King Neferkare and General Sasenet
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The ancient Egyptian story of King Neferkare and General Sasenet survives only in fragments. It belongs to the cloak and dagger tradition and is often cited by people interested in homosexuality and its history as being proof that such a relationship existed between a pharaoh and one of his officers, which of course it is not. On the other hand literature often reflects social mores: the tale is censorious of the king's conduct which may well reflect the attitude of the people towards homosexuality [1]. The story is dated to the New Kingdom and purports to describe the nightly exploits of Pepi II Neferkare, others think that it is a work of archaizing literature and dates to the 25th dynasty referring to Shabaka Neferkare, a Kushite pharaoh [2].
It contains a reference to the ancient myth of the sun god Re and the god of the realm of the dead Osiris. These two gods existed in a relationship of interdependence: Osiris needing the light of the sun while Re, who had to cross the underworld during the night to reach the eastern horizon in the morning, needed the re-surrective powers of Osiris. Their union took place during the four hours of deepest darkness - the same hours Neferkare is said to spend with his general [3].
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[edit] Further reading
- Jacobus van Dijk, The Nocturnal Wanderings of King Neferkare, in: Hommages Leclant. 4, 387-393
- R.B. Parkinson, Voices from Ancient Egypt, Norman University of Oklahoma Press, 1991, p.56ff.
- Robert Steven Bianchi, Daily Life Of The Nubians, Greenwood Press 2004
- R. B. Parkinson, The Tale of Sinuhe and Other Ancient Egyptian Poems, 1940-1640 BC, Oxford University Press 1999, pp.289f.
- Lynn Meskell, Private Life in New Kingdom Egypt, Princeton University Press 2001
