The papyrus was in the Cairo museum, when I visited many years ago. It was on a staircase wall and was ignored by many.
In order to fit this fascinating character into the book I have almost certainly transported him forward in time. It is impossible to say, with certainty, when he lived and died. Egyptologists favour his life to be during the reign of Thutmose IV, Haqwaset’s father, however, literary licence permits me to ignore this and make him a hero in this novel. Who he was, where he came from and why he came to be buried in the Valley of the Kings is a mystery.
Theories as to his parentage abound. Some believe he was the son of Hatshepsut and her lover, the architect Senenmut. A relationship between these has never been proved, however, some exceptionally graphic graffiti, found near the funerary temple of Hatshepsut, certainly shows what the workers on the temple thought Senenmut did whilst he was alone with the female pharaoh! The linen winding sheet, bearing Hatshepsut’s cartouche, found in Maiherpri’s sarcophagus, is used as evidence of this theory. I invented another reason for its presence. Others claim Maiherpri was the son of one of the pharaohs with a Nubian concubine. I prefer my own scenario which has no basis whatever in fact.
Nahkt
I apologise most profusely to the spirit of Nahkt for my depiction of him. His tomb in the Valley of the Nobles was the first non-royal tomb I ever entered. I was struck by the image of the three girl musicians, with the unfinished varnishing and the fact that all the depictions of Amun had been removed. Also the story told to me by the guide, working in the tomb, of the small statue found in the channel in the tomb, piqued my interest.
The original draft of this novel depicted Djoser as a villain, with Nahkt the quiet cleric living his life, working in the temple, married to Tawy and sharing everything with ‘her’ son Amenemopet, preparing for his post-mortem journey to eternal paradise. This characterisation of Nahkt didn’t last long as Tawy became more the focus of my attention. I am intrigued as to why Amenemopet was referred to only as Tawy’s son and not of both of them. The tomb of Nahkt is both unusual and refined. The style of painting is exceptional and found in very few other tombs. The ‘three musicians’ is particularly unusual in its form and depiction.
Perhaps the true story of Nahkt’s life is more interesting than my libellous (if he were alive) story but, sadly, we will never know.
Tawy/Tawosret and Aperel
There is no possibility that in reality Tawy and Tawosret were one and the same person. In formulating the story it was lucky coincidence that the wife of Nahkt and of Viceroy Aperel shared the same, or a very similar, name.
There is every possibility that Tawy was happily married to Nahkt and she may have doted on her son.
Very little is known about Tawosret. Her tomb, where she was buried with her husband Aperel, and their son Huy, was only discovered in the 1980’s by the French Archaeologist Alain Zivie. She must have been regarded as important in her own right as she is one of very few (if any) women, buried in the 18th Dynasty, inside a triple coffin. Artefacts and engravings in the tomb show she had three sons. Huy, buried with her and Aperel, was also a high ranking official and bore such titles as master of horse, and commander of chariots (both titles previously held by Yuya) as well as being the scribe of recruits of the Lord of the Two Lands.
Tamyt (Literal Translation: ‘She-cat’)
The cat was held in the highest esteem by the ancient Egyptians. None more so than Tamyt, the cat owned and loved by the young Prince Thutmose; destined to become pharaoh but who disappeared from history not long after his precious pet was buried. Much of what we know about the ancient Egyptian love of cats is from the sarcophagus of Tamyt, found near modern Memphis (Ineb-Hedj in the novel). I have tried to accurately describe the stone sarcophagus which shows how special Tamyt was to the young Prince.
Queen Merytre-Hatshepsut
I have left talking about this ‘Great Royal Wife’ until last, as she has only a small part to play in ‘The Awakening Aten’, however, I find her (and the other royal women who immediately followed the reign of Hatshepsut and her nephew Thutmose III) totally fascinating, and I have started to pen some stories about them.
For those not familiar with the story of Hatshepsut, she was the eldest daughter of Pharaoh Thutmose I and his consort Ahmose. In accordance with Pharaonic tradition she married her half-brother Thutmose, who became Pharaoh Thutmose II. Little is known about the short reign of Thutmose II (of somewhere between 4 and 14 years) but much has been written about what occurred after his death.
Hatshepsut had no son who could succeed his father, but Thutmose had fathered a boy with a lesser wife, Isis. This boy was to inherit the throne, however, he was an infant and Hatshepsut took the reins of Egypt as his Regent. She then went further than any other woman in Egyptian history and declared herself Pharaoh, building statues of herself in a King’s garb, complete with false beard and crook and flail. Officially this became a joint Kingship with Thutmose III, but whilst she lived Hatshepsut was the supreme ruler.
Thutmose married Merytre-Hatshepsut. (Was she obliged to change her name from just Merytre to include that of her husband’s stepmother/ aunt?). During the life of Thutmose III, Merytre was never granted the title of ‘Great Royal Wife’ which would have been the norm. She only obtained this title when her son Amenhotep became Pharaoh. Towards the end of the reign of Thutmose III and into the reign of Amenhotep II, someone (we don’t know who) started to deface certain monuments dedicated to Hatshepsut and these were later changed to bear the name of Merytre.
Evidence seems to suggest that Merytre exercised extreme influence over her son, so much so that he did not give the title of ‘Great Royal Wife’ to his own Queen, Tiaa, the mother of Thutmose IV. Merytre was buried in Amenhotep’s tomb, his wife was not.
Following the death of Amenhotep, and the succession of his son everything was repeated. Tiaa began usurping the monuments of Merytre and converted them to her own name and adopted the title of ‘Great Royal Wife.’
Thankfully normal order was restored by the time Haqwaset (Amenhotep III) came to the throne. Both his mother (Mutemwiya) and his wife (Tiye) bore the title ‘Great Royal Wife’ and following Mutemwiya’s death only the Pharaoh’s wife would have that honour. Some theorize that this was to try and prevent another queen usurping a man’s throne, as Hatshepsut had done. But women of the strength of Tiye and later Nefertiti, didn’t need to usurp the throne to have profound influence over their husbands’ reign.
The stories of Tiye, Nefertiti, Haqwaset, Djoser, Perneb and all the others continue in the next book of the series, ‘The Rising Aten.’
Acknowledgments
Anyone who has ever written a novel knows that it can never be a solo effort. I would very much like to thank the following people who have played a part in bringing this book to its final form and publication.
The KBOers, for their encouragement, constructive (and other!) criticism and support. Remember what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.
Crime writer Adam Peacock and all at the South Shields Fiction Writers’ Group.
Lauren, Hannah, Fern, Jonathan and all at Troubador. Your work is exceptional.
British Airways for taking me to the places I needed to go to complete my research, and providing a comfortable seat, on long haul flights, where many a scene or chapter was drafted.
Finally, my wife Alison, proof reader par excellence, patient editor and tough critic. Without her this book would not have been possible. Any errors which remain are entirely my own and will be where I have ignored her advice.
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