A Journey on the Path Less Traveled
TO THE ANCIENTS, THE MEANING OF THE STORY WAS MOST IMPORTANT, NOT THE LITERAL TRUTH OF THE DETAILS OF A CERTAIN VERSION OF A TALE.
Mythology (from the Greek ‘mythos’ for story-of-the-people, and ‘logos’ for word or speech, the spoken story of a people) is the study and interpretation of often sacred tales or fables of a culture known as ‘myths’ or the collection of such stories which usually deal with the human condition, good and evil, human origins, life and death, the afterlife, and the gods. Myths express the beliefs and values about these subjects held by a certain culture.
Myths tell the stories of ancestors and the origin of humans and the world, the gods, supernatural beings (satyrs, nymphs, mermaids) and heroes with super-human, usually god-given, powers (as in the case of Heracles or Perseus of the Greeks). Myths also describe origins or nuances of long-held customs or explain natural events such as the sunrise and sunset, the full moon or thunder and lightning storms.
The Turquoise Pendant In the second of the three Tales of Wonder contained in the Westcar Papyrus, Prince Baufre tells of his father’s father, King Snefru, and Snefru’s lector priest Djadjaemankh. The day was especially hot. Bored to distraction, King …
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The Enchanted Island On his return from an unsuccessful trade mission in Nubia, an Egyptian envoy bemoaned his misfortune, provoking a sailor to console him by telling a tale that began with tragedy but ended happily. An unnamed sailor was …
Siosire & the Sorcerer of Nubia One day, a haughty Nubian appeared before the court of king Ramesses II in Memphis, and issued a challenge to the best scholars of Egypt, testing their abilities in magic. Holding a sealed papyrus …
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The Wives of Seth During Seth’s long and unsuccessful battle was Horus for the Egyptian throne, the goddess Neith suggested to the council of gods that Seth be awarded a loser’s prize: the foreign Daughters of Re, named Anat and …
Thoth and the Eye of Horus The conflict between the gods Horus and Seth raged for many decades. On one level it was a struggle in which a son sought just revenge on his father’s killer. On another, a cosmic …
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