Nine Bows
From ArchaeoWiki
The Nine Bows (Egyptian: psḏ.t-pḏt / pḏ.wt-psḏ.t) is the literal English translation of an ancient Egyptian term that was employed to symbolically represent a grouping of the traditional enemies of Egypt.
The term was employed for long periods of Egyptian history and there exists no definitive list of the enemies cited; in practice, Egypt's enemies changed throughout time and the Nine Bows were consequently altered (if they were even detailed). Moreover, the number 'nine' for the Egyptians was symbolic of a 'plural of plurals' ('three times three', 'three' being the number used to represent a plurality of objects); the Nine Bows is therefore a generalised term for all of Egypt's external enemies and should not be taken literally. The term 'bows' likely refers to the bow and arrow weapon seemingly favoured by Egypt's earliest enemies.
Unsurprisingly, generalised renderings of Asiatics and Nubians feature prominently within the iconography of the Nine Bows. In Egyptian art, depictions of the Nine Bows were frequently placed that the Egyptian ruler might literally walk on them; examples include beneath the feet of a royal statue, on the base of a throne, or on royal sandals.
