Produced by Eric Eldred
EGYPTIAN TALES, TRANSLATED FROM THE PAPYRI
First Series, IVth To XIIth Dynasty
By W. M. Flinders Petrie, D.C.L., LL.D.., Ph.D., Hon. F.S.A. (Scot.)
Illustrated By Tristram Ellis
Second Edition
London
1899
LIST OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
TALES OF THE MAGICIANS
KHAFRA'S TALE
BAUFRA'S TALE
HORDEDEF'S TALE
REMARKS
THE PEASANT AND THE WORKMAN
REMARKS
THE SHIPWRECKED SAILOR
REMARKS
THE ADVENTURES OF SANEHAT
REMARKS
INTRODUCTION
IT is strange that while literature occupies so much attention as at
present, and while fiction is the largest division of our book-work, the
oldest literature and fiction of the world should yet have remained
unpresented to English readers. The tales of ancient Egypt have appeared
collectively only in French, in the charming volume of Maspero's "Contes
Populaires"; while some have been translated into English at scattered
times in volumes of the "Records of the Past." But research moves
forward; and translations that were excellent twenty years ago may now
be largely improved, as we attain more insight into the language.
For another reason also there is a wide ground for the present volume.
In no case have any illustrations been attempted, to give that basis for
imagination which is all the more needed when reading of an age and a
land unfamiliar to our ideas. When following a narrative, whether of
real events or of fiction, many persons--perhaps most--find themselves
unconsciously framing in their minds the scenery and the beings of which
they are reading. To give a correct picture of the character of each of
the various ages to which these tales belong, has been the aim of the
present illustrations. A definite period has been assigned to each tale,
in accordance with the indications, or the history, involved in it; and,
so far as our present knowledge goes, all the details of life in the
scenes here illustrated are rendered in accord with the period of the
story.
To some purely scholastic minds it may seem presumptuous to
intermingle translations of notable documents with fanciful
illustrations. But, considering the greater precision with which in
recent years we have been able to learn the changes and the fashions
of ancient life in Egypt, and the essentially unhistorical nature of
most of these tales, there seems ample reason to provide such material
for the reader's imagination in following the stories; it may-give
them more life and reality, and may emphasise the differences which
existed between the different periods to which these tales refer.
It will be noticed how the growth of the novel is shadowed out in the
varied grounds and treatment of the tales. The earliest is purely a
collection of marvels or fabulous incidents of the simplest kind. Then
we advance to contrasts between town and country, between Egypt and
foreign lands. Then personal adventure, and the interest in schemes
and successes, becomes the staple material; while only in the later
periods does character come in as the groundwork. The same may be seen
in English literature--first the tales of wonders and strange lands,
then the novel of adventure, and lastly the novel of character.
In translating these documents into English I have freely used the
various translations already published in other languages; but in all
cases more or less revision and retranslation from the original has
been made. In this matter I am indebted to Mr. F. Ll. Griffith, who has
in some cases--as in Anpu and Bata--almost entirely retranslated the
original papyrus. The material followed in each instance will be found
stated in the notes accompanying the tales. As to the actual
phraseology, I am alone responsible for that. How far original idiom
should be retained in any translation is always a debated question, and
must entirely depend on the object in view. Here the purpose of
rendering the work intelligible to ordinary readers required the
modifying of some idioms and the paraphrasing of others. But so far
as possible the style and tone of the original has been preserved, and
whatever could be easily followed has been left to speak for itself. In
many plainnesses of speech the old Egyptian resembled the modern
Oriental, or our own forefathers, more than ourselves in this age of
squeamishness as yet unparalleled in the world. To avoid offence a few
little modifications of words have been made; but rather than give a
false impression by tampering with any of the narrative, I have omitted
the sequel of the last tale and given only an outline of it. The diction
adopted has been the oldest that could be used without affectation when
dealing with the early times. It has been purposely modified in the
later tales; and in the last--which is of Ptolemaic authorship--a
modern style has been followed as more compatible with the later tone of
the narrative.
For the illustrations Mr. Tristram Ellis's familiarity with Egypt has
been of good account in his life-like scenes here used. For each
drawing I have searched for the material among the monuments and
remains of the age in question. The details of the dresses, the
architecture, and the utensils, are all in accord with the period of
each tale. In the tale of Setnau two different styles are introduced.
Ahura is probably of the time of Amenhotep III., whereas Setnau is a
son of Ramessu II.; and the change of fashion between the two
different dynasties has been followed as distinctive of the two
persons, one a _ka_ or double of the deceased, the other a living man.
To the reader who starts with the current idea that all Egyptians were
alike, this continual change from one period to another may seem
almost fanciful. But it rests on such certain authority that we may
hope that this little volume may have its use as an object-lesson in
practical archaeology.
The use and abuse of notes is a matter of dispute. To be constantly
interrupted in reading by some needless and elementary explanation is
an impertinence both to the author and the reader: the one cannot
resent it, the other therefore resents it for both. But what is to be
deemed needless entirely depends on the reader: I have been asked in
what country Pompei is, as it is not in the English Gazetteer. Rather
than intrude, then, on the reader when he is in high discourse with
the ancients, I humbly set up my interpreter's booth next door; and if
he cares to call in, and ask about any difficulties, I shall be glad
to help him if I can. Not even numbers are intruded to refer to notes;
for how often an eager reader has been led off his trail, and turned
blithely to refer to 37 or 186 only to find, "See J. Z. xxxviii.
377," at which he gnashed his teeth and cursed such interruptions. So
those to whom the original tales are obscure are humbly requested to
try for some profit from the remarks after them, that have been
gleaned by the translator.
Much might be said by a "folk-lorist"--in proportion to his ardour. But
as there are folk-lorists and folk-lorists, and the schools of Rabbi
Andrew and Rabbi Joseph write different targums, I have left each to
make his own commentary without prejudice.
TALES OF THE MAGICIANS
One day, when King Khufu reigned over all the land, he said to his
chancellor, who stood before him, "Go call me my sons and my
councillors, that I may ask of them a thing." And his sons and his
councillors came and stood before him, and he said to them, "Know ye a
man who can tell me tales of the deeds of the magicians?"
Then the royal son Khafra stood forth and said, "I will tell thy majesty
a tale of the days of thy forefather Nebka, the blessed; of what came to
pass when he went into the temple of Ptah of Ankhtaui."
KHAFRA'S TALE
"His majesty was walking unto the temple of Ptah, and went unto the
house of the chief reciter Uba-aner, with his train. Now when the wife
of Uba-aner saw a page, among those who stood behind the king, her heart
longed after him; and she sent her servant unto him, with a present of a
box full of garments.
"And he came then with the servant. Now there was a lodge in the garden
of Uba-aner; and one day the page said to the wife of Uba-aner, 'In the
garden of Uba-aner there is now a lodge; behold, let us therein take our
pleasure.' So the wife of Uba-aner sent to the steward who had charge
over the garden, saying, 'Let the lodge which is in the garden be made
ready.' And she remained there, and rested and drank with the page until
the sun went down.
"And when the even was now come the page went forth to bathe. And the
steward said, 'I must go and tell Uba-aner of this matter.' Now when
this day was past, and another day came, then went the steward to
Uba-aner, and told him of all these things.
"Then said Uba-aner, 'Bring me my casket of ebony and electrum.' And
they brought it; and he fashioned a crocodile of wax, seven fingers
long: and he enchanted it, and said, 'When the page comes and bathes in
my lake, seize on him.' And he gave it to the steward, and said to him,
'When the page shall go down into the lake to bathe, as he is daily wont
to do, then throw in this crocodile behind him.' And the steward went
forth bearing the crocodile.
"And the wife of Uba-aner sent to the steward who had charge over the
garden, saying, 'Let the lodge which is in the garden be made ready, for
I come to tarry there.'
"And the lodge was prepared with all good things; and she came and made
merry therein with the page. And when the even was now come, the page
went forth to bathe as he was wont to do. And the steward cast in the
wax crocodile after him into the water; and, behold! it became a
great crocodile seven cubits in length, and it seized on the page.
"And Uba-aner abode yet seven days with the king of Upper and Lower
Egypt, Nebka, the blessed, while the page was stifled in the crocodile.
And after the seven days were passed, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt,
Nebka, the blessed, went forth, and Uba-aner went before him.
"And Uba-aner said unto his majesty, 'Will your majesty come and see
this wonder that has come to pass in your days unto a page?' And the
king went with Uba-aner. And Uba-aner called unto the crocodile and
said, 'Bring forth the page.' And the crocodile came forth from the lake
with the page. Uba-aner said unto the king, 'Behold, whatever I command
this crocodile he will do it.' And his majesty said, 'I pray you send back
this crocodile." And Uba-aner stooped and took up the crocodile, and it
became in his hand a crocodile of wax. And then Uba-aner told the king
that which had passed in his house with the page and his wife. And his
majesty said unto the crocodile, 'Take to thee thy prey.' And the
crocodile plunged into the lake with his prey, and no man knew whither
he went.
"And his majesty the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Nebka, the blessed,
commanded, and they brought forth the wife of Uba-aner to the north side
of the harem, and burnt her with fire, and cast her ashes in the
river.
"This is a wonder that came to pass in the days of thy forefather the
king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Nebka, of the acts of the chief reciter
Uba-aner."
His majesty the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Khufu, then said, "Let
there be presented to the king Nebka, the blessed, a thousand loaves, a
hundred draughts of beer, an ox, two jars of incense; and let there be
presented a loaf, a jar of beer, a jar of incense, and a piece of meat
to the chief reciter Uba-aner; for I have seen the token of his
learning." And they did all things as his majesty commanded.
BAUFRA'S TALE
The royal sou Bau-f-ra then stood forth and spake. He said, "I will tell
thy majesty of a wonder which came to pass in the days of thy father
Seneferu, the blessed, of the deeds of the chief reciter Zazamankh. One
day King Seneferu, being weary, went throughout his palace seeking for a
pleasure to lighten his heart, but he found none. And he said,
'Haste, and bring before me the chief reciter and scribe of the rolls
Zazamankh'; and they straightway brought him. And the king said, 'I have
sought in my palace for some delight, but I have found none.' Then said
Zazamankh to him, 'Let thy majesty go upon the lake of the palace, and
let there be made ready a boat, with all the fair maidens of the harem
of thy palace; and the heart of thy majesty shall be refreshed with
the sight, in seeing their rowing up and down the water, and seeing
the goodly pools of the birds upon the lake, and beholding its sweet
fields and grassy shores; thus will thy heart be lightened. And I also
will go with thee. Bring me twenty oars of ebony, inlayed with gold,
with blades of light wood, inlayed with electrum; and bring me twenty
maidens, fair in their limbs, their bosoms and their hair, all
virgins; and bring me twenty nets, and give these nets unto the
maidens for their garments.' And they did according to all the
commands of his majesty.
"And they rowed down the stream and up the stream, and the heart of his
majesty was glad with the sight of their rowing. But one of them at the
steering struck her hair, and her jewel of new malachite fell into the
water. And she ceased her song, and rowed not; and her companions
ceased, and rowed not. And his majesty said, 'Row you not further?' And
they replied, 'Our little steerer here stays and rows not.' His majesty
then said to her, 'Wherefore rowest thou not?' She replied, 'It is for
my jewel of new malachite which is fallen in the water.' And he said to
her, 'Row on, for behold I will replace it.' And she answered, 'But I
want my own piece back in its setting.' And his majesty said, 'Haste,
bring me the chief reciter Zazamankh,' and they brought him. And his
majesty said, 'Zazamankh, my brother, I have done as thou sayedst, and
the heart of his majesty is refreshed with the sight of their rowing.
But now a jewel of new malachite of one of the little ones is fallen in
the water, and she ceases and rows not, and she has spoilt the rowing of
her side. And I said to her, "Wherefore rowest thou not?" and she
answered to me, "It is for my jewel of new malachite which is fallen in
the water." I replied to her, "Row on, for behold I will replace it";
and she answered to me, "But I want my own piece again back in its
setting."' Then the chief reciter Zazamankh spake his magic speech. And
he placed one part of the waters of the lake upon the other, and
discovered the jewel lying upon a shard; and he took it up and gave it
unto its mistress. And the water, which was twelve cubits deep in the
middle, reached now to twenty-four cubits after he turned it. And he
spake, and used his magic speech; and he brought again the water of the
lake to its place. And his majesty spent a joyful day with the whole of
the royal house. Then rewarded he the chief reciter Zazamankh with all
good things. Behold, this is a wonder that came to pass in the days of
thy father, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Seneferu, of the deeds of
the chief reciter, the scribe of the rolls, Zazamankh." Then said the
majesty of the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Khufu, the blessed, "Let
there be presented an offering of a thousand cakes, one hundred draughts
of beer, an ox, and two jars of incense to the king of Upper and Lower
Egypt, Sene-feru, the blessed; and let there be given a loaf, a jar of
beer, and a jar of incense to the chief reciter, the scribe of the
rolls, Zazamankh; for I have seen the token of his learning." And they
did all things as his majesty commanded.
HORDEDEF'S TALE
The royal son Hordedef then stood forth and spake. He said, "Hitherto
hast thou only heard tokens of those who have gone before, and of
which no man knoweth their truth But I will show thy majesty a man of
thine own days." And his majesty said, "Who is he, Hordedef?" And the
royal son Hordedef answered, "It is a certain man named Dedi, who
dwells at Dedsneferu. He is a man of one hundred and ten years old;
and he eats five hundred loaves of bread, and a side of beef, and
drinks one hundred draughts of beer, unto this day. He knows how to
restore the head that is smitten off; he knows how to cause the lion
to follow him trailing his halter on the ground; he knows the designs
of the dwelling of Tahuti. The majesty of the king of Upper and Lower
Egypt, Khufu, the blessed, has long sought for the designs of the
dwelling of Tahuti, that he may make the like of them in his pyramid."
And his majesty said, "Thou, thyself, Hordedef, my son, bring him to
me." Then were the ships made ready for the king's son Hordedef, and he
went up the stream to Dedsneferu. And when the ships had moored at the
haven, he landed, and sat him in a litter of ebony, the poles of which
were of cedar wood overlayed with gold. Now when he drew near to Dedi,
they set down the litter. And he arose to greet Dedi, and found him
lying on a palmstick couch at the door of his house; one servant held
his head and rubbed him, and another rubbed his feet.
And the king's son Hordedef said, "Thy state is that of one who lives to
good old age; for old age is the end of our voyage, the time of
embalming, the time of burial. Lie, then, in the sun, free of
infirmities, without the babble of dotage: this is the salutation to
worthy age. I come from far to call thee, with a message from my father
Khufu, the blessed, for thou shalt eat of the best which the king gives,
and of the food which those have who follow after him; that he may bring
thee in good estate to thy fathers who are in the tomb."
And Dedi replied to him, "Peace to thee! Peace to thee! Hordedef, son of
the king, beloved of his father. May thy father Khufu, the blessed,
praise thee, may he advance thee amongst the elders, may thy _ka_ prevail
against the enemy, may thy soul know the right road to the gate of him
who clothes the afflicted; this is the salutation to the king's son."
Then the king's son, Hordedef, stretched forth his hands to him, and
raised him up, and went with him to the haven, giving unto him his arm.
Then said Dedi, "Let there he given me a boat, to bring me my youths and
my books." And they made ready for him two boats with their rowers. And
Dedi went down the river in the barge in which was the king's son
Hordedef. And when he had reached the palace, the king's son, Hordedef,
entered in to give account unto his majesty the king of Upper and Lower
Egypt, Khufu, the blessed. Then said the king's son Hordedef, "O king,
life, wealth, and health! My lord, I have brought Dedi." His majesty
replied, "Bring him to me speedily." And his majesty went into the hall
of columns of Pharaoh (life, wealth, and health), and Dedi was led
before him. And his majesty said, "Wherefore is it, Dedi, that I have
not yet seen thee?" And Dedi answered, "He who is called it is that
comes; the king (life, wealth, and health) calls me, and behold I
come," And his majesty said, "Is it true, that which men say, that
thou canst restore the head which is smitten off?" And Dedi replied,
"Truly, I know that, O king (life, wealth, and health), my lord." And
his majesty said, "Let one bring me a prisoner who is in prison, that
his punishment may be fulfilled." And Dedi said, "Let it not be a man,
O king, my lord; behold we do not even thus to our cattle." And a duck
was brought unto him, and its head was cut off. And the duck was laid
on the west side of the hall, and its head on the east side of the
hall. And Dedi spake his magic speech. And the duck fluttered along
the ground, and its head came likewise; and when it had come part to
part the duck stood and quacked. And they brought likewise a goose
before him, and he did even so unto it. His majesty caused an ox to be
brought, and its head cast on the ground. And Dedi spake his magic
speech. And the ox stood upright behind him, and followed him with his
halter trailing on the ground.
And King Khufu said, "And is it true what is said, that thou knowest the
number of the designs of the dwelling of Tahuti?" And Dedi replied,
"Pardon me, I know not their number, O king (life, wealth, and health),
but I know where they are." And his majesty said, "Where is that?" And
Dedi replied, "There is a chest of whetstone in a chamber named the
plan-room, in Heli-opolis; they are in this chest." And Dedi said
further unto him, "O king (life, wealth, and health), my lord, it is not
I that is to bring them to thee." And his m'jesty said, "Who, then, is
it that shall bring them to me?" And Dedi answered to him, "It is the
eldest of the three children who are in the body of Rud-didet who
shall bring them to thee." And his majesty said, "Would that it may be
as thou sayest! And who is this Rud-didet?" And Dedi replied, "She is
the wife of a priest of Ra, lord of Sakhebu. And she has conceived
these three sons by Ra, lord of Sakhebu, and the god has promised her
that they shall fulfil this noble office (of reigning) over all this
land, and that the eldest of them shall be high priest in Heliopolis."
And his majesty's heart became troubled for this; but Dedi spake unto
him, "What is this that thou thinkest, O king (life, wealth, health),
my lord? Is it because of these three children? I tell thee thy son
shall reign, and thy son's son, and then one of them." His majesty
said, "And when shall Rud-didet bear these?" And he replied, "She
shall bear them on the 26th of the month Tybi." And his majesty said,
"When the banks of the canal of Letopolis are cut, I will walk there
that I may see the temple of Ra, lord of Sakhebu." And Dedi replied,
"Then I will cause that there be four cubits of water by the banks of
the canal of Letopolis." When his majesty returned to his palace, his
majesty said, "Let them place Dedi in the house of the royal son
Hordedef, that he may dwell with him, and let them give him a daily
portion of a thousand loaves, a hundred draughts of beer, an ox, and a
hundred bunches of onions." And they did everything as his majesty
commanded.
And one day it came to pass that Rud-didet felt the pains of birth. And
the majesty of Ra, lord of Sakhebu, said unto Isis, to Nebhat, to
Meskhent, to Hakt, and to Khnumu, "Go ye, and deliver Rud-didet of these
three children that she shall bear, who are to fulfil this noble office
over all this land; that they may build up your temples, furnish your
altars with offerings, supply your tables of libation, and increase your
endowments." Then went these deities; their fashion they made as that of
dancing-girls, and Khnumu was with them as a porter. They drew near
unto the house of Ra-user, and found him standing, with his girdle
fallen. And they played before him with their instruments of music.
But he said unto them, "My ladies, behold, here is a woman who feels
the pains of birth." They said to him, "Let us see her, for we know
how to help her." And he replied, "Come, then." And they entered in
straightway to Rud-didet, and they closed the door on her and on
themselves. Then Isis stood before her, and Nebhat stood behind her,
and Hakt helped her. And Isis said, "O child, by thy name of User-ref,
do not do violence." And the child came upon her hands, as a child of
a cubit; its bones were strong, the beauty of its limbs was like gold,
and its hair was like true lapis lazuli. They washed him, and prepared
him, and placed him on a carpet on the brickwork. Then Meskhent
approached him and said, "This is a king who shall reign over all the
land." And Khnumu gave strength to his limbs. Then Isis stood before
her, and Nebhat stood behind her, and Hakt helped her. And Isis said,
"O child, by thy name of Sah-ra, stay not in her." Then the child came
upon her hands, a child of a cubit; its bones were strong, the beauty
of its limbs was like gold, and its hair was like true lapis lazuli.
They washed him, and prepared him, and layed him on a carpet on the
brickwork. Then Meskhent approached him and said, "This is a king who
shall reign over all the land." And Khnumu gave strength to his limbs.
Then Isis stood before her, and Nebhat stood behind her, and Hakt
helped her. And Isis said, "O child, by thy name of Kaku, remain not
in darkness in her." And the child came upon her hands, a child of a
cubit; its bones were strong, the beauty of its limbs was like gold,
and its hair was like true lapis lazuli. And Meskhent approached him
and said, "This is a king who shall reign over all the land." And
Khnumu gave strength to his limbs. And they washed him, and prepared
him, and layed him on a carpet on the brickwork.
And the deities went out, having delivered Rud-didet of the three
children. And they said, "Rejoice! O Ra-user, for behold three children
are born unto thee." And he said unto them, "My ladies, and what shall I
give unto ye? Behold, give this bushel of barley here unto your porter,
that ye may take it as your reward to the brew-house." And Khnumu loaded
himself with the bushel of barley. And they went away toward the place
from which they came. And Isis spake unto these goddesses, and said,
"Wherefore have we come without doing a marvel for these children, that
we may tell it to their father who has sent us?" Then made they the
divine diadems of the king (life, wealth, and health), and laid them in
the bushel of barley. And they caused the clouds to come with wind and
rain; and they turned back again unto the house. And they said, "Let us
put this barley in a closed chamber, sealed up, until we return
northward, dancing." And they placed the barley in a close chamber.
And Rud-didet purified herself, with a purification of fourteen days.
And she said to her handmaid, "Is the house made ready?" And she
replied, "All things are made ready, but the brewing barley is not yet
brought." And Rud-didet said, "Wherefore is the brewing barley not yet
brought?" And the servant answered, "It would all of it long since
be ready if the barley had not been given to the dancing-girls, and lay
in the chamber under their seal." Rud didet said, "Go down, and bring of
it, and Ra-user shall give them in its stead when he shall come," And
the handmaid went, and opened the chamber. And she heard talking and
singing, music and dancing, quavering, and all things which are
performed for a king in his chamber. And she returned and told to
Rud-didet all that she had heard. And she went through the chamber, but
she found not the place where the sound was. And she layed her temple to
the sack, and found that the sounds were in it. She placed it in a
chest, and put that in another locker, and tied it fast with leather,
and layed it in the store-room, where the things were, and sealed it.
And Ra-user came returning from the field; and Rud-didet repeated unto
him these things; and his heart was glad above all things; and they sat
down and made a joyful day.
And after these days it came to pass that Rud-didet was wroth with her
servant, and beat her with stripes. And the servant said unto those that
were in the house, "Shall it be done thus unto me? She has borne three
kings, and I will go and tell this to his majesty King Khufu the
blessed." And she went, and found the eldest brother of her mother, who
was binding his flax on the floor. And he said to her, "Whither goest
thou, my little maid?" And she told him of all these things. And her
brother said to her, "Wherefore comest thou thus to me? Shall I agree
to treachery?" And he took a bunch of the flax to her, and laid on
her a violent blow. And the servant went to fetch a handful of water,
and a crocodile carried her away.
Her uncle went therefore to tell of this to Rud-didet; and he found
Rud-didet sitting, her head on her knees, and her heart beyond measure
sad. And he said to her, "My lady, why makest thou thy heart thus?" And
she answered, "It is because of this little wretch that was in the
house; behold she went out saying, 'I will go and tell it.'" And he
bowed his head unto the ground, and said, "My lady, she came and told me
of these things, and made her complaint unto me; and I laid on her a
violent blow. And she went forth to draw water, and a crocodile carried
her away."
_(The rest of the tale is lost.)_
Remarks
The tales or the magicians are only preserved in a single copy, and of
that the beginning is entirely lost. The papyrus was brought from Egypt
by an English traveller, and was purchased by the Berlin Museum from the
property of Lepsius, who had received it from the owner, Miss Westcar:
hence it is known as the Westcar papyrus. It was written probably in the
XIIth Dynasty, but doubtless embodied tales, which had been floating
for generations before, about the names of the early kings. It shows us
probably the kind of material that existed for the great recension of
the pre-monu-mental history, made in the time of Seti I. Those ages of
the first three dynasties were as long before that recension as we are
after it; and this must always be remembered in considering the
authority of the Egyptian records.
This papyrus has been more thoroughly studied than most, perhaps more
than any other. Erman has devoted two volumes to it; publishing the
whole in photographic facsimile, transcribed in hieroglyphs,
transcribed in the modern alphabet, translated literally, translated
freely, commented on and discussed word by word, and with a complete
glossary of all words used in it. This exhaustive publication is named
"Der Marchen des Papyrus Westcar." Moreover, Maspero has given a
current translation in the "Contes Populaires," 2nd edit. pp. 53-86.
The scheme of these tales is that they are all told to King Khufu by his
sons; and as the beginning is lost, eight lines are here added to
explain this and introduce the subject. The actual papyrus begins with
the last few words of a previous tale concerning some other magician
under an earlier king. Then comes the tale of Khafra, next that of
Bau-f-ra, and lastly that of Hor-dedef.
It need hardly be said that these tales are quite fictitious. The king
and his successor Khafra are real, but the other sons cannot be
identified; and the confusion of supposing three kings of the Vth
Dynasty to be triplets born early in the IVth Dynasty, shows what very
vague ideas of their own history the Egyptians had when these tales were
formed. This does not prevent our seeing that they embodied some very
important traditions, and gives us an unequalled picture of the early
civilisation.
In the earliest tale or the three there seems at first sight merely a
sketch of faithlessness and revenge. But there is probably much more
in it. To read it aright we must bear in mind the position of woman in
ancient Egypt. If, in later ages, Islam has gone to the extreme of the
man determining his own divorce at a word, in early times almost the
opposite system prevailed. All property belonged to the woman; all
that a man could earn, or inherit, was made over to his wife; and
families always reckoned back further on the mother's side than the
father's. As the changes in historical times have been in the
direction of men's rights, it is very unlikely that this system of
female predominance was invented or introduced, but rather that it
descends from primitive times. In this tale we see, then, at the
beginning of our knowledge of the country, the clashing of two
different social systems. The reciter is strong for men's rights, he
brings destruction on the wife, and never even gives her name, but
always calls her merely "the wife of Uba-aner." But behind all this
there is probably the remains of a very different system. The servant
employed by the mistress seems to see nothing outrageous in her
proceedings; and even the steward, who is on the master's side, waits
a day or two before reporting matters. When we remember the supremacy
in properly and descent which women held in Egypt, and then read this
tale, it seems that it belongs to the close of a social system like
that of the Nairs, in which the lady makes her selection--with
variations from time to time. The incident of sending a present of
clothing is curiously like the tale about a certain English envoy,
whose proprieties were sadly ruffled in the Nair country, when a lady
sent him a grand shawl with an intimation of her choice. The
priestesses of Amen retained to the last this privilege of choice, as
being under divine, and not human protection; but it seems to have
become unseemly in late times.
The hinging of this tale, and of those that follow it, upon the use of
magic, shows how thoroughly the belief in magic powers was ingrained
in the Egyptians. Now such a belief implies the presence of magicians,
and shows how familiar must have been the claim to such powers, and
the practising of the tricks of witchcraft, so prevalent in Africa in
modern times. The efficacy of a model, such as this crocodile of wax,
is an idea continually met with in Egypt. The system of tomb furniture
and decoration, of _ka_ statues, of _ushabtis_ or figures to work for
the deceased, and the models placed in foundation deposits, all show
how a model was supposed to have the efficacy of an actual reality.
Even in the latest tale of all (written in Ptolemaic times), Setnau
makes a model of a boat and men, to be sunk in the river to work for
him. The reconversion of the crocodile to wax, on being taken up by
the magician, reminds us of the serpent becoming again a rod when
taken up by Aaron.
The punishment of burning alive is very rarely, if ever, mentioned in
Egyptian history, though it occurs in modern Egyptian tales: and it
looks as if it were brought in here rather as a dire horror for the
climax than as a probable incident. The place of the penalty, in front
of the harem, or the private portion of the palace, was evidently for
the intimidation of other ladies.
At the close of each tale, King Khufu, to whom it is told, orders
funerary offerings by the usual formula, to be presented in honour of
the king under whom the wonder took place. On the tablets of the tombs
in the early times, there is usually recorded the offering--or, rather,
the pious desire that there should be offered--thousands of loaves, of
oxen, of gazelles, of cranes, &c., for a deceased person. Such
expression cost no more by the thousand than by the dozen, so thousands
came to be the usual expression in all ordaining of offerings.
We are so accustomed to think of tedium as something modern, that it
seems strange to find in the oldest tales [Page 16] in the world how the
first king of whom we know anything was bored by his pleasures. A reward
for discovering a new pleasure is the very basis of the tale of Sneferu;
and the wise man's remedy of a day in the country is still the best
resource, though all that we know as human history has tried its
experiments in enjoyment since then. The flavour of the ballet thrown
in, by the introduction of the damsels of the household clad in fishing
nets, is not yet obsolete in modern amusements; and even in this century
Muhammed Ali had resource to the same way of killing time, as he was
rowed about by his _harem,_ but on an artificial lake.
The use of two large oars for steering explains the detail of the
story. The oars were one on each side of the stern, and were each
managed by a steerer. From the tale we see that the steerer led the
song of the rowers, and if the leader ceased, all that side of the
boat ceased also.. The position of the lost jewel upon the hair shows
that it was in a fillet set with inlaying, like that seen on early
figures, such as Nefert at Medum, who wears a fillet of rosettes to
retain the hair; and the position of the steering oar attached to a
post, with the handle rising high in the air, explains how it could
strike the fillet and displace the jewel.
The last tale is really double, a tale within a tale. It begins with
the wonders done by Dedi, and then goes on with the [Page 22] history
or the children about whom he prophesied to Khufu.
The village of Dedi was probably near Medum, as in the temple of Sneferu
at Medum an offering was found presented by a worshipper to the gods
of Ded-sneferu: hence the background which is here given for the scene
of Hordedef leading old Dedi. The translation of "the designs of the
dwelling of Tahuti" is not certain; but the passage seems to refer to
some architectural plan which was desired for the pyramid.
The story of Rud-didet is remarkable historically. She is said to be
wife of the priest of Ra, her children are sons of Ra, and they are the
first three kings of the Vth dynasty, and supplanted the line of Khufu.
This points to the Vth Dynasty having been a priestly usurpation; and on
looking at its history we see two confirmations of this. The title "Son
of Ra" is so common in most ages in Egypt that it is taken for granted,
and is applied in lists to any second cartouche; but it is not found
until well into the Vth Dynasty; the earlier kings were not descendants
of Ra, and it is only on arriving at this dynasty, which claimed descent
from Ra, through the wife of the priest of Ra, that we find the claim
of each king to be a "son of Ra." Another confirmation of this
priestly descent is the abundance of priesthoods established for the
kings of the Vth Dynasty; a care which agrees with their having a
priestly origin; while in the tale it is particularly said that they
would build up the temples, furnish the altars with offerings, supply
the tables of libations, and increase the religious endowments.
The names of the three children are a play upon the names of the first
three kings of the Vth Dynasty. User-kaf is made into User-ref;
Sahu-ra is written Sah-ra; and Kaka is Kaku; thus making allusions to
their births. The comparison of the hair to true lapis lazuli seems
very strange; but there is often a confusion between black aind blue
in uneducated races, and _azrak_ means either dark blue or green, or
black, at present in Arabic. Lapis lazuli is brought in to the name of
the queen of Ramessu VI., who was called "gold and lazuli,"
_Nub-khesdeb;_ recalling the comparison here of personal beauty to
these precious materials.
It is noticeable here that in a tale of the Vth Dynasty, certainly
written as early as the XIIth Dynasty, we find professional dancers
commonly recognised, and going on travels through the country, with a
porter.
From this tale we also learn that Egyptian women underwent a
purification of fourteen days, during which they kept apart and did not
attend to any household matters. The mistress of the house here inquires
if the preparations are made for the feast on her return to household
affairs; and hears then how the beer cannot be made for lack of the barley.
The securing of the sack is just in accord with the remains of this
early period; the use of boxes, of thongs of leather for tying and of
clay sealings for securing property, were all familiar matters in the
XIIth Dynasty, as we learn from Kahun.
The present close of the tale is evidently only a stage in it, when the
treacherous maid meets with the common doom of the wicked in Egyptian
romance. How it was continued is a matter of speculation, but Khufu
ought certainly to reappear and to order great rewards for Dedi, who up
to this has only had maintenance on his requisite scale provided for
him. Yet it is imperative that the children shall be saved from his
wrath, as they are the kings of the Vth Dynasty. There may be a long
episode lost of their flight and adventures.
One reference to a date needs notice. The 25th of the month Tybi is said
to be the predicted birthday of the children; and Khufu refers to going
to Sakhebu about that time apparently, when the banks of the canal are
cut and the land was drying after the inundation, whereon Dedi
threatens that the water shall still be deep there. This points to 25th
Tybi being about the close of the inundation. This would be about
the case both in the beginning of the IVth Dynasty, and also in the
XIIth Dynasty, when the papyrus was perhaps written: hence there is
nothing conclusive to be drawn from this allusion so far. But when we
compare this tale with those following, we see good ground for its
belonging to a time before the XIIth Dynasty The following tale of the
peasant and the workman evidently belongs to the IXth or Xth Dynasties,
when Herakleopolis was the capital, and Sanehat is certainly of the
XIIth Dynasty. Yet in those we see character and incident made the basis
of interest, in place of the childish profusion of marvels of the Tales
of the Magicians. It seems impossible not to suppose that they belong to
very different ages and canons of taste; and hence we cannot refer the
crudities of the Khufu tales to the time of the far more elaborate and
polished recital of the adventures of Sanehat in the XIIth Dynasty.
Being thus obliged to suppose an earlier date for these tales, the
allusion to the month Tybi throws us back to a very early period--the
IVth Dynasty--for their original outlines. Doubtless they were modified
by reciters, and probably took shape in the Vth or VIth Dynasties; but
yet we must regard them as belonging practically to the age to which
they refer.
IN THE SEKHET HEMAT
IXTH DYNASTY
THE PEASANT AND THE WORKMAN
There dwelt in the Sekhet Hemat--or salt country--a peasant called the
Sekhti, with his wife and children, his asses and his dogs; and he
trafficked in all good things of the Sekhet Hemat to Henenseten. Behold
now he went with rushes, natron, and salt, with wood and pods, with
stones and seeds, and all good products of the Sekhet Hemat. And this
Sekhti journeyed to the south unto Henenseten; and when he came to the
lands of the house of Fefa, north of Denat, he found a man there
standing on the bank, a man called Hemti--the workman--son of a man
called Asri, who was a serf of the High Steward Meruitensa. Now said
this Hemti, when he saw the asses of Sekhti, that were pleasing in his
eyes, "Oh that some good god would grant me to steal away the goods of
Sekhti from him!"
Now the Hemti's house was by the dyke of the tow-path, which was
straitened, and not wide, as much as the width of a waist cloth: on the
one side of it was the water, and on the other side of it grew his corn.
Hemti said then to his servant, "Hasten I bring me a shawl from the
house," and it was brought instantly. Then spread he out this shawl on
the face of the dyke, and it lay with its fastening on the water and its
fringe on the corn.
Now Sekhti approached along the path used by all men. Said Hemti, "Have
a care, Sekhti! you are not going to trample on my clothes!" Said
Sekhti, "I will do as you like, I will pass carefully." Then went he
up on the higher side. But Hemti said, "Go you over my corn, instead
of the path?" Said Sekhti, "I am going carefully; this high field of
corn is not my choice, but you have stopped your path with your
clothes, and will you then not let us pass by the side of the path?"
And one of the asses filled its mouth with a cluster of corn. Said
Hemti, "Look you, I shall take away your ass, Sekhti, for eating my
corn; behold it will have to pay according to the amount of the
injury." Said Sekhti, "I am going carefully; the one way is stopped,
therefore took I my ass by the enclosed ground, and do you seize it
for filling its mouth with a cluster of corn? Moreover, I know unto
whom this domain belongs, even unto the Lord Steward Meruitensa. He it
is who smites every robber in this whole land; and shall I then be
robbed in his domain?"
Said Hemti, "This is the proverb which men speak: 'A poor man's name is
only his own matter.' I am he of whom you spake, even the Lord Steward
of whom you think." Thereon he took to him branches of green tamarisk
and scourged all his limbs, took his asses, and drave them into the
pasture. And Sekhti wept very greatly, by reason of the pain of what
he had suffered. Said Hemti, "Lift not up your voice, Sekhti, or you
shall go to the Demon of Silence." Sekhti answered, "You beat me, you
steal my goods, and now would take away even my voice, O demon of
silence! If you will restore my goods, then will I cease to cry out at
your violence."
Sekhti stayed the whole day petitioning Hemti, but he would not give ear
unto him. And Sekhti went his way to Khenensuten to complain to the Lord
Steward Meruitensa. He found him coming out from the door of his house
to embark on his boat, that he might go to the judgment hall. Sekhti
said, "Ho! turn, that I may please thy heart with this discourse. Now at
this time let one of thy followers whom thou wilt, come to me that I
may send him to thee concerning it." The Lord Steward Meruitensa made
his follower, whom he chose, go straight unto him, and Sekhti sent him
back with an account of all these matters. Then the Lord Steward
Meruitensa accused Hemti unto the nobles who sat with him; and they said
unto him, "By your leave: As to this Sekhti of yours, let him bring a
witness. Behold thou it is our custom with our Sekhtis; witnesses come
with them; behold, that is our custom. Then it will be fitting to
beat this Hemti for a trifle of natron and a trifle of salt; if he is
commanded to pay for it, he will pay for it." But the High Steward
Meruitensa held his peace; for he would not reply unto these nobles,
but would reply unto the Sekhti.
Now Sekhti came to appeal to the Lord Steward Meruitensa, and said, "O
my Lord Steward, greatest of the great, guide of the needy:
When thou embarkest on the lake of truth,--
Mayest thou sail upon it with a fair wind;
May thy mainsail not fly loose.
May there not be lamentation in thy cabin;
May not misfortune come after thee.
May not thy mainstays be snapped;
Mayest thou not run aground.
May not the wave seize thee;
Mayest thou not taste the impurities of the river;
Mayest thou not see the face of fear.
May the fish come to thee without escape;
Mayest thou reach unto plump waterfowl.
For thou art the orphan's father, the widow's husband,
The desolate woman's brother, the garment of the motherless.
Let me celebrate thy name in this land for every virtue.
A guide without greediness of heart;
A great one without any meanness.
Destroying deceit, encouraging justice;
Coming to the cry, and allowing utterance.
Let me speak, do thou hear and do justice;
O praised! whom the praised ones praise.
Abolish oppression, behold me, I am overladen,
Reckon with me, behold me defrauded."
Now the Sekhti made this speech in the time of the majesty of the King
Neb-ka-n-ra, blessed. The Lord Steward Meruitensa went away straight to
the king and said, "My lord, I have found one of these Sekhti, excellent
of speech, in very truth; stolen are his goods, and he has come to
complain to me of the matter."
His majesty said, "As thou wishest that I may see health! lengthen out
his complaint, without replying to any of his speeches. He who
desireth him to continue speaking should be silent; behold, bring us
his words in writing, that we may listen to them. But provide for his
wife and his children, and let the Sekhti himself also have a living.
Thou must cause one to give him his portion without letting him know
that thou art he who is giving it to him."
There were given to him four loaves and two draughts of beer each day;
which the Lord Steward Meruitensa provided for him, giving it to a
friend of his, who furnished it unto him. Then the Lord Steward
Meruitensa sent the governor of the Sekhet Hemat to make provision for
the wife of the Sekhti, three rations of corn each day.
Then came the Sekhti a second time, and even a third time, unto the Lord
Steward Meruitensa; but he told two of his followers to go unto the
Sekhti, and seize on him, and beat him with staves. But he came again
unto him, even unto six times, and said--
"My Lord Steward-Destroying deceit, and encouraging justice; Raising up
every good thing, and crushing every evil; As plenty comes removing
famine, As clothing covers nakedness, As clear sky after storm warms the
shivering; As fire cooks that which is raw, As water quenches the
thirst; Look with thy face upon my lot; do not covet, but
content me without fail; do the right and do not evil."
But yet Meruitensa would not hearken unto his complaint; and the Sekhti
came yet, and yet again, even unto the ninth time. Then the Lord Steward
told two of his followers to go unto the Sekhti; and the Sekhti feared
that he should be beaten as at the third request. But the Lord Steward
Meruitensa then said unto him, "Fear not, Sekhti, for what thou has
done. The Sekhti has made many speeches, delightful to the heart of his
majesty and I take an oath--as I eat bread, and as I drink water--that
thou shalt be remembered to eternity." Said the Lord Steward, "Moreover,
thou shalt be satisfied when thou shalt hear of thy complaints." He
caused to be written on a clean roll of papyrus each petition to the
end, and the Lord Steward Meruitensa sent it to the majesty of the
King Neb-ka-n-ra, blessed, and it was good to him more than anything
that is in the whole land: but his majesty said to Meruitensa, "Judge
it thyself; I do not desire it."