Egyt Literature Essay, Research Paper

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE

Estimated by experts of Egyptian archeology to have originated about 3000 BC , a body of known tales, in a form of short stories, extended in a period of time in that form until about 1400 BC , approximately 1500 years. These stories tell much about the life of the Egyptians of their time. Supernatural events which make up a large part of the plots give a fairy tale approach.-

One, an anonymous manuscript on papyrus, among the oldest known in the world , was written about 1400 BC. There is no title to the original story but the scribe who copied it called it Anpu and Bata . The translator, William Flinders Petrie at London in 1895, Titled his translation The two Brothers . About the same age is another anonymous untitled story which Mr. Petrie titled Setna and the Magic Book .

Although the two stories were copied about 1400 BC on papyrus, Speculation by some experts of Egyptology who believe that the basic plots of the tales could have been invented as early as 3000 BC . The superior art with which the two tales are contrived indicate to the experts that the manuscripts are comparatively late products of the form..

The two Brothers, is one of the finest examples of the short story in existence. The theme which has been used numberless times is recognizable as Potiphar s Wife [ Genisis], also in The Arabian Nights, and later in Dante s The Divine Comedy .

The Characters of the stories have magical powers. Usually through their virtues they have the full cooperation of Gods to transform themselves into trees , animals, flowers etc..

When imperiled by an adversary the hero calls upon the Gods who suddenly places a wide river full of crocodiles between the hero and his adversary.

The hero s elder brother is determined to slay him on sight because of a false accusation made by the elder s wife that the younger had tried to seduce her. The plot is the same as in Genesis 7, vs7-20, Potiphor s wife s accusation of Joseph . To escape, the hero has himself changed into a blossom on a certain tree. The blossom, when soaked in water , restores the hero to his true form. On and on the magic goes. While changed into a bull the hero s accusing sister-in -law somehow recognizes him and orders the bull killed . Escape by changing into into a magic tree follows and in the end the elder learns the truth and justice is done in the end…

In the second story, The Magic Book The mighty King Rameses the Great had a son named Setna—— etc. A magic book of Thoth by which a man may enchant heaven and earth and know the language of all birds and beasts etc…

A chapel Priest tells Setna about the great powers of the book. Setna bribes the Priest to tell him where he may find it. The Prince searches and finds a set of boxes which contains the book protected by many magical devices the last of which was a great snake when slain in battle changes form and continues the fight. After killing two forms of the beast the third is slain and prevented from reforming by spreading it in pieces separated by sand . Setna reads the book and the story goes on into the Gods trying to get at Setna to recover the magic book. In the struggle Setna is equal to the Gods because he knows the magic of the book –etc… Much of the story end with the hero being escorted to Royal Catacombs and the ground smoothed down over him.

The magical nature of the stories would give an oppressed laborer a list of means he can only dream of where he could get even with his oppressors in his afterlife. A scribe with the ability to read could make a living as a teller of stories to the illiterate majority and such stories would be a fantasy escape from grim realities….