TY - JOUR AU - First, Grzegorz PY - 2017/01/16 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Polymorphic iconography common influences or individual features in the Near Eastern perspective JF - BAF-Online: Proceedings of the Berner Altorientalisches Forum JA - BAF-O VL - 1 IS - 0 SE - Panel 2: Contextualising symbolism DO - 10.22012/baf.2016.17 UR - https://bop.unibe.ch/baf/article/view/3514 SP - AB - <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Topic</span>: polymorphic iconography in Egyptian religious iconography - special and separate types of mixed, theriomorphic and combined images / icons / forms, always with animal heads, double pairs of wings, phallus, and other magical symbols.</p><p> </p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Archaeological evidence</span>: images appear on small size flat amulets, papyri fragments (also serving as amulets), bronze statuettes and magical healing statues.</p><p> </p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Textual evidence</span>: lack of distinctive proper names</p><p> </p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Place</span>: Egypt, without special area of provenance</p><p> </p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Date</span>: Late Period (7th – 4th centuries BC), Ptolemaic and Roman Periods (from 4th century BC)</p><p> </p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Important terms:</span></p><p><em>Pantheistic</em> as an idea of all-embracing god (<em>Pantheos</em>)</p><p><em>ba</em> as an emanation / form / manifestation of a god, significantly associated with the image of the god. The animals were <em>ba</em> of gods.</p><p><em>bau</em> - strength, power, good and bad at the same time, affecting the whole world, and humans in particular. With the help of magic <em>bau</em> can be manipulated, to ensure people health and success.</p><p> </p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Deites</span></p><p><em>Bes</em> – Egyptian god – demon, present in magical context, protector of maternity, life, music, safety, with strong solar interpretation, often depicted as a dwarf</p><p><em>Tutu</em> (<em>Tithoes</em>) – popular especially as Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt deity; main role was to repel negative powers and to protect people in danger; depicted as sphinx with mixed animal and magical attributes</p><p><em>Lamashtu</em> – female Mesopotamian goddess / demon, who preys on mothers and children, depicted in magical context with animal elements</p><p><em>Pazuzu</em> – male Babylonian and Assyrian demonic god with rather beneficent, magical role, depicted with animal elements</p><p><em>Nine–Shaped (Enneamorfos)</em> – figure present in written Greek Magical Papyri, defined as composed of nine forms, especially of animal origin with magic function and Egyptian genesis</p><p> </p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Key problem</span>: distribution of polymorphic iconography in other cultures, parallels, influences on the visual level (codification of symbols) and also on the ideological level (magical activity hidden / symbolised in a representation)</p><p> </p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Question of the talk</span>: to define potential influences in the Near Eastern perspective - is the polymorphic idea specific to one culture or common to all ancient religious thinking about deities?</p> ER -