This title could mean that he was the father-in-law of the pharaoh, suggesting that he was the son of Yuya and Tjuyu, thus being a brother or half-brother of Tiye, brother-in-law to Amenhotep III and the maternal uncle of Akhenaten. The final God's Father title is the one most associated with Ay, and was later incorporated into his royal name when he became pharaoh. The 'Fan-bearer on the Right Side of the King' was a very important position, and is viewed as showing that the bearer had the 'ear' of the ruler. Other titles listed in this tomb include Fan-bearer on the Right Side of the King, Acting Scribe of the King, beloved by him, and God's Father.
Prior to this promotion he appears to have been first a Troop Commander and then a "regular" Overseer of Horses, titles which were found on a box thought to have been part of the original furnishings for his tomb. She may have been Ay's first wife.Ī stone block shows Ay receiving the "Gold of Honor" award in his Amarna tomb from Akhenaten.Īll that is known for certain was that by the time he was permitted to build a tomb for himself ( Southern Tomb 25) at Amarna during the reign of Akhenaten, he had achieved the title of "Overseer of All the Horses of His Majesty", the highest rank in the elite charioteering division of the army, which was just below the rank of General. His mother's name was Iuy, a priestess of Min and Isis in Akhmim. Nakhtmin, Ay's chosen successor, was likely his son or grandson. However, nowhere are Ay and Tey referred to as the parents of Nefertiti. It is often theorised that he was the father of Nefertiti as a way to explain his title 'God's Father' as it has been argued that the term designates a man whose daughter married the king. Therefore, the theory that he was the son of Yuya rests entirely on circumstantial evidence.Īy's Great Royal Wife was Tey, who was known to be the wet-nurse to Nefertiti. The mummy of Ay has not been located, although fragmentary skeletal remains recovered from his tomb may represent it, so a more thorough comparison with Yuya cannot be made. A strong physical resemblance has been noted between the mummy of Yuya and surviving statuary depictions of Ay. This connection is based on the fact that both Yuya and Ay came from Akhmim and held the titles 'God's Father' and 'Master of Horses'.
He may have been the son of the courtier Yuya and his wife Tjuyu, making him a brother of Tiye and Anen. During his short reign, he built a rock-cut chapel in Akhmim and dedicated it to the local deity Min. See also: Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt family treeĪy is believed to have been from Akhmim. His prenomen Kheperkheperure means "Everlasting are the Manifestations of Ra," while his nomen Ay it-netjer reads as "Ay, Father of the God." Records and monuments that can be clearly attributed to Ay are rare, both because his reign was short and because his successor, Horemheb, instigated a campaign of damnatio memoriae against him and the other pharaohs associated with the unpopular Amarna Period. It is theorized that he was the power behind the throne during Tutankhamun's reign. Prior to his rule, he was a close advisor to two, and perhaps three, other pharaohs of the dynasty. He held the throne of Egypt for a brief four-year period in the late 1300s BC. Tey and Ankhesenamun (Granddaughter & grandniece-in-law?)Īy was the penultimate pharaoh of ancient Egypt's 18th Dynasty. The ruler of truth, who creates the two lands Who is mighty of strength, who subdues the Asiatics
The strong bull, the one of glittering crowns
Everlasting are the Manifestations of Re,