posted
Dwarfs in ancient Egypt appear to have suffered little due to prejudice. This was the most serious congenital abnormality recorded in ancient Egypt. Well known Egyptologists Kent Weeks has recorded nine skeletons of this type, and Dasen lists 207 known representations of dwarfism.The disease, known as achondroplasia, was probably caused by inbreeding, and thus might very well have occurred in royal families. This disease results in a head and trunk of normal size with shortened limbs. Examples have been found even dating back to Egypt's predynastic period. We know of a number of examples where dwarfs were well integrated into society, holding important positions and marrying woman of normal stature. This is not to say that the condition was not recognized by the Egyptians, but tolerance was taught. In the Instruction of Amenemope at the end of the 2nd millennium BC, a call for justice and forbearance is provided:
Mock not the blind nor deride the dwarf nor block the cripple's path; don't tease a man made ill by a god nor make outcry when he blunders.
We find dwafs in the form of gods, such as Bes. While the Egyptian reasoning for dwarf gods such as Bes is unclear, some have suggested that the belief sprang from an association with dwarfs as familiar protective beings. It is likely that dwarfs benefited socially from their resemblance to these gods.
One example of a very important dwarf was Seneb, a 4th or early 5th Dynasty dwarf. He was overseer of the palace dwarfs, chief of the royal wardrobe and priest of the funerary cults of Khufu. A fine statue depicts him with his family, including his wife who was of normal stature, and two children. His wife was known to have been a lady of the court and a priestess.
The ancient Egyptians called both dwarfs and Pygmies deneg. In fact, ancient literature and references barely distingquish between Dwarfs and Pygmies. However, Pygmies, probably because they were usually foreign born, did not enjoy the treatment given to dwarfs. They were usually imported from tropical Africa and most often served in the capacity of dancers or acrobats.
While dwarfs might be a part of the court, the pygmies were entertainment for the court, but valued in this respect. A letter from Pepy II of the 6th Dynasty urges Harkhuf, who was on his way back from an expedition to the south of the Sudan, to take great care of the dancing pygmy he had acquired. The letter states that, "My majesty desires to see this pygmy more than the gifts of the mineland (Sinai) and of Punt".
Posts: 42918 | From: , | Registered: Jan 2010
| IP: Logged |
"Mock not the blind nor deride the dwarf nor block the cripple's path; don't tease a man made ill by a god nor make outcry when he blunders."
The above custom of respect towards the physically challenged is one of many that separated the Egyptians from their contemporaries in the Near East and especially in Europe. In Europe, particularly Greece and Rome, cripples or any physical deformities were viewed as a curse from the gods, and infants born with such deformities were usually abandoned in the wilderness to die.
The ancient Egyptians called both dwarfs and Pygmies deneg. In fact, ancient literature and references barely distingquish between Dwarfs and Pygmies. However, Pygmies, probably because they were usually foreign born, did not enjoy the treatment given to dwarfs. They were usually imported from tropical Africa and most often served in the capacity of dancers or acrobats.
While dwarfs might be a part of the court, the pygmies were entertainment for the court, but valued in this respect. A letter from Pepy II of the 6th Dynasty urges Harkhuf, who was on his way back from an expedition to the south of the Sudan, to take great care of the dancing pygmy he had acquired. The letter states that, "My majesty desires to see this pygmy more than the gifts of the mineland (Sinai) and of Punt".
The passage above is one of many writings that give the FALSE impression that the Egyptians like modern day white Westerners were racists who dehumanized pygmies and treated them like goods to be "imported" and used as court jesters for entertainment like blacks were in minstrel shows in the West. The TRUTH of the matter is that Pygmies were revered by the Egyptians because they were a people whose homeland was considered sacred by the Egyptians. Inner Africa far to the south was known as Ta-Neteru or 'Land of the Gods'. The pygmies were favored by the pharaohs because it was believed they performed the 'dances of the gods', thus their dances were not only viewed as just entertainment but sacred and religious events.
On his last journey to Yam, Harkhuf brought back to Egypt a pygmy from the "land of the horizon-dwellers", far beyond Nubia. Pygmies were rarely seen in Egypt since they came from Central Africa, but they were well known for their wonderful dancing. This picture shows an Egyptian ivory toy representing three pygmy dancers connected to a string. The figures "danced" when the string was pulled. Dynasty 12, about 1990-1780 BCE.
posted
your link does not does not say what you said
_____________________________________________
here's another:
Although foreigners were essential to their economy, Egyptians generally had little respect for their cultures. However, Egyptians introduced useful, novelty or interesting aspects of foreign cultures into their own from time to time. Here are two examples of foreigners brought into the country specifically to take part in temple ritual. Sixth dynasty records tell us that the boy-king Pepy II waited eagerly for a ‘dancing dwarf’ (possibly a pygmy) to arrive at court to take part in ‘dances for the gods’ around 2200-2181 B.C. Pepy’s governor Harkhuf, responsible for delivering the dwarf safely, wrote in his autobiography ‘My master desires to see this dwarf more than the products of Sinai or Punt!’ (Taylor, p.16). Pygmies from central Africa became important in religious rituals in Egypt and were sought after for this purpose, passing through the Nubian ‘corridor’ to Egypt along with many other people and goods, from Punt and elsewhere
Egypt, Music, Dance and the Nubian Connection: Part 1 Ancient Egypt and Nubia By Katrina Robinson
Raqs Sharqi Society for Egyptian Dance
_______________________________________
Precious Metals and Stones Egyptian interests in Nubia were always driven by economics. The one factor that chiefly characterized Egypt's relationship with Nubia through most of their history was exploitation. Nubia's most important resource for Egypt was precious metal, including gold and electrum. The gold mines of Nubia were located in certain valleys and mountains on either side of the Nile River, although the most important mining center was located in the Wadi Allaqi. That valley extended eastward into the mountains near Qubban (about 107 km. south of Elephantine). Nubia was also an important source of valuable hard stone and copper, both of which were necessary for Egypt's monumental building projects.
Trading in African Goods Especially important for Egypt was that Nubia was also a corridor to central Africa and a point for the trans-shipment of exotic goods from that region, including: frankincense, myrrh, "green gold," ivory, ebony and other exotic woods, precious oils, resins and gums, panther and leopard skins, monkeys, dogs, giraffes, ostrich feathers and eggs, as well as pygmies (who became important to Egyptian religious rituals). In the Old Kingdom, the Egyptians regularly penetrated as far as the Second Cataract to barter for these products which were coming down through the upper Nile Valley (viz., the expeditions of Harkhuf, Hekayib, Mekhu and Sabni).
Manpower Nubia was also an important source of manpower and labor for the Egyptians. The Palermo Stone records that early in the Fourth Dynasty, King Snefru led a military campaign into Nubia reputedly to crush a "revolt" there (the Egyptians considered all enemies--whether foreign or domestic--as "rebels" against the natural order). According to that text, he captured 200,000 head of cattle and 7,000 prisoners, all of whom were deported to Egypt as laborers on royal building projects. While some archaeologists argue that this campaign was limited to Lower Nubia, others note that the amount of 7,000 is rather high for a country that was fairly depopulated at the time. If the number was not inflated as royal propaganda, then Snefru could have penetrated into Upper Nubia as far as the Land of Yam and made his conquests there.
The Economic Importance of Nubia,
Egyptian State Information Service
__________________________________________
good luck charms, foreign little people, brought in with other goods to dance around and magically protect them in their economic based conquests of black Nubia
Posts: 42918 | From: , | Registered: Jan 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
^ Indeed. But of course those ignorant in such matters wouldn't know that.
quote:Originally posted by the lioness: your link does not does not say what you said...
Does not say what? What do you mean? By the way, at least I provided a link unlike your plagiarist lying-ass.
Posts: 26236 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
| IP: Logged |
look at this ish, even the dwarfs are into the light skinned bitches. The man looks Arab/Indian and the woman looks like some Jewish chick.
I'm telling you the Kush are our type people. That's the real blacks. The Egyptians were a bunch of mixed race type imperialists. Them and the Libyans. That's where some of this non black seed of colonialism starts. The Egyptians came into the Medjay and stole our natural resources. Sometimes we were friendly with them and did the cultural exchange thing and they hired some of our warriors and such. Later my man Piye bum rushed the show on the get back.
Posts: 42918 | From: , | Registered: Jan 2010
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by the lioness: The man looks Arab/Indian and the woman looks like some Jewish chick.
I don't know Lioness, they do appear to my trained artistic eye to be a bit "negro looking" like our people. LOL!
Posts: 4254 | From: dasein | Registered: Jun 2009
| IP: Logged |
look at this ish, even the dwarfs are into the light skinned bitches. The man looks Arab/Indian and the woman looks like some Jewish chick.
I'm telling you the Kush are our type people. That's the real blacks. The Egyptians were a bunch of mixed race type imperialists. Them and the Libyans. That's where some of this non black seed of colonialism starts. The Egyptians came into the Medjay and stole our natural resources. Sometimes we were friendly with them and did the cultural exchange thing and they hired some of our warriors and such. Later my man Piye bum rushed the show on the get back.
LOL @ this nonsense above based on nothing but the wishful thinkings of a black-hating idiot. First of all anyone with eyes can see that those statues above have the painted FADED. 2nd of all non of the sources you cited refute anything I said about inner Africa being sacred territory or 'Holy Land' to the Egyptians. Note your own source confirms this when they say they imported items they considered sacred like ostrich feathers and leopard skin which were used in Egyptian religious rituals as well as Pygmies who were not objects but PEOPLE considered sacred because they performed the 'dance of the gods'.
Lastly this topic has NOTHING to do with your nonsense of a "mixed-race" Egyptians. The Egyptians just like the early Libyans were BLACK Africans. There was no racial war against other Africans only political wars. The Medjay were the allies of the Egyptians since the 18th kingdom when they helped the Egyptians defeat the Asiatics and the Kushites.
Posts: 26236 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
| IP: Logged |
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic