When gods and magicians roamed the earth: The divine intervention on Rḏ ḏḏt’s childbirth, the prophecy of Ḏḏi and the use of the papyrus westcar as a legitimacy tool

Research output: Contribution to conferenceAbstract

Abstract

The knowledge of the importance of religion and its reality in Ancient Egypts’ mind is indispensable for the understanding of its role and that of magic on the maintenance of maat during the, sometimes, isefetic, successions of dynasties, many of them of nonroyal origins. The relevant maatic concern is very well showed on some of the literary production of this Civilization.
As a prime example, one sees this on Papyrus Westcar, where both divine and magical play an intertwined game oriented to the acceptance of royal rupture and the rise of a new dynasty. This phenomenon seems to have been logically used by those who lived in Kmt and who needed to satisfy their own desires and needs of legitimacy, viewed as an almost subversion of the most profound beliefs of ancient Egyptians.
Questions immediately emerge: “To whom were this stories written? The elite? The religious class without whom the new lineage could very well be condemned? Surely not to the masses... or was it?”, “Did this strategy work?”. The search for answers could lie, partly, on two of Papyrus Westcar tales, Rḏ ḏḏt and Ḏḏi. Both seem to have an interesting hidden meaning that one proposes to analyse, using as a starting point the clearly oriented strategy of bringing the most pure elements of the Old Kingdom, Ḫwf w and the older gods, to a specific moment after it! This essay will try to provide a new understanding of these tales as possible tools rather than simple literary compositions.
It is, however, vital never to forget that, sometimes, certainties can only be just illusions!
Original languageEnglish
Pages16-17
Number of pages2
Publication statusPublished - 2016
EventThe International Conference Sources to Study Antiquity: Between Texts and Material Culture - NOVA FCSH, Lisboa, Portugal
Duration: 9 May 201610 May 2016

Conference

ConferenceThe International Conference Sources to Study Antiquity
Country/TerritoryPortugal
CityLisboa
Period9/05/1610/05/16

Keywords

  • Papyrus Westcar
  • Legitimacy
  • Dynastic Royal Rupture
  • Magicians
  • Gods

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