Egyptian Mythology: Enviromental Influences
argumentative Essay
864 words
Egyptian Mythology: Enviromental Influences
Religion can be thought of as the recognition by human beings of a superhuman power that controls the universe and everything that is, was, or shall be in it. Each individual human being can consider that the superhuman control power is a deity worthy of being loved; or capable of inspiring awe, obedience, and even fear. The effect of these feelings on individuals can lead to the setting up of a system of worship of the deity; and to the drawing up of a code of beliefs and conduct inspired by their religious faith. As all religions follow this, the Egyptians seem to be unique in their beliefs.
The Egyptians did not have a true religion; they had more of a collection of myths and doctrines, which evolved to suit the worshipper's needs. Although many changes were evident in their religion, conflict between new and old concepts did not occur. However, their belief system was much more complex and elaborate than that of any other culture. A clear reason is not given, but we theorize that environmental conditions play a significant role in their authenticity.
It is a truism that the activities of people everywhere are influenced by the conditions under which they live, and religious thought is no exception to this. Before the days of mass communication, an Eskimo, living in cold climate, had no experience of any great heat generated by the sun. His idea of hell, therefore, would be a place of extreme cold. On the other hand, a man living in a hot climate can only visualize hell as an even hotter place than any with which he has ever had acquaintance with.
The Nile River plays an important part in Egyptian mythology. As the Nile flows northward through Egypt, it creates a narrow ribbon of fertile land in the midst of a great desert. The sharp contrast between the fertility along the Nile and the wasteland of the desert became a basic theme in Egyptian mythology.
The Egyptians lived in a river valley, 1200 km long from the Egypt south border at Aswan to the northern boundary on the Mediterranean, bordered in by ancient river terraces. The only fertile land was that watered by the Nile, which flowed through the valley: the rest was desert. Thus, the land in which the Egyptians lived was considered to be "the gift of the river". Every
In this essay, the author
- Explains that religion can be thought of as the recognition by human beings of a superhuman power that controls the universe and everything that is, was, or shall be in it.
- Explains that the egyptians had a collection of myths and doctrines, which evolved to suit the worshipper's needs. their belief system was complex and elaborate than that of any other culture.
- Opines that religious thought is influenced by the conditions under which people live. an eskimo living in a cold climate had no experience of any great heat. a hot climate can only visualize hell as an even hotter place.
- Analyzes how the nile river plays an important role in egyptian mythology. it creates fertile land in the midst of a great desert.
- Explains that the egyptians lived in a river valley, bordered by ancient river terraces. the nile swollen by the heavy rain that fell in uganda and ethiopia, made for excellent farming conditions.
- Explains that ra and hapi were the most important gods of egyptian mythology, since they were directly related to the elements that allowed for egypt's 2500-year-reign.
- Explains how the ancient egyptians valued the afterlife as continuation of life on earth, and believed that the 'ka' would need to make a safe trip through the underworld.
- Concludes that the egyptians' strong attitude towards nature and the afterlife in their worships is directly related to their location.
Related
- explanatory
- analytical
- History And History Of Ancient Egyptexplanatory essayThe Nile River is the largest river in the world. Stretching 4,000(6,437km) Egypt is located northeast corner of the African continent. The ancient Egyptians thought of Egypt as being divided into two types of land, the black land and the red land The 'black land' was the fertile land on the banks of the Nile. The ancient Egyptians used this land for growing their crops. This was the only land in ancient Egypt that could be farmed because a layer of rich, black silt was deposited there every year after the Nile flooded. The 'red land' was the barren desert that protected Egypt on two sides. These deserts separated ancient Egypt from neighbouring countries and invading armies. They also provided the ancient Egyptians with a source for precious metals and semi-precious stones.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that africa is the world's second-largest continent and covers 6 percent of the earth’s surface area. egypt is a country in northeastern africa.
- Explains that the nile river is the largest river in the world, stretching 4,000(6,437km) egypt is located northeast corner of the african continent.
- Describes how ancient egypt was the preeminent civilization in the mediterranean world from 3100 b.c. to its conquest by alexander the great.
- Explains that egypt's economic freedom score is 52.9, making its economy the 135th freest in the 2014 index.
- Explains that early egyptian art adhered to strict adherence to rules and the use of stereotypes. symbolism conveyed all that could not be expressed otherwise.
662 wordsRead More - Egyptian Mythology Essayanalytical essayOver thousands of years, the ancient Egyptian civilization been closely associated with religion, mythologists have considered itself one of the most important fundamentals of the Egyptian civilization, more than five thousand years, and the pillars of the establishment of the Egyptian state and standardization. However, I was always fascinated about the myths in the middle east, not because I was born in Iraq and grew up in an Assyrian family, it’s because the ancient Egyptians have contributed in adding many civilizational achievements to the world through the knowledge of their agriculture, stability, creating the first major central country in the region, and may be accompanied by the presence of major achievements in various fields in
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the ancient egyptian civilization was closely associated with religion, mythologists considered it one of the most important fundamentals of egypt's civilization, more than five thousand years ago.
- Explains that ancient egyptian civilization flourished in the politically well-known area of modern middle east. the nile river was a water source that helped stabilize its banks and the practice of craft agriculture.
- Explains that osiris stories is a good example of all aspects, the way he died and transfer, and the family conflict, power, love, judgment, birth. he was the first child of nut and geb.
- Explains that osiris had become the king of the afterlife. he was willing to admit all people to the duat, the gentle, fertile land in which the righteous dead lived.
- Analyzes how the elements of osiris' story were seen as symbolic of real events that happened in egypt, such as his death and resurrection, and his rivalry with seth, the god of storms and the desert.
- Explains that egyptians built ancient temples in places where they were found «isis» the body of her husband osiris, such as the temple of abydos, which dates to the ancient myth.
703 wordsRead More - River Nile Essayanalytical essayAncient Egypt is very well-known as a barren desert in the geography of Africa, yet it is also acclaimed as the “breadbasket of the world.” This grandiose name is often associated with the river Nile, which is strongly believed as one of the most prominent factors for the vivacity of ancient Egypt. Moreover, many historians confidently conclude that the river Nile perhaps is responsible for not only breathing life into this once uninhabitable piece of land, but also for manipulating the behaviour and culture of its people. Therefore, it can be surmised that the river Nile remains one of the most significant and influential factors in the agriculture, trade, and culture of ancient Egypt.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that ancient egypt is well-known as a barren desert in the geography of africa, yet it is also acclaimed as the "breadbasket of the world." the river nile is strongly believed to be responsible for breathing life into this once uninhabitable piece of land.
- Explains that the nile was one of the most essential geographical features that maintained and ensured the fine quality of topsoil during agriculture and irrigation.
- Analyzes how the river nile influenced egyptian culture, including their beliefs and activities. however, many of their gods were not inspired by it.
- Opines that the nile had a decent influence over egyptian culture despite its limitations.
- Explains that the nile provided valuable materials and means of transportation for trading to and from other countries.
- Analyzes how the river nile affected egypt's agriculture, trade, and culture.
1420 wordsRead More - Dbq Essay On Ancient Egyptanalytical essayWas it a gift or a curse? The Nile is the world's longest river at 4,160 miles. Of that total, approximately 660 to 700 miles of the Nile are actually in Egypt. It is one of the four most important river civilizations in the world. Land in Egypt was called Black Land (representing life) and Red Land (representing danger). For Egyptians, the Nile meant the difference between life and death. Today, we know that the Nile influenced ancient Egypt in many areas of life such as providing food, shelter and faith to the people. Specific areas dealing with settlement location, agricultural cycle, jobs, trade, transportation and spiritual beliefs will prove the case.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the nile is the world's longest river at 4,160 miles. it is one of the four most important river civilizations.
- Explains that the nile provided water for drinking, bathing, cooking, fish for eating, and mud for brick-making. the delta called lower egypt and upper egypt provided protection for the people.
- Explains how the nile influenced ancient egypt through agriculture, jobs, trade, and transportation.
- Analyzes how the nile influenced spiritual beliefs. egyptians worshipped the river and believed it had the power to bring happiness or sorrow.
- Explains that the nile was important to life in ancient egypt. it provided a source of water for food, drinking, bathing, cooking, farming, fishing, and crop irrigation.
550 wordsRead More - Egypt Essayexplanatory essayThroughout the ages religion has been an important part of man’s life. Even today many peoples lives are influenced by the teachings of their religious backgrounds. In ancient Egypt however, religion was the single most important influence on the civilization. It touched virtually every aspect of Egyptian life.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that religion has been an important part of man's life throughout the ages. in ancient egypt, religion touched virtually every aspect of egyptian life.
- Explains that burial and the preservation of the body was an important aspect of egyptian culture. even the embalmers had to shave their body hairs so they wouldn't contaminate the dead person.
- Explains that egyptian art was heavily influenced by religion. it was done for the gods or representing pharaohs, and artists were considered some of the highest members of society.
- Opines that the last and most important aspect of the culture affected by religion was everyday life. everything the egyptians did was for a god or pharaoh for one reason or another.
- Opines that ancient egypt will most likely hold the title of the most religious society ever.
487 wordsRead More - Ancient Egypt's Religion and Its Affects on Civilizationexplanatory essayEgypt’s culture was one of the most diverse and religious cultures of its time. Much of early Egyptian culture was based around the flooding of the Nile and the nutrients it brought for them to farm. The river was their oasis in the middle of one of the harshest environments. It was this that helped them to become a very hardened and capable society that could withstand the tests of time. Their religion also reflected their hard steadfastness since it was of their own creation. Other than a few of the well known gods of creation each village and town in Egypt had a different set of gods. With each place having the freedom to do what they wanted with the religion they could “personalize” it to suit their individual needs. Egyptian people realized that they were not perfect, this fact is clearly represented in their religion and mythology. It was also seen in their religious art, such as on the walls of pyramids, that they believed that the deceased would be judged in the afterlife for what they did. This judgment would dictate wether or not they wo...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that ancient egypt's religion was a major part of what made them such an impressive civilization. their culture, government, adaptability and overall stability came from their intricate and ever present religion.
- Explains that egypt's culture was one of the most diverse and religious cultures of its time.
- Analyzes how james weigel's cliffs notes on mythology interprets osiris' rise and fall and how he was eventually revenged by his son and wife.
- Explains that egyptian government was centered around their religion. their king, called the pharaoh, was believed to be a descendant of ra the sun god.
- Explains why the egyptians kept the notion of a god-king alive when they knew it could not be true. the credenda are 'political formulae' and fulfill crucial political and social functions.
- Explains that the pharaohs took this fact to heart and went to extreme measures to prepare themselves for the journey into the afterlife.
- Explains that the book of the dead was written for the upper class only, and that only the rich had a guidebook into the afterlife.
- Explains that egypt was a stable country and kept its religion alive even during hardships. the kushites expanded their empire in 1100 bce, but were crushed by the assyrians and the persian empire.
- Explains that egyptians had a rich culture, unparalleled government, and incredible stability and adaptability due to their deep-rooted religion that affected every part of their life from birth until after they died.
- Cites judge, edward, and john langdon's connections: a world history: combined volume.
1373 wordsRead More - How Did Ancient Egypt Influence Western Cultureexplanatory essayAlthough there are few religions that still consider the ways of the ancient Egyptian culture important, they are still out there. They are influenced every day by the history, which permeates their rituals, scriptures, and more. Furthermore, Egypt’s political influence may be outdated and not the clearest system, but it led the way for further development and refinement for future use. Without the influence of Egypt, we would not be the civilization that we are
In this essay, the author
- Explains that ancient egypt is considered to be one of the most significant eras in history, due to its long existence and its overwhelming contributions to the development of western civilization.
- Explains that the nile, a river that runs through egypt, played an important role in its creation. the tigris and euphrates, rivers that ran along the mesopotamian cities gave positive and negative impacts on the civilization.
- Explains that egyptian architecture is iconic and easily recognized thousands of years after it stopped being used. the ancient egyptians were not revolutionary in terms of their architecture style.
- Explains that religion was a profound part of the ancient egyptians' lives. the pantheon of gods and goddesses gradually changed over time. egyptian religious beliefs about the afterlife also changed.
- Explains that the pharaoh was the most powerful person in the kingdom, the head of the government and the high priest of every temple.
- Opines that although there are few religions that still consider the ways of the ancient egyptian culture important, they are still out there. egypt's political influence may be outdated, but it led the way for further development and refinement for future use.
968 wordsRead More - The History of Religionexplanatory essayEgyptian religion guided everything in Egypt. Egyptians believed in many different gods such as Osiris which is the god of vegetation and the underworld. That means that they are polytheistic which means that they believed in many gods. They had more than 2,000 gods and goddesses and maybe many more than that. Egypt has many different beliefs and rituals which was part of the ancient Egyptians society such as the afterlife ceremony. The Egyptians could interact with multiple of different gods and goddesses, who believed to be present in and in control of nature and life. The myths of the gods were meant to explain why they were here and why the different forces were here. The religion was to provide for them and gave them their favor.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that religion is an organized collection of beliefs and world views that are related humanity to an order existence, why we are here.
- Explains that egyptian religion guided everything in egypt. they believed in many different gods such as osiris, which is the god of vegetation and the underworld.
- Explains that mummification was a type of preservation of the dead that was practiced by ancient egyptians.
- Explains that osiris was the god of the underworld and vegetation/farming. he represented mummified body which means death.
- Explains that the twelve gates was the passage through the underworld to get to the afterlife. each gate was guarded by serpents with a different name.
- Explains that hinduism is an ancient religion with no founder or known date of origin. they believe in reincarnation, karma, and dharma.
- Explains hinduism's main god is brahman, who is the force of the universe in their belief. he was worshipped in the same way as the other gods.
- Explains that judaism originated in canaan, israel, and palestinian territories. they believed that god created the holy land.
- Explains that islam is a monotheistic religion tradition that started in the middle east. the five pillars are faith, ritual, and prayer.
- Explains that the people of islam believe that allah is god and all powerful, ordered the universe, and the god of justice.
- Explains that buddhism was founded 2,500 years ago and is still used today in the middle east. they believe in focusing on their personal spiritual development.
- Explains that christianity was founded in the early 1st century ad, with the teaching of jesus christ. it has many branches with different beliefs and practices.
- Explains that religion was made to explain why things are here. people might have different beliefs about it but at the end they get an idea how the world works.
- Cites http://www.patheos.com/library/christianity/hinduism/ethics, morality, and community/principles-of-moral thought and action.
- Cites http://www.religionfacts.com/judaism/index.htm and hebrew4christians.org/scripture/shloshah-asar_ikkarim.
1240 wordsRead More - Mythology In Ancient Egyptian Mythologyanalytical essayEgyptians were an astounding set of people woe helped shaping their culture and the rest of the world with the lack of modernized tools. This is translated through their arts, architecture and culture, thus guiding and building the foundation for contemporary society. In terms of history, Egyptians were and still are filled with a vast amount of history which has also contributed with the development unique and diverse society. Their development of religion and culture can be dated back to ancient times and is seen through their various ways of storytelling which has been passed onto generations. These forms of storytelling can be seen ancient Egyptians mythology. Mythology played an important role in ancient Egyptian history because it provided
In this essay, the author
- Explains that egyptians were an astounding set of people who helped shape their culture and the rest of the world with the lack of modernized tools.
- Explains that osiris was a principled god of ancient egypt. he was murdered by his brother seth, and his body was cut into fourteen parts.
- Explains that the concept of the human body was an important aspect of ancient egyptian history. mummification allowed for the preservation of one’s body combined with a furnished tomb filled with valuable items.
- Explains the rituals and practices of mummification can be linked to osiris, the god of death.
- Analyzes how osiris manifested and established character traits that were valuable for egyptian culture such as eternal life, order and harmony.
- Analyzes how the nile became a central aspect of egyptian culture and osiris myth when speaking of life after death.
- Explains that osiris was the god of fertility and aiding the way of civilization among egyptian people. the book of the dead was a guide for the journey through the netherworld.
- Explains that osiris played a key role in the book of the dead, since ancient egyptians were judged on their behavior during their lifetime on earth.
- Explains that unworthy ancient egyptians were thrown to amit and devoured. the heart of the deceased was weighed against a feather to be judged rightly to enter the afterlife.
- Explains that ancient egyptians viewed death as continuation of life which aided their belief in immortality. citizens would pay honor to gods during their time on earth and after.
1575 wordsRead More - The ancient Egyptians are known for many of the incredible aspects of their culture and everything they have produced. Some of the well known ancient Egyptian relics are the ones like the ancient pyramids, the Great Sphinx of Giza, mummies, and their many forms of art. Ancient Egyptian art is one of the most recognized styles of art. The most commonly known types of ancient Egyptian art are types like paintings, ceramics, and sculptures. Not only is Egyptian art beautiful, but it carries a huge deal of value and significance with it. A great portion of the time, the art has some kind of religious meaning to it. Consequently it is very difficult to discuss the art itself without delving into the various gods and goddesses presented in it. Something that particularly struck me about ancient Egyptian art was their proneness to use animals in their art. Not only do they use the animal’s full figure, but they also put individual parts on human bodies. This intrigued me because not many cultures have art that embrace animals to this extent. I will be exploring why the ancient Egyptians depict animals in their art repeatedly, and considering what they meant to them.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that ancient egyptian art is one of the most recognized styles of art. it carries a huge deal of value and significance with it.
- Analyzes the various characteristics of ancient egyptian art to see similarities and differences, and consider how this influences the meaning of the works.
- Explains that the art of the ancient egyptians has many defining characteristics that make it unique and different from other styles of art.
- Analyzes the distinctive characteristics of ancient egyptian art, such as the rigid posture, the side view of the faces and legs with the torso facing the viewer, and the inclusion of animals.
- Analyzes how the ancient egyptians painted scenes of daily life, burial rituals, and scenes from the afterlife, as well as scenes depicting fundamental events.
- Explains that the ancient egyptians used color for symbolic purposes, and to symbolize the importance of a figure.
- Explains that the ancient egyptians used white, green, blue, yellow, red, and black to symbolize a certain trait.
- Analyzes how the ancient egyptians created many forms of art, including paintings, sculptures, jewelry, and ceramics.
- Explains that they have presented information on the ancient egyptians and their art, as well as characteristics and what was typical of it. they will delve into the importance of animals in their culture.
- Explains that the ancient egyptians depicted animals in their art because they were influenced by their religious beliefs on top of nature.
- Explains that cats were considered sacred in ancient egypt because of their ability to hunt mice, rats, and other pests. they were also known to kill snakes, which would protect the ancient egyptians from harm.
- Explains that the great sphinx is not just a big piece of limestone, but it has more meaning than that. the lion's body is significant because the pharaoh was the most important person.
- Analyzes how the great sphinx is made in rigid posture, instead of a natural pose, indicating that it is alert and ready for anything.
- Explains that ancient egyptian art had very little movement to it in general, and this is shown in almost all of their artworks.
- Explains that ancient egyptian art has many characteristics and traits that are unique to it and set it apart from other styles of art. frontalism is something unique and exclusive to this style.
- Opines that animals were important to the ancient egyptians because they gave them something to pray to and believe in. the gods were part animal, and they were in touch with nature.
- Concludes that the ancient egyptians used symbolism in their art to preserve memories and praise their gods. they valued cats and other animals.
- Explains that pitt rivers museum - animals and belief – ancient egypt.
- Describes lehner, mark, ancient egypt research associates rss.
- Narrates the role of cats in ancient egypt.
- Describes seawright's book, avatars of the gods: the animals from ancient egypt.
2927 wordsRead More