Egyptian Literature
Kimberly Cullen Teaching World Literature LAE 4469 Summer 2013
Novels Contemporary / Young Adult Protagonist Esther, Friesner. (2010). The Sphinx’s Princess. New York: Collier. (400 pp.) A young girl in the time of pharos, pyramids, and several gods, finds herself suddenly engaged to the son of the Pharaoh. Her aunt Tiye, the first Queen of the Pharaoh, has used her corrupt power to persuade Nefertiti to live at the palace and par-
ticipate in the marriage. However, there is another son that no one speaks of, that very few people talk about, and that Nefertiti finds herself becoming close friends with. When the two are discovered becoming close friends, the Queen and her ‘future husband’ will do whatever it takes to stop it. Nefertiti must use her unusually keen mind, and make difficult choices to stand up for her beliefs.
Non-fiction Mahoney, Rosemary. (2007). Down the Nile. New York: Bay Back Books. (268 pp.) Rosemary is a simple United States Citizen with a larger than life curiosity and knack for adventure. This travelogue is an exciting tale of her 120 mile long adventure down the Nile River in Egypt. During her trip, she faces extraordinary challenges from language barriers, cultural differences, and a few life threatening bumps along the journey. She writes in a fascinatingly straightforward and sometimes comical way that expresses her thoughts on what she is seeing and the people that she meets. This adventure is one for the records and definitely deserves applause.
Novels Contemporary Peters, Elizabeth. (1986). Lion in the Valley. New York: Harper. (417 pp.) ISBN: 9780061999215 The family of Amelia Peabody is unique to say the least. She and her Egyptologist husband Emerson are working on a dig in Egypt, discovering ancient artifacts that have never been seen before. Unexpectedly, their beloved son Ramses is kidnaped and their lives become one disaster after another. There is an evil presence working against them that causes them to nearly lose everything. This novel brings together ancient Egypt with modern Egypt while providing suspense, action, adventure, and romance all in one.
Classic McGraw, Eloise. (1953). Mara, Daughter of the Nile. New York: Puffin. (288 pp.) ISBN: 9780140319293 Mara is a young and beautiful slave girl who wants nothing more than to be free. Her beauty, which is enhanced by her strange blue eyes, is only surpassed by her quick wit and intelligence. While sneaking off in the market one day she is recruited by Nahereh because she is bilingual and can carry secret messages and be a spy for Queen Hatshepsut. On her journey while trying to conceal her identity, she is also recruited by Sheftu, a man who believes her to be a runaway slave, to give information to their side who are rebels trying to over throw the Queen. Now a double agent, and loving life in the court, Mara decides to play both sides. The only question is how long she can keep up with all of the lies, and when the penalty is death, she has to think fast to stay alive.
Novels Contemporary Schaenen, Inda. (2007). All the Cats of Cairo. Weston, CT: Brown Barn. (225 pp.) ISBN: 9780976812654 Maggie is a young girl who has been given an extraordinary gift. An old Egyptian woman gave a small bronze cat statue of the ancient goddess to her and ever since, Maggie has been seeing more than the normal amount of cats in Cairo. Maggie learns of a new factory being built on top of where the cat goddess temple used to be and believes that the cats are here to warn and guide her. With the help of a young Egyptian boy, Maggie has to save hundreds of ancient cat mummies and preserve the cat goddesses temple all while finding out why this factory is kidnapping young boys.
Infusion Serageldin, Samia. (2003). The Cairo House. New York: Syracuse UP. (248 pp.) ISBN: 9780815607939 The Cairo House is a semi autobiographical story based loosely on Serageldin’s life. The novel takes it’s main character Gigi all the way from Cairo to the United States and delves into the world of Egyptian culture. Gigi has suffered through two awful marriages and is looking to find her place in the world because she doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere. This novels description of Egyptian lifestyle is rich, colorful, and gives great insight to the problems of being an Egyptian woman anywhere in the world.
Short Stories Classic Green, Roger. “The Peasant and the Workman.” Tales of Ancient Egypt. (1967). New York: Puffin. (Pgs 164-171) The tale of the Peasant and the Workman is an excellent example of how flattery worked in Ancient Egypt. A rich workman of the Pharaoh stopped the peasant who was bringing his fares to the city to sell them. He forced him to commit a petty crime and to complain, the peasant went to the justice hall. This peasant, who had a miraculous way with words, was adored by the Chief Justice and later the Pharaoh himself for his immense flattery.
Classic Green, Roger. “The Girl with the Red-Rose Slippers.” Tales of Ancient Egypt. (1967). New York: Puffin. (Pgs 207-212) This story is the one of the first known version of the tale that we now know as Cinderella. Rhodopis (Cinderella) was a slave that had been taken as a very young child. Her owner later sold her because her beauty would fetch such a high price. The rich old man who bought her
lavished her with beautiful gifts and treated her like a daughter. One of the gifts he gave her was a pair of beautiful red slippers and one day an eagle cam out of the sky and stole one of the slippers and happened to bring it to the pharaoh. The Pharaoh ordered his men to find the woman that the slipper belonged to because such a fine slipper had to belong to a beautiful woman.
Non-Fiction Green, Roger. “The Prince and the Sphinx.” Tales of Ancient Egypt. (1967). New York: Puffin. (Pgs 57-63) This amazing tale was found on a piece of red stone at the base of the feet of the Sphinx in Giza. It told a story of the Prince Thutmose and how he didn’t wish to be the future Pharaoh until one day when riding his chariot through the desert. On that day he dreamed that the Sphinx told him to become King, and that all in his life will be well if he only unburies the Sphinx from the sand.
Short Stories Classic Green, Roger. “Teta the Magician.” Tales of Ancient Egypt. (1967). New York: Puffin. (Pgs 8288) Teta the Magician is an incredible and magical story of how the pyramids still stand today. Teta the Magician lived in the ancient times of Egypt and he used his magic to bring animals back to life. The Pharaoh was so impressed that he listened to Teta and his prophecy and in doing so, allowed the child to be born who would forever bless the pyramids to stand forever more.
Contemporary Green, Roger. “Ra and His Children.” Tales of Ancient Egypt. (1967). New York: Puffin. (Pgs 39) This tale tells about Ra and his creation of the world and the gods that man and woman would worship. Ra created all beings in Egypt and when they turned against him, he sent Sekhemet, a woman with the head of a lion, to cause destruction and devour everyone in his land. Only after realizing that Ra needs the people of the land does he have to find a way to stop Sekhemet.
Infusion McCullough, Gretchen. “The Empty Flat Upstairs.” A Collection of Egyptian Stories. This story is about a Japanese and American family who are living in Cairo. The story is based off a young girl who keeps hearing a ‘drilling’ noise upstairs in the apparently empty flat. She asks all of her neighbors, the gatekeeper, and the landlord but no one else can here anything. They all claim that she is crazy but she swears there is a noise and someone up there.
Poetry Infusion To Sylvia Plath Sleepwalking she prepared breakfast for her still dreaming children, before breaking fast, to satisfy her appetite
no fire needed, she all-consuming flame bravely cowered on the kitchen floor and slaked an antique thirst on vapor
laying her dream-tormented head to rest
she took premature or belated leave, set out to sea, having found no harbor here.
by Yahia Lababidi
Poetry Classic The Sphinx is drowsy, Her wings are furled: Her ear is heavy, She broods on the world. "Who'll tell me my secret, The ages have kept?-I awaited the seer While they slumbered and slept:-"The fate of the man-child, The meaning of man; Known fruit of the unknown; Daedalian plan; Out of sleeping a waking, Out of waking a sleep; Life death overtaking;
Deep underneath deep? "Erect as a sunbeam, Upspringeth the palm; The elephant browses, Undaunted and calm; In beautiful motion The thrush plies his wings; Kind leaves of his covert, Your silence he sings. "The waves, unashamèd, In difference sweet, Play glad with the breezes, Old playfellows meet; The journeying atoms, Primordial wholes, Firmly draw, firmly drive, By their animate poles. "Sea, earth, air, sound, silence. Plant, quadruped, bird, By one music enchanted, One deity stirred,-Each the other adorning, Accompany still; Night veileth the morning, The vapor the hill. “The babe by its mother Lies bathèd in joy; Glide its hours uncounted,-The sun is its toy;
Shines the peace of all being, Without cloud, in its eyes; And the sum of the world In soft miniature lies. "But man crouches and blushes, Absconds and conceals; He creepeth and peepeth, He palters and steals; Infirm, melancholy, Jealous glancing around, An oaf, an accomplice, He poisons the ground. "Out spoke the great mother, Beholding his fear;-At the sound of her accents Cold shuddered the sphere:-'Who has drugged my boy's cup? Who has mixed my boy's bread? Who, with sadness and madness, Has turned my child's head?'" I heard a poet answer Aloud and cheerfully, 'Say on, sweet Sphinx! thy dirges Are pleasant songs to me. Deep love lieth under These pictures of time; They fade in the light of Their meaning sublime. "The fiend that man harries
Is love of the Best; Yawns the pit of the Dragon, Lit by rays from the Blest. The Lethe of Nature Can't trance him again, Whose soul sees the perfect, Which his eyes seek in vain. "To vision profounder, Man's spirit must dive; His aye-rolling orb At no goal will arrive; The heavens that now draw him With sweetness untold, Once found,--for new heavens He spurneth the old. "Pride ruined the angels, Their shame them restores; Lurks the joy that is sweetest In stings of remorse. Have I a lover Who is noble and free?-I would he were nobler Than to love me. "Eterne alternation Now follows, now flies; And under pain, pleasure,-Under pleasure, pain lies. Love works at the centre, Heart-heaving alway;
Forth speed the strong pulses To the borders of day. "Dull Sphinx, Jove keep thy five wits; Thy sight is growing blear; Rue, myrrh and cummin for the Sphinx, Her muddy eyes to clear!" The old Sphinx bit her thick lip,-Said, "Who taught thee me to name? I am thy spirit, yoke-fellow; Of thine eye I am eyebeam. "Thou art the unanswered question; Couldst see thy proper eye, Alway it asketh, asketh; And each answer is a lie. So take thy quest through nature, It through thousand natures ply; Ask on, thou clothed eternity; Time is the false reply." Uprose the merry Sphinx, And crouched no more in stone; She melted into purple cloud, She silvered in the moon; She spired into a yellow flame; She flowered in blossoms red; She flowed into a foaming wave: She stood Monadnoc's head. Thorough a thousand voices Spoke the universal dame; "Who telleth one of my meanings
Is master of all I am." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Poetry Contemporary A SNOW WHITE MOMENT Moments pass away In my mind Only few chose to stay This is a moment I lived one day
Carrying meanings More than anyone can say Walking on the bridge Nearly at noon The sun is strong But, Heavy clouds make it look like a moon I woundered at my beloved Nile of wisdom But it didn't look the same I used to see it filled with regret and pain But now It's different More likely to be a dream Clouds let go of smooth soft sunrays Found their way to the Nile they praise Spread on its holy water Filling it with energy Till the last drop Returning life to it Regret was gone Pain was killed Just young snow white dancing waves On a moonshining sparkeling river Inspiring the world with hope and power I wish it could stay for hours But soon Clouds were gone Taking away all the joy and fun Now nothing stops the strong sun Exposing what's locked inside Of dark green motions Gathering all inside For centeries with no cautions But still Parts of the sun floating on it Like ashes of a golden dreamboat I once sow We're barly over As the sun hits the shore Rocks break what's left of hope Closing the last open door The moment is over There is no more
Returning to reality I look back again No doughts I'll see this moment again No matter when But Would it be ENOUGH ?! Mostafa Ibraheim
Poetry Non-Fiction (about current uprising) Imperious despot, insolent in strife,
Lover of ruin, enemy of life!
You mock the anguish of an impotent land
Whose people’s blood has stained your tyrant hand,
And desecrate the magic of this earth,
sowing your thorns, to bring despair to birth - Abul Qasim al-Shabi
Poetry Contemporary
No hope No life No life can exist without hope As hope is the candle that lights this globe Give all those around you love and care Let peace spread here and there Smile to your life and never be sad Forget about the problems you once had Never be jealous and never hate others Try to love your life even if it bothers Open your heart to all those around you Love them and help them even if they do not do No life can exist without love, care and hope As they are basic needs in that globe Heba Abdel Azim
Poetry Contemporary The Dream
What can we say? When harmony touches your soul; It emits light so that you can see the whole. The brightness fills up the glamour of your goal; The belief enlightens your life role. Love, peace and grace; they are the main control. It opens your eyes to the path of your will; It frees you from all your empty thrills. It rises up your organs from the still. It fascinates the warmth of your smile; It colors everything around makes it worthwhile. Flatters and applauds; they are the main style. What can we say? That is the real harmony can be taken in one’s life Hanan Essam
Films Documentary “Egypt: Secrets of the Pharoah’s.” (1998) National Geographic. In this documentary about the ancient Egyptians and their mysterious pyrmaids and kings discovers what is hidden inside and even below. In this film they re-created the mumfication process and studied why and how they preserved their kings. They
also discover a hidden chamber and in an attempt to preserve it, do not open it but use modern technology to see inside.
Contempoary “Hassan and Marcus”. (2008). Good News Group. Egypt. This controversial film is about two men, Hassan and Marcus, who both need to go into government protective custody. The men are forced to temporarily change their religions in order to go into hiding effectively (one a Muslim and the other a Christian). The story blossoms when the two become best friends and their children fall in love. The families now deal with issues of social prejudice and persecution and points out the issues of religious extremism.
Childrens Book dePaola, Tomie. “Bill and Pete go down the Nile.” (1996). New York: Paper Star. ISBN: 9780698114012 Bill and Pete go down the Nile is an amazing children’s book that brings together all of the best aspects of Egypt with a modern twist. Bill Crocodile learns about Egypt, the Sphinx, Pyramids, Pharaohs, and the Sacred Eye of Isis, all from his teacher Ms. Ibis. Bill and Pete visit the Royal Museum and on their trip down the Nile, have to save the dybay by getting the Scared Eye of Isis back from the bad guy!
Film Analysis Hassan and Marcus This controversial film is about two men, Hassan and Marcus, who both go into protective custody because of religious extremists. The men are each have to change their religious identity’s in order to go into hiding effectively (one a Muslim and the other a Christian). The story blossoms when the two become best friends and their children fall in love. Each of the families now deals with issues of social prejudice and persecution and points out the issues of religious extremism.
This is a very controversial topic at the moment in Egypt that no one seems to talk about in public, but everyone seems to tlak about it. Most Egyptians will tell you that the Muslims and Christians have found a sort of harmony and that they are finding new ways to work with eachother and respect eachothers religions. On the other hand, everywhere they build a Christain Church, the Muslims find a way to build a Mosque. This movie expresses extream dissapproval of any and all religious extreamests and is a valliant attempt to bring together the two religions peacefully. The director Ramy Imam was quoted saying "I have declared war using art against the extremists - against those who foment differences between us. I hope Christians and Muslims will leave the cinema and embrace one another."