I didn't neglect the Queens, that's my negative confession...





Regarding the main symbolic function of the pyramids, then according to Zahi Hawass the pyramids complexes were dedicated to three principle Deities, namely Re, Horus, and Hathor, and these can thus be suggested as relative to the three types of Royal Pyramid, the main pyramid of the Pharoah, the cultic satellite pyramid, and the Queens pyramids.

The two pits that flank the upper temple East of the pyramid house boats that were probably for Khufu as Horus. These pits are oriented North and South. This orientation may relate to the power of Horus which was written in ancient texts to have extended from the North to the South. Their location near the upper temple suggests that these boats were also connected with the living King because the temple's design is thought to have been based on the palace of the living King as Horus.5

The first boat pit may have been connected with the Cult of Hathor who was one of the triad of deities of Giza. The Pyramid complex was dedicated to the Gods Re, Hathor and Horus

Some of the best preserved pieces are the group statues from the valley temple of the king in the company of the goddess Hathor and a nome-deity. The king is always shown in the white crown of Upper Egypt and the nome deities are those of Upper Egypt likewise. Perhaps they were originally placed around the central court where many fragments of others were found. These triads could also be interpreted as representing Horus, (the king), Hathor and Re (represented as the sun disc on Hathor's crown). They would then be the focus of the cult of the sun god, Re, as creator and sustainer of the world. Hathor is the daughter and wife of Re, depicted with the features of the queen who is the wife of this king and mother of the next one. These triads suggest that the Old Kingdom pyramid complexes were dedicated to the king and these deities and reinforces the close relationship between them.

The statuary program found inside the complex displays the superb quality of arts and crafts. The triads in Menkaure's valley temple suggest that his pyramid complex was dedicated to Re, Hathor, and Horus. In addition, they show the king's relationship with the gods and are essential to his kingship, indicating both a temple and palace function.





In terms of the debate of whether the pyramids were essentialy solar or stellar symbolic representations, or both, i've never seen the function of the Cult/satellite pyramids brought into consideration, nor the Queens pyramids, and it's these i'd propose should provide the correct contextual evidence to indicate the solar symbolism of the greater pyramids.

One suggestion i've seen regarding the function of the cult Pyramids, is that these served as a repository for the Pharoah's Eye of Horus regalia upon his death, having ruled through the spirit of Horus, with this spirit in conjunction with regalia being reborn in the next Pharoah at his Coronation, and that would seem to me to present the correct role for the cult pyramids, as the Eye of Horus was an extension of the power of Re, and thus the primary extension of power is placed in closest proximity to the Pyramid.


Furthur to this, whilst Seth is a given in Egyptology as associated with the Planet Mercury, i would always qualify that to the aspect of Mercury as Evening star, with the counterpart Horus being indicative of the planet seen as Morning Star, through the symbolism of the circling Falcon. In terms of the relationship of Mercury to the Sun, then obviously it is the closest planet, of inferior orbit, and will never appear too distant from the Sun, in relative terms, and in terms of the Eye of Horus being an eye of Re, the relationship of the two is inseperable.In terms of simplistic scaling, then the proportions of the greater pyramids to the cult pyramids lend themselves to being indicative of the differential between the size of the Sun and the planet Mercury.





The secondary extension of the power of Re to consider is the Eye of Hathor/Sekhmet, again an eye of Re and thus inseperably related, represented through the second planet of inferior orbit and closely connected to the Sun in terms of Evening/Morning star, Venus, the spirit of which the Queen would have been associated with, and thus the Queen's pyramids are indicative of the relationship of the Eye of Hathor to Re. Again the scaling of these relative to the greater pyramid is appropriate, and also they are larger than the cult pyramids, which would accord with natural observance, and slightly furthur away.




Thus in the Pyramid complex one finds the greater pyramid representative of the power of Re, and the two aspects of secondary pyramids indicative of the extension of his power through the Eyes of Re. Any attempt to suggest the greater pyramid is essentialy a stellar symbolic representation, really just needs these secondary aspects to go away...The Pyramid complex was dedicated to the Gods Re, Hathor and Horus.




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