The Demand of Belief
When discussing authority, one cannot overlook the overwhelming presence of King Unis. King Unis, the Egyptian God, first appears in 2325 B.C.E on the walls of the Pyramids; his story is compiled into a text known as the Cannibal Spell for King Unis. Within the text we learn that Unis is the son of Atum, the creator of God, yet Unis is a more powerful entity. Unis governs the Egyptian people with an authority revolving around Fear, “Unis is one who eats people . . . one who has fetchers” (26). Unis threatens to eat his followers if he is not followed correctly (non-followers are identified as those who do “bad”). Through blatant, mortal threats Unis asserts his authority, in other words through Fear. Not only should followers fear Unis himself, rather they should also fear the reach of King Unis’ authority. The fetchers of Unis are his butchers, they are extensions of his power enacted through butchering people. The use of fetchers indicated Unis’ methods of fear widespread. Theoretically, if one is to question the legitimacy or power of Unis, they are met with a reality-check, “Unis is the most controlling power who controls the controlling powers” (27). Unis is not a sole body of jurisdiction, yet Unis is not an escapable jurisdiction, he is a controller of all powers. One cannot hide from the influence of Unis as he controls any other form of authority you wish to be governed by. Unis does not only assert his power through fear, he also ensures that his followers remain tamed and loyal as they cannot escape him because of his omnipresence. What differs Unis from many different authorities is he does not assume everyone to be a believer of his sovereignty. Many texts present their god(s) as a default knowledge who then commands things of people which warrants a consequence; Unis rather demands that he simply be recognized.
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