title Son of Re, Lord of the Two Lands (sa Re, neb Tawy) or
Son of Re and King (5a Re, nswbit). 17 Many of them became famous, and
in Graeco-Roman times Meroe was known to have been ruled by a line of
Candaces, Kandake or queens regnant.
This title is derived from Meroitic Ktke or Kdke 1 * meaning queenmother.
Another title - qere - meaning ruler, was not used until the
Meroitic script appeared. As a matter of fact we have only four queens
known to have used this title, namely Amanirenas, Amanishekhete,
Nawidemak and Maleqereabar, all by definition being candaces. 19 It is
noteworthy that in the royal tombs of Nuri, from Taharqa (died — 664) to
Nastasen (died about —310) there is no evidence of a queen having the
full burial of a reigning monarch and during this period no reigning queen
is known. The earliest attested reigning queen was Shanakdekhete, early
in the second century before our era, and she was allowed a full royal burial
in Begrawiya North. Most probably, in the beginning, the title and the
office did not mean more than queen-mother. She was entrusted with
bringing up the royal children, for Taharqa mentions in his stele that he was
with his mother Queen Abar till the age of 21, living among other royal
brothers, the godly youth from which the heir to the throne was chosen.
She was thus in a position to exercise great power and influence, which were
manifested by her special role in the ceremony of coronation and her
adoption of the wife of her son. At some stage the queens would outgrow
their sons or husbands and take a favourable moment to assume all power
17. F. Hintze, 1959a, pp. 36-9.
18. The n is often elided in Meroitic proper names; cf. F. L. Griffith, 1911-12, p. 55.
19. M. F. L. Macadam, 1966.
303