What was the Egyptian double crown called? Double crown of the pharaoh

The art and fashion of Ancient Egypt has always touched me personally, by the way they incredibly gracefully and subtly transferred their traditions from the depths of millennia, from century to century, from era to era, from the Stone Age to the Age of Iron, carefully weaving primitive beliefs and customs into new ones. realities of life.

One of such interesting phenomena that walked through the entire history of Ancient Egypt are the headdresses and crowns of queens and princesses. However, royal insignia are the most conservative part of what I called art and fashion above, and it is all the more interesting to trace their history.

The well-known double red and white crown Pshent - “Two strong”, which symbolized power over a united Egypt and was a symbol of the power of the Kings-Gods, Egyptian queens, judging by the images, did not wear. There were, of course, exceptions, like Queen Hatshepsut, but she ascended the throne of the country as a male pharaoh.

I want to trace the history of the royal headdresses worn by women who take the place of the queen, that is, the mother of the king or his wife (and not many daughters).

And the most important question that puzzled me when I analyzed this topic, were they?

One of the most characteristic early headdresses that crowned the heads of royal women and goddesses was Neret - a cap in the form of a female vulture. And it was this headdress that formed the basis of the royal crown in later times, a modification worn by Cleopatra, the very last queen of Egypt, who was the beloved of Caesar and Mark Antony.

The cap itself fit snugly to the head, and the neck and head of the Vulture protruded above the forehead of the queen, in its claws the bird clutched the sign of eternity Shen.

Why was the neck placed on the beautiful heads of Egyptian queens? Or more precisely, its species White-headed Vulture - Gyps fulvus.

Those who are at least a little familiar with Egyptian mythology know that there was such a goddess Nekhbet, who patronized Upper Egypt and was revered in the city of Nekheb. And she was depicted in the form of a female Vulture, and later in the form of a woman, on whose head was a cap-Neret.

Decoration Gold, carnelian, turquoise, glass National Museum The goddess Nekhbet in the form of a vulture, in the crown of Atef, shields with her wings the pharaoh, wrapped in the robe of the death god Osiris

“The white vulture (vulture) was the largest flying bird that lived in Egypt ... The Egyptians treated the vultures with respect: these huge birds easily soared high into the sky, and were close to the god Ra, about whom they said that he lives above heaven. And the wingspan of the vulture provided reliable protection to the chicks, so it was difficult to find someone more suitable for the role of the protector of all Egypt. At the same time, the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt were well aware that the vultures feed on the corpses of those who died in the desert, by no means disdaining human meat . Thus, the birds inspired both fear and hope for protection. The goddess Nekhbet was treated similarly: they feared her wrath, but they sought her protection. (V.A. Bolshakov “Headdress of Egyptian goddesses and royal women in the form of a neck: history of origin and symbolism”).
Together with another goddess - Wajit, who patronized Lower Egypt, and was depicted as a cobra, Nekhbet made up a dual image, which was called "Both mistresses." It was an important symbol of royal power. For example, one of the parts of the title of the pharaoh was his "name according to Nebti", which identified him with "Both mistresses."

(This is how it was depicted in hieroglyphs.) Thus, it was emphasized that the pharaoh identifies with himself all the power and fullness of power in united Egypt.

(Approximately 3100 BC, the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt took place, the paired image of Wajit and Nekhbet symbolized power over both parts of the country).

Image of Nekhbet in the form of a kite with a white crown of Upper Egypt and Wajit in the red crown of Lower Egypt

An image of the goddess Wajit in her snake form, attached to the forehead of a headdresspharaoh, called Uraeus. And often next to Wajit was Nekhbet.

Wadjit, in the form of a uraeus, together with Nekhbet on the forehead of Tutankhamun's mask. The pharaoh's striped scarf was called Nemes.

Wajit, in female form, herself wore Neret's cap on her divine head.

Pharaoh Ptolemy I X crowned millet between the goddesses Wajit and Nekhbet. Temple of Horus at Edfu. On both the goddess Neret with the head of a Vulture

Wadjit in the red crown of the deshret of Lower Egypt and Nekhbet in the crown of Upper Egypt hedzhet, with staffs entwined with snakes in their respective crowns. In the center is Isis with the infant Horus among the reeds. Temple in Dendera

By the reign of Pharaoh Nyuserre (Vdynasty) refers to one of the early images of the modification of Neret, which has in the frontal part not the head of a vulture, but an uraeus, which is explained by the fact that in a particular case, not Nekhbet, but the snake goddess Wajit is depicted in an anthropomorphic form.

Reliefs from the pyramid complex of King Pepi II (VI Dynasty) also show the goddesses Wajit and Nekhbet in anthropomorphic form and in the Neret headdress, worn over a classic three-part wig. The main visual difference of both goddesses from each other (except for the names inscribed above them) is the only element of their headdress: Nekhbet has a vulture head on her forehead, and Wajit has an uraeus snake.

Images of Neret's cap on the heads of the goddesses, which they wear over a three-part wig, appear quite early, already at the time

IV dynasty. This is

2639-2506 BC e. (By the way, the same dynasty to which the famous pharaohs the pyramid builders Khufu, Khafre and Menkaur belonged). And the privilege of wearing it belonged mainly to goddesses. The royal women of the era of the Old Kingdom in the images differ from other aristocrats only in their titles. Already at this time, Neret is not only an attribute of the goddess Nekhbet. It is tried on by Wadjet, Meret and other goddesses.

Nekhbet feeding Pharaoh Sakhur from the 5th Dynasty. Cairo, Egyptian Museum. From the mortuary temple of Sahure at Abydos. One of the earliest images of the goddess in the Neret cap.

According to Horapollon (4th century BC), “the genus of vultures… is only female. Therefore, the Egyptians place the vulture as a crown on all female images, and, consequently, the Egyptians use this sign for all goddesses. ».
One of the aspects that the vulture goddess Nekhbet expressed was motherhood. Vultures are very caring parents. In the hieroglyphic writing of Egypt, the identifying sign "Neret" - "Vulture", was also an ideogram for the word "Mut" - "Mother". And they also wrote the name Mut - the great mother goddess, the wife of the supreme creator god in Theban cosmogony - Amon, the patroness of motherhood (accordingly, the name Mut is translated as "Mother").
Mut was not depicted as a vulture, her main appearance was human, and sometimes with a lion's head.

But on her head, she, not infrequently, wore a headdress in the form of a female vulture - Neret, on top of which the Pshent crown was placed.

Mut feeding King Seti I. Relief from the mortuary temple of Seti I at Abydos. 13th c. BC. photo - Viktor Solkin.

Besides the fact that Nekhbet was a mother goddess, she also frightened the enemies of the pharaoh. The word "Neret" - "Vulture", is considered to be derived from the verb "Neri" - "to intimidate". The head of the vulture (or simply the vulture) was used as a determiner for the noun "Nehru" - "intimidation", "horror".

Neret not only frightened the enemies of the pharaoh, but also protected him.

In the Pyramid Texts, Nekhbet calls for the protection of the pharaoh: “May this king N live thanks to his father Atum! May you protect him, Nekhbet! For you have already protected him, Nekhbet, king N, who is in the House of the Noble, who is in June ».

The fact that Nekhbet was depicted as a vulture or a woman with a Neret headdress, over which the white crown of Upper Egypt - Khenzhent was put on, can serve in favor of the fact that this goddess was a kind of female parallel to the falcon-god Horus, whose earthly incarnation was considered to be the pharaoh himself . In her sacred city of Nekhen, Horus of Nekhen was considered Nekhen's husband. According to legend, she was the embodiment of his invisible eye. And by analogy with how Horus clasped the head of the pharaoh, Nekhbet was placed on the head of the queen

Statue of Pharaoh Khafre c. 2500 with Horus

Based on the foregoing, the main functions of Nekhbet were to protect his son-pharaoh, to nurture him, and also to be a formidable intimidator of his enemies.

The most ancient evidence that the headdress of Neret was also worn by queenscan be found on a fragment of a sculptural portrait of the mother (possibly) of King Khafre and a relief depicting the royal wife Khamerernebti II (IVdynasty). However, on the reliefs in the tomb of Meresankh III, the wife of Khafre, this headdress is not found in her iconography. Neret is not found in other images of royal women of this era.

An even more illustrative example is known from the reliefs of the burial complex of the "king's mother" Khentkaus II in Abusir (V dynasty). At the end of the inscription with the title and the name of Khentkaus there is a identifying sign in the form of a figure of a queen sitting on a cube-shaped throne of gods and kings.

On one relief, the queen is shown in a long wig and Neret's cap,

On the other - in a simple wig, but with a urea on his forehead.

The uraeus on the headdress of Khentkaus II is the first reliably established evidence of the use of this important attribute in the iconography of royal women.According to S. Roth, the unique images of Khentkaus II are the only evidence of the era of the Old Kingdom of such a complete assimilation of a woman of the royal family to her divine prototypes (that is, the patron goddesses Nekhbet and Wajit).

Starting from the 5th Dynasty, the headdress in the form of a vulture can be considered as a characteristic accessory of the mother of the reigning king, or the mother of the heir to the throne. This observation is best illustrated by a miniature alabaster figurine of the queen-mother Ankhesenmerir (Ankhesenpepi) II in the Neret cap, holding the child king Pepi II on her knees.OK. 2288-2224 or 2194 BC 6th dynasty

Queen Ankhnesmerira II and her son Pharaoh Piopi II

She wears a striped wig and a headdress in the form of a royal vulture with outstretched wings; the bird's head, now lost, was made separately from metal (possibly gold) or stone and inserted into a hole in the front of the statue.In the reign of Pepi II, the wearing of a headdress in the form of a vulture, which was probably at first the exclusive privilege of the queen mother, extended to the royal wives in general.

Clear evidence that the headdress in the form of a vulture became an attribute of both the ruling and the future royal mother no later than the era of the Old Kingdom is provided by the stele of King Sebekhotep III (XIII dynasty). On the stele, the mother of King Iwahetibu and his wife Senebhenas are shown in headdresses in the form of a vulture, while the princesses depicted in the lower case wear uraeus.

From the beginning of the era of the New Kingdom (XVI-XI centuries BC), the headdress in the form of a female vulture becomes the main type of headdress for the mothers and spouses of the king.

Well, already from the middle of the XVIII dynasty (XIV century BC), coming from the Old Kingdom, the combination of a three-part wig and Neret's cap became noticeably more complicated. From now on, a three-part blue wig covers the chased Neret, the head of the vulture on the cap either replaces the uraeus, or is framed by two uraeus, and the cap itself is complemented by a crown with a sun disk and two stylized feathers of a falcon or ostrich - the so-called crown of Shuti. They were most likely made of metal (copper or gold).

Still from the film "Pharaoh" (1966. Director Jerzy Kavalerovich)

Many pharaohs of the Old Kingdom era are depicted wearing skhenti, wig and cane sandals or barefoot. The first deviations from the generally accepted shenti appeared in the costume of the pharaoh. They were, as it were, second aprons made of pleated fabric, worn over and above the usual loincloth.

Signs of the royal power of the pharaoh were a golden gartered beard, a crown and a staff. In the archaic era, before the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt (c. 3200 BC), the ruler of each of them had his own crown. According to the list of pharaohs Manetho - 2900 BC. X. Upper Egypt ruled pharaoh men, possibly the same one that is called in other sources Narmer. Men with a large army moved north and captured the Nile Delta. Thus, a single Egyptian kingdom was formed, stretching from north to south for about 1000 km, from the Mediterranean Sea to the first Nile rapids. The unification of Egypt by Pharaoh Men is considered the beginning of Egyptian history, however, until the end of the Old Kingdom, there was a division of the kingdom into two territories, and the pharaoh was called the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt (Scientists suggest calling this period early kingdom). The crown of Upper Egypt is white, in the form of a pin, the crown of Lower Egypt is cylindrical red, with a high rounded protrusion at the back. After the unification, from the beginning of the era of the Old Kingdom, the crown of the pharaohs was a combination of these two forms: one was inserted into the other, the colors were preserved. The double crown symbolized an important stage in the history of the country. She was called - millet(pa-schemti). Atef- a white crown with two red-colored ostrich feathers on the sides, worn by the ancient Egyptian god Osiris. Between two ostrich feathers (they symbolized two truths - life and death) there is a white surface of the crown that looks like an elongated onion. Ostrich feathers are lush at the base, forming a small curl on top. The same feathers (only one at a time) were worn by the goddess of wisdom, Maat. The atef crown on the head of Osiris is a kind of symbol of the control of the underworld. Feathers represent truth, justice and balance. In appearance, the atef crown is similar to the crown hedge worn by the pharaohs of Upper Egypt. The difference between the two crowns is that there were no feathers on the sides of the hedge crown. In the New Kingdom, somewhat modernized types of royal headdresses also arose. In the case of the performance of priestly duties, the pharaoh wore a sky-blue metal helmet ( khepresh) . Hemhemet(also known as the "atef triple crown") is an ancient Egyptian ritual crown. Hemhemet consists of three atef crowns, each of which is painted with multi-colored stripes of yellow, blue, green and red; on both sides, the hemhemet is crowned with ostrich feathers; also the crown can be decorated with the solar disks of Ra; at the base of the crown, two spirally twisted ram's horns branch out; sometimes, especially in those cases when such crowns were worn by the pharaohs, large ureas could hang from the horns of the hemhemet. Depending on the context, ram's horns were a symbol of the sun god Amon, the creator of all living Khnum and the moon god Yah. A similar crown was sometimes worn over Nemes. The name of the crown can be translated as "shout" or "war cry".

The luxury that she allowed herself to know is nothing compared to the splendor that royal people surrounded themselves with. The pharaoh was considered the son of the sun god Ra himself, his person was deified. A special symbolism indicated a divine origin and unlimited power - a hoop with a ureus snake, the bite of which led to inevitable death. A golden ureus snake wrapped around the royal forehead so that the head of a terrible snake was in the center. Not only the headband of the pharaoh, but also the crown, belt and helmet were decorated with images of a snake and a kite. All attributes of power were richly decorated with gold, colored enamel and precious stones.

The second most important headdress of the pharaoh was a large striped scarf. It served as protection from the sun and dust, was called "klaft-usherbi"- an attribute of the cult of the god Amun - and also belonged to the ancient symbols of royal power. Klaft consisted of a large piece of striped fabric, a ribbon and a diadem with a "uraeus" - a sculptural image of a cobra, the keeper of power on earth and sky. The transverse side of the fabric was placed horizontally on the forehead, reinforced with a ribbon, and a diadem with a sculptural image of a snake inflating its hood was put on top. The material hanging from the back, on the back, was collected and tightly wrapped around with a cord, creating a semblance of a braid. The side parts of the claft were rounded so that straight pieces of fabric on the front of the shoulders were clearly presented straight. In addition, the pharaoh willingly put on, especially during military operations, an elegant and simple blue helmet with uraei and two ribbons on the back of the head - khepresh. Nemes- a special royal scarf, was large enough to rip off a small round wig. It was made of fabric, encircled the forehead, descended from both sides of the face to the chest and formed an acute-angled pocket at the back. Nemes was usually white with red stripes. It was prepared in advance. It was fixed on the head with a golden ribbon, which was simply necessary when the pharaoh placed a double crown, the crown of the South or the crown of the North, on top of the "nemes". In addition, two feathers or an “atef” crown were installed on the nemes: a cap of Upper Egypt with two high feathers placed on the horns of a ram, between which a golden disc sparkled, framed by two uraeus topped with the same golden discs.

The striped necklace collar, cut in a circle - a solar sign. Also played a significant role stripe colors: yellow - for secular dignitaries, blue - for priests, red - for military leaders. Blue (wide and narrow alternately) stripes on a yellow background on the claft and collar were the privilege of the pharaoh. In addition to the uraeus, the main symbol of royal power, the pharaoh owned three-tailed whip and scepter with hooked top. The scepter also had several: simple staff- a symbol of agriculture and animal husbandry, wand the height of a man, which ended with a bident at the bottom, and at the top was decorated with a pointed image of a jackal's head. No less important ranking sign of the pharaoh during all the solemn ceremonies was fake beard is a symbol of land ownership. Beards, like wigs, were made from different materials, including gold. They had a different shape: elongated in the form of a braided pigtail with a curled tip; elongated, completely flat and smooth; curled with small curls in transverse rows; in the form of a small cube or spatula. The beard was also decorated with a small uraeus. She was usually fastened with two garters.

The robes of the royal people differed from the clothes of the nobility by the high cost of the material and the finest workmanship. The main part of the pharaoh's attire, like all Egyptians, was a loincloth, but the royal one was made pleated. She held on to a wide belt with a metal buckle, with excellently executed hieroglyphs in the royal cartouche in front and an ox-tail at the back. Sometimes an apron in the form of a trapezoid was tied to the belt. This apron was entirely of precious metal, or strands of beads stretched over a frame. On both sides, the apron was decorated with uraei crowned with solar disks. Jewelry and ornaments complete this decoration. The pharaoh wore a variety of necklaces. Most often they were strung gold plates, balls and beads with a flat clasp at the back. The classic necklace consisted of a number of beads and weighed several kilograms, but the list of necessary jewelry did not end there. On the neck, on a double chain, they put on a chest decoration in the form of a temple facade and at least three pairs of bracelets: one on the forearm, the second on the wrists, the third on the ankles. Sometimes, over all these decorations, the pharaoh wore a long transparent tunic with short sleeves and the same transparent belt tied in front.

The pharaoh and his wife wore sandals with gilt and gold decorations. The toe of these sandals turned up. The sandals themselves were fastened to the leg with long colorful straps, wrapping them around the leg to the very knee. Domestic and military scenes were depicted on the soles. At official receptions it was impossible to appear unshod. But since it was a sign of a privileged position, they were very cherished. Even the pharaohs went barefoot, accompanied by a servant who carried sandals. In general, Egypt is the only civilization of the Ancient East, about which we know quite a lot. Due to its closeness from neighboring states, over the three millennia of its existence, a diverse world of rules, traditions and preferences has been created. The pharaoh was bound by especially strict rules of etiquette. Neither he nor his subjects could deviate one iota from once and for all a certain role in the general “state performance”. The sacred meaning lay in all the words and deeds of the pharaoh - the living god, on whom the well-being of the "land of Kemet" depended. Even in the family circle, the pharaoh wore a wig and special attributes of power, which, together with the prescribed bracelets and necklaces, weighed several kilograms.

The pharaoh's wife, like all women, wore kalaziris. It could be complemented by a luxurious belt or a tunic dress, or a cloak made of transparent fabric. The indispensable rank signs of the queen were the uraeus and a headdress in the form of a hawk - a symbol of the goddess Isis, who covered her head with his wings, and held a ring with a seal in his claws. The second rank headdress of the queen was a decorated hat with a small, cap-like protrusion, to which a lotus flower was attached. The queen relied on a scepter in the form of a lotus flower.

Objects surrounding The pharaoh and his family had, as a rule, a symbolic meaning, which determined their shape and decoration. royal throne- the most important accessory of power, retained from ancient times the simple form of an equilateral cube, but with the splendor of its decoration it surpassed all other utensils. The chair itself was upholstered with gold sheets, the seat was painted with multi-colored enamel, on which lay a richly embroidered pillow. The throne chair was decorated with hieroglyphic inscriptions explaining the divine origin of the pharaoh. The royal throne stood on a luxuriously decorated wide dais. Above it rose a flat canopy, which was supported by four columns, the capitals of which depicted the sacred lotus flower. All the decoration of the throne was supposed to symbolize the power of the pharaoh.
No less luxuriously decorated throne stretcher in which the pharaoh sat during solemn processions. The stretcher was carried by the most distinguished dignitaries of the state. Made of gold, they were decorated with the symbolic figure of a hawk - the emblem of wisdom, a sphinx with a double crown - the emblem of dominion over both worlds, a lion - the emblem of courage and strength, uraei, etc. A fan was installed over the seat, which replaced the canopy.

What was the double crown on a pharaoh called? and got the best answer

Answer from Alrami[guru]
Atev - a double crown, decorated with symbols of Egypt - a kite and a snake (uraeus). As a sign of the power of the pharaoh, it existed already in the 30th century BC. e.

Answer from 2 answers[guru]

Hey! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: What was the name of the double crown on the pharaoh?

Answer from Rain drop[guru]
millet

Answer from Withstand[guru]
millet
Ancient Egypt costume
Hats
Since most Egyptians wore wigs, their headdresses were quite simple. Slaves and peasants, working in the fields, covered their heads with scarves or small linen caps. Noble people wore such hats, embroidered with beads, under their wigs.
The following types of crowns were known: 1) the white crown of Upper Egypt (khedzhet), resembling a pin or a bottle in shape; 2) the red crown of Lower Egypt (deshret), which was a truncated inverted cone with a flat bottom and a high raised back; 3) double crown (pshent), which combined the first two and symbolized the unity of the country; 4) blue with red ribbons "combat crown"; 5) "Amon's crown" of two feathers with a golden disk between them; 6) atef crown; 7) "reed crown" (hemhemet) - a complex structure of golden feathers, ram's horns, snakes and solar disks; and etc.
Judging by the surviving sculptures and reliefs, there were up to 20 varieties of crowns (unfortunately, not a single authentic ancient Egyptian crown has survived to our time). An obligatory accessory of any royal headdress was the uraeus - a golden image of a cobra, which was a symbol of the goddess Wadzhet, the patroness of Lower Egypt. It was placed over the forehead and sometimes supplemented with the golden head of a kite - the sign of Nekhebt, the goddess of Upper Egypt.
The priests in the temples during the rituals put on painted plaster masks depicting the gods. So, the priests of the god Thoth wore masks in the form of the head of the sacred ibis bird, the priests of Anubis - in the form of the head of a jackal, etc.

Ancient Egypt is fraught with many secrets and mysteries. He left behind magnificent monuments, frescoes, sculptures, utensils, jewelry, numerous papyri ... It would seem that there is everything to study the history of Ancient Egypt! However, for some reason it turns out that new finds, as well as the study of old ones, mostly raise questions rather than provide answers. No wonder Egypt excites the minds of more than one generation of historians, archaeologists, and simply lovers of antiquity.

Perhaps one of the most mysterious and, if I may say so, mystical ancient Egyptian figures are the pharaohs. Their life is described in numerous papyrus scrolls, their images are almost everywhere, their death is still in sight. But how many more answers remain to be found by researchers! After all, even in the simplest - in the appearance of the pharaohs, and then there are no certainties.

Here we want to talk about the headdresses of the ancient rulers of Egypt. However, it is worth noting that not a single surviving crown, known to us from ancient Egyptian frescoes and sculptures, has been found to date! So all the works that touch on this topic are the result of images and descriptions in ancient Egyptian texts, and not of real existence.

Pharaoh

Already at first glance it is clear - this is not just a man, not just a ruler - this is the son of the gods! Literally every little thing should scream about his divine essence, every detail of the wardrobe should contain religious symbols and amulets. Therefore, in relation to the rulers, a kind of dress code was developed, which they had no right to violate.

One of the main rules was the following: the pharaoh could not go out to people with his head uncovered. Therefore, there was a whole service for the rulers, which created various headdresses for them - from a simple scarf and wig to the majestic one. And, I must say, this service worked well!

In the wardrobe of the Egyptian king there were numerous, both for everyday wear and for various celebrations. Among them were the simplest ones - short wigs with a smooth hairdo and wigs with pigtails, wigs curled in the most unthinkable way and decorated with various pendants ... In general, the art of creating wigs in Egypt was at a high level.

On especially hot days (or on religious holidays, or on some special days - you can guess indefinitely) the pharaohs put a nemes on their heads - a striped scarf. The stripes were painted in two colors - blue and gold (at least in most images, the pharaohs are decorated with a scarf of just such a color). Nemes was worn so that it covered the entire head, leaving the ears open. At the back, it was braided into a pigtail, and on the sides, the ends cut in a semicircle were lowered onto the shoulders. To keep the nemes better on the head, it was fixed with a gold ribbon or a gold hoop. By the way, the great sphinx also wears a nemes...

The Egyptian pharaohs had several crowns.

First, this millet- the double crown of the Egyptian pharaohs. Initially, there were two states in the Nile Valley, now they are commonly called Upper and Lower Egypt. The rulers of Lower Egypt wore deshret- a red crown, which had a cylindrical shape with a large protrusion at the back. The kings of Upper Egypt wore a white crown - hedge, made in the form of a high cone. It was believed that the khedzhet is associated with the moon and the lunar deities - Osiris and Thoth. This crown was a kind of conductor between ancestors and descendants, it helped in the afterlife to gain enlightenment, join the dream of deities, find a new life among the stars. With the unification of Egypt, deshret and hedzhet became a single crown - pshent.

Secondly, this atef or the crown of Horus, a crown believed to be worn by the pharaohs on special days of religious holidays. It was made in the form of a high white cap. Feathers were placed on the sides (they symbolized two truths - life and death), and at the base - ram's horns. Sometimes a solar disk was also placed in the center.

Pshent and atef are quite bulky crowns, so they were most likely used when the pharaoh was just sitting, and he had to sit absolutely still. Eh, the pharaonic lot is not easy, but the posture is the envy of everyone.

A more convenient crown was khepresh- a blue crown adorned with gold plaques. This headdress is also called the crown of war, because. for a long time it was believed that the rulers wore it during military campaigns and parades.

From what materials the royal crowns were made is still unknown. It is believed that the white crown and atef were made of cane, the red and blue crowns were made of leather. However, some Egyptologists immediately notice that the Egyptians did not like leather, considering it as an impure material, and even shoes for the aristocracy were cast from gold. So it remains to be hoped that sooner or later at least one crown will be found, and this find will at least somehow bring certainty to this issue.

But the most important attribute of royal power was not even a crown, but only a small forehead decoration - uraeus - a rising cobra with a swollen collar. It was made of gold or silver, placed in the middle of the pharaoh's forehead, attached to a ribbon, hoop or. Urey was worn with absolutely any headdress - be it a wig, nemes or crown. It was the uraeus for the pharaoh that "what makes him great." According to the Book of the Dead, this symbol served as protection for the king - in case of danger, the snake should spit fire and incinerate the enemies of the ruler. Urey also symbolized the wisdom of the pharaoh, his greatness - he stood guard over the laws of the universe.

After the unification of Egypt, next to the uraeus, they began to place the head of a kite - the protector of the rulers of Lower Egypt. Such a unity of symbols made the pharaohs the rulers of a united country, the incarnations of Horus on earth and Osiris after death. It is these symbols that adorn one of the magnificent images of ancient Egyptian jewelry - the “seshed” diadem, found in the tomb of Tutankhamen.

Crown (from Latin corona - wreath, wreath) - a headdress, which is a symbol of monarchical power. Crowns were made from various precious metals (usually gold) and decorated with precious and semi-precious stones.

Portrait of Charlemagne by Albrecht Dürer

in ancient Egypt, the double crown of the pharaoh, decorated with the symbols of Upper and Lower Egypt - a kite and a snake-uraeus.

And after in 3200 BC. Lower and Upper Egypt united, the pharaohs had a white-red double crown. Another headdress of the pharaoh was called “klaf-ushebti”, its components were ribbons, a large piece of striped fabric and a hoop with a uraeus (snake).

Pharaoh in the white crown of the South

Crowns can have a different shape: caps, crowns, hoops crowned with leaves, teeth or plates.

Friedrich III King of Austria.

The crown is placed on the helmet or, as in state emblems, directly above the shield (for example, the princely crown in the coat of arms of Liechtenstein). The crown in the coat of arms is the most common class of heraldic signs of dignity, indicating the feudal status of the owner of the coat of arms. There are many varieties of crowns, any of them can be found in coats of arms, placed on a helmet, above a shield or above a mantle.

Jean_Paul_Laurens_Le_Pape_Formose_et_Etienne_VII_1870

Richard_II_of_England

Depending on the title of their owner, the crowns are divided into:

imperial,
royal,

PRINCE CROWN
(German: Fürstenkrone), an open crown depicted on German coins. feudal principalities (see Prince) and consisted of a gold, jeweled hoop with 5 visible teeth (3 sheets, 2 balls) and 3 visible pearl-adorned bows, connected at the top by a power and covering a purple cap.
ducal,
county, etc.

1) Monomakhovskaya,
2) the Kingdom of Kazan,
3) Mikhail Fedorovich,
4) Peter I Alekseevich,
5) Ivan V Alekseevich,
6) Elizabeth Petrovna,
7) Catherine I,
8) Anna Ivanovna,
9) Large imperial crown,
10) Crown of the Empress.
There is also a papal crown - tiara.

Tiara

The appearance is attributed to the states of the Ancient World (Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome, Sumer). They were very common in the states of Europe during the period of developed feudalism (since the 11th century). In Russia, the cap of Monomakh was used as the crown of the Grand Duke, later the tsar, under the emperors - the Great Imperial Crown.

Cap of Monomakh. Drawing from the early 1830s, F. G. Solntsev

Drawing of the Great Imperial Crown

Coronation, crowning is a formal procedure, symbolizing the acceptance by the monarch of power and its attributes (throne, crown, scepter, etc.). Does not coincide with the moment of the beginning of the reign (death or abdication of the predecessor, election). In European Christian culture, coronation is a religious ceremony accompanied by a rite of anointing to the kingdom (Old Testament origin).

Jean Fouquet. "Coronation of Charles VI the Mad in Reims Cathedral (November 4, 1380)"

In the Middle Ages, the monarchs of some countries were crowned almost immediately, within days, or rarely weeks, after the beginning of the reign. The reason for this was that the uncrowned monarch was considered illegal in many medieval countries, without grace; the true king of France was to be crowned in Reims Cathedral and anointed from a special vessel (ampoule).

Louis IX - King of France

Theodosius the Great

In Byzantium, the coronation of co-emperors was timed to coincide with Easter. In modern times, after the death of a predecessor, many months or a year of mourning began to be declared, which prevented an immediate coronation. For reasons of auspicious omens, the coronation was henceforth timed to coincide with spring or summer.

Francis II - the last emperor of the Holy Roman Empire

In Christian countries, starting from the 5th century (Byzantium, and then the Western kingdoms), the highest church hierarch usually performed the crowning on the head of the monarch, but many monarchs (almost all Russian, Napoleon I, some British) only took the crown from the hierarch and placed it on themselves.

Napoleon in full imperial garb

Regalia of Russian emperors

Karl Reichel-portrait of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

The custom of decorating a helmet with a crown appeared among the knights in the 15th century. Crowned helmets were worn during tournaments, especially in Germany, where a crowned helmet was considered a sign of nobility. Often the crown is not a sign of royal or princely dignity, but performs a purely decorative function. This heraldic crown, or diadem, is placed on the helmet as a crest, supporting the crest itself in place of the windmill, or together with it, located on top.

Portrait of Ludwig I, King of Bavaria

In Russian heraldry of the XVIII - early XX centuries. the coats of arms of all the sovereigns who reigned after Catherine II contained the image of her Big Diamond Crown, with which each of them was crowned the kingdom. The princely title corresponded to the so-called. a princely hat with a red or crimson (purple) top protruding above the ermine edge.

Portrait of Empress Catherine II

The count's crown of dignity with nine pearls was no different from its German prototype, and the baron's crown repeated a similar sign of dignity adopted in French heraldry - a high gold hoop expanding upwards, once entwined with a pearl thread. The noble crown, like the German variation corresponding to it in rank, had three leaf-shaped prongs with two pearls between them. Images of crowns of different types in accordance with titles of nobility.

Portrait of Emperor Nicholas II

In order to streamline the creation of coats of arms in the Russian Empire, in 1857 Baron Köhne drew up rules for decorating the coats of arms of provinces, regions, townships, cities and towns. They were approved by the Highest on May 7, July 4 and 16 of the same year.

Portrait of Empress Maria Feodorovna.

The rules include: the classification of heraldic crowns above the shields, decorations (wreaths) around the shields, entwined with appropriate ribbons, and the method of indicating provincial affiliation - in the free part of the shield.

Portraits of Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich

The imperial crown (model 1857) was established for the capitals of the empire (St. Petersburg and Moscow) and provinces. Ancient royal (sample of 1857) - for cities that had the status of city administration, regions and counties. Ancient royal, crowned with a double-headed eagle - for cities that had the status of city administration and fortresses.

Portraits of Empress Eugenia

Cap of Monomakh - for the ancient Russian cities that were the capitals of the Grand Dukes (Kyiv, Vladimir, Novgorod, Tver, Yaroslavl, Ryazan, Smolensk, etc.); for Kazan and Astrakhan - the corresponding "nominal" hats (crowns).

MARIA FYODOROVNA

Empress of Russia, wife of Alexander III (since October 28, 1866), mother of Emperor Nicholas II.

Maria - Queen of Romania

After the assassination of her husband Alexander in 1934, Maria became regent for her minor son, King Peter II of Yugoslavia.

Maria - Queen of Romania

In 1945, after the proclamation of Yugoslavia as a Socialist Republic and the expulsion of the king, the royal family went to London. Maria died there on June 22, 1961.

Eleanor

Alienora (Alienor, Allenora) Aquitaine

At the age of 15, after the death of her father and brother, Eleanor became the owner of the Duchy of Aquitaine, which occupied vast territories in southwestern France.

Eleanor of Aquitaine

After the dissolution of her marriage with Louis, on May 18, 1152, Eleanor married Count Henry of Anjou, who on October 25, 1154 became King of England - Henry II Plantagenet. The vast Aquitanian lands - her dowry - four times the size of the possessions of the Capetians, became English. According to a number of scientists, it is in the history of the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine that one should look for the origins of the war, which received in the 19th century. the name of the Centenary. From the first marriage, Eleanor of Aquitaine had two daughters, from the second - five sons, among them - the king-knight Richard the Lionheart.

MARIA THERESIA

Maria Theresia (German: Maria Theresia, May 13, 1717 - November 29, 1780) - Archduchess of Austria, King of Hungary (that's right, because Hungary, in principle, cannot be ruled by a woman) from June 25, 1741, Queen of Bohemia from October 20, 1740 (had these titles personally, by inheritance) and the Empress of the Holy Roman Empire (as the wife and then the widow of Franz I Stephen of Lorraine, elected emperor in 1745). Founder of the Lorraine branch of the Habsburg dynasty.

Coronation portrait of Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I (September 7, 1533 - March 24, 1603), Queen Bess - Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from November 17, 1558, the last of the Tudor dynasty. She succeeded to the throne after the death of her sister, Queen Mary I.

The reign of Elizabeth is sometimes called the "golden age of England", both in connection with the flourishing of culture (the so-called "Elizabethites": Shakespeare, Marlowe, Bacon, etc.), and with the increased importance of England on the world stage (the defeat of the Invincible Armada, Drake, Reilly, East India Company).

Anna Yaroslavna 6th Queen Consort of France

the eldest of the three daughters of the Kiev prince Yaroslav the Wise from marriage to Ingegerda of Sweden, the wife of the French king Henry I and the queen of France.