We have a lot of sources from Ancient Egypt, especially the Old Kingdom (~2700-2200), that mention dwarves, their titles, their ranks, and their official functions in AE society.
The AE word for dwarf/pygmy/little person is “dng”, possibly pronounced “Deneg” or ”Daneg”. Alternatively, the word could also be written as “dAg”. Usually, as a Determinative, the sign A282 is used:
Furthermore, there was a differenciation between what people tend to call “Pygmies” – which were usually brought* to Egypt for dance shows and celebrations (dngjbA,w), and Egyptian born dwarves. *These were highly requested artists, who were paid well and enjoyed high status.
During the Old Kingdom, dwarves were highly respected, and even thought to be magical, or blessed by the gods. The first signs of possible ableism and discrimination because of their stature crop up in New Kingdom wisdom texts* (texts that describe how to be a wise and well mannered person), where one would be admonished to not treat dwarves and people with disabilities badly. *one example would be
papyrus B.M. 10474
The fact that dwarvism doesn’t appear at all in AE medicinal texts, makes it probable that AE doctors knew dwarvism wasn’t an illness that needed to be cured.
The most famous artistic depiction of a dwarf is the Old Kingdom statue of Seneb and his family, found in his tomb. He was married to a member of the aristocracy, he fathered “normal” sons and enjoyed high rank in the royal court. His many titles reveal that he performed ritual duties as a priest and was denoted “Beloved of the King,” in addition to enjoying prestigious occupations such as control over weaving activities in the palace, control of the seal (a byword for royal trust) and charge of ritual boats.
Another dwarf, this time a so called “Pygmy”, that would be imported* from Punt, is mentioned in a letter, written by the young king Pepi II.
2284–2184 BC. The king expresses his excitement about getting to see the dwarf, and also concecrn about his safety and well-being. (Letter to Herchuf from Pepi II. – there are multiple good translations out there, personally I prefer the TLA one, but not everyone understands German.) *maybe imported is the wrong word, it would have been a great honor for the dwarf, to get to dance for the king of Egypt, and he would have been richly rewarded!
A third, very interesting depiction of a dwarf comes from the time of
King Nectanebo II, the last ruler of the 30th dynasty (he reigned between 360–343 BCE, so in the Late Period). The naked figure of the dwarf Djeho, at life-size, measuring 120 cm, is carved on the lid of his sarcophagus, which is made out of granite and is of superb workmanship.
Recommended reading:
Hans-Werner Fischer-Elfert: „Lache nicht über einen Blinden und verspotte nicht einen Zwerg!“ Über den Umgang mit Behinderten im Alten Ägypten. In: Max Liedtke (Hrsg.): Behinderung als pädagogische und politische Herausforderung. Historische und systematische Aspekte. 1996, S. 93–116.
C. Kozma: Dwarfs in Ancient Egypt. Hoboken NJ 2006.
V. Dasen: Dwarfs in Ancient Egypt and Greece. Oxford u. a. 2013
ImagineCreateDevour 