From stories of resurrected mummies and thousand-year-old curses to powerful pharaohs and the coveted treasures of the Great Pyramids, ancient Egypt has had an unfaltering grip on the modern imagination. Now, in Egyptian Mythology, Geraldine Pinch offers a comprehensive introduction thatuntangles the mystery of Egyptian Myth. Spanning Ancient Egyptian culture--from 3200 BC to AD 400--Pinch opens a door to this hidden world and casts light on its often misunderstood belief system. She discusses the nature of myths and the history of Egypt, from the predynastic to the postpharaonic period. She explains how Egyptianculture developed around the flooding of the Nile, or the "inundation," a phenomenon on which the whole welfare of the country depended, and how aspects of the inundation were personified as deities. She explains that the usually cloudless skies made for a preoccupation with the stars and planets.Indeed, much early Egyptian mythology may have developed to explain the movement of these celestial bodies. She provides a timeline covering the seven stages in the mythical history of Egypt and outlining the major events of each stage, such as the reign of the sun God. A substantial A to Z sectioncovers the principal themes and concepts of Egyptian mythology as well as the most important deities, demons, and other characters. For anyone who wants to know about Anubis, the terrifying canine god who presided over the mummification of bodies and guarded burials, or Hathor, the golden goddesswho helped women to give birth and the dead to be reborn, or an explanation of the nun, the primeval ocean from which all life came, Egyptian Mythology is the place to look.

Geraldine Pinch is an Egyptologist at the Oriental Institute of Oxford University and a Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Ancient Near Eastern Religions. She is the author of Magic in Ancient Egypt and Egyptian Myth: A Very Short Introduction.

Chronology,

xi

1 Introduction,

1

(56)

What Is a Myth?

1

(1)

Myth and Geography,

2

(2)

History and the Sources of Egyptian Myth,

4

(1)

Protodynastic (Dynasty 0) and Early Dynastic Periods (Dynasties 1-2): c. 3200-2686 BCE,

5

(3)

Early Kings,

5

(1)

The King and the Gods,

6

(2)

Old Kingdom (Dynasties 3-6) and First Intermediate Period (Dynasties 7-11): c. 2686-2055 BCE,

8

(4)

The Pyramid Builders,

8

(1)

The Pyramid Texts,

9

(3)

Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period (Dynasties 11-17): c. 2055-1550 BCE,

12

(7)

The Coffin Texts,

13

(3)

Literature,

16

(1)

Magic and Popular Religion,

17

(2)

New Kingdom (Dynasties 18-20) and Third Intermediate Period (Dynasties 21-24): c. 1550-747 BCE,

19

(12)

Temples and Kings,

21

(3)

Underworld Books,

24

(2)

The Book of the Dead,

26

(2)

Mythology in Literature,

28

(2)

The End of the New Kingdom,

30

(1)

Late Period and Ptolemaic Period (Dynasties 25-30 and the Ptolemies): 747-30 BCE,

31

(9)

The Memphite Theology,

32

(2)

Persians and Greeks,

34

(1)

Alexandria and Memphis,

35

(2)

Priests and Temples under the Ptolemies,

37

(2)

Isis and Horus,

39

(1)

Roman Period: 30 BcE-395 CE,

40

(5)

Plutarch's Osiris,

41

(1)

Demotic Literature,

42

(1)

Land of Magicians,

43

(2)

Post-Pharaonic Egypt,

45

(12)

2 Mythical Time Lines,

57

(42)

Linear Time,

57

(32)

Chaos,

58

(1)

Emergence of the Creator,

59

(2)

Creation,

61

(7)

Period of Direct Rule by the Creator Sun God,

68

(8)

Period of Rule by Other Gods,

76

(9)

Period of Rule by Kings,

85

(4)

Return to Chaos,

89

(1)

Cyclical Time,

89

(126)

The Egyptian Year,

90

(1)

The Solar Cycle,

91

(2)

The Journey of the Soul,

93

(6)

3 Deities, Themes, and Concepts,

99

(116)

Aker,

99

(1)

Akhet,

99

(1)

Ammut,

100

(1)

Amun (Amon, Ammon, Amen),

100

(2)

Anat (Anath, Anta),

102

(1)

Andjety (Anedjeti),

102

(1)

Anti (Anty),

103

(1)

Anubis (Anpu, Inpw),

104

(1)

Anuket (Anukis),

105

(1)

Apis,

105

(1)

Apophis (Apep),

106

(2)

Arsaphes,

108

(1)

Ash,

108

(1)

Astarte (Ashtarte),

108

(1)

Aten (Aton),

109

(2)

Atum (Atem),

111

(1)

Baal,

112

(1)

Babi (Baba),

112

(1)

Baboons,

113

(1)

Banebdjedet (Banebdjed),

114

(1)

Bastet (Bast, Boubastis, Pasht),

115

(2)

Bat,

117

(1)

Bata,

117

(1)

Benu Bird (Phoenix),

117

(1)

Bes and Beset,

118

(2)

Birds,

120

(1)

Boats,

121

(2)

Cattle,

123

(3)

Crocodiles,

126

(1)

Djed Pillar,

127

(1)

Ennead of Heliopolis,

128

(1)

Eye of Ra,

128

(3)

Eyes of Horus,

131

(1)

Feline Deities,

132

(3)

Geb,

135

(1)

Hand of Atum,

136

(1)

Hapy (Hapi),

136

(1)

Hathor (Hwt-hr),

137

(2)

Hatmehyt,

139

(1)

Heh Gods,

139

(1)

Heka (Hika),

139

(1)

Heqet (Heqat, Hekat),

139

(2)

Heryshef (Arsaphes, Harsaphes),

141

(1)

Hippopotamus Goddesses,

141

(2)

Horemakhet (Harmachis),

143

(1)

Horus (Hor),

143

(3)

Horus the Child (Harpokrates, Harpocrates),

146

(1)

Hu,

147

(1)

Ihy,

148

(1)

Imhotep (Imouthes),

148

(1)

Ipet (Opet),

149

(1)

Isis,

149

(3)

Iusaas,

152

(1)

Khentamentiu (Khentamenti),

152

(1)

Khenty-Khety,

152

(1)

Khepri (Khepry, Khopri),

152

(1)

Khnum (Chnum),

153

(2)

Khonsu (Khans, Chons),

155

(1)

Kings and Princes,

156

(2)

Lotus,

158

(1)

Maat (Ma'et),

159

(2)

Mafdet,

161

(1)

Magicians,

161

(2)

Mahes (Mihos),

163

(1)

Mehet-Weret (Mehurit, Methyer),

163

(1)

Mehit (Mehyt, Mekhit),

164

(1)

Meretseger,

164

(1)

Meskhenet,

164

(1)

Min,

164

(1)

Montu (Mont, Month),

165

(1)

Moon,

166

(2)

Mut (Mont),

168

(1)

Nefertem (Nefertum),

169

(1)

Nehebkau,

169

(1)

Neith (Neit),

169

(1)

Nekhbet,

170

(1)

Nemty,

171

(1)

Neper (Nepri),

171

(1)

Nephthys,

171

(1)

Nun (Noun, Nu),

172

(1)

Nut (Nout),

173

(2)

Ogdoad of Hermopolis,

175

(2)

Onuris (Anhur, Inhur, Inhert),

177

(1)

Osiris,

178

(2)

Pakhet,

180

(1)

Primeval Mound,

180

(1)

Primeval Ocean,

181

(1)

Ptah,

181

(1)

Ra (Re, Pre),

182

(3)

Raet-Tawy (Raiyet),

185

(1)

Ra-Horakhty,

185

(1)

Renenutet (Ernutet, Hermouthis, Thermouthis),

185

(1)

Satet (Satis) and Anuket (Anukis),

186

(1)

Sekhmet (Sakhmet),

187

(2)

Serqet (Serket, Selkis),

189

(1)

Seshat (Sechat),

190

(1)

Seth (Set, Sutekh),

191

(3)

Seven Hathors,

194

(1)

Shai (Shay),

194

(1)

Shed,

195

(1)

Shentayet,

195

(1)

Shezmu,

195

(1)

Shu (Schu, Chou) and Tefnut (Tefenet),

195

(3)

Sia and Hu (Hw),

198

(1)

Snakes,

198

(2)

Sobek (Suchos),

200

(2)

Sokar (Soker, Sokaris),

202

(2)

Sons of Horus,

204

(1)

Sopdet (Sothis),

205

(1)

Sopdu (Sopedu, Soped),

205

(1)

Sothis,

206

(1)

Souls of Pe and Nekhen,

206

(1)

Sphinx,

206

(1)

Stars and Planets,

207

(2)

Tatjenen (Tatenen),

209

(1)

Taweret (Tweret, Taurt, Thoeris),

209

(1)

Tayet,

209

(1)

Tefnut,

209

(1)

Thoth,

209

(2)

Two Ladies,

211

(2)

Wadjyt (Wadjet, Ouadjet, Uto),

213

(1)

Wepwawet (Upwaut),

213

(1)

Weret-Hekau,

214

(1)

Wosret,

214

(1)

4 Egyptian Myth: Annotated Print and Nonprint Resources,

215

(12)

Print Resources,

215

(9)

General Works on Egyptian Culture,

215

(2)

Egyptian Religion and Myth,

217

(3)

Books and Articles on Egyptian Myth in other Languages,

220

(1)

English Translations of Ancient Texts,

220

(2)

A Selection of Literature Influenced by Egyptian Myth,

222

(2)

Nonprint Resources,

224

(3)

Videos,

224

(1)

Web Sites and CD-Roms,

224

(3)

Glossary,

227

(6)

Appendix: Primary Sources,

233

(6)

Index,

239

(18)

About the Author,

257

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Egyptian Mythology A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt

9780195170245

0195170245

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