Myth and Cosmos in Ancient Egyptian History - by Asher Benowitz (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Literature and mythology

From the New Kingdom, only ten narratives survive. These stories assume that their readers have a deep understanding of Egyptian mythology.

It describes a prince who is doomed to die by a snake, crocodile, or dog, as the world's oldest fairy tale. There is no ending in the story, but it is likely that the prince was saved by the spirited princess whose hand he wins in a jumping contest.. As an extended version of the Osiris myth, Truth and Lies involves a dysfunctional family of deities whose son avenges his father, Truth, and defeats Lies' enemy. The plot revolves around a son who grows up to avenge his father, Truth, and beat his enemy, Lies. Isis is lustful and heartless, whereas the hero's mother is presented as passionate and cruel.

This story contains a lot of mythological themes in a semi-disguised manner. As in the story of the Two Brothers, the female characters are also evil. A woman who the gods have blessed as a wife betrays the hero by falsely accusing him of raping his brother's wife. Anubis and Bata are two brothers with the same name as two gods (Anubis and Bata).. A time when it was still possible to meet gods and monsters just beyond Egypt's borders is depicted in the story. In both the Two Brothers and another New Kingdom tale about Seth's fight with an ocean god to save Astarte, the sea tries to capture a beautiful female. Astute is included under "Deities, Themes, and Concepts" as a partially Egyptianized myth. More fragmentary accounts describe a woman who becomes a lioness and the God Heryshef recruiting a human to help him fight a divine falcon.

Contendings between Horus and Seth is the most controversial story from the New Kingdom. This is the most extended narrative that survives the conflict between the two gods and its resolution. But that does not mean it should be regarded as the only or standard version of the myth. Fables consist of all their performances, as many scholars have emphasized. This text was read aloud for entertainment, hence its narrative form. In addition to telling an ancient myth, the satire contains commentary about how difficult it is to obtain justice under New Kingdom legal systems and perhaps some veiled commentaries about recent problems with royal succession.