1975] M i s ζ e 11 e 153

Meroitic features, and that they were probably derived from the Meroitic model at Naqa. Then, also,
while it is true that the Egyptian figures of the falcon-crocodile god are not as a rule shown with
hands carrying plant-emblems, it can be seen from the Egyptian figure of this god on the Cairo
garment described above, that such a representation was also part of the Egyptian inconographic
tradition. The figure of the god on the Cairo garment shows not only four crocodile legs, but also
two human hands; one of them is raised in a benevolent attitude toward the worshippers, while the
other is holding a beribboned notched staff and some royal insignia.
The fact that the Meroitic, Nubian, and Blemmy hybrids are represented without wings, while the
Egyptian figures of the hieracocephalous god at the temple of Hibis and on the Cairo garment are
shown with wings, constitues no objection against the Egyptian derivation of this deity, since, as
stated earlier8'*, the Egyptian figures of the falcon-crocodile gods are elsewhere represented also
without wings.
Finally, as far as the Meroitic figure of the falcon-crocodile god at Naqa is concerned, it seems to
us quite probable, that here we are in the presence of yet another example of the Meroitic syn-
cretism which can be observed in Meroitic architecture, sculpture, reliefs, as well as minor arts.
While the inspiration often came, directlyor indirectly, from Egypt, and while the motifs and themes
were often borrowed from there, what the Meroites adopted they reinterpreted in accordance with
their natural observation, mythological lore, and artistic temperament. Thus, while the borrowed
motifs and themes show all the main traits which point to their place of origin, the native Meroitic
features, added to the foreign elements and harmoniously blended with them, are also discernible.
It is through such a syncretistic process, that the Meroitic native religious and artistic tradition was
born. The lion, as is well known, played an extraordinary part in Meroitic religion and art, and,
appropriately enough, the Meroitic designer-sculptor either borrowed such a model from Egypt in
which the falcon-crocodile hybrid was combined with some leonine elements8·"', or himself produced
a variation on a borrowed theme by combining the lion with the falcon-crocodile hybrid. The final
product in either case was a falcon-lion-crocodile deity seen in the relief at Naqa.
If our interpretation is correct, then the rustically engraved falcon-crocodile god at Philae is not
"a new deity," as stated by Savce; he is even less "a barbaric divinity, alien to the Egyptian
pantheon," as characterized by Bernand, but an ancient Egyptian god of a millenary tradition,
who, probably by the beginning of the A. D. era was adopted by the Meroites, and later on by the
Nobatae and Blemmyes. Through this process of adoption and diffusion, the traditional representa-
tion of this god, in all of his characteristic features, was preserved at Meròe and then in Lower Nubia
and Philae throughout the first five centuries of the A. D. era.

Miszelle

Eine Gußform eines gezähmten Elefanten aus Ägypten. — I n d e n M a g a z i n e n des ä g y p t i s c h e n M u s e u m s in

Berlin liegt eine kleine s t e i n e r n e G u ß f o r m m i t d e r D a r s t e l l u n g eines g e z ä h m t e n E l e f a n t e n . L e i d e r ist d a z u
keine I n v e n t a r n u m m e r v o r h a n d e n , so d a ß ü b e r ihre H e r k u n f t n i c h t s f e s t z u s t e l l e n ist.
Die F o r m , e t w a 85 χ 85 m m , g i b t n u r die eine Seite w i e d e r ; die a n d e r e H ä l f t e (oder d e r Deckel) f e h l t , ist
a b e r n a c h d e n b e i d e n B u c k e l n r e c h t s u n d links o b e n , m i t d e n e n die P a s s u n g z u m G e g e n s t ü c k g e s i c h e r t w u r d e ,
n o t w e n d i g e r w e i s e v o r h a n d e n gewesen. E s h a n d e l t sich also u m k e i n e n H e r d g u ß , s o n d e r n u m e i n e n regel-
r e c h t e n vollplastischen F o r m g u ß . D a s dicke S t ü c k oben in der M i t t e ist o f f e n b a r d e r E i n g u ß f ü r d a s Metall ge-
wesen. Ein A u s g u ß d e r F o r m h ä l f t e ist a u s d e m Bild zu e r s e h e n . E s h a n d e l t sich u m eine ziemlich g r o b e A r b e i t ;
viele E i n z e l h e i t e n sind n u r a n g e d e u t e t . A b e r d a ß es sich u m ein g e z ä h m t e s T i e r h a n d e l t , ist d e u t l i c h a u s d e r G u r -
t u n g e r k e n n b a r . N a c h K o p f f o r m u n d O h r e n ist ein Tier d e r a f r i k a n i s c h e n A r t d a r g e s t e l l t .
N u n ist die F r a g e , a u s welcher Zeit wohl die F o r m s t a m m e n m a g . N a c h A n s i c h t d e s V e r f a s s e r s m u ß es sich
u m die p t o l e m ä i s c h - h e l l e n i s t i s c h e Zeit h a n d e l n . Vor dieser sind a u s Ä g y p t e n n u r g a n z selten D a r s t e l l u n g e n
von E l e f a n t e n zu v e r z e i c h n e n , n u r vereinzelt Tiere a u s T r i b u t e n o d e r M e n a g e r i e n , j e d e n f a l l s n i c h t z u r N u t z u n g

84
See s u p r a , p . 151, η. 72 a n d 73.
85
F o r such E g y p t i a n e x a m p l e s see, e. g., L a n z o n e , D i z i o n a r i o di mitologia egizia, I V , Pis. 21(5 a n d 217.

Brought to you by | provisional account

Unauthenticated | 37.113.202.125
Download Date | 3/10/14 2:21 PM
154 Miszelle

i r g e n d w e l c h e r A r t . D e r f r ü h e r in Ä g y p t e n v o r h a n d e n g e w e s e n e wilde E l e f a n t w a r b e r e i t s zu B e g i n n des A l t e n
R e i c h e s a u s g e r o t t e t 1 ; a b e r er w a r in Ä g y p t e n b e k a n n t g e b l i e b e n , d e n n sein Bild erschien seit A n f a n g d e r
h i e r o g l y p h i s c h e n S c h r i f t , die e t w a m i t d e m B e g i n n d e s A l t e n R e i c h e s z u s a m m e n f ä l l t , als S c h r i f t z e i c h e n .
A n f a n g s w a r es allein d e r E l e f a n t ; d a n n , seit d e r P t o l e m ä e r z e i t , t r u g er e i n e n R e i t e r . Seit P t o l e m ä u s I I . P h i l a -
d e l p h o s h a t t e n die P t o l e m ä e r ihre E l e f a n t e n t r u p p e a u f -
g e b a u t u n d d e r z a h m e E l e f a n t m i t seinem L e n k e r w a r
in Ä g y p t e n eine v e r t r a u t e E r s c h e i n u n g g e w o r d e n -. A b e r
v o r h e r w a r v o n e i n e r N u t z u n g g e z ä h m t e r E l e f a n t e n in
Ägypten nichts b e k a n n t .
Allerdings war der F a n g afrikanischer Elefanten
schon vor dem E n d e der P t o l e m ä e r d y n a s t i e und mit
d e m R ü c k g a n g der B e d e u t u n g ihrer E l e f a n t e n t r u p p e
ziemlich z u m E r l i e g e n g e k o m m e n . Z u r R ö m e r z e i t
w u r d e n v o n d o r t a u s w o h l n u r noch vereinzelt T i e r e
f ü r Z i r k u s z w e c k e g e f a n g e n . I m m e r h i n a b e r w a r e n ge-
z ä h m t e Elefanten w ä h r e n d der griechisch-römischen
Zeit d e n Ä g y p t e r n ein b e k a n n t e s Bild.
Die u n s v o r l i e g e n d e G u ß f o r m ist n u n a u s Stein ge-
a r b e i t e t , w a s a u f e i n e M a s s e n p r o d u k t i o n des G u ß -
s t ü c k e s h i n d e u t e t . E i n S t e i n f o r m ist schwierig herzu-
s t e l l e n u n d t e u e r , u n d m a n wird sich zur A n f e r t i g u n g
e i n z e l n e r o d e r w e n i g e r S t ü c k e a n d e r e r M e t h o d e n be-
d i e n t h a b e n . A u ß e r d e m ist die A u s a r b e i t u n g ziemlich
roh u n d offenbar nur auf Massenwirkung abgestellt,
also n u r f ü r f l ü c h t i g e D e k o r a t i o n s z w e c k e . D a s d a -
m a l i g e ä g y p t i s c h e H a n d w e r k w a r d u r c h a u s in d e r
L a g e , s o r g f ä l t i g e u n d k ü n s t l e r i s c h h o c h w e r t i g e G u ß f o r m e n zu f e r t i g e n . M a n v e r g l e i c h e d a z u die G u ß f o r m f ü r
e i n e n B e c h e r m i t d e r D a r s t e l l u n g d e s M e l k e n s einer R e n k u h , d e r w a h r s c h e i n l i c h f ü r d e n E x p o r t n a c h d e m
S c h w a r z e n Meer ( S k y t h e n ! ) b e s t i m m t w a r 3 . Die G i p s f o r m s t a m m t a u s M e m p h i s , a u s d e m 5. o d e r 4. J a h r h .
v. u. Z.
Die P t o l e m ä e r w a r e n in d e r A n t i k e d u r c h ihre p r u n k v o l l e n V e r a n s t a l t u n g e n zu f e s t l i c h e n A n l ä s s e n b e k a n n t
u n d b e r ü h m t . So b e s c h r e i b t A t h c n ä u s ( n a c h K a l l i x e i n e s ) d e n F e s t z u g z u r d r i t t e n P t o l e m a i a , d e m „ S t i f t u n g s -
f e s t " d e r D y n a s t i e , i m J a h r 270 v . u. Z A D i e s e n Z u g e r ö f f n e t e ein K o l o s s a l b i l d d e s D i o n y s o s a u f einem v o n
e i n e m k l e i n e n S a t y r g e l e n k t e n E l e f a n t e n , d e m 24 v o n j e e i n e m E l e f a n t e n g e z o g e n e W a g e n f o l g t e n . E i n e r
n a c h f o l g e n d e n T i e r s c h a u Schloß sich eine g e w a l t i g e T r u p p e n p a r a d e a n . D i e D a r s t e l l u n g d e s D i o n y s o s sollte
wohl a n die H e r k u n f t d e s G o t t e s a u s I n d i e n u n d s o m i t a n A l e x a n d e r s I n d i e n z u g e r i n n e r n , a u f d e m P t o l e m ä u s I .
eine w i c h t i g e R o l l e a l s U n t e r f e l d h e r r g e s p i e l t h a t t e . Bei solchen A n l ä s s e n w i r d b e s t i m m t ein u n g e h e u r e r A u f -
w a n d a n D o k o r a t i o n s m a t e r i a l e r f o l g t sein, e t w a als G e h ä n g e o d e r K e t t e n f ü r T i e r e u n d W a g e n , wobei d i e
M a s s e n w i r k u n g e n t s c h e i d e n d w a r , n i c h t e t w a k ü n s t l e r i s c h e V o l l e n d u n g . S e l b s t v e r s t ä n d l i c h soll d a m i t n i c h t
b e h a u p t e t w e r d e n , d a ß die G u ß f o r m g e r a d e m i t dieser V e r a n s t a l t u n g z u s a m m e n h ä n g e n k ö n n e . Bei d e m er-
w ä h n t e n Festzug f a n d e n wohl noch die indischen Beuteelefanten P t o l e m ä u s ' I. Verwendung5, w ä h r e n d
a f r i k a n i s c h e E l e f a n t e n a u s d e n eigenen F ä n g e n d e r P t o l e m ä e r e r s t ein o d e r zwei J a h r z e h n t e s p ä t e r in E r -
s c h e i n u n g t r e t e n . D e r E l e f a n t d e r G u ß f o r m s c h e i n t a b e r ein A f r i k a n e r zu sein. A b e r es g a b in d e r G l a n z z e i t d e r
D y n a s t i e g e n u g ä h n l i c h e A n l ä s s e , so d a ß m a n a n n e h m e n d a r f , d a ß die F o r m z u e i n e m ä h n l i c h e n Z w e c k i h r e
A u f g a b e zu e r f ü l l e n h a t t e . A u ß e r d e m w i r d m a n j a d e r a r t i g e S c h m u c k a u s s t a t t u n g e n n i c h t i m m e r v o n Fall zu
Fall angefertigt, sondern f ü r entsprechende Veranlassungen a u f b e w a h r t haben.
So w i r d m a n die f r a g l i c h e G u ß f o r m wohl o h n e B e d e n k e n d e r p t o l e m ä i s c h e n Z e i t z u z u o r d n e n h a b e n .

1
W . K r e b s , D i e K r i e g s e l e f a n t e n d e r P t o l e m ä e r u n d Ä t h i o p i e r . W i s s . Z. U n i . R o s t o c k X V I I , 19f>8, Ges.
S p r a c h w . R . H . 4, S. 429 1. u.
2
W . K r e b s , Z u m E l e f a n t e n b i l d d e r H i e r o g l y p h e n . F o r s c h , u. F o r t s c h r . 39 1905, S. 1 1 4 - 1 1 5 .
3
E b e r t , R . E . X I 1927, S. 122, A r t . R e n .
4
A t h e n a i o s D i p n o s o p h . V 1 9 0 - 2 0 3 b.
5
K r e b s , a. a. O. S. 428 r. o.
Walter Krebs

Brought to you by | provisional account

Unauthenticated | 37.113.202.125
Download Date | 3/10/14 2:21 PM