Text written by WikiBrother Gabriel Brandino , from @moshinhell
Ancient Egypt is depicted in numerous heavy metal lyrics.
And today we're going to explain a little bit about the meaning of the song "Valley of the Queens" from the Ayreon .
The song, which in my opinion is one of the most beautiful on Ayreon , is sung by three musical beauties: Floor Jansen ( Nightwish ), Anneke van Giersbergen (formerly of The Gathering ), and the incredible Marcela Bovio .
The lyrics, as the song title suggests, are about the Valley of the Queens.
The Valley of the Queens is a necropolis (ancient cemetery) where the wives of the pharaohs were buried.
The ancient Egyptians gave the place several names, including Taset-Neferu ("The Place of Beauty"), Tainet-aat ("The Great Valley"), and Taset-resit ("The Southern Valley"), which was located south of the Valley of the Kings (where the pharaohs were buried).
The Valley of the Queens is located on the west bank of the Nile River, opposite the city of Luxor (ancient Thebes).
There are about eighty tombs there, and the most famous is that of Queen Nefertari , one of the wives of Pharaoh Ramses II .
The song in question, which is quite short, talks about the feelings of one of these queens after her death.
"My journey is over.
I stand on the edge
, and I close my eyes
to this world of lies."
The phrase "world of lies" likely refers to the fact that the queens buried there always lived in the shadows of their husbands.
And because, as in all dynasties, they and their kings received that treatment not because they were actually worshipped, but because of power.
"My search is over.
My name is carved in stone
on the temple wall,
beyond the hall of Osiris."
Here is a reference to the tomb of Queen Nefertari.
Her tomb is known for its paintings depicting the queen worshipping the mummified body of Osiris .
"No holy ray of sunshine
will illuminate my tomb of dreams.
I will not return
from the valley of queens."
Here is the last verse of the song, where the queen in question knows that she will never see the sun again, and will be buried in the Valley of the Queens.
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