Art can move the masses (and still does, Mr. Obama thank you); but I still take exception to the old yarn that this was merely political power in action (the history book yarn, not your yarn). Is it possible that this culture actually believed, completely, w/o cynicism that these men really were gods? Did the pharaohs themselves believe it? Sure it kept the common bloke in his place as do later the scepter and the mace and the ermine, but it is also possible that the culture really thought of their leader as a god (like the Japanese) and the leader himself might have thought this way about himself (as many Persian kings apparently did). This would certainly explain the revolutionary nature of authors such as Homer and Euripides and similar underminers like Shakespeare and Jonathan Swift later on.
I don't swallow the "imagery as power" line any more than I do the "pyramids as tombs" line. Both have something about them that just doesn't sit well; the odor of mendacity perhaps.
Could you perhaps move your videos to separate posts? I intend to watch the next two as well and comment on all three at once might be a bit bulky (I'm very longwinded).
Hmmm, good points. It's so easy to get caught up in one explanation that it's easy to overlook another, especially when one is raised in such a cynical world. Yes, the Egyptians most likely wholeheartedly believed that the pharaohs were gods. Who else could wield such authority over the lives of men? And (at least after a while, if not from the get-go) the pharaohs themselves likely believed so.
As for Seqmet, I'd have to see how far back her story goes. If she does, in fact, exist as far back as the scorpion macehead, then it could very well be a symbol of devotion to her (or a predecessor to her).
I'll post them separately. I like long-winded responses. Since I have a mere modicum of experience with ancient art (I spent most of my time studying post-enlightenment European art), I need as much critical feedback as I can get!
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WRT to the "scorpion king" - check this out:
http://phoenixandturtle.net/images/selqScorp.jpg
The scorpion goddess Seqmet (perhaps a form of Isis). Could the symbol near his head represent a devotion to this goddess perhaps?
Art can move the masses (and still does, Mr. Obama thank you); but I still take exception to the old yarn that this was merely political power in action (the history book yarn, not your yarn). Is it possible that this culture actually believed, completely, w/o cynicism that these men really were gods? Did the pharaohs themselves believe it? Sure it kept the common bloke in his place as do later the scepter and the mace and the ermine, but it is also possible that the culture really thought of their leader as a god (like the Japanese) and the leader himself might have thought this way about himself (as many Persian kings apparently did). This would certainly explain the revolutionary nature of authors such as Homer and Euripides and similar underminers like Shakespeare and Jonathan Swift later on.
I don't swallow the "imagery as power" line any more than I do the "pyramids as tombs" line. Both have something about them that just doesn't sit well; the odor of mendacity perhaps.
Could you perhaps move your videos to separate posts? I intend to watch the next two as well and comment on all three at once might be a bit bulky (I'm very longwinded).
Hmmm, good points. It's so easy to get caught up in one explanation that it's easy to overlook another, especially when one is raised in such a cynical world. Yes, the Egyptians most likely wholeheartedly believed that the pharaohs were gods. Who else could wield such authority over the lives of men? And (at least after a while, if not from the get-go) the pharaohs themselves likely believed so.
As for Seqmet, I'd have to see how far back her story goes. If she does, in fact, exist as far back as the scorpion macehead, then it could very well be a symbol of devotion to her (or a predecessor to her).
I'll post them separately. I like long-winded responses. Since I have a mere modicum of experience with ancient art (I spent most of my time studying post-enlightenment European art), I need as much critical feedback as I can get!
Roger that. I like the slides.
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