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Djet
ab. 3008 B.C. till ab. 2975 B.C.
4. Pharaoh of the 1. Dynasty
 
Pharaonic names:
Nesw-bity: early pharaohs had none
Horus: Hor-Djet
Nebty: ...tjuj or ...tjwj (Turin) or Ita (Abydos)
Golden Horus unknown
 

Little is known ...

There is in fact not much known about Djet. His Horus-name, found on his wonderful preserved tomb stela, means "Serpent of Horus" or quot;Horus Cobra". Some people, rather on the occult side or maye just over-creatively, have assumed a connection to the feathered snake legends of Kukulkan on Central and South-America, but there is no evodence, that there was a contact between those cultures.
His reign was listed in portions of the Palermor stone that were destroyed or lost over the millenia. So, by all measures, we don't know too much about him. And still, then, we know some little but interesting details.

Merneith

Djet's queen, or at least his main wife, was Merneith. She was also his sister. Aside of everything else, that indicates at least, how early the Egyptians implemented a politics of marriages between near blood relatives. Now, it is not a surprise, they did that, we are well aware, it became normality in later dynasties. The interesting factor is, how early it happened. Because it supports the impression, we see also from human sacrifices in early pharaonic tombs: Those kings were perceived as Gods, long before the raise of the 3rd dynasty, which was for a long time widely perceived as the start of Egyptian God-Kindgship. We have to rethink that part! Because marriange between near blood relatives exclusively in the royal family is an indicator for a philosophy of "pure-blood". We can assume, even we have not much evidence, that nobility tried to imitate this politics while the people were usually out of it. At least, there are not many findings of birth defects in the early Egyptian population, which would, after some generations, one of the inevitable consequences.
Merneith herself is relevant for two more factors. She was daughter of Pharaoh Djer and wife of Djet. She was also mother of the later Pharaoh Den. But before Den raised to the throne, it appears, Merneith ruled for some years as a Pharaoh in her own rights (see more under her entry in this collection). That would make her the first woman on the throne and also the first pharaoh, who voluntarily retired (even there can be argued, how voluntary it really was).
Putting all this together, we see here a picture, that is rather unusual. Because Merneith had to gain influence while her husband was still alive. Over years. Which means, Djet let her. Normally, kings ruled and wifes played a siderole, even it was an important one because in much later times, the queens were the bearers of the royal blood lines and thus legitimation to rule. But they were not that involved in politcs. However, in the case of Djet and Merneith, the picture appears almost familiar to those, who study the New Kingdom. That has the touch of Ramses and Nefertari all over again. Only around 1300 years earlier!

Ahaneith

Also in Djet's tomb was a stela bearing the name of Ahaneith. The name is derived from the goddess Neith. The position of the stela indicates, that she was also a wife or at least consort of the king. Since we know, Merneith survived Djet and was pretty influential, we graps here another detail. Merneith was Djet's sister and his wife. Means, they married early. That means, Ahaneith, if she was actually also Djet's wife, had to be that parallel to Merneith.

The tomb

Djet's tomb is Tomb Z in the necropolis of Umm el Qua-ab. Associated with the tomb are 174 subsidiary burials. So there is no doubt about human sacrifices at Djet's funeral. However, even to kill 174 persons in honor of a dead king appears as barbarian to us, the lower number, compared to the subsidiary burials near to his father's, Djer's, tomb (300), but then to his son's Den's tomb (136), indicates, that this ritus was already fading a little. And it was not because those Pharaohs lost power or were less god-like than Djer. Den's tomb for example is the biggest and finest in Umm al-Qua'ba. The logical conclusion is, those pharaohs didn't need the same amount of human sacrifices anymore. Which would indicate, that at the time of Djet, the deization of kings was already firmly established in Egyptian culture.

... back
Tue, May 17, 2016
12:00 AM CT

Daniel Lee Siebert
Daniel Lee Siebert is now also in our serial killer collection. A more or less garden variety strangler type who got away longer than necessary bacause some big PDs dropped the ball ... and left it to smaller ones, to get the job done.

Fri, Dec 18, 2015
12:00 AM CT

Christman Genipperteinga
THe legendary robber along the wine road Trier-Cologne made it finally into our collection. With a total of 970 victim, including six of them his own children, he is currently the most prolific serial killer in the Collection.

Thu, Oct 22, 2015
12:00 AM CT

Gerard John Schaefer
The allegedly most prolific Florida Serial Killer, "Killer Cop" Gerard Schaefer, finally also made his way into out collection.

Thu, Sep 24, 2015
12:00 AM CT

Royal Russel Long
Long was quite messed up in the investigation of the Wyoming Rodeo Murders, but details show, he was another kind of animal, y typeless pedophile serial killer. Now his file is in our collection.

Mon, Aug 17, 2015
12:00 AM CT

The Wyoming Rodeo Murders
A story of misperceptions and midnless cabinet cleaning by police authorities that ended up with someone getting away with at least two murders on young women. Now in our collection.

Wed, Jul 15, 2015
12:00 AM CT

Joseph Vacher, the French Ripper
Now new in our collection: Joseph Vacher, the French Ripper. The first case, blood spatter analysis was used in a court trial world wide!

Sat, Jun 20, 2015
12:00 AM CST

No new addition in June
Usually, we try to bring another case up in our serial killer collection every month, but this month, we simply had no time. Between working open cases and other activities, it was just not possible. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Sat, May 16, 2015
12:00 AM CT

The Beauty Queen Killer
New in the serial killer collection: Christopher Wilder, the Beauty Queen Killer. A case that shows how nonsensical the disctinction between serial and spree killers really is.

Thu, Apr 16, 2015
12:00 AM CT

Burton W. Abbott
Abbott killed only one victim, a case that caused some public attention in 1955. But he showed all hallmarks of a fledgling serial killer and thus, we added him to our collection.

Mon, Mar 16, 2015
12:00 AM CT

Darren Deon Vann
Ha is basically the usual garden variety strangler case if it wouldn't be for the early warnings statistical data cretated about serial killer activity in Gary/Indiana. Now he is in our collection.

Wed, Mar 4, 2015
12:00 AM CT

Apologies!
Due to technical problems, the March article was up late. Take my apologies for this glitch.

Mon, Feb 16, 2015
12:00 AM CT

Affaire of the Poisons
We have added the infamous Affaire of the Poisons to our collection. With more than 80 offenders, it breaks a little the format, but well, it's one of the biggest cases of "organized" crime ever, so how can we let it out?

Mon, Dec 8, 2014
12:00 AM CT

Joseph Bryan
Once he made the FBI Ten Most Wanted list, now nobody remembers the case anymore. Nevertheless, the father of all allegedly schizophrenic serial killers has entered our collection.

Fri, Nov 7, 2014
12:00 AM CT

The Trailside Killer
David Joseph Carpenter has now become also part of the Serial Killer Collection ... complete with profile.

Tue, Oct 7, 2014
12:00 AM CT

The Vampire of Duesseldorf
Peter Kuerten aka The Vampire of Duesseldorf roamed the city at the River Rhine for more than two years and left behind a trail of bodies-

Fri, Sep 12, 2014
12:00 AM CT

The Grim Sleeper
Lonnie Franklin aka The Grim Sleeper has been added to our serial killer collection

Thu, Aug 14, 2014
12:00 AM CT

Michael Lee Lockhart
... and with a little delay, another serial made it into the serial killer collection. Michael Lee Lockhart, not so much interesting for his "achievements" but because his case appears as if he became a psychopath only after a serious head injury.

Tue, Aug 12, 2014
12:00 AM CT

A Game of Daggers
Diane's new novel A GAME OF DAGGERS is now available at Amazon for Kindle. A story of murder, mayhem and political intrigue set up in the year of the Lord 1096.
Pope Urban II has called for a crusade, but this news has yet to reach Cornwall. And people there have anyway to deal with other problems from storms to wreckers on their coast and when some murdered men are discovered on the beach, nobody guesses, this is only the prelude to much greater events coming to the so remote shores ...

Sat, Jul 5, 2014
12:00 AM CT

Ivan Hill
Ivan Hill, as the first of the many serial killers, who haunted Los Angeles in the 80s and 90s, is now added to our serial killer collection.

Sun, Jun 8, 2014
12:00 AM CT

Raya and Sakina
The famous Egyptian serial killers have become part of our collection. And as so often, things are not as simple as the urban legend tries to tell us.

Thu, May 1, 2014
12:00 AM CT

Dagmar Overbye
The infamous Danish baby farmer has been added to our Serial Killer Collection.

Thu, May 1, 2014
12:00 AM CT

Pharaoh Djoser added to the Egyptian Collection
I finally came around to add a new pharaoh to our collection: Djoser, 1st Pharoh of the 3rd Dynasty.

Fri, Apr 4, 2014
12:00 AM CT

The Green River Killer
This month, we added Gary Ridgway to our serial killer collection, a case, not so much interesting for the profiling but for the lessons about case organization to be learned from it.

Tue, Mar 4, 2014
12:00 AM CT

Manson Family
The "Manson Family&quo; has been added to our serial killer collection. Especially interesting for those who think, brain washing isn't possible.

Fri, Feb 7, 2014
12:00 AM CT

Hans van Zon
Dutch serial killer Hans van Zon joined our serial killer collection. Not entirely voluntarily though.

Mon, Jan 6, 2014
12:00 AM CT

The Syracuse Dungeon Master
John T. Jamelske aka the Syracuse Dungeon Master has been added to our Serial Killer Collection. While not a seria killer but a serial rapist, Jamelske represents a similar psychopathology as some OCD type serial killers, for example Dahmer and therefore is some valuable object for studies.

Thu, Jan 2, 2014
12:00 AM CT

Khasekhemwy
The last of the 2nd dynasty pharaohs, the man who re-united Egypt, is now also in the Egyptian collection.

Thu, Dec 12, 2013
12:00 AM CT

Pharaoh Sekhemib added to the Egyptian Collection
I finally came around to add Pharaoh Sekhemib to the collection, the sixth of the 2nd Dynasty. So, with some luck, I can finish this year the 2nd dynsty, only one, Khasekhemwy is left.

Tue, Dec 10, 2013
12:00 AM CT

The Riha disappearance
In 1969, Dr. Thomas Riha disappeared and in the subconsequent series of events, Gloria Tannenbaum was arrested for forgery and under suspicion of two other homicides. She plead not guilty by reason of insanity and got away with it. The case has now been added to our serial killer collection.

Mon, Nov 4, 2013
12:00 AM CT

Richard N. Clarey jr.
Clarey is one of the lesser known serial killers, skirting the definition a little. Still, for some reasons an interesting case.

Wed, Oct 2, 2013
12:00 AM CT

Now in the collection: William E. Cosden
A garden variety sexual predator, notable only because his existence shows, how wrong the idea of 1 monster at 1 time in 1 area is.

Copyright if not otherwise mentioned Peter and Diane Brendt 2010-. All copies, also in parts, demand the written consent of the copyright holders