Egyptian Myth: A Very Short Introduction

by Pinch, Geraldine

• ISBN13: 9780192803467
• ISBN10: 0192803468
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-07-08
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

This introduction explains the cultural and historical background to the fascinating and complex world of Egyptian myth. 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 statute of Tutankhamun, and a papyrus containing a story in which the Egyptian gods behave outrageously--which is illustrated by a photograph or line-drawing. 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.

Author Biography

Geraldine Pinch is an Egyptologist at the Oriental Institute of Oxford University and the author of Magic in Ancient Egypt and Egyptian Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. viii
List of illustrations	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
The myth of Egypt: imagined Egypts	p. 3
Divine words: language and myth	p. 15
The gods themselves: deities and myth	p. 30
The beautiful moment: creation myths	p. 43
Black Land, Red Land: the landscapes of myth	p. 54
Lord of the Two Lands: myths of nationhood	p. 66
The big fight: conflict and reconciliation	p. 77
The eyes of heaven: pairs and sequences	p. 89
Personal myths: myth and popular religion	p. 100
The blessing of the mummy: the mythology of death	p. 112
Notes	p. 123
Further reading	p. 126
Timeline	p. 130
Glossary	p. 133
Index	p. 135
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