Ancient Egyptian Myths, Gods and Pharoahs, Creation and the Afterlife. Catherine Chambers

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Non fiction (Adult), History

The pyramids....who hasn't been fascinated in their creation, the how and why Egyptians came to create them. They were incredibly elaborate decoratively, but the construction uses mathematical calculations we thought were discovered in the 1600s. Clearly the Egyptians were centuries ahead of modern day man in that way.
The Gods and Goddesses, the myths and legends that grew up around them fascinated me as a child and reading this wonderful book brought back much of that magic. Its a very dense read, Catherine fully explores all elements surrounding the Gods, the changing names, how they came about and why. It's illustrated too with wonderful photos of surviving artifacts. It amazes me that we can still have things thousands of years old, I like to imagine someone carving one of these little objects, putting their heart and beliefs into it, and that carries through to today even though the creator is long gone.

Its a wonderful read but I have it on PC as an epub read, and for me that's hard going, and the reason its taken so long to read. Its very full of information that can't jst be skimmed but needs time to absorb and appreciate, so I've been reading a little every now and then, mulling over the content when not reading. My youngest grandson has just being learning about Egyptian history and we'd recently talked over some of the things I found in this book. It was good to have a wider and more complete source than an 8 yr old primary school text :-)
I think that as with most non-fiction books it would be better in physical form. I love my kindle but undoubtedly some books need to be “old school” print to get the best from them. If I had this book as a physical one I'm sure I'd be dipping in and out of it constantly.
Even though this society is thousands of years past its still a fascination for so many of us, and this book really fleshes out so many of the myths I know on the periphery, and goes into detailed information as to how and why they may have originated.

Stars: Five, a fabulous read, but would be best on physical book form.

Arc via Netgalley and publishers

My thanks to Amber Books for a digital edition via NetGalley of ‘Ancient Egyptian Myths: Gods and Pharoahs, Creation and the Afterlife’ by Catherine Chambers in exchange for an honest review.

Rather than just retelling the myths of ancient Egypt Catherine Chambers examines the way in which their mythology evolved over thousands of years in response to natural events and later from outside influences including trade and invasion. She also states that as with other African civilisations, they were at heart based on oral traditions.

This felt like a very innovative way to explore Egyptian mythology through the artefacts left behind such as temples, tombs, statues, jewellery, amulets, scripts, and much more. Special attention was given to the Coffin Texts, including The Book of the Dead, which outlines access to the afterlife and the roles of the gods and goddesses in that process.

She devotes a chapter to the complex creation myths and another to how the myths of gods and goddesses impacted on the daily lives of the people. Another chapter looks to the varied roles of the priesthood including as oracles.

I found the chapter on how the gods and myths changed after the fall of Ancient Egypt and the influence of the Greek and Roman mythologies very interesting. She touches briefly upon how Egyptian motifs became popular in the 19th century and mentions the prevalence of the gods and goddesses in popular culture.

The emergence of Kemetic Orthodoxy, a modern religion that incorporates gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt, is briefly mentioned though not the role of the Egyptian pantheon in modern religious Paganism and occultism. However, this was a very minor point and overall it was refreshing to read of any recognition that the gods and goddesses of Egypt remain relevant to some.

In this same chapter she compares the mythology of ancient Egypt to others of the same period. Her last word looks briefly at the legacy of the risen Osiris within Christianity.

‘Ancient Egyptian Myths’ is a book of ideas and any of its sections could provide a starting point for deeper exploration. It is packed with stunning colour photographs and includes sources for these as well as a bibliography, an index, and useful chronologies.

A sumptuous book that is sure to delight anyone interested in learning more about the history and mythology of ancient Egypt.

As someone with an MA in History, I have a large interest in anything related to the topic. My personal area of study lies in the Victorian era, yet I very much enjoy reading up on Mythology and on Ancient Egypt.

This book was informative and very easy to read. The illustrations were highly engaging and the manner in which it is laid out makes it easy to follow. From mythology to reality, the author displayed her knowledge in a manner that I believe has something for everyone. Whether you are looking to brush up on your mythology, or wish to take a more in-depth look into the 'why's of Ancient Egyptian society, Ancient Egyptian Myths has something for everyone and certainly makes an excellent starting point.

A wonderful book which acts as a great starting point for those who want a readable introduction to Egypt and her myths. Rather than dry retelling of myths and lists of Gods this book hows how myths wove themselves thoroughly into the lives of the Ancient Egyptians and how they were then used in the art and writings of the period. Lavishly illustrated throughout this book is a joy to read using a range of image both familiar and others less so. The text here is detailed for those starting out in Egyptian myths, its not overly complex and at the same time not simplistic. I would heartily recommend this book to anyone who wishes to find out more about this iconic civilisation.

#AncientEgyptianMyths #NetGalley

I like books about Ancient Egypt and this one was really good.
I liked the well researched and well written explanations and the amazing pictures.
An engrossing and interesting read.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine