SHE IS BECAUSE SHE IS

"Behind every good man is a good woman." This is an Afrocentric concept that partially helps to explain the importance or value of a woman in a community. A woman is viewed as a source of power, life, and often creates an energy such as assurrance, confidence, or endurance. To enfeeble the identity or role of a woman is to simply defeat and delete a man. The people of Ancient Kmt (Egypt) understood the power of a woman, thus explaining a woman's presence in major events such as birth, war, and death. Her job is ongoing.

Let's take the Afrocentric idea, "Behind every good man is a good woman," and expand it as it applies to Ancient Kmt.

"Above every good man is a good woman."

On the walls of man temples and tombs, there are images of the birthing stool or at times a mother actually giving birth. A man enters this world under a woman, politically and socially, putting the woman above. He relies on his mother for years to gain sense of life and the culture he is being raised in. Some of the temples we've visited would show the image of a Pharaoh suckling milk from what looks like a cow. This image of a cow is actually represents the divine goddess, Hathor. She is often seen as a woman with the eyes and ears of a cow. She is the goddess of joy, music, and dance. That is powerful; to have a divine depicted as a woman who instills and exerts happiness, purpose, and life.

"On each side (front, back, left, and right) of a good man is a good woman."

The determination of a King in Ancient Kmt not only depends on the first born son, but relies on the mother's blood line. When Egyptians describe where they come from, they explain it through their mothers' lineage. They are showing their existence through their mother. This is why Kings on thrones are always seen next to their mothers or wives and never their fathers. In the temple of Rameses II, he is shown at battle with the Hitites, but right next to his side is his wife. She has her hands stretched out to him as though she is encouraging him and reassurring him that she is with him. Even in the after life, women are present. On the outside of the burial of King Tutankhamun, there are four divine women seen with their arms stretched wide covering the King. These women are Isis, Nephthys, Selket, and Neith. They are protecting King Tutankhamun, distinctly positioning themselves on the right, left, front, and back. No harm can come to the boy King in his afterlife.

Intentionally, I haven't discussed a woman being under a man. This is because it doesn't exist. A woman is a man's equal. She, along with the man, is perfect balance. This is the order of Ancient Kemetic beliefs. The Egyptians used a divine woman to represent order, Maat. She is truth. She is justice. She always prevails...

This idea of women being inferior is a Eurocentric or Western idea. Hmm...a "Western" idea... it's dead in Kmt. It has no importance or significance in the African culture. That's why it's hard for some to understand the Kemetic value of a woman. They are looking at it from a Western view, in turn making it difficult to comprehend. A woman is always there. She is behind, in front, on the left, on the right, above, but never below a man. There is no escaping her. She is life. She is because she is. Maat.