in the rituals, and her image was used in the royal sym-
bol, the URAEUS.
wadjet The symbol of “the EYE OF RÉ” or “the EYE OF
HORUS,” powerful AMULETSof strength and protection,
the wadjetdepicted the sun and moon, vital elements
in Nile mythology. The wadjetwas worn by the living
and by the dead in the mummy wrappings of the
deceased. The amulet was fashioned out of blue or
green faience, sometimes with semiprecious stones in
golden settings.
Wadjkaré(fl. 22nd century B.C.E.) Ruler of the brief
Eighth Dynasty
He is an obscure ruler, as the only surviving documenta-
tion of his reign is a royal exemption decree issued by
him. His name was translated as “Prosperous is the Soul
of RÉ.”
Wadjmose(fl. 15th century B.C.E.) Prince of the Eigh-
teenth Dynasty
He was the son of TUTHMOSIS I(r. 1504–1492 B.C.E.), and
Queen ’AHMOSE. A brother of Queen-Pharaoh HATSHEP-
SUT, Wadjmose died before he could inherit the throne.
Wadjmose was buried on the western shore of THEBES,
south of the RAMESSEUM. His tomb contained a small
chapel and three shrines.
Wall of the Prince This was a series of FORTRESSES
erected by AMENEMHET I(r. 1991–1962 B.C.E.) to defend
the eastern borders of Egypt. A corresponding series of
fortresses was placed in strategic locations on the west-
ern border as well, and all of these military outposts
were heavily garrisoned to stop the encroaching tribes
attempting to enter the Delta. The pharaohs of the
Twelfth Dynasty (1991–1783 B.C.E.) maintained these
fortresses, and the New Kingdom Period (1550–1070
B.C.E.) rulers restored them periodically. The Wall of the
Prince was mentioned by Neferti, or Nefer-rohu, in his
prophetic writings honoring AMENEMHET I(r. 1991–1962
B.C.E.). There are indications that the original series of
fortresses were built by MONTUHOTEP III(r. 2010–1998
B.C.E.) and reconstructed by Amenemhet I and his suc-
cessors.
See also NEFER-ROHU’S PROPHECY.
Wapuat See WEPWAWET.
waret This was the ancient Egyptian name for the
watery abyss from which RÉrose from the moment of cre-
ation. Egyptians feared darkness and chaos as the
destroyers of humanity and remembered the cosmologi-
cal traditions concerning the act of creation. The
PRIMEVAL MOUND, the life-giving island in the center of
waret,remained the symbol of existence in all historical
periods.
See also NUN.warfare See MILITARY.Waset See THEBES.Waters of Ré This was the branch of the Nile that
began at HELIOPOLISand flowed to the northeast to enrich
the agricultural area of the Delta. During the Nineteenth
Dynasty (1307–1196 B.C.E.), the same branch of the Nile
was called the “Waters of Avaris,” as the Ramessids of
that royal line erected their great capital on the site of the
HYKSOScapital of AVARIS. That part of the river became
“the Waters of HORUS” at el-Qantara and then emptied
into the Mediterranean Sea near Sinu, the PELUSIUMof the
Ptolemaic Period (304–30 B.C.E.).Waty(fl. 26th century B.C.E.) Official of the Fourth
Dynasty
Waty served KHAFRE(r. 2520–2494 B.C.E.) as a court
musician. The mummified remains of Waty were so beau-
tifully embalmed and wrapped that his features were dis-
tinguishable beneath the linens. The embalming
preserved Waty’s flesh so carefully that a callus is still evi-
dent on one foot. His sarcophagus was uncovered in a
tomb in SAQQARA.Wawat This was the area between ASWANand the first
cataract of the Nile, in Kush or NUBIA(modern Sudan).
The region was continually under military assaults by the
Egyptians, as the local inhabitants rebelled and became
independent during eras of dynastic weakness. ANIBAwas
the capital of Wawat, called Mi’am in some periods.
Aniba was well fortified by the Egyptians and contained
storage areas for military wares and TRADEsurpluses. The
VICEROYof Nubia resided in Wawat during some histori-
cal periods.The people of Wawat were paying tribute as
early as the Sixth Dynasty (2323–2150 B.C.E.), perhaps
even earlier.Wayheset(fl. 10th century B.C.E.)Official of the
Twenty-second Dynasty
Wayheset served SHOSHENQ I(r. 945–924 B.C.E.) as a
military emissary. He was sent to the DAKHLAOasis,
where Egyptians were rebelling against Libyan domina-
tion of the land. The revolt was short-lived and confined
to the area of the oasis. Wayheset thus freed Shoshenq I
to begin his military campaigns in Palestine without
distractions.Wayheset 429