| Amesemi | |
|---|---|
Nubian Goddess of the Moon and Protection | |
_(33317284444).jpg) Naqa Lion Temple: Amesemi (second from right) with sun-disc-crowned double falcons on his head | |
| Symbol | Crescent moon, Falcon |
| Consort | Apedemak |
| Equivalents | |
| Greek | Selene |
| Roman | Luna • Juno |
| Bakongo | Nzambici |
| Phrygian | Men |
| Igbo | Ala |
| Yoruba | Yemọja |
Amesemi is a Kushite protective goddess and wife of Apedemak, the lion-god.[1] She was represented with a crown shaped as a falcon, or with a crescent moon on her head on top of which a falcon was standing. The clothing that Amesemi is seen wearing is a robe that is made from cloth and is worn over her undergarments. She is often seen wearing a short necklace with large beads. She is also depicted holding a second set of hands with her.
In the north-front reliefs of the Lion Temple in Naqa she appears together with Isis, Mut, Hathor and Satet. Compared to the goddesses of ancient Egyptian origin Amesemi appears to be much more corpulent, which is typical for the representation of women in Meroe.[2] On stelae in the temple of Amun in Naqa she is shown together with the Kandake Amanishakheto.[3]
- ^ Rilly, Claude; Voogt, Alex de (2012). The Meroitic Language and Writing System. Cambridge University Press. p. 185. ISBN 9781139560535. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
- ^ László Török; Hellenizing Art in Ancient Nubia 300 B.C.-AD 250 and its Egyptian Models. A Study in Acculturation (2011); ISBN 978-90-04-21129-2; p. 322.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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