This magical power of names is reiterated throughout Egyptian history at all levels of society. It stands to reason that within the names and titles of the king of Egypt would be the greatest expression of power, and that they would also contain real elements of the Egyptian landscape. There is nothing to suggest that the Egyptians distinguished between symbolic and real qualities in such a way, and plenty to suggest that they didn t. Knowing the names of such early kings makes a perceptible difference to an individual s view of history, and makes links with the past less tenuous. Imagine, for example, how a view of British prehistory would change if it became history by knowing the name of the king of the region around Stonehenge when the monument was built.
Names do have power.
With regard to recording the names of the kings of Egypt, early in history recognisable formulae emerged. I to III recorded their Horus names the name they took on acceding to the throne of Egypt in rectangular frames known as serekhs. Each of these was surmounted by an image of the royal hawk, Horus. He was also The Golden Horus and Lord of the Sedge and Bee , symbolic not only of Upper and Lower Egypt, but also, many commentators believe, of an appreciation of duality in Egyptian religious thought. All these elements, Quirke believes, are present in very early times in Egypt and subsequently became formal written titles.