T is for TUTANKHAMEN

The Rogue Speaks:

My "T" offering for Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday is about the boy king affectionately known as TUT!

He was the son-in-law of Akhenaten, an Egyptian Pharaoh, whose rule has been determined as the most over-rated on of all the Pharaohs. As for Tut's own parents, we know nothing. He could have been a descendant of a Royal, but then again, maybe not. By marrying the daughter of a king, however, he became a potential heir to the throne, according to Egyptian law.

Akhenaten had no male heirs, but he did have daughters. His daughter Mertaten was married, and her husband, Smenkhkare, was associated with her father as co-regent. She had wanted to be queen, but her husband died around the same time as her father, and shortly after, she disappeared, leaving the the throne up for grabs.

To make a long story short, Tut was married to the only surviving daughter,Ankhesenpaaten. They were both mere children at the time, so of course there was someone in the background, pulling all the strings. This someone was Ay, Chief Priest, Court Chamberlain, who was a personal friend of Akhenaten, and whose wife, Tyi, was a nurse to the royal wife, Nefertiti.

Ay really wanted to be the next Pharaoh, so it is suspected that he had a lot to do with Tut's early demise.

Far more interesting than the life of King Tut is the discovery of his tomb in the Valley of The Kings. The tomb, a fairly modest one, lay hidden for more than 3000 years.

In the late 1800's, an American business man, Theodore Davis, was the first person to find items related to Tut's resting place.

In 1907, more clues were discovered in a small pit, but were disregarded by Davis as having any significance. It wasn't until later that Egyptolotist Howard Carter, working with Davis realized the importance of those relics. He became convinced that Tut's tomb lay in the Valley of the Kings. He was permitted to begin digging in 1914, but the war broke out and it wasn't until 1921 that the actual excavation began.

The tomb was found and opened! It was heavily photographed and eventually the contents were taken to the Cairo Museum. There have been two world tours of these treasures--in the 1970's and again in 2005.

But enough about those old mummies! Here is a photo of the REAL King Tut. He stole my heart and tickled my funny bone many years ago, and he still does today.

Steve Martin, that "wild and crazy guy," is one of the most gifted comedians that I know. The most important aspect of his talent is his impeccable timing. There is just no other comedian who can match him in that regard. Tuts may come, and Tuts may go, but to me, his Tut is THE BEST!!