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Ancient Egypt culture and civilization
Igcse history egyptian civilization
How did religion affect ancient egypt
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Throughout early civilizations, it is seen that religion held a prominent role in defining the culture of a society, the Egyptian civilization included. They believed strongly of a higher power reigning over the people, in which the deity construct their moral views and interpretation of the world around them. Two ancient Egyptian text, “The Great Hymn to Aten” and “Cannibal Spell to King Unas”, gives an outlook of the ancient Egyptian mythology and their belief system. The “Great Hymn to Aten” was a text written by Pharaoh Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) in an attempt of changing the religious perspective of the ancient Egyptians to glorify his god, Aten. On the other hand, the “Cannibal Spell for King Unas” was a pyramid text inscribed in the tomb of the last 5th dynasty pharaoh, King Unas, to protect his remains and help him ascend to the …show more content…
afterlife. Although both texts have remarkable differences, the similarities between the two are salient-- including the fact that both have characteristics of a hymn, a topic about deities, an association with the horizon, and their familial connections. A hymn is described to be a poem of praise and celebration, a self-sufficient act of worship. In “The Great Hymn to Aten”, Pharaoh Akhenaten tremendously complimented his sole deity as “gracious, great, glistening, and high over every land.” (line 2). This quotation emphasizes how deep the pharaoh's adoration and devotion towards his almighty Aten. The pharaoh also mentioned him as “appearing, shining, withdrawing, and approaching.” These descriptions are more evidence of how he claims his deity to be majestic and splendid. Aten’s creations are illustrated to have their “arms raised in praise at [his] appearance… the birds’..wings are stretched out in praise to [his] ka. All beasts spring upon [their] feet… and live when [he] has risen for them.” (31-39) This is suggesting that the sun disk deity is being praised and exalted by all his creations and thanking him for the life and warmth they had received. Likewise, “Cannibal Spell for King Unas” has a theme of praising the pharaoh, allowing it to classify as a hymn. The unknown author described King Unas to be, in more ways than one, superior. The confirmation of the excellence of the pharaoh is consistent throughout the text as he was characterized to be the “lord of offerings” (399), “lord of messengers” (400), and “the god older than the rest” (408). The author puts him on a pedestal, higher above the rest, as he/she worships Unas and calls him the “Great One” (398). In the author’s eyes, King Unas is a marvelous deity, who transcends every divinity of creation. In addition, a hymn is also a piece of adoration directed towards a god’s work.
In the “Great Hymn to Aten”, Pharaoh Akhenaten attributes the creation of the world to Aten and also claims the deity as the reason and purpose of those who live. He described him as “the beginning of life” (1), “ the creator of seed in women” (45), the one “who makest fluid into man” (46), and the one “ who givest breath” (51) to those he created. It is certain that Pharoah Akhenaten strongly believed that the sun disk was the giver and sustainer of life. He claims that “when [Aten] hast risen his creation lives, [and]when he settest they die. For one lives through [him].” From start to finish, the passionate tone of ‘He-who-is-effective-for-Aten” is heard, as he celebrates his faith. On the other hand, the unknown author in the “Cannibal Spell for King Unas”, talked about the responsibility of the late King Unas as the one “who judges with He-whose-Name-is- Hidden, on the day when the elder is being sacrificed.” Assumably, he was implying that Unas, too, has responsibilities and duties as one of the judges that decide between life and
death. Another stark similarity is that both texts are about undoubtedly powerful deities that are far above the rest. “The Great Hymn to Aten” mentions Aten as “the lord of Syria, Nubia, and the Land of Egypt.” He was being portrayed as a universal deity, that reigns over the people. He was the “lord of every land” (84), the “ King of Upper and Lower Egypt” (129) and the “lord of eternity” (90). His superiority and divinity as a sole god is exhibited throughout the text. He was declared powerful due to his manifold creations and deep relationships within his creatures. Aten was said to “drivest away the darkness and [in turn] givest his rays” (25). He was the one “who soothest [his] son with that which stills his weeping, [and] nurses [him] even in the womb. With these powerful descriptions, he was illustrated as an altruistic deity, whose traits are of a nurturing mother, a protector of the people, and a supplier of their needs. Correspondingly, King Unas is equally a powerful god. He is characterized as “the Bull of Heaven” (397), “the Great Power, the Power of the Powers”, and the “Axm-Hawk of the Hawks, the Great One” (407). These descriptions show his power, authority, and mastership over Egypt. Like Aten he, too, “has revolved around the Two Lands”, assuming it is the Upper and Lower Egypt and is “crowned with the Upper Egyptian Crown.” (409) He is glorified as the most powerful man not only during that time period but also “eternally to eternity” (414). However, King Unas is more illustrated to be somewhat greedy and merciless in contrast to Aten’s compassionate nature. Unas craves for power and gains his dominion, by “eating the gods’ magic and swallowing their spirits.” (403). He even coordinated a schedule for his meal time, which includes “the great ones for his morning meal, the middle-sized one for his evening meal, the little ones for his night meal, [and] the old men and the old women for his fuel” (404). These quotations illustrate his cannibalistic nature and his greed for power. For his guilty pleasure, he “has [also] decided to live on the essence of every god.” as he extracts the powers and talents from them. Additionally, Unas “lives on his fathers, and feeds on his mothers.” (394), in turn making his “span of life, eternity, [and] his limit of Everlastingness.” (412). His demented and sinister ways ensured his unending powers and his seat on the throne. King Unas’ dominance and supremacy is also seen when the Egyptian deities, “He-who-seizes-by-the-Hair”, the snake Lifted Head (uraei), “He-over-the-red”, Khonsu, and Shesmu, worked together in harmony to prepare a ritual ceremony for his cravings and satisfactions. The great gods Atum, Orion, Geb, and Osiris also recognizes his enormous power. Furthermore, both ancient Egyptian texts are associated with the horizon. In “The Great Hymn to Aten”, the deity Aten is beautifully illustrated as “the horizon of heaven.” (1) He is a sun disk deity whose “rays encompass the lands to the limit of all that [he] hast made.” He is supposedly stationed there while his “rays are on earth” (10). This meant that although he is located in the sky and far away from his creations, he reigns down and looks after them. (6) He is told to rise on the eastern horizon and set in the western horizon. Similarly, in the “Cannibal Spell for King Unas”, it is mentioned that “Unas’ venerability is in the sky, [and] his strength is in the Akhet-horizon.” This represents that Unas is supported, glorified, and served by the gods of the sky. He once again transcends other supernatural beings as it stated that “respect before Unas is more than before other nobles who are in the Akhet-horizon.” He is also “crowned the Lord of Horizon.” (409), which is portraying him to be the god of the gods. Lastly, it is seen that both influential texts had established and mentioned a familial connections. In “The Great Hymn to Aten”, Pharaoh Akhenaten implied to be the son of Aten, when he declared, “Save thy son, Nefer-kheperu-Re Wa-en-Re”. He was claiming a father-and-son relationship between the two and continued on to saying that “[Aten] is in [his] heart and there is no one that knows [Aten]” (112) more than he did. This emphasizes the close connection Akhenaten felt with his father, Aten, and his adoration towards him. Throughout his reign in Egypt, he constructed Amarna, a city dedicated to his supernatural counterpart, and attempted to revolutionize the religious perspective of the ancient Egyptians. Due to his idea of monotheism, Aten did not have any familial ties with other gods, he was both a divine father and nurturing mother. It is believed that Aten was a solitary deity. This is seen in the text when Akhenaten emphasized “O sole god” (64) and “whilst thou wert alone” (104) Although Re, another Egyptian god, was mentioned in the text, their relationship was not defined. Unlike Aten, King Unas had a clear familial connection, in which the unknown author described the pharaoh-turned-god as someone similar to his father. “ [Unas’] strength is in the horizon, like his father Atum who begat him. He has begotten him more powerful than himself.” (395) This clearly states that King Unas was not a mere human but was some sort of a demi-god. Egyptian mythology played specific roles within the ancient Egyptian society, as it was represented throughout their advanced record keeping, artwork, and literature. Others may see “The Great Hymn to Aten” and “The Cannibal Spell” as merely a piece of literature, but actually, it is more than that. These texts gave us an insight of the Egyptian civilization, helping us identify their belief system, their lifestyle, and their culture. There is no doubt that throughout history, they were committed to their religion, which touched their lives in every single way. This was a vital piece in forming their identity and perspective. Despite having different subjects and a ten year difference, “The Great Hymn to Aten” and “The Cannibal Spell”, had noticeable similarities, including the fact that both have characteristics of a hymn, a topic about deities, an association with the horizon, and their familial connections.
During the New Kingdom of Egypt (from 1552 through 1069 B.C.), there came a sweeping change in the religious structure of the ancient Egyptian civilization. "The Hymn to the Aten" was created by Amenhotep IV, who ruled from 1369 to 1353 B.C., and began a move toward a monotheist culture instead of the polytheist religion which Egypt had experienced for the many hundreds of years prior to the introduction of this new idea. There was much that was different from the old views in "The Hymn to the Aten", and it offered a new outlook on the Egyptian ways of life by providing a complete break with the traditions which Egypt held to with great respect. Yet at the same time, there were many commonalties between these new ideas and the old views of the Egyptian world. Although through the duration of his reign, Amenhotep IV introduced a great many changes to the Egyptian religion along with "The Hymn", none of these reforms outlived their creator, mostly due to the massive forces placed on his successor, Tutankhamen, to renounce these new reforms. However, the significance of Amenhotep IV, or Akhenaten as he later changed his name to, is found in "The Hymn". "The Hymn" itself can be looked at as a contradiction of ideas; it must be looked at in relation to both the Old Kingdom's belief of steadfast and static values, as well as in regards to the changes of the Middle Kingdom, which saw unprecedented expansionistic and individualistic oriented reforms. In this paper I plan to discuss the evolvement of Egyptian Religious Beliefs throughout the Old,
The reunification of upper and Lower Egypt catalysed the syncretism of prominent sun deities Amun and Re. Consequently, a powerful cult emerged that became the prevailing religious ideology, as well as an important political power base which secured dynastic legitimacy. The importance and impact of the Amun cult is diverse, as it developed social cohesion, shaped the ideology of kingship, facilitated economic and military prosperity, and formed a new power base; the Amun Priesthood.
In life, there can be many obstacles one faces causing them to suffer. Along with suffering, those who are dealing with obstacles have to sacrifice large parts of their lives in order to move forward and achieve their goals. Reaching or accomplishing one’s goals takes suffering or sacrifice, and more often than not, both. Santiago, in The Alchemist and Yusra Mardini, an Olympic athlete competing on the refugee team, both have to sacrifice parts of their life and suffer on their way to achieve their goals.
Owning a person to work for less or no money has been practiced for years. Like other countries, people in the United States also owned slaves. Since the north was mostly industrial, they didn’t need slaves. On the other hand, southerners owned thelarge plantation and they needed cheap labor in order to make profit. Slavery was a backbone of south’s prosperity. Yet, arguments on whether to emancipate slavery divided the nation in half. To keep the country united, both sides tried to convince each other why slavery is right or wrong. There were many documents written about slavery. One of the document that talks about why slavery is beneficial to our society is the excerpt of Cannibals All by a slave owner, George Fitzhugh. While there are document that support slavery, there are also documents written by fugitive slave that talk about their life as a slave. One of them includes Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave by Frederick Douglass. He was born in
Assmann, Jan. The Mind of Egypt: History and Meaning in the Time of the Pharaohs.
But all share common themes, such as a form of chaos or nothingness before life is created. Joseph Campbell notes that “. the idea of an absolute ontological distinction between God and man – or between gods and men, divinity and nature - first became an important social and psychological force in the Near East, specifically Akkad, in the period of the first Semetic Kings, c. 2500 B.C.,” showing another similar trait – a god or set of gods exists to create in each story (626). Joseph Campbell makes a comparison of how both Genesis and the Book of the Dead of Egypt share the same idea of their bodies belonging to their god in some way, or being reabsorbed into them at death (630-631). Others, like the Japanese and Iroquois creation myths, claim the Earth was once covered entirely of water before land was formed.
Egyptian religion is polytheistic. The gods are present in the form of elements of life – natural forces and human condition. Greek religion is also polytheistic. Like Egypt, the Greek gods exist to represent different aspects of life, but they also play an active social role in the people’s lives. In Greek mythology, the gods have feelings and flaws as the normal people do. Greek Gods have even had children and committed adultery with people. The Egyptian gods interact more with each other than with the people. They interact with the people more on a supernatural level. Osiris, the Egyptian god of agriculture and afterlife, judges people when they die. Amon, the king of gods, is hidden inside the ruler (This “king of gods” title was not always so as the popularity of Aton, the sun-disk rose through the reformation of Pharaoh Akhenaton in 1369-1353 BC). Hebrew religion, being monotheistic, had only one all-powerful god. Instead of being believed by the people to be somewhere in the world, the Hebrew god was completely separated from the physical universe. Abraham in Canaan (about 1800 BC) is the first known practicer of monotheism. As for monotheistic resemblance in other cultures, the Greek god Zeus is seen as a leader of the other gods, but not independent of them. Akhenaton’s short-lived reform of Egyptian religion reveres Aton as the source of all life. This is the earliest religious expression of a belief in a sole god of the universe. Akhenaton’s challenge to the power of the priests did not last beyond his own lifetime.
There were many ways that the Ancient Egyptian society and the Mesopotamian society were similar yet at the same time they were very different. Egyptians and Sumerians agreed on religion in a sense that both cultures were polytheistic. However, the relationships between the gods and goddesses were different between the Sumerians and Egyptians. This essay will discuss those differences in culture, religion and the viewpoints on death and afterlife.
Aten (Egypt)-- A god at one point who was an aspect of Ra. But rather than being seen as an anthropomorphic being. Like others of the ancient Egyptian gods he was represented by the disk of the sun with rays of light going outward.
Egypt is one of the oldest and most complex civilizations of the world. Their religion and beliefs are fascinating and have been a mystery for centuries. Even today, there are some things that we still do not understand. In this research, I will investigate the basic concepts of Egyptian mythology and its gods.
The questions about the existence of life and the creation of the world are always mind-boggling and fascinating, however, the real answer to these questions may never surface. All there is to rely on are the myths, stories and legends passed on from generation to generation by ancestors and the clues they have left. This essay will try to uncover the ancient Mesopotamian and Hebrew views on existence and creation by looking at sources like the Genesis and other ancient Mesopotamian texts and poems. Mesopotamians and Hebrews had contrasting views on how they explained the events in their lives, and through analysis of ancient sources, those differences will be outlined. In such populated and booming areas, human conflict was inevitable and some of the law codes that were placed in effect to establish order within the society will be examined. Throughout it all, god and religion played a central role in these ancient civilizations.
Although the people of both Lower and Upper Egypt believed in one creator who was referred to as the Ikka Nour, the two kingdoms referred to this religious figure by different names and meanings. In the northern kingdom, the Ikka Nour was known as “Ra”. Ra was associated with the sun giving rise to the quote “the sun that shines brilliantly everywhere”
The spoken word is an important, beneficial element in the Egyptian creational beliefs regarding the god Atum. Atum supposedly spoke the universe into existence, creating order, and maat, which the Egyptians deemed inherently good. The spoken word is also, it seems, an important element in Egyptian wisdom literature. In The Instruction of Amunnakhte, Ammunnakhte tells his apprentice Hor-Min, “Give your ears and hear what is said . . . You will discover my words to be a treasure house of life, And your body will flourish upon earth” (226). Here, although Amunnakhte is not creating the universe through his words, he is still, in a way, creating maat through his words. He is verbally instructing his apprentice to heed his words, which will presumably guide him, and bring order—maat—into his life. In this way, the Egyptians must have not only valued the divine word as a source of good, but also the mortal word.
Although there are few religions that still consider the ways of the ancient Egyptian culture important, they are still out there. They are influenced every day by the history, which permeates their rituals, scriptures, and more. Furthermore, Egypt’s political influence may be outdated and not the clearest system, but it led the way for further development and refinement for future use. Without the influence of Egypt, we would not be the civilization that we are