"Wisdom's Daughter"
Wisdom's Daughter - The Life and Love Story of She-who-must-be-obeyed" is in the form of a manuscript found among the effects of L Horave Holly. It was written by Ayesha in contracted Arabic mixed with Demotic while She, Holly and Leo Vincey were waiting in the Himalayas for the final chapter of their story. It is Ayesha tells the reader that she had told various tales of her life to Holly and Vincey, and others to Allan Quatermain - and that these didn't all agree. This account is her attempt to reconcile the tales.
Ayesha was the daughter of Yarab the Arab, a wealthy and prominent chieftain of Ozal, in Yaman. From her earliest years she had repeated dreams of her existence before her birth, which she believed contained at least some truth. In this she is a child or messenger of Issis, who had reported to her mistress of the state of her worship in Egypt. The Egyptians were neglecting Isis in favour of Aphrodite. Isis summoned the latter, and after a tussle Isis departed, leaving Ayesha alone with her rival goddess. She is charged to punish the faithless Egyptins, but Aphrodite also gave Ayesha two gifts - great beauty and the promise of a man. Whether any of the details were true visions - and Ayesha doubted the actual existence of Isis except as Nature's self - she was sure that at the least her spirit was the "chlid of immortal wisdom", and that beauty is Aphrodite's gift.
After her birth, and the death of her mother, Ayesha was raised as the idol of her tribe. She was as wise and she was beautiful, and always sought new knowledge. Noot, high priest of Isis and Kherheb (or chief magician) of Egypt, who fled Pharaoh Nectanebes (Nekht-nebf) after prophesing ill, took refuge with the tribe and taught Ayesha all he knew. Noot, who was originally from Kor, had received a vision to tell the truth to Pharaoh, but then to flee to seek out Ayesha, daughter of Yarab, the Sheikh of Ozal, and to teach her.
Under Noot's instruction Ayesha became a votary of Isis.
Pharaoh heard that Noot had taken refuge with the Sheikh of Ozal. He sent an army to take her - and to seize Ayesha, whose beauty was already famous. Ayesha's father was killed in battle, as was the Egyptian general, who died at the hands of Ayesha herself. The Egyptian army was destroyed, and Ayesha assumed the rule of her tribe.
Rival suitors pursued Ayesha. Under pressure to hand her over to one or other of them, or be destroyed by a coalition of tribes and princes, the leaders of Ozal asked Ayesha to marry or depart for a time. She chose the latter course, and with Noot and a few loyal servants travelled to Egypt. The armies fell upon Ozal, and the faithless tribe was dispersed. Ayesha settled in Naukratis, where Noot assumed the role of a merchant in precious stones for several years, while Ayesha continued her studies.
Later she stayed for a year at the temple of Philae, the Isle of Elephantine, preparing to become a priestess of Isis. During this time she saw a vision of her future. While there she saw Kallikrates, a Grecian of high blood who was a captain of the Pharoah's guard. He sought the wisdom of Isis for pardon for killing his half-brother Tisisthenes in a dispute over the love of a high-placed Egyptian lady.
Ayesha, known as Wisdom's Daughter lest her role in the destruction of an Egyptian army became known, was elected High Priestess as Isis-come-to-earth, or The Isis. She made confession to Isis and took the oath that might not be broken. Yet even at that moment she thought she heard the silver laugh of Aphrodite.
Kallikrates also vowed himself to the service of Isis, in the person of Ayesha. At the last moment Ayesha recognised Kallikrates for the man she saw in her acnient vision of her pre-birth existence. She kissed Kallikrates on the lips rather than the brow as the liturgy required - Aphrodite laughed again.
Knowing that she was tempting the anger of her jealous mistress, Ayesha fled with Noot to Rome, then Greece, where she modelled for Aphrodite, and on the Jerusalem. There she was stoned by the priests for preaching a novel philosophy. She also visited the lewd priests of Aphrodite at Paphos, Cyprus. After many years away Ayesha and Noot returned to Egypt, to the temple of Isis at Memphis.
Ayesha became the head of the temple of Isis at Memphis, and Kallikrates became the chief of ceremonies. Amenartas, Pharaoh's daughter, ten years younger than Ayesha, became a novice in the temple.
Tenes the Phaenician, King of Sidon, conspiring with Artaxerxes Orchus, King of Persia, but ostensibly the ally of Nectanabes of Egypt, visited Egypt. The Pharaoh entertained the King to dinner, and Ayesha (unusually, since suppliants normally visited her) was summoned to give advice on the war with Persia. She prophesyed ill, and being accused of planting blood in the pure water she used for her oracle, unwisely unveiled and asked those present to search her for a vial.
She ends up being pledged to Tenes in lieu of the gold bribe previously promised.
Tenes and Ayesha travelled to Sidon in a triereme, the 'Hapi', under the command of Philo of Naukratis, a half-Greek worshipper of Isis. They are nearly sunk in a storm, and the Phoenicians would have thrown Ayesha overboard as a sacrifice to their bloody gods. Philo tried to protect her, but it was needless, since after praying to Isis, a wave washed away the Sidonian idols, and the storm suddenly abated.
In Sidon the war with Persia is going ill. Tenes, who is High Priest of Baal and Astoreth, sacrifices his young son to Moloch or Dagon, in the hope of victory. Queen Beltis, whose personal name is Elisheba, vowed revenge, while ostensibly accepting this loss.
The city is surrounded by the forces of Ochus, and while Ayesha offers advice to aid him in his predicament, actually she is leading Tenes to destruction. Beltis stabbed Tenes while the Persians overran the city, and then died in a flaming watchtower while Ayesha fled in the royal barge. They are picked up by Philo on the 'Hapi', which also carries Noot, and Kallikrates (the latter now dressed as a soldier). They are pursued, since the Persians think that Tenes and Beltis are escaping. They board the 'Hapi', but Kallikrates and his men beat the Persians back, and Philo manages to ram and sink the Persian ship. Kallikrates is however seriously injured. They return to Egypt.
The war has gone equally badly for Nectabanes. He has fled, the cities of Egypt were taken one after another. Amenartas sought sanctuary in the temple of Isis at Memphis, which alone is undisturbed (since Ochus recognised the aid Ayesha had indirectly afforded him against Sidon). Kallikrates, once again a priest, and Amenartas, again a novice, served side by side in the temple. But their love was plain to see, profaning the temple.
Nectabanes sought refuge in the temple of Isis. Ayesha was inclined to be merciful, but he revealed that he had made a pact with some power of the underworld, a deamon, and had sacrificed his son like a Moloch-worshippping Sidonian. He secretly defiled all the temples of the gods - except those of Isis. The deamon promised him success, provided he didn't meddle with Isis. Unfortunately he did, when he promised Ayesha to Tenes. Now the familiar had deserted him, and all he could look forward to was death - when the daemon would claim his soul (that being the price he had promised for success).
Kallikrates confessed to Ayesha that he loved Amenartas. Since Noot was sailing north to confer with the Persians over the safety of the temple of Isis, it is agree that Kallikrates will accompany him - while the princess would accompany her father south.
Ochus visited the temple of Isis at Memphis, with his eunuch Bagoas. Bagoas, an Egyptian, secretly agreed to murder Ochus when the time was right.
The college of Isis arrange to fire the temple during a banquet held by their conquerors amid the courts of the temple. The priests and priestess fled out of the temple through the secret ways, and then to the sanctuary of Isis in the reeds (which was undiscoverable to any not familiar with it). Philo came, and the whole college sailed south to Kor, as Noot commanded Philo to instruct Ayesha so to do. The worship of Isis had ended in Egypt, but it might be built anew in a new land - its ancient home.
Ayesha also heard from Philo that Amenartas had accompanied Kallikrates on the ship - to the surprise of the latter and the anger of Noot.
Noot, now grown very aged, greeted Ayesha in the ruined city of Kor. He now tellds her that he is the last of a line of priest-kings, and guardian of a great secret - the fire of life. She is his heiress, and will also build up Kor in the worship of Isis, with the help of Philo. He himself is almost ready for another world. But he warns her sternly to not dare to enter the fire, for it would be her ruin, though it gave virtual immortality and matchless beauty and wisdom.
Kallikrates and Amenartas arrive, with Philos, who has been down to the coast. Ayesha learns that they are man and wife, though none married them. Amenartas has borne Kallikrates a son, who died, and is expecting another child. Ayesha is jealous. She realises that she always loved Kallikrates. She is taunted by Amenartas as old and withered, and its is true that she is past middle age. Despite the warning of her master, Noot, she is strongly tempted to enter into the fire, to emerge matchless (and so able to take Kallikrates), or perchance to be destroyed. The three of them go to the abode of Noot, Ayesha to dare the fire, Kallikrates to seek the advice and pardon of Noot, the High Priest of Isis, for his lapse from his priestly vows.
Noot is newly dead. Ayesha is now the guardian of the fire. She casts off her clothes and enters the fire, which is a rolling pillar of fire which sweeps too and fro in small cavern in the bowels of a mountain near Kor. She emerges changed, glorious but no longer entirely human. Kallikrates rejected the new Ayesha, whom he had always adored rather than loved - now she is too awful and majestic for a mere man. He turned to the very human Amenartas, so Ayesha stretched out her will and he died. She didn't realise the extent of her new powers, and hadn't really meant to kill him. Destraught, the survivors return from the caves, to the city of Kor. There the college of Isis reject Ayesha, as Amenartas has told them that she was a daemon and that she had killed Kallikrates for rejecting her proferred love. Philo carried Amenartas to the coast, and, it would seem from later tales, that she reached safety. Philo alone stood by Ayesha, whom he now named Queen. They abode alone in the ruins of Kor, Ayesha undying but regretful. Visions and dreams told her that she was being punished for her presumption in entering the fire, and for her love of a man when as a priestess she should have thought only of spiritual concerns. The severest of the penances is that she is undying, while those around her die, and remorseful yet ambitious. She is no longer to commune with the gods, but is instead the very embodiment of nature, and full of its passions. She know is sure that Isis as such did not exist, but only as a type. Nature was a part of the greater elements of the universe, and man made gods and goddesses in their own image. Yet she would dare to spar with the forces of the universe of victory or death.
Only time will expiate her sins - if she can repent and grow softer and more human.
This account of Ayesha ends with her seeing the reborn Kallikrates endangered by mountain lions, and the narrative is broken off.
This tale, written some years after "She" and "Ayesha, the Return of She", was an attempt by Haggard to reconcile the differing accounts which Ayesha gave of her life. The rationale for the differences in her accounts was that she didn't always want to tell the truth to Horace Holly, Allan Quarterman, or whoever her auditor was because it might confuse, or shock them, or because she told tales in order to try the loyalty and love of Kallikrates/Leo, or was commanded to do so by the gods. While this may have been so, there is also the fact that Haggard himself was not always careful with his plotting or writing, and contradictions arose. It is still not clear, for instance, whether Ayesha is entirely human from the beginning, or is indeed a spirit sent to earth. She herself is unclear - though after rejecting the existence of Isis she continued to talk of fighting the gods - not nature alone. From being a woman focused on the divine, as she was before her fall, to one focussed on life and nature, as after she entered the fire, so her perceptions changed - and perchance the latter beliefs were no more accurate than the former. If nature alone ruled, and there were no gods, how must we interprete the ending scene of "Ayesha, the Return of She"?
It is interesting that in "The World's Desire" (set at the time of the Exodus, and dealing with Odysseus and Helen of Troy) we get a further hint that Ayesha, Kallikrates and Amenartas have been in perpetual conflict for some time.