True Strength Hercules and Amazon; Africa's Native Heroes Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: The Heroic African Legacy! Forget what you learned in the movies, this is the REAL HERCULES!!!

" Black he stood as night, His bow uncased, his arrow strung for flight". Homer wrote this verse to describe the legendary first world hero known as Hercules. The first verse with some modification could also be true of the legendary first world heroine, the Amazon. They were two African world teachers who left a legacy of goodwill which was emulated by their successors.

Hercules and Amazon were the prototypes of the solar hero and heroine whose origins in Africa came forth as inspiration in the development of schools. In Ethiopia schools were established for the training of the mind, body and will. Training and education for these schools spread to Egypt, the Middle East, India, Ireland, and other places in Europe.

In every era and in various countries men and women and men trained and educated themselves to help humanity. This is even true today. These helpers were teachers, the first law enforcement officers, and ambassadors of good will whereever they traveled. They encouraged the arts and sciences too. Stories of their great deeds have come to our present age as legends. Myths behind the stories are elements of historical events.

Hollywood has erroneously presented Hercules and Amazon exclusively as heroes of European ancestry, and without emphasis on their role as teachers.

This book is my modest attempt to reveal the truth about Hercules and Amazon to the black community. Yes they were black people. They wanted others to take their place. In this period of time with all its adversities in America we need people who will do good not just feel good.

I hope this book will inspire at least one child, youth, and adult to put the best in themselves. To bring out the best in positive ethical behavior, physical fitness, and mental fitness in order that we will cultivate problem solvers.

Excerpts Of Pharoah Hercules

Readers of this book will have realized by now that Hercules and Amazon as legendary, mythological, symbolic and actual persons in history is quite extensive. Hercules and Amazon originated in Africa and inspired the world. Let's discuss Pharoah Hercules.

Herodotus wrote about Hercules in name and in concept as being Ethiopian and Egyptian in origin. Hercules was called Hr k3 during the 2^nd century B.C. which means that Hercules is: the human incarnation of human creative energies, dynamic human potential at work, as heavenly productive powers, and as the

power of positive miracles. Hr k3 is the person that defeated the dragon Apophis. Hr k3 was an aspect of Tutu (Hercules as the walking lion. 'Great in valiance, son of Neit'). Neit is the mother of Hercules of Egypt who was later called Alcmene - Athena by Thebans. The 2^nd century in Egypt was the period when honors given to Hercules were the most popular. Hr K3 and Tutu were known as being part of Shu (Shu -Hercules), the god of air. Horus (hr p hrd), 'Horus the Child' (Harpokrates in Greek) is related to Hr K3. We have already shown that Horus was an older name for Hercules. The 3^rd century librarian Erastothenes when listing the kings of Thebes acknowledges Pharaoh Semphrukrates as 'Hercules Harpokrates'.

Hercules in his later forms (including the Greek hero) shows the same sun like character and heroism that originated in the actual lives of the Egyptian pharaohs of Middle Kingdom. The titles given to these rulers starts with 'Hr' and then the name of Horus. * The female Horus of Gold' (Hr nt d m) is the woman ruler of Egypt Pharaoh Hatshepsut. She ruled Egypt as the 'Female Hercules Of Gold'.

Hercules was known in Egypt and Greece as Hry s - - Arsaphes ('He who is on his lake') and was represented by a ram's head. He was honored in Delta Herakleopolis Parva and Herakleopolos Magna in Fayuum called Nni - nswt ('City of the royal children'). This representation was a precursor of Hercules as the water engineer which was discussed earlier. The West Semitic deity named Reshef (Rsp) is an aspect of Hrsy s- f; he rules over war and disease. During the 18^th Dynasty of Egypt Reshef was considered to be the patron of martial arts, war, archery and the rule of pharaohs. Martin Bernall in his book 'Black Athena' revealed the similarities between Reshef and King Rhadamanthys (Hercules stepfather) who was also called great teacher of martial skills, he taught the Theban Hercules these skills, and it seems that he was a type of Hercules himself. Rhadamanthys (Egyptian 'Rdi Mntw') according to Robert Graves comes from the word Rhada Mantis. ('He who rules with a wand') and this character corresponds to a historical ruler who defeated the threat of northern invaders. He was associated with young Horus, portrayed with a hawk head like Horus, symbolized by a furious white or black bull. King Rhadamanthys seems to be based on the careers of one or more pharaohs of the Middle Kingdom in Egypt were also Cretan and another name for King Minos of Crete. He was considered to be a great law giver, conqueror who became ruler over the Ionian Islands because of his devotion to justice, his belief that the punishment should fit the crime, and that he relentlessly chastened

evildoers. Minos was considered to be the same as the royal Menes, the sacred Min, and an Egyptian Pharaoh. Menes (Mntw htp 1) founded Egypt's first dynasty, a renowned lawgiver, victorious warrior, and one of the heroes who unified Upper, and Lower Egypt. He ruled around 2150 B.C. Mntw htp 2, one of Menes' descendants, caused Egypt to regain its military and economic might during the 21^st century B.C. He ruled for 51 years. Some times King Rhadamanthys and King Minos are said to be brothers who jointly ruled the kingdom. The former represented by a white bull and latter by a black bull. Yigael Yadin, ancient historian accurately identified that Reshef is the same as the Greek Apollo (ruler of arrows and disease, Hercules, Samson, the lion symbolism among them as types of solar heroes, and the stories concerning the actual Pharaoh Mntw htp 1. He further explains that their being described as nomadic archers and rulers shows a link between the Canaanite Hercules Reshef and the Aegean Hercules.

Hercules is said to be the same as the deity Khonsu as well as Shu both whom are Egyptian. Khonsu through patronage and association was identified with the human pharaohs. He was a part of the triad of deities that was honored in Thebes in Africa. Khonsu was a type of Shu who is an unstoppable warrior and ruler of the air element. Shu's wrath in combat in combat is said to have been like the burning or scorching sun which is equivalent to Horus/hrr (scorch). Shu was said to be so strong that he could hold up the firmament, separate the earth from the sky. A similar story is paralleled in that of Hercules and Atlas. Shu and Hercules fought and defeated the giant warrior Antaeus by lifting him overhead to keep him from taking power from the earth. Antaeus was a ruler of Libya who the Egyptians called 'ntywy' (an avatar of the god of evil Set). The Egyptians also spelled 'Antaeus name as 'Antywey' which predated the Greek story inspired by it. Machiavelli discusses the tradition surrounding the ancient battle in his work 'Discourse': "the fables of the poets, in which it appears that Antaeus King of Libya, when attacked by Hercules and the Egyptians, was unconquerable while he waited for him in the bounds of his own kingdom, but when he departed from it because of the cleverness of Hercules, he lost his state and his life".

The Greek Hercules was developed by stories concerning the Egyptian Hercules who was a composite of the Old & Middle Kingdom Pharaohs (c.-2100 - 1800 B.C.). Hercules came from Thebes in Egypt where the pharaohs performed extensive feats of construction and the building of water systems. The Middle kingdom Pharaohs like Shu - Hercules were from Thebes, ruling during the 12^th

century, recorded by the Greeks as having been victorious warriors extending their rule from Ethiopia to Libya onward to Scythia and Colchis in the Caucasus regions.. Herodotus and Diodorus state that the pharaoh Sesostris I achieved his goal of conquering the whole known world prior to Alexander the Great. Modern scholars are less certain preferring to agree with an Egyptian rulership extending into Syria and Palestine. Herodotus also distinguishes the difference between Hercules the spiritual energy of the Supreme Being and Hercules the victorious. In addition the 12^th Dynasty pharaohs were thought of as avatars or partial incarnations of the spiritual Hercules (Shu). The mission of these pharaohs was to perform wonderful feats of culture, military victories, architecture, economics, spirituality, physical strength and endurance, leadership and justice as living Hercules. Thus from the 11^th and 12^th Dynasties in Egypt the historical rulers: Hrr (Hercules) Pharaoh Menthopte II, Hrr (Herculeses) Pharaoh Ammenemese I and II, Hrr (Herculeses) Senwosres (Sesostris) I and III were revered as living examples of Hercules. Hercules went forth to kill the ferocious wild beasts and fiends who terrorized the people. The Egyptians were renowned for being marvelous hunters and crime fighters.

Hercules - Gilgamesh has been portrayed slaying the seven headed dragon called Lagon (Ltn) or Yamm, a river/ sea god. This dates back to ancient Mesoptamia and the Ugartic culture. This same monster was named 'Hydra' in later stories about Hercules (2^nd Labour ). The 2^nd labour brings to mind the use of water-engineering and the building of dams to prevent the flooding of homes by a river with its various streams. The 5^th Labour clearly shows Hercules using two rivers to remove a multiplicity of disease vectors that constituted a health threat to the community ( the diseases of stinking marshes). One of the Egyptians meanings of the word 'hrr' is 'bore Martin Bernall, 'Black Athena', shows how the water- engineering feats of Hercules correspond to the marvelous engineering projects of the pharaohs that represented Hercules : Herodotus wrote about how:

* King Menes used dikes to protect Memphis (city in the upper Delta) from flooding.

* Pharaoh Moeris Amenemhet III built the labryrinth and used water engineering during the 12^th Century. He controlled the flooding of the Nile River by emptying the Fayuum.

*Sesostris, the Conqueror used prisoners for building water ways and to prevent the flooding of cities.

* Erastothenes names the 26^th king of Thebes as 'Semphroukrates Hercules Harpokrates' and the 34^th king as 'Sistosichermes Valiant Hercules'.Martin Bernall

mentions that Hercules and Sesostris I have been shown as being similiar according to the works of Egyptologist Reichard Lepsuis (19^th Century).

The early dynasty rulers in Egypt (1- 12 Dynasties) clothing was the same as that of Hercules who they emulated. They wore lion pelts, their weapon was the club; * swords and chariots were not used.

The Boiotian Hercules was a middle kingdom ruler of Egypt who was born and raised in Thebes, Egypt. In Boiotia there two cities, Thespiai and Thisbe, where the cult of the strongman was quite popular. This Hercules was compared to the Hurrian storm - god Tessub and the human pharaoh Sesostris. Hercules was also to Martin Bernall maybe linked to Kekrops the fabulous founder of Athens, Greece. He has a shrine to honor him at Haliartos.

Pharaoh Senwosre's (Sensosstris I) name is significant. The Wrst comes from an adjective that translates as 'rich, mighty, and prestigious'. S - n Wsrt further translates to mean 'Man of the Goddess Wsrt'. This goddess rules over wealth and might. It has been suggested that the Hercules of Egypt was a composite of Sesostris and all other great Middle Kingdom Pharaohs that came after him. In addition the stories concerning Nimrod the Mighty Hunter may also represent a composite of the mighty rulers Sesostris, Sargon of Akkad, Naram Sin who ruled from Africa to all of Asia. Hislop, author of the two 'Two Babylons' believes Nimrod is the Babylonian Hercules and or Gilgamesh.

Hercules The Sumerian & Hercules The Semite

Sumerian and Akkadian seals show representations of the Herculean hero dressed in lion pelts armed with a club and bow in mortal combat with such monsters as - huge serpents, dragons, menacing giants etc... Walter Burckett describes this Hercules as a shaman as well as a warrior represented as far back as 2000 to 15000 years during the Upper Paleolithic period. Martin Bernall recognizes this figure as a description of the hero Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh and Hercules traveled great distances on foot, they didn't use chariots, the club was their weapon of choice, and they had a loyal friend to accompany them. Melkarth (King of the City) is the Phoenician Hercules or Hercules of type who has much in common with the two previously mentioned

including Reshef (Semitic) and Nergal (Mesopotamian).

The Semitic language also includes the definition of the word 'hrr' which means 'noble and free' in Hebrew, 'Hor' & 'Hur' which means freeborn and noble'. The words are the Semitic basis for 'Hercules' and 'hero' whose origins were in Egypt. Hur has been introduced in the story and movie 'Ben- Hur' which is about a Jewish Hercules played by Charleston Heston the famous movie actor. The other meaning of the word 'hrr' is Akkadian and was known during the time of Sargon. Its translation is 'to scorch or burn ' to describe the deity Erra (the scorcher). Erra dated from 1 - 3^rd Millenium of Mesoptamania was a blood - thirsty time. Erra was a grim and relentless hero who would burn every section of land in order to destroy enemies and cause famine upon them. He was compared to fearsome Nergal (god of pestilence), the name of the Greek Hercules also contains the word 'hrr'.

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