Consort of the Two Ladies (ancient Egyptian: smꜣyt-nbty) was an ancient Egyptian honorific title held exclusively by queen consorts. The title is thought to have been one of the precursors to the later title King's Great Wife[1] and it was probably the first title referring to the queen of entire Egypt. The "Two Ladies" refer to the godesses Nekhbet and Wadjet, who represent Upper and Lower Egypt respectively; meaning that the title asserts unity between the two lands of Egypt. The title's first attested holder is queen Neithhotep,[1][2] the wife of Narmer who united Egypt and founded the First Dynasty.
History[]
Between the Fourth and Sixth Dynasty, the title was extended to Consort and Beloved of the Two Ladies (smꜣyt-mry-nbty). During the Fifth Dynasty, a variant of the title occured; United with the Two Ladies (zmꜣt-nbty). Later the title was replaced by Mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt.
See also[]
References[]
Bibliography[]
- Dodson, A./Hilton, D., 2004: The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson, London.
- Tyldesley, J., 2006: The Complete Queens of Egypt. American University Press, Cairo.