Solange Ashby, Assistant Professor, UCLA

In the cult of the ancient goddess Hathor, many important rites of based in the performance of dance and music. These dances were performed by (primarily) women in professional dance troupes called Khener. In such rituals the power of music and movement were harnessed to transport the worshipper into an ecstatic encounter with the Divine. Worshippers engaged in nocturnal rituals for the goddess Hathor sought this type of ecstatic encounter. Ancient Egyptian texts preserve the name of this sacred dance (ksks) and document the ritual processions of Nubians into Egypt as they accompanied the return of the goddess Hathor who was believed to reside in Nubia and return annually to Egypt. This paper will trace this sacred dance through its performance in Egypt, Nubia, Meroe, and perhaps its survival among groups living in Ethiopia today.

This talk is generously supported by the UVA Page-Barbour Endowment.