Calliope articles from September 2008

Calliope archives from September 2008

5 newsy Nile facts.
September 1, 2008... 1 The ancient Egyptians called this waterway the "River of Life." The ancient Greeks called it Neilos, "River Valley," the root of its name today. 2 The Nile has two main tributaries, the White Nile (named for its milky-like appearance)...

Hatshepsut.(MUSINGS)
September 1, 2008... I have no enemy in any land, all countries are my subjects. --Inscription carved on the base of one of Hatshepsut's obelisks at Karnak

Why did Hatshepsut, a woman, choose to be a king?(MUSINGS)
September 1, 2008... An interesting question--but one with a simple answer. In the ancient Egyptian language, the word for "king" was masculine and the word for "queen" meant "Great Royal Wife." Thus, even though it was not a perfect fit, "king" seemed the best...

Most noble of noble women.(MUSINGS)
September 1, 2008... Hatshepsut may have been only 12 years old when she became the wife of Egypt's king. Her husband, Thutmose II, was her half-brother and had inherited the throne of Egypt from their father, Thutmose I, around 1492 B.C. Thus, Hatshepsut was the...

Divine kingship.
September 1, 2008... The king of Egypt was the only person who could talk to the gods. In fact, he was considered a god himself. During his lifetime, he was thought to be the god Horus on earth. After his death, he became the god Osiris, and the new pharaoh became...

Queen Tiy (c. 1387c. 1340 B.C.).
September 1, 2008... Queen Tiy was the consort of 18th Dynasty pharaoh Amenhotep III. A member of the Egyptian aristocracy and married to Amenhotep at an early age, Tiy became the Great Royal Wife. Her shrewd and capable mind won her husband's respect and trust....

The woman who would be king.
September 1, 2008... Listen, all you noble people, and common folk--as many as you are--I hove done these things by the device of my heart. I never slumbered as one forgetful, but hove mode strong what was decoyed. I have raised up what was dismembered... ...

Symbols of power.
September 1, 2008... Symbols have played, and do play, an important role in history. Leaders use them to represent power and beliefs. So, too, do nations. Some symbols are short-lived, falling out of use when the person or country that relies on them loses power....

Egypt on the March.
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Some historians believe that, as a woman, Hatshepsut had no interest n military matters. She preferred, they say, to boast about her peaceful achievements, such as moving enormous obelisks or dispatching a trading...

Eternal Egypt.
September 1, 2008... Pharaoh Hatshepsut considered reviving institutions of the past as one of the main goals of her reign. She admired her predecessors who had done the same and made efforts to restore the beautiful face of urban life in Egypt. Through her...

Foreman of the foremen.(Brief biography)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Without a doubt, Senmut was a close friend and confidante of Hatshepsut--and he even may have been more. From a humble background, he nevertheless held some of the most prestigious positions in Egypt. In fact, Senmut...

Word origins.(FUN WITH WORDS)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PATRIARCH Ever heard of "patriarch"? How about the phrase "patriarch of the family"? By definition, the word describes the father, ruler, or founder of a family, tribe, religion, business, or the like--quite...

Word stories.(FUN WITH WORDS)
September 1, 2008... DESPOT Here's a word whose meaning has changed considerably over the centuries. The ancient Greeks used their term despotes to refer to those in charge of a household and to husbands. In time, however, the word was used to refer to rulers who...

Let's learn Egyptian!(FUN WITH WORDS)
September 1, 2008... LET'S LEARN EGYPTIAN! Here are a few words-not written in hieroglyphs, but in our alphabet according to how Egyptologists think they were pronounced: EGYPTIAN COLORS MEANING desher red kem ...

Looking to the future.
September 1, 2008... Set dramatically against sheer cliffs in the desert on the western bank of Thebes is the magnificent mortuary temple of the pharaoh Hatshepsut. To the ancient Egyptians, it was known as Djeser-Djeseru, "holy of holies." Today, the site of the...

Female sphinxes.
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The first Egyptian sphinxes were carved during the Old Kingdom. Always male, they were of the king in a powerful, nonhuman form. It was during the Middle Kingdom that the royal artists began to create female...

Reversal of fortune.
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Imagine that you are the boy-king of Egypt and are supposed to ascend to the throne when you are about 10 years old. Now imagine that either your stepmother or your aunt takes over for you, saying that you are too...

Al-Khansa * (died after A.D. 630).
September 1, 2008... Al-Khansa is widely known in the Arab world for her poetry, which focuses on the despair that follows the death of a loved one. Considered one of the Arab world's greatest poets, al-Khansa wrote her early works after the deaths of her two...

Family values: harp player carved into the wall of Hatshepsut's chapel.
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In family groups depicted on tomb walls or in statuary, wives have an arm around their husbands' waists or shoulders and children cling to the staffs their fathers are shown holding. Clearly, there was great...

Who's who?
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When Hatshepsut was still a queen, she started building a tomb for herself in a place called Wadi Gabbanat el-Qurud, or Valley of the Monkeys. This is located on the west bank of modern Luxor, not far from the Valley...

Queen's rule.
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS BELIEVED THAT THERE MUST ALWAYS BE A KING ON THE THRONE OF EGYPT. IDEALLY. THIS KING WOULD BE THE SON OF THE PREVIOUS, NOW-DEAD, KING. BUT, IF THERE WAS NO SON AVAILABLE, IT WAS ACCEPTABLE FOR A...

Make your own mummy hand.(ACTIVITY)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Here's your chance to feel like an ancient embalmer and freak out your friends at the same time. Your mummy hand won't be just a scary sculpture, but will make a great paperweight, doorstop, or even a back scratcher!...

Huda Sha'arawi (1882-1947).(MODERN WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT)(Brief biography)
September 1, 2008... Huda Sha'arawi actively fought for women's rights and the end of British rule in Egypt. In 1910, she began the first general-education school for girls in Cairo. She founded the first feminist magazine, Egyptienne, in 1920. Three years later,...

Jehan Sadat (born 1933).(MODERN WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT)(Brief biography)
September 1, 2008... Jehan Sadat has actively supported a woman's right to become educated, take a job outside the home, and express political opinions. As the wife of Anwar Sadat, Egypt's president from 1970 until his assassination in 1981, she lobbied her husband...

Tahahy Al-Gebaly (born c. 1951).(MODERN WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "The Egyptian people are civilized and respect any woman who is able to do a responsible job and do it well," says Tahany al-Gebaly, an Egyptian who has practiced law for more than 30 years. In 2003, al-Gebaly was...

An obelisk of words.(ACTIVITY)
September 1, 2008... Construct an obelisk by filling in the answers to the clues below. Then put the numbered letters on the corresponding blanks to discover the name of Hatshepsut's chief advisor. Answers are on page 45. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1. The...

The Ancient Egyptians.(BOOKS)(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Ancient Egyptians by Rosalie F. and Charles F. Baker III (Oxford, 2001, www.oup.com/usa) includes 28 well-researched, interesting-to-read, full biographies and several brief biographies of outstanding Egyptians,...

The Ancient Egyptian World.(BOOKS)(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2008... The Ancient Egyptian World by Eric H. Cline and Jill Rubalcaba (Oxford, 2005, www.oup.com/usa) is one in the well-researched series "The World in Ancient Times." Each chapter takes its shape from at least one primary source. The illustrations...

Explore Ancient Egypt: 25 Great Projects, Activities, Experiments.(BOOKS)(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2008... Explore Ancient Egypt: 25 Great Projects, Activities, Experiments by Carmella van Vleet (Nomad Press, 2008, www.ipgbook.com) will certainly intrigue readers and have them eagerly turning the pages to check out the next activity. The sidebars...

Hatshepsut: The Princess Who Became King.(BOOKS)(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hatshepsut: The Princess Who Became King by Ellen Galford (National Geographic, 2005, www.nationalgeographic.com) details the life of this amazing woman in a manner that is concise, yet includes many details. A time...

Calliope also recommends as an excellent reference book.(OFF THE SHELF)
September 1, 2008... CALLIOPE also recommends as an excellent reference book: Hatchepsut: The Female Pharaoh by Joyce A. Tyldesley (Penguin, 1998, www.penguin.com) COBBLESTONE RESOURCES Materials that complement this issue's theme, "Hatshepsut," and...

On the net.
September 1, 2008... Get real close to the woman who ruled as king when you click on this PBS site, with great illustrations and many links: www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/newkingdom/ hatshepsut.html Check out the Canadian Museum of Civilization's site on...

Ask calliope.
September 1, 2008... [?] Can you tell me what portolan maps are? --Amelia, Web post [!] Portolan charts were first drawn in the late 1200s as mariner charts and were in use at the time of Christopher Columbus' voyages. They offered a realistic picture of...

Ancient Egypt.(From Our Readers)(Poem)
September 1, 2008... ANCIENT EGYPT Egypt, with fabulous Pharaohs flamboyantly flaunting Pompous Pyramids proudly protruding, Shriveled Mummies abruptly disturbed, Voiceless Sphinx. Monotheist Akhenaten...

Legacy of a female Pharaoh.(FROM PAST TO PRESENT)
September 1, 2008... On the north face of Hatshepsut's obelisk at the temple to the mighty god Amun at Karnak in southern Egypt is an inscription that reads, in part, "Her father Amun had established her great name Maat-ka-re on the holy Ashet tree. The records of...

Then and now.
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THEN: For the ancient Egyptians, the sistrum was a sacred instrument. They used it to accompany dancing and religious rituals. Closely associated with the cow goddess Hathor, the sistrum had a handle attached to a...