Festivals in ancient Egypt | Heb Sed Festival | Opet Festival | Osiris Festivals
Festivals in ancient Egypt | Facts and the history of the most celebrated ones from the oldest to the newest during the Greco Roman Period. According to many sources especially Kom Ombo temple, the Egyptian calendar was divided into three seasons taking the shape of the lioness headed woman. The season were names as following
Akhet, The flood season
Peret, sowing and growth season
Shemu, the harvest season
Every season was divided into 4 months and the month was 30 days exactly total 360 days. Then, they added 5 extra days to celebrate the birth of the 5 gods Osiris, Horus, Seth, Isis, and Nephthys.
Till now we talk in general because the ancient Egyptians had a lot of festival periodic holidays. Some believe that they had almost 282 public holidays yearly. Moreover, historians mentioned agriculture holidays, seasonal holidays, and family holidays. Besides, some occasions happy or sad like feasts of death and born were also celebrated.
Now we will concentrate on the most important Festivals in ancient Egypt till the Greco-Roma era.
Heb Sed Festival
Before we talk About one of the most important festivals and oldest festivals in ancient Egypt, we have to mention that the Pharaoh has to maintain law and order. Meanwhile, he had to protect the country against enemies, ensure prosperity for the country. Besides, his crucial role in religious rituals and ceremonies.
Also, the king was a divine figure and he was considered the son god on earth or sometimes as a god like Ramesses the great in Abu Simbel temple. Moreover, his mission went far even after his death in the afterlife. He was responsible in the afterlife as he was in the first life. Now the question is, does a weak person do all these missions? The answer is no, the king has to be powerful, talented, health to be able to do all these missions and keep the prosperity of the state. That was the meaning of the Heb Sed festival to guarantee that the king still fit, powerful able to keep the order and protect the country.
Sources about the Heb Sed Festival in ancient Egypt
The oldest source is the funerary complex of Djoser in Saqqara
2nd the sun temple of Niuserra, the sixth king of the 5th Dynasty Old Kingdom at Abu Ghurab
3rd a reused gateway dates back to the reign of Pepi I, the third king of the sixth dynasty by the king Osorkon II the fifth king of the Twenty-second Dynasty.
4th the tomb of Kheruef in the valley of the Nobels in Thebes from the reign of Amenhotep III
Heb Sed Rituals
We found in the southern tomb of Saqqara king Djoser putting the white crown of Upper Egypt holding the royal signs in running scene. Scholars believe there were four running rituals during theta celebrations.
Also, we can see king Niuserra setting wearing the Heb Sed uniform and putting the white crown above his head and the bearers of the flags or standards are there in the scene. In another scene we can see Niuserra running in a ritual way and that was a common step of the festival to prove he is fit. Meanwhile, he is wearing the white crown, holding the flail in his hand and tying the Bull tail around his waste to prove his fiscal ability.
Another scene shows the final procession of the Heb Sed while carrying the king in a litter to visit the chapels of the gods. One more scene or ritual from the Sun temple of Niuserra showing the king with all the royal insignia and he get his feet wash by some people.
From the New Kingdom we can see Amenhotep III from the festival of Heb Sed raising the Djed Pillar, the back boon of Osiris representing stability, continuity. Same scene starting from 12th dynasty Senusret I and we can see the same in the temple of Abydos in the Osiris Chapel.
Opet Festival | 2nd month of the ancient Egyptian Lunar calendar
The first appearance for the Opet Festival dates back to the New Kingdom the reign of Queen Hatshepsut and it last till the end of Roman Period.
According to the ancient Egyptian Mythology, the ancient Egyptians believe in the beginning was nothing but dark, water, no border and no order. Later on, 8 gods and goddesses called Ogdoad 4 males and 4 females created the world helped help the Nile to flow and the sun to rise every day. When they died, they left one of them to rule in the city of living. That god was Amun (Amun Ka Mut.f) who choose Luxor temple as a place to live.
The Opet Festival was about renewing the years on the throne of Egypt, renewing the power and support by visiting Amun in his place Luxor temple.
Sources About Opet Festival
Red Chapel of Hatshepsut in Karnak temple
The Colonnade at Luxor temple dates back to the reign of Tutankhamun
The holy of the holies in Karnak Temple dates back to Arrhidaeus, half brother of Alexander the great.
The route of the Opet Festival
The Opet festival takes many routes depending on different eras. The festival sure was from Karnak to Luxor and back but the way how they reached Luxor was different.
Sometimes Karnak to Luxor was sailing via Nile River and back through the Avenue of the Sphinxes
Again, sometimes Karnak to Luxor and back walking through the Avenue of Sphinxes
From the scenes of the Red chapel, the colonnade hall in Luxor temple, and the outer walls of the holy of holies in Karnak the festival was a national day feast. People came from allover Egypt to celebrate, see the God face to face. Like the daily rituals, the priests will shower in the sacred lake, going to the holy of holies to pray and offer their sacrifices then take the god statue on his Braque joined the Barque of his wife Mut and his son Khonsu. Then they walk through the Great Hypostyle Hall to the open court, rest in the three shrines of Set first before they reach the Port. Once they are ready to sail, they sail to Luxor temple. Spend there some days then back to Karnak again via the Avenue of Sphinxes.
General talks, the king himself should escort the statute of the god from Karnak to Luxor and he had to perform some prayers for him. That shows the relation between the king and the divine as he is the link between the divine and the people.
Festivals in ancient Egypt during the Greco Roman Period
The Festival Calendar (Kom Ombo – Esna – Edfu – Dendera)
There is another king of festivals called Festival Calendar referees to events and some feasts that were held throughout the year. For example, it mentions the date and the period and the name of the god to whom the feast was held. Besides, these Festival Calendar never mentioned details, only short information about it. The best example of the Festival Calendar is the one in Kom Ombo together with similar ones in Esna temple, Edfu temple, and Dendera temple.
Festivals of Osiris
Some of the most important and very famous ancient Festivals. They are called the festivals of Kiak, an old month of the ancient Calendar. During the Greco Roman period we find Chapels for the Cult of Osiris in all the Pharaonic temples built in the Greco-Roman era.
In general, the festivals of Osiris were connected to the Nile flood and they meant the continuity, the life cycle of God Osiris, his life and death and resurrections. According to Plutarch, mentioned that the festival started in the 19th of Hathor month and it was included both public and sacred rituals.
The festival was mentioned and detailed by many scenes in most of the temple in Upper Egypt especially Dendera temple on the roof and the temple of Neith at Sais. The scenes on Dendera chapel show Osiris lying on the bed and resurrected.
Some features of Osiris festivals
Burning lamps, the night of sacrifices
Some lamps take the shape of the mummified Osiris were lighted to celebrate or commemorates the memory of Osiris dismemberment.
There is another important ritual called Osiris Bed as the one found in Tutankhamun tomb in the Valley of the Kings. That shape was filled with crops and watered and after a while the seeds will grow mixing the Nile cycle with Osiris cycle. While, we found similar scene on Philae Island on the walls on Isis temple.
Also, we found the Coffin of Osiris Sokar same like Osiris bed with the cops. Moreover, we discovered what’s called Osiris Molds taking his mummified shape and people put crops and water it to regenerate the life cycle.
Festivals of Horus | Festival of the coronation of the Falcon
Edfu temple is one of best-preserved temples in Egypt because it was buried under sand when it was discovered. The temple is dedicated to Horus behdity or Horus of Edfu the husband of goddess Hathor of Dendera.
In this temple, Egyptians celebrated very important two festivals, the good union marriage between Hathor and Horus and the coronation of the falcon.
The Festival of Horus was celebrated in the fifth month of the Egyptian year. The Pharaoh was the Horus on earth and he was always portrayed as a falcon.
In here in Edfu temple, it was a yearly celebration to choose the annually selected Falcon to be the representative of the King on earth. Furthermore, The Festival included carried the statue of the falcon Horus to his nearby sanctuaries. The main event of this festival is series of processions to carry the falcon from one chapel to another. The outer corridor of Edfu show that festival or the procession of the statue of Horus. The souls of nekhen carrying the falcon.
Beautiful feast of Behdet | Beautiful Meeting | Good Union Marriage
Another important feast took place between Dendera temple and Edfu temple. It was celebrated in the third month of Shemu, the harvest season. The feast was between goddess Hathor of Dendera and her husband Horus of Edfu. Our sources for the feast came from some rooms in Dendera temple and mostly from the open court of Edfu temple.
Hathor of Dendera sail up stream visiting her chapels on the way in Esna till she reaches Edfu temple. The couple gather for 15 days then Hathor sail back to Dendera. The feast started like every day, the high priest or the king performed the daily rituals from changing the uniform of the deities, burning incense, offering food and drinks to the divinities. Then the feast starts walking out the temple from the holy of holies to the Trajan gate to the port and sail upriver. It was a huge festival, people on the banks of the Nile River, singing, dancing, watching the feast long the banks of the Nile. Once the feast is over, Hathor will be back to her temple.
New Year Festival
The beautiful feast of the valley
These are some of very famous Festivals in ancient Egypt celebrated everywhere in Egypt between the public and cult festivals.
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