Recreation in Ancient Egypt

While the lives of the ancient Egyptians may seem removed from our own by centuries, their leisurely pursuits were not so different from our own. Music played an essential role in the lives of ancient Egyptians. A frequent source of enjoyment for ancient Egyptians was the attendance of festitivites and banquets. Eroticism and sensuality were a key aspect of these festivities. Drinking beer and wine and consuming narcotics were a fairly common practice.Music was an integral part of both Egyptian culture and religion. It was believed that music pleased the gods and mortals alike and nearly any festival or banquet included musicians. The Three Female Musicians wall relief discovered at the Tomb of Nakht.C. is just one depiction that strengthens our notion of the importance of music in the Egyptian culture. Many depictions and artifacts exist including a number of instruments that have been preserved. However, we don't really know how they may have sounded as there is no written record of annotated music.Egyptian wall reliefs discovered in tombs by archaeologists demonstrate that the majority of musicians in the new Kingdom were women. Along with the music provided by the female musicians, dancers both male and female performed. The ancient Egyptian band consisted of flutes, harps, lyres, drums and lutes. Egyptian statues usually show the goddess of music Hathor holding the sistrum, a maraca-like ritual instrument. Performances by the female musicians was a standard practice at the temple of Hathor.Music was most often enjoyed at a banquet or festivity. Nearly as commonplace as music, was the wine. The Egyptians also enjoyed beer which was often flavored with regional fruits. These banquets emphasized the exotic and erotic with special emphasis on pleasing the senses of taste and smell. To enhance the experience partygoers often combined narcotic flowers and in particular “the blue Lotus,” actually a lily which was believed to have narcotic properties when combined with alcohol.Flowers were given to guests of the banquet. These were to be sniffed during performances and added visual appeal. Sweet smelling fragrant ointments were placed in the wigs of banquet attendees to please the sense of smell.The center of attraction at an Egyptian banquet was sure to be the performance of the dancers. In ancient Egyptian culture men generally danced with men and women with women. The dance of the ancient Egyptians varied greatly. Some performances focused on simple movement while others bordered on the gymnastic.