Egyptian Legends and Stories

by M.V. Seton-Williams

Ancient Egypt has a rich tradition of stories and proverbs, recorded by scribes. This book raises these stories from the dust, and presents obscure ancient texts in a readable form. The selections date from the Old Kingdom to medieval times, the majority being based on religious themes. There are many surprising new texts here, but some of the themes seem familiar: the creation myth of Memphis theology is similar to the bible while 'The Capture of Joppa' is an older version of 'Ali Baba'.

Genres: History, Mythology, Nonfiction, Egyptology, Egypt, Religion, Reference

137 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Dr. Marjory Veronica Seton-Williams (20 April 1910 – 29 May 1992) FSA, was a British-Australian archaeologist who excavated in Egypt and the Near East, as well as in Britain. She studied history and political science at the University of Melbourne and then Egyptology and prehistory at University College London.

Reviews

[Izabela · Rating 3 out of 5]

With no real order to the stories presented, this book kind of threw a bunch of stories together and called itself done. I enjoyed some stories more than others, but I suppose that is the deal with any book of short stories. The biggest problem I had with this book was the lack of explanations for certain words/rituals presented in the stories. Without a background in Egyptology, it seems that certain stories would make no sense to the layman reader. Luckily, I have an interest in ancient Egypt and knew most of the terms, but there were some that even I had to brush up on and look up.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice stories, but it’s not always clear which parts are from the stated source and which are commentary. I also would have liked some notes on the meaning of the creation stories and a more complete glossary.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a decent entry for someone interested in Egyptian mythology, legends, and myths. While it contains a wide variety of myths, stories, historical non-fiction, for the most part these appear to be summaries and commentaries of stories, not the actual stories themselves. I was disappointed by this as it was not what I was expecting. In addition, it is unclear if the author, Veronica Seton-Williams, is translating these works from the original sources or using previously translated versions as the basis for the stories.
While the stories are arranged in approximate date order, from Old Kingdom through the Islamic Age, the author does note that several stories where written earlier and copied, but still presents them based on when the source was written. Also, on multiple occasions the author intercedes and provides additional information and context inline, which can making some of the stories confusing and hard to follow. These explanations are sporadic and inconsistent, so that someone with little knowledge of Ancient Egypt might struggle to get through this book.

[Paul Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first six or so tales were part story, part description of Egyptian theology and cultural, and part explanation of what the story says. Better than a dry text book, but no Grimm's fairy tales. The next five or six or just the stories themselves, so more entertaining. The last ones were just marvelous. So plow through the first ones and get into the good stuff.

Some of this might be because Egyptian cultural is SO different from our own. No Roman gods or Thor or Zeus. Another confusing aspect is that stories that have variations over FIVE THOUSAND YEARS are mashed together. So it's no wonder that I had a hard time enjoying Horus or Seth (or Re or Hat-hor) being alive and dead and torn apart who married Isis, his sister for a wife.

The later tales are far more recent and likely shared time with Aesop's fables and the 1,001 Arabian Nights.

[Michael Heggemann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was rather disappointed in this book.

The stories were sometimes confusing and the author would interject explanatory information in the middle of the stories, making many of them very disjointed to read. The explanatory information should have been included as footnotes instead.

Additionally, the last few stories really had nothing to do with ancient Egypt. They were about king Solomon and Abu-Kir and Abu-Sir.

[Elle Hartford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little anthology was written by an Egyptologist known for her work on Tutankhamun. She presents each story with a brief introduction and little line drawings of relevant deities or ancient Egyptian art. While her insights are helpful to understanding the context of each story, it is true that some previous knowledge of Egyptology is beneficial!

Check out my full review here:
https://ellehartford.com/book-review-...

[Mark W. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Egyptian mythology is fascinating, just not well translated.

[Mike & Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid look at the the myths of Ancient Egypt. Whilst each entry is a little short, it reflects its source material.

A good starting point for research purposes

[Pamela Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This felt more about the stories than the actual stories. Informative but still disappointing.

[Stephen Bedard · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection of old Egyptians series ranging over many centuries.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating stories some of which parallel biblical retellings.

[Laura C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am plumbing the depth of my bookshelves trying to finish or re-read some of my old friends. I wanted to finish this one - short and so promising. Not what I had hoped for...I remember now...Eygptians were prolific writers and I know somehwere there is a book that will really tell some of their stories. This one does familiarize you with the basic creation myths and adds a few short tales from the later dynasties. If you just want a quick read and simple synopsis of Egyptian religious beliefs, this is a good start.

[Russell Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little overview of some very old and basic Egyptian Myths, Legends, and stories.