To the problem of comparative and typological studies of Egyptian religion of the Old Kingdom
https://doi.org/10.28995/2658-4158-2019-4-11-34
Abstract
Ancient Egyptian civilization flourished for about three thousand years. However scholars who studied Egyptian religion rarely turned their attention to any kind of changes, occurred during this span of time. Partly it is due to the notion of “traditional” character of Ancient Egyptian outlook, which underscores significance of such changes. If one is to look for them, some obstacles will surface. Not so many texts survived from the earlier periods of Egyptian history (in comparison with New Kingdom, for example). Furthermore, survived texts of ritual nature are quite hard to interpret – so scholars for a long time used later texts to fill lacunae in text as well as in understanding of the Pyramid texts, for example.
In this essay we will turn to the works of Yu. M. Lotman dedicated to the problem typological study of cultures. We are going to apply his attitudes to comparative description of survived religious texts of the Old Kingdom – royal and elite funerary texts. These two types of texts (the Pyramid texts and (auto) biographies) are usually regarded as totally different in form and function. So they are studied by scholars of different interests and attitudes. We place our focus on the notion that both kinds of texts were produced in the framework of the same worldview which was common to the pharaoh and his elite. For this reason a uniform description of this texts in the language of topology is possible. It’s main value is in synchronous snapshot of Egyptian religion of the Old Kingdom in terms of structure of sacred space and principles of circulation of the creative energy of the gods in it. This ‘topological model’ can be further compared with the one produced for the texts of later periods making possible comparative study of Egyptian religion in historical perspective.
About the Author
E. V. Alexandrova
Russian State University for the Humanities
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Ekaterina V. Alexandrova, Cand. of Sci. (Cultural Studies), Museum Center
125993, GSP-3, Moscow, Miusskaya square, 6
References
1. Bolshakov, A.O. (2000) «Izobrazhenie, tekst i starenie kul’tury: vzgliad egiptologa» [Image, text and an ageing of culture: an egyptologist’s perspective] in Ermitazhnye chteniia 1995–1999 godov pamiati V.G. Lukonina (21.I.1932–10.IX.1984) [Ermitage readings 1995–1999 in memoriam V.G. Lukonin (21.I.1932–10.IX.1984)], pp. 165–172. Saint-Petersburg: Izdatel’stvo Gosudarstvennogo Ermitazha.
2. Lotman, Ju.M. (2004) “O tipologicheskom izuchenii kul’tury” [Problems in the typology of culture] in Semiosfera [The semiosphere], pp. 447–457. Saint-Petersburg: «Iskusstvo–SPb».
3. Mat’e, M.E. (2000) «Teksty Piramid – zaupokoinyi ritual» [Pyramid texts – a funerary ritual] in Teksty Piramid [Pyramid texts], pp. 369–414. Saint-Petersburg: Neva, Letnii Sad.
4. Lotman, Ju.M. (2004) “O metaiazyke tipologicheskikh opisanii kul’tury” [On the metalanguage of a typological description of culture] in Semiosfera [The semiosphere], pp. 462–484. Saint-Petersburg: «Iskusstvo–SPb».
5. Bolshakov, A.O. (2006) “O professionalizme v egiptologii” [On professionalism in Egyptology], Vestnik drevnei istorii [Journal of Ancient History], 3:185–194.
6. van Gennep, A. (2002) Obriady perekhoda [The Rites of Passage]. Moscow: Vostochnaia literatura.
7. Alexandrova, E.V. (2012) «Transformatsionnaia model’ tekstov piramidy Unisa» [Transformational Model in the Pyramid Texts of Unis], Istoricheskie, filosofskie, politicheskie i iuridicheskie nauki, kul’turologiia i iskusstvovedenie. Voprosy teorii i praktiki [Historical, philosophical, political and legal sciences, cultural studies and art history. Theory and practice], 6:18–21.
8. Alexandrova, E.V. (2018) “O primenimosti modeli obriadov perekhoda k interpretatsii egipetskogo rituala” [“Rites de Passage” Model and the Interpretation of Ancient Egyptian Ritual], Studia Religiosa Rossica, 1:11–26.
9. Alexandrova, E.V. (2013) “’Mifologiia Perekhoda’: Preodolenie smerti v tekstakh piramidy Unisa” [Myth of the Passage: Overcoming Death in the Pyramid Texts of Unis] in Aegyptiaca Rossica (Vol. 1), pp. 20–34. Moscow: Russkii Fond Sodeistviia Obrazovaniiu i Nauke.
10. Egorov, B.F. (2010) «Tri poslednie knigi Ju.M. Lotmana kak trilogiia-zaveshchanie» [The three last books of Ju. M. Lotman as a trylogy-bequest] in Nepredskazuemye mekhanizmy kul’tury [The Unpredictable Workings of Culture], pp. 207–219. Tallin: TLU Press (Bibliotheca Lotmaniana).
11. Lotman, Ju.M. (2004) “Vnutri mysliashchikh mirov” [Universe of the Mind] in Semiosfera [The semiosphere], pp. 150–390. Saint-Petersburg: «Iskusstvo–SPb».
12. “Spisok trudov Iu. M. Lotmana” [The list of works of Ju. M. Lotman] in Izbrannye stat’i [Selected essays]. T. 3, pp. 441-482. Tallin: «Aleksandra».
13. Shalaeva, A.V. (2011) “K topologii mifa” [On topology of myth] in Filosofiia. Iazyk. Kul’tura [Philosopy. Language. Culture] (Vol. 2), pp. 271–282. Saint-Petersburg: Aleteiia.
14. Kuzin, I. V. (2013) «Korrektsiia refleksii. Razmyshleniia nad knigoi V.V. Savchuka “Topologicheskaia refleksiia”» [Correction of Reflection. On the V.V. Savchuk’s Book “Topological Reflection”], Voprosy filosofii [Russian Studies in Philosophy], 4:163-169.
15. Sadikova, V.A. (2015) “Osnovnye printsipy topologicheskogo analiza v lingvistike” [Main principles of topological analysis in linguistics], Voprosy filologii, 4:11–15.
16. Savchuk, V.V. (2012) Topologicheskaia refleksiia [Topological Reflection]. Moscow: «Kanon+» ROII «Reabilitatsiia».
17. Shalaeva, A.V. (2016) «O transformatsii poniatiia prostranstva v gumanitarnykh distsiplinakh v kontekste topologische wende» [On the Notion of Space in The Humanities in the Context of Topologische Wende], Trudy BGTU. Seriia 6: Istoriia, filosofiia, 5(187):129-132.
18. Phillips J.W. (2013) “On Topology”, Theory, Culture & Society, 30(5):122–152.
19. Lotman, Ju.M. (2004) “Kul’tura i vzryv” [Culture and Explosion] in Semiosfera [The semiosphere], pp. 12–148. Saint-Petersburg: «Iskusstvo–SPb».
20. Lury C., Parisi L., & Terranova T. (2012). “Introduction: The Becoming Topological of Culture”, Theory, Culture & Society, 29(4–5): 3–35.
21. Mezzadra, S., & Neilson, B. (2012) “Between Inclusion and Exclusion: On the Topology of Global Space and Borders”, Theory, Culture & Society, 29(4–5): 58–75.
22. Alexandrova, E.V. (2017) Siuzhetnaia skhema perekhoda i glagol pri v «Tekstakh Piramid» [Frame of the Passage and verb pri in the Pyramid texts] in Etnokul’turnoe razvitie Blizhnego Vostoka v IV–I tysiacheletiiakh do n.e. / Materialy nauchnoi konferentsii (Moskva, 26–27 oktiabria 2017 g.) [Ethnocultural development of the Ancient Near East in the IV-I millenia B.C. Materials of the scientific conference (Moscow, 26–27 October 2017)], pp. 9–16. Moscow: IV RAN.
23. Brunner-Traut, E. (1975) “Aspektive” in Lexikon der Ägyptologie. Vol. 1, pp. 474–488. Wiesbaden: O. Harrassowitz.
24. Raushenbakh, B. V. (2002) Geometriia kartiny i zritel’noe vospriiatie [Geometry of the picture and visual perception]. Saint-Petersburg: Azbuka-Klassika.
25. Mat’e, M.E. (1996) «Perevody mifov» [Translations of myths] in Izbrannye trudy po mifologii i ideologii Drevnego Egipta [Selected works on mythology and ideology of Ancient Egypt], pp. 229–309. Moscow: Izdatel’skaia firma «Vostochnaia literatura» RAN.
26. Goebs, K. (2002) “A Functional Approach to Egyptian Myth and Mythemes”, Journal of Ancient Near Eastern Religions, 2(1):27–59.
27. Tkachenko, G.A. (2002) «Proshchanie s potentsial’nym tekstom kul’tury» [Farewell to the potential text of culture] in Trudy po kul’turnoi antropologii: Pamiati Grigoriia Aleksandrovicha Tkachenko [Works on cultural anthropology in memoriam Grigorii Aleksandrovich Tkachenko], pp. 27–40. Moscow: Vostoch. lit.: Muravei.
28. Sethe, K. (1908) Die altaegyptischen Pyramidentexte nach den Papierabdrücken und Photographien des Berliner Museums (Vols. 1–4 Bd.). Leipzig: J.C. Heinrichs’sche Buchhandlung.
29. Allen, J.P. (2013) A New Concordance of the Pyramid Texts: 5th and 6th Dynasty (Vols. 1–6). URL: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jjz0duog39xjwzu/AAAbwpBgG4fcT0CoFXEqZecJa?dl=0 (accessed 18.10.2017).
30. Bolshakov, A.O. (2011) «Zametki o MTn» [Notes on MTn] in Peterburgskie egiptologicheskie chteniia 2009–2010 [Saint-Petersburg Egyptological Readings 2009–2010], pp. 22–30. Saint-Petersburg: Izdatel’stvo Gosudarstvennogo Ermitazha.
31. Sethe, K. (1933) Urkunden des Alten Reichs (Vol. I). Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs.
32. Strudwick, N. (2005) Texts from the Pyramid Age. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature.
33. Shekhab el’-Din, T.M. (1993) Avtobiografiia v Drevnem Egipte v epokhu IV-VIII dinastii [Autobiography in Ancient Egypt in the epoch of IV-VIII dynasties]. Diss. kand. ist. Nauk. [PhD Thesis]. Saint-Petersburg.
34. James, T.G.H., & Apted, M.R. (1953) The mastaba of Khentika, called Ikhekhi. London: Egypt Exploration Society.
35. Demidchik, A.E. (2015). «Drevneegipetskaia “Pustynia” – “Zemlia Boga”» [On the Ancient Egyptian ‘Desert’ as ‘God’s Land’] in Vestnik Novosibirskogo Gosudarstvennogo Universiteta [Novosibirsk State University Bulletin], Ser. Istoriia, Filologiia [History and Philology], 14 (1), 9–18.
Review
For citations:
Alexandrova E.V. To the problem of comparative and typological studies of Egyptian religion of the Old Kingdom. Studia Religiosa Rossica: Russian Journal of Religion. 2019;(4):11-34. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.28995/2658-4158-2019-4-11-34
Views:
783
Email this article 