Exploring ancient Egyptian culture from approximately 3200 B.C.E. to C.E. 400, this comprehensive guide offers the only complete survey of Egyptian mythology in English. It delves into the rich tapestry of myths, deities, and cultural significance, providing readers with an in-depth understanding of a fascinating civilization's beliefs and stories.
Spanning ancient Egyptian culture--from 3200 BC to AD 400--Pinch opens a door to this hidden world and casts light on the nature of myths and how they relate to the evolution of Egyptian culture. She includes a timeline covering the seven stages in the mythical history of Egypt and outlining the major events of each stage. A substantial A to Z section covers the principal themes and concepts of Egyptian mythology as well as the most important deities, demons, and other characters. This is an ideal introduction for students interested in learning about Egyptian myths, and the culture that created them.
Egyptian myths articulated the core values of one of the longest lasting civilizations in history, and myths of deities such as Isis and Osiris influenced contemporary cultures and became part of the Western cultural heritage. Egyptian Mythology: A Very Short Introduction explains the cultural and historical background to the fascinating and complex world of Egyptian myth, with each chapter dealing with a particular theme.To show the variety of source material for Egyptian myth, each chapter features a particular object--such as the obelisk known as Cleopatra's Needle, a golden statue of Tutankhamun, and a papyrus containing a story in which the Egyptian gods behave outrageously--which is illustrated by a photograph or line-drawing. The myth "The Contendings of Horus and Seth" is looked at in detail, and the many interpretations it has provoked are examined. In addition to a list of major deities and myths, there are explanations of related topics such as how hieroglyphs work, royal names and titles, and the Egyptian cosmos. There is also a timeline of Egyptian history, a glossary of technical terms and an up-to-date bibliography.
The Egyptians were famous in the ancient world for their knowledge of magic. Religion, medicine, technology and what we would call magic co-existed without apparent conflict, and it was not unusual for magical and 'practical' remedies to be used side by side.
Zajímavý pohled do světa staroegyptské magie, který si všímá magických předmětů, kouzel a rituálů. Autorka je jedním z největších odborníků na danou problematiku, avšak tato bohatě ilustrovaná kniha je určena i laické veřejnosti, přesto je pravidelně citována i v odborných kruzích. Magie byla v Egyptě využívána faraony, ale i běžnými lidmi – těhotné ženy na příklad nosily různé amulety, aby dodaly sílu svému nenarozenému dítěti. Magie byla i nedílnou součástí náboženství a praktikovali ji především téměř všemocní kněží a také lékaři. I tam, kde Egypťané znali účinný lék, považovali za nutné jej podpořit magickým zaříkáním. Mnohá kouzla mohla velmi dobře fungovat, ovšem často na základě placebo efektu. Autorka varuje před paušálním odsouzením staroegyptské (i jakékoli jiné) magie.