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"The Mother of All Fathers?"

Posted By: Charles Pope
Date: Sunday, 10 November 2002, at 11:39 a.m.

In Response To: Re: Lineage of Ramses I and Horemheb (Oscar Calle)

Oscar,

My apologies. I thought I was quoting your forum post, but I was quoting from your private email. It is o.k. that you posted our full conversation, and is helpful to this thread on Ramses I. It would be good to explore this further, but I have misplaced the reference linking Neby/Heby with Itj-tawy and Amenemhet/Surer. I either learned or deduced that Itj-tawy was the father of Amenemhet/Surer from some other source, but now I cannot find it.

The article by William Murnane in the book "Amenhotep III" does not give the name for the father of Amenemhet/Surer, nor the name of his mother. He only states that his mother bore the epithet of "ornament of the king." Her Libyan name/nickname was likely that of Kapes. Osorkon II (Libyan Horemheb) was the son the lady Kapes. (See Aidon Dodson, "Monarchs of the Nile," p 160.) This name Kapes connotes "the head" or a "covering for the head," as in the English word cape. The head ornament of the pharaoh was the uraeus, which incorporated the guarding vulture and cobra goddesses of Upper and Lower Egypt.

It seems that Takelot I was also the son of a lady Kapes (Dodson, p 164). Kapes, i.e., "ornament (of the king)" may have been a common epithet of a princess or queen. However, Dodson could have made an error in his book. The primary sources need to be rechecked on this point.

Alternatively, it is possible that the same woman (Ta-Usret=Isis=Maat) was the mother of both Takelot I and Horemheb, as well as Vizier Ramose. In that case, the mother of Horemheb was Tiy/Tey, and specifically Queen Tiye (Maatkare/Karamat), the wife of both Amenhotep III and Aye/Sheshonq I. I had already realized that Queen Tiye was the mother of both Takelot I and Osorkon I through Aye/Sheshonq. I had not suspected that she could also have been the mother of Horemheb and Ramose. Perhaps the title of "God's Wife" allowed Tiye to have children through any royal male relation. Yes, the ancient royal genealogy is complicated. I'm sure it was more convenient and less confusing to only name the mother of a king.

Note: Vizier Amenhotep (Huy) was evidently the son of Heby/Neby through another wife. It is now clear that Takelot I, Takelot II (future Ramses I), Osorkon I, and Osorkon II (future Horemheb) were all about the same age. Takelot I and Osorkon I were "struck down" in Year 16 of Akhenaten and replaced by Takelot II and Osorkon II.

Note: Egyptologists presently maintain seven or more queens named Karamat (A through G). I think most of these will ultmately be collapsed, but not all. Queen Tiye would have eventually been succeeded by a new "God's Wife" who logically was then called Karamat in her place.

Note: REB states that the 400 Year Stela names a Lady Tia (Singer of Ra) as mother of Ramses. Peter Clayton states in "Chronicles of the Pharaohs" that the mother of Ramses I is unknown. This name Ti/Tiy/Tey/Tiye like Karamat is ubiquitous, but it is not possible to say that during the Amarana Period it always refers to Queen Tiye, Chief Royal Wife of Amenhotep and Akhenaten.

Note: REB writes that the 400 Year Stela names Tia ("Singer of Ra") as the mother of Ramses. Peter Clayton in "Chronicles of the Pharaohs" states that the mother of Ramses I is unknown. This name/epithet Ti/Tia/Tey/Tiy, like Karamat, is ubiquitous, however it is not possible to say that during the Amarana Period it always refers to Queen Tiye, Chief Royal Wife of Amenhotep III and Akhenaten.

-Charles

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