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- Herausgeber: tredition
- Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023
Explore the depths of Egypt and you'll come upon a world where the gods and humans alike danced together. Whispers in the pyramid's shadow and the eerie guards of forgotten tombs usher readers into a time when legends came to life and the fate of a whole kingdom hung in the balance. Give in to the allure of hieroglyphics and the secrets of the Nile. Outside of Egypt's magnificent landscapes, there are countless legends. Come with us as we go through barren regions inhabited by demons and along the great Nile, where the gods engage in human affairs. Each omen, puzzle, and promise tells us more about a culture that continues to fascinate and motivate us today. A journey that transcends space and time itself. Ancient Egypt's limitless sand dunes and stunning structures are the stuff of legend. This work explores the legendary tales of one of the most fascinating civilizations in human history, from gods with lofty ambitions to the pharaohs' strange curses. Discover the mysteries and secrets of the Nile as you step into a world where stories are more than words on a page.
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Laila Schwab-Mansour
The Gift of the Nile
Legends of Egypt
Introduction
In the sweltering heat that pervaded the country of Egypt on a daily basis, an unending desert sea spread forth. The Nile was a river that cut through the middle of the enormous desert that was there. It was a source of life. This magnificent river, the waters of which exceeded its banks annually to refresh the ground, was the cultural and social epicenter of life in ancient Egypt. It was the source of the Nile.
The humble roots of this mighty civilisation are cloaked in mystery, deep inside the annals of history. The harshness of the desert had pushed the earliest inhabitants out of their homes, and they sought sanctuary on the banks of this enormous river. This was many thousands of years ago. They discovered rich land made more productive by the Nile's periodic flooding. This occurrence, which they saw as a present from God, turned out to be the fulcrum around which their lives revolved. Over the course of time, they gained the knowledge and skills necessary to make effective use of the water resources available to them, and they devised a complex irrigation system that became the cornerstone of one of the world's earliest and most technologically advanced civilizations.
In ancient Egypt, religious practices were an integral part of daily life and were deeply ingrained in the culture. Everything, from the river to the wind in the desert to the stars in the sky, had a more profound significance and was personified as a variety of gods. The worship of these gods resulted in the construction of temples, the placement of enormous stone sculptures around the towns, and the performance of elaborate rituals by priests and priestesses in order to maintain the equilibrium of the universe. The Egyptians held the concept that their destinies were intricately intertwined with the favor of the gods, and this conviction permeated every aspect of the Egyptians' way of life.
Ancient Egypt emanated a deeply entrenched spirituality and cultural identity in every nook and cranny, from the spectacular grandeur of the pyramids to the cryptic hieroglyphs that decorated the walls of burial chambers and temples. The aspiration to comprehend and revere the hereafter was the driving force behind the development of elaborate burial ceremonies and the belief in its existence. The practice of mummification, texts about the afterlife, and gorgeous burial items are all examples of this profound desire to honor life even beyond death.
In this country, with the powerful Nile serving as the focal point and with the line between man and God often appearing to be hazy, a civilization arose that continues to captivate people today with its intricacy and splendor despite being thousands of years old.
The inhabitants of ancient Egypt created works of art and relics in the shadow of the towering temples that were silhouetted against the blue sky. These works of art and relics represented not only their profound devotion to the gods, but also their daily experiences and hopes. Painters, sculptors, and artisans painted scenes of ordinary life, such as celebratory processions in honor of the gods or harvests taking place on the lush banks of the Nile. The ancient Egyptians used a complex writing system called hieroglyphs to tell stories about rulers, gods, and common people. Each stroke and symbol in a hieroglyph had a deeper significance than the next.
A distinct social order prevailed in ancient Egyptian society, which may be described by its use of hierarchical structures. Even though the pharaoh reigned supreme as a god-like king and was revered as the one who mediated relations between the people and the gods, priests, bureaucrats, and scribes each played an important part in the day-to-day operations of the empire as well as in the empire's governance. Farmers, craftsmen, and merchants were the backbone of society and were responsible for ensuring the nation's economic success by cultivating the land, constructing temples and monuments, and selling their products in the marketplace.
However, in spite of their remarkable achievements in the fields of art, science, and architecture, the Egyptians were, first and foremost, a religious people. A profound sense of spirituality pervaded all aspects of their world. Every dawn, every flood of the Nile, and even the slightest sandstorm in the desert were regarded signs and wonders of the gods. Even the smallest sandstorm in the desert was considered a wonder. This ideology not only inspired their artwork and buildings, but it also influenced how they went about their everyday lives, how they celebrated, and how they interacted with one another.
Not only did the great Nile provide a means of physical survival, but it also served as a metaphor for the never-ending cycle of life, death, and rebirth. When its banks flooded during the yearly flood, the Egyptians saw in them the tears of the goddess Isis, who cried for her beloved Osiris. Not only did these floods provide rich mud that nurtured the farms, but they also gave a sense of regeneration and optimism for an additional year of wealth.
In this way, Ancient Egypt was able to find its rhythm despite being located in a region where the caprices of nature and the eternal tales of the gods shaped the landscape. A beat that throbbed in the veins of its citizens, reverberated in the currents of the Nile, and was enshrined forever in the reverberations of the city's temples and pyramids.
The setting sun painted the horizon in hues of gold and purple, and it shed its last rays on the stone hieroglyphs that told tales from a long, long time ago. People in ancient Egypt used to meet together in the evenings, when it was cooler, to tell stories, play music, and dance. These shared experiences of joy and camaraderie served as the glue that held the people of Egypt together, regardless of their socioeconomic station.
In Egyptian society, the family was considered to be the most important unit. Not only was it the center of everyday social activity, but it was also a mirror of the order of the cosmos. Family bonds ensured a steady and consistent flow of love, respect, and obligation from one generation to the next, much like the Nile River, which wound its way through the country at a continuous and steady pace.
Ancient Egypt was a country of celebrations in its own right. The flooding and drying up of the Nile throughout the course of its cycle served as the basis for the pattern of these celebrations. In celebration of the gods and goddesses, processions would be held, music would be played, and dances would be performed. People were able to take a break from their laborious job and take advantage of the opportunity to appreciate life in all of its richness during these festivals.
Nevertheless, a consciousness of one's own mortality and of eternity was always there in ancient Egyptian culture, even though everyday life was vibrant and full of color. The elaborate tombs and funeral rites are evidence of a profound concept of life beyond death among the ancient Egyptians. Egyptians had the belief that death was not the end of life but rather a passage to another life beyond the afterlife. Their preparations for the hereafter, the techniques of mummification, and the gifts they offered their departed were their means of assuring a safe voyage to the afterlife for their loved ones.
As a result, Ancient Egypt produced a legacy that is remarkable in both its breadth and its depth, and it did so while operating under the watchful eye of its pantheon of deities. It was a place in which heavenly visions and mundane realities coexisted in equal measure. A place that lives on in the winds of the desert, in the flow of the Nile, and in the hearts of its people; a living witness to the power that faith, culture, and community have.
Inhalt
Cover
Title Page
Introduction
Chapter 1: Origin and Creation
Chapter 2: the Dynasty of the Gods of Heliopolis
Chapter 3: Osiris, Isis and the Divine Family
Chapter 4: Powers of Nature and the Cosmos
Chapter 5: Magic, Protection and Healing
Chapter 6: beyond and Underworld
Chapter 7: Love, Loyalty and Betrayal in the Legends of the Gods
Chapter 8: Legends of Rivers and Deserts
Chapter 9: Temple Stories and Rituals
Chapter 10: the Dark in the Heart of Egypt
Copyright
The Gift of the Nile
Cover
Title Page
Introduction
Chapter 1: Origin and Creation
Chapter 10: the Dark in the Heart of Egypt
Copyright
The Gift of the Nile
Cover
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Chapter 1: Origin and Creation
The subsequent sagas will present us with experiences that are in part distinct from one another. This is because ancient Egypt and its civilization underwent significant change over the course of several millennia. As a result, sagas and notions about the lives of the gods and their interaction with humanity also evolved.
The Ocean of Nun and the Creation of the Land
In the depths of the boundless emptiness, there was only the Nun, the primordial ocean of chaos. This was a time long before sand blanketed the deserts and the Nile uttered its melody. A murky, formless flood that extended to every nook and cranny of the vacuum, without a beginning, without an end, and without any kind of structure. It was a quiet so profound and so absolute that it exerted a tremendous amount of pressure on the chest. It was a blackness so complete that not even the faintest glimmer of light could penetrate its cloak.
But deep within the core of this ocean, there was a pulse, a little twitch, and a breath of kinetic energy. It was an unseen need that lay latent deep inside the Now, an urge to make itself known. And from this longing, something began to take shape; it was a notion, a glimmer of light that emerged gradually from the obscurity.
Atum, the first god and the first person to form themselves, sprang from this spark. In the vast gloom of Nun, he discovered that he was by himself, shapeless and formless, existing as nothing more than an awareness in the vacuum. Atum had the urge to fill the emptiness with shape and life, and as a result, he started the process of world creation from inside himself.
He inhaled deeply, drawing the gloom into himself, and then expelled smoke and a gust of wind as he did so. He wept, and the first people were born from his tears. The disorder that was Nun started to organize itself, take form, and come to life with each and every breath, thought, and action that she made.
As the waters of Nun withdrew, the mountains rose, the valleys dropped, and land became exposed. As Atum's force of creation started to infuse the river with life, the Nile, the ribbon of life that would one day become the beating heart of Egypt, began to make its soft murmuring sound.
However, the breath of Atum was responsible for the birth of much than only the land. There were sparkling stars in the night sky, lush vegetation sprouted from the ground, and the sounds of chirping animals filled the night air.
Atum, who emerged from the void of Nun, went on to become the builder of a universe that, in all of its splendor and variety, was a living mosaic of colors, noises, and emotions.
In spite of the fact that he was surrounded by the things he had made, the god Atum had a profound sense of isolation despite the fact that the freshly formed land pulsed delicately under his fingertips. Even though everything in his environment was active and pulsating with life, Atum was still by alone in the boundless domain of Nun. He was the only one of his type there. His soul yearned for a group of people who understood him and shared his experiences.
Atum took another long breath and focused his energies, and from his shadow he created Shu, the god of air. Tefnut, the goddess of morning dew, emerged from Atum's thoughts. Atum then took another deep breath. These two gods, who had arisen from Atum's essence, possessed both his might and his spirit and were his first companions in the freshly formed universe. Atum created the world along with these two gods.
Atum had created huge plains, mountains, and rivers, and Shu and Tefnut were near to one another from the beginning. Together, they explored these features. They were the ones that made the world laugh, danced in the wind, and dripped the dew as they went. Their coupling resulted in the birth of two additional gods: Geb, the god of the ground, and Nut, the goddess of the sky. Both of these gods accompanied them on their travels.
The contours of the terrain continued to emerge. Strong and unyielding Geb spread out in all directions and eventually formed the stable basis for all existence. Nut, which shone brightly and had no end, draped a blanket of glittering stars over the globe as it extended across its surface.
But disorder continued to rule between the heavens and the earth. The evil that pervaded Nun had not yet been brought under full control. Atum witnessed the gods and elements that he had brought into existence vying with one another in an effort to establish their proper positions in the natural order of things. However, he had faith that in due course, an equilibrium would be reached, and the planet would be able to reveal all of its splendor.
The days and nights continued to extend into the land, and throughout this time, light and darkness merged together in a dance that would never end. The gods who lived in this planet when it was still developing felt both the thrill of their existence and the tensions of their flawed domain. Because despite the fact that the land sprang from the very center of Atum, remnants of the Nun, the primordial chaos, were still perceptible and continued to infiltrate the globe in the form of natural disasters like as storms, droughts, and other elements.
The deity of the ground, Geb, lying sprawled out beneath the glittering canopy of his sister Nut, who represented the sky. But Shu, the god of air, held them apart by stretching his hands between them so that heaven and earth could never become one. He had the persistent longing to ascend and join with her, but Shu prevented this by keeping them apart.
Nut had a profound sense of melancholy during this endless cycle of longing and disconnection. She shed tears every night, and those tears eventually coalesced into the shimmering Milky Way river that cut through the night sky. Nevertheless, even amid her anguish, she discovered solace in Geb's embrace. The illicit love between them resulted in the birth of four children: Osiris, Isis, Seth, and Nephthys.
These offspring, who came in a rainbow of colors representing the sun, moon, and stars, brought both benefits and difficulties. Osiris, the oldest, took it upon himself to maintain the order of the universe and carry on the traditions established by his grandpa, Atum. He was the first king of Earth, and throughout his reign he introduced culture, agriculture, and civilization to the populace.
Isis, who was both his sister and his consort, was a goddess of healing and magic. She was able to use her expertise to assist individuals in protecting themselves against sickness and paying tribute to loved ones who had passed away. Her love for Osiris was profound and unflinching, and the two of them together formed a formidable partnership that was honored by gods and people alike.
But at the same time as the universe began to pulse to its new rhythm, certain gods' hearts began to quiver with feelings of jealously and wrath. Specifically, the deity of chaos and destruction, Seth, was envious of the status and honor that his brother, Osiris, received.
During the time when humans and gods coexisted peacefully, Seth's heart was home to a raging fire. His dissatisfaction and rage coalesced into an intense yearning to usurp his brother Osiris's authority and govern the country in his stead. During the quiet nights, when Nut's tears poured over the sky and the earth was wrapped in darkness, Seth hatched a plot to trick Osiris into thinking he was someone else.
He invited Osiris to a feast and gave him a gorgeous casket that was artfully made from precious materials. He also offered Osiris with a gift of gold. He convinced Osiris to lie down inside of it so that he could evaluate how well it fit. However, no sooner had Osiris lain himself within than Seth and his other conspirators slammed the lid shut and sealed it. They hurled the casket into the Nile, where it was picked up by the river's currents and eventually washed up on the shores of a foreign nation.
The globe fell into a state of sadness as the news of Osiris's disappearance soon traveled throughout it. But Isis was the one who suffered the greatest loss, and she made a solemn promise to find and bring back her cherished partner. She explored the entire world using her magic and her unbreakable resolve, and she braved the perils of the unknown on her journey until she eventually located the casket containing her husband's remains.
Isis was able to bring Osiris back to life, if only for a little period of time, by employing her witchcraft and drawing upon the full extent of her abilities. Horus, the sky deity who would succeed his father as ruler of the afterlife, was born as a result of their coupling. As he grew older, the idea of exacting vengeance on Seth and reestablishing the order that treachery and murder had shattered consumed his every waking moment.
It was now replete with stories, struggles, and passions; the cosmos, which had been birthed from the ocean of Nun and the vision of Atum, was now rich. Nevertheless, in spite of all the upheaval and disruption, the dream of Atum, which was a world of equilibrium and harmony, continued to thrive in the hearts of a great number of gods and mortals. And thus it came to pass that the circle of life, death, and rebirth became the beating heart of ancient Egypt, a land that was formed from the depths of chaos and the love of a deity.
Ra and the birth of the gods
A new force arose in the early days of the earth, when the outlines of the land were just beginning to take shape and the stars in the sky were just beginning to sparkle. Ra, the deity of the sun, came into being deep at the center of infinity, at the point where darkness and light met. His initial flash was so intensely brilliant and potent that it tore the gloom apart and caused the dawn to break across the earth.
Ra was a natural phenomenon, but he was also a sentient entity who possessed both thoughts and feelings. As he saw the territory that had been formed from the Nun as well as the tears shed by Nut and Geb, he experienced a profound sense of connection to it. He desired to fill this globe with people and breathe life into the solitary places in it.
Ra, using the strength of his own will and the rhythm of his boundless energy, gave birth to two beings: Shu, the deity of the air, and Tefnut, the goddess of the morning dew. These earliest offspring, born of light and warmth, reached out with their arms and felt the winds and the chilly currents of the ground as they did so.
Ra had immense pleasure in watching his offspring engage in various activities and discover their surroundings. He witnessed Shu wandering the heavens and causing storms, and Tefnut bestowing fertility and nourishment onto the land by showering it with dew and gracing it with her presence. Despite the fact that they were powerful and had access to magic, Shu and Tefnut both experienced feelings of isolation. They yearned for company with whom they might investigate the marvels and enigmas of the earth.
Ra, whose love and understanding were limitless, comprehended what they were looking for. He made the decision to create other gods so that the world would have more stories and more life.
Next, he fashioned Geb, the deity of earth, and Nut, the goddess of sky, from the golden light of Ra's great body. Ra was the creator of ancient Egypt. Despite the fact that these two individuals are so fundamentally unlike to one another, they were compelled to be drawn to one another. While Nut extended out throughout the sky, her body glimmering with stars, Geb laid securely anchored to the land, which was lush and verdant.
Their love was so powerful that it caused them to become inextricably bound to one another, which hindered the development of new forms of life on earth. It was necessary for Shu to intervene as the God of Air in order to separate them. He then elevated Nut high above Geb so that she might become a protective dome over the earth, and he pulled the air in between Nut and Geb using Shu.
Nut's unquenchable desire to be with Geb drove her to approach him nightly, which is what caused the nighttime descent into darkness. And every dawn, when she found herself once again separated from Shu, she wept, illuminating the sky with a golden radiance. As her tears fell to the ground, they transformed into shooting stars.
Nut was pregnant with Osiris, Isis, Seth, Nephthys, and Horus the Elder when she and Cheops parted ways, and she gave birth to all five of them at that period. Each of them would have an important part to play in the drama that would unfold in the heaven of the gods, with their narratives and struggles determining the course that the land of Egypt would take in the afterlife.
Ra felt both delight and concern as he viewed all of creation from his celestial throne. He felt joy at the diverse forms of life he had created, but he also felt anxiety for the difficulties and challenges that were ahead. However, he was aware, in the light of his boundless understanding, that struggle and love, death and rebirth were all components of the overarching cycle that is life.
Osiris, the oldest of Nut's offspring, was a deity who was known for his towering size as well as his morality. He took on the role of monarch of the country, establishing order and exposing people to the wonders of agriculture. His heart was as deep as the Nile, and he ruled with all his might. The land of Egypt blossomed under his watchful eye, producing golden fields that reached as far as the eye could see.
Isis, his sister and consort, was just as powerful as he was, but her strength came from her knowledge and her ability to cast spells. She imparted upon the people the knowledge of the constellations as well as the art of healing. Osiris and Isis established a romance that was so dazzling that it lit up the entirety of the Nile when they were together.
However, there were other people who did not agree with this divine plan. Jealousy and a thirst for vengeance drove Seth, the god of the desert and chaos. It was intolerable for him to consider the possibility that his brother Osiris was more beloved and held a more powerful position than he did. His feelings of bitterness continued to intensify with the passage of each day, until they coalesced into a raging tempest within his chest.
Nephthys, the shy sister, was usually the one to stay out of the spotlight; nonetheless, it was she who was responsible for maintaining harmony whenever tensions rose. She was aware of the threat posed by Seth and made an effort to diffuse the situation; nevertheless, the outcome was already predetermined.
Ra resumed his daily voyage with his golden chariot through the sky as it passed in the distance, high above the never-ending blue of the Nile. He was well aware that the amount of time left to enjoy the peace and quiet was limited, and that a trial of one's willpower and bravery was about to begin that would cause the ground to tremble. However, in his vast wisdom, Ra also knew that the country of Egypt and its people would emerge from each test and sacrifice stronger and more unified than they were before.
The Rise and Fall of the Sun God Ra
The golden light of Ra, the powerful sun god, was the only thing that broke up the otherwise unending blue of the sky above ancient Egypt. Every dawn, Ra would rise to the heavens on his majestic sun barque and sail through the sky, bathing the planet in the warm and life-giving light that emanated from him. As he traveled through the sky, moms shared stories with their children about the brave deity who vanquishes the forces of evil and delivers life to the planet.
Ra was not only the god of the sun in the beginning of his life, but he was also the first king of Egypt. Ra's reign lasted for a very long time. He governed from a magnificent castle that was so high that it reached the sky, and his sight was so bright that only the bravest dared to stare straight into his face. He ruled from a palace that touched the skies. His understanding was unparalleled, and the area he ruled over prospered in peace and harmony during his reign.
However, as is the case with everything else, Ra started to age as time went on. His previously golden skin had begun to develop silver veins, and the radiance that once emanated from him was not quite as strong as it had been. The individuals whom he had guarded and cherished with such unwavering devotion started to have doubts about his authority. They cast aspersions on his indestructibility while muttering in the shadows. Some people even revolted against his reign, which caused significant damage to the ancient god's emotional state.
