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    Egyptian Mythology: A Comprehensive Guide to Ancient Egypt
    Egyptian Mythology: A Comprehensive Guide to Ancient Egypt
    Egyptian Mythology: A Comprehensive Guide to Ancient Egypt
    Ebook104 pages1 hour

    Egyptian Mythology: A Comprehensive Guide to Ancient Egypt

    By Andrew Walsh

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    EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY


    Ancient pyramids. Pharaohs and Gods. Mummies, myths, and magic. There is nothing quite like the wonders and mysteries of the ancient Egyptians. This ancient civilization lasted for over 3,000 years and in that time, became one of history's most powerfu

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherIngram Publishing
    Release dateOct 1, 2020
    ISBN9781761036040
    Egyptian Mythology: A Comprehensive Guide to Ancient Egypt
    Author

    Andrew Walsh

    Andrew Walsh is a Chartered librarian at the University of Huddersfield. He chairs the information skills teaching group at the University of Huddersfield library and regularly gives talks at conferences across the UK, particularly in relation to information literacy and its teaching.

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      Book preview

      Egyptian Mythology - Andrew Walsh

      Introduction

      Congratulations on purchasing Egyptian Mythology, and thank you for doing so.

      Ancient pyramids. Pharaohs and Gods. Mummies, myths, and magic. There is nothing quite like the wonders and mysteries of the ancient Egyptians. This ancient civilization lasted for over 3,000 years and in that time, became one of history’s most powerful and iconic civilizations. Ancient Egypt is easily one of the most influential societies to ever exist in this world, so powerful that we still think about it and talk about it today. You may not recognize any Assyrian Kings or comprehend the Assyrian language, but you would have heard of King Tut and Cleopatra. You may even recognize the Eye of Horus. 

      When you think of ancient civilizations, none are more talked about, thought about, or referenced than ancient Egypt. The pyramids are part of the seven wonders of the world and serve as a constant reminder of the ancient society that was once mighty. As the civilization began to blossom a long time ago along the banks of the infamous Nile river, so too did rich mythology of fables and beliefs. Out of all the ancient civilizations in history, none were more fascinated by the mysteries of death than the Egyptians. During their time, enthralling stories of Gods and myths became the epicenter of their society. 

      The rulers of Egypt were considered protectors of the people, and they served as divine liaisons between humanity and the many Gods that they worshipped. Let’s dive into this rich and fascinating world that may be long gone but is certainly not forgotten! 

      Thanks again for choosing this book! Every effort was made to ensure it is full of as much useful information as possible, please enjoy!

      Chapter 1: Ancient History of Egypt

      Pyramids. The Desert. The long and impressive Nile river. These are the images that most often spring to mind when Ancient Egypt is talked about. Let’s start by talking about the vast sea of sand known as the Sahara Desert, a place in the north of Africa. Thousands of years ago, there was an abundance of rain in the heart of Africa, and little by little a flow of water was created, and gradually it started to grow. These waters became one of the largest rivers in the world, called the Nile. Many people have settled near this river, but living by the Nile has its ups and downs. In the wet season, the Nile grows so much that all lands around it are flooded, but when the water retreats, the land is ideal for farming since the riverbed has fertilized the surrounding soil. Thousands of years ago, people that had been nomads started building their homes around the Nile; this is how ancient Egypt was born. 

      The Egyptians learned how to grow crops on rich and fertile land. The food was plentiful. This meant that instead of traveling in search of food, the Egyptian people could stay in one place farming all the food they needed. Egyptians were very clever in using the flooding of the Nile to their benefit. They invented an irrigation system that let them grow even more crops. The Nile soon became a large highway where goods and people traveled, trading with each other. This made the Egyptians quite wealthy with an abundance of food, and the mobility to trade with other people. 

      Around 3500 BC, the development of trade and agriculture helped some villages on the banks of the Nile become very wealthy and powerful. Important cities started to emerge along the river around 3,000 BC, creating a kingdom that consisted of Upper and Lower Egypt. Pharaohs were created, and that was the beginning of a great Empire that would last for thousands and thousands of years. Ancient Egypt was in a great location, where on one side the huge desert protected them from attacks from the south, and on the other side, the River Nile provided food, trade, and contact with other villages. 

      As centuries passed, the power of Egyptian pharaohs began to decrease due to innumerable internal fights. They were also dominated at times by powerful neighboring empires. First it was the Persians, then the Macedonians, and finally the Romans. Cleopatra was the last Pharaoh of ancient Egypt; it is said that no man could resist her extraordinary beauty, which was legendary. Mark Antony was a powerful Roman general who was captivated by Cleopatra and believed that their love would bring back the splendor of Egypt. Mark Antony and Cleopatra went to war against the emperor of Rome, Octavian, but Mark Antony and Cleopatra lost, leaving what remained of Egypt in the hands of Octavian and the Roman Empire. The battle happened in the year 29 BC. At that point in time, the Roman Empire was not only dominating and oppressing Egypt. They were also doing the same to many other cultures who lived along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

      Although thousands of years have passed, the influence of the Egyptian civilization still remains alive among us, and their colossal monuments remind us of their grandeur and majesty. 

      ––––––––

      The Social Classes

      Life during the time of the Pharaohs was surprisingly modern. Men and women enjoyed equality in their law that wouldn’t be seen in other civilizations for many centuries to come. In Egypt, the people fell into one of three categories. You were either royalty, a free citizen, or a slave. Social classes in Egypt back then were not like what we think of today. Since money did not exist yet back then, there was technically no such thing as an upper, middle, or lower class the way we identify with today. The vast majority of Egyptians were people who worked on farms. 

      Maintaining unity was difficult for the Egyptian rulers since they had many enemies that wanted to invade them and strip them of their wealth. The Pharaohs ruled Egypt for more than 3,000 years. For the Egyptians, their social life was akin to that of the Great pyramids of Egypt; the different groups had varying degrees of importance. At the top of the social pyramid was the pharaoh. The pharaohs were like kings. They ruled Egypt, and all the wealth and treasures of the empire were theirs. They were worshipped as gods, but the life of the pharaoh was not simple. At the very top of the social standing was none other than the pharaohs and those who were of royal blood. The pharaoh at that time was considered a god living on earth. His family, who lived in the palace with him, were incredibly privileged, thanks to their close connection to him. It was the job of the pharaoh to maintain order, control the economy, the laws of nature, the seasons, the flooding of the Nile, the movement of the planets, and more!

      The free citizens of Egypt were next on the social hierarchy. The second position of importance on the pyramid after the pharaohs were the priests. Free citizens included the priests, merchants, soldiers, and scribes, traders, farmers, and school craftsmen. Basically, this tier of society consisted of anyone who wasn’t born into royalty but was considered free by the laws of Egypt. The priests’ main activities were serving the gods in each of the temples and performing offerings and rituals. Below the priests were the scribes whose ability was revered. In ancient Egypt, the very few people who were taught how to write were considered privileged, and that gave them a lot of power in Egypt. They wrote using sacred signs called hieroglyphics. Hieroglyphics were drawings that represented sounds like the modern-day Alphabet, except it was a lot harder to write. There were more than 700 different symbols. The next place on the pyramid was occupied by the soldiers. Soldiers were tasked with protecting the kingdom because Egypt was so rich that many armies wanted to conquer it and take its wealth. After many encounters and many battles fought, the Egyptian army perfected its techniques and became very powerful. The Egyptian army set out to conquer other territories to the East and to the South. In ancient Egypt, there was always something to be done. When officers had no enemies to confront, they were devoted to tasks like digging irrigation canals

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