THE METAMORPHOSIS OF THE TEKENU

From the 18th Dynasty Tomb of Rekhmire at Thebes

Here is revealed the metamorphosis of the tekenu. This image is from the "Opening of the Mouth" ceremony. It is the Sem priest who is awakened from his trance at the beginning of that ceremony at the tomb of the deceased. The Sem states that he was "asleep" but had visited the deceased in the otherworld. The Sem then is a shaman undergoing a trance like dream state in the guise of the tekenu. As the tekenu he is transported to the tomb wrapped in a shroud to help facilitate his "death" so that he can be transported to the other world. Thus having visited the spirit world, the Sem was imbued with powers which enabled him to perform the succeeding "Opening of the Mouth" ceremony for the deceased. The tekenu was no more for he had been transformed into the Sem. Click on the Sem priest.