Senefru

The first king in human history to appear wearing the horns as a warrior is King Senefru  of Egypt  

(Fourth Dynasty), who ruled in the 27th century BCE. He is depicted in several reliefs wearing the horned crown, such as the relief under inventory number JE 38568 in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, discovered in the Wadi Maghareh in the Sinai Peninsula. In this depiction, the king is shown attacking an enemy who appears to be of Asian origin, echoing a recurring motif found in later periods and in the famous Narmer Palette.

Following Senefru, another Egyptian king who wore the horns was Sahure (Fifth Dynasty), who ruled in the 25th century BCE. The crowns of kings varied to include two horns and even four horns.

The Pyramid Texts, the oldest complete religious texts in human history, indicate that the four horns symbolize the four cardinal directions. In paragraph 469, we read:

"Hail to you, O Thoth-Ra, you who are with four horns! Your horn is in the west, your horn is in the east, your horn is in the south, your horn is in the north!"

Thus, the four horns symbolize the four cardinal directions and their corners. King Senefru was the first to wear the horns, symbolizing his dominion over the four quarters of the earth. This symbolism was later adopted by Naram-Sin (23rd century BCE), the Akkadian king of Mesopotamia, three centuries after Senefru. Naram-Sin's famous victory stela follows the pattern of Senefru, depicting him trampling enemies and wearing the horned crown, and he took the title "King of the Four Quarters."

The era of Naram-Sin in Mesopotamia saw the adoption of several Egyptian ideas related to kingship, inspiring Mesopotamia with aspects of Egyptian royal imagery, titles, and even in matters such as naming the years after significant events or counting the number of defeated enemies.

Swiss archaeologist Oscar Keel in his book "The Egyptian Model: Adoption of Innovations in Mesopotamia in the Third Millennium BCE," State

Certainly!

The adoption of Egyptian royal symbolism and ideology by Mesopotamian rulers like Naram-Sin illustrates the interconnectedness of ancient civilizations and the influence they had on each other's cultural and political practices.

Furthermore, this cultural exchange highlights the prestige and perceived power associated with certain symbols and titles, such as the horned crown and the epithet "King of the Four Quarters." These symbols not only conveyed the ruler's authority over their own kingdom but also implied dominion over the entire known world, represented by the four cardinal directions.

The adoption of Egyptian models by Mesopotamian rulers also demonstrates the admiration and emulation of successful and prestigious civilizations by neighboring cultures. It reflects a desire to legitimize and enhance their own authority by associating themselves with the perceived grandeur and divine approval associated with Egyptian kingship.

Overall, the interchange of cultural and ideological concepts between ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia played a significant role in shaping the political and religious landscape of the ancient Near East, influencing rulers' self-presentation and the symbolism associated with royal power for centuries to come.

"By adopting the Egyptian model of defeating the enemy, the ancient Akkadian king acquired an 'image' of triumph over enemies, supported by new elements in the royal title. All these aspects did not originate in Mesopotamian traditions, but were an ancient and grand model in Egypt."