Examples of Nile Valley triads include the fol-
lowing:
- (Mn-Nfr or Memphis) Skmt–Pth–Nfrtm, later
replaced with Imhtp - (Wst or Thebes) Amn–Mwt–Khnsw
- (throughout Kmt or Egypt) Ast–Asr–Hrw (often
referred to in their Greek renditions: Isis, Osiris,
and Horus) - (Abw of Nbw or Elephantine of Nubia)
Khnwm–Stt–Anwkt
The employFment of triad statues in the Nile
Valley societies seems to have had two purposes.
First, they presented an image of combined pow-
ers highlighting a divine team. In Mn-Nfr, the
patron saint of the early dynastic rulers and Kmt’s
craft guilds, Ptah, connected the forces of the orig-
inal creation with Skmt, his wife and right-hand
goddess who was seen as an enforcer of his will
and a protector of her son, Nfrtm. Nfrtm, in con-
trast, was identified with the procreative force of
the sun god that arose from the lilies and ushered
in daily life. In unity, they were attributed with
having brought about a national life of justice,
right ordering, and mastery of governance.
Pharaohs, the divine rulers who were considered
incarnated deities, were also presented in triads that
illuminated their teams. Pharaoh Mnkara had triad
statues that featured him, his patron goddess on his
right, and governors of specific nomes on his left.
The emphasis was on the team of divine forces. The
triad presentation had a second function, which
was that of reducing disunity by emphasizing the
collective aspect of the god force and encouraging
cooperation between the priesthoods that repre-
sented each divine force. The triads involving
Pharaohs displayed teams of political unity.
Another key aspect of triad statues is their usual
portrayal of the left leg extended as if the figures
were in a forward walking motion. This stance was
symbolic of action and steadfast purpose.
Many scholars have asserted the mathematical
and supernatural significance of the number 3 for
the ancients. Divine speculation was advanced in
the Nile Valley, and much of the speculation
inspired much of the religious development from
ancient times through Christianity. The “Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit” are a trinity in Christianity
that reveals continuity with the tradition of divine
triads that were common in the Nile Valley. Other
subtler triads pepper the Christian doctrines and
not all were divine, again as in the Nile Valley soci-
eties. One of the subtler triads that played a semi-
divine role in the Christian text was that of the
three wise men who visited Jesus in his manger.D.Zizwe PoeSeealsoAmen; KhonsuFurther Readings
Cheikh, A. D. (1987).Precolonial Black Africa. Chicago:
Lawrence Hill.
Grimal, N. (1994).A History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford,
UK: Blackwell.
Lichtheim, M. (1980).Ancient Egyptian Literature.
Berkeley: University of California Press.TSONGA
The Tsonga, also called Shangaan, are a large
African ethnic group that lives in Mozambique
and South Africa. The history of the Tsonga
people is connected to their once powerful empire
called the Gaza Empire that was created by the
legendary military genius Soshangane. The capital
city was Mossurize, which sits on the border
between Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Comprising
a huge area, the Gaza Empire was formidable in
its day and extended from southeastern
Zimbabwe to southern Mozambique and parts of
South Africa. Soshangane moved the capital from
Mossurize to Gaza Province for greater protec-
tion. When he died, Muzila, his son, ascended
the throne, and after him came Ngungunhane,
who was imprisoned by the colonial Portuguese
in 1895.
It is believed that the Tsonga people have been
exposed to many unsettling philosophical and spir-
itual ideas that make them reject some of their
more traditional beliefs. Actually, the name Tsonga
was given to them to refer to a vast group of
people who speak a similar language. Most of the
people who are called Tsonga also accept the iden-
tification as Shangaan because the name relates to
the military leader who originated among the672 Tsonga