We all know the Scorpion King from the film “The Mummy Returns” or “Scorpion King” but few know that the Scorpion King was a truly historical person who existed, however not as stated in the aforementioned Film.
Before I begin with the story itself, there is one big problem. There were two Scorpion Kings who followed after each other – King Scorpio I and King Scorpio II. We really know very little about their lives, and for a long time their existence was denied by Egyptologists. To this day, we are not sure which of them this story really belongs to.
Personally, I believe this story belongs to the second Scorpion King. Why? You’ll find out in the story itself.
His real name is Sarakat and translates as King Scorpion. His name symbolizes the goddess that the Scorpion symbolized and who ruled Egypt before the unification of the two countries in approximately 3200 BC. King Scorpion belongs to the O dynasty – the pre-dynastic kings.
The Scorpion King was an Acadian warrior.
Legend says that the Scorpion King is a powerful warrior characterized by terrible courage and audacity, which allowed him to confront the unjust Egyptian king, who wanted to seize the land of Akkad lying between two rivers (the Tigris and the Euphrates – today’s Israel) and then with a fierce war managed to overthrow and replace him in order to restore justice in Upper Egypt.
The Scorpion King has made several campaigns to unify all of Egypt in the north and south, but Egypt was only really unified by his successor, King Narmer (Menes). And that’s why I believe legends speaks about the second Scorpion King. Because the first Scorpion King was supposed to rule at the beginning of the 0 Dynasty, not at the end. However, it’s very arguable and so we have to wait for Egyptologists to discover something more.
The Scorpion King thus paved the way for the formation of the pharaonic dynasties, and historians agree that he was buried in the royal tombs at Umm Al-Qaab in Abydos.
Archaeology discovered about the Scorpion King
The only pictorial evidence of his existence is the so-called Scorpion Macehead, which was found in the Main deposit (center of religious and political capital of Upper Egypt) by archeologists James E. Quibell and Frederick W. Green in a temple at Nekhen (Hierakonpolis) during the dig season of 1897–1898.
It displays inscriptions that indicate that the ancient Egyptians achieved writing using pictures at least from the beginning of this date.
Macehead was made of limestone in the shape of a pear, and in the centre was a king scorpion in a large, giant and hollow shape. He wore the crown of Upper Egypt, and a short robe that covered only one shoulder and reached almost to his knees. He had a long tail and carried a large axe in his hands. It seems he intends to divide the land as if it were one of the rituals associated with the start of the agricultural season for the ceremonial opening of the irrigation and agriculture project.
Before him were placed two symbols consisting of a flower and a scorpion, which indicates his famous name, but the flower indicates the oldest depiction or symbol of the king of Upper Egypt. The flower symbol was also used by his successor King Nermer.
In short, King Scorpion was one of the fathers of Egyptian civilization.
Great achievements for a man who for nearly 5,000 years was thought to be mythical.
Books I wrote, you can read here:
The Niqab Girl 
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