TOPIC OUTLINE

SURVEY OF AFRO-ASIAN
LITERATURE
EL 111

Maria Elizabeth G. Galimba

BSED ENGLISH 2A
Chapter 2: Ode to the Egyptian Literature

In history, Egypt is considered to be one of the oldest cities where an early civilization rose and
still thriving up until this time. With its contribution to arts and literature, they are also considered
to be a basin of the present and the past due to the still standing sceneries that has been seen
by the generation of today. Let us all find out how their literature distinctively has an Egyptian
flavour.

Most of Egyptian literature was written in hieroglyphics or hieratic script; hieroglyphics were
used on monuments such as tombs, obelisks, stele, and temples while hieratic script was used
in writing on papyrus scrolls and ceramic pots.

Egypt: Paradise of the Past and Present

On its Wonderful Facts and Literary Pieces

Details about Egypt

● one of the longest histories of any country, tracing its heritage along the Nile Delta back
to the 6th–4th millennia BCE

● cradle of civilization, Ancient Egypt saw some of the earliest developments of writing,
agriculture, urbanization, organized religion and central government

● home of the most iconic monuments such as the Giza Necropolis and its Great Sphinx,
as well the ruins of Memphis, Thebes, Karnak, and the Valley of the Kings, reflect this
legacy and remain a significant focus of scientific and popular interest.

● The English name "Egypt" is derived from the Ancient Greek "Aígyptos"("Αἴγυπτος"), via
Middle French "Egypte" and Latin "Aegyptus". It is reflected in early Greek Linear B
tablets as "a-ku-pi-ti-yo". The adjective "aigýpti-"/"aigýptios" was borrowed into Coptic as
"gyptios", and from there into Arabic as "qubṭī", back formed into "‫" )"بط ق‬qubṭ"), whence
English "Copt" and means “fertile land”.

● living evidence which are historical like the Nile River (longest river) and Sahara Desert
(largest desert)

● the places of the famous rulers the world has ever witnessed like Ramses I and II,
Nefertiti, Tutankhamen, Cleopatra and etc.

Why is it called as the “FERTILE LAND”?

There is evidence of rock carvings along the Nile terraces and in desert oases. In the 10th
millennium BCE, a culture of hunter-gatherers and fishers was replaced by a grain-grinding
culture. Climate changes or overgrazing around 8000 BCE began to desiccate the pastoral
lands of Egypt, forming the Sahara. Early tribal peoples migrated to the Nile River where they
developed a settled agricultural economy and more centralized society. With the bounty of the
Nile and the healthiest soil they have, they are considered to have a “fertile” with this reason of
providence of supplies.

THE EGYPTIAN LITERATURE

● beginnings to ancient Egypt and is some of the earliest known literature

● Ancient Egyptians were the first to develop written literature, as inscriptions or in

collections of papyrus, precursors to the modern book

● With a humble beginning on the discovery of paper and symbols, Egypt is undeniably
rich with colourful literary pieces that seek information of the past and the present.

● The Nile had a strong influence on the writings of the ancient Egyptians, as did
Greco-Roman poets who came to Alexandria to be supported by the many patrons of the
arts who lived there, and to make use of the resources of the Library of Alexandria.

● has one of the vast genres in literature which they are capable of reiterating from
generations to generations. That’s why, with this technique, a wide scope of interest is
still given to its literary piece.

The Egyptian Literature can be understood in two ways:

➢ ANCIENT ( time of the gods and the pharaohs)
➢ MODERN (present Egypt)

Let us all find out the beauty of Egypt through this another adventure.

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE

● was written in the Egyptian language from ancient Egypt's pharaonic period until the end
of Roman domination

● represents the oldest corpus of Egyptian literature. Along with Sumerian literature, it is
considered the world's earliest literature

● rose and grew in the bosom of religious beliefs, but it quickly evolved to deal with man’s
ordinary day-to-day life

● Literary works occupied a distinguished position in the ancient Egyptian thought and
civilization.

● The ancient Egyptians viewed literature as a source of spiritual nourishment and a

unique way to elevate style of expression. Refined literary style was a source of pride for
the writer and appreciation and enjoyment for the reader.
Writing in ancient Egypt—both hieroglyphic and hieratic—first appeared in the late 4th
millennium BC during the late phase of pre-dynastic Egypt. By the Old Kingdom (26th century
BC to 22nd century BC), literary works included funerary texts, epistles and letters, hymns and
poems, and commemorative autobiographical texts recounting the careers of prominent
administrative officials.

The earliest remains are those carved on the durable stone of monuments. It is said to believe
that the great tombs were considered to be libraries in which numerous writings were preserved
either on the walls or in papyrus scrolls.

Papyrus scrolls
a roll constructed of material that ranged from papyrus to parchment. However, the material
taken from a papyrus plant predominantly composed the scrolls of the ancient world. Since
3000 BC, the plant was native only to Egypt and considered the major distributor to the rest of
the Mediterranean world. And only a few families in Egypt have traditionally continued the
practice of production that became a modality of living.

Hieroglyphics
a formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that combined logographic and
alphabetic elements. In writing a religious literature, scribes (writers) usually utilizes cursive
hieroglyphics either on wood or papyrus scrolls. The Egyptians first used hieroglyphs
exclusively for inscriptions carved or painted on temple walls. Hieroglyphics are an original form
of writing out of which all other forms have evolved. Two of the newer forms were called hieratic
and demotic. According to Ancient Egyptians, these texts are considered to be sacred and
coming from a god.

The Egyptians were the first people of the ancient world who had a literature of its kind. And
their literature grows and flourishes and decayes with the language they have. It varies along
character, scientific, religious and seculars. This was a "media revolution" which, according
to Richard B. Parkinson, was the result of the rise of an intellectual class of scribes, new cultural
sensibilities about individuality, unprecedented levels of literacy, and mainstream access to
written materials. However, it is possible that the overall literacy rate was less than one percent
of the entire population. The creation of literature was thus an elite exercise, monopolized by a
scribal class attached to government offices and the royal court of the ruling pharaoh.
(SOURCE: Wikipedia.com)

Ancient Egyptian literature has been preserved in a wide variety of media. This includes
papyrus scrolls and packets, limestone or ceramic ostraca, wooden writing boards, monumental
stone edifices and coffins. Texts preserved and unearthed by modern archaeologists represent
a small fraction of ancient Egyptian literary material.

LITERARY GENRES OF THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE

Ancient Egyptian literature, which is one of the worlds’ earliest, is an important component of
Ancient Egypt's great civilization, and a representation of the peoples' life, culture, and beliefs.
Throughout ancient Egyptian history, reading and writing were the main requirements for serving
in public office, although government officials were assisted in their day-to-day work by an elite,
literate social group known as scribes- as a person who serves as a professional copyist. They
take dictations and keeping of business, judicial, and historical records for kings, nobles,
temples, and cities.

Considering this matter of work, they are one of the most important people around Egypt as
they are part of the royal court. By practice, they are brought to a scribal position prior entering
civil service.

But what are these literary genres used during the Ancient Egypt?
a. Instructions and Teachings
b. Narrative tales and stories
c. Laments, discourses, dialogues and prophecies
d. Poem, songs, hymns and etc.
e. Private letters, model letters and epistles
f. Biography and Autobiography
g. Decrees
h. Tomb and temple graffiti

INSTRUCTIONS AND TEACHINGS

The "instructions" or "teaching" genre, as well as the genre of "reflective discourses", can be
grouped in the larger corpus of wisdom literature found in the ancient Near East. The genre is
didactic in nature and is thought to have formed part of the Middle Kingdom scribal education
syllabus.

EXAMPLES:
Maxims of Ptahhotep, Instructions of Kagemni, Teaching for King Merykare, Instructions of
Amenemhat, Instruction of Hardjedef, Loyalist Teaching, and Instructions of Amenemope.

NARRATIVE TALES AND STORIES

The genre of "tales and stories" is probably the least represented genre from surviving literature
of the Middle Kingdom and Middle Egyptian. In Late Egyptian literature, "tales and stories"
comprise the majority of surviving literary works dated from the Ramesside Period of the New
Kingdom into the Late Period.

EXAMPLES:
Major narrative works from the Middle Kingdom include the Tale of the Court of King Cheops,
King Neferkare and General Sasenet, The Eloquent Peasant, Story of Sinuhe, and Tale of the
shipwrecked sailor. The New Kingdom corpus of tales includes the Quarrel of Apepi and
Seqenenre, The Taking of Joppa, Tale of the doomed prince, Tale of Two Brothers, and the
Report of Wenamun.

LAMENTS, DISCOURSES AND ETC.

This genre had no known precedent in the Old Kingdom and no known original compositions
were produced in the New Kingdom. Usually, this is written in accordance with what the pharaoh
has in mind.

EXAMPLES:
Notable works include such works as the Admonitions of Ipuwer, Prophecy of Neferti, and
Dispute between a man and his Ba (soul).
POEMS, SONGS, HYMNS AND ETC.
Surviving hymns and songs from the Old Kingdom include the morning greeting hymns to the
gods in their respective temples. Funerary poems were thought to preserve a monarch's soul in
death. The Pyramid Texts are the earliest surviving religious literature incorporating poetic
verse. Only a single poetic hymn in the Demotic script has been preserved. However, there are
many surviving examples of Late-Period Egyptian hymns written in hieroglyphs on temple walls.

EXAMPLES:
● Book of the Dead, Litany of Ra, and Amduat (funerary poems)
● Precinct of Amun-Re (celebratory poem)
● Great Hymn to the Aten (hymns)

PRIVATE LETTERS, MODEL LETTERS AND EPISTLES

The ancient Egyptian model letters and epistles are grouped into a single literary genre.
Papyrus rolls sealed with mud stamps were used for long-distance letters, while ostraca were
frequently used to write shorter, non-confidential letters sent to recipients located nearby. Letters
of royal or official correspondence, originally written in hieratic, were sometimes given the
exalted status of being inscribed on stone in hieroglyphs.

BIOGRAPHY AND AUTOBIOGRAPHY

In ancient Egypt the formulaic accounts of Pharaoh's lives praised the continuity of dynastic
power. Although typically written in the first person, these pronouncements are public, general
testimonials, not personal utterances. With the reason to celebrate, commemorate, and
immortalize, the impulse of life against death", became the aim of biographies written today.

DECREES
It is a rule of law usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a
monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the
force of law. Pharaohs with the help of the scribes usually create this in order for the law to be
known.

TOMB AND TEMPLE GRAFFITI

During the New Kingdom, scribes who traveled to ancient sites often left graffiti messages on
the walls of sacred mortuary temples and pyramids, usually in commemoration of these
structures.

SAMPLE SELECTIONS OF THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE

SELECTION #1:
TALE OF THE TWO BROTHERS

SELECTION #2:
MYTH OF OSIRIS, ISIS AND HORUS: FIRST KINGDOM OF EGYPT
 MODERN EGYPTIANS LITERATURE

As the largest Arabic-speaking country (at 70+ million inhabitants and counting), Egypt,
with its teeming capital of Cairo, plays a disproportionately large role in the intellectual
and cultural life of the Arab world. From the pan-Arab nationalism of the 1950s and
1960s to the Islamist movement of today, Egypt has always been at the forefront of new
ideas in the region. But while Egypt is very much part of a greater Arabic-speaking
literary and cultural milieu, Egyptians are also keenly aware of themselves as heirs to-or
at least distant descendants-of-the millennia-long civilization of ancient Egypt. Rapid
changes have brought with them a sense of displacement for many Egyptians-a theme
frequently reflected in current literature.

The modern descendant of one of humanity's oldest civilizations, Egypt today sits at a
number of crossroads-political, social, geographical, and cultural. Like the country itself,
Egypt's literature is pulled in several directions at once, embodying both the tensions
and the possibilities that lie ahead for this ancient land by the Nile.

New authors proliferated, and include Samir Gharib ‘Ali, Mahmud Hamid, Wa’il Rajab,
Ahmad Gharib, Muntasir al-Qaffash, Atif Sulayman, May al-Tilmisani, Yasser Shaaban,
Mustafa Zikri and Nura Amin. The 1990s also saw the rise of new women writers, aided
by the ease of modern, privatized publishing. This resulted in a great deal of critical
comment, including a pejorative description of their work as kitabat al-banat or "girls'
write”. Moreover, most novels during this time were relatively short, never much longer
than 150 pages, and dealt with the individual instead of a lengthy representation of
family relationships and national icons.

WRITERS OF MODERN EGYPTIAN LITERATURE

1. TAHA HUSSEIN
He was one of the most influential 20th-century Egyptian writers and intellectuals, and a
figurehead for the Egyptian Renaissance and the modernist movement in the Middle
East and North Africa. He was nominated 14 times for Nobel Price intended for
literature. His works include The Days and Lost Love.

2. NAGUIB MAHFOUZ
Mahfouz is regarded as one of the first contemporary writers of Arabic literature, along
with Taha Hussein, to explore themes of existentialism. He is the only Egyptian to win
the Nobel Prize in Literature. He published 35 novels, over 350 short stories, 26 movie
scripts, hundreds of op-ed columns for Egyptian newspapers, and seven plays over a
70-year career, from the 1930s until 2004. His works include The Trilogy and Children of
Gebelawi.
3. EDWARD AL-KHARRAT
Al-Kharrat has been described as "one of Egypt's most influential fiction writers" and
"one of the most important writers in the Arab world". He was a leading figure among
the group of Egyptian writers known as the Sixties Generation. His works include Rama
and the Dragon and City of Saffron.

4. BAHAA TAHIR
He is an Egyptian novelist and short story writer who writes in Arabic. He was awarded
the inaugural International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2008. His works include East of
Palms and Sunset Oasis.

5. YOUSEFF ZIEDAN
He is an Egyptian scholar who specializes in Arabic and Islamic studies. He worked for
some time as director of the Manuscript Center and Museum affiliated to the Bibliotheca
Alexandrina. He is a public lecturer, a columnist and a prolific author of more than 50
books. His works include Shadow of a Serpent and Azazeel.

SAMPLE SELECTIONS OF MODERN EGYPTIAN LITERATURE

SELECTION #1:
MIRAMAR by NAGUIB MAHFOUZ

SELECTION #2:
THE EGYPTIAN CINDERELLA (Children’s Literature)