The Two Lives of Tutankhamun (aka. Nebkheprure)
- Wyleian Triple Sonnet CCLVI.
Thirty-three centuries have passed since Tutankhamun breathed his last.
and the glorious Eighteenth Dynasty, at his quietus, ceased to be.
All those who next usurped his throne, today are virtually unknown
yet Tutankhamun and his wife, through Carter, gained a second life.
His predecessor had annoyed the ancient gods which he destroyed,
permitting worship of but one, the Aten or The Living Sun.
He dispossessed their former priests whose livings, power and temples ceased
and images throughout the land the king demolished out of hand.
But such unwonted revolution was bound to bring harsh retribution.
As soon as Akhenaten died, the Aten cult was swept aside
while his successor, Tutankhaten abandoned the city of Akhetaten
and, where it formerly was praised, the name of Aten was erased.
The new king’s own name he forsook and title Tutankhamun took
in honour of the god Amun who, once again, ranked number one.
As Aten’s name was now deplored and other gods were all restored
the populace was wild with joy although their king was but a boy.
He died when he was scarce nineteen, survived by his beloved queen.
Within the Valley of the Kings they buried him with all his things
and there in peace, his mummy lay till Carter, on that fateful day,
broke down the doors that sealed his tomb and took his treasures, room by room.
The Pharaoh’s wealth was taken all and mounted in the Egyptian Hall
of Cairo’s National State Museum which is itself a mausoleum
where many Royal Pharaohs lie in view of every passer-by.
Of all the great Kings clearly shown, young Tutankhamun is best known.
By chance, through all those centuries, the rise and fall of dynasties,
the boy-king’s tomb had lain concealed, quite undiscovered, unrevealed;
his very name almost obscured, security and rest ensured.
Tomb-robbers, through the years so rife, failed to disturb his after-life
until the twentieth century when Howard Carter chanced to see
beneath some ancient workmen’s huts, clay jars with seals he knew were Tut’s
and, digging through great piles of rubble, found rich reward for all his trouble
so, through his conscientious strife, brought Nebkheprure back to life.
Each day great crowds of people pass, to view through thick protective glass,
the trappings of the daily life of Tutankhamun and his wife.
His boats, his chariots, his bed, the head-rest for the royal head;
his chests, his bows, his spears, his throne, the things that he in life did own;
the necklaces about his throat, the notes and letters that he wrote;
even the games he used to play, are all for communal display.
Yet, to this day, we but surmise what caused Tut’s premature demise
though experts regularly seize and claim conflicting theories.
Although they took Tut’s wealth away, they left his mummy where it lay
and there it rests right to this day…..
Hugh Wyles, May 24th. 2009.
Author notes
Tutankhamun’s mummy, as first revealed by Howard Carter, had been interred, covered by its solid gold mask, within a nest of three close-fitting humanoid coffins placed inside a great quartzite sarcophagus which was itself protected by three golden shrines, each nested within the other.
After examination, the mummy was re-wrapped, (without its amulets and jewellery).and laid in the outer of the three coffins back inside the sarcophagus where it now rests in the burial chamber of the tomb.
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Comments
1 - 5 of 5
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Hugh,
You really should consider putting together some of your history sonnets and publishing a book with them. I say this because as a child I grew up in a school with some really lousy history teachers and I never got a good history teacher until around the 9th grade. I hated history until then. It was in the 9th grade when I got a decent history teacher who didn't stand in front of the class with a mono tone voice and simply read, he actually showed us there was value in history, there was excitement in his voice, he moved about the room, ect. My point is, there are millions of children all over the world who are going to come across poor history teachers while growing up, but sadly as parents we don't have access to much on the public market to make up for the deficientcies they lack that will hold our childrens interest. Your poetry can do that so easily. Now you might be saying it isn't all that comprehensive, but it need not be. It is the foundation that matters. If a child remembers that they have heard of it ... Oh, hey I remember this, my mom read this to me in a poem... they are much more likely to learn about it, even if the teacher is boring and speaks in mono tone.
Think about it dear, you really could make a difference!
As for this triple sonnet, I absolutely loved it dear!
Suzi
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A friend of mine who's sort of into Egyptology (or whatever it's called) were discussing King Tut the other day, how they recently had an exhibit of his the other day.
As fascinating as it is...there still seems something a little wrong about putting someone's remains on display. When they dig me up (being someone destined to be famous) I hope they'll be kind and just rob my tomb of the Moxie and leave me be.
I enjoyed the triple sonnet, it's a fascinating subject.
I'd get dizzy attempting the first line of a sonnet, let alone 42...if my math is right.
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I wonder what he would think today! He's honored by a world which he most probably could never understand. His reign was so tragically brief, and but for his tomb being so hidden, his tomb was so completely untouched, and therefore in the list of kings, and in today's eyes he has far more grandeur than he probably ever had in his first life. or his first funeral. A wonderful tribute!
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Dear Hugh,
I love to read about Tutankhamun (The Boy King) the stories always fascinate me, I would loved to have been an Archaeologist and help discover his tomb plus other treasures.A fascinating triple Sonnet you have written that I enjoyed reading immensely. I never realized until now that they left Tutankhamun's Mummy in the tomb where he was found. You still have the ability to enthrall us with your wonderful poetry and I still think Kevin should open up a History link so the children of today can find learning much more fun from yours and others on this site.
Love Bea
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I am fascinated by your historic knowledge and enjoyed your sonnet about Tutankhamun.
I wish history books were written this way for the subject matter would be much easier to retain, at
least for me, anyway.
Wonderfully written Hugh.
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