The Beautiful Feast of the Valley is a feast in remembrance of the dead. It was a celebrated reunion between the living and the dead and the deities who watched over them. Preparations for this festival meant gathering flowers for the making of bouquets and garlands, which were to be worn and offered to the god as well as at the tombs of the deceased. Early in the morning, the priests meticulously prepared the statue of Amun and placed it carefully in an enclosed shrine which was then carried on a ceremonial boat or bark. People singing, dancing and making music with sistra and tambourines met the procession as it emerged out of the temple and started on its path.

Starting out from Karnak, the shrines were carried in procession down to the river accompanied by a throng of people. They were set on board of barges which were towed across the river to the western side. Here the gods in their shrines made visits to pharaoh's mortuary temple and to the temples of other deities. Offerings and hymns were performed at each of these places. The whole procession then stopped at the necropolis where the concluding rituals for the deceased ancestors and their family members would be performed.

Tombs of more wealthy people had shrines attached. Here food and drink were set out, people prepared themselves for meeting with their deceased ancestor during an all night vigil. A boisterous feasting began, much like a family reunion, including also the deceased family members. Wine, beer, music, drumming, dancing brought the participants to a level of ecstatic awareness and summoned the spirits ka´s of the ancestors.

Courtesy of Mirjam Nebet

<a href=http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Thread/129337><IMG SRC="/aworlds_media/ibase_1/00/06/94/00069431_000.jpg" border="0" alt="Procession of Amun"></a>

Created by:

* Onions Hatshepsut, Apr 8, 2003 - 07:56

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