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Nitocris

(22nd century BCE pseudohistory)

The 6th Dynasty's Worst Banquet Host

page1

1 The main source on her is one paragraph in Herodotus’s Histories, which I’ll reproduce here in full: “To avenge her brother (he was king of Egypt and was slain by his subjects who then gave Nitocris the sovereignty) she put many Egyptians to death by guile. She built a spacious underground chamber; then, with the pretence of handselling it, but with far other intent in her mind, she gave a great feast, inviting those Egyptians whom she knew to have been most concerned in her brother’s murder; and, while they feasted, she let the river in upon them by a great secret channel. This was all that the priests told of her, save that when she had done this, she cast herself into  chamber of hot ashes, thereby to escape vengeance.”page2 page3

2 The hieroglyphs here are taken from the art for Hatshepsut – I was strapped for time – save for the ones enclosed by an elongated circle on the screen left wall, behind the musicians. That is the ostensible name of Nitocris as written on the Royal Papyrus of Turin – or so it was thought. More on this in a bit.page4 page5 page6 page7 page8

3 For a long time the only evidence of Nitocris, outside of Herodotus and Manetho, was from the aforementioned Royal Papyrus of Turin, an extremely tattered listing of Egyptian rulers. For many years – possibly back to Herodotus’s time? – it had been assembled incorrectly, and listed Nitocris at the end of the 6th Dynasty. Using microscopic analysis in 2000, though, historian Kim Ryholt discovered the correct ordering, and that the fragment assumed to refer to Nitocris was, in fact, referring to one of the names of a previously-established male king. As it stands, there’s no architecture or tomb or any other evidence of Nitocris’s reign, aside from ancient Greek texts. Still, great story!

Footnotes[+]

↑1 The main source on her is one paragraph in Herodotus’s Histories, which I’ll reproduce here in full: “To avenge her brother (he was king of Egypt and was slain by his subjects who then gave Nitocris the sovereignty) she put many Egyptians to death by guile. She built a spacious underground chamber; then, with the pretence of handselling it, but with far other intent in her mind, she gave a great feast, inviting those Egyptians whom she knew to have been most concerned in her brother’s murder; and, while they feasted, she let the river in upon them by a great secret channel. This was all that the priests told of her, save that when she had done this, she cast herself into  chamber of hot ashes, thereby to escape vengeance.”
↑2 The hieroglyphs here are taken from the art for Hatshepsut – I was strapped for time – save for the ones enclosed by an elongated circle on the screen left wall, behind the musicians. That is the ostensible name of Nitocris as written on the Royal Papyrus of Turin – or so it was thought. More on this in a bit.
↑3 For a long time the only evidence of Nitocris, outside of Herodotus and Manetho, was from the aforementioned Royal Papyrus of Turin, an extremely tattered listing of Egyptian rulers. For many years – possibly back to Herodotus’s time? – it had been assembled incorrectly, and listed Nitocris at the end of the 6th Dynasty. Using microscopic analysis in 2000, though, historian Kim Ryholt discovered the correct ordering, and that the fragment assumed to refer to Nitocris was, in fact, referring to one of the names of a previously-established male king. As it stands, there’s no architecture or tomb or any other evidence of Nitocris’s reign, aside from ancient Greek texts. Still, great story!
(enjoy the art? you can get it as a poster, shirt or phone case!)
[click to hide/expand]

Art Notes

Pretty straightforward this time! Nitocris wears a leopard skin, as pharaohs were known to do in the Old Kingdom:

afe0caf57ec46e2ade82f35f5a6a178e

Her wig and headdress are modeled off of this:

wig2

The musicians are modeled off of this:

banquet2

And the banquet chairs and outfits are modeled off of this:

banquet1

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[click to hide/expand]

Footnotes

[click to hide/expand]

Shout-outs (guess success rate: 99%)

Almost a clean sweep this time!

eclipse, R Sneddon, @we-lexy-fan, Oli, krittikae, @sanepsycho240, DimRadiance, @rinrinp42, @interspecieslesbianism, Rance Fawbush, @gunhilde, @martascully, @jedda-martele , @iamnotanotter, @SoulOfAnEmptyShell, Marie, @cathrinerose, @lifelovewishes, @fellowshipofthegay, Andromeda, @deathblademeister, @akisawana, @nerdygingerandproud, @Ficsandteamakeahappyme, Helena Stumpf Morelli, @vuvalinikill, @pandoramusicbox09, @Runemarks, MGBush504, ShradhaRawat, verygayblogblog, TheHistoryMaster, @pidge-is-a-girl, Teal, @cheerfullygoth, @lederpdederp, Rachel Smith, @Geargoyle, @shadowwinglg, @chibirosie, Sarah S, bemusedlybespectacled, Belphegor, Emcfarland60@gmail.com, @kazhloar, @savefarris124, Tony, @amgehron, @merlincomeback, @muse2write, Gigi Paderes, Tiffany Welsh Stevenson, Rey, Bailey G., @brynnabeth, @preppyslytherin, Egyptologist LW, @inklingofadream, @ladyzweihander, Crusty the Snowman, Emily Curewitz, @awlwren, JulieC, Amber Glenn-Thomas, Matilde , @teboz89, Dawn Chan, Raven, The Unsexy Librarian, @amatalefay, @nyxetoile, eightiesbabyninetieskid, @judiejodia, Leanne, @betonie, CMG, Sunnygirl, coolshades, GigabyteDragon, SadiePoz, @immortalryoka, clericalrodent, @awesomest-poetess, Erendis, @stargazingwithtea, N, MrsAwwsum, @themostamazingurl, @wymanthewalrus, Breann, Patricia A Johnson , Hope Flack, @Imrix, @girl-of-angst, @captain-maatkara, Elizabeth Morgan, @AninOnin, rsorgen, Mina Elisabeth M., TheJerboa, @intheotis, Knocks, @ihavenotfallenyet, Ashley C., Akio :3, kerengende, Kelly Gilfillan, Elina Sverker , Amber Shen, Ruwani Weerasinghe, francine.ting, Krystal, Togglechen, @mrsslason, @suzubelle-chan, @prettybirdy979, @metsin6, @lilygarnet, @queerkaradanvers, Irene P., heehee~, #makeitawkward, #Endracism, #Supporthumanrights, #Supportaboriginalrights, @yeulyang, Caroline, @hackedbyawriter , @sweet13th, Kethryn , Joelle G, @universehopperforlyfe, C.B., Lauryn, J. Axel, Lily, Marina Elise, Jamie W, flower_power1979, TooTiredForThis, Brenna Trull, That Girl, @the-above-average-bear , Rebecca H., Garner, @himinmin, Lyndsay, EstherF, Finnicky, Don’t Listen To That Guy You Write Awesomely and On Time :D [aw, thanks! although I don’t know about on time…], Jgund, FireflyLights, PevensiePlas, leandro.barros.mauricio, @howdoyousport, @kosth30ry, naomijameston, LadyRah, @PrincessAmina, Roderique Bluemoon Roberts, Rue, Maverick, @slightlyirritable, Morgan, Verelan, @chunsabee, @gambitsobsession, Happy Fett, kira, Kittykabooom , Diomedes

The previous hint was:

The Sixth Dynasty’s worst banquet host.

173 guesses out of 175 total (99%) were correct.
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Citations

  • Newberry, Percy E. “Queen Nitocris of the Sixth Dynasty.” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, vol. 29, 1943. pg.51-54
  • Peter Der Manuelian, Thomas Schneider. Towards a New History for the Egyptian Old Kingdom: Perspectives on the Pyramid Age.
  • Ryholt, Kim. “The Late Old Kingdom in the Turin King-list and the Identity of Nitocris”, Zeitschrift für ägyptische, 127, 2000. p.91

Next Time on Rejected Princesses

Defeating aboriginal golems with hot bread? Should have called her tribe Waddawoman. (or in modern spelling, Wardawoman)

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