Alternative use: the Aten asteroids, named after 2062 Aten

Aten

Aten (also Aton, Egyptian jtn) is the disk of the sun in ancient Egyptian mythology, and originally an aspect of Ra. The deified Aten is the focus of the monolatristic, henotheistic, or monotheistic religion of Atenism established by Amenhotep IV, who later took the name Akhenaten in worship in recognition of Aten. In his poem "Great Hymn to the Aten", Akhenaten praises Aten as the creator, and giver of life. Some scholars have speculated that Psalm 104 may have been influenced by this hymn.^[1]

The worship of Aten was eradicated by Horemheb.

Overview[link]

The Aten, the sun-disk, first appears in texts dating to the 12th dynasty, in The Story of Sinuhe, where the deceased king is described as rising as god to the heavens and uniting with the sun-disk, the divine body merging with its maker.^[2] By analogy, the term "silver aten" was sometimes used to refer to the moon.^[3] The solar Aten was extensively worshipped as a god in the reign of Amenhotep III, when it was depicted as a falcon-headed man much like Ra. In the reign of Amenhotep III's successor, Amenhotep IV, the Aten became the central god of Egyptian state religion, and Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaten to reflect his close link with the new supreme deity.^[4]

The full title of Akhenaten's god was The Rahorus who rejoices in the horizon, in his/her Name of the Light which is seen in the sun disc. (This is the title of the god as it appears on the numerous stelae which were placed to mark the boundaries of Akhenaten's new capital at Akhetaten, modern Amarna.) This lengthy name was often shortened to Ra-Horus-Aten or just Aten in many texts, but the god of Akhenaten raised to supremacy is considered a synthesis of very ancient gods viewed in a new and different way. The god is also considered to be both masculine and feminine simultaneously. All creation was thought to emanate from the god and to exist within the god. In particular, the god was not depicted in anthropomorphic (human) form, but as rays of light extending from the sun's disk.

Furthermore, the god's name came to be written within a cartouche, along with the titles normally given to a Pharaoh, another break with ancient tradition. Ra-Horus, more usually referred to as Ra-Horakhty (Ra, who is Horus of the two horizons), is a synthesis of two other gods, both of which are attested from very early on. During the Amarna period, this synthesis was seen as the invisible source of energy of the sun god, of which the visible manifestation was the Aten, the solar disk. Thus Ra-Horus-Aten was a development of old ideas which came gradually. The real change, as some see it, was the apparent abandonment of all other gods, especially Amun, and the debatable introduction of monotheism by Akhenaten.^[5] The syncretism is readily apparent in the Great Hymn to the Aten in which Re-Herakhty, Shu and Aten are merged into the creator god.^[6] Others see Akhenaten as a practitioner of an Aten monolatry,^[7] as he did not actively deny the existence of other gods; he simply refrained from worshipping any but the Aten.

Royal Titulary[link]

During the Amarna Period, the Aten was given a Royal Titulary (as he was considered to be king of all), with his names drawn in a cartouche. There were two forms of this title, the first had the names of other gods, and the second later one which was more 'singular' and referred only to the Aten himself. The early form has Re-Horakhti who rejoices in the Horizon, in his name Shu which is the Aten. The later form has Re, ruler of the two horizons who rejoices in the Horizon, in his name of light which is the Aten.

[8]
Aten in hieroglyphs

Pharaoh Akhenaten and his family adoring the Aten, second from the left is Meritaten who was the daughter of Akhenaten.

Small Temple of the Aten at Akhetaten

Variant translations[link]

• High relief and low relief illustrations of the Aten show it with a curved surface (see for example the photograph illustrating this article), therefore, the late scholar Hugh Nibley insisted that a more correct translation would be globe, orb or sphere, rather than disk. The three-dimensional spherical shape of the Aten is even more evident when such reliefs are viewed in person, rather than merely in photographs.
• There is a possibility that Aten's three-dimensional spherical shape depicts an eye of Horus/Ra. In the other early monotheistic religion Zoroastrianism the sun is called Ahura Mazda's eye.
• These two theories are compatible with each other, since an eye is an orb

Variant vocalizations[link]

Egyptologists have vocalized the word variously as Aten, Aton, Atonu, and Itn.

Names derived from Aten[link]

• Akhenaten: "Effective spirit of the Aten."
• Akhetaten: "Horizon of the Aten," Akhenaten's capital. The archaeological site is known as Amarna.
• Ankhesenpaaten: "Her life is of the Aten."
• Beketaten: "Handmaid of the Aten."
• Meritaten: "She who is beloved of the Aten."
• Meketaten: "Behold the Aten" or "Protected by Aten."
• Neferneferuaten: "The most beautiful one of Aten."
• Paatenemheb: "The Aten on jubilee.^{[clarification needed]}"
• Tutankhaten: "Living image of the Aten." Original name of Tutankhamun.

See also[link]

• Amun
• Atenism
• Great Hymn to the Aten
• Inti
• Kefa
• Makhshava
• Moses
• Pharaoh of the Exodus
• Shiblon
• The spatial symbolism of the Voortrekker Monument

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Great Hymn to Aten

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Aten

v t e Ancient Egyptian religion Mythology Paganism Pantheism Polytheism Emanationism Soul Duat Numerology Deities Amun Amunet Anubis Anuket Apep Apis Aten Atum Bastet Bat Bes Four sons of Horus Geb Hapi Hathor Heka Heqet Horus Isis Khepri Khnum Khonsu Kuk Maahes Ma'at Mafdet Menhit Meretseger Meskhenet Min Mnewer Monthu Mut Nefertem Neith Nekhbet Nephthys Nu Nut Osiris Pakhet Ptah Qebui Qetesh Ra Resheph Satet Sekhmet Seker Serket Seshat Set Shu Sobek Sopdet Sopdu Tatenen Taweret Tefnut Thoth Wadjet Wadj-wer Wepwawet Wosret Writings Amduat Books of Breathing Book of Caverns Book of the Dead Book of the Earth Book of Gates Book of the Netherworld Beliefs Atenism Curse of the Pharaohs Funerals Offering formula Philosophy Temples Ancient Egypt Portal

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Linda George is an ethnic Assyrian singer who resides in the United States Of America. The vast majority of her songs are sung in her native Assyrian language.^[1][2] George is widely known by the Assyrian community in countries in the USA, Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Armenia, Russia, Georgia and her homeland Iraq.

Early career – 1980s[link]

George's career started in the Assyrian community in Chicago discovered of Assyrian singer Sargon Gabriel. Sargon featured Linda on his track "Dalaleh". The track became a popular record in the Assyrian community and helped land George her own album. George's first album, Hal Eiman, was released in 1983 and was instantly a success. Linda soon became popular and recognizable with the help of songs such as the title track "Hal Eman", "La Khaswit M'Barokh", "Nishra D'Atour and "Marqidly".

It was not until her third album Neqmeh Min Garbiat Atree that George had major success. The album, released in 1986, featured some of George's most popular songs. Songs such as "Asheeta", "Taleeboota", "Mokhibbie Kheesheleh" and "Ktowa Khashana".

Breakthrough – 1990's[link]

With her next three albums, Alahata D'khooba, Shooprah o Khaila, Wardeh Bil Drananet Khooba and Kooma Khwara, George continued her success into the early 1990s. She became the first Assyrian singer to use contemporary beats and music with traditional Assyrian singing.^{[citation needed]} This was showcased on songs such as the party song "Kooma Khwara" where she also provided a remix version. George was the first Assyrian singer to sing in a different language on her albums. On one of the tracks featured on the album Wardeh bil Drananet Khooba, Linda sings in French. She also sings in English on one of the tracks on the album " Alahta D'Khooba Shoopra O'Khaila"

After dabbling with different beats and contemporary mixes on her three previous albums, George changed the way of Assyrian Music on her seventh Album, "Khamra Teeka" released in 1993. The album, featuring the song "Matlab D'Libba" , featured a first for Assyrian Music.^{[citation needed]} The song featured a rap segment sung in part English, part Assyrian written & performed by Walid Ishak aka M.C. Roc the rapper of Groovetek .

The song, dubbed the "Chapeh Chapeh Song" became successful. Other tracks on the album such as "Khamra Teeka", the title track, showed the direction that George's music was heading. The albums' other standout track however was the heart-wrenching song "Barwar". The song was released after the Gulf War and after the region of Barwar in Northern Iraq was bombed and left in shambles. The song tells the story of the devastation of the war but leaves listeners with a glimpse of hope and strength.

In the Mid to late 1990s, George released two albums. Her last studio album of the decade was 1995's "Khoot Goolpane't Malakha". The album contained a little bit of everything that Linda's previous albums featured, such as traditional music, upbeat contemporary beats, ballads and dance hits. In 1999, Linda released "Colours of my Country", a live album of traditional folk hits performed live in Media TV based in Bruxell, Belgium.

Legacy[link]

2000's[link]

After a year she was sponsored by Froggie record in Australia to release her first album in English, the soon after the record company was legally vanished, Linda was only able to release 3 singles and return to the stated then for the Assyrian New Year celebration on April 2001 she made her historical tour to North of Iraq, where she was welcomed by over 20,000 Assyrian fans.

In 2003, LG influenced by her last trip to North of Iraq she named her new release of "Silence of a Valley". The album featured new music from Linda as well as new music videos. she also reunited with Walid Ishak aka M.C. Roc for a new song called omtho hich lemaytho .Music from the album was used for the Assyrian feature length film "Cost of Happiness", released by Strategic Entertainment. With the release of the new album also came George's website.

In 2005, after Saddam Hussein was de-throned as the leader of Iraq, Linda released "I am Free", a CD sung in Arabic with 4 songs. The lead single, "Ana Hurra" was released world wide as an anthem for the newly liberated Iraq. The songs' video was shot by Strategic Entertainment. The second single off the album, "Hulla Hulla" was subsequently released and a video was shot and premiered on Middle Eastern television stations.

More hits such "Parkhaneeta", " Doushi", "Tlaneeta D'Timmal", from the album titled "Doushi", was released in 2007.

2010s[link]

After being in demand and trvelling 2 million air miles by 2010. and being the most photographed woman in the Assyrian history. LG worked hard on her latest album titled " Mokhneeten Minokh" recording the album musically in Sweden and recording the vocals, final mixing, and mastering in the U.S. As she toured to Australia for the 22nd time Easter Tour of 2010, she was able to finised video taping one of her hit on this album, "Madeleey".... 2 more hits on this album was released as video clips, currently working on " Dakhit Msaya" in the U.S and "Mokhneeten Minokh" in Sweden.

Discography[link]

• 1983 – Hal Eiman
• 1984 – Kursia D'Malkoota
• 1986 – Neqmeh Min Garbiat Atree
• 1988 – Warda b'il Drananeh d'Khooba
• 1988 – Kinara D'Rookha
• 1989 – Alaha't Khooba, Shoopra O Khaila
• 1991 – Kooma O'Khwara
• 1993 – Khamra Teeka
• 1994 – Peace On Earth (Christmas Album)
• 1995 – Khoot Goolpane't Malakha
• 1999 – Colors of my Country
• 2001 – No Quarter (English Single)
• 2003 – Silence Of A Valley
• 2005 – I am Free (Arabic Single)
• 2007 – Doushi
• 2010 – Mokhneeten Minokh

Links[link]

• Official Linda George site

References[link]

1. ^ Linda George assyriancafe.com, Retrieved January 2011
2. ^ http://www.qeenatha.com/viewprofile.php?id=50

v t e Assyrian/Syriac musicians Folk music Gabriel Asaad Evin Agassi Sargon Gabriel Linda George Juliana Jendo Jean Karat Elias Karam Paulus Khofri Habib Mousa Ashur Bet Sargis Janan Sawa Nawfal Shamoun Shamiram Urshan Sacral music Fairuz Nouri Iskandar Hanna Petros Abeer Nehme Wadih El Safi Elias Zazi Western/Assyrian music Aril Brikha Josef Özer