The donkey
The main beast of burden in ancient Egypt, the donkey was one of the first animals to be domesticated. But it was seemingly rarely ridden by the ancient Egyptians. Most of the depictions showing donkeys mounted by riders are of Asiatics.Its at times difficult temperament was even then a by-word, as was its treatment. A scribe describes his pupil thus:
Thou art like an ass in taking beatings.Koller Papyrus
Gardiner 1911 Egyptian Hieratic Texts
On the left is shown an Old Kingdom scene of donkeys driven to the fields where they were to be loaded with sacks containing harvested ears of wheat, the farmhands making liberal use of sticks in controlling them. The accompanying description describes the treatment laggards were likely to receive:
One likes him who ascends quickly (to the village), but the sleepy (i.e. lazy) one receives blows, O you who have come to me!Donkeys were ubiquitous and of great economic importance. Large estates had hundreds if not thousands of them. Qereri wrote in his tomb: I have caused females (she asses) to be with young and they have produced 200 donkeys [5], and the dwarf Seneb wrote in his mastaba somewhat cryptically: 12017 donkeys, 10200 female animals [6]. For the state it was therefore worthwhile to tax donkeys, taxes which the owner had to pay even if the animal had been lent to somebody else. Djehuti-mesu complained in a letter to Pa-iri who had not yet returned his donkey:After Hermann Junker, Zu einigen Reden und Rufen auf Grabbildern des alten Reiches, p.24
Behold, you have not sent it (i.e. the donkey) (back) yet, but one collects taxes from me year after year, in spite of it still being with you.Overland trade was completely dependent on donkeys until the introduction of the camel in the first millennium BCE. They were hardy animals, requiring little water and only low quality food.After the transliteration and German translation on the Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae web site [2]
Their masters' appreciation was at times given expression when they were buried. One such grave, dated to about 3000 BCE, was at Abydos in an area where otherwise high officials were buried. It contained ten donkey skeletons showing signs of wear due to loads having been placed on their backs, but they had apparently been in good health and been taken good care off.[7]
First millennium BCE instructions contain a number of maxims referring to the various, not always endearing qualities, of the donkey, though their meaning at times escapes us, possibly due to faulty translations:
Do not [tie your donkey's foot to the palm tree (?)] lest he shake it.The donkey was generally considered to be an adversary of the gods. 77 donkeys [1] opposed the sun god Re, trying to prevent his rising. Since the Middle Kingdom, the donkey is considered as belonging to Seth and treated accordingly. During the New Kingdom the Donkey of Seth was killed with a lance at the festival of Osiris. At Busiris the sacrifice was symbolic: a donkey's picture was impressed upon sacrificial bread.
The hissing of the snake is more effective than the braying of the donkey.
The waste of a donkey is carrying bricks.
One does not load a beam on a donkey.
The oxen harvest the barley and emmer, the donkeys eat it.
If a donkey goes with a horse it adopts its pace.
If a crocodile loves a donkey it puts on a wig.
One uses a horse to go after a ---; one does not take a donkey to attain it.
Man is even more eager to copulate than a donkey; his purse is what restrains him.
One does not praise a donkey carrying a load because it brays.
M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Vol.3, pp.168ff
As they did with other representations of evil, the Egyptians dealt with the possibility of interference by Seth's agents symbolically: The hieroglyph of the donkey is pierced with a knife, rendering it harmless. The deceased were equipped with appropriate spells:
Another spell for warding off the donkey. To be spoken by the Osiris NN:
On your face! Do not devour me, for I am pure! I am one who has come by himself. You shall not attack me. I am one who has come because he was called. You do not know. I am the master of your mouth. Retreat before your "myrrh"!
"O you bald back of the head, pierce Seth!" say the existing ones...After the transliteration and German translation on the Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae web site [4]
At times the role the donkeys played in the other world is unclear. In Yuya's papyrus of the Book of the Dead the deceased expects a friendly welcome:
For I have heard that speech which the donkey together with the tom-cat uttered in the House of The Great Opening of the Mouth.After the transliteration and German translation on the Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae web site [3]
