Il "misterioso" Tekenu

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Un altro Mistero non meno importante si affiancava a quello della “rinascita vegetale” nel riuale iniziatici: il Mistero della “rinascita animale”.
Il simbolismo impiegato nel rituale ci pone a contatto con un particolare personaggio la cui presenza è attestata nelle raffigurazioni tombali private a partire dal Medio Impero: il Tekenu. Trattasi di un individuo ricoperto dalla pelle di un animale o di una cappa che ne maschera le membra, trainato sopra una slitta (…).
Il nome Tekenu è fatto derivare dal verbo teken, col senso di “avvicinarsi”, “introdurre”, “portar vicino” et similia che ben si applica all’azione del personaggio trainato, quale appare appunto nelle raffigurazioni tombali.
E’ bene precisare il senso di questo rito. L’iniziazione misterica tende a riprodurre nell’iniziando le vicende che Osiride, il prototipo di coloro che “avevano vinto la morte”, aveva subito. Una di queste è data dalla “rinascita animale” che introduce l’idea dell’involucro di pelle. Iside, rivolgendosi ad Osiride in questa fase del Mistero, così esclama: “Io ti saluto, ecco la pelle (meskhent), il luogo dove il tuo divino Ka rinnova la sua vita”.
E’ quindi evidente che alla pelle sia attribuita un’azione magica di rinnovellamento. Il vocabolo che in egiziano la designa è: Meska (con leggere varianti mesca, meskhent, ecc.) e risulta costituito da tre segni: mes = “nascere”, Ka = “doppio” e il determinativo delle pelle di un animale. L’ideogramma mes, dal canto suo, è costituito dall’unione di tre pelli riunite e Meskhent è la divinità che presiedeva alle nascite. Risulta pertanto chiara l’associazione concettuale tra la “pelle” e la “nascita”.
Nei Testi dei Sarcofaghi appaiono frasi di questo genere: “Io sono colui che passa nella pelle…”, “Io sono Osiride… io mi sono cinto delle pelle…”, “Io mi sono sdraiato nella pelle”.
Nel Libro dei Morti il rito appare eseguito da Anubi per il padre Osiride. Il dio sciacallo, patrono dell’imbalsamazione, afferma infatti di essere passato nella meskhent.
Anubi è inoltre la divinità che presiedeva al Mistero della “rinascita animale” ed ha il titolo di Imy – Ut = “Colui che è nelle bende da mummia”. A Bubasti, la nebride, l’insegna dell’animale sacrificato, sostituisce il titolo Imy – Ut e conseguentemente, la “pelle” viene a sostituire nel rito le bende con analogo valore.
Pertanto l’operazione che il Tekenu compiva “sotto la pelle” e in posizione fetale, tendeva a riprodurre lo stato di gestazione, sottraendosi però, in virtù della prassi magica e dell’autocoscienza dell’Ego, alla comunione coi fluidi della terra: oltrepassava cioè in forma attiva, la zona di letargia e di oblio, “rinascendo” alla immortalità.
Un rito, in particolare, si basa sulla possibilità, da parte del Sem officiante, di accompagnare le trasformazioni del defunto, riuscendo a “fissare” la metamorfosi del Ka, nella sua condizione autocoscienze, nella statua destinata ad albergarlo e capace di trasmettergli gli impulsi esterni quali le offerte funerarie e le preghiere, sottoforma di effluvi e di “vibrazioni”, procedendo in tal modo all’alimentazione fluidica.
La consacrazione della “statua vivente” aveva luogo nella “Sala d’Oro”, come in quella dell’ipogeo di Sethi I a Tebe.
Poiché Bes, patrono del sonno, era anche l’iniziatore misterico, rende evidente il rapporto tra sonno e iniziazione. Plutarco afferma: “Non è stato senza un’ispirazione divina che ha parlato colui che ha detto che il sonno equivale ai ‘Piccoli Misteri’ della morte, poiché il sonno è realmente un prima iniziazione della morte”. E ancora: “La morte consiste nell’esiliarsi dal corpo; il sonno consiste nel fuggirlo come uno schiavo fugge dal suo padrone”. Plotino (Enneadi III, 6,6) specifica: “Il vero risveglio consiste nel risvegliarsi fuori dal corpo. Poiché con il corpo è come passare da un sonno ad un altro come da un letto ad un altro”.
Riferito alla iniziazione, il sonno cessa di essere quello dell’uomo ordinario: si tratta invece di uno stato lucido, autocoscienze, identico a quello provocato dal Tekenu “sotto la pelle”.

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Alberto Bianchi, La simbologia de la imagen del tekenu en la fiesta Sed, Revista de la Sociedad Uruguaya de Egiptologia, Montevideo No. 15 (1998).

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BÁRTA, Miroslav, The Title "Priest of Heket" in the Egyptian Old Kingdom, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 58 (1999), 107-116.

The author suggests a new interpretation of the O.K. title Priest of Heket (Hm-nTr 1qt), ten of the fourteen holders of which date to the Vth Dynasty (two to the early IVth and two to the VIth Dynasty). The title seems connected with the Saqqara-Abusir area. To come to a sharper contour of the title, the author reviews the other titles borne by the holders of the title, among which by far the most frequent is Follower of (the god) Kha (jmj-xt 1A). He also investigates the associations of the frog goddess Heket, notably the self-generation from the mud in the water and her involvement in burial ceremonies. Indeed, there appear to have been lakes near the Abusir plateau. The title seems associated with priestly duties carried out during burial ceremonies in the Saqqara-Abusir area and with a journey with the deceased by boat across the lakes there. Finally, the author speculatively wonders whether the tekenu represents the Priest of Heket, given that its skin seems to be that of a frog.

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Reeder, Greg 1994. A rite of passage: the enigmatic tekenu in ancient Egyptian funerary ritual. KMT 5 (3), 53-59.

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Barthelmess, Petra 1992. Der Übergang ins Jenseits in den thebanischen Beamtengräbern der Ramessidenzeit. Studien zur Archäologie und Geschichte Altägyptens 2. Heidelberg: Heidelberger Orientverlag. 9783927552043. (21 x 30 cm; xvi + 200 p., fig., tables, pl.). ISBN 9783927552043
 
 In the introduction the author points out that in the later half of the 18th Dynasty a change in the architecture and the decoration styles and themes of Theban tombs began to manifest itself. This developed into the tomb of the Ramesside Period being no longer a point of contact between this world and the next, but now being a place which is separated from the world of the living and where the deceased communicates with the gods. This is connected with Thebes being no longer the capital, but rather the city of religion and of burial of the kings. The burial scenes are particularly suited to demonstrate the change.
In every chapter Memphite Ramesside tombs are taken in for comparison with the Theban situation, on which the attention is focused, with a summarizing introduction and separate attention to the representations and to the accompanying inscriptions. In ch. 1 the author describes the distribution of the funeral procession scene in Ramesside tombs. Ch. 2 is concerned with the scene of the transfer to the West. Then follows in ch. 3 the transfer of the canopic chest, with special attention to the scene in Deir el-Medina tombs. In chs. 4-5 the transport of the coffin on the sledge and the Tekenu scene are dealt with. Ch. 6 describes the groups of persons in the funeral cortege: the male and female mourners, and the offering bearers. The bowers provided with offerings on either side of the processional way are the subject of ch. 7. The first of the ceremonies in front of the tomb, studied in ch. 8, is the severing of the foreleg of a calf in the presence of the mother cow. Next comes the ritual of the Opening of the Mouth. In the representations in the tombs no complete series of the 75 scenes is ever shown, but mostly a selection in which two or three rites are merged into one scene. The chapter ends with the depiction of the tomb with two front stelae, in front of which the mummy is standing. In many tombs follows a last scene depicting the deceased being received in the Hereafter by Hathor or the goddess of the West, and by Meretseger in Deir el-Medina. The first of the excursuses forming ch. 10 is devoted to them. The next are concerned with: the Theban tombs of the Ramesside Period in representation and reality at Deir el-Medina, Dra Abu el-Naga, and other necropoleis; a comparison between the funeral scenes in Thebes and in Memphis; the absence of certain scenes in Theban tombs of the Ramesside Period; Ramesside tombs without funeral procession; 18th Dynasty scenes absent in the Ramesside Period; the funeral procession in post-Ramesside Theban tombs. After the brief ch. 11 on funeral scenes in provincial necropoleis follows ch. 12 concerned with other funerary equipment: B.D., stelae, coffins, and varia. Ch. 13 is devoted to references to the funeral in texts. Ch. 14 studies the relation between the funeral procession with other scenes of entering the Hereafter. The scenes with gates and gate-keepers and the accompanying spells derive from the B.D. After a note on the scene of the judgement of the dead the author clarifies the relations of these scenes with that of the funeral, either presented in one continuous series or distributed over various walls. In the conclusion the author summarizes the three phases (the crossing to the West, the procession, and the rites in front of the tomb), briefly describes the historical development from traditional scenes towards the real depiction of the funeral in the Ramesside Period (but followed by a return to the traditional scenes in the Late Period), and draws attention to the different traditions shown by the Memphite tomb scenes.
General index, indexes to gods, to Theban, Memphite and provincial tombs, and to the B.D. added. The book ends with a list of tombs referred to, with name of the tomb owner, publication or P.M. reference, divided into 18th Dynasty and Ramesside Theban tombs, Memphite tombs, and a few provincial ones.

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Hornung, Erik 1992. Zur Struktur des ägyptischen Jenseitsglaubens. Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde 119, 124-130.
 
Proceeding from Morenz's characterization of the Egyptian religion including the funerary beliefs (a national, not a world religion; a cult, not a holy book religion; not a religion based on revelation, but one grown in history), the author first makes some general remarks on his arguments in the field of the funerary religion. He draws attention to the fact that Akhnaton founded a new religion including the funerary beliefs. In Akhnaton's theology all that exists is totally dependent on the light of Aton. The rising sun revivifies both living and dead from their nocturnal sleep. During the day they escort the Aton and the king with his family to the temple and partake in the offerings. The dead are now oriented towards the east; there is no netherworld or hereafter. The realm of the dead lies in the Aton temple at Akhetaton, and not outside the residence. Thus, Akhnaton's religion is both cosmopolitan and regional. However, despite this, the old funerary customs remained unaltered.
Then the author points out that regeneration is the central and recurrent main theme of the funerary religion, which explains many customs and images, even (regeneration) animals represented on scarabs or Nun-bowls. Man continues his total existence after death, therefore nothing may get lost. The tekenu bag contains what could not be incorporated in the mummification. Further, the author points out that in the idea of the judgement of the dead ethics (Ma'at) and magic (Heka) cooperate. A last point touched upon is the phenomenon of reversal in the Egyptian hereafter; also time and space have another relativity. Perhaps, the shabti as a worker is connected with a reversal in the social order.

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HORNUNG, Erik, Geist der Pharaonenzeit, Zürich und München, Artemis Verlag, 1989. (13 x 21 cm; 224 p., fig.). ISBN 3-7608-1005-5
 
The present book contains a number of papers, originally delivered before non-Egyptological audiences and presented here as separate chapters, but all reworked and brought into tune with each other.
The opening paper is called "The key: word and image". The author presents a survey of the hieroglyphs and writing from the very beginnings to the Neo-Platonic symbolic understanding and the growing interest from the Renaissance onwards, resulting in the decipherment by Champollion. Attention is drawn, amongst others, to certain hieroglyphs as symbols and amulets, the lack of a strict distinction between image and writing, enigmatic scripts, and the representation of often very complex divine beings. At the end the Kadesh battle report of Ramses II is taken as an example to illustrate how word and representation work together for the sake of propaganda. Ch. 2 is concerned with the creation. The author deals with the idea of the still undifferentiated primordial mass, the emergence of a base from the primeval flood, the demiurge and the creation act differentiating the world, the ideal First Time (sp tpi) and the constant regeneration, the cosmogonies, the sun cycle and the idea in the Ramesside Period of one god behind the variety. Magic is the subject of ch. 3. In order to explore this essential trait of the Egyptian culture, the author studies the concept of magic (heka), also personified as a god, and shows its use in various situations and religious texts. The active energy of the cosmos directed against evil powers, what magic essentially is, is latent and can be summoned. Amulets enhance its effect. Also images or simply the name of Amun or a king can be magically productive. Further remarks are devoted to magic in the physician's practice, the growing share of magic in the medical texts, the importance of the mythical precedent, the growing tendency to use magic in order to achieve all objectives, and sorcery for its own sake. Questions of time, age and eternity turn up in ch. 4. After noting that Egypt has left the world the calendar, the author describes some very long careers and refers to the ideal of 110 years of life (ahau) and extra time. The representation of time as a rope or snake in the Books of the Netherworld leads to a discussion of neheh and djet as expressions for the concepts eternity and endless space. They operate together and the distinctions cannot be sharply defined; they incorporate the temporal aspect of the world. A comparable word pair plays a prominent role in ch. 5, on border and symmetry. Since the created world has and needs borders, there exist two kinds: tash as expandable and passable borders in the world of gods and man and as organisational device, while djer is the absolute border belonging to the cosmos. The geographical aspects of territory and border lead the author to the principle of symmetrical structure in geographical matters or in art and architecture. Examples of deliberate, but minor deviation are given, and explained as the result of an attitude balancing between rule and freedom. The author lays emphasis on another principle, i.e. to surpass all that precedes, to expand what exists. The royal tombs in the Valley o f the Kings are given as an example. The absolute border djer as end restrains this tendency, but along with the expansion toward an empire in the XVIIIth dynasty an inflation in the description of its borders can be noticed. The borders most far away are unknown, also to the gods and the dead, as some religious texts testify. In ch. 6 the author describes the Egyptian views of the hereafter. He first points out that the dead sojourn in a depth which is at the same time the primeval water, the subterranean earth and heaven and in which the sun sails at night in his boat. The Books of the Netherworld describe this dark side of life with its terror, though, on the other hand, it is a place of regeneration for the sun from old to young again and is lit by the sun during its course. After explaining the temporal and geographical organisation of the Books of the Netherworld, the author notices that the dead partake in this regeneration. Attention is paid to the theological reconciliation of Re as night sun and Osiris as ruler of the underworld. Ch. 7 is concerned with the temple as cosmos. The author deals with a variety of aspects of the temple: the foundation ceremony as repetition of the creation and the architectural plan as representation of the cosmos, with many details on its symbolism; the role of the decoration with king and gods as protagonists; the cult and the temple as integral parts of the state; the participation of private persons in the cult through statues; the Egyptian idea of the temple as a physical organism of divine nature; the veneration of the main god and others. One of the most important temple cult scenes, the offering of Ma'at by Pharaoh, is in ch. 8 taken by the author to dwell on the concept of Ma'at and its personification as a goddess. The platform hieroglyph is taken to be an ideogram: Ma'at as basis of the created world. It is the standard, which must be defended by doing and speaking Ma'at, and is rather ethics than rigid law. Despite the absence of a definition by the Egypti ans themselves, the wisdom literature helped them to realize Ma'at. Although intimately connected with social justice, the concept has also the wider meaning of harmony in general. Attention is paid to the dialectic tension between ideal and reality. A favourite subject of the author recurs in ch. 9: history as feast. The author begins with sketching the growth of historical conscience in the formative period of Egypt. Some cases of the specific roles of characters, like king, god and enemy, in scenes are presented. The role of ritual in the Egyptian conception of history is emphasized: in Egypt history is a cultic drama. The role of the king in maintaining the world order and his relation to particularly the sun god are elaborated by the author. In the next ch. 10 the author is concerned with the divine animals. Stressing caution with respect to the relation animal and the divine, the author first reviews a number of phenomena connected with the animal in general: positive and negative roles, animals on Archaic standards, the cult of animals. He then returns to the divine animals. Originally represented in completely animal form in the Predynastic Period, the divine animal assumes more and more the anthropomorphic shape, although never exclusively. Special attention is paid to the idea behind the sphinx, the nocturnal form of the sun god with the ram head, and the snake. The symbolism of lion, bull and crocodile is elucidated. At the end the author expresses his idea that the Egyptian religion makes use of animals in order to inform about the essence of the divine and in order to create a closeness between the worlds of the gods and of mankind. The mummy scene with Anubis is taken as point of departure in ch. 11. After a note on the connection of the body with the earth-bound fish and of the ba-soul with the air-borne bird, the author draws attention to the importance of endurance of the body. Aspects of mummification and the funeral (with a note on the tekenu), and care for the body are treated. Then the author studies the other aspects of a person. The concept ka is circumscribed, the important role of the heart is illustrated, next to remarks on the name (i.a. a role in magic), the shadow and particularly the ba with its strong spiritual dimension, its freedom of movement and its ability to adopt other forms. In the last ch. 12 the author does not only devote his attention to the Egyptian literature, but also to Western poets for whom Egypt has been a source of inspiration. The author sketches the development very briefly. The impact of chaos and disorder on pessimistic literature and the emergence of new genres (complaint for the dead, harper song and love song) after the Amarna Period are noticed. Some famous Western authors and poets, i.a. Rilke, pass briefly in review.
A bibliography to the separate chapters and an index added.

An English translation has appeared in 1992: Idea into Image. Essays on Ancient Egyptian Thought. Translated by Elizabeth Bredeck, New York, Timken Publishers (ISBN 0-943221-11-0; Pr. 25). The chapters 3, 10 and 12 were omitted from the English edition.

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OGDON, Jorge Roberto, Nuevas observaciones sobre los entes llamados tekenu, Aegyptus Antiquus 3,2 (1982), 12-19 (fig., English summary on p. 27-28).
 
"New Observations about the So-Called Tekenu Beings."
The form of the tknw-beings originates in the form of a body, wrapped in animal skin for a contracted burial; their role might have been that of a mediator between king and deity; the history of these beings shows a development from royal to popular mediator.

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OGDON, Jorge Roberto, Observaciones sobre los entes llamados Tekenu, [Buenos Aires], Instituto de Egiptologia de la Argentina, 1977 (22 x 27.9 cm; 12 p. in offset, 8 fig.).
 
The author presents a survey of the problem of the Tekenu and discusses particularly possible pre- and protodynastic evidence.

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GRIFFITHS, J. Gwyn, The Tekenu, the Nubians and the Butic Burial, Kush 6 (1958), 106-120 (1 pl.).
 
Although the sacrifice of Nubians is shown in one tomb near the ceremony of dragging the Tekenu, there was no inherent connection between the rites. Whether the sacrifice of the Nubians was actually carried out remains an open question. It is very unlikely that the ceremony of the Tekenu involved the killing of a human victim; what it did involve was the slaughter of a bull. Like the dance of the mww and the raising of the obelisks, the Tekenu ceremony belonged to the ancient Butic Burial, and took place originally when the voyagers had returned to Buto. The Tekenu carried the skin of a lion, which at one stage was associated with Horus.

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Thomas, E. S. 1923. The magic skin: a contribution to the study of the "tekenu". Ancient Egypt 1923, 3-8, 46-56 (1 fig.).

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