Among the gods who were known to the Egyptians in very early times were Amen and his consort Ament, and their names are found in the Pyramid Texts, e.g., Unas, line 558, where they are mentioned immediately after the pair of gods Nau and Nen, and in connection with the twin Lion-gods Shu and Tefnut, who are described as the two gods who made their own bodies, and with the goddess Temt, the female counterpart of Tem. It is evident that even in the remote period of the Vth Dynasty Amen and Ament were numbered among the primeval gods, if not as gods in chief certainly as subsidiary forms of some of them, and from the fact that they are mentioned immediately after the deities of primeval matter, Nau and Nen, who we may consider to be the equivalents of the watery abyss from which all things sprang, and immediately before Temt and Shu and Tefnut, it would seem that the writers or editors of the Pyramid Texts assigned great antiquity to their existence. Of the attributes ascribed to Amen in the Ancient Empire nothing is known, but, if we accept the meaning "hidden" which is usually given to his name, we must conclude that he was the personification of the hidden and unknown creative power which was associated with the primeval abyss, gods in the creation of the world, and all that is in it. The word or root amen, certainly means "what is hidden," "what is not seen," "what cannot be seen," and the like, and this fact is proved by scores of examples which may be collected from texts of all periods. In hymns to Amen we often read that he is "hidden to his children, "and "hidden to gods and men," and it has been stated that these expressions only refer to the "hiding," i.e., "setting" of the sun each evening, and that they are only to be understood in a physical sense, and to mean nothing more than the disappearance of the god Amen from the sight of men at the close of day. Now, not only is the god himself said to be "hidden," but his name also is "hidden," and his form, or similitude, is said to be "unknown;" these statements show that "hidden," when applied to Amen, the great god, has reference to something more than the "sun which has disappeared below the horizon," and that it indicates the god who cannot be seen with the mortal eyes, and who is invisible, as well as inscrutable, to gods as well as men. In the times approaching the Ptolemaic period the name Amen appears to have been connected with the root men, "to abide, to be permanent;" and one of the attributes which were applied to him was that of eternal. Amen is represented in five forms: 1. As a man, when he is seen seated on a throne, and holding in one hand the scepter, and in the other the symbol of "life." In this form he is one of the nine deities who compose the company of the gods of Amen-Ra, the other eight being Ament, Nu,Nut, Hehui, Hehet, Kekui, Keket, and Hathor. 2. As a man with the head of a frog, whilst his female counterpart Ament has the head of a uraeus. 3. As a man with the head of a uraeus, whilst his female counterpart has the head of a cat. 4. As an ape. 5. As a lion couching upon a pedestal.
Read more: http://www.touregypt.net/amen.htm#ixzz2aJnz4Sj6
Kemarahan Mumia Punca Titanic Karam?
DARIPADA semua kisah luar biasa, sumpahan Puteri Amen-Ra yang hidup kira-kira 1,500 tahun Sebelum Masihi dikatakan cerita paling mengganggu dan sukar untuk dijelaskan kerana dipercayai menjadi penyebab kapal paling hebat pernah dibina, Titanic, tenggelam.
Apabila meninggal dunia, mayat puteri itu dimasukkan dalam keranda kayu dan dikebumikan di Luxor, di tebing Sungai Nil.Sumpahan Amen-Ra bermula pada lewat 1890-an apabila empat lelaki Inggeris yang kaya melawat Luxor dan terdorong membeli keranda mengandungi mumia puteri itu.
Mereka saling berlumba meletakkan harga tertinggi dan akhirnya keranda dimiliki salah seorang daripada lelaki berkenaan yang membayar harga sehingga beribu Pound.
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| Unlucky Mummy – Princess Amen-Ra |
Dia membawa keranda itu balik ke hotel penginapannya dan beberapa jam kemudian lelaki itu dilihat berjalan seorang diri ke arah gurun dan tidak pernah kembali lagi ke penginapannya sejak itu.
Keesokan hari, salah seorang daripada tiga yang masih ada di hotel itu ditembak secara tidak sengaja oleh pembantu berketurunan Mesir. Tangannya cedera teruk sehingga terpaksa dipotong.
Lelaki ketiga tidak terkecuali menerima nasib buruk sebaik kembali ke tanah air apabila mengetahui bank yang menyimpan wangnya muflis, manakala rakannya yang dulu kaya raya mengalami sakit teruk hilang kerja dan terpaksa menjual mancis di jalanan.
Bagaimanapun, keranda berkenaan tiba di England dan dibeli oleh seorang ahli perniagaan tetapi dia mendermakannya kepada Muzium Britain selepas tiga anggota keluarganya cedera dalam kemalangan jalan raya dan rumahnya dijilat api.
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| Keranda Putri Amen-Ra yang disimpan di Muzium Britain, London |
Misteri terus melingkari keranda itu apabila trak yang digunakan untuk mengangkutnya ke muzium tiba-tiba berundur ketika kerja memunggah dilakukan.
Ketika diangkat menaiki tangga oleh dua pekerja, seorang daripadanya terjatuh dan patah kaki, manakala seorang lagi, yang sihat, meninggal dunia secara mengejut dua hari kemudian.
Sebaik keranda puteri itu diletakkan dalam Ruang Mesir di muzium itu, masalah lain pula timbul. Penjaga malam muzium melaporkan kerap mendengar suara tangisan dari dalam keranda.
Apabila seorang pengunjung mengejek wajah yang dicat pada keranda itu, anaknya meninggal dunia disebabkan campak tidak lama kemudian.
Akhirnya, pihak berkuasa terpaksa memindahkan mumia itu ke bawah tanah dengan harapan ia tidak lagi mencetuskan masalah. Namun, ia tidak menjadi kenyataan kerana dalam masa seminggu, seorang pembantu sakit teruk dan penyelia yang bertanggungjawab memindahkan keranda itu ditemui mati di mejanya.
Seorang jurugambar yang mengambil gambar keranda itu mendapati cat padanya jelas menunjukkan wajah manusia yang menakutkan. Dia kemudian balik ke rumah, mengunci diri dalam bilik tidur dan menembak dirinya.
Kisah paling menarik mengenai sumpahan Puteri Amen-Ra ialah apabila seorang pakar arkeologi yang menganggap apa yang terjadi cuma kebetulan, membayar harga mahal untuk memiliki mumia itu dan mengatur pemindahannya ke New York.
Pada April 1912, pemilik baru mayat Amen-Ra mengiringi keranda itu menaiki kapal persiaran yang akan melakukan pelayaran bersejarah ke New York. Pada malam 14 April, keranda Amen-Ra mengiringi mayat 1,500 penumpang yang tenggelam ke dalam lautan Atlantik apabila Titanic, yang dikatakan tidak akan tenggelam kerana memiliki ciri-ciri keselamatan tercanggih ketika itu, karam selepas terlanggar bungkah ais.
Kredit: Berita Harian: Oleh Hazirah Che Sab
