Mon 3 Nov 2008
BEAUTY IN ANCIENT EGYPT by Jennifer Pignataro
Posted by Andrew Rooke under Theosophical Lectures
Introduction: I would like to dedicate this lecture to my recently departed Father, Raffaele. I was born and bred in a little town in the Goulburn Valley, which has the well deserved reputation as the “food bowl of a nation”. This area is dairy and orchard country with its prolific, attendant cottage industries of cheese, wine, juice, jam and bread making. The bounty is created, in part, on irrigation systems. My earliest memories in this paradise and fascination with all things related to Ancient Egypt was through the viewing of ABC documentaries on Sunday afternoons, after the morning mass and family lunch. One of the most indelible memories is that of a presentation by the late Dr. Carl Sagan on Cosmology and the Ancient Egyptians. I was hooked after that. My mother says that the first time she had taken me to the town library, as a pre-schooler, I had only taken out one library book, which was about the wonderful ancient Egyptians, and of course it was the only book I had taken out of from the library and had it re-stamped every week for at least six months. When the librarian suggested after this time that I should think about getting another book I burst into tears, sobbing….”But then someone else will take it home…” In my exploration of the Ancient Egyptians, I believed that the region in which I was living was a veritable Egypt as well, for it fashioned the same produce and weather. The other aspect which I had adored and still cherish is the Ancients’ worship of the fabulous feline! Of course, growing up as a young girl my best friends were my pet cats. I was forever finding that little lost kitties were following me home from school and the usual plaintive cry to my mother was something to the effect….”Oh please can we keep him, he needs a home, this home, here with us!” In my mind’s eye whenever I travelled with my father around the district, past open irrigation channels in the summer, with the stunning Cleopatra blue skies, I imagined sensational Egyptians flotillas on the water, exotic water animals such as hippos., crocodiles and aquatic fowl on the muddy channel banks. The more reading I did on my favourite subject matter, on every aspect of this majestic civilization, the more I longed to live in such a society. For a time I started to dig up section of my parents’ back yard in the belief that I would unearth Egyptian artefacts; I wanted to be an archaeologist. This action was inspired in part via the reading of history books which depicted the time lines of the various civilizations in the geological strata.At that stage, I had no grasp of distance and geographical location, nor conceptual notions such as time periods. I was certain that if I dug deeper, for longer, and co-opted my brothers into helping, sooner or later I would unearth a fabulous Egyptian tomb. Well, if not a tomb, maybe a piece of pottery or jewellery. Much to my dismay, my brothers were only too happy to help with the digging and then fill the excavations in with water and turn them into jungle “quick-sand” danger sites. So, as one can see, from the little that I have revealed about my foundational years, for me, Ancient Egypt has cast an enduring and enchanting spell. While there are so many aspects of the Ancient Egyptians’ lifestyle which could have considerable commentary made with reference to beauty, I have narrowed this lecture to a contemplation of how the Ancients’ aesthetic of beauty encompassed a celebration of sight, taste, and smell: aspects related to the material world with the last theme, that of religion, which deals with spiritual realms. Therefore, this paper will consider the following themes: A definition of the term: Beauty; Cosmetics; Food; Gardens; Perfume; and finally, Religion.
A definition of the term: Beauty: According to the free encyclopaedia, “Beauty is a characteristic of a person, place, object or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, meaning or satisfaction”…. The subjective experience of “beauty” often involves the interpretation of some entity as being in balance and harmony with nature, which may lead to feelings of attraction and emotional wellbeing… An “object of beauty” is anything that reveals or resonates with personal meaning”. 1 I particularly like the opening lines of the famous poem by Keats based on the classical myth about Endymion’s agonized search for an immortal goddess: “A thing of beauty is a joy forever; its loveliness increases; it will never passinto nothingness.” As we reflect on those lines, how accurate they are, for I find that thousands of years after artefacts and knowledge of the Ancients is revealed to us, that indeed, their loveliness and beauty are timeless. It is relevant to state that the essence of what the Ancient Egyptians held most dear, these being: order, balance and harmony, are epitomized by the deity Maat. It is the reason why the ancients strove relentlessly to maintain such refined sensibilities in their lifestyle and religion. Equilibrium in their cosmos was the preferred order; for the diametrically opposed forces were destructive and chaotic; states most repugnant to the Ancient Egyptians. Cosmetics: “Exfoliants, …anti-wrinkle cream. Methods for the elimination of stretch-marks, halitosis and unpleasant body odours. Hair extensions. This all sounds pretty modern, doesn’t it? It could perhaps be a list of advertisers from a fashion magazine on the news stand on the street today. Yet all of the above were also concerns and creations of ancient Egypt. In no other country or culture was the concern with beautification and body care so extensive. Their interest in beauty transcends time… Cosmetic implements, particularly eye-makeup palettes, have been discovered in the earliest graves. Cleopatra VII, last of the Ptolemies, was herself credited with writing a book of beauty secrets, an art that she was universally acknowledged as mastering. Vestiges of the ancient Egyptians’ concerns with beauty and body care linger even today. Modern Egyptian glass perfume vials may be as treasured and coveted today as were the carved alabaster pots of distant ages. Ancient Egyptian concerns with beauty and body care transcend gender lines. Women and men both used cosmetics and body oils. The need for skin protection and moisturizers in a hot, arid climate was perceived as necessary for both genders. Both sexes, of all classes, oiled their bodies regularly. Many of the ancient formulae remain to us: while some were obviously targeted towards women (there are several suggestions for the removal of stretchmarks following pregnancy), the many formulae suggesting for stimulating hair growth and eliminating bald-spots were probably directed largely towards men. Our extensive knowledge of the Egyptians’ beauty regime can be credited to their burial customs and also to the arid climate which preserves artefacts so well. The earliest graves contain cosmetic implements, not only eye palettes but also tweezers and razors. An example of the Ancient Egyptian Anti-Wrinkle Cream would use the following ingredients: Anti-Wrinkle Cream: One Teaspoon Sweet Almond Oil, Two Drops of Frankincense essential oil. We are now able to scientifically analyse and catalogue the contents of cosmetic and perfume jars. We know, for instance, that the Egyptians had access to and used some 21 different types of vegetable oils for cosmetic purposes, a vast repertoire even by our standards.” 2“Egyptians used powdered minerals in their eye makeup. Eyes were either outlined in kohl, made from black Galena (a lead ore), or with green malachite.” 3 …”The ancient Egyptians took a fairly holistic approach to the concept of eye makeup. Not only was it decorative and ornamental, the practice also served medicinal, magical and spiritual practices. The Egyptians used two types of eye makeup: Udju, was made from green malachite (green ore of copper) from Sinai. Sinai and its mines were considered under the spiritual dominion of Hathor, goddess of beauty, joy, love and women. Mesdemet, a dark grey ore of lead, was derived from eitherstibnite (antimony sulphide) or, more typically, galena (lead sulphide).
Gardens: “Gardens were very popular and played a large part in the lives of ancient Egyptians. Gardens meant much to them, highly esteemed, and allowing garden owners to see life nicely regulated within the large or small strip of land – one that fostered life. Ancient Egyptians designed and thrived in Garden Houses, it was not the modern architect who invented the Garden House concept. Ancient Egyptian gardens often consisted of both trees and other plants. There were about eighteen varieties of trees grown by the Egyptians. Popular trees included the sycamore, fig and pomegranate, but trees such as jujube, willows, acacia and tamarisk were also there. From an enclosed yard with a few fruit trees to botanical and zoological gardens with exotic trees, ponds, often stocked with fish, caged animals and birds, gardens are depicted in many tombs. The extensive grounds of the Maru-Aten temple complex at Amarna, are a concrete representation of the potentiality of the Creative Aten. The layout of the eastern group of the buildings is on an exact north-south axis while the east-west axis of the large lake crosses it inside the hall of the Maru, or viewing place of the sun disk.A garden with a processional alley fronts the group on the south. Here there is also a symbolic island carrying a kiosk… with a roofless central space, accessible from Maru by a bridge. A second bridge at the north end leads to an alley flanked with flower beds to a water court featuring a range of eleven T-shaped water basins on an interlocking plan. The formal layout of the Persian garden, with an artificial pond mirrored the glittering splendour of a rich façade beyond it, had already been carried out to perfection in Egypt, at least as early as the New Kingdom. Sacred gardens had ponds, papyrus, flowers and vegetables, as represented schematically in ancient tomb drawings. These were exotic trees that were brought from the new countries subdued during the New Kingdom and planted in sacred botanical gardens. In the country, the houses and palaces were set in a large garden surrounded by a wall.
Perfume: “Throughout the ancient world the Egyptians were famous for their scents and perfumes. The country was considered the most suitable for the manufacture of such commodities. As the distillation of alcohol was not known until the fourth century BC the scents were extracted by steeping plants, flowers or splinters of fragrant wood in oil to obtain essential oil, which would be added to other oils or fat. The materials were placed in a piece of cloth which was wrung until the last drop of fragrance had been retrieved. Alternatively they were boiled with oil and water and the oil skimmed off. As for oils, there was a wide choice, the most commonly used being moringa, balanus, castor oil, linseed, sesames, safflower, and, to some extent, almond and olive. According to Theophrastus, who made a thorough study of fragrant substances in an essay entitled Concerning odours. Balanos was the least viscous and by far the most suitable oil, followed by fresh raw olive and almond oil. One of the most famous Egyptian ‘perfumes’ was made in the city of Mendes in the Delta, whence it was exported to Rome. It consisted of balanus oil, myrrh and resin. Dioscorides adds cassia. The order in which ingredients were added to the oil was important, as the last one imparted the most pungent scent. Theophrastus mentions as an example that if one third of an ounce of cinnamon was put in, the cinnamon will dominate. The secret of the Egyptian unguent-makers was obviously to know at which precise moment to add the various ingredients, and at which temperature. The Mendesian perfume was known as “The Egyptian” par excellence. Unlike many others, it was left in its natural colour. It had the added advantage of keeping very well: one perfumer in Greece had had a batch in his shop for eight years, and it was even better than the freshly made ‘perfume’. Once applied to the skin it lasted well, too. As Theophrastus said: “A lasting perfume is what women required”. If “The Egyptian” was found to be too heavily scented, its strong odour could be lightened by being mixed with sweet wine. Metopian was the name of another Egyptian ointment, Metopian being, according to Dioscorides, the Egyptian name of the plant from which galbanum was derived. It consisted of oil from bitter almonds and unripe olives scented with cardamom, sweet rush, sweet flag, honey, wine, myrrh, seed of balsamun, galbanum and turpentine resin. The wine apparently entered the preparations either to soak the herbs, or to give a certain point to the ointment. According to Dioscorides the best Metopian was the one that smelt more of cardamom and myrrh than of galbanum. In medicine the ointment was considered generally mollifying, heat-and sweat-producing, and it was used to open the vessels, draw and purge ulcers, and to treat cut sinews and muscles.” 13 …”The act of making perfume was considered an art form in Ancient Egypt. The craftsperson was considered to be an artist and the profession was open to women as well as men. The perfume making process of extraction can be determined by reliefs on the walls of tombs in Petosiris. These show that perfume making had an overseer, workers who completed the extraction, and a professional tester who completed rigorous testing using the sense of smell.The reliefs also pictorially detail two extraction processes. The first process shown was an ancient mechanical extraction process which was similar to wine production. This required a large bag and two staffs which were used as a press. The second was a form of chemical extraction with the assistance of heat and soaking in alcohol. The processes are early versions of modern perfume extraction techniques that have only one advanced in terms of equipment available and synthetic ingredients. The reliefs also show red berries poured from a container, which details the nature of the products used to extract different scents. The ingredients used in perfume were usually plants in origin such as henna and cinnamon. The ancient natural philosopher, Pliny the Elder, records floral scents such as iris, bitter almond, and lilies in his Natural History as being used in abundance. Myrrh which is a resin from shrubs, and other aromatic woods, were used. Animal fats such as musk are also recorded as being used in some perfumes. Some Egyptian recipes are still in existence though they are difficult to replicate. However, the Egyptians had typically exotic tastes, and in addition to home grown essences, they also imported aromatics such as labdanum from Arabia and East Africa, galbanum from Persia, and the coveted frankincense due to unsuccessful attempts to grow it in Egyptian climes. The fact that ingredients were imported even in ancient times shows the importance of perfume. The imported varieties were expensive and initially reserved for the use of the gods or export only. Excavated reliefs show that from ancient times the blend and quantity of perfume was as important as how long the scent would last. Perfume was a major export material in ancient times with various countries battling to produce the highest quality. Susinum was a particular favourite, and the competitive nature shows that in ancient times, some form of uniformity and standard was expected … Egyptian perfumes were usually named after the town of production or the main ingredient. Storage was in glass or stone vessels, with alabaster being the most coveted. The decoration was ornate and often bejewelled, with packaging reflecting modern day requirements of functionality and attractiveness. Perfume was burnt such as green incense and white incense. Perfume was worn for aesthetic reasons, in the form of oil based liquid infusions, or wax and fat for creams and salves. This suggests that there was also a medicinal purpose recognised. Perfume was mainly for the elite classes until the golden age. It was used by kings who were believed to be of divine descent as it was believed that the gods favoured perfume. High officials were anointed with perfume when they were appointed to office to call the favour of the gods. Incense was used to hide the smell of animal sacrifice during ceremonies. Balms were seen as medicinal as perfume was thought to repel demons and win the favour of the gods. Perfume was also an important part of death and burial rites. Bodies were perfumed during mummification as it was believed the soul would visit the gods and so perfume would repel demons. Interestingly, 3,300 years after Tutankhamun’s death, scent could still be detected in his tomb.” 14 “…The perfumed ointment found in Tutankhamun’s tomb was of a solid nature, although it was noted that it melted and became more viscous within the heat of the hand. Observers at the time found the aroma similar to coconut oil and also remarked that it resembled the scent of valerian… The perfume was analysed in 1926 and was found to consist of a neutral animal fat and a resin or balsam. At the time they were unable to be more specific. However, the primary fragrant component is now believed to be valerian’s close cousin, the ancient and precious spikenard. Still reasonably rare and reasonably expensive, most find spikenard’s name much more familiar than its fragrance. Its reputation is ancient. It is the much more familiar ingredient in some formulas for Kyphi, the famed sacred Egyptian temple perfume. Spikenard was also a component of the sacred incense offered in the Jewish Temple of Jerusalem. It is mentioned no less than three times in the Song of Songs. The ancient Greeks had a beloved perfume fragrance based on its prominence in the New Testament. It was ointment of Spikenard that Mary of Bethany (whether she is one and the same with Mary Magdalene, now patron saint of perfumers, is still the subject of intense debate, as it has been for centuries) used to anoint the feet of Jesus Christ, filling the entire room with its aroma. Rather than its wonderful fragrance, however, what is most famous about spikenard is its high cost. Two of the gospels comment on its price. Judas Iscariot was apparently offended at the anointing of Jesus, demanding to know why the jar of ointment wasn’t sold and the proceeds given to the poor.In the light of its discovery in Tutankhamun’s tomb, it can be appreciated that spikenard was truly a fragrance fit for a king. Why was spikenard so expensive? Because of where it grows and the difficulty in obtaining it. Spikenard is not native to Egypt, Punt or the Middle East. It is native to the Himalayas and grows at high altitudes. Its use in the ancient world is a demonstration of their sophisticated trade routes and of the importance placed on aromatic material: they went to a lot of trouble to obtain this little root. …As recently as one hundred years ago, spikenard was imported from Nepal to Egypt for use as a folk medicine, beyond various medicinal uses, like valerian, it has relaxing, sedative properties, spikenard was anciently believed to bear mystical and romantic powers. Today, spikenard is available as an essential oil. It is steam distilled from dried and crushed rhizomes and roots, resulting in a pale golden liquid. What does it smell like? Not necessarily what you might expect a perfume to smell like, if your expectations are of a floral garden. Spikenard has a profound and complex aroma, a combination of sweet/spicy/musky, a very organic, earthy scent: 15 Perfume indeed was fit for the king. The following inscription from the Pyramid Texts reveals its spiritual regard: “O King, I have come and I bring to you the Eye of Horus which is in its Container and its perfume is on you, O King. Its perfume is on you, the perfume of the Eye Of Horus is on you, O King, and you will have a soul by means of it…” 16 Religion: Truly the most beautiful aspect that the ancient Egyptians considered in their highly evolved civilization, for me, is that of their religion. That this culture was able to develop, refine and record such a sophisticated series of esoteric notions is inspirational, divine and instructional. The beautiful religious notions are the most significant for me because what they deal with are elements relating to the eternal and spiritual; which are most comforting. While the mystery of death may be frightening to some, it may only be so should one fear wrong actions committed during a life lived without a sense of ‘divine ethics’ and or a lack of faith or sense that once dead there is nothing after but everlasting, darkness and oblivion. When we consider the corner-stone story in the ancients’ religious tradition of the death and resurrection of Osiris, its allegorical significance is steeped in the sense of triumphant, everlasting life. Yes, the ancient Egyptians loved their life in their veritable paradise on earth, their foods, perfumes, gardens, friends, family, all that was on offer during their earthly existence. They cherished it all and did not believe that all was lost forever after death. “The popularity of the Osiris-Isis myth had led many scholars to try to explain its significance. Most interpretations can probably be reduced to three simple themes: Transferral of the power of kingship, Celebration of the cycle of nature and its annual rejuvenation, and Rituals for achieving immortality.Older scholars, such as E.A. Wallis Budge and James Frazer, were chiefly interested in the myth as a statement about death and resurrection. Budge, of course wrote a massive study of Osiris and did not limit himself to any one aspect of the myth, but the motif of resurrection lies at the heart of all his research. Frazer compared Osiris to the Greek god Adonis and Near Eastern god Attis in one of the most important volumes of The Golden Gough, and he concluded: “In the resurrection of Osiris the Egyptians saw the pledge of a life everlasting for themselves beyond the grave. They believed that every man would live eternally in the other world if only his surviving friends did for his body what the gods had done for the body of Osiris. Hence the ceremonies observed by the Egyptians over the human dead were an exact copy of those which Anubis, Horus and the rest had performed over the dead god.” Rudolf Anthes believes that the myth was a statement of the way ritual serves to satisfy religious needs, because the rituals associated with the resurrection of Osiris became an important part of Egyptian culture… There was great dignity in the rituals associated with Osiris and Isis, and some of the hymns and charms that have survived are literary works of considerable beauty. The myth of Osiris is intimately connected with the Egyptian view of death, according to Siegfried Morenz: “Egyptian religion, in so far as it was related to death, preserved ancient ways of ensuring everlasting life and kept on discovering new ones.” Egyptian religion maintained the beliefs that life would be prolonged in the tomb and that deceased individuals and possessions in their tombs could be rejuvenated through certain rituals. The best way for a dead king to transcend death was to become Osiris through clearly prescribed ritual that would unite the king with the god, thereby raising him above the possibility of being judged like other mortals. The myth of Osiris, then, provided a ritualistic method for overcoming death. The best way to approach this myth, as R.T. Rundle Clark has written, is to seek its symbolic value. Out of the story emerges a human-god who is the essential victim. Yet he is avenged and his passion has an end at last, when justice and order are established on earth. The other gods are transcendent, distinct from their worshippers. Osiris, however, is immanent. He is the sufferer with all mortality, but at the same time he is all power of revival and fertility in the world. He is the power of growth in plants and of reproduction in animals and human beings. He is both dead and the source of all living. Hence, to become Osiris is to become one with the cosmic cycles of death and rebirth. The myth, then, is finally seen in archetypal terms.” 17 While this may be the case, the key message which has similar threads running through all the key religious faiths is this: That on the day of reckoning, a soul will be judged on the purity and lightness of the deceased’s words, thoughts and deeds during life. This consideration alone should be powerful enough to promote a person, during one’s life to self regulate one’s thoughts, words and actions so as to be calm and prepared to be assessed for that auspicious duty. This is the most beautiful gift, that the ancient Egyptians have left in perpetuity: A legacy for future generations to aspire to such lofty and noble heights – to live according to the principles of Maat, truth, balance and harmony.
1 www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty p.1 2 www.egyptmonth.com/mag06012000/mag4.htm. 3 www.makeuptalk.com/forums/beauty-throughout-time.
4 www.touregypy.net/magazine/mag09012000/mag4.
5 Qi 743 Glenhuntly Rd., South Caulfield, 3162.
6 www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/dailylife/beautyaids.
7 www.womenintheancientworld.com/women’s%20clothing.htm
8 Williams, A.R., National Geographic, July 2008, p.32.
9 www.foodbycountry.com/Algeria-to-France/Egypt.
10 www.carnegiemnh.org/exhibits/egypt/guide.
12 www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/zoos.
13 www.levity.com/achemy/islam
14 www/egytpologist.org/discus/messages
15 www.touregypt.net/magazine/mag
16 Pyramid Texts, utterance 687.Raymond Oliver Faulkner, 1910, The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts, 2004, Kessinger Publishing, p. 296.
17 Armour, Robert A. Gods and Myths of Ancient Egypt, The American
The above is the text of a lecture presented to the Theosophical Society Pasadena in Melbourne Australia. The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Theosophical Society Pasadena.
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