This blog is for students of Civilizations of Africa at American University in Washington, DC and the ABTI-American University of Nigeria in Yola. You can use the blog for class assignments, to comment on things we've discussed in class and interact with other students.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Egyptian Stories
Post comments on Egyptian myths from the reading here.
The story of the two brothers (Anubis and Bata) is an Egyptian tale that serves as a parable to teach lessons about three important themes: justice, women, and fraternity. Reading the story, an outsider (like myself) can get a feel for the attitudes toward these themes held by the civilization from which the story came. Thus the story has found a new set of pupils – outsiders hoping to learn about a new culture. Intriguingly, these “outsiders” will often find parallels between these stories and their own stories of origin, and realize that they might not be as out-of-the-loop as they originally thought.
Bata’s story is ultimately a story about justice. The intended lesson about justice is clear: the gods will bring justice, and this justice will be stronger and more enduring than that of man. When Bata is framed for raping his brother’s wife and driven he is driven from his home. As he flees his brother’s wrath Bata calls upon the god of justice for help. Though his exile may seem justification for his sister-in-law, Bata ends up in a beautiful land with a thriving home and blessed with a beautiful woman crafted for him by the gods. When this woman betrays him repeatedly, she may feel justified in being made a princess of the pharaoh and bearing a son. Ultimately, however, when the son is Bata reincarnated and the woman is punished, the justice of the gods proves greater than her personal justification. Bata’s brother, Anubis, also receives justice for his deeds. Anubis believed his faithless wife instead of his brother, but later carries out his brothers wishes and brings him back to life. In the end, Anubis is rewarded by being made prince of Egypt, but is a notch below his younger brother, the pharaoh. This theme leads me to believe that the people who told this story believed in the justice of the gods carried out by fate. This story would teach Egyptians that the god’s justice was something to be respected more than personal justification.
I definitely can see a parallel between this story and a wide range of stories from the Christian Bible about God’s justice, notably the story of Moses leading his people out of Egypt. I feel that the fact that the most infamous Egyptian encounter in both the Jewish and Christian faiths happens to tell a lesson about God’s justice that is very similar to lesson this Egyptian tale is no coincidence. I have a strong feeling that Moses’ tale of God’s justice proving stronger than that of man was influenced thematically by this ancient Egyptian story of justice.
This story also has something to say about women, something which proves familiar to many cultural “outsiders.” Both of the women in this story prove to be beautiful, but treacherous. Ultimately, the reader is left with the impression that it is best to treat your woman well and enjoy them for their beauty, but never trust them. Bata bears the brunt of women’s apparent selfish potential for cruelty. He first encounters it when the wife of his brother, fearing the wrath of her husband if he were to find out she tried to seduce Bata, accuses him of rape. Later, Bata was “entranced by his new companion” (130) given to him by the gods and told her all of his secrets. Not much time passed, however before “…Bata, lying in his home mourning his lost woman, died” (131), killed as a result of his woman’s betrayal. When the young Pharaoh reveals himself to be Bata, he tells of the wrongs done to him: “He told them how he had been Bata, falsely accused by one woman, and three times betrayed by another” (132). The only two women in the story were treacherous, and parables do not tend to have accidental coincidences. Clearly, the culture from which this story comes is one in which women are admired, allowed certain freedoms, and to a certain extent respected for their power, but almost never trusted.
As I reflected more on the story, I thought of parallels with my culture both old and new. Te first thing that jumped to my mind as I read about the “loveliest woman in the land” (130) with whom Bata lives and her betrayal, was a song whose chorus goes, “If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife… get an ugly girl to marry you.” I thought of Eve’s disobedience of God. In the Bible, it is woman who commits the original sin and for whom Adam is cast out of Eden. As it turns out, warning of woman’s power and treachery is a common theme in a variety of creation stories.
The final important theme in the story is that of fraternity. Brotherhood and family bonds in general must have been very important to the early Egyptians. The story’s title, “The Brothers,” is an indicator of the importance of this theme. Bata’s reaction to Anubis’ divergence from what the culture would dictate should do in the situation is extremely drastic and reflects the important role of brotherly loyalty, “Outraged that his brother trusted his unfaithful wife over his faithful brother, Bata cut off his penis and threw it in the water. Then he told his brother what he intended to do, and what course of action Anubis should take if he wished to make amends” (130). It seems Bata’s brotherly devotion is even more important than his manhood. Fortunately, Anubis does make amends by devotedly searching for Bata’s heart for four years and bringing him back to life. This devotion, and Bata’s willingness to forgive his brother reveal a strong bond. The brother’s ultimate station of great power shows the benefit of that devotion. Family loyalty must have been a great virtue to the ancient people of Egypt who told this story.
As a Westerner, I see parallels with this theme in my own culture not so much in my Bible (the very first set of brothers in the Bible didn’t do so well together…), but through other cultural norms. In the United States, my generation may think of “bros before hos” when looking at the lesson this story has to teach. Beyond goofy pop-terms, however, there is a strong tradition of loyalty in most American families. Most children are raised to stick up for their siblings, and be supportive of family members. Then again, I don’t believe family loyalty is unique to just Egypt and the United States. Brotherhood is perhaps the most universal theme found in this story. Scientists have found that even the earliest known humans lived and traveled in family groups. It naturally follows that all cultures would have at least some tradition of family loyalty.
Ultimately this story proves to be quite a gem. It reveals the values of the people who crafted and told the tale and provides an enlightening bridge between two worlds that are centuries apart.
It is easy for me to assume that men have always been the natural rulers in Ethiopian society as it has been in my perception of American society. This assumption and my view of how Ethiopian society view women were greatly challenged after reading the myth "How Rule Passed from Women to Men". My image of the Ethiopian women is submissive, overworked, and objectified, but this myth rewrites my minds concept of the Ethiopian women and how they once were.
The way in which this myth depicted men doing the house work was very interesting. When comparing this part of the myth to the fact that in their modern society this is the "women’s" work I began to understand more about their society. I found it fascinating that in one sentence I was able to get the rough sketch of the progression of an Ethiopian women's role in the family and culture through the history of the country. I found it interesting that the myth seemed to present the men as mistreated and overworked since that presentation of the objectification can now be linked to present day women instead of historical men.
The portrayal of male and female characteristics in this myth I also found deeply counter cultural. In this myth the woman who killed her husband was bold, daring, and emotionless. It states that she matter-of-factly cut her husband’s throat and then cut off his head. This gruesome depiction of violence is foreign to me because it is attributed to women. Rarely in American society do I see women in our media or myths being so hard and strong. Women in American society are more closely related to the depiction of men in this story. In the Ethiopian myth the men killed the queen through a cunning trap. They were manipulative and sneaky lacking the bravery and force of the women in this myth. This completely and utterly struck me because in America, women are so often portrayed as the manipulative and sly gender. I found it hard to fathom a myth in Ethiopian society would completely flip my American perception of gender roles and characteristics.
There is one aspect of this myth that fascinated and challenged me more than the others, and that is the mere fact that this myth exists. I have grown up all my life in a society which men are naturally considered dominant and leaders and women have to fight for recognition as equal. I have grown up all my life knowing that women have been considered secondary to men but I have never questioned how this cultural mindset came to exist. Ethiopians have challenged the idea of why men rule, they have challenged the concept of male power to the extent that they have created a myth to explain it. It almost makes me feel like I have let down my gender in a way, but not asking more questions, by not being more concerned about the origins of male power and control. Ethiopian women question society and cultural norms, while I merely accepted them.
Different cultures create tales that are meant to embody the ethics and morals that are valued in a society. Many of the Brother’s Grimm tales were meant for this purpose. Tales like Hansel and Gretel were meant to teach children to listen to their parents and to stay away from strangers.
In this Egyptian tale, it is the importance of honor that is emphasized. The protagonist Bata will go through whatever lengths that is necessary to clear his name in the face of his brother, from cutting off his own genitalia to facing death. The other point that is made in this story is that justice seems to prevail whenever it is properly deserved. Bata is always acting with good intentions throughout the story so the god of justice is always looking out for him. Bata acts exemplarily showing his piety through his dedication to his work, his cattle and his gods. Through this dedication he receives the final benefit. Besides this, the story makes it clear that females are not to be trusted. Bata encounters two different women in the story, each of whom betrays him after he acts with morality. The first women, his brother Anubis’ wife acted as if Bata tried to rape her after he refused her sexual advances. The other woman, Bata’s own wife, had him killed three times in three different reincarnations, after he had given up all his love and secrets to her. There are many different powerful and explicit themes that came in this story including rape, murder, and betrayal; themes that paint a very detailed image of the values that are expected in Egyptian society.
Children in America are also brought up with tales that are meant to instill important themes. These stories differ however in that they stay away from many of the racy themes that are found in the more dated myths. American stories like the Berenstein bears, a compilation of tales featuring humanized bears getting past difficult issues like bullying and cheating, would be an example of this generation’s parables.
3 comments:
The story of the two brothers (Anubis and Bata) is an Egyptian tale that serves as a parable to teach lessons about three important themes: justice, women, and fraternity. Reading the story, an outsider (like myself) can get a feel for the attitudes toward these themes held by the civilization from which the story came. Thus the story has found a new set of pupils – outsiders hoping to learn about a new culture. Intriguingly, these “outsiders” will often find parallels between these stories and their own stories of origin, and realize that they might not be as out-of-the-loop as they originally thought.
Bata’s story is ultimately a story about justice. The intended lesson about justice is clear: the gods will bring justice, and this justice will be stronger and more enduring than that of man. When Bata is framed for raping his brother’s wife and driven he is driven from his home. As he flees his brother’s wrath Bata calls upon the god of justice for help. Though his exile may seem justification for his sister-in-law, Bata ends up in a beautiful land with a thriving home and blessed with a beautiful woman crafted for him by the gods. When this woman betrays him repeatedly, she may feel justified in being made a princess of the pharaoh and bearing a son. Ultimately, however, when the son is Bata reincarnated and the woman is punished, the justice of the gods proves greater than her personal justification. Bata’s brother, Anubis, also receives justice for his deeds. Anubis believed his faithless wife instead of his brother, but later carries out his brothers wishes and brings him back to life. In the end, Anubis is rewarded by being made prince of Egypt, but is a notch below his younger brother, the pharaoh. This theme leads me to believe that the people who told this story believed in the justice of the gods carried out by fate. This story would teach Egyptians that the god’s justice was something to be respected more than personal justification.
I definitely can see a parallel between this story and a wide range of stories from the Christian Bible about God’s justice, notably the story of Moses leading his people out of Egypt. I feel that the fact that the most infamous Egyptian encounter in both the Jewish and Christian faiths happens to tell a lesson about God’s justice that is very similar to lesson this Egyptian tale is no coincidence. I have a strong feeling that Moses’ tale of God’s justice proving stronger than that of man was influenced thematically by this ancient Egyptian story of justice.
This story also has something to say about women, something which proves familiar to many cultural “outsiders.” Both of the women in this story prove to be beautiful, but treacherous. Ultimately, the reader is left with the impression that it is best to treat your woman well and enjoy them for their beauty, but never trust them. Bata bears the brunt of women’s apparent selfish potential for cruelty. He first encounters it when the wife of his brother, fearing the wrath of her husband if he were to find out she tried to seduce Bata, accuses him of rape. Later, Bata was “entranced by his new companion” (130) given to him by the gods and told her all of his secrets. Not much time passed, however before “…Bata, lying in his home mourning his lost woman, died” (131), killed as a result of his woman’s betrayal. When the young Pharaoh reveals himself to be Bata, he tells of the wrongs done to him: “He told them how he had been Bata, falsely accused by one woman, and three times betrayed by another” (132). The only two women in the story were treacherous, and parables do not tend to have accidental coincidences. Clearly, the culture from which this story comes is one in which women are admired, allowed certain freedoms, and to a certain extent respected for their power, but almost never trusted.
As I reflected more on the story, I thought of parallels with my culture both old and new. Te first thing that jumped to my mind as I read about the “loveliest woman in the land” (130) with whom Bata lives and her betrayal, was a song whose chorus goes, “If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife… get an ugly girl to marry you.” I thought of Eve’s disobedience of God. In the Bible, it is woman who commits the original sin and for whom Adam is cast out of Eden. As it turns out, warning of woman’s power and treachery is a common theme in a variety of creation stories.
The final important theme in the story is that of fraternity. Brotherhood and family bonds in general must have been very important to the early Egyptians. The story’s title, “The Brothers,” is an indicator of the importance of this theme. Bata’s reaction to Anubis’ divergence from what the culture would dictate should do in the situation is extremely drastic and reflects the important role of brotherly loyalty, “Outraged that his brother trusted his unfaithful wife over his faithful brother, Bata cut off his penis and threw it in the water. Then he told his brother what he intended to do, and what course of action Anubis should take if he wished to make amends” (130). It seems Bata’s brotherly devotion is even more important than his manhood. Fortunately, Anubis does make amends by devotedly searching for Bata’s heart for four years and bringing him back to life. This devotion, and Bata’s willingness to forgive his brother reveal a strong bond. The brother’s ultimate station of great power shows the benefit of that devotion. Family loyalty must have been a great virtue to the ancient people of Egypt who told this story.
As a Westerner, I see parallels with this theme in my own culture not so much in my Bible (the very first set of brothers in the Bible didn’t do so well together…), but through other cultural norms. In the United States, my generation may think of “bros before hos” when looking at the lesson this story has to teach. Beyond goofy pop-terms, however, there is a strong tradition of loyalty in most American families. Most children are raised to stick up for their siblings, and be supportive of family members. Then again, I don’t believe family loyalty is unique to just Egypt and the United States. Brotherhood is perhaps the most universal theme found in this story. Scientists have found that even the earliest known humans lived and traveled in family groups. It naturally follows that all cultures would have at least some tradition of family loyalty.
Ultimately this story proves to be quite a gem. It reveals the values of the people who crafted and told the tale and provides an enlightening bridge between two worlds that are centuries apart.
"How Rule Passed from Women to Men"
It is easy for me to assume that men have always been the natural rulers in Ethiopian society as it has been in my perception of American society. This assumption and my view of how Ethiopian society view women were greatly challenged after reading the myth "How Rule Passed from Women to Men". My image of the Ethiopian women is submissive, overworked, and objectified, but this myth rewrites my minds concept of the Ethiopian women and how they once were.
The way in which this myth depicted men doing the house work was very interesting. When comparing this part of the myth to the fact that in their modern society this is the "women’s" work I began to understand more about their society. I found it fascinating that in one sentence I was able to get the rough sketch of the progression of an Ethiopian women's role in the family and culture through the history of the country. I found it interesting that the myth seemed to present the men as mistreated and overworked since that presentation of the objectification can now be linked to present day women instead of historical men.
The portrayal of male and female characteristics in this myth I also found deeply counter cultural. In this myth the woman who killed her husband was bold, daring, and emotionless. It states that she matter-of-factly cut her husband’s throat and then cut off his head. This gruesome depiction of violence is foreign to me because it is attributed to women. Rarely in American society do I see women in our media or myths being so hard and strong. Women in American society are more closely related to the depiction of men in this story. In the Ethiopian myth the men killed the queen through a cunning trap. They were manipulative and sneaky lacking the bravery and force of the women in this myth. This completely and utterly struck me because in America, women are so often portrayed as the manipulative and sly gender. I found it hard to fathom a myth in Ethiopian society would completely flip my American perception of gender roles and characteristics.
There is one aspect of this myth that fascinated and challenged me more than the others, and that is the mere fact that this myth exists. I have grown up all my life in a society which men are naturally considered dominant and leaders and women have to fight for recognition as equal. I have grown up all my life knowing that women have been considered secondary to men but I have never questioned how this cultural mindset came to exist. Ethiopians have challenged the idea of why men rule, they have challenged the concept of male power to the extent that they have created a myth to explain it. It almost makes me feel like I have let down my gender in a way, but not asking more questions, by not being more concerned about the origins of male power and control. Ethiopian women question society and cultural norms, while I merely accepted them.
"The Two Brothers"
Different cultures create tales that are meant to embody the ethics and morals that are valued in a society. Many of the Brother’s Grimm tales were meant for this purpose. Tales like Hansel and Gretel were meant to teach children to listen to their parents and to stay away from strangers.
In this Egyptian tale, it is the importance of honor that is emphasized. The protagonist Bata will go through whatever lengths that is necessary to clear his name in the face of his brother, from cutting off his own genitalia to facing death. The other point that is made in this story is that justice seems to prevail whenever it is properly deserved. Bata is always acting with good intentions throughout the story so the god of justice is always looking out for him. Bata acts exemplarily showing his piety through his dedication to his work, his cattle and his gods. Through this dedication he receives the final benefit. Besides this, the story makes it clear that females are not to be trusted. Bata encounters two different women in the story, each of whom betrays him after he acts with morality. The first women, his brother Anubis’ wife acted as if Bata tried to rape her after he refused her sexual advances. The other woman, Bata’s own wife, had him killed three times in three different reincarnations, after he had given up all his love and secrets to her. There are many different powerful and explicit themes that came in this story including rape, murder, and betrayal; themes that paint a very detailed image of the values that are expected in Egyptian society.
Children in America are also brought up with tales that are meant to instill important themes. These stories differ however in that they stay away from many of the racy themes that are found in the more dated myths. American stories like the Berenstein bears, a compilation of tales featuring humanized bears getting past difficult issues like bullying and cheating, would be an example of this generation’s parables.
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