Tey
Encyclopedia
Tey was the wife of Kheperkheprure Ay
(occasionally "Aya"), who was the penultimate pharaoh
of Ancient Egypt
's 18th dynasty
. She was also the wetnurse of Queen Nefertiti
.
Her husband, Ay filled an important role in the courts of several pharaohs – Amenhotep III
, Akhenaten
and Tutankhamen – before ascending the throne himself, as the male line of the royal family became extinct. He is believed to be connected to the royal family; he was likely a brother of Queen Tiye
(wife of Amenhotep III), the father of Nefertiti (wife of Akhenaten) and a grandfather of Ankhesenamen (wife of Tutankhamen).
was their daughter and later married Horemheb
, Ay's successor on the throne. It is also possible that Ay's intended successor, Nakhtmin
, was his son, possibly by Tey.
Tey may have had a sister called Mutemnub. A dignitary named Ay is called second priest of Amun
, high priest of Mut
and Steward of Queen Tey on a statue now in the Brooklyn Museum
. This man's parents are recorded on the statue as Mutemnub and Nakhtmin. Mutemnub is said to be a sister of Queen Tey, and the inscription is usually interpreted to mean that she was the sister of Tey, wife of Ay.
crown and Nefertiti in her well-known blue crown (in this case decorated with three uraei). Meritaten
, Meketaten
and Ankhesenpaaten are shown in the window of appearances as well. The eldest two seem to be throwing rewards to Aye and Tey, while Ankhesenpaaten stands on the pillow before Nefertiti
and is caressing her chin.
Tey is also mentioned on a wooden box. The box is inscribed for The true scribe of the king whom he loves, troop commander, overseer of cavalry, and Father of the God, Ay. And the text mentions: The much-valued one, the sole one (unique) of Re, appreciated by the Great Royal Wife, the mistress of the house, Tiy.
took the throne after the death of Tutankhamen, Tey became his Great Royal Wife
. Queen Tey also held the titles Hereditary Princess (iryt-p`t), Great of Praises (wrt-hzwt), Lady of The Two Lands (nbt-t3wy), Great King’s Wife, his beloved (hmt-niswt-wrt meryt.f), and Mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt (hnwt-Shm’w T3-mhw).
Queen Tey is depicted in the tomb of Ay
(WV23) in the Valley of the Kings
. She appears behind Ay in a scene where Ay appears to be pulling lotus flowers from a marsh. The images are rather severely damaged. Tey may have been buried with her husband in WV23, and fragments of female human bones found in the tomb may be Tey's.
Tey is also depicted in a rock chapel dedicated to fertility god Min
in Akhmim
.
Ay
Ay was the penultimate Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt's 18th dynasty. He held the throne of Egypt for a brief four-year period , although he was a close advisor to two and perhaps three of the pharaohs who ruled before him and was the power behind the throne during Tutankhamun's reign...
(occasionally "Aya"), who was the penultimate pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
of Ancient Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
's 18th dynasty
Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt
The eighteenth dynasty of ancient Egypt is perhaps the best known of all the dynasties of ancient Egypt...
. She was also the wetnurse of Queen Nefertiti
Nefertiti
Nefertiti was the Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten. Nefertiti and her husband were known for a religious revolution, in which they started to worship one god only...
.
Her husband, Ay filled an important role in the courts of several pharaohs – Amenhotep III
Amenhotep III
Amenhotep III also known as Amenhotep the Magnificent was the ninth pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty. According to different authors, he ruled Egypt from June 1386 to 1349 BC or June 1388 BC to December 1351 BC/1350 BC after his father Thutmose IV died...
, Akhenaten
Akhenaten
Akhenaten also spelled Echnaton,Ikhnaton,and Khuenaten;meaning "living spirit of Aten") known before the fifth year of his reign as Amenhotep IV , was a Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt who ruled for 17 years and died perhaps in 1336 BC or 1334 BC...
and Tutankhamen – before ascending the throne himself, as the male line of the royal family became extinct. He is believed to be connected to the royal family; he was likely a brother of Queen Tiye
Tiye
Tiye was the daughter of Yuya and Tjuyu . She became the Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III....
(wife of Amenhotep III), the father of Nefertiti (wife of Akhenaten) and a grandfather of Ankhesenamen (wife of Tutankhamen).
Family
On inscriptions from the Amarna period Tey is called “nurse of the Great Royal Wife”. This indicates that even if Ay was Nefertiti's father, as he is usually believed to be, Tey was not her mother; according to this theory she was possibly the second wife of Ay after Nefertiti's mother died. It has been proposed that MutbenretMutbenret
Mutbenret was an Egyptian noblewoman, and said to be the Sister of the Great Royal Wife Nefertiti. Her name used to be read as Mutnedjemet. The hieroglyphs for nedjem and bener are similar and so is their meaning...
was their daughter and later married Horemheb
Horemheb
Horemheb was the last Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty from either 1319 BC to late 1292 BC, or 1306 to late 1292 BC although he was not related to the preceding royal family and is believed to have been of common birth.Before he became pharaoh, Horemheb was the commander in chief...
, Ay's successor on the throne. It is also possible that Ay's intended successor, Nakhtmin
Nakhtmin
Nakhtmin held the position of generalissimo during the reign of Pharaoh Tutankhamun of the eighteenth dynasty of Ancient Egypt. His titles during the reign of Tutankhamun included "the true servant who is beneficial to his lord, the king's scribe", "the servant beloved of his lord", "the fan-bearer...
, was his son, possibly by Tey.
Tey may have had a sister called Mutemnub. A dignitary named Ay is called second priest of Amun
Amun
Amun, reconstructed Egyptian Yamānu , was a god in Egyptian mythology who in the form of Amun-Ra became the focus of the most complex system of theology in Ancient Egypt...
, high priest of Mut
Mut
Mut, which meant mother in the ancient Egyptian language, was an ancient Egyptian mother goddess with multiple aspects that changed over the thousands of years of the culture. Alternative spellings are Maut and Mout. She was considered a primal deity, associated with the waters from which...
and Steward of Queen Tey on a statue now in the Brooklyn Museum
Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum is an encyclopedia art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At 560,000 square feet, the museum holds New York City's second largest art collection with roughly 1.5 million works....
. This man's parents are recorded on the statue as Mutemnub and Nakhtmin. Mutemnub is said to be a sister of Queen Tey, and the inscription is usually interpreted to mean that she was the sister of Tey, wife of Ay.
Amarna
Tey is depicted in her husband's unused Amarna tomb. On the North Wall, East Side a reward scene is depicted. Aye and Tey are shown before the window of appearances. Akhenaten is shown in a KhepreshKhepresh
The Khepresh was an ancient Egyptian royal headdress. It is also known as the blue crown or war crown. New Kingdom pharaohs are often shown wearing it in battle, but it was also frequently worn in ceremonies...
crown and Nefertiti in her well-known blue crown (in this case decorated with three uraei). Meritaten
Meritaten
Meritaten also spelled Merytaten or Meryetaten was an ancient Egyptian queen of the eighteenth dynasty, who held the position of Great Royal Wife to Pharaoh Smenkhkare, who may have been a brother or son of Akhenaten...
, Meketaten
Meketaten
Meketaten was the second daughter of six born to the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten and his Great Royal Wife Nefertiti. She was probably born in year 4 of Akhenaten's reign...
and Ankhesenpaaten are shown in the window of appearances as well. The eldest two seem to be throwing rewards to Aye and Tey, while Ankhesenpaaten stands on the pillow before Nefertiti
Nefertiti
Nefertiti was the Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten. Nefertiti and her husband were known for a religious revolution, in which they started to worship one god only...
and is caressing her chin.
Tey is also mentioned on a wooden box. The box is inscribed for The true scribe of the king whom he loves, troop commander, overseer of cavalry, and Father of the God, Ay. And the text mentions: The much-valued one, the sole one (unique) of Re, appreciated by the Great Royal Wife, the mistress of the house, Tiy.
Queen of Egypt
When AyAy
Ay was the penultimate Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt's 18th dynasty. He held the throne of Egypt for a brief four-year period , although he was a close advisor to two and perhaps three of the pharaohs who ruled before him and was the power behind the throne during Tutankhamun's reign...
took the throne after the death of Tutankhamen, Tey became his Great Royal Wife
Great Royal Wife
Great Royal Wife or Chief King's Wife is the term used to refer to the chief wife of the pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. While most Ancient Egyptians were monogamous, the pharaoh would have had other, lesser wives and concubines in addition to the Great Royal Wife...
. Queen Tey also held the titles Hereditary Princess (iryt-p`t), Great of Praises (wrt-hzwt), Lady of The Two Lands (nbt-t3wy), Great King’s Wife, his beloved (hmt-niswt-wrt meryt.f), and Mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt (hnwt-Shm’w T3-mhw).
Queen Tey is depicted in the tomb of Ay
Ay
Ay was the penultimate Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt's 18th dynasty. He held the throne of Egypt for a brief four-year period , although he was a close advisor to two and perhaps three of the pharaohs who ruled before him and was the power behind the throne during Tutankhamun's reign...
(WV23) in the Valley of the Kings
Valley of the Kings
The Valley of the Kings , less often called the Valley of the Gates of the Kings , is a valley in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the Pharaohs and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom .The valley stands on the west bank of...
. She appears behind Ay in a scene where Ay appears to be pulling lotus flowers from a marsh. The images are rather severely damaged. Tey may have been buried with her husband in WV23, and fragments of female human bones found in the tomb may be Tey's.
Tey is also depicted in a rock chapel dedicated to fertility god Min
Min
Min may refer to:*Min , an Egyptian fertility god*Min , a modern working copy of an Ancient Egyptian ship of Hatshepsut's time*Min , a South Korean celebrity most popularly known as a member of miss A*Min *Min River...
in Akhmim
Akhmim
Akhmim is a city in the Sohag Governorate of Upper Egypt. Referred to by the ancient Greeks as Khemmis, Chemmis and Panopolis, it is located on the east bank of the Nile, 4 miles to the northeast of Sohag.- History :Akhmim was known in Ancient Egypt as Ipu, Apu or Khent-min...
.