There are a couple of further points I want to cover with relation to the Third Intermediate Period, the Brothers Egypt, and the larger religio-political climate.
First:
Presuming that the Tablet and the Gate are indeed the form of Ra, then what does this individualized religion mean for the temple where the Tablet and Gate surely were kept? Was it taken apart in the chaos? It's unlikely the temple received funding from the crown (that river, so far as I can tell, was drying up), and the priests had to fend for themselves, pretty much. What did that mean for anyone who went to visit the temple? Were they safe? Were their lives guaranteed? Short-term or long-term.
TL;DR: What does wider chaos mean for the temple that housed the Tablet and Gate?
Second:
The nature of religion during this period sheds a little light on the nature at this particular temple (as I'm sure it exists in order to properly house such powerful objects), at least contemporary to the Brothers Egypt. If individuals are leaving offerings rather than using priests as intermediaries, while Ahkmenrah is a king there's a fair chance he would've prayed for assistance with personal matters, as well. His situation is specific in that his personal matters have some bearing on the global situation in his kingdom.
Third:
I found it interesting that LaBorde noted that Ra had become more popular (or various aspects of him did, at least) in the Late Period. I think there might be some kind of connection.
Fourth:
Damn I love putting fictional characters in historical context.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Night #588 - Nerd Musings 1: Bred in Social Chaos
I'm going back over my Egyptian Paganism books, and this author (Sharon LaBorde) discussed the civil and subsequent religious turmoil prevalent in Third Intermediate and Late Period Egypt. Now, some ardently religious readers of my blog may know that this is the time frame in which I placed Ahkmenrah and by extension his brother Kahmunrah (and their parents Merenkhare and Shepseheret).
It got me thinking about the religious and political landscape that helped rear the Brothers. According to LaBorde, at least (I have yet to check her work), religion was becoming increasing more individualized as people realized they could not depend on the state to provide a strong foundation for civil order. I talked in my last post on the point (found here) that it can be suggested the rivalry between the Brothers (which is mostly one-sided, as Ahk is just nice to everybody as a general rule) is reflective of the two separate dynasties established during this period. What I mean to say is the rivalry could be seen as reflective of the larger social unrest and the changing times, of which the two plus dynasties are symptomatic.
The TL;DR version of the Intermediate Periods of ancient Egyptian history is everything is going to shit and religio-socio-political changes result. Then somebody comes along and establishes order, for a while. Lather, rinse, repeat until the Greeks, Romans, and Ottomans take over.
The Third Intermediate and Late Periods are really no different than previous Intermediate Periods. And if I'm right that during this time Ahkmenrah and Kahmunrah were brought up, then it's kind of telling. It also speaks at least to some of their father's behavior during the time. Simply put, and this is pure speculation, but if I was Merenkhare, what I would do is try to establish myself as as strong a king as possible in order to keep shit together because whatever we got goin' on right now ain't workin'. I reckon that in his own way, Kahmunrah would operate very much the same, and his brother would try to find the solution that appeased the most people. All three parties are trying to restore order to the kingdom, none of them succeed. Ahkmenrah was killed too soon to see any sort of success, Kahmunrah was probably sowing the seeds of bonkers before that major political event (for somewhat unrelated reasons), but I have some reason to suspect he might've been somewhat successful. If he's about fifty or sixty in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, then he had a fairly long life, maybe a decently long reign, as well. He'd have military training (from the fighting to the summoning of a combat-ready army from the underworld, which are likely to have been his own soldiers, the deceased left on fields of battle abandoned before his time and after, or both), which means he'd have some skill in putting down possible rebellions. Hell, he might have even succeeded in reuniting the kingdom, given the chance and presuming he's sane enough. It's likely, even, that he was close to success and killed by a political enemy who considered himself the rightful ruler of Egypt.
That's just my first reaction thoughts to a passage in a book on Egyptian Paganism, because I like to nerd my way through these things sometimes. (Perhaps I'll post more of my nerd musings. That's a good idea for a series.)
It got me thinking about the religious and political landscape that helped rear the Brothers. According to LaBorde, at least (I have yet to check her work), religion was becoming increasing more individualized as people realized they could not depend on the state to provide a strong foundation for civil order. I talked in my last post on the point (found here) that it can be suggested the rivalry between the Brothers (which is mostly one-sided, as Ahk is just nice to everybody as a general rule) is reflective of the two separate dynasties established during this period. What I mean to say is the rivalry could be seen as reflective of the larger social unrest and the changing times, of which the two plus dynasties are symptomatic.
The TL;DR version of the Intermediate Periods of ancient Egyptian history is everything is going to shit and religio-socio-political changes result. Then somebody comes along and establishes order, for a while. Lather, rinse, repeat until the Greeks, Romans, and Ottomans take over.
The Third Intermediate and Late Periods are really no different than previous Intermediate Periods. And if I'm right that during this time Ahkmenrah and Kahmunrah were brought up, then it's kind of telling. It also speaks at least to some of their father's behavior during the time. Simply put, and this is pure speculation, but if I was Merenkhare, what I would do is try to establish myself as as strong a king as possible in order to keep shit together because whatever we got goin' on right now ain't workin'. I reckon that in his own way, Kahmunrah would operate very much the same, and his brother would try to find the solution that appeased the most people. All three parties are trying to restore order to the kingdom, none of them succeed. Ahkmenrah was killed too soon to see any sort of success, Kahmunrah was probably sowing the seeds of bonkers before that major political event (for somewhat unrelated reasons), but I have some reason to suspect he might've been somewhat successful. If he's about fifty or sixty in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, then he had a fairly long life, maybe a decently long reign, as well. He'd have military training (from the fighting to the summoning of a combat-ready army from the underworld, which are likely to have been his own soldiers, the deceased left on fields of battle abandoned before his time and after, or both), which means he'd have some skill in putting down possible rebellions. Hell, he might have even succeeded in reuniting the kingdom, given the chance and presuming he's sane enough. It's likely, even, that he was close to success and killed by a political enemy who considered himself the rightful ruler of Egypt.
That's just my first reaction thoughts to a passage in a book on Egyptian Paganism, because I like to nerd my way through these things sometimes. (Perhaps I'll post more of my nerd musings. That's a good idea for a series.)
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
The Closest We'll Ever Get
to Ahkmenrah's Jam.
Theban Banquet Scene - Anonymous From a Tomb Painting
Believe me, it sounds really cool.
Theban Banquet Scene - Anonymous From a Tomb Painting
Believe me, it sounds really cool.
Night #582 - Deleted Scenes and Answers to Some Questions
I want to thank +Aishah Jones for sharing this link with me, for that deleted scenes of Ahk in a headdress and a blue jacket and makeup with a tablet the size of a pizza box.
Click here for that.
Also listen for about 1:55, when Larry whispers to Nicky that "I don't think he's wearing any underwear." God, Larry, you're such a dog.
To Aishah specifically, since I can't seem to reply to your comments for some reason:
Thanks for thinking I'm so awesome. I appreciate that.
The family dynamic was a stand out point in SOTT for me, as well, perhaps because Ahk's father struck me as so god-awfully creepy. "I love my one son so much I will create a tablet that will circumvent death even though that's actually worse than death in our mythology because he'll never get judged and move on to paradise." OK then. If that's not the most creepy and narcissistic thing I've ever heard, then I'll just be over here.
Yes, I have seen the original script, or at least parts of it. It had more Ahkmen, which would've been super awesome if that made final cut because I really really wanted to see how the brothers would react if they were around each other (I'm writing an AU about that, actually; they haven't met yet, though, and there's other stuff involved like the apocalypse, but still). Plus he got to be a snarky little shit rather than a cookie cutter goodie two-shoes type. But thanks for noting that! :)
As I said, I think Ahk's dynamic with his family is generally pretty creeptastic. It gives me the impression that he was trapped with them for three thousand years, as opposed to his father's viewpoint that he and his precious favorite son would be together forever. (I get the feeling his mother would be more sensible and the "what's best for him" type, rather than the "what we want" type, but she's not pharaoh, so...) I'd give it five hundred to a thousand years in and he'd start chafing a little emotionally, praying to the gods to get him away from these weirdos.
Still, after being stuck with them for so long and then all of a sudden being discovered and parted from his family and changing hands so quickly from his perspective, no wonder he was screaming himself hoarse in the first one.
Click here for that.
Also listen for about 1:55, when Larry whispers to Nicky that "I don't think he's wearing any underwear." God, Larry, you're such a dog.
To Aishah specifically, since I can't seem to reply to your comments for some reason:
Thanks for thinking I'm so awesome. I appreciate that.
The family dynamic was a stand out point in SOTT for me, as well, perhaps because Ahk's father struck me as so god-awfully creepy. "I love my one son so much I will create a tablet that will circumvent death even though that's actually worse than death in our mythology because he'll never get judged and move on to paradise." OK then. If that's not the most creepy and narcissistic thing I've ever heard, then I'll just be over here.
Yes, I have seen the original script, or at least parts of it. It had more Ahkmen, which would've been super awesome if that made final cut because I really really wanted to see how the brothers would react if they were around each other (I'm writing an AU about that, actually; they haven't met yet, though, and there's other stuff involved like the apocalypse, but still). Plus he got to be a snarky little shit rather than a cookie cutter goodie two-shoes type. But thanks for noting that! :)
As I said, I think Ahk's dynamic with his family is generally pretty creeptastic. It gives me the impression that he was trapped with them for three thousand years, as opposed to his father's viewpoint that he and his precious favorite son would be together forever. (I get the feeling his mother would be more sensible and the "what's best for him" type, rather than the "what we want" type, but she's not pharaoh, so...) I'd give it five hundred to a thousand years in and he'd start chafing a little emotionally, praying to the gods to get him away from these weirdos.
Still, after being stuck with them for so long and then all of a sudden being discovered and parted from his family and changing hands so quickly from his perspective, no wonder he was screaming himself hoarse in the first one.
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Night #448 - Deleted Scene of Awesome
"Museum Residents Freed", or: Learn the correct pronunciations of Sacagawea and Ahkmenrah and watch them rock the swag for the last seventeen seconds.
Watch Here
Watch Here
Friday, March 6, 2015
Night #446
Dress like Jed and Octavius with the help of wearwhatyouwatch.com!
Screencaps from Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (BluRay quality) (Be sure to like/reblog if you download any of them).
Screencaps from Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (BluRay quality) (Be sure to like/reblog if you download any of them).
Monday, March 2, 2015
Night #442 - Dating Ahkmenrah by his Clothing
Nerds on tumblr abound, it seems, and there was a certain user who once provided this:
http://bromancenthusiast.tumblr.com/post/112428347441/ahkmenrah-clothing-guide-possible-dynasty-reign
to the world. Make of it what you wish, but it doesn't seem to address that Ahkmenrah dated himself and his whole family at the end of NATM2. Has everyone forgotten that movie but me? And why is NATM3 held on such a pedestal that it's used as reference material? Okay, it's technically canon, but as a movie, it's terrible.
/tangent over.
http://bromancenthusiast.tumblr.com/post/112428347441/ahkmenrah-clothing-guide-possible-dynasty-reign
to the world. Make of it what you wish, but it doesn't seem to address that Ahkmenrah dated himself and his whole family at the end of NATM2. Has everyone forgotten that movie but me? And why is NATM3 held on such a pedestal that it's used as reference material? Okay, it's technically canon, but as a movie, it's terrible.
/tangent over.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Night #424 - Identifying Octavius
There is a fascinating, long, and meaty tumblr post that tries to place Octavius within a time frame of the Roman Empire and its history. To be clear and to preface, many in the fandom assume Octavius is Augustus, and a small segment assume Octavius to be Augustus's father. This tumblrite operates under the assumption that Octavius is fictitious, a placeholder and generic "Roman general."
As follows:
http://verecunda.tumblr.com/post/106669411688/my-very-long-and-involved-and-nerdy-natm-headcanon
As follows:
http://verecunda.tumblr.com/post/106669411688/my-very-long-and-involved-and-nerdy-natm-headcanon
Friday, February 6, 2015
Night #418 - Warning: These are Real
They were posted by stahlion359 on tumblr (post), who would like to know where they can see this video of this particular deleted scene, and where the GIFS came from.
It's Ahkmenrah in Eyeliner, dogs! We gotta help a museum-goer out here!
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Night #409
This is your periodic reminder that I am, in fact, still alive. I'll just have to work on generating topics for the blog (and motivation to write anything here), so...any suggestions?
Thursday, January 8, 2015
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