The Penguin Book of Myths and Legends of Ancient Egypt by Joyce Tyldesley (PDF)

Description

From Herodotus to The Mummy, Western civilization has long been fascinated with the exotic myths and legends of Ancient Egypt but they have often been misunderstood. Here acclaimed Egyptologist Joyce Tyldesley guides us through 3000 years of changing stories and, in retelling them, shows us what they mean. Gathered from pyramid friezes, archaological finds and contemporary documents, these vivid and strange stories explain everything from why the Nile flooded every year to their beliefs about what exactly happened after death and shed fascinating light on what life was like for both rich and poor. Lavishly illustrated with colour pictures, maps and family trees, helpful glossaries explaining all the major gods and timelines of the Pharoahs and most importantly packed with unforgettable stories, this book offers the perfect introduction to Egyptian history and civilization.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Tyldesley makes a worthy offering to the neophyte student of Egyptian mythology who wants more than a basic overview. While far from complete, it offers more depth than many works on Egyptian mythology aimed at the beginner, and in many cases offers some historical context relevant to the myths and legends in question. She also helpfully appends a dramatis personae and chronological table at the end, which the reader will find invaluable in keeping straight in their mind the dozens if not hundreds of characters that populate these pages; even though it represents only a slim fraction of the totality of the Egyptian mythos, the reader may still find themselves overwhelmed by the sheer number of personalities depending on their degree of familiarity with the subject.Not being an expert myself there’s little I can offer in terms of critique, but I find one out of the four sections of the book being specially dedicated to women to be a tad fulsome, as though “good taste” required it. No doubt Sekhmet and Hathor deserve a place in the sun, and Isis’ fame reached beyond the borders of Egypt even in ancient times, but it seems the gods of political correctness are those to whom Tyldesley is ministering here.In any case that is little more than a quibble; on the whole this is a valuable and scholarly work on a fascinating subject, one which serves as more than simply an introduction. Tyldesley has done the beginner a great service, having “given bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, clothing to the naked and a boat to him who could not cross the River.”

⭐I’m not an expert on ancient Egypt, but the effort and scholarly research of the writer is palpable throughout the text. It touches on various subjects, including mythology, history, daily life, and literature. It’s very dense and not an easy read but highly rewarding and deeply informative.

⭐This is a scholarly guide accessible to the generalist of the grand millennium march of Ancient Egyptian religion and mythology, organized by community, diety and cult. The sheer length through time, breadth through the regions and ultimately the ancient world, evolution of the religion with syncretism and changing practices, make this synthesis very difficult to organize: this is a solid one volume solution. Strongly recommended.

⭐This is a hefty little tome. Not for the faint of heart. There’s more religious information than mythological (although sometimes they’re one and the same). This is a great resource for research or writing. I wouldn’t recommend it for summer reading or anything.

⭐I used it for a magazine article and needed some original texts to be translated in Dutch.It’s a good first guide for anyone who wants to study the ancient Egyptian way of thinking

⭐Enjoyable. Author’s style is scholarly, but with occasional pleasant informality. Recommended for intermediate enthusiasts.

⭐Very Good for anyone who are interested in Egyptian mythology.

⭐This book takes a somewhat unusual approach. Tyldesley focuses on myths but includes somewhat condensed versions of most of the major Egyptian works of fiction. She incorporates many of these fictional stories into her discussions of mythic themes. That approach sometimes seems a bit forced, as when the murder of Osiris is followed by a discussion of royal assassinations and then the Story of Sinuhe, which begins with a royal assassination. But the advantage is that Tyldesley shows how history, literature, and myth were all interconnected in Egyptian society.Part One, “Creation”, discusses the Heliopolitan creation myth that centers on the sun god; the plethora of other creation myths; and the journey of Ra through the underworld and some of the deities who assist or hinder him, with a digression on serpent deities that incorporates the Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor. Part Two, “Destruction”, covers the death of Osiris; the conflict between Horus and Seth (including the best-known literary rendering of a myth, the Contendings of Horus and Seth); the afterlife (including the visit to the afterlife in the story known as Setne II); and the vague beliefs about the dissolution of the world at the end of time. Part Three is about goddesses; Isis and Hathor get a chapter each, while a third chapter covers all the rest.Part Four focuses on literary stories and folklore. The first chapter is stories about kings, ranging from the Middle Kingdom literary tales in Papyrus Westcar to the myths of divine birth during and after the New Kingdom. The next chapter covers most of the major Egyptian literary tales about humans, like the Eloquent Peasant, Two Brothers, Truth and Falsehood, and the Voyage of Wenamun. The last chapter discusses how the Egyptians transformed their own past into folklore, including the deification of Imhotep and Amenhotep son of Hapu, the tale of General Djehuty, the story known as Setne I that is loosely based on a New Kingdom prince, and the legends that Herodotus recorded about the pyramid builders. She ends with the rather dubious tradition that Cleopatra committed suicide by snakebite, showing how Egyptian history has worked its way into our folklore, too.Although it doesn’t discuss the nature of myth itself quite as deeply as Geraldine Pinch’s

⭐, Tyldesley’s book goes into more detail about many mythic episodes. It’s not complete—I’m perpetually frustrated that no book in English contains a complete description of the surreal Papyrus Jumilhac. But Tyldesley gives an extensive look at the relationship between myth, history, and literary fiction in ancient Egypt. Her book and Pinch’s are probably the two best books on Egyptian mythology that I have read.

⭐This isn’t a bad book by any mean. It’s rich in detail and historical information on ancient Egypt which is fascinating and insightful. However, when I buy a book on Egyptian mythology I kinda expected an anthology of stories to do with the gods and the creatures involved. This wasn’t so much that, but some stories followed by much dissection of them and their influence on Egyptian life. If you’re interested or after that kind of thing then by all means i highly recommend this book. However, if you are like me and wanted just the stories then I’d recommend looking elsewhere. This was my first book on Egyptian mythology so I can’t recommend anything here.

⭐I found this book to be a thorough retelling of the myths and legends of Ancient Egypt. Highly recommended.I hope you find my review helpful.

⭐Good selection, well presented. Always good quality and service from book depository

⭐MY WIFE LOVED THE DETAILS IN THE BOOK

⭐I love the history of ancient Egypt and this book does not disappoint.

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