TRADITIONS OF EGYPTIAN

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FACULTY OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION  SUBJECT: READING TRADITIONS OF EGYPTIAN Lecturer : Nguyen Ngoc Hai Group members : Nguyen Thi Bich Ngan – 21DH121018 Tran Thi Yen Nhi – 17DH491354 Nguyen Hong Phan – 21DH123294 Dang Thi Hong Phuc – 21DH123296 HCMC – 13 November, 2021 Table of Contents ANCIENT EGYPT BELIEFS (RELIGIONS) HOLIDAY FOOD Egypt is a country which is located in northeastern of Africa with the population of 101,993,000 The word ‘Egypt’ comes from the Greek Aegyptus, which was derived from the ancient Egyptian name ‘Hwt-Ka-Ptah’ (“Mansion of the Spirit of Ptah”), which was also the name of the city of Memphis Egypt is wellknown with the Nile river valley and delta because it used to be saw as a home of accient Middle East civilzation Egypt also being famous for its variable traditions which has been affected by the accient thought, such as: ancient Egypt, food, beliefs (religions), holiday ANCIENT EGYPT The ancient Egyptians simply called their land Kemet, which means 'Black Land,' after the rich, black soil around the Nile River, where the earliest villages were established Later, the country was dubbed Misr, which means 'country,' and is still used by Egyptians to refer to their country today Egypt flourished as an autonomous nation for thousands of years (c 8000 BCE to c 30 BCE), with a society known for tremendous cultural breakthroughs in every field of human knowledge, from the arts to science to technology and religion Ancient Egypt's magnificent monuments represent the richness and majesty of Egyptian culture, which impacted a wide range of ancient civilizations, including Greece and Rome Pyramids, mummies, pharaohs, are the special symbols when we mentioned to Egypt They are also the heritage, the proof of Egypt's long-standing civilization The Pyramids of Giza The Pyramids of Giza—the Great Pyramid of Khufu, Pyramid of Khafre, and Pyramid of Menkaure—remain one of the most enigmatic Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (and the only one still standing) after more than 4,000 years of hype On each journey to Cairo, seeing these 4th-dynasty pyramids and their guardian Great Sphinx rise from the Giza Plateau is a must (and the reason many travelers find themselves in Egypt) The Giza Pyramids, designed to last eternity, have done exactly that The massive tombs date back to Egypt's Old Kingdom era and were built some 4,500 years ago In the afterlife, Egypt's pharaohs were supposed to become gods They Picture The Great Pyramids of Giza built temples to the gods and massive pyramid tombs for themselves to prepare for the next world, which were equipped with everything a monarch would need to lead and maintain himself in the next world The great Pyramids of Giza consists of three Pyramids: Pyramid of Khufu, Khafre Pyramid, Menkaure Pyramid Around 2550 B.C., Pharaoh Khufu began the construction of the first Giza pyramid His Great Pyramid, which stands 481 feet (147 meters) above the plateau, is the biggest in Giza Each of the estimated 2.3 million stone blocks weighs between 2.5 and 15 tons The Mythology - The Mummy The Mummy in Ancient Egypt is the first modern description of a 3,000-year survey of all Egyptian burial accoutrements The Egyptians believed that part of a person’s soul, the ba, returned to the body every night after death Preserving the body was, therefore, crucial to the soul's survival in the afterlife The oldest Egyptian mummies scholars have found are examples of natural mummification The Egyptians buried the dead in sand and they dried out naturally Later, seeing how well preserved the bodies were, people sought to perfect an artificial mummification process and it began four days after a person’s death Families took the body to the Nile’s West bank, where the embalmers worked outdoors First, the embalmers cleaned the body Then, they made a slit on the left side of the body and removed the stomach, intestines, lungs and liver There are a few royal mummies from the Middle Kingdom The organs of these 11th Dynasty princesses were kept within Their jewelry left impressions on their flesh, indicating that the embalmers did not dry their bodies before wrapping them Today, scholars work hard to preserve human and animal mummies in Picture Excavation of King Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 specially designed cases The mummies of the pharaohs are the most well-known, many of these now held in the Cairo Museum Other mummies are displayed in museums across the world BELIEFS (RELIGIONS) According to Hopkins, N & Saad, R., Egypt is indicated as a place of “everyday piety” since it has been intergrated into Egyptian society from C 3000 BCE Canadian Museum of History provided that the beginning of Egyptian religion was from the people who lived across Nile with the thought form of Godhead The Egyptian religion developed from magical power of sceptre to mythical (God) and now is monotheistic In addition, Baines, J R., stated that the king and the gods are the two most crucial elements of Egyptian’s public religion The king (pharaoh) takes part as the connection between humanity and the gods, the center of human society, the representation of the gods on Earth The authority of the king shows their Picture Ramses II (the king) making an offering to Horus (the god) political position through kingship and how bureaucrats obey the king The previous title of the king was the Horus name- a prospect of the sky god Horus who was describe as an falcon Especially when the pyramids was built, two titles “Son of Re” and “ Perfect God” were being added “Son of Re” created closer relationship with people but depended on the leading character- the Sun god, while “Perfect God” marked as a small god that became “perfect” by having higher position but being limited the divinity The king receive the sumptuous devine and sometimes even more than any god The king crave for full divinity but can’t break out of human circumstance such as: Amenhoptep III, Ramses II while Amenemhet III is an example of the king became minor god after death This has showed the limitation of divinity The king took responsible for keeping everything in order “maat”, especially when the year transition occured or the death of a king and this is the primary in Egytian’s thoughts “Maat” is very important because it included the concept of reciprocity, fairness, truth, moderation which eshtablish the maintenance between religion, political behavior and morality Egyptian religion was polytheistic, the gods resident in the cosmos and had variety of nature and capacity Egyptian called god as “netjer” but this word also mentioned demons in some circumstances, Picture Anubis- God of death netjer indicated wider range of beings not just divinity of other monotheistic religions Eventhogh the god are not almighty or know-it-all but they have limitless power and ability that human don’t have like: instant teleport, present at more than one place at one time, withstand mortal wounds, Egyptian claimed that the god look gracious practically, however, some goddeses have strongly ambivalent characteristics: Neith, Sekhmet, and Mut, particularly is Seth who incarnated as tumbled side of world’s order So, it is dificult to specify the trait of god and a diety whose characteristic can be known clearer, the power he/she has fewer There are three main types of god: gods, goddesses and young deities Canadian Museum of History stated that at first, each town in Egypt was guided by a specific deity who is in the form of animal (cat- goddess, ibis-god,…), for instance: the sun god’s cult place was in Heliopolis, Amon was in Thebes As worship increases, these gods will be endowed with human bodies and other attributes Most of the major temple in New Kingdom period divinize “the mythical family”- Osiris, Isis and Horus Baines, J R implemented that the most significant forms of god were bull and falcon while goddess were cobra, lioness, vulture and cow He also mentioned that animal forms reflect the deity’s characteristic, some lioness goddesses were fiercer than cat goddesses The god was described as having the body of a human and the head of an animal representing them while the king was in contrast who was in animal body and human head (Sphinx) In the next period of Egyptian religion, people worshiped deity in group, such as Great Ennead of Heliopolis which included nine deities, Ogdoad of Hermopolis included eight deities Nowaday, the majority of Egyptian religion is Muslim (monotheistic) since Greeks and Romans conquered Egypt Hopkins, N & Saad, R provided that Friday is the chief congregational prayer day, the working day begin from Sunday to Thursday and weekend is Friday and Saturday Muslim chief holidays are “Ramadan”- fasting month, and “‘Id al-Adha”- Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca Muslim belives in “Death and the Afterlife”, they believe that living is just a temporary state and their life really begins after they die, their soul actually exists before birth and after death HOLIDAY Mystical Nile Festival The Nile River is a famous destination of Egypt The mysterious Nile River festival is a way to show the close relationship between life and civilization of the Egyptians with the Nile The festival originates from a fascinating legend about the goddess Aixirong, when her husband died in an accident, she wept so much that her tears turned into floods that flooded both banks of the Nile In order to relieve the suffering of the goddess, the people sang together, they moved her and found joy again Thereby, it is said that every time the river water overflows the two banks, the tears of the goddess rise to create silt to build up on the riverbank, the sprouts gradually bloom, and the food crops are lush The Lantern Festival is a very special religious festival in Egyptian culture This festival takes place during the Indian fasting month of Ramadan with many different rituals There are two main parts: the ceremony and the festival: The ceremony is held sacred and solemn in the mosque Particularly, the festival is an opportunity to perform various types of folklore, from singing, dancing and lighting up the mosques The special thing is that the lanterns here are completely handmade, not only beautiful but also very special Egyptian lanterns are sacred and popular symbols of Ramadan Egypt, tourists should definitely not miss this festival when traveling to Egypt Beer and sex festival in Egypt In 1479 BC, it was the program of one of the most ruined festivals in Egypt: the "Festival of the Drunk", which was meant to celebrate the Picture The Ancient Egyptian Festival of Alcohol and Sex salvation of people's souls Archaeologists say they have found among the ruins of a temple in Luxor evidence that an annual Egyptian festival that includes sex, drugs and "rock 'n" music 'roll' ancient Tourists traveling to Egypt can participate in the festival, this famous festival in Egypt brings everyone joy The festival takes place in the first month of the year, after the first flood of the Nile River created by the lion-headed war goddess Sekhmet According to legend, the bloodthirsty god Sekhmet almost destroyed all humans, but the sun god Re tricked her into drinking so much bright red beer that Sekhmet thought it was blood This unique festival in Egypt often attracts a large number of people as well as tourists from all over the world to participate, you will be fascinated by the dances and lyrics in the festival The special Moulid festival is held in the Tanta region of the Nile Delta, in memory of Ahmed El Bedawi the Sufi saint of the 13th century The festival takes place Picture Moulid Cultural Festival with many different types: part pilgrimage, part dance, part Islamic mystic rites Tanta is home to Egypt's largest Moulid Festival, where more than million people flock from all over the world each year, including those as far away as Sudan And this is also an event that receives the attention and investment of the Egyptian government The religious center of the festival is the Mosque, where it is believed that Ahmed el-Bedawi was cremated At the tomb of Saint Ahmed el-Bedawi, throngs of devotees try to enter a trance, away from the tumultuous world outside, and turn their hearts to God, the life of the saint During this Egyptian festival, all strict Islamic rules on gender discrimination will be temporarily suspended It is not only a journey for the devout, but it can also be said that Moulid is an opportunity to get rich for those who sell plastic guns, brand shoes, hats or show off a lot of entertainment Moulid Cultural Festival FOOD Besides these special festivals, food, beverage in the Egyptian parties is also a point that worth paying attention to Meat would be reserved for special occasions, festivals or family gatherings Goats, sheep, geese,… were all meats commonly served at festivals of the ancient Egyptians and were often grilled Fresh fruits and vegetables are usually stored in large crates and served throughout the festival, guests will be welcomed with fruits such as pomegranates, grapes, squash, dates, figs Figs are prepared in a stew with honey Desserts in festivals are usually sweet bread, raisin bread, pies, honey cakes, because at that time in Picture Raisin bread ancient Egypt, there was no sugar, so this sweetness would be replaced by honey Cheese is also often served during these ceremonies In addition to food, beer and wine are also served at these parties Wine is fermented from a variety of grapes, beer is fermented from barley However, the wine people will use home made wine which will often be imported from other regions especially the west During festivals, the ancient Egyptians Picture Grapes wine were often given food as gifts, no matter how crowded the festival was Ancient Egyptians who attended festivals worshiping the goddess Isis often left with a mountain of food such as ducks, geese, vegetables, meat and salt, Even drinks like wine and beer Egypt Dining Etiquette Furthermore, the Egyptians also had unique eating rituals and should be followed Meat needs to be prepared according to halal standards because Muslims man is not allowed to eat pork Do not eat in front of or invite Muslims during the days of Ramadan Dining etiquette before the meal: Before begin the meal, guests say “Sahtain” and “Bismillah” (the name of God) when the meal is over, guests should say “Daimah” Depending on the region, people use spoons, forks, knives or no utensils at all If using hand, people need to use only right hand, hold food or any utensils for eating People must wash their hand before eating if they don’t use ustensils and also washing hands again due to the fact that they will certainly got some messy finger at the end of the meal The left hand should not be on the table and used to give food to others One thing to remind that guest will always be offered a lot of food but don't refuse it, if really don't want it anymore, take very little and leave a few pieces Especially, don't eat or drink until the oldest has started and after finishing the meal says thank the hoste for a wonderful meal In addition, the Egyptians also have a specific rules of drinking that is never pour water/bevergaes by yourself when attending a party, let the host or your neighbor’s glass refill for you and you refill for the neighbor’s glass 10 References Ancient Egypt Online (n.d.) Ancient Egypt Mummies https://www.ancient-egypt-online.com/ancient-egypt-mummies.html Baines, J R., & Dorman, P F (2020) Ancient Egyptian religion Encyclopedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/topic/ancient-Egyptian-religion Burton, H (1922) Excavation of King Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 [photograph] https://pinkulan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Xac-uop-ai-cap-co-dai9.jpg Canadian Museum of History (n.d.) Egyptian Civilization – Religion https://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/civil/egypt/egcr01e.html Chang (2019) Kham pha nhung le hoi dac sac nhat tren dat nuoc Ai Cap Lu hanh Viet Nam https://luhanhvietnam.com.vn/du-lich/kham-pha-nhung-le-hoi-aicap.html?fbclid=IwAR0sGskzF3MY8uOxjS2aI_z3xCdhxxFEj_N1NfsFsLk-IBCZTfqT6aKMgI Hopkins, N S., & Saad, R (n.d.) Culture of Egypt Countries and their Cultures https://www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/Egypt.html Jarvis, D (n.d.) Ramses II making an offering to Horus [painting] https://cdn.britannica.com/51/189751-050-AB5FB3B0/Ramses-II-offeringAbu-Simbel-Horus-Aswan.jpg Khlebnikova, Y (2019) It is like a Christmas Stollen cake, just better! [photograph] https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1572897306051-abf270479682?ixlib=rb1.2.1&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8 &auto=format&fit=crop&w=387&q=80 Léonie, C F (2020) The diet of the Nile: What did the Ancient Egyptians eat? https://www.historyhit.com/the-diet-of-the-nile-what-did-the-ancientegyptians-eat/?fbclid=IwAR04LOM7U1SPTmoUDnu7eRduoHLel3FKg8xT8578pDM80DUB26EnHqWv2c MAYACO (n.d.) Holiday Traditions of Egypt "Merry Christmas" http://www.worldholidaytraditions.com/Countries/Egypt.aspx?fbclid=IwAR 3IvKI5i3x_MLDNZszsj_fktvFTpZJmMLK9aFBhfDyNxW9QRN4M1UiGe cw Memphis Tour (n.d.) Holidays and Festivals in Egypt https://www.memphistours.com/Egypt/Egypt-Wikis/EgyptInformation/wiki/Holidays-and-Festivals-in-Egypt Middle East Eye (2015) Morocco: Men hold up the colourful decorations traditionally used during Mawlid celebrations (AA) [photograph] https://www.middleeasteye.net/sites/default/files/morocco%20.jpg National Geographic Society (2019) Pyramids https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/pyramids/ Nguyen, V T (2021) Nhung tuu van minh Ai Cap co dai Hoc luat https://hocluat.vn/thanh-tuu-van-minh-ai-cap-co-dai/ Shamsutdinov, A (2020) [photograph] https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2020/04/27/17/59/bottle5100959_960_720.jpg Thibault, J R (2020) Anubis tending to a mumy [painting] https://www.worldhistory.org/image/12664/anubis-tending-to-a-mummy/ Tran, N L (2017) Van Minh Ai Cap Co Dai The gioi luat https://thegioiluat.vn/bai-viet-hoc-thuat/Tieu-luan Van-minh-Ai-cap-co-dai9119/ Yellowstone Publishing (n.d.) Egypt Dining Etiquette https://www.etiquettescholar.com/dining_etiquette/table-etiquette/african_dinner_etiquette/egyptian.html?fbclid=IwAR1NjLjJas2yd_GdhVvPfiCSv cPzvKADYdyOSVFNT6JQbnecaBL8Nnkqdws ... civilization The Pyramids of Giza The Pyramids of Giza—the Great Pyramid of Khufu, Pyramid of Khafre, and Pyramid of Menkaure—remain one of the most enigmatic Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (and... population of 101,993,000 The word ‘Egypt’ comes from the Greek Aegyptus, which was derived from the ancient Egyptian name ‘Hwt-Ka-Ptah’ (“Mansion of the Spirit of Ptah”), which was also the name of. .. is indicated as a place of “everyday piety” since it has been intergrated into Egyptian society from C 3000 BCE Canadian Museum of History provided that the beginning of Egyptian religion was from