Animals were central to the ancient Egyptian worldview. In a rarity among ancient cultures, Egyptians believed that animals possessed souls. Since most species were thought to have a connection to a particular deity, after death the soul of a mummified animal could carry an individual’s message to a god. These messages could be written on papyrus or linen, recited orally, or perhaps a combination of the two. Complaints are the most common features of letters addressed to the gods. Writers complain about a variety of subjects, most often a crime committed against him or her. But the complaint can also address sickness, a deplorable state of affairs at work, an injustice within a family, perjury in court, or libel against the writer. In redress of their grievances, worshippers therefore ask the god to intervene and provide long life, improved health, better working conditions, enriched relations with parents, swift return of stolen goods, and immediate protection from evil spirits.
The falcon had been a sacred animal for a number of cults, such as those of the god Montu and the god Ra. Most prominantly the predatory character and strength of its flight made this bird a zoomorphic representation of the deity associated with the living pharaoh, Horus. With his parents, Osiris and Isis, Horus formed one of the most important divine triad closely connected to the royal cult. There were falcon cults all across Egypt, with the most spectacular discovered at Saqqara, where many thousands of birds were mummified and buried in an extensive complex of animal necropolises. While the mummies were mostly buried wrapped in linen and adorned with cartonnage heads, bronze sarcophagi, such as this piece, were notably rarer.
