THE CYNOCEPHALUS ICONOGRAPHY IN ANCIENT EGYPTIAN AND COPTIC ARTS

Kamel, Lilian Michael; Zaki, Mey Ibrahim; Kupelian, Mary Messak

doi:10.21608/jguaa2.2024.254244.1158

THE CYNOCEPHALUS ICONOGRAPHY IN ANCIENT EGYPTIAN AND COPTIC ARTS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Guidance Departement, Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt

10.21608/jguaa2.2024.254244.1158

Abstract

Abstract
[AR] تصوير كائنات مستكلبة الرأس في الفن المصري القديم والقبطي
يتناول هذا البحث دراسة الكائنات المتمثلة فى الفن برأس الكلبيات وجسم الإنسان، ويتتبع أهمية تصويرهم في الفن المصري القديم والفن القبطي. وقد عرفت الديانة المصرية القديمة هذا النوع من التمثيل حيث أنها منحت مكانة عالية للحيوانات عامةً، إيماناً بأن الإله الخالق قد خلق جميع المخلوقات دون تسلسل هرمي، مهدت هذه الفكرة لتبجيل الحيوانات وقبول الشكل الحيواني والهجين للآلهة. وترجع أهمية تمثيل مخلوقات بهذا الشكل لأهمية الكلبيات وارتباطها بفكرة الموت والبعث. وتنقسم هذه الورقة البحثية إلى جزئين يتبع كل منهما الطريقة الوصفية التحليلية لتوضيح دور المخلوقات المستكلبة الرأس وتمثيلها في الفن المصري القديم والفن القبطي. ويتمثّل الهدف الرئيسي لهذا البحث في تتبُع استمرارية تصوير المخلوقات الكلبية ودراسة اختلاف دلالاتها على مر العصور. علماً بأن هذا التمثيل غير شائع في الفن القبطي، خاصة عند تمثيل القديسيين حيث إن رمزية الكلبيات مرتبطة بالشر والشيطان والفساد والخراب في العقيدة المسيحية. وبالرغم من ذلك، استلهم الفنان القبطي كثير من الأفكار من التراث المصري القديم واستمر تمثيل المخلوقات المستكلبة الرأس لما يقرب من ثلاثة عشر قرن حتى مع تحريم المعتقدات الدينية للمصري القديم.

[EN] The aim of the paper is to investigate the significance of cynocephalus iconography, which is the depiction of creatures with a canid’s head and a human’s body. The iconography initially emerged in Ancient Egyptian religion, which bestowed a high rank to their animals and instilled the belief that the creator deity created all the beings without hierarchy.This idea paved the way for the reverence of the animals and the acceptance of the hybrid and zoomorphic form of the deities. The cynocephali form’s significance depends on the canines’ importance and the connection with the sacred idea of death and resurrection in Ancient Egypt. The paper consists of two parts. The first part adopts the descriptive, analytical method to illustrate the cynocephali and their representations over the Ancient Egyptian and the Coptic eras. The paper also aims to follow the continuity of cynocephali iconography and to study the controversy of its significance in different epochs. The representation was uncommon in Coptic art, especially when representing saints, because of the evil, humble, and corruptive symbolism of canines in Christian dogma. However, this pictographic representation lasted for almost thirteen centuries in Coptic art because of the influence of Ancient Egyptian iconography and because Ancient Egyptian art was considered one of the most inspirational sources for Christian artists, even while Ancient Egyptian beliefs were prohibited.

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