Egyptian Dreams

[dashotep]

It seems the Greeks were overly keen to trace many of their customs and beliefs to Egypt, but they can't have been wrong in ever case. The influence of Egypt over early Greek sculpture and architecture is fairly evident. Precursors of Doric columns can be found in Egypt, and striding Greek Kouroi statues seem to have Egyptian prototypes.

Herodotus named several festivals that he thought the Greeks had got from the Egyptians, and seemed to have little trouble matching Greek deities up with their Egyptian counterparts, Dionysius with Osiris, for example.

Many ancient traditions are carried on in modern Egypt.
I have wondered about Egyptian motifs influencing more distant regal, ministerial and religious symbolism. The oversized ceremonial mace used by King Scorpion has counterparts still used in British state occasions. The crook of a Pharaoh seems to evolve into the crooks of abbots and bishops. The Ankh evolves into the Coptic and then the Celtic Cross.




The extent to which the Egyptian religion influenced Christianity is debatable, but such symbols as the judgement of the soul involving scales seem to have translated from Egyptian into medieval Christian iconography. Hell devouring the damned with savage jaws also seems to echo the notion of Ammit devouring the unworthy dead and consigning them to a second death.


The female personification of 'justice' with her scales would also seem to owe something to the goddess Ma'at. Or maybe that is my imagination...



The very image of angels may derive from the winged deities of Egypt...





One could also compare the arrangement of an Egyptian temple to European churches and cathedrals. Many churches have two towers that correspond to the Pylon of a temple. They have a high central aisle and lower side-aisles... They have a chancel lower than the columned nave, wherein the altar is located. This also echoes Egyptian temple design, with the roof of the holy of holies being substantially lower than that of the hypostyle hall...

[dzama923]

It is interesting to note the similarities of the angels with wings, and the Egyptian Gods with wings. The only goddess with wings that I know of is Maat. Are there others?

[Lutz]