HEB SED: The Jubilee Celebration
Notes on the most important festival in ancient Egypt
The Heb Sed was the most important festival in ancient Egypt, celebrated since the earliest Dynasties. It was meant to meet the need to keep the Pharaoh, who constituted the intermediary and guarantor of divine order, always in a position to fight the forces of evil and ensure stability for Egypt. Therefore, a ritual during which Pharaoh regenerated himself physically and spiritually, regaining strength and youth. A kind of "shock" reconstitution cure, in short.
The Pharaoh's Jubilee was first supposed to be celebrated only after the 30th year of his reign and then as needed. But many Pharaohs celebrated it earlier: Ramesses II celebrated as many as twelve times during his long reign.
The ritual was long, complex and lasted the whole day. It was performed on the first day of the season known as the "germination" season (pert), at the withdrawal of the waters of the Nile.
First a Djed pillar was erected and Pharaoh was proclaimed the new Osiris. Then a procession was formed, headed by the Pharaoh and statues of the gods, concealed within tabernacles, which reached the place where four pavilions were erected, with stairs oriented according to the cardinal points, in which statues of the Pharaoh were arranged. In two of these, Pharaoh was again enthroned as Lord of Upper and Lower Egypt. Then, wrapped in a ritual robe, under the protection of Hathor, his symbolic nurse and dispenser of life and longevity, he was carried on two different litters in a ritual series from the pavilions to the naos of the gods, gradually acquiring "years in the millions". Another ritual that was performed was one in which Pharaoh shot four arrows in the direction of the cardinal points, as a defender of Egypt from any threats and evil forces.
Toward evening, Pharaoh wore a short skirt, called a "shendkhyt," and, holding a symbol of his sovereignty over the two Lands, performed a short ritual run, evidence of regained vigor and youth.
As can be seen, even in all these rites, religion and magic were closely connected. For Pharaoh's sake, I hope the magic worked, otherwise, after the run, he would probably find himself older and more tired than before!
