Editing Meretseger (section)

== Role and characteristics ==
{{Ancient Egyptian religion}}
Meretseger's name means "She Who Loves Silence",<ref name=":3">The British Museum Book of Ancient Egypt (2007), London: The British Museum Press. {{ISBN|978-0-7141-1975-5}}. p. 104.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Budge |first1=E. A. Wallis |title=An Egyptian Hieroglyphic Dictionary, Volume 1 |page=311}}</ref> in reference to the silence of the [[Western Desert (Egypt)|desert]] cemetery area she kept<ref name=":5"/> or, according to another interpretation, "Beloved of Him Who Makes Silence ([[Osiris]])".<ref name=":4">Ions 1973, pp. 116, 118.</ref>

Meretseger was the patron of the artisans and workers of the village of [[Deir el-Medina]], who built and decorated the great royal and noble tombs.<ref name=":3" /> Desecrations of rich royal burials were already in progress from the [[Old Kingdom of Egypt]] (27th/22nd century BC), sometimes by the workers themselves: the genesis of Meretseger was the spontaneous need to identify a guardian goddess, both dangerous and merciful,<ref name=":5">Hart 1986, p. 119.</ref> of the tombs of sovereigns and aristocrats. Her cult, also present in [[Esna]] (near [[Luxor]]), reached its peak during the [[Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt|18th Dynasty]]. A royal wife of the [[Middle Kingdom of Egypt|Middle Kingdom]] pharaoh [[Senusret III]] (c. 1878–1839 BC) was called [[Meretseger (queen)|Meretseger]]; she was the first to bear the title [[Great Royal Wife]] (which became the standard title for chief wives of Pharaohs) and the first whose name was written in a [[cartouche]]: however, as there are no contemporary sources relating to the Great Royal Wife Meretseger, this homonym of the goddess is most likely a creation of the New Kingdom.<ref>[[Aidan Dodson|Dodson, Aidan]] & Dyan, Hilton (2004), The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt, Thames & Hudson, {{ISBN|0-500-05128-3}}. pp. 26–7.</ref>

The goddess Meretseger was worshiped by the workers' guild, who feared her wrath very much. Being a local deity, only small rock temples were dedicated to her (such as the one located on the path leading to the [[Valley of the Queens]]) and some [[Stele|stelae]] with prayers and poignant requests for forgiveness,<ref name=":0" /> as well as various [[wikt:cappellette|cappelletti]] right at the foot of the hill dedicated to her — which was her embodiment too.<ref name=":1" /> She was sometimes associated with [[Hathor]]: even the latter was considered a protector of the graves in her funerary aspects of "Lady Of The West" and "Lady Of The Necropolis" who opened the [[gate deities of the underworld|gates of the underworld]].<ref>Hart 1986, pp. 78–9.</ref><ref>Pinch 2004, p. 139.</ref> Her close association with the Valley of the Kings prevented her becoming anything more than a local deity, and when the valley ceased being in use (and Thebes was abandoned as a capital), so she also ceased being worshipped (11th/10th century BC).<ref name="Hart 1986, p. 120"/>
[[File:S F-E-CAMERON 2006-10-EGYPT-WESTBANK-0064.JPG|left|thumb|[[El Qurn]], the sharp peak overlooking the Valley of the Kings.]]

=== Meretseger's hill ===
{{Further|El Qurn}}
Meretseger was especially associated with the hill now called [[el Qurn]] "The Horn" ({{langx|egy|[[wikt:tꜣ|tꜣ]]-dhnt}} "The Peak"<ref name=":0" />), a natural peak, the highest point (420 m) in the Theban Hills, which dramatically overlooks the [[Valley of the Kings]].<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" /> It has an almost pyramidal shape when viewed from the entrance to the Valley of the Kings, and therefore some [[Egyptology|Egyptologists]] believe it may have been the reason for choosing the location as a royal [[necropolis]]. El Qurn, also believed to be one of the entrances to the [[Duat]] (underworld),<ref>Pinch 2004, p. 200.</ref> was sacred to both Meretseger and [[Hathor]], but the former was considered its real personification.<ref name=":1" /> For this reason, two of Meretseger's many epithets were "Peak of the West" (''Dehent-[[Imentet]]'')<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" /> and "Lady Of The Peak".<ref name=":8">{{Cite web|url=http://www.deirelmedina.com/lenka/Meretseger.html|title=Goddess Meretseger at Deir el-Medina|last=Peacock|first=Lenka|access-date=2018-05-09}}</ref> Many small stelae created by artisans and workers have been found as evidence of devotion to their favorite deities: in addition to Meretseger, [[Ptah]],<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|url=https://deirelmedinaegypt.wixsite.com/home/rock-shrine|title=Rock-cut shrine to Ptah and Meretseger at Deir el-Medina|last=Peacock|first=Lenka|website=deirelmedinaegypt.wixsite.com/ |access-date=2018-05-09}}</ref> [[Amun]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.deirelmedina.com/lenka/Turinstelae.html|title=Deir el-Medina stelae in the Egyptian Museum in Turin|last=Peacock|first=Lenka|access-date=2018-05-08}}</ref> Hathor,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=119748&partId=1&object=20160&sortBy=imageName&page=1|title=stela|website=British Museum|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-05-08}}</ref> [[Thoth]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.egypt.swan.ac.uk/the-collection-2/the-collection/w1326/|title=W1326 - Y Ganolfan Eifftaidd / Egypt Centre|work=Y Ganolfan Eifftaidd / Egypt Centre|access-date=2018-05-08|language=en-US}}</ref> and the deified [[pharaoh]] [[Amenhotep I]] (c. 1525–1504 BC), whose cult was very popular in Deir el-Medina.<ref>[[Edward Bleiberg|Bleiberg, Edward]]. "Amenhotep I," ''The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt.'' Ed. [[Donald B. Redford|Donald Redford]]. Vol. 1, p. 71. Oxford University Press, 2001.</ref>

=== Stela of Neferabu ===
[[File:By ovedc - Egyptian Museum (Cairo) - 099.jpg|thumb|[[Black granite]] statue of Meretsger protecting Pharaoh [[Amenhotep II]] (1427–1401 BC).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/cachette5.htm|title=The Courtyard of the Cachette in the Temple of Amun at Karnak in Luxor (Ancient Thebes), Egypt, Part II: Statue of Amenhotep II with Meretseger|website=www.touregypt.net|language=ru|access-date=2018-05-09}}</ref>]]
It was believed that Meretseger punished the workers who committed a [[sacrilege]] (by stealing something from the royal graves or the building sites — [[copper]] instruments were particularly precious — as well as those who failed in an oath) [[poisoning]] them with her [[Snakebite|bite]].<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/meretseger.html|title=Gods of Ancient Egypt: Meretseger|website=www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk|language=en|access-date=2018-05-09}}</ref> But she was also considered generous in forgiving those who repented to her and, in this case, would heal him from physical evil.<ref name=":6" /> This is the case of the draftsman Neferabu, who would have been cured of [[Visual impairment|blindness]] after having begged Meretseger, as he himself was able to attest on a [[limestone]] stela ([[Museo Egizio|Museo egizio]], [[Turin]]) dedicated to her:<ref name=":1">[[Miriam Lichtheim|Lichtheim, Miriam]] (1976). Ancient Egyptian Literature. Volume II: The New Kingdom, Los Angeles: University of California Press, {{ISBN|978-0520036154}}. pp. 107–9.</ref>{{Quote|text=Giving praise to the '''Peak of the West''', kissing the ground to her [[Ancient Egyptian concept of the soul|''ka'']], I give praise, hear (my) call, I was a truthful man on earth! Made by the servant of the Place-of-Truth, Neferabu, [[Maa Kheru|justified]]. (I was) an ignorant man and foolish, who knew not good from evil, I did the transgression against the '''Peak''', and she taught a lesson to me. I was in her hand by night as by day, I sat on bricks like the woman on labor, I called to the wind, it came not to me, I libated to the '''Peak''' of the West, great of strength, and to every god and goddess. Behold, I will say to the great and small, who are in the troop: beware the '''Peak'''! For there is a lion within her! The '''Peak''' strikes with the stroke of a savage lion, she is after him who offends her! I called upon my Mistress, I found her coming to me as a sweet breeze; she was merciful to me, having made me see her hand. She returned to me appeased, she made my malady forgotten; for the '''Peak of the West''' is appeased, if one calls upon her. So says Neferabu, justified. He says: Behold, let hear every ear, that lives upon earth: beware the '''Peak of the West'''!|sign=|source=stela of Neferabu}}In relation to the Egyptians with their divinities, the concepts of [[sin]], [[repentance]] and [[forgiveness]] were very unusual; these characteristics of Meretseger's cult appear to be a ''unicum''.<ref name=":6" />

=== Rock shrine in Deir el-Medina ===
Meretseger's rock shrine in Deir el-Medina was formed by a series of caves placed in a semicircle, whose vaults however collapsed due to [[earthquake]]s, and on the outer walls still retains many steles, while a large number of fragments have been inventoried and distributed to various museums. It was also dedicated to the most revered [[Ptah]], god of craftsmen and artisans. Overlying the temple there is a rock with the shape of a snake's head.<ref name=":6" /> The large amount of material found confirms that the temple was very popular and famous — locally.
=== Iconography ===
Meretseger was sometimes portrayed as a cobra-headed woman, though this iconography is rather rare:<ref name=":6" /> in this case she could hold the [[was-sceptre|''was''-sceptre]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/wml/collections/antiquities/ancient-egypt/item-524661.aspx|title=Stela Showing Meretseger, Ancient Egypt collection|website=www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-05-09}}</ref> as well as having her head surmounted by a feather and being armed with two knives.<ref name=":8" /> More commonly, she was depicted as a woman-headed snake or [[scorpion]],<ref name=":8" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/mert-seger_(Enciclopedia-dell'-Arte-Antica)/|title=MERT SEGER in "Enciclopedia dell' Arte Antica"|website=www.treccani.it|language=it-IT|access-date=2018-05-09}}</ref> a cobra-headed [[sphinx]], lion-headed cobra or three-headed (woman, snake and [[vulture]]) cobra.<ref name=":6" /> On various steles, she wears a [[Modius (headdress)|modius]] surmounted by the [[Aten|solar disk]] and by two feathers, or the hathoric crown (the solar disk between two [[Bovinae|bovine]] horns).<ref name=":8" /> Her main artistic depictions are inside lavish royal tombs, for example:

* the tomb ([[TT56]]) of Userhat, "Scribe who Counts the Bread for [[Upper and Lower Egypt|Upper And Lower Egypt]]" under Pharaoh [[Amenhotep II]] (1427–1401 BC), where she appears with [[Montu]];<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.osirisnet.net/tombes/nobles/ous56/e_ouserhat56_01.htm|title=The tomb of Userhat, TT56|last=BENDERITTER|first=Thierry|website=Osirisnet: Tombs of Ancient Egypt|language=en|access-date=2018-05-09}}</ref>
* the tomb ([[KV14]]) of Queen [[Twosret]] (c. 1191–1189 BC) and Pharaoh [[Setnakhte]] (c. 1189–1186 BC), where she appears [[genuflection|genuflected]];<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://egyptopia.com/en/destinations-guide/Africa/Egypt/Luxor/Tomb-of-Tausret-and-Setnakht-(KV-14)/Corridors-B,-C,-D,-G,-H-of-the-Tomb-of-Tausret-and-Setnakht.a.1033/|title=Depictions of Deities in Different Corridors of the Tomb of Tausret and Setnakht|last=Keops|website=egyptopia.com|language=en|access-date=2018-05-09}}</ref>
* the tomb ([[KV9]]) of Pharaoh [[Ramesses VI]] (c. 1144–1136 BC), where she appears, along with [[Khonsu]], [[Amun|Amun-ra]], [[Ptah]]-[[Sokar]] and [[Ra-Horakhty]], receiving offerings by the King himself;<ref>Richardson, Dan (2013), The Rough Guide to Egypt, London: Rough Guides. {{ISBN|978-1409362463}}. p. 396.</ref>
* the tomb ([[KV18]]) of Pharaoh [[Ramesses X]] (c. 1111–1107 BC), where she appears with Ra-Horakhty;<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/kv18.htm|title=Egypt: KV18, The Tomb of Ramesses X, Valley of The Kings, Egypt|website=www.touregypt.net|language=ru|access-date=2018-05-09}}</ref>
* the tomb ([[KV4]]) of Pharaoh [[Ramesses XI]] (c. 1107–1077 BC), where she appears with many deities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.narmer.pl/kv/kv04en.htm|title=Ancient Egypt - History and Chronology|last=Sitek|first=Dariusz|website=www.narmer.pl|access-date=2018-05-09}}</ref>