Tales of the Crook and Flail Trivia Quiz

Answer: Monarchy

Monarchs in ancient Egypt are commonly called pharaohs today, however, the word pharaoh did not become the term of address for the king until the reign of Thutmose III during the New Kingdom. Although small kingdoms existed in Egypt during the Predynastic Period, the first king of a unified Egypt is believed to have been Narmer, who is also known as Menes.

A pharaoh ruled as an absolute monarch; after unification he was known as the "Lord of the Two Lands", and as such, he owned and controlled everything.

Answer: Religious Leader

As the political leader, pharaoh held the title, "Lord of the Two Lands"; as the religious leader, his title was "High Priest of Every Temple". It was his responsibility as a divine leader, therefore, to represent the gods on earth, build temples to honor them, and preside at the sacred rituals to pay the proper homage and respect. As a god on earth, it was believed that when pharaoh died he would become Osiris, god of the dead.

Answer: Bureaucracy

Ancient Egyptian social classes are typically depicted as a pyramid; like the structure, the number of people in each class increases as the apex descends to the base. Of course, the apex only has room for one at the top, and that is the pharaoh. Directly below him is the bureaucracy of government officials, who were members of pharaoh's family, nobles, and priests. Government jobs were typically inherited and passed down from father to son; sometimes a person might receive an appointment as the result of hard work and loyalty. Overall, these positions brought respect, wealth, and luxury - power belonged only to pharaoh.

Pictured is a statue of Pinedjem I, who was the High Priest of Amun at Thebes from 1070-1032 BC. The statue is located at Karnak Temple in present-day Luxor.

Answer: Vizier

The highest official to serve the pharaoh, a vizier typically belonged to pharaoh's family. He was the pharaoh's second in command, and held such status that all official documents had to have his seal of approval. It was the responsibility of the vizier to see that things ran smoothly, and he received reports from all of the lesser officials, such as tax collectors. Also serving as a judge, the vizier sat in the High Court, and was the chief judge in some cases. In addition, it was his responsibility to ensure the safety of pharaoh's home and family. A New Kingdom document recorded that the vizier was expected to "act by the law, judge fairly, and not act willfully or headstrong". Of course, it was understood that pharaoh had the final approval of all matters.

Kagemni was a vizier during the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties. His decorated mastaba is located at Saqqara.

Answer: Nomes

Nomes date back in ancient Egypt to the Predynastic Period. The system, however, stayed in place for approximately 3,000 years. After the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt by Narmer in approximately 3100 BC, forty-two nomes were brought together under the control of pharaoh. Each nome was ruled by a nomarch, who either inherited the position or was appointed by pharaoh.

A nomarch typcially served as governor, but in times of civil war and strife, could assert his independence.

Answer: Dynasty

According to Manetho, a third century BC Egyptian priest, there had been thirty dynasties in the history of Egypt. Although historians have found a few discrepancies with his system, overall Manetho's listings are generally believed to be correct. Two dynasties, the Thirty-first Dynasty and Ptolemaic Dynasty occurred after Manetho. Narmer is considered to be the first pharaoh of the First Dynasty and Cleopatra VII was the last pharaoh of the 32nd Dynasty, the last dynasty of ancient Egypt.

In this stele, Pharaoh Amenhotep I is making an offering to Osiris.

Answer: Sekhem

There were different types of scepters in ancient Egypt, and sometimes their symbolism overlapped; the sekhem scepter symbolized the power and might of the pharaoh. After the Third Dynasty the sekhem symbol was written with the name of the pharaoh, and later, it was seen with the names of queens.

It was also used as the emblem of deities, such as Osiris and Anubis. The sekhem in the picture, as well as the crook and the flail, was found in the tomb of King Tutankhamun.

Answer: Osiris

Originally in Egyptian mythology, the crook and flail were the symbols of Geb, who was believed to be the God of Earth. Osiris was a son of Geb, who eventually became the Lord of the Underworld, as well as the god of resurrection into eternal life; he inherited his rule over the world, as well as the symbols, from his father.

Many times Osiris is represented as a mummified king; his crook and flail signified his divine authority.

Answer: Agriculture

There is much discussion regarding the origin of the use of the crook and flail, however, many believe that the crook is the representation of a shepherd's hook, symbolizing the pharaoh as the shepherd caring for the people. The flail, an instrument used in harvest, can represent the fertility of the land or, an instrument used in punishment, representing the law and order needed to sustain society.

They are usually shown in the hands that are crossed over the chest. When the pharaoh received the crook and flail during his accession, they remained a symbol of his power on earth, as well as in the afterlife.

Answer: False

The crook and flail definitely represented the power of the pharaoh and the god Osiris, however, they were also carried at times by viziers. In the tomb of Huy, who was the viceroy of Nubia for Tutankhamun, the pharaoh is shown holding the crook and flail, while Huy holds a crook. There are also representations of priests or other officials holding a flail.

The image in the picture was taken from the tomb of an ancient nomarch, Ameny, who lived during the time of Egypt's Twelfth Dynasty.