Khnumhotep & Niankhkhnum
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Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum are speculated to be the first recorded same-sex couple in history. They shared the title of Overseer of the Manicurists in the Palace of King Niussere during the Fifth Dynasty of Egyptian pharaohs, circa 2400 B.C., and are listed as "royal confidantes" in their joint tomb.
The tomb of Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum was discovered by Egyptologist Ahmed Moussa in 1964, in the necropolis at Saqqara, Egypt. It is the only tomb in the necropolis where men are displayed embracing and holding hands. In addition, the men's chosen names form a linguistic reference to their closeness:
Niankhkhnum means "joined to life" and Khnumhotep means "joined to 'the blessed state of the dead'" and together the names can be translated as "joined in life and joined in death"[1]
In a banquet scene, Niankhkhnum and Khnuhotep are entertained by dancers, clappers, musicians and singers; in another, they oversee their funeral preparations. In the most striking portrayal, the two embrace, noses touching, in the most intimate pose allowed by canonical Egyptian art, surrounded by what would appear to be their heirs.
However, some archaeologists reject the idea that the two men were a same-sex couple, concluding that the men were brothers, perhaps even twins, and noting that the men are shown together and also with their wives and children.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/archaeology/sites/africa/niankhkhnum_and_khnumhotep.html "Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum," e-Museum, Minnesota State University
- ^ http://eprints.ouls.ox.ac.uk/archive/00001050/ John Baines, "Egyptian Twins," 1985, Oxford Eprints
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- Gallery and background, egyptology.com
- References and bibliography, egyptology.com
- "Mwah . . . is this the first recorded gay kiss?" The Sunday Times, January 1, 2006
- "Evidence of gay relationships exists as early as 2400 B.C." The Dallas Morning News, July 20, 1998
- Greg Reeder, "Same-Sex Desire, Conjugal Constructs, and the Tomb of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep," World Archaeology, Vol. 32, No. 2, Queer Archaeologies (Oct., 2000), pp. 193-208
