Egyptian myths articulated the core values of one of the longest lasting civilizations in history, and myths of deities such as Isis and Osiris influenced contemporary cultures and became part of the Western cultural heritage. Egyptian Mythology: A Very Short Introduction explains the cultural and historical background to the fascinating and complex world of Egyptian myth, with each chapter dealing with a particular theme. To show the variety of source material for Egyptian myth, each chapter features a particular object--such as the obelisk known as Cleopatra's Needle, a golden statue of Tutankhamun, and a papyrus containing a story in which the Egyptian gods behave outrageously--which is illustrated by a photograph or line-drawing. The myth "The Contendings of Horus and Seth" is looked at in detail, and the many interpretations it has provoked are examined. In addition to a list of major deities and myths, there are explanations of related topics such as how hieroglyphs work, royal names and titles, and the Egyptian cosmos. There is also a timeline of Egyptian history, a glossary of technical terms and an up-to-date bibliography.

Egyptian Myth: A Very Short Introduction

Pinch, Geraldine

Religion & Spirituality

Oxford University Press

From stories of resurrected mummies and thousand-year-old curses to powerful pharaohs and the coveted treasures of the Great Pyramids, ancient Egypt has had an unfaltering grip on the modern imagination. Now, in Egyptian Mythology, Geraldine Pinch offers a comprehensive introduction that untangles the mystery of Egyptian Myth. Spanning Ancient Egyptian culture--from 3200 BC to AD 400--Pinch opens a door to this hidden world and casts light on its often misunderstood belief system. She discusses the nature of myths and the history of Egypt, from the predynastic to the postpharaonic period. She explains how Egyptian culture developed around the flooding of the Nile, or the "inundation," a phenomenon on which the whole welfare of the country depended, and how aspects of the inundation were personified as deities. She explains that the usually cloudless skies made for a preoccupation with the stars and planets. Indeed, much early Egyptian mythology may have developed to explain the movement of these celestial bodies. She provides a timeline covering the seven stages in the mythical history of Egypt and outlining the major events of each stage, such as the reign of the sun God. A substantial A to Z section covers the principal themes and concepts of Egyptian mythology as well as the most important deities, demons, and other characters. For anyone who wants to know about Anubis, the terrifying canine god who presided over the mummification of bodies and guarded burials, or Hathor, the golden goddess who helped women to give birth and the dead to be reborn, or an explanation of the nun, the primeval ocean from which all life came, Egyptian Mythology is the place to look.

Egyptian Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt

History

Ancient Civilizations

The Egyptians were famous in the ancient world for their knowledge of magic. Religion, medicine, technology, and what we would call magic coexisted without apparent conflict, and it was not unusual for magical and "practical" remedies for illness, for example, to be used side-by-side. Everyone resorted to magic, from the pharaoh guarding his country with elaborate magical rituals to the expectant mother wearing amulets to safeguard her unborn child. Magic in Ancient Egypt examines the fascinating connections between myth and magic, and the deities such as Bes and Isis who had special magical importance. Geraldine Pinch discusses the techniques for magic, its practitioners, and the surviving magical texts, as well as the objects that were used in magic—figurines, statues, amulets, and wands. She devotes a chapter to medicine and magic, and one to magic and the dead. Finally, she shows how elements and influences from Egyptian magic survived in or were taken up by later societies, right up to the twenty-first century.

Magic in Ancient Egypt: Revised Edition

University of Texas Press

The Egyptians were famous in the ancient world for their knowledge of magic. Religion, medicine, technology, and what we would call magic coexisted without apparent conflict, and it was not unusual for magical and "practical" remedies for illness, for example, to be used side by side. Everyone resorted to magic, from the pharaoh guarding his country with elaborate magical rituals to the expectant mother wearing amulets to safeguard her unborn child. In this book, Geraldine Pinch examines the connections between myth and magic and the deities--such as the goddess Isis, and the protective lion-demon Bes--who had special magical importance. She discusses the techniques of magic, its practitioners, and the surviving magical texts, as well as the objects that were used in magic: figurines, statues, amulets, and wands. She devotes a chapter to medicine and magic and one to magic and the dead. Finally, Dr. Pinch shows how elements and influences from Egyptian magic survived in or were taken up by later societies, right down to our own century.

Magic in Ancient Egypt

Politics & Social Sciences

Social Sciences

British Museum Press (Distribution)

Reclaims Egyptian mysticism from the lunatic fringe. A serious exploration of how different sorts of `magic' were used in very practical ways by a society known throughout the ancient world as the `mother of magicians'. A final chapter examines its persistent fascination.

British Museum Press

Votive Offerings to Hathor

This book examines the worship in ancient Egypt of Hathor, the goddess of women and of foreign places, and the contribution which votive offerings can make to the study of a traditional religion. The first part of the book covers the main sites at which large groups of votive offerings to Hathor have been found, and for each site the history of the temple or shrine is outlined and the evidence for the find-places of the votive offerings is assembled from excavation reports and archival material. The second part examines the main types of votive object, with illustrations and discussion of their possible symbolism. The final part examines the offerings in the general context of popular religion and in the light of comparative material from other cultures.

Griffith Institute

Spanning ancient Egyptian culture (ca. 3200 B.C.E. to C.E. 400), the Handbook of Egyptian Mythology is the only complete survey of Egyptian mythology of its kind available in English.
In this comprehensive introduction to Egyptian mythology, author Geraldine Pinch shows how the mythology of Ancient Egypt must be pieced together from a variety of written and visual sources. Relationships between deities changed, and the Egyptian myths were never gathered by priests into an "authorized version."
Handbook of Egyptian Mythology provides a brief discussion about the nature of myths; the concept of time in Egyptian mythology; a historical overview of the sources of Egyptian myth; and a dictionary of deities, themes, and concepts, which concentrates on the prominent gods and goddesses in Egyptian myth. The book also includes references to general works on Egyptian culture, religion, and myth; translations of ancient texts; and a selection of literature influenced by Egyptian myth.
 • Includes 119 A–Z entries that address major deities, characters, themes, rituals, and beliefs
• Includes a chronology of the mythological universe explaining time and mythic time in the culture

Handbook of Egyptian Mythology (World Mythology)

ABC-CLIO

The Diary of a Woman Scorned: A black comedy about divorce, murder and flower painting

Literature & Fiction

Humor & Satire

eBook Versions

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Pinch, Geraldine. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Pinch, Geraldine

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Pinch, Geraldine. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Egyptian Myth: A Very Short Introduction

Egyptian Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt

Magic in Ancient Egypt: Revised Edition

Magic in Ancient Egypt

Magic in Ancient Egypt

Magic in Ancient Egypt

Votive Offerings to Hathor

Handbook of Egyptian Mythology (World Mythology)

The Diary of a Woman Scorned: A black comedy about divorce, murder and flower painting