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The Turin Royal Canon, also known as the Turin King List, is an ancient Egyptian papyrus that provides a list of Egyptian kings and is considered one of the most important sources for the chronology of ancient Egypt.
Description and Origin
The papyrus was discovered in the early 19th century by the Italian explorer Bernardino Drovetti. It is currently housed in the Egyptian Museum in Turin, Italy, which gives it its name.
The Turin Royal Canon is believed to date from the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II during the Nineteenth Dynasty, around the 13th century BC. It is written in hieratic script on papyrus and is unfortunately fragmentary, with many parts missing or damaged.
Content and Structure
List of Kings: The papyrus originally contained a comprehensive list of Egyptian rulers from mythical times up to the period in which it was compiled. This includes:
Gods and Demi-gods: The list begins with mythological rulers, including gods and demi-gods, who are said to have ruled Egypt for thousands of years. This section suggests the existence of a divine or semi-divine lineage that governed Egypt long before the historical pharaohs.
Predynastic Rulers: After the mythological period, the list includes predynastic rulers, indicating a recognition of human governance before the formal establishment of the dynastic period.
Dynastic Pharaohs: The list then proceeds to record the names and reigns of pharaohs from the First Dynasty through to the time of its creation in the Nineteenth Dynasty.
The list of gods includes mythological figures from Egyptian religion, believed to have ruled Egypt before human kings. The reign lengths given to these gods are symbolic rather than literal, reflecting their divine status and the Egyptians’ view of time in relation to their gods.
Turin Royal Canon (Reversed Order)
| Name | Reign Length (years) | Start Reign (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Ramesses III | 31 | c. 1186 BCE |
| Merneptah | 10 | c. 1213 BCE |
| Ramesses II (the Great) | 66 | c. 1279 BCE |
| Seti I | 11 | c. 1290 BCE |
| Ramesses I | 2 | c. 1292 BCE |
| Tutankhamun | 9 | c. 1332 BCE |
| Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV) | 17 | c. 1353 BCE |
| Amenhotep III | 38 | c. 1386 BCE |
| Thutmose III | 54 | c. 1458 BCE |
| Hatshepsut | 21 | c. 1479 BCE |
| Thutmose I | 12 | c. 1506 BCE |
| Amenhotep I | 21 | c. 1525 BCE |
| Ahmose I | 25 | c. 1550 BCE |
| Sobekneferu | 4 | c. 1806 BCE |
| Amenemhat III | 45 | c. 1844 BCE |
| Senusret III | 19 | c. 1878 BCE |
| Senusret I | 45 | c. 1971 BCE |
| Amenemhat I | 29 | c. 1991 BCE |
| Mentuhotep II | 51 | c. 2055 BCE |
| Pepi II | 94 | c. 2284 BCE |
| Pepi I | 50 | c. 2332 BCE |
| Unas | 30 | c. 2375 BCE |
| Djedkare Isesi | 28 | c. 2414 BCE |
| Nyuserre Ini | 24 | c. 2455 BCE |
| Neferefre | 2 | c. 2458 BCE |
| Neferirkare Kakai | 20 | c. 2475 BCE |
| Sahure | 12 | c. 2487 BCE |
| Userkaf | 7 | c. 2494 BCE |
| Teti | 30 | c. 2890 BCE |
| Meni (Menes) | 62 | c. 3150 BCE |
Gods and Demigods (Mythical Era)
| Name | Reign Length (years) | Start Reign (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Other Demigods and Spirits | 13,420 | Mythical Era |
| Maat | 1,142 | Mythical Era |
| Thoth | 3,226 | Mythical Era |
| Horus | 300 | Mythical Era |
| Set | 350 | Mythical Era |
| Osiris | 450 | Mythical Era |
| Geb | 500 | Mythical Era |
| Shu | 700 | Mythical Era |
| Ra | 1,000 | Mythical Era |
| Ptah | 9,000 | Mythical Era |
Possible Figures from Egyptian Mythology as “Other Demigods and Spirits”
Although the Turin Royal Canon does not list names for many of these figures, the following are some potential demigods or lesser-known divine rulers in Egyptian mythology:
- Horus the Elder: An earlier form of the god Horus, distinct from Horus, the son of Osiris. Horus the Elder may have been considered a ruler of Egypt in some traditions, particularly in the pre-dynastic myths.
- Anubis: The god of embalming and protector of the dead. Anubis may have been seen as a ruler during the pre-dynastic period or in mythological cycles tied to the afterlife.
- Wepwawet: A war deity and guide of the dead, often depicted as a wolf. Wepwawet was associated with Upper Egypt and may have been one of the mythical rulers.
- Khentyamentiu: A god associated with the afterlife and an early form of Osiris. He may have been considered one of the pre-dynastic rulers of Egypt.
- Montu: A war god venerated in Upper Egypt, Montu was a powerful figure in Theban mythology. In some versions of Egyptian myth, Montu may have been an ancient ruler.
- Khonsu: The moon god, who also had associations with healing and protection. In some local traditions, Khonsu might have been a protector or ruler of certain regions in mythological times.
- Nekhbet and Wadjet: The vulture goddess of Upper Egypt (Nekhbet) and the cobra goddess of Lower Egypt (Wadjet) are ancient protective deities who may have had symbolic roles as rulers in pre-dynastic mythological periods.
- Min: An ancient fertility god, associated with male potency and agricultural abundance. Min was venerated in the pre-dynastic period and might have been included in the demigods and spirits’ reigns.
- Bastet and Sekhmet: The lioness goddesses, protectors of the pharaoh and the people. Bastet (goddess of home and fertility) and Sekhmet (goddess of war and destruction) could be part of these spirits, representing divine guardianship in early mythology.
- Sobek: The crocodile god, connected to the Nile’s power and fertility. Sobek may have been viewed as one of the rulers in Egypt’s mythological past.
- Serqet: A goddess of scorpions and protector of the dead. Serqet was closely connected to funerary rituals and may have been included in the list of demigods.
- Seshat: The goddess of writing and measurement. In mythological accounts, she helped pharaohs in their construction projects and could have had a symbolic reign among the demigods.
Historical Significance
Chronological Accuracy: The Turin Royal Canon is considered one of the most accurate ancient king lists because it provides the lengths of reigns for many kings and attempts to include all known rulers, even those with very short reigns.
Historical Challenges: Due to its fragmentary nature, reconstructing the complete list is challenging, but it remains a critical source for understanding the chronology and succession of ancient Egyptian rulers.
Interpretation by Graham Hancock
Alternative History: Hancock references the Turin Royal Canon to support his theories of advanced prehistoric civilizations. He suggests that the long reigns of gods and demi-gods could point to a lost civilization with advanced knowledge that predated the known Egyptian dynasties.
Mythological Significance: Hancock argues that the mythological elements of the king list, often dismissed by mainstream Egyptology, could hold historical truths about a forgotten era of high civilization.
The Turin Royal Canon provides a unique glimpse into how the ancient Egyptians viewed their past, blending mythology with historical record-keeping, and remains a subject of interest for those exploring alternative histories and ancient mysteries.
The Turin Royal Canon, also known as the Turin King List, is believed to cover a span of time that reaches back into the mythical past, extending into historical periods. While exact numbers are challenging to specify due to the fragmentary nature of the document, here is an overview of the total span it is thought to cover:
- Mythical and Predynastic Period: This section of the list begins with the rule of gods and demi-gods, suggesting reigns that collectively span thousands of years. Estimates for this mythical period often suggest spans of 10,000 to 15,000 years, based on traditional interpretations of these early reigns.
- Historical Dynastic Period: The list continues into the historical period of Egypt’s dynastic history, starting from the First Dynasty around 3100 BC and continuing through the known pharaohs up to the Nineteenth Dynasty, around 1300 BC.
Total Estimated Span
- Overall Span: Combining both the mythical and historical sections, the Turin Royal Canon could be interpreted to cover a span of over 15,000 years, with the earliest periods being largely mythological in nature.
