Introduction
Before we delve into the rich treasures that Egyptian mythology has to offer, it is important to understand a bit about the land itself. Let us take a step back, then, and talk briefly about the history of the country whose legends we will be studying, but also a bit about life as it may have been in ancient times when these myths were first being told.
The ancient name for Egypt is Kemet, which roughly translates to "black land". This refers to the fertile farming area found along the flood plains of the Nile River. In direct contrast, we have the deshret or "red land" of the surounding desert.
Before we delve into the rich treasures that Egyptian mythology has to offer, it is important to understand a bit about the land itself. Let us take a step back, then, and talk briefly about the history of the country whose legends we will be studying, but also a bit about life as it may have been in ancient times when these myths were first being told.
The ancient name for Egypt is Kemet, which roughly translates to "black land". This refers to the fertile farming area found along the flood plains of the Nile River. In direct contrast, we have the deshret or "red land" of the surounding desert.
Contrary to popular misconception, Egypt is not actually in the Middle East. It is bordered by Middle Eastern countries, but Egypt itself is a North African country. Glad that's cleared up, for Merlin's sake! It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the North, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the Northeast, the Red Sea to the East, Sudan to the South, and Libya to the West.
As we have mentioned, the Nile River played an important part in the lives of the Egyptians from the very beginning. The Greek historian, Herodotus, had the right idea when he wrote that "Egypt was the gift of the Nile", though perhaps the same could be said in reverse as well. As early as 3400 BC, climate changes and the ravages done to the land by over-grazing of livestock forced the nomadic inland tribes to a more sedentary lifestyle along the banks of the Nile.
Silt deposits resulting from the annual flooding of the Nile made the surrounding land fertile, allowing for the planting of such crops as wheat, flax, and papyrus. This was not only important for the well-being of the famine ridden land, but as time played out, these crops would play a major part in the economic welfare of the country and allow Egypt to become one of the 'major players' in the trade system of the day.
As we have mentioned, the Nile River played an important part in the lives of the Egyptians from the very beginning. The Greek historian, Herodotus, had the right idea when he wrote that "Egypt was the gift of the Nile", though perhaps the same could be said in reverse as well. As early as 3400 BC, climate changes and the ravages done to the land by over-grazing of livestock forced the nomadic inland tribes to a more sedentary lifestyle along the banks of the Nile.
Silt deposits resulting from the annual flooding of the Nile made the surrounding land fertile, allowing for the planting of such crops as wheat, flax, and papyrus. This was not only important for the well-being of the famine ridden land, but as time played out, these crops would play a major part in the economic welfare of the country and allow Egypt to become one of the 'major players' in the trade system of the day.
Ancient Egypt 3100 BC-332 BC
Egypt is a virtual treasure trove of history, and that alone could fill volumes, but for the purpose of this class, we will limit ourselves to this particular piece of it, lest yours truly get lost in the maze of it and never be heard from again.
The earliest period in Ancient Egypt is known as the Early Dynastic Period (3100-2686 BC). In 3100 BC, King Menes united the two kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt into one unified kingdom--or so 'history' would have us believe. But things aren't always what they seem to be. Some scholars now believe that King Menes was as mythical as the mythical King Arthur of Camelot fame, and it was actually Pharaoh Narmer who was responsible for the unification of Egypt. Whatever the case, and whoever was responsible, it was during this period, that the capitol of Memphis was established in Lower Egypt and the "Egypt" that we are familiar with today was born.
The Old Kingdom (2686-2181 BC) is what I like to refer to as "Hollywood" Egypt. When you close your eyes and think of Egypt, or envision a typical Hollywood movie set, this is the period you are seeing. Here we have the start of the Giza pyramids and the Great Sphinx. A justice system, under the direction of the vizier, was established to keep everything in working order. Someone had to keep all of those slaves in line, after all!
It was a good time to be a scribe, as you were granted special honors and immunities by the Pharaoh. Temples were seen as places of much more than worship; the afterlife was of utmost importance to the Egyptians, especially those of the royal caste. Naturally, anything that could be done to ensure a better afterlife was taken care of before the time came. If it meant slipping in a few extra bushels of grain to a certain scribe--so be it. Who are we to get between a man and his afterlife comfort?!
Life was great-for a time. Then came the 'dark ages' known as the First Intermediate Period 2181-1991 BC). Key note of importance, folks---When you hear the word 'intermediate' when dealing with Egyptian history; it's not a good thing. Think 'Dark Age Medieval Europe'. Yeah, that bad.
The good living the Pharaohs had been accustomed to and the favors they had been so free with granted came back to bite them on the proverbial backside. Add into the mix a rather large-scale drought, food shortages, pesky little political debates that grew into small scale civil wars, and the like, and you have a surefire recipe for disaster. But all was not lost--yet.
Because the central government collapsed, local leaders were free from their tribute to Pharaoh, and were able to step up and establish a basic government of their own. They took control of their own resources, distributed them out more equally among all of the classes, and everyone grew the richer for it. Art and commerce flourished under this new leadership and trade thrived. Chalk up a win for the 'little man'!
I did mention civil wars; keep that in mind. By 2160, you had two large factions in Lower and Upper Egypt vying for ultimate power as they sought to expand their various holdings. Think "Game of Thrones" real time. I vote for House Stark-sorry, I digress. Back to the Egyptians...
In Lower Egypt, the rulers in Herakleopolis controlled the North, which meant they also controlled the mouth of the Nile River. In Upper Egypt, you have the Intef family and they controlled the South. Theban forces split with the rest of the North and joined with the Intef family to win the victory, thus reuniting Egypt as one whole country, resulting in the birth of the period known as the Middle Kingdom (2134-1690 BC).
Under the leadership of the pharaohs, there was new stability, resulting in a resurgence of new building projects, art, and literary growth. There was a definite shift in the religious overtones of this new kingdom, in direct contrast to the old kingdom with its elitist beliefs about the afterlife. The new kingdom was guided by the belief that all people, despite social status, had a soul, and could be welcome into the company of the gods. It was not reserved purely for the elite few who could afford to pay the temple guardians enough gold to secure a coveted spot. That being said, the temples and priests thrived under this new belief system, as the gifts, although perhaps smaller in value, increased in volume. Good for both the gods and those who served them. A win-win for all.
Dark times were ahead, however. There was a severe flood of the Nile River and Canaanite settlers begin to take control of the Delta Region, eventually wresting power away from the Egyptians. These interlopers were known as the Hyksos ("foreign leaders"). The Second Intermediate Period (1674-1549 BC) had begun.
The central government was forced to retreat to Thebes, and the Pharaoh was treated as little more than a vassal, expected to pay tribute to the Hyksos leaders and do their bidding. This went on for more than 30 years until 1555 BC, when the government was finally able to amass enough military power to overthrow their 'captors' and retake control of their country.
The Hyksos did introduce several things to the Egyptian culture that proved quite useful, such as the horse-drawn chariot and the composite bow. So not a total loss, all things considered.
The Egyptian leaders, it seemed, had learned a painful and valuable lesson. Art was pretty, literature was entertaining, and pyramids were grand--but armies won wars. It was time to get down to serious business, and the government turned a sharper eye to military matters. In the New Kingdom Period (1549-1069 BC), new armies were formed, new allegiances were forged, and Egypt enjoyed more influence than it had ever seen previously. This allowed for new trade agreements and imports such as bronze and wood made their way into the country for the first time.
It was during this time that religious unrest once more reared its ugly head, as the centuries-old polytheistic belief system was challenged by a new monotheistic one. More will be covered on this topic in a future lesson, so enough on that for now. Suffice it to say, it was not a good thing.
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum...err....wine. That's right, folks, Captain Jack Sparrow has landed! Well, okay, not the Jack Sparrow, but pirates nonetheless. Egypt's vast wealth was a magnet for treasure-seeking bandits (like pirates, duh!), and with an "Arrggh matey", the Third Intermediate Period (1069-653 BC) was ushered into being.
For a time, Egypt was able to repel the attacks, but eventually lost control of the coastal areas, especially around Palestine and Syria. This led to a period of corruption, tomb robbery, and civil unrest. To make matters worse, Egypt's international prestige begin to slowly decline. Sadly, the Assyrian army sacked Thebes to such an extent that it never fully recovered.
The last period we will discuss is the Late Period (672-332 BC). During this time, the Assyrians left control of Egypt mainly to a series of vassals known as the Saite Kings, who chose to assist Egypt in escaping the control of their oppressors. Greek and Lydian mercenaries were recruited to form Egypt's first Navy and after a succession of long and lengthy battles the goal was achieved. The victory was short-lived, however, as Egypt would go on to be controlled by Persia and then handed over on the proverbial silver platter to Alexander the Great for his turn at ruling them.
Thus, for all practical purposes, ends the history of Ancient Egypt as we will be covering it. With such a tumultuous past, one can fully understand their need, perhaps, for the rich mythology they so coveted.
Daily Living
As we have already mentioned, agriculture played a big part in the daily life of the average ancient Egyptian. It goes without saying, however, that one's social status determined greatly the course of daily living. Women, whether of noble or common birth, if free, enjoyed much the same rights as their male counterparts. Women could own property in their own name, hold their own professions, and even represent themselves in court. In fact, their were even a few women who ruled over Egypt in various points of history.
Children were considered a blessing by the gods and were often doted upon by their parents. In turn, however, it was expected that the children would then return the favor as the parents grew old and could not longer care for themselves. In fact, children were referred to as the "staff of old age", and this applied to sons and daughters equally. Additionally, the oldest son (or daughter in some cases), was expected to carry out the funeral provisions of the parents according to their specific wishes.
I could go on forever about this particular topic, but as the main focus of the class is Egyptian mythology and not Egyptian culture, I shall refrain the urge to do so, as hard as that may be. In the future, I may choose to do a class based solely on the culture and daily lifestyle of ancient Egypt as a 'sister' class to this one--be afraid, be very afraid.
Egypt is a virtual treasure trove of history, and that alone could fill volumes, but for the purpose of this class, we will limit ourselves to this particular piece of it, lest yours truly get lost in the maze of it and never be heard from again.
The earliest period in Ancient Egypt is known as the Early Dynastic Period (3100-2686 BC). In 3100 BC, King Menes united the two kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt into one unified kingdom--or so 'history' would have us believe. But things aren't always what they seem to be. Some scholars now believe that King Menes was as mythical as the mythical King Arthur of Camelot fame, and it was actually Pharaoh Narmer who was responsible for the unification of Egypt. Whatever the case, and whoever was responsible, it was during this period, that the capitol of Memphis was established in Lower Egypt and the "Egypt" that we are familiar with today was born.
The Old Kingdom (2686-2181 BC) is what I like to refer to as "Hollywood" Egypt. When you close your eyes and think of Egypt, or envision a typical Hollywood movie set, this is the period you are seeing. Here we have the start of the Giza pyramids and the Great Sphinx. A justice system, under the direction of the vizier, was established to keep everything in working order. Someone had to keep all of those slaves in line, after all!
It was a good time to be a scribe, as you were granted special honors and immunities by the Pharaoh. Temples were seen as places of much more than worship; the afterlife was of utmost importance to the Egyptians, especially those of the royal caste. Naturally, anything that could be done to ensure a better afterlife was taken care of before the time came. If it meant slipping in a few extra bushels of grain to a certain scribe--so be it. Who are we to get between a man and his afterlife comfort?!
Life was great-for a time. Then came the 'dark ages' known as the First Intermediate Period 2181-1991 BC). Key note of importance, folks---When you hear the word 'intermediate' when dealing with Egyptian history; it's not a good thing. Think 'Dark Age Medieval Europe'. Yeah, that bad.
The good living the Pharaohs had been accustomed to and the favors they had been so free with granted came back to bite them on the proverbial backside. Add into the mix a rather large-scale drought, food shortages, pesky little political debates that grew into small scale civil wars, and the like, and you have a surefire recipe for disaster. But all was not lost--yet.
Because the central government collapsed, local leaders were free from their tribute to Pharaoh, and were able to step up and establish a basic government of their own. They took control of their own resources, distributed them out more equally among all of the classes, and everyone grew the richer for it. Art and commerce flourished under this new leadership and trade thrived. Chalk up a win for the 'little man'!
I did mention civil wars; keep that in mind. By 2160, you had two large factions in Lower and Upper Egypt vying for ultimate power as they sought to expand their various holdings. Think "Game of Thrones" real time. I vote for House Stark-sorry, I digress. Back to the Egyptians...
In Lower Egypt, the rulers in Herakleopolis controlled the North, which meant they also controlled the mouth of the Nile River. In Upper Egypt, you have the Intef family and they controlled the South. Theban forces split with the rest of the North and joined with the Intef family to win the victory, thus reuniting Egypt as one whole country, resulting in the birth of the period known as the Middle Kingdom (2134-1690 BC).
Under the leadership of the pharaohs, there was new stability, resulting in a resurgence of new building projects, art, and literary growth. There was a definite shift in the religious overtones of this new kingdom, in direct contrast to the old kingdom with its elitist beliefs about the afterlife. The new kingdom was guided by the belief that all people, despite social status, had a soul, and could be welcome into the company of the gods. It was not reserved purely for the elite few who could afford to pay the temple guardians enough gold to secure a coveted spot. That being said, the temples and priests thrived under this new belief system, as the gifts, although perhaps smaller in value, increased in volume. Good for both the gods and those who served them. A win-win for all.
Dark times were ahead, however. There was a severe flood of the Nile River and Canaanite settlers begin to take control of the Delta Region, eventually wresting power away from the Egyptians. These interlopers were known as the Hyksos ("foreign leaders"). The Second Intermediate Period (1674-1549 BC) had begun.
The central government was forced to retreat to Thebes, and the Pharaoh was treated as little more than a vassal, expected to pay tribute to the Hyksos leaders and do their bidding. This went on for more than 30 years until 1555 BC, when the government was finally able to amass enough military power to overthrow their 'captors' and retake control of their country.
The Hyksos did introduce several things to the Egyptian culture that proved quite useful, such as the horse-drawn chariot and the composite bow. So not a total loss, all things considered.
The Egyptian leaders, it seemed, had learned a painful and valuable lesson. Art was pretty, literature was entertaining, and pyramids were grand--but armies won wars. It was time to get down to serious business, and the government turned a sharper eye to military matters. In the New Kingdom Period (1549-1069 BC), new armies were formed, new allegiances were forged, and Egypt enjoyed more influence than it had ever seen previously. This allowed for new trade agreements and imports such as bronze and wood made their way into the country for the first time.
It was during this time that religious unrest once more reared its ugly head, as the centuries-old polytheistic belief system was challenged by a new monotheistic one. More will be covered on this topic in a future lesson, so enough on that for now. Suffice it to say, it was not a good thing.
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum...err....wine. That's right, folks, Captain Jack Sparrow has landed! Well, okay, not the Jack Sparrow, but pirates nonetheless. Egypt's vast wealth was a magnet for treasure-seeking bandits (like pirates, duh!), and with an "Arrggh matey", the Third Intermediate Period (1069-653 BC) was ushered into being.
For a time, Egypt was able to repel the attacks, but eventually lost control of the coastal areas, especially around Palestine and Syria. This led to a period of corruption, tomb robbery, and civil unrest. To make matters worse, Egypt's international prestige begin to slowly decline. Sadly, the Assyrian army sacked Thebes to such an extent that it never fully recovered.
The last period we will discuss is the Late Period (672-332 BC). During this time, the Assyrians left control of Egypt mainly to a series of vassals known as the Saite Kings, who chose to assist Egypt in escaping the control of their oppressors. Greek and Lydian mercenaries were recruited to form Egypt's first Navy and after a succession of long and lengthy battles the goal was achieved. The victory was short-lived, however, as Egypt would go on to be controlled by Persia and then handed over on the proverbial silver platter to Alexander the Great for his turn at ruling them.
Thus, for all practical purposes, ends the history of Ancient Egypt as we will be covering it. With such a tumultuous past, one can fully understand their need, perhaps, for the rich mythology they so coveted.
Daily Living
As we have already mentioned, agriculture played a big part in the daily life of the average ancient Egyptian. It goes without saying, however, that one's social status determined greatly the course of daily living. Women, whether of noble or common birth, if free, enjoyed much the same rights as their male counterparts. Women could own property in their own name, hold their own professions, and even represent themselves in court. In fact, their were even a few women who ruled over Egypt in various points of history.
Children were considered a blessing by the gods and were often doted upon by their parents. In turn, however, it was expected that the children would then return the favor as the parents grew old and could not longer care for themselves. In fact, children were referred to as the "staff of old age", and this applied to sons and daughters equally. Additionally, the oldest son (or daughter in some cases), was expected to carry out the funeral provisions of the parents according to their specific wishes.
I could go on forever about this particular topic, but as the main focus of the class is Egyptian mythology and not Egyptian culture, I shall refrain the urge to do so, as hard as that may be. In the future, I may choose to do a class based solely on the culture and daily lifestyle of ancient Egypt as a 'sister' class to this one--be afraid, be very afraid.
This concludes our first lesson. Please go to Assignment 1 for your homework.