Pharaonic Symbols during the Egyptian revolution at 2011…Vernacular Memories or more? Part 2

Zeinab Abdelhamed

The second comparative analysis will focus on a representation of a group of women and girls with raised hands, mourning a dead person  (see figure 1) and a religious procession (see figure 2 ) This is a well-known wall painting from Thebes, Amenophis III, 1411 - 1375 B.C.

Figure 1  group of women and girls mourning 

figure 2 a religious procession

The ancient Egyptian burial process evolved over time. It was an extremely important process that involved elements, details and specific rituals. The preparation of the body and the mummification practice were all essential parts of the funeral. Moreover, in Pharaonic culture death was an important journey to prepare the soul for the afterlife.  Furthermore, the depiction of professional mourners is also an essential part of the process. In short, it is part of ancient Egyptian culture to portray these women in grief included wailing and beating exposed breasts.This representation will then be analyzed in comparison with “The Funeral of the Martyrs” graffiti by the Egyptian artist, Alaa Awad  (see Figure 3)  During the revolution, the Egyptian artist, Awad, created the stencil that was driven by his deep feeling of grief. Indeed, the graffiti contributed to the formation of vernacular memory that used icons from Pharaonic death symbol to express that grief and sorrow for the innocent victims of the Revolution. The number of people who died or suffered because of the police brutality was enormous. The artist managed to give an artistic afterlife to those who perished in the very moment of unrest.  He hoped to provide a model of cultural identity using Pharaonic rituals to actually display these moments of sorrow.

Figure 3 The Funeral of the Martyrs

 Analyzing in greater depth the image’s iconic connotations, it is crystal clear for the viewer that during the funeral a sarcophagus is being carried while the soul is ascending to heaven. (see Figure 4)  Unlike in the authentic image, in the contemporary graffiti of the group of mourner women, we can also notice the presence of a little girl who hugs her mother. This emotional gesture can be interpreted as testimony of the new generation that eye witnessed the revolt against injustice. In addition to this interpretation, the stencil is an element of the praised ancient Egyptian legacy marking the claim of contemporary Egyptians for a cultural identity that owes connection to a glorious past.

Figure 4 The Funeral of the Martyrs

As argued, the Egyptian artists and activists redefine their cultural identity through vernacular memories on the walls of Tahrir square by employing Pharaonic icons of the past to epitomize current historical and political events (e.g. January Revolution). Despite the period in which was forced to embrace an “imagined” cultural memory enforced by the government, the protesters against the Mubarak regime fostered a new set of identity concerns that exceeded the initial meaning of the Pharaonic images. The activists explicitly reform their cultural identity through vernacular memories. In the wake of the revolution, activists and artists alike continue to inspire a whole generation. The downfall of the regime was not their only achievement. They have changed the cultural identity content by bringing in the vernacular memories that were disseminated both online and offline. They employed the Pharaonic icons to represent a new structure of their cultural identity, namely resistance to tyranny and hegemony. This resistant dimension of cultural identity was not part of the ancient Egyptian icons. Therefore, these powerful representations reflect a cultural identity that unify the group and connect them with their roots. It is no surprise to realize the efforts that the government made to remove these memories, as the Egyptian government sees it as instigating revolt and not as a search for new powerful cultural identity.