生與死之埃及神話

by Garry J. Shaw, 袁指揮 (Translator)

前言

　　在我出生之前發生了什麼？在我身邊正在發生著什麼？在我死後又會發生什麼？古埃及人就像今天的我們一樣，也在尋找這些基本問題的答案；他們也像我們一樣，以觀察周圍世界為基礎，建構出種種理論。現在我們所謂的「古埃及神話」，就是這些觀察的結果；古埃及人從這些神話建構出獨一無二的世界觀。

　　神話不僅是敘述英雄與諸神事蹟的故事集，還提供一種理解世界的方式。天空中有顆大光球，每早升起，巡遊一日，沉入西方。那是什麼？它往何方？你也許會問道，它是如何移動的？你看到的太陽，不管是拉（Re）神乘著太陽船航行天空，或是核反應產生的巨大太陽引力拉著我們，你正在觀察的是同一種現象。不懂得粒子物理學的埃及人，試圖增進宇宙知識，他們只是得出了不同的結論而已。他們的解釋有助於形成他們獨特的觀念，塑造他們的體驗；神話成為社會的支柱，是對無情現實的全方位文化過濾器。一旦生活為神話的意識形態的內在邏輯所浸染，它就變得更有意義了；秩序代替混沌，掌控取代無助；知識戰勝無知。而有著猛烈沙塵暴和致命毒蠍的世界，就變得不那麼可怕了。

　　古埃及神話故事始終存在於人們的生活之中：每天一再發生，不斷重複著創造、毀滅和重生的循環，在諸神互動之網中纏繞不休。將這些故事安排為一種固定的敘事並不必要。每人每天都是自己神話故事的主人翁。諸神是人格化的力量，出現在被造世界的每個角落；神話故事的先例（precedent）可用來解釋超凡事件，也可用來解釋俗世生活發生的大小事，將個人與眾神的世界相連。此外，埃及人藉由援引神話事件，讓自己與神同化了。一個頭痛的人成為被母親照顧的小荷魯斯（Horus），而孩子的母親則成為伊西絲（Isis）；在死亡之中，死者穿越來世之域，變成各種神，暫時獲得每位神的權力。埃及神話具有足夠的彈性，當人們試圖解釋自然世界、生存挑戰及生活的喜悅時，都可以嵌入每個人的生活之中。神話及其中詳述的諸神行為，回答了「為什麼這會發生在我身上？」神話先例給人帶來安慰。

　　◆重建埃及神話

　　今天，埃及學家面對的埃及神話是從西元前3050年到西元1世紀，由來源各異、零散破碎的資料彙集而成。可以看出，「古埃及」橫跨很長的歷史，通常劃定的時間超過3,000年。埃及學家難以確定歷史事件的具體日期，因而不用西元前某某年的紀年法，而傾向於使用某位國王的統治、某位國王的王朝或某位國王統治的時期來標示年代。西元前3世紀，埃及祭司曼奈托（Manetho）將埃及的君王統治時期劃分為30個朝代（後來又新增第31王朝）。雖然每個王朝暗示著不同的統治世系，有著獨自的血統傳承，但並非全然如此，因為曼奈托還以建造第一座金字塔或皇居遷移等重大事件來斷代。現代埃及學家採用曼奈托的王朝劃分法，並依據王權的統一或分裂狀態作為更大的年代區分。全國處於單一國王統治的有：早王朝時期、古王國時期、中王國時期、新王國時期、晚期，而王權分裂的情況包括：第一中間期、第二中間期、第三中間期。以上這些通稱為「法老時代」。在法老時代之後是托勒密王朝，由馬其頓—希臘出身的國王統治埃及；接著是羅馬統治時期。我在這本書也遵循這種埃及學的斷代慣例。

　　由於沒有任何單一來源可以簡單解釋古埃及人的神話，因此，埃及學家不得不從遙遠時代留存下來，現已支離破碎的證據，拼湊出神話的樣貌。一些神話記載在墓地或神廟內發現的莎草紙書上；另外一些神話則是從墓碑找到。這些資料來源的現代名稱反映了它們的出處：《金字塔文》（Pyramid Texts）是從古王國時期第5王朝結束時的皇家金字塔壁上找到的刻文；《棺槨文》（Coffin Texts）是從中王國時期的棺木上找到的記載，而這些棺木葬著能負擔得起這種奢侈品的富貴人家。《亡靈書》（Book of The Dead），又被埃及人稱為《通往光明之書》（Book of Coming Forth by Day），為亡者提供了來世的旅行指南，使用於第二中間期末期至之後的一千多年間，抄寫在莎草紙書卷和棺木上。幾乎在所有情況下，神話都是縮略版，或僅被隱晦提及。有時是出於禮儀的原因：在喪葬紀念碑上，埃及人避而不談歐西里斯（Osiris）的死亡，因為在陵墓環境下描述這件痛苦的事情，可能會傷害死者。而在其他情況下，沒有必要全面解釋神話，是假定讀者都熟知這則故事。

　　在漫長的埃及歷史上，埃及受到整個地中海東部和近東世界的文化影響，在某些時期甚至受到這些異族的統治：從亞述人、波斯人到後來的馬其頓—希臘人和羅馬人。埃及神話不斷地與時俱進，受外來文化的影響，吸收新元素，並找到新的表述方式。埃及行政區叫做「諾姆」（norm），不同的諾姆都發展出神話的地方版本；沒有所謂的正確單一版本。這點既讓人傷透腦筋，也讓人如釋重負：傷腦筋的地方，是因為任何一本關於埃及神話的指南都不能真正反映埃及人的信仰；而我如釋重負的原因，則是知道自己不會陷入編年史家的死板重述。本書接下來的內容更類似於普魯塔克（Plutarch，編按：羅馬時代的希臘歷史學家、作家，著有對西洋文學影響深選的《希臘羅馬名人列傳》）的作品，而不是從事典型的學術分析；普魯塔克抽離出歐西里斯神話的元素，為希臘觀眾加以重編。我會像普魯塔克一樣，某些地方採用從不同時代獲取的神話片段，形成連貫的敘述。如果讀者可以原諒普魯塔克這種「選擇性描述」的行為，希望我也可以得到諒解。

　　◆理解諸神

　　埃及諸神是一個充滿活力、五花八門的群體，他們爭吵、打架、謀殺、交往，可能死於年老體衰（死後將會重生，這說明埃及人對循環的喜愛）。他們也可化身為各種模樣，同時在不同的地點現身，而真正的本尊卻遠隱空中；儘管他們的形象多樣，但他們既非無所不知，也非無所不在。諸神被賦予了特定的神職，例如歐西里斯負責再生，民神（Min）負責生殖；但他們的權力有限，如果要實現個別神職之外的目標，就必須與其他神結合，暫時分享彼此的力量：因此，當太陽神衰弱了，他沒有恢復自我活力的能力和力量，必須每晚與歐西里斯結合，利用歐西里斯的再生力量，使自己在新的黎明得以重生。有時候，當神呈現另一神的特徵時，他就變成另一位神了；所以，當原本慈愛的哈托爾（Hathor）女神，以「拉之眼」現身攻擊人類時，她的暴怒使她變成了嗜血的塞赫麥特（Sekhmet）女神。雖然，埃及諸神的複雜本質一開始會讓現代讀者十分困惑，但隨著之後的閱讀，讀者會逐漸清晰明白。

　　我也想特別指出，對時間長河中眾神的演化和五花八門的信仰進行詳盡分析，確實有助於認識諸神，但本書基本上忽略了這類分析，而更著重於強調他們的個性和「人」性。對於那些剛接觸古埃及，或只有一些興趣的讀者或學生，希望我的方法會有所幫助，為神話提供有用的介紹，減低過度現代化、分析性的干擾，讓故事自然流露。最重要的是，閱讀這些神話，瞭解埃及人如何透過神話與世界相連，應該是一大樂事：神話除了解釋的功能之外，也具有娛樂的效果。我希望讀者以這樣的精神來閱讀這本書。

　　〈前言〉第一段提出了三個問題，這本書就以回答這三個問題來劃分篇章：第一部〈諸神的時代〉解釋我們來自哪裡；第二部〈活人的世界〉解釋我們所處的世界是什麼樣子；第三部〈死亡神話〉則是解釋死後的狀況。當你閱讀時，我希望你能從古埃及人的角度去思考，並試圖從他們的角度來看世界。請接受這些神話的解釋，並想像以這種方式看待及理解世界。這些神話是對

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

264 pages, Paperback

First published March 17, 2014

About the author

Garry J Shaw is an author and journalist, writing about archaeology, history, and travel. He studied archaeology and Egyptology at the University of Liverpool, and afterwards moved to Egypt to teach for the American University in Cairo. He has lectured in the UK, Egypt, and Canada, appeared in documentaries, and taught an online introduction to ancient Egypt for Oxford University's Department for Continuing Education.

Reviews

[Mateicee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich habe mich schon immer mit äqyptischer Mythologie beschäftigt. Für mich war dieses Buch also mehr eine kurze Wiederholung von bekannten. Für Anfänger ist das Buch auf jeden Fall geeignet, da es nicht kompliziert ist und nicht zu ausschweifend geschrieben ist.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ancient Egyptian mythology is complicated and convoluted. As with the Greeks (some of whom thought their knowledge of the gods actually came from Egypt) there is an early primeval system, the gods of the Ennead, who are by and large abstractions. Then there are the primary gods, akin to the Olympians in Greek mythology, followed by a miscellany of less important gods. The difference is that the Egyptians were remarkably conservative people, and they survived that way for over 3000 years. Over that time new myths were related or acquired from other peoples, but they refused to throw out any of the old beliefs or gods. They were hoarders of mythology like they were hoarders of everything else, piling up the old gods and spells in the sacred garage -- who knows when they might come in handy, especially in the afterlife. So there isn't a lot of cohesion or coherence in the stories. They're more like relics, or the ushabtis that the pharoahs had placed in their tombs to serve them in the afterlife. They're more like individual things, holy knick-knacks, than parts of a theological system.

So presenting this material in an orderly fashion is a bit of challenge. Garry Shaw does it pretty well by dividing it into three parts -- creation stories, the gods in everyday life, and the mythology of death and the afterlife (incredibly important for the Egyptians.) Sprinkled between the stories are photos and drawings of the images and hieroglyphs that tell the stories, as well as an occasional spell or two. Shaw has a sense of humor, obviously. Here he shares how to summon Imhotep (the architect of the first pyramids, and later a god himself) :

If you feel the need to summon Imhotep in a dream, follow these instructions, as recorded on a 3rd century AD Greek magical papyrus, now in the British Museum:

1. Find a 'gecko from the fields'.
2. Drown it in a bowl of lily oil.
3. Engrave the words 'Asclepius of Memphis' (i.e. Imhotep) in Greek onto an iron ring that was once a shackle.
4. Dunk the ring in your expired-gecko lily oil.
5. Hold the ring up to the Pole Star.
6. Say seven times, 'Menophri, sitting on the cherubim, send me the real Asclepius, not a deceitful demon instead of the god.'
7. In the room where you sleep, burn three grains of frankincense in a bowl and pass the ring through the smoke.
8. Say 'Lord Asclepius, appear!' seven times.
9. Wear the ring on the index finger of your right hand while you sleep.
10. Wait for Imhotep to appear in your dream.

Good luck!

[Iset · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clearly and simply this book lays out a mythological chronology of how the ancient Egyptians believed their world was created, and various events that occurred up to the time of recorded history. Then, Shaw goes on to explain how religion intersected with the everyday lives of Egyptians; how they explained the sun and the moon, ethics and the concept of afterlife, kingship, and everyday appeals for help and curses upon one’s enemies. As part of this, Shaw presents several alternative myths, noting that over time different versions, sometimes competing, arose to explain certain events. The one thing that’s missing – and Shaw acknowledges its absence – is a discussion of when these alternative myths arose, and how worship shifted and evolved over time. I would’ve liked a section on the practical activities of the priesthood and worshipper, and how cults evolved, but other than that, I can’t fault the book at all. A great resource for understanding the basic ancient Egyptian worldview.

8 out of 10

[Merl Fluin · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want a detailed, scholarly consideration of ancient Egyptian cosmology, this may not be what you're after. But if you're looking for a good general introduction, some romping adventures with Osiris & co., and a whistle-stop tour of the underworld, it's a great read. And although the tone is deliberately non-academic, there are references and recommendations for further reading at the back of the book, in case you decide to move on to more serious material. My only gripe is that the quality of the photographic illustrations tends to be a bit muddy.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid introduction to Ancient Egyptian religious thought and culture.

The book was divided into helpful sections focused upon the following: Creation myths, how the mythic infiltrates day to day life, and the afterlife. The divisions were helpful for streamlining what otherwise would be an impossibly complicated worldview. The culture that we view as Ancient Egypt spanned for over 3,000 years without interruption - so naturally religion changed based upon locale in addition to simple evolution over time. Condensing all of that into a small book? Difficult, to say the least.

The book allows for the fact that it is oversimplifying things now and again. The bibliography at the end offers a more in-depth look at particular subjects, and also has a section for where the various translations were drawn from, which is particularly helpful.

So, while perhaps not the best or most in-depth book - this was definitely a good introduction to an insanely complex topic and I am quite happy I read it.

[L██D███Y███S███ · Rating 4 out of 5]

'O Egypt, Egypt, of your reverent deeds only stories will survive, and they will be incredible to your children!'

Super well-written book, finds a great balance between being informative while telling stories engagingly. Really good selection of primary sources (ancient artwork and translations of ancient Egyptian writings). The author does a great job of bringing together a fragmented and partial mythology into a clear whole. Lots to go back to for reference or rereads, as well as a great list of further reading and sources for those who might want to follow up.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I debated for awhile whether I would get The Egyptian Myths for myself. I had loved Garry J. Shaw's The Pharaoh: Life at Court and On Campaign and was keen to read more of his work – but a guide to Ancient Egyptian myths and legends wasn't a book I simply had to add to my to-read list. When I stumbled over a copy in a bookstore, it was really too pretty to resist.

It didn't take much more than the first couple of pages to make me very glad of this. The Egyptian Myths may not be, strictly speaking, filled with brand new information, but it has very quickly become my favourite book on Ancient Egyptian mythology. Shaw's writing is incredibly evocative, authoritative and at times humorous. His writing is such that it allows the reader to consider how it would feel to navigate the Duat upon their death.

The book is divided up into three main sections, each attempting to answer a common question: where did we come from (creation myths), what is happening around me (the mythic/divine in everyday life) and what happens when I die (the vision of the afterlife). Shaw doesn't tackle the myths and legends of Ancient Egypt as the tangled mess that they are, but attempts to sort them into a workable narrative that the layperson can understand without having to worry about the inconsistencies. These two facts means that the book ends up being, in my opinion, the best effort to describe the worldview of the Ancient Egyptians.

Shaw acknowledges the difficulty and danger in presenting such insight as a true reflection of the Ancient Egyptians:

Like chasing distant entities disappearing into the sunset, we map the Egyptians and chart their lives based on their shadows, measuring their footprints in the sand. Their true selves remain elusive, just out of reach, but the force of their personalities is imprinted on discarded personal possessions, glimpsed among their glorious ruins and, indeed, manifest in their myths. (p. 211)

There are reference books I love for presenting new and exciting information, but there are also reference books I adore for tackling a familiar subject and presenting it a fresh way that makes it feel new. The Egyptian Myths may not belong in the first category, but it most definitely belongs in the latter. Highly recommended.

[Lokinda Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ураааа я это дочитала наконец. Автор, конечно, старался преподнести эту мифологию доступным языком, спасибо ему за это. Но мне не зашла эта древнеегипетская муть. Я думала, она такая же лёгкая, как и скандинавская мифология. Нефиговое такое моё заблуждение. В середине книги поняла, что нифига не помню начало и чë там было, но таааак лень было заново эту х перечитывать. У меня не сложилось и не отложилось в голове понимание богов, их имена, хотя их много. Зато спасибо автору за описание Дуата. Поняла, что это как прохождение мытарств в христианстве. Может, почитать надо другого автора просто, не хочу отказываться от любви к Египту.

[Viktoria]

3.5

[Francine · Rating 4 out of 5]

If people think Greek and Roman myths are wild, they should try Egyptian ones for size.

[Ebony · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re new to ancient Egyptian mythology The Egyptian Myths: A Guide to Ancient Gods and Legends is a good primer. Shaw is honest about the fact that “any guide to Egyptian myth can never be a true reflection of what the Egyptians believed…as its chronicler, I am not fixed to a rigid retelling” (location 138). Covering 3000 of ancient Egyptian mythology is a long time and the myths changed with the times and geography and mingling with other cultures.

In fact, a lot of what we know about Egyptian mythology was chronicled by the Greeks who had their own impressions that color the history. A reader should not ignore that Shaw is a white guy who has a wry sense of humor that shows up in his asides when the stories get to their most outlandish. And trust me, they do get outlandish. As a lover of soap operas, I may have a greater tolerance than most. As a reader, you can't help but wonder, was the myth really as ridiculous as it sounds or are we missing an important piece to which we no longer have access? I’d have to read more before I could answer that. I would also have to read African Egyptologists to determine what might be racial bias and/or ignorance of African history.

That said, I would still recommend it. There’s nothing in the book that signaled to me that Shaw’s accounts are glaringly erroneous. It’s comprehensive. It notes contradictions. It explains the origins of the universe, the first god-kings, mythology in everyday life, and mythology in death. It’s easy to read, and the collection of images is quite the boon. If you’re looking for a place to start learning ancient Egyptian mythology and you’re willing to keep an open mind, then start here.

[Annika Unterberger]

Last year I took a course on the language and literature of the ancients egyptians which was extremely exciting as we also learned how to write and read hieroglyphs. In preperations for the final exam I wanted to know a little bit more about the belief system of ancient Egypt and therefore, decided to pick up Götter am Nil. This starts at the beginning of the creation of the world and works its way through the history of the gods and goddesses up to what the egyptians believed about the life after death in the Duat.

Shaw's explanation was easily understandable, thorough and sparked my fancy to learn more about ancient Egypt.

[sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little book to satisfy my sudden fanaticism with everything mythology. Especially as it provided not only information and tales of the gods and goddesses, but also insight into Egyptian civilisation and belief. The historical aspect, plus the fitting illustrations, really appealed to my eagerness for history as well as story-telling. The narration is simple and effective; surprisingly funny at times. An impressive and enjoyable read, overall, particularly as a first delving into the world that is ancient Egypt.

[Tempo de Ler · Rating 2 out of 5]

"In addiction to providing explanations for the physical features of the world around them, the mythological was imbued in every aspect of the Egyptians' daily lives. Myths accounted for falling ill, for good and bad days, and for dreaming. In this supernatural world, magic was a powerful everyday tool, employed to manipulate the environment and to ward off trouble, but its efficacy often relied on a grounding in mythical precedent. The mythic, the supernatural and the mundane, all were interwined in the Egyptians' daily lives." - p. 141

[Craig Werner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing inasmuch as it presents a huge amount of information in sort of a laundry list manner, moving from detail to detail, story to story, god to god without doing much to make it hang together in ways that reveal the underlying coherence of the Egypian world view (or, seeing as how there's change over time, views). Useful mostly as a reference source.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Вспомнилось, моим крашем в 10 лет был бог Тот ❤

[Tebeta · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an enjoyable read and a great introduction to Egyptian myths. I am always fascinated by Ancient Egypt but I only know some basic stuff. At first, I found the book a bit confusing because there are several different versions of stories depending on the source, location or fragmentary accounts. Another reason why I find it so complex is that the gods and goddesses assume each other’s identities or merge into one another so that they can use the other’s power to achieve an end. I think this aspect -syncretization-of Egyptian gods and goddesses impressed me most.
But as I progressed, I’ve learnt more about their specific representations and appearances, functions and powers, what they symbolise, the towns they were most revered and stories connected to them, it got easier. The gods live, fight, love, suffer and die. Though there are some similarities between the Egyptian myths and myths from different cultures, I found that the Egyptian way of thinking and understanding the universe is quite complex and different from the rest. The stories are at times whimsical and at times shocking. I have my favourites among them, like Osiris myth by Diodorus and Plutarch. It is like a wicked Cinderella story of finding the best person fitting in the chest. I also love the importance of keeping one’s name a secret to ward off magic...reminding me the story of Odysseus and Polyphemus.
“You sleep that you may wake; you die that you may live.” Pyramid Text 1975B
The most intriguing part for me is Duat where one has to overcome continuous challenges to reach Osiris and have his fate decided in afterlife for final death. Duat is the place another adventure begins and you need to have all necessary tools and magic words to accomplish this journey. In Duat, humans can also assume the identities of gods to overcome the obstacles they encountered.
Another one of the most interesting parts of the book is how ancient Egyptians dealt with the invisible in their daily lives. The dream books, the good and bad days of calendar, the most dangerous epagomenal days, household gods, how the length of one’s life decided at birth, demons and ghosts and how to ward them off etc… all of those gave us a clue how the ancient Egyptians lived and understood the world around them, how the mythical aspects integrated into their lives and how their lives shaped around it. It seems that the Ancient Egypt itself is mythical, legendary and limitless.

[Linniegayl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an easy, fast, informative read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author starts with three questions: (1) What came before me; (2) What is happening around me? and (3) What happens after I die. After a brief introduction, the book is then divided into sections that show how the ancient Egyptians used their gods and legends, or mythology, to answer the three questions.

If you're looking for a dictionary or encyclopedia to all of the gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt, this isn't the book for you. Many are mentioned in the book, and some are even more completely described in text boxes. However, the various gods and goddesses are primarily used to fit into answering the three questions.

I would give this an A, so five stars here.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars I’d say. If you know absolutely nothing about Egyptian mythology, I would not start with this book. While the descriptions, explanations and retelling were quite good, it is a very complicated mythology with a lot of gods (some that have many names and forms) meaning that the book could get a little confusing at times. But still very interesting!

[Mohammad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to Ancient Egyptian religion and mythology. The books describes the different Ancient Egyptian deities, the different stories surrounding them, as well as the role this worship played on Ancient Egyptian society. The book is well-written and engaging, making it read more like a story than non-fiction. Overall, I was left very impressed with it.

[Elif · Rating 4 out of 5]

The images had a blue tint :/

[Janina Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic and interesting read. Always loved Egyptian mythology and this book was very easy to follow with in depth explanations.

[Bjorn Bakker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good and concise overview of Egyptian mythology.

[Hannah Tian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introductory read on Egyptian myths and customs.

[Alexandra Baff · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great introduction to the myths and legends of ancient Egypt. The illustrations and images throughout are very useful.

[ouliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

reread it because i feel homesick without my egyptian gods

[Marionsssn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je lui donne 3 étoiles, comme je l'ai fait pour ses cousins vikings et romains, bien que je le trouve légèrement mieux.

J'ai particulièrement aimé la dernier chapitre sur le monde du Duat, que l'on découvre après la mort. Tout est présenté comme si l'on était le personnage principal d'un jeu vidéo, ou si l'on faisait un escape game! Super sympa et très ludique

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Мне хочется думать, что наше внимание озадачивает их, но в то же время и радует – как результат хорошо сделанной работы. Их имена по-прежнему на устах у живых; так ли уж страшно, если потомки считают, что пирамиды воздвигнуты с помощью инопланетян? Возможно, их обижают наши сомнения в том, что такие грандиозные достижения – дело их собственных рук; но пока их помнят, главная цель достигнута. Современные мифы о Древнем Египте отлично служат этой цели. Они позволяют египтянам прийти к нам из тьмы веков – изменившись за время пути, но все же сохранив частичку первоначальной сути. Подобно своим богам, древние египтяне теперь незримы, лишены формы и доступны для нашего опыта лишь через свои образы.
Они живут в мифах.”

Как для человека, который о мифологии Египта знал лишь некоторые имена и смотрел пару фильмов, мне было очень интересно.

Первая половина – какая-то наркомания, но занимательно, находишь много шокирующих моментов. Всяческие мифологии никогда не славились чёткой структурой и трезвыми событиями, но вот уж египтяне напридумывали сверх меры.

Уже когда начинается часть с царствованием фараонов, то складывается более здравый взгляд.

Написано доступно, но иногда я терялась, и как мне показалось, то автор недостаточно пояснял некоторые моменты, приходилось гуглить.

Включены некоторые рецепты по магии и вызову бога. Ещё тут есть Бабаи, и теперь я понимаю, каким именно Бабаи пугали родители меня в детстве :)

Честно, восхищаюсь знатоками этой мифологии, ибо одна из самых хаотичных, загадочных и сложных для запоминания, поэтому даже особо объективно оценить не могу, ведь это буквально моё первое знакомство с фантазиями египтян.

Отдельно хлопаю эпилогу, ибо он с такой любовью написан, что хочется в этот же миг бросить все да бежать изучать Древний Египет.

[Rubens Caló · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating civilization
In order to grow as human and start to make the difference into your own society, it's mandatory for every human being getting to know about other myths, beliefs, religions and other gods instead of just yours. Having empathy to understand this huge variance of points of view, gives you the opportunity to achieve this aim.

The Egyptian Myths taught me about this and it was awesome to understand their beliefs and for me the most interesting topic is how their strong faith on the "after life" is fascinating. All the way and challenges that their gods must achive everyday to bring back the sun after a long night is something really interesting furhtermore as it was done hundreds and hundreds years ago through paintings and acient descriptions.

This book is very detailed with plenty of sources that emphasyzes and support the author. I do recommend the book for everyone who wants details about this ancient civilization and either for who want to acquire a new point of view of the beggining and the end of our journey in this and the "next" life.

[Roxanne Pannell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not enjoying this book at all. It is so hard to read and follow I’m struggling to get through it

35 pages in and I’ve already forgotten all the god discussed so far and what they do. South information is thrown in, in such a short period of time and written in the simplest of ways