Egyptian LiteratureCulture

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Egyptian Literature/Culture
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Three Important Cultural Features

• Concern about the afterlife (Book of the Dead)
• Worship of the Sun god, Aten (Adoration of the
  Disk)
• Delight in everyday life (New Kingdom Poetry)

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Book of the Dead

• Osiris taught human beings agriculture, how to
  be civilized
• Killed by younger brother for the throne
• Isis, sister, brought his body back to lifehe
  then became the Lord of the Underworld
• Many burial practices based on this myth

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Book of the Dead contd

• Old Kingdom of Egypt when a Pharaoh died, he
  rose again like Osiris
• Osiris story carved into pyramids (burial places)
  to celebrate the rebirth
• New Kingdom all good peoplenot just
  nobilitywere eligible for glorious afterlife
• Burial Scrolls were placed with bodies

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Adoration of the Disk

• Akhenaten, Pharaoh of Egypt, rejected worship of
  many gods and goddesses
• Instead, he installed Aten (Sun god) as Egypts
  only deity
• New capital city was built in Atens honor
• Wrote a poem of praise to the Sun god

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New Kingdom Poetry

• New Kingdom time of prosperity and cultural
  enrichment
• Prosperity brought about by new expansion and
  commercial opportunities
• Not entirely preoccupied with death, but also
  life and its pleasures
• Typical theme of Egyptian poetry