Chapter I: Preface

This little book is intended to serve as an elementary introduction to the study of Egyptian Literature. Its object is to present a short series of specimens of Egyptian compositions, which represent all the great periods of literary activity in Egypt under the Pharaohs, to all who are interested in the study of the mental development of ancient nations. It is not addressed to the Egyptological specialist, to whom, as a matter of course, its contents are well known, and therefore its pages are not loaded with elaborate notes and copious references. It represents, I believe, the first attempt made to place before the public a summary of the principal contents of Egyptian Literature in a handy and popular form.

The specimens of native Egyptian Literature printed herein are taken from tombs, papyri, stelæ, and other monuments, and, with few exceptions, each specimen is complete in itself. Translations of most of the texts have appeared in learned works written by Egyptologists in English, French, German, and Italian, but some appear in English for the first time. In every case I have collated my own translations with the texts, and, thanks to the accurate editions of texts which have appeared in recent years, it has been found possible to make many hitherto difficult passages clear. The translations are as literal as the difference between the Egyptian and English idioms will permit, but it has been necessary to insert particles and often to invert the order of the words in the original works in order to produce a connected meaning in English. The result of this has been in many cases to break up the short abrupt sentences in which the Egyptian author delighted, and which he used frequently with dramatic effect. Extraordinarily concise phrases have been paraphrased, but the meanings given to several unknown words often represent guess-work.

In selecting the texts for translation in this book an attempt has been made to include compositions that are not only the best of their kind, but that also illustrate the most important branches of Egyptian Literature. Among these religious, mythological, and moral works bulk largely, and in many respects these represent the peculiar bias of the mind of the ancient Egyptian better than compositions of a purely historical character. No man was more alive to his own material interests, but no man has ever valued the things of this world less in comparison with the salvation of his soul and the preservation of his physical body. The immediate result of this was a perpetual demand on his part for information concerning the Other World, and for guidance during his life in this world. The priests attempted to satisfy his craving for information by composing the Books of the Dead and the other funerary works with which we are acquainted, and the popularity of these works seems to show that they succeeded. From the earliest times the Egyptians regarded a life of moral excellence upon earth as a necessary introduction to the life which he hoped to live with the blessed in heaven. And even in pyramid times he conceived the idea of the existence of a God Who judged rightly, and Who set "right in the place of wrong." This fact accounts for the reverence in which he held the Precepts of Ptah-hetep, Kaqemna, Herutataf, Amenemhāt I, Ani, Tuauf, Amen-hetep, and other sages. To him, as to all Africans, the Other World was a very real thing, and death and the Last Judgment were common subjects of his daily thoughts. The great antiquity of this characteristic of the Egyptian is proved by a passage in a Book of Precepts, which was written by a king of the ninth or tenth dynasty for his son, who reigned under the name of Merikarā. The royal writer in it reminds his son that the Chiefs [of Osiris] who judge sinners perform their duty with merciless justice on the Day of Judgment. It is useless to assume that length of years will be accepted by them as a plea of justification. With them the lifetime of a man is only regarded as a moment. After death these Chiefs must be faced, and the only things that they will consider will be his works. Life in the Other World is for ever, and only the reckless fool forgets this fact. The man who has led a life free from lies and deceit shall live after death like a god.

The reader who wishes to continue his studies of Egyptian Literature will find abundant material in the list of works given on pp. 256-8.

E.A. WALLIS BUDGE.

BRITISH MUSEUM, _April_ 17, 1914.

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE
I. THOTH, THE AUTHOR OF EGYPTIAN LITERATURE. WRITING MATERIALS,
PAPYRUS, INK AND INK-POT, PALETTE, &c. 1

II. THE PYRAMID TEXTS: 9
The Book of Opening the Mouth 13
The Liturgy of Funerary Offerings 16
Hymns to the Sky-goddess and Sun-god 18
The King in Heaven 20
The Hunting and Slaughter of the Gods by the King 21

III. STORIES OF MAGICIANS WHO LIVED UNDER THE ANCIENT EMPIRE: 25
Ubaaner and the Wax Crocodile 25
The Magician Tchatchamānkh and the Gold Ornament 27
Teta, who restored Life to Dead Animals, &c. 29
Rut-tetet and the Three Sons of Rā 33

IV. THE BOOK OF THE DEAD: 37
Summary of Chapters 42
Hymns, Litany, and Extracts from the Book of the Dead 44
The Great Judgment 51

V. BOOKS OF THE DEAD OF THE GRÆCO-ROMAN PERIOD: 59
Book of Breathings 59
Book of Traversing Eternity 61
The Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys 62
The Festival Songs of Isis and Nephthys 64
The Book of Making Splendid the Spirit of Osiris 64

VI. THE EGYPTIAN STORY OF THE CREATION 67

VII. LEGENDS OF THE GODS: 71
The Destruction of Mankind 71
The Legend of Rā and Isis 74
The Legend of Horus of Behutet 77
The Legend of Khnemu and the Seven Years' Famine 83
The Legend of the Wanderings of Isis 87
The Legend of the Princess of Bekhten 92

VIII. HISTORICAL LITERATURE: 98
Extract from the Palermo Stone 100
Edict against the Blacks 101
Inscription of Usertsen III at Semnah 101
Campaign of Thothmes II in the Sūdān 102
Capture of Megiddo by Thothmes III 103
The Conquests of Thothmes III summarised by Amen-Rā 106
Summary of the Reign of Rameses III 110
The Invasion and Conquest of Egypt by Piānkhi 116

IX. AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL LITERATURE: 126
The Autobiography of Una 127
The Autobiography of Herkhuf 131
The Autobiography of Ameni Amenemhāt 135
The Autobiography of Thetha 137
The Autobiography of Amasis, the Naval Officer 140
The Autobiography of Amasis, surnamed Pen-Nekheb 143
The Autobiography of Tehuti, the Erpā 145
The Autobiography of Thaiemhetep 149

X. TALES OF TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE: 155
The Story of Sanehat 155
The Story of the Educated Peasant Khuenanpu 169
The Journey of the Priest Unu-Amen into Syria 185

XI. FAIRY TALES: 196
The Tale of the Two Brothers 196
The Story of the Shipwrecked Traveller 207

XII. EGYPTIAN HYMNS TO THE GODS: 214
Hymn to Amen-Rā 214
Hymn to Amen 219
Hymn to the Sun-god 220
Hymn to Osiris 221
Hymn to Shu 222

XIII. MORAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL LITERATURE: 224
The Precepts of Ptah-hetep 225
The Maxims of Ani 228
The Talk of a Man who was tired of Life with His Soul 231
The Lament of Khakhepersenb, surnamed Ankhu 235
The Lament of Apuur 236

XIV. EGYPTIAN POETICAL COMPOSITIONS: 241
The Poem in the Tomb of Antuf 242

XV. MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE: 244
The Book of Two Ways 244
The Book "Am Tuat" 244
The Book of Gates 246
The Ritual of Embalmment 247
The Ritual of the Divine Cult 248
The Book "May My Name Flourish" 250
The Book of Āapep 250
The Instructions of Tuauf 250
Medical Papyri 252
Magical Papyri 252
Legal Documents 253
Historical Romances 254
Mathematical Papyri 254

EDITIONS OF EGYPTIAN TEXTS, TRANSLATIONS, &c. 256

INDEX 259

ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE
THE ELYSIAN FIELDS OF THE EGYPTIANS _Frontispiece_

THOTH, THE SCRIBE OF THE GODS 3

THOTH AND AMEN-RĀ SUCCOURING ISIS 5

EGYPTIAN WRITING PALETTES _To face_ 6

VIGNETTE FROM THE BOOK OF THE DEAD (Chapter XCII) _To face_ 42

HER-HERU AND QUEEN NETCHEMET RECITING A HYMN _To face_ 44

HER-HERU AND QUEEN NETCHEMET STANDING IN THE
HALL OF OSIRIS _To face_ 52

STELE RELATING THE STORY OF THE HEALING OF BENTRESHT 94

STELE ON WHICH IS CUT THE SPEECH OF AMEN-RĀ 107

A PAGE FROM THE GREAT HARRIS PAPYRUS _To face_ 110

STELE ON WHICH IS CUT THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THAIEMHETEP 150

A PAGE OF THE TALE OF THE TWO BROTHERS _To face_ 196

THE LITERATURE OF THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS