Volume 8 (2025)

First page of the paper.

Sous le Ciel Étoilé: Proscynème Cordial au Dr Nadine GUILHOU–AMBROISE

A Feline–Hare Hybrid from Deir ᾽el-Medinah

Miyuki Babcock, Jennifer

Abstract:

Seven tombs at Deir ᾽el-Medinah and some copies of the Book of the Dead depict a vignette from Spell 17, in which the Great Tomcat defeats cApophis, the serpent who threatens the sunrise by attacking the solar bar­que travelling through the Dw3t. Iconographically, these images are identical: a spotted feline sits beside the ỉšd–tree, its tail curled up around its hind leg, while one paw wields the blade that dismembers the serpent. However, the representation of the Great Tomcat in Inerkhau’s Tomb (TT 359) is distinct from the others. This paper examines how the artist renders the Great Tomcat as a composite of a serval and a Cape hare, a noctur­nal creature associated with the ancient Egyptian desert landscape. While other composite beings in ancient Egypt are illustrated with clear divisions and separation of forms, in the case of Inherkhacu’s Great Tomcat, we see a much subtler, gradual transformation from one animal to the other. This artistic treatment of compo­site forms leads to questions about the degree to which Inerkhau’s Tomb showcases individualistic artistic flair or an overlooked visual conception of the divine. Regardless, this unique representation provides a nu­anced, deeper understanding of the significance of hares in ancient Egypt, and of the scene described in Spell 17, as a symbolic theological endeavour.

Citation:

Miyuki Babcock, J. 2025. «A Feline–Hare Hybrid from Deir ᾽el-Medinah », JHIE 8: 157–166

DOI:

10.5281/zenodo.19061852

Language: en

Submitted on 2023-11-10; accepted on 2024-03-18

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