Egyptian myth : a very short introduction / Geraldine Pinch.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Pinch, Geraldine.

Series:

Very short introductions ; 106.

Very short introductions

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mythology, Egyptian.

Physical Description:

143 pages : illustrations ; 18 cm.

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2004.

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.

Contents:

1 The myth of Egypt: imagined Egypts 3

2 Divine words: language and myth 15

3 The gods themselves: deities and myth 30

4 The beautiful moment: creation myths 43

5 Black Land, Red Land: the landscapes of myth 54

6 Lord of the Two Lands: myths of nationhood 66

7 The big fight: conflict and reconciliation 77

8 The eyes of heaven: pairs and sequences 89

9 Personal myths: myth and popular religion 100

10 The blessing of the mummy: the mythology of death 112.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0192803468

OCLC:

55523873