The Dwarves are an American punk rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, as The Suburban Nightmare, in the mid-1980s. They are currently based in San Francisco, California.^[1] Formed as a garage punk band, their career subsequently saw them move in a hardcore direction before settling into an eclectic punk rock sound emphasizing intentionally shocking lyrics. They have been described as 'one of the last true bastions of punk rock ideology in the contemporary musical age'.^[2]

• 6Discography

The chief unit of dwarven society is the clan, and dwarves highly value social standing. Even dwarves who live far from their own kingdoms cherish their clan identities and affiliations, recognize related dwarves, and invoke their ancestors’ names in oaths and curses. To be clanless is the worst fate that can be fall a. The luck of the dwarves (i) is an upgraded version of the Luck of the dwarves ring after being upgraded at Mazcab by the Armoursmith for 7,500 teci. This increases the damage bonuses of the ring by 2.8. When worn, it slightly increases the chances to receive certain unique drops and rewards that are affected by the luck mechanic. Luck is a mechanic that determines the chance for receiving certain rare or special drops and rewards from various sources. Luck was significantly reworked on 27 March 2017 in an update to categorise affected drops and rewards into 4 tiers of luck, each corresponding to one or more luck enhancing items.

History[edit]

The original members of the Dwarves began making music together in the mid-1980s as teenagers in the Chicago garage rock outfit, Suburban Nightmare, which was compared to The Sonics,^[3][4] and which has been described as part of the Paisley Underground scene.^[5] This era of the Dwarves is captured on Lick It(the psychedelic years 83-86) a 34 track collection put out by Recess records in 1999.

The band became notorious for self-mutilation, on-stage sex, and taking hard drugs, and their live shows would often only last around fifteen minutes, occasionally cut short due to injury caused by spectators.^{[3][6][7][8][9]} The band's sound began to evolve beyond its early garage roots with their second (nine-minute long) LP,^[10]Toolin' For A Warm Teabag, which saw the band drifting towards a more truculent punk rock sound, influenced by GG Allin.^[11] Recess records issued Free Cocaine 86-88 in 1999, a 39-song collection that shows the band's transition to the nihilistic style that took them to the Sub Pop era. The band released Blood Guts & Pussy on Sub Pop in 1990. By this time the Dwarves had dropped their early psychedelic sensibilities and morphed into a hardcore punk band. The Blood Guts & Pussy LP was followed up by EP Lucifer's Crank released by No.6 Records, as well as another Sub Pop LP, the metal-punk Thank Heaven For Little Girls, both in 1991.^[10]

In 1993 the band issued a press release stating their guitarist HeWhoCannotBeNamed had been stabbed to death in Philadelphia. Though this later turned out to be a hoax, the band even went as far as to attach a tribute to the 'late' guitarist on their 1993 Sub Pop-released album Sugarfix.^[3][7] Sub Pop did not respond well to the hoax and summarily dropped the band from its label.^[7][10] The Dwarves reformed in 1997, releasing The Dwarves Are Young and Good Looking (described by Adam Bregman of AllMusic as 'the beginning of a new Dwarves...one that plays real songs, had a set list, and left the club unbloodied'),^[12] and its 2000 followup The Dwarves Come Clean.^[3] In the film Me, Myself & Irene, Jim Carrey is seen singing along to Dwarves 'Motherfucker', which Dahlia later said he got 'tens of thousands of dollars' for.^[6] In 2000, the band offered the track 'River City Rapist' to George W. Bush as his presidential campaign song.^[13]

In 2004 the band released The Dwarves Must Die, its first LP for the indie label Sympathy for the Record Industry, which featured guest appearances from Dexter Holland (The Offspring), Nick Oliveri (Queens of the Stone Age), Nash Kato (Urge Overkill), and voice actor Gary Owens.^[7] Dahlia was assaulted by Josh Homme of QOTSA before a Dwarves show in Los Angeles in 2004, which saw Homme placed on summary probation for thirty-six months.^[14][15]

In 2009, Blag and HeWhoCannotBeNamed were immortalised as Bobbleheads by Aggronautix.^[16]

Band members[edit]

Singer Blag Dahlia (a.k.a. Julius Seizure, born Paul Cafaro),^[17] and guitarist HeWhoCannotBeNamed (a.k.a. Pete Vietnamcheque) have always been the two core members of the group.^[3][6] The lineup has shifted around them, and currently consists of members 'Rex Everything' on bass and vocals, 'Fresh Prince of Darkness' on guitar, and 'Hunter Down' on drums. Former members include 'Dutch Ovens', 'Gregory Pecker', 'Chip Fracture', 'Wholley Smokes', 'Clint Torres', 'Tazzie Bushweed', 'Thrusty Otis', 'Crash Landon', 'Wreck Tom', and 'Vadge Moore', among others.^[3]

Music style[edit]

They are known for their simple, loud, yet nuanced punk repertoire, and controversial lyrics. Since the garage punk sound of their early days, they developed a more direct hardcore punk sound, often identified as 'scum punk' due to the intentional perversity of the lyrics. Around the turn of millennium, the Dwarves developed more of a manic pop punk influence. Bits of hardcore, surf rock, pop, hip-hop, and rock & roll all factor into the band's current punk rock sound.

Their shows have been notable for some aggressive fights on stage (with the audience and even a cop), and because HeWhoCannotBeNamed performs either in nothing but a jockstrap or totally nude, apart from his trademark 'Rey Mysterio' wrestling mask.^[1]

Cover art[edit]

Many of their album covers were intentionally confrontational, often featuring dwarf actor Bobby Faust with an assortment of naked women, sometimes with sacrilegious themes such as re-enacting the Crucifixion. Faust posed sodomizing a rabbit covered in blood for their 1990 album Blood Guts & Pussy^[10][18] - followed up a decade later, with a similar theme, this time covered in soap suds, for Come Clean.^[3]

Side projects[edit]

• Former drummer Sigh Moan formed Specula with Specter Spec, releasing the Erupt album in 1995.^[10]
• Blag Dahlia has worked as a producer for Joey Santiago's band The Martinis,^[19] and is also half of the duo The Uncontrollable with Nick Oliveri.^[20][21]
• Blag Dahlia has also performed solo acoustic sets, which he described as his 'camp counselor guy routine',^[6] released a bluegrass album, Blackgrass in 1995 under the name Earl Lee Grace.^[17]
• Blag Dahlia was a part the side project Penetration Moon, which released a sole single, 'Fifth a Day', in 1991.^[3]
• Blag Dahlia has published two books, Armed to the Teeth With Lipstick (1998) and Nina (2006).^[17]
• Blag Dahlia sings 'Doing the Sponge' in the SpongeBob SquarePants episode The Chaperone, which originally aired on Nickelodeon October 2, 1999. 'Doing the Sponge' is written by Salt Peter (Peter Straus), former bassist for the Dwarves.^[22]
• Blag Dahlia's most recent side project is pop/rock band Candy Now!, which he formed with Angelina Moysov of Persephone's Bees.
• HeWhoCannotBeNamed has released two solo albums, which have featured guest appearances from his fellow Dwarves members, including Blag Dahlia. 'Humaniterrorist', a vinyl only release in 2012, and 'Love/Hate', a compact disc-only release in 2013.
• Blag Dahlia on Vocals recording The Who's 'The Kids are Alright' with Peted on guitar of The Adicts and Cell Block 5
• Blag Dahlia sings vocals on the Royce Cracker single 'Who Put the Methamphetamine in Mr. Everything'.
• Rex Everything sings vocals on the Royce Cracker single 'Doin' Whatche Say'. The Royce Cracker Dwarves split 7' was released on Zodiac Killer Records (ZKR038) in 2009.^[23][24]
• Marc Diamond plays guitar, and Andy Selway plays drums on the Royce Cracker single 'Meth Stop Calling'.

Discography[edit]

Albums[edit]

• A Hard Day's Nightmare (as The Surburban Nightmare) LP (Midnight Records, 1985, MIR LP 109)
• Horror Stories LP (Voxx Records, 1986, VXS 200.037)
• Toolin' For A Warm Teabag LP (Nasty Gash Records, 1988, NG 001)
• Blood Guts & Pussy LP (Sub Pop, 1990, SP 67)
• Thank Heaven for Little Girls LP (Sub Pop, 1991, SP 126)
• Sugarfix LP (Sub Pop, 1993, SP 197)
• The Dwarves Are Young and Good Looking LP (Theologian Records, 1997, T53)
• The Dwarves Come Clean LP (Epitaph Records, 2000, 86575 1)
• How To Win Friends And Influence People (Reptilian Records, 2001, REP 068)
• The Dwarves Must Die (2004)
• The Dwarves Are Born Again (2011)
• The Dwarves Invented Rock & Roll (2014)
• Radio Free Dwarves (Riot Style Records / Greedy) (2015) ^[25]
• Take Back The Night (Burger Records / Greedy) (2018) ^[26]

Compilations[edit]

• Free Cocaine DLP (Recess Records, 1999, RECESS No. 51)
• Lick It DLP (Recess Records, 1999, RECESS No. 52)
• Greedy Boot 1 (2005) - only available from their website

Live[edit]

• Toolin' for Lucifers Crank (1996)
• Fuck You Up and Get Live (2005)
• Radio Free Dwarves (2015)

EPs[edit]

• Lucifer's Crank cassette EP (self issued, 1988, reissued on 7' by Rough Trade No.6 (Karbon), 1991, KAR 13/7)
• We Kill Cock Throbbin' cassette-EP (self-issued, 1988)
• Underworld / Lies / Down By The River (Sub Pop, 1993, SP 183B)^[27]
• Fake ID, Bitch 10' Vinyl (2011)

Singles[edit]

• 'Lick It' 7' (Ubik, 1988)
• 'She's Dead' / 'Fuckhead' 7' (Sub Pop SP50, 1990)
• 'Drugstore' / 'Detention Girl' / 'Astro Boy' / 'Motherfucker' 7' (Sub Pop SP81, 1990)
• 'Sit on My Face' / 'I Wanna Kill Your Boyfriend' (by Seizure) split 7' (Sympathy For the Record Industry, SFTRI 132, 1991)
• 'Lucky Tonight' / 'Speed Demon' / 'Dairy Queen' 7' (Sub Pop SP21/163, 1992)
• 'Anybody Out There' / 'Who Cares' 7' (Sub Pop SP84/254, 1993)
• 'That's Rock 'n' Roll' / 'I'm a Man' 7' (Sympathy For The Record Industry SFTRI 280, 1994)
• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (But Blondes Don't Like Cripples) 7' EP (Man's Ruin MR005, 1995)
• 'I Will Deny You' / 'The Dwarves are Young and Good Looking' / 'One Life to Live' 7' (Reptilian REP018, 1997)
• 'We Must Have Blood' / 'Surfing the Intercourse Barn' 7' (Man's Ruin MR051, 1997)
• Dwarves/Royce Cracker 7' Vinyl/CD (Zodiac Killer Records ZKR038, 2009)
• 'Trailer Trash' 7' (Recess Records, 2014)
• 'Get Up & Get High' 7' (No Balls Records, 2014)
• 'Gentleman Blag' 7' (Fat Wreck Chords, 2015)
• 'Fun to Try' 7' (Burger Records, 2015)
• Dwarves/Svetlanas split 7' (Altercation Records, 2016)

Videos[edit]

• Fuck You Up And Get Live DVD (2004)
• FEFU DVD (2006)

Music videos[edit]

• I'm a Living Sickness (1986)
• Drugstore (1990)
• We Must Have Blood (1997)
• Over You (2000)
• Salt Lake City (2004)
• FEFU (2004)
• Massacre (2005)
• Stop Me (2011)
• The Band That Wouldn't Die (2011)
• You'll Never Take Us Alive (2012)
• Devil's Level (2018)

Compilation appearances[edit]

• 1999: Short Music for Short People (Fat Wreck Chords, Track The Band That Wouldn't Die)
• 2017: Punk against Trump (Denizen Records, Track Trailer Trash^[28])

See also[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

1. ^ ^abGentile, John (2009) 'Interview: Blag Dahlia of the Dwarves', The A.V. Club, April 13, 2009, retrieved 2010-02-07
2. ^'The DwarvesArchived 2009-10-17 at the Wayback Machine', Time Off, 2009, retrieved 2010-02-07
3. ^ ^abcdefghStrong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN1-84195-335-0, p. 311-312
4. ^Carlson, Matt 'Horror Stories Review', AllMusic, retrieved 2010-02-07
5. ^Baker, Brian (2008) 'Music: The DwarvesArchived 2011-06-13 at the Wayback Machine', City Beat, October 28, 2008, retrieved 2010-02-07
6. ^ ^abcdDuShane, Tony (2006) 'Punker camp counselor? Blag Dahlia Dwarves' front man calls his solo show his 'camp counselor guy routine' -- with trademark unrepentant, politically incorrect lyrics', San Francisco Chronicle, June 1, 2006, retrieved 2010-02-07
7. ^ ^abcdCarlson, Matt 'Dwarves Biography', AllMusic, retrieved 2010-02-07
8. ^Ali, Lorraine (1993) 'Violence Gets Dwarves 15 Minutes of Fame at Bogart's', Los Angeles Times, August 6, 1993
9. ^'Punk band aiming for longer return set', London Free Press, 12 June 2003, retrieved 2010-02-07
10. ^ ^abcdeSprague, David 'Dwarves', Trouser Press, retrieved 2010-02-07
11. ^DaRonco, Mike 'Lucifer's Crank Review', AllMusic, retrieved 2010-02-07
12. ^Bregman, Adam 'The Dwarves Are Young and Good Looking Review', AllMusic, retrieved 2010-02-07
13. ^'Dwarves Offer Help to George W. Bush on the Road to the White House', PR Newswire, February 10, 2000
14. ^Crandall, Bill & Borzillo-Vrenna, Carrie (2004) 'QOTSA Brawl With Dwarves', Rolling Stone, November 11, 2004, retrieved 2010-02-07
15. ^Levitan, Corey (2005) 'Homme Sentenced for Brawl', Rolling Stone, June 10, 2005, retrieved 2010-02-07
16. ^Spacek, Nick (2009) 'Dwarves Bobbleheads Now AvailableArchived 2009-10-25 at the Wayback Machine', The Pitch, August 18, 2009, retrieved 2010-02-07
17. ^ ^abcRitchie, Ryan (2007) 'Blood, Guts and Literacy: Blag Dahlia steps out from behind the Dwarves to wax hystericalArchived 2011-06-08 at the Wayback Machine', OC Weekly, July 12, 2007, retrieved 2010-02-07
18. ^Carlson, Matt 'Blood Guts & Pussy Review', AllMusic, retrieved 2010-02-07
19. ^'The Martinis' Joey Santiago on...', CMJ New Music Monthly, Issue No. 123/124, p.6
20. ^Baker, Brian (2010) 'UNPLUGGED AND UNCONTROLLABLE: Stoner-rock vet Nick Oliveri explores his dark side on Death Acoustic', Cleveland Scene, February 3, 2010, retrieved 2010-02-07
21. ^Kerr, Dave (2006) 'Nick Oliveri: Mondo Uncontrollable', The Skinny, 13 October 2006, retrieved 2010-02-07
22. ^Chun, Gary C.W. (2004) 'Punk with pomp', Honolulu Star-Bulletin, December 3, 2004, retrieved 2010-02-07
23. ^Zodiac Killer Records (2009) 'Royce Cracker Dwarves Split', January 13, 2009, retrieved 2010-02-07
24. ^Royce Cracker (2009) 'Royce Cracker Dwarves Split', January 13, 2009, retrieved 2010-02-07
25. ^https://www.punknews.org/review/13720/the-dwarves-radio-free-dwarves-12-inch
26. ^https://www.punknews.org/article/64124/the-dwarves-to-release-take-back-the-night-lp
27. ^'Dwarves - Underworld / Lies / Down By The River (CD) at Discogs'. Discogs.com. 1993-01-01. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
28. ^'Punk Against Trump'. Denizen Records. 2017-01-20.

External links[edit]

In ancient Egypt, especially during the Early Dynastic and Old Kingdom periods, dwarfs and pygmies were seen as people with celestial gifts. They were treated with considerable respect and could enjoy high social positions. During the 1st Dynasty (c. 3150–2900 BC), dwarfs served and worked directly for the king and royal household, and a number have been found buried in subsidiary tombs around those of the kings. In fact, the rather high proportion of dwarfs in the royal cemeteries of the 1st Dynasty suggests some may have been brought into Egypt from elsewhere.

Later, in the Old Kingdom (c. 2680–2180 BC), dwarfs were employed as jewellers, tailors, cup-bearers and zookeepers, could found families or be brought into one. Pygmies were employed as dancers for special occasions and religious festivals. The social position of dwarfs seems to have declined after the Old Kingdom. By the time of the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1070 BC) they were depicted in ridiculing ways, and while the papyrus 'The wise doctrine of Amenemope, son of Kanakht' asks people not to treat them badly, this probably shows that they were subject to abuse.

In Egyptian art, dwarfs and pygmies are depicted realistically which enables their identification as cases of nanism. The ancient Egyptians had three words and special hieroglyphs for dwarfs and revered several dwarf deities, in particular Bes, the god of the household and birth, and two dwarf forms of Ptah.

• 1Terms and depictions
• 4Social ranks and careers

Terms and depictions[edit]

Hieroglyphic writing[edit]

The ancient Egyptians used three terms to describe peoples with short stature: the first of these was Deneg, Daneg or Dag (depending on different transcriptions), which simply means 'little human', 'dwarf' and/or 'pygmy'. The Egyptian hieroglyphs used for these words could be combined with the determinative of a dwarf, alternatively the determinative was used alone. Stelae of the 1st Dynasty show only the determinative, implying that the determinative itself was read Deneg, Daneg or Dag and with the same meaning.^[2][3][4] In later times, these words were often combined with further determinatives such as the one for 'clothes/fashion' (Gardiner signS38), literally describing a 'fashion dwarf' (Egyptian Daneg-seret); or with the determinative of a dancer (Gardiner sign A32) for a 'dancing dwarf' (Egyptian Daneg-ibaw).^[2][3][4] During the Middle Kingdom period, two new words concerning dwarfs and pygmies appeared: Nemw, meaning 'malformed one' pointing to the genetic origin of Egyptian dwarfs as persons born with achondroplasia; and Hewa meaning 'shepherd' or 'cattle drover'.^[2][3][4]

Luck Of The Dwarves Rs3 Ge

Depictions[edit]

The typical depiction of a dwarf in Egyptian art is realistic, showing a normally grown torso and head, but visibly shortened and slightly bent arms and legs. These proportions point to achondroplasia and hypochondroplasia as the conditions responsible for the dwarfism of the individual.^[2][3][4] Yet, there are also reliefs of small peoples with normal body proportions and it remains unclear if these representations show real pygmies or if these people are represented small in order to reflect their low rank or accentuate the main scene of the relief.^[2][3][4]

The earliest known depictions of dwarfs in Egypt date to the early 1st Dynasty (c. 3100 – c. 2890 BC) and were found in the royal cemetery at Abydos. These are reliefs carved on private stelae placed in subsidiary tombs around that of the king. All surviving stelae are damaged and weathered, but the represented dwarfs can be seen to wear gold collars, fine linen skirts and carry insignia such as staffs of office and cloth seals, typical for high-ranking officials and priests.^[2][3][4] Depictions of dwarfs also appear in black-ink inscriptions on ceramics and earthen beer jugs. In addition, several ivory figurines showing male and female dwarfs were uncovered in Abydos. Again, many of these figurines show the dwarfs wearing gold collars, fine linen skirts and even fine stepped dreadlock wigs. Some of the female figurines are shown in a gesture typical for the birth in standing position and others clearly depict a pregnant woman. It is believed that these special figurines of female dwarfs were good luck charms for pregnant women intended to draw luck for the birth of healthy children.^[2][3][4]

Origins[edit]

The proportion of dwarfs in the royal cemetery in Abydos is much larger than in a normal population. Thus, it is possible that some of these dwarfs were bought from elsewhere - or even came to Egypt voluntarily as a land where they could expect to rise to a high social status. In support for this hypothesis, Hermann Junker,^[5]Jacques Jean Clére^[5] and Hans Felix Wolf^[5] point to the Egyptian word Isww, meaning 'I have bought (this)', and which often occurs in connection with dwarfs. However, it remains unclear if most of the dwarfs and pygmies were bought or if they 'rented' themselves to institutions such as temples, shrines and even the pharaoh's court. Especially during the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3100–2680 BC) and Old Kingdom (c. 2680–2180 BC), it was common in upper-class households that important sums of some kind were paid whenever dwarfs performed public dances or other duties. Similarly, valuables were exchanged whenever dwarfs and pygmies switched their employer or there was a change of the head of the house. Evidently, in rare cases, nanism would appear naturally within a healthy, normally grown family. Thus not all dwarfs and pygmies were inevitably gained by bestowal or acquisition.^[2][3][4]

Differentiations[edit]

The Ancient Egyptians differentiated between 'real' (genetic) dwarfs and pygmies, who arrived in Egypt, presumably as valuably exotic captives, from (again presumably) those areas of west Africa where members of this ethnic group still live (an enormous distance from the pharaonic kingdom, particularly given the lack of modern communications), though a possible origin for the dancing pygmies might have been modern day Sudan or Ethiopia (if they were formerly more widespread). Pygmies were exclusively hired on very special occasions for dancing and for acrobatic performances at temples and shrines. Dwarfs instead, were exclusively hired for highly skilled craftings and artistic duties. However, modern Egyptologists admonish for caution, the ancient Egyptian did not differ between dwarfs and pygmies to discriminate them, they simply chose their activities according to their skills.^[5][6]

Social ranks and careers[edit]

Social ranks[edit]

Dwarfs were treated with considerable respect in Ancient Egyptian society, notably during the Early Dynastic and Old Kingdom periods. Their natural nanism was seen as a celestial gift, and discrimination and social exclusion seem to have been unknown to the Egyptians. In most cases in which dwarfs were brought into a new family, they seem to have been accepted at once as full-fledged members. They were assigned special, exclusive duties, which were normally performed by the highest-ranked officials, such as priests and treasurers. Even in many royal households, next to the king, dwarfs were allowed to serve and work.^[2][3][4][7] The unusually high ranks and social positions that dwarfs enjoyed explain, for example, their important presence in subsidiary tombs around those of the 1st Dynasty pharaohs. These subsidiary tombs were reserved for the direct and most loyal servants of the ruler. To be allowed to be buried so close to the king shows how respected dwarfs were at that time.^[2][3][4]

In the 6th Dynasty, during the reign of king Pepi II (2284–2184 BC), we know of a letter written by the then young king and addressed to his high official and prince Harkhuf who was sent to Elephantine in order to ask about the condition and whereabouts of a 'dancing dwarf' (Egyptian Daneg ibaw). Harkhuf was ordered to bring the dwarf, which originated from the fabled Punt, to the palace of the king healthy and unharmed, no matter what the cost. The appointed passage includes that the king 'desires to see the dwarf even more than to receive the precious gifts from Punt'. The letter also reveals that before this event, already several dwarfs were brought from Punt into the royal household.^[2][3][4]

Family founding[edit]

The best-known case of nanism in ancient Egypt is that of the high official Seneb, as a finely-carved statue-group of the dwarf and his family has survived in excellent preservation. Seneb worked during the late 4th Dynasty (c. 2613–2494 BC) or early 5th Dynasty (c. 2498–2345 BC), most possibly under king Shepseskaf and his successors. Seneb was married to a normally grown woman named Senet-ites. He had two daughters named Awib-en-Khufu and Semeret-Radjedef and one son named Ankh-ima-Radjedef, all of whom are represented as of normal stature.^[2][3][4][5] This shows that it was accepted that dwarfs might have families and healthy children. Note that the two children shown in front of Seneb's seat in the accompanying illustration are in the position where the legs of a 'normal' statue would be represented, thus lessening - though not concealing - his abnormal appearance. Because Seneb's father was normally grown, Seneb's case also proves that not all dwarfs were brought from foreign countries, nanism occasionally occurring - as would be expected from modern experience - within Egyptian families. In other cases, where persons also having short stature are depicted as servants of other dwarfs, it is possible that they were part of the same family. However, this remains a matter for conjecture, as it was not uncommon during the Old Kingdom period, that artists depicted the same person multiple time in one scene. They did this to show that the main character performed several duties at the same time.^[3][5]

Careers[edit]

As already mentioned, dwarfs were allowed to have several high ranked jobs and could move up the ranks during their career. Old Kingdom reliefs depict dwarfs performing mainly easy, rather creative jobs, because their shortened and fragile stature did not allow for hard or dangerous physical work. Unsurprisingly then dwarfs mainly worked as jewelers, tailors, cup-bearers and even as zookeepers.^[3][5][7] As at other periods, dwarfs were particularly valued as treasurers or jewellers, as their very distinctive appearance would make any dishonest dealings on their part that much more difficult to get away with.

Zoo-keeping seems in fact, in the surviving evidence, the most common work performed by dwarfs. Royal zookeepers mostly took care of the king's pets such as hunting dogs, domestic cats and guenons. This may be because these animals were very easy to tame and would not become a danger to the dwarfs. A unique relief from the mastaba of the high official Nyankhnesw (6th Dynasty) shows a dwarf taking a leopard for a walk. In another tomb (that of the high official Nofer, also of the 6th Dynasty), one relief shows a dwarf and his guenon while the little ape pilfers grapes from a fruit basket and plays with his cord. Further Old Kingdom reliefs suggest that guenons literally assisted their keepers: in the tomb of Kaaper a unique relief depicts a dwarf and his guenon, as they both specify the clock for a pair of musicians. In contrast, depictions of dwarfs working themselves as musicians are very rare.^[3][7]

Old Kingdom inscriptions reveal that dwarfs had the chance to be promoted in their professions and offices. High rank titles such as ″overseer of the dwarfs in the house-of-clothes″ and ″overseer of the goldsmiths″, and honorary titles such as ″friend of the king″, ″beloved of the king″ and ″head of the palace″ prove that dwarfs were socially treated on par with normally grown people. However, it remains unclear whether dwarfs were allowed to perform duties in temple services and rituals. The few reliefs showing dwarfs involved in feasts such as the Hathor feast and the Heb Sed allow no secure evaluation because the inscriptions give the names of the dwarfs, but do not explain their exact activity.^[3][7]

Later periods[edit]

In later periods, such as the Middle Kingdom (c. 2055–1710 BC) and the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1070 BC) the special respect shown to dwarfs seems to have lessened. Depictions of dwarfs from later periods show them in progressively more ridiculing ways. An Egyptian papyrus dating to the Ramesside era called 'The wise doctrine of Amenemope, son of Kanakht' (papyrus B.M. 10474) includes appeals to not treat dwarfs and other handicapped people (such as blind people, cripples and autists) badly or to backbite over them. Scholars and historians evaluate Amenemope's humane doctrines as a public appeal against upcoming moral decay within Egyptian society.^[3][7]

Rs Luck Of The Dwarves

Dwarf deities[edit]

In Ancient Egypt, peoples worshipped several dwarf deities, the most important of which was Bes. His cult is archaeologically attested since the 12th Dynasty (c. 1991–1802 BC). The cult is thought to have originated in Nubia, modern day Sudan. Bes was the god of dreams, luck, dancing, and he was the protector of the household and its belongings. He was also a god of birth and was worshipped in birth houses alongside the goddess Heqet. Bes is always depicted with a normal torso and head, shortened legs and arms and with the ears of a lion. His most unmistakable feature is his frontal depiction, rather rare in Ancient Egypt, making Bes particularly recognizable (and probably pointing to a foreign origin for his cult).^[2][3][4]

A further deity with nanism, but rarely depicted, was Ptah-Pahtaka ('Ptah, the strong'). He was worshipped as a special form of Ptah, the god of art, crafts and creativity. Another form of Ptah that was also depicted as a dwarf was Ptah-segem-panem ('Ptah, the listener'). The deity Thoth, god of time, knowledge, mathematics and the moon, was sometimes depicted as a baboon with the head of a human. This could have been an allusion to dwarfs.^[2][3][4]

Egyptian dwarfs known by their names[edit]

Luck Of The Dwarves Nex

Egyptian dwarfs which became known by their names thanks to their tomb stela, reliefs and/or statues include: Nefer, Ser-Inpw, Hedju (all three of 1st dynasty), Ny-ankh-Djedefre (4th dynasty) and Seneb (late 4th or early 5th dynasty).^[2][3][7]

Luck Of The Dwarves

References[edit]

1. ^W. M. Flinders Petrie: The Royal Tombs of the First Dynasties. Part 1 (= Memoir of the Egypt Exploration Fund. Volume 18; ISSN 0307-5109). Egypt Exploration Fund, London 1900-1901, table XXXII., obj. 17.
2. ^ ^{abcdefghijklmno}William R. Dawson: Pygmies and dwarfs in ancient Egypt. In: Journal of Egyptian Archaeology. 24, 1938, ISSN0075-4234, pp. 185–189.
3. ^ ^{abcdefghijklmnopqrst}Veronique Dasen: Dwarfs in Ancient Egypt and Greece. Oxford University Press, Oxford (UK) 2013, ISBN0-199-68086-8, pp. 54–58, 107–149.
4. ^ ^{abcdefghijklmn}Karl-Joachim Seyfried: Zwerg. In: Wolfgang Helck a.o.: Lexikon der Ägyptologie (LÄ), vol. VI. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1986, ISBN3-447-02663-4, pp. 1432–1435.
5. ^ ^abcdefgHermann Junker: Gîza V: Die Mastaba des Snb (Seneb) und die umliegenden Gräber. Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien: Philosophisch-historische Klasse, Denkschriften 71.2, Wien/Leipzig 1941, pp. 7–11.
6. ^Brigitte Goede: Brief Pepis II. an Herchuf, Gouverneur von Elephantine, wegen eines Tanzzwergs. In: Gabriele Höber-Kamel: Elephantine, das Tor zu Afrika. (= Kemet Heft 3/2005), Kemet Verlag, Berlin 2000, ISSN0943-5972, pp. 23–25.
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