EGYPTIAN LITERATURE

Afro - Asian Litrature

Egyptian Literature
• Egyptian Literaure- was written in the Egyptian lan
guage from ancient Egypt's period until the end of
Roman domination.
• comprises a wide array of narrati
ve and poetic forms including inscriptions on tomb
s, stele, obelicks, and temples, myths, stories and le
gends, religions writings, pholosophical works, wisd
om literature, autobiographies, biographies, histori
es, poetry, hymns, personal essays , letters and cour
t records.
Egyptian Literature
Hieroglypics
• Hieroglyphics "sacred carving
s" a writing system combinin
g phonograms(symbol which
represent sound)logograms(
symbols representing words)
and idiograms( symbol wich r
epresents meaning or sense.
• Used on monuments( tombs
, obelicks,stele and temples.
Hieractic
• Hieractic "sacred writin
gs" was used to relay inf
ormation quickly and ea
sily.
• Used in writing on papy
rus scrolls and ceramics
pot.
Egyptian Literature
Prose generally known Didactic Literature because it
teaches some lesson.
Ex: The Dispute Between a Man and his Ba
Ba (soul) ,The Eloquent Peasant, The Satire of the Tra
des, The Instruction of King Amenemhet I fot his Son
SenusretI, The Prophecies of Neferi, and the Admini
tions of Ipuwer.
Egyptian Literaure
• Autobiographies- Egyptian weiting come from early dynastic period
( c.6000 - c.3150 BCE)
• written after the persons death,was always inscribed in the first per
son as though the drceased were spreaking.
• carved on ones tomb along with the Offering List to let the living kn
ow what gifts and in what quantity, the deceased was due regilarly i
n visiting the grave.
• Pyramid Texts - which were accounts of a kings reign and his success
ful journey to the afterlife.
• Offering List -was simple instruction known to the Egyptians as the
"hetep-di-nesw" (a boon giving by the king) inscribed on a tomb de
tailing food, drinks, and other offerings appropriate for the persons
buried there.
Egyptian Literature
• Catalogue of Virtues -accentuated the good a perso
n had in his or her life and how worthy they were of
remembrance. Formulaic poetry.
• Autobiography of Weni - were incribed on large mo
nolithic slabs and were quite detailed. This was wri
tten in prose.
• Ex: Inscription of Nefer-Seshem-Ra Called Sheshi fro
m 6th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom
Egyptian Literature
• Instructional in Wisdom - works offer shorr maxims on ho
w to live much along the lines of the biblical book of Prov
erbs. In many instances, anticipate the same kinds of advi
ce one finds in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Psalms, and other b
iblical marratives.
• Ex: Oldest Instruction is that of Prince Hardjedef written
sometime in the 5th Dynasty which includes advice.
• "Cleanse yourself before your own eyes Lest another clea
nse you.
• When you prosper, found your household,
• Take a hearty wife, a son will be born to you.
Books/Egyptian Literature
• The Westcat Papyrus
• Life After Death
• The Eloquent Peasant
• Tale of the Doomed Prince
• Ipuwer Papyrus
• Pyramid Texts
• Story of Sinuhe
• Instruction of Amenemope
• The Maxims of Ptahhatep
Egyptians Writers
• Naguib Mahfouz (1911-2006)was aprolific Egyptian
writer, who was awarded the 1988 Nobel Prize for L
iterature.Ex: The Cairo Trilogy, Heart of the Night, L
ove in the Rain and Cairo Modern
• Yusuf Idris(1927-1991)an Egyptian writer of plays, s
hort stories and novels.Ex:novel -City of Love and A
shes. Short stories- The cheapest Nightd, The Hero
and Dregs of the City. Plays and novels- The Sin and
Farahats Republic.
Egyptians Writers
• Tawfiq al-Hakim(1898-1987) he trmains one of the pione
ering figures of modern Arabic literature and has often b
een describrd as the founder of an entire literary traditio
n particularly within the world of Arab theatre.Ex: A Bull
et in the Heart, Leaving Paradise and The People of the C
ave.
• Yahya Haqqi(1905-1992) writer and novelist. Editor of th
e literary magazine Al Majalla from 1961-1971. He publis
hed a number of collections of short stories, one novel.
(Umm Hashms Lamp)articles -The Mother of the Helples
s, The Dawn of the Egyptian Novel and Antar and Juliet.
Egyptians Writers
• Taha Hussein(1889-1973) one of the most influential 2
0th century Egyptian writers and intellectuals, being a
warded the nickname Dean of Arabic Literature.Ex: We
dnesday Talk, A Man of Letters and The Call of the Curl
ew.
• Ihsan Abdel Quddous(1919-1990) journalist and noveli
st.Ex:My Blood,My Tears,My Smile and Thr Bullet is Stil
l in my Pocket.
• Abbas Mahmud al-Aqqad(1889-1964) he wrote more t
han one hundred books about philosophy,religion and
poetry.Ex: al-Abkariat, Allah and Sarah
Egyptians Writers
• Anis Mansour(1925-2011)journalist,editor in magaz
ines. He wrote more than 170 books, translations in
cludes French ,Dutch and Russian.
• Zaki Naguib Mahmoud (1905-1993) contribute num
erous articles in magazines and newspapet. Ex: Egy
ptian Al Ahram
• Adaf Soueif(1950) novelist. Ex: The Map of Love
 Thank You!!!
by
Amihan S. Galupo
God Bless Everyone