Egyptian Drum

The Original Rave: Music, Dance And Drugs In Ancient Egypt

While we may view the Egyptian culture through a shroud of mystery, in many ways the daily life of the Egyptians and particularly their leisure time was spent pursuing many of the same activities that we enjoy today. 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. These gatherings tended to focus on sensual activity. Wine, beer and narcotics were often consumed at parties.

Music was an integral part of both Egyptian culture and religion. Music was believed to pacify the gods as well as men and any banquet of note would include musical performances. The three female musicians wall relief discovered at the Tomb of Nakht.C. is a single example among dozens of artifacts depicting how integral music was to ancient Egyptian society. There are numerous others and even a few instruments have been preserved, but because there is no musical annotation we do not know how the instruments might have sounded when they were played.

Egyptian sculptures and paintings from the New Kingdom suggest that music was the domain of women. Along with the music provided by the female musicians, dancers both male and female performed. Flutes, lyres, drums, harps and lutes were the instruments of the day. Egyptian statues usually depict the Egyptian goddess of music Hathor holding a sistrum, a ritual instrument similar to a maraca. Worship at the temple of Hathor was frequently accompanied by the performance of female musicians.

Music was most often enjoyed at a banquet or festivity. Nearly as commonplace as music, was the wine. Beer was another popular party beverage, often seasoned and combined with fruit. These banquets emphasized the exotic and erotic with special emphasis on pleasing the senses of taste and smell. To "expand their minds," Egyptian party guests often added a narcotic lily flower to their wine.

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 height of the evening was probably the performance of Egyptian dancers. In ancient Egyptian culture men generally danced with men and women with women. The performances of the Egyptian dancers ranged from postured and slow rhythmic movement to more acrobatic dancing.

About the Author

Rob Mabry is a former Army journalist, screenwriter and technologist. He is owner of Balance Bikes 4 Kids, specializing in bikes and scooters to help your child learn to ride.

Egyptian Drum

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