Ancient Egyptian retainer sacrifices

Ancient Egyptian retainer sacrifice is a type of human sacrifice in which pharaohs and occasionally other high court nobility would have servants killed after the pharaohs' deaths to continue to serve them in the afterlife. In Egypt, retainer sacrifice only existed during the First Dynasty, from about 3100 BC to 2900 BC, slowly dwindling, and eventually dying out.

Ancient Egyptians, like many cultures, believed in an afterlife and much of what remains of their civilization reflects this because only the temples, tombs and other religious structures survive well. One belief that was at the center of Egyptian beliefs about life after death was the belief in the ka. The ka was believed by the Egyptians to be ones' life source, essence, and soul. Egyptians believed that after they died, their ka would continue to live as they had lived on earth in the afterlife. It would enjoy the same activities the individual had enjoyed on earth. Egyptians also believed that the ka had to have a body to return to, and because of this belief they would mummify their dead. Egyptians also took precautionary measures, in case their body did not survive, by commissioning ka statues; statues of the deceased that were buried in the tomb, along with the body, and would serve as a replacement if the body decayed beyond recognition. It was especially important to ensure the comfort of the king’s ka in the afterlife, due to his prominent position both in politics, and religion. Egyptians looked at the afterlife as a continuation of this life, and believed that they would be able to enjoy many of the same activities. They also held the belief that they would be able to maintain the same social hierarchy. Egyptians, especially upper class Egyptians, were very preoccupied with making sure their life to come would be as comfortable, if not more comfortable, than their life on earth. They took every precautionary measure to ensure that they would enjoy the same comforts. Excavated tombs were found to contain food, painted murals, statues, jewelry, and various other items.

Egyptian pharaohs held the highest positions in Egyptian society, both in religious and political spheres. Kings were revered as gods in human form. Ellen F. Morris, a professor in Columbia University’s Department of Anthropology, suggests that pharaohs used retainer sacrifices as a way to flaunt their power. She also argues that pharaohs would have to have significant power, in both a political and religious sense, to convince their subjects that it was worth sacrificing their lives on earth for the pharaoh and his comfort in the next life. In addition, their families would have to be convinced that the pharaoh’s comfort in the life to come was important enough to allow their loved ones to be sacrificed. This would not be possible if those being sacrificed did not have a very strong belief in the life to come. Egypt’s government had to convince the people that the king was a god, and what belonged to him in his life on earth, belonged to him in the afterlife also. Dr. David O’Connor, from New York University Institute of Fine Arts, proposes that subjects of a king being willing to escort him into the afterlife demonstrates that a change had occurred in the way the Egyptians viewed their king.

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