<h2>TALES OF THE MAGICIANS</h2>
<p>ONE day, when King Khufu reigned over all the
land, he said to his chancellor, who stood before him, "Go call me my sons
and my councillors, that I may ask of them a thing." And his sons and his
councillors came and stood before him, and he said to them, "Know ye a man
who can tell me tales of the deeds of the magicians?" Then the royal son Khafra stood forth and said, "I will
tell thy majesty a tale of the days of thy forefather Nebka, the blessed;
of what came to pass when he went into the temple of Ptah of Ankhtaui."</p>
<p>KHAFRA'S TALE "His
majesty was walking unto the temple of Ptah, and went unto the house of
the chief reciter Uba-aner, with his train. Now when the wife of Uba-aner
saw a page, among those who stood behind the king, her heart longed after
him; and she sent her servant unto him, with a present of a box full of
garments. "And he came then with the
servant. Now there was a lodge in the garden of Uba-aner; and one day the
page said to the wife of Uba-aner, 'In the garden of Uba-aner there is now
a lodge; behold, let us therein take our pleasure.' So the wife of
Uba-aner sent to the steward who had charge over the garden, saying, 'Let
the lodge which is in the garden be made ready.' And she remained there,
and rested and drank with the page until the sun went down. "And when the even was now come the
page went forth to bathe. And the steward said, 'I
must go and tell Uba-aner of this matter.' Now when this day was past, and
another day came, then went the steward to Uba-aner, and told him of all
these things. "Then said Uba-aner, 'Bring
me my casket of ebony and electrum.' And they brought it; and he fashioned
a crocodile of wax, seven fingers long: and he enchanted it, and said,
'When the page comes and bathes in my lake, seize on him.' And he gave it
to the steward, and said to him, 'When the page shall go down into the
lake to bathe, as he is daily wont to do, then throw in this crocodile
behind him.' And the steward went forth bearing the crocodile.
"And the wife of Uba-aner sent to the steward who
had charge over the garden, saying, 'Let the lodge which is in the garden
be made ready, for I come to tarry there.' "And
the lodge was prepared with all good things; and she came and made merry
therein with the page. And when the even was now come, the page went forth to bathe as he
was wont to do. And the steward cast in the wax crocodile after him into
the water; and, behold ! it became a great crocodile seven cubits in
length, and it seized on the page. "And
Uba-aner abode yet seven days with the king of Upper and Lower Egypt,
Nebka, the blessed, while the page was stifled in the crocodile. And after
the seven days were passed, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Nebka, the
blessed, went forth, and Uba-aner went before him. "And Uba-aner said unto his majesty, 'Will your majesty
come and see this wonder that has come to pass in your days unto a page?'
And the king went with Uba-aner. And Uba-aner called unto the crocodile
and said, 'Bring forth the page.' And the crocodile came forth from the
Jake with the page. Uba-aner said unto the king, 'Behold, whatever I
command this crocodile he will do it.' And his majesty said, 'I pray you
send back this crocodile." And Uba-aner stooped and took up
the crocodile, and it became in his hand a crocodile of wax. And then
Uba-aner told the king that which had passed in his house with the page
and his wife. And his majesty said unto the crocodile, 'Take to thee thy
prey.' And the crocodile plunged into the lake with his prey, and no man
knew whither he went. "And his majesty the
king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Nebka, the blessed, commanded, and they
brought forth the wife of Uba-aner to the north side of the harem, and
burnt her with fire, and cast her ashes in the river "This is a wonder that came to pass in the days of thy
forefather the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Nebka, of the acts of the
chief reciter Uba aner." His majesty the
king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Khufu, then said, "Let there be presented
to the king Nebka, the blessed, a thousand loaves, a hundred draughts of
beer, an ox, two jars of incense; and let there be
presented a loaf, a jar of beer, a jar of incense, and a piece of meat to
the chief reciter Uba-aner; for I have seen the token of his learning."
And they did all things as his majesty commanded. BAUFRA'S TALE The royal sou
Bau-f-ra then stood forth and spake. He said, "I will tell thy majesty of
a wonder which came to pass in the days of thy father Seneferu, the
blessed, of the deeds of the chief reciter Zazamankh. One day King
Seneferu, being weary, went throughout his palace seeking for a pleasure
to lighten his heart, but he found none. And he said, <i>'</i>Haste, and
bring before me the chief reciter and scribe of the rolls Zazamankh'; and
they straightway brought him. And the king said, 'I have sought in my
palace for some delight, but I have found none.' Then said Zazamankh to
him, 'Let thy majesty go upon the lake of the palace, and
let there be made ready a boat, with all the fair maidens of the harem of
thy palace; and the heart of thy majesty shall be refreshed with the
sight, in seeing their rowing up and down the water, and seeing the goodly
pools of the birds upon the lake, and beholding its sweet fields and
grassy shores; thus will thy heart be lightened. And I also will go with
thee. Bring me twenty oars of ebony, inlayed with gold, with blades of
light wood, inlayed with electrum; and bring me twenty maidens, fair in
their limbs, their bosoms and their hair, all virgins; and bring me twenty
nets, and give these nets unto the maidens for their garments.' And they
did according to all the commands of his majesty. "And they rowed down the stream and up the stream, and
the heart of his majesty was glad with the sight of their rowing. But one
of them at the steering struck her hair, and her jewel of new malachite
fell into the water. And she ceased her song, and rowed
not; and her companions ceased, and rowed not. And his majesty said, 'Row
you not further?' And they replied, 'Our little steerer here stays and
rows not.' His majesty then said to her, 'Wherefore rowest thou not?' She
replied, 'It is for my jewel of new malachite which is fallen in the
water.' And he said to her, 'Row on, for behold I will replace it.' And
she answered, 'But I want my own piece back in its setting.' And his
majesty said, 'Haste, bring me the chief reciter Zazamankh,' and they
brought him. And his majesty said, Zazamankh, my brother, I have done as
thou sayedst, and the heart of his majesty is refreshed with the sight of
their rowing. But now a jewel of new malachite of one of the little ones
is fallen in the water, and she ceases and rows not, and she has spoilt
the rowing of her side. And I said to her, "Wherefore rowest thou not?"
and she answered to me, "It is for my jewel of new</p>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/p1-3.jpg" alt="p1-3.jpg" width-obs="100%" /><br/></div>
<p>malachite which is fallen in the water." I replied
to her, "Row on, for behold I will replace it"; and she answered to me, <i>"</i>But
I want my own piece again back in its setting."' Then the chief reciter
Zazamankh spake his magic speech. And he placed one part of the waters of
the lake upon the other, and discovered the jewel lying upon a shard; and
he took it up and gave it unto its mistress. And the water, which was
twelve cubits deep in the middle, reached now to twenty-four cubits after
he turned it. And he spake, and used his magic speech; and he brought
again the water of the lake to its place. And his majesty spent a joyful
day with the whole of the royal house. Then rewarded he the chief reciter
Zazamankh with all good things. Behold, this is a wonder that came to pass
in the days of thy father, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Seneferu, of
the deeds of the chief reciter, the scribe of the rolls, Zazamankh." Then
said the majesty of the king of</p>
<p>Upper and Lower Egypt, Khufu, the blessed, "Let
there be presented an offering of a thousand cakes, one hundred draughts
of beer, an ox, and two jars of incense to the king of Upper and Lower
Egypt, Sene-feru, the blessed; and let there be given a loaf, a jar of
beer, and a jar of incense to the chief reciter, the scribe of the rolls,
Zazamankh; for I have seen the token of his learning." And they did all
things as his majesty commanded. HORDEDEF'S
TALE THE royal son Hordedef then stood
forth and spake. He said, "Hitherto hast thou only heard tokens of those
who have gone before, and of which no man knoweth their truth But I will
show thy majesty a man of thine own days." And his majesty said, "Who is
he, Hordedef?" And the royal son Hordedef answered, "It is a certain man
named Dedi, who dwells at Ded-</p>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/p1-4.jpg" alt="p1-4.jpg" width-obs="100%" /><br/></div>
<p>sneferu. He is a man of one hundred and ten years
old; and he eats five hundred loaves of bread, and a side of beef, and
drinks one hundred draughts of beer, unto this day. He knows how to
restore the head that is smitten off; he knows how to cause the lion to
follow him trailing his halter on the ground; he knows the designs of the
dwelling of Tahuti. The majesty of the king of Upper and Lower Egypt,
Khufu, the blessed, has long sought for the designs of the dwelling of
Tahuti, that he may make the like of them in his pyramid." And his majesty said, "Thou, thyself, Hordedef, my son,
bring him to me." Then were the ships made ready for the king's son
Hordedef, and he went up the stream to Dedsneferu. And when the ships had
moored at the haven, he landed, and sat him in a litter of ebony, the
poles of which were of cedar wood overlayed with gold. Now when he drew
near to Dedi, they set down the litter. And he arose to greet Dedi, and
found him lying on a palmstick couch at the door of his house; one servant
held his head and rubbed him, and another rubbed his feet. And the king's son Hordedef said, "Thy state is that of
one who lives to good old age; for old age is the end of our voyage, the
time of embalming, the time of burial. Lie, then, in the sun, free of
infirmities, without the babble of dotage: this is the salutation to
worthy age. I come from far to call thee, with a message from my father
Khufu, the blessed, for thou shalt eat of the best which the king gives,
and of the food which those have who follow after him; that he may bring
thee in good estate to thy fathers who are in the tomb." And Dedi replied to him, "Peace to thee! Peace to thee!
Hordedef, son of the king, beloved of his father. May thy father Khufu,
the blessed, praise thee, may he advance thee amongst the elders, may thy
<i>ka</i> prevail</p>
<p>against the enemy, may thy soul know the right
road to the gate of him who clothes the afflicted; this is the salutation
to the king's son." Then the king's son, Hordedef, stretched forth his
hands to him, and raised him up, and went with him to the haven, giving
unto him his arm. Then said Dedi, "Let there he given me a boat, to bring
me my youths and my books." And they made ready for him two boats with
their rowers. And Dedi went down the river in the barge in which was the
king's son Hordedef. And when he had reached the palace, the king's son,
Hordedef, entered in to give account unto his majesty the king of Upper
and Lower Egypt, Khufu, the blessed. Then said the king's son Hordedef, "O
king, life, wealth, and health! My lord, I have brought Dedi." His majesty
replied, "Bring him to me speedily." And his majesty went into the hall of
columns of Pharaoh (life, wealth, and health), and Dedi was led before
him. And his majesty said, "Wherefore is it, Dedi, that I have not yet
seen thee?" And Dedi answered, "He who is called it is that comes; the
king (life, wealth, and health) calls me, and behold I come," And his
majesty said, "Is it true, that which men say, that thou canst restore the
head which is smitten off?" And Dedi replied, "Truly, I know that, O king
(life, wealth, and health), my lord." And his majesty said, "Let one bring
me a prisoner who is in prison, that his punishment may be fulfilled." And
Dedi said, "Let it not be a man, O king, my lord; behold we do not even
thus to our cattle." And a duck was brought unto him, and its head was cut
off. And the duck was laid on the west side of the hall, and its head on
the east side of the hall. And Dedi spake his magic speech. And the duck
fluttered along the ground, and its head came likewise; and when it had
come part to part the duck stood and quacked. And they brought likewise a
goose before him, and he did</p>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/p1-5.jpg" alt="p1-5.jpg" width-obs="100%" /><br/></div>
<p>even so unto it. His majesty caused an ox to be
brought, and its head cast on the ground. And Dedi spake his magic speech.
And the ox stood upright behind him, and followed him with his halter
trailing on the ground. And King Khufu
said, "And is it true what is said, that thou knowest the number of the
designs of the dwelling of Tahuti?" And Dedi replied, "Pardon me, I know
not their number, O king (life, wealth, and health), but I know where they
are." And his majesty said, "Where is that?" And Dedi replied, "There is a
chest of whetstone in a chamber named the plan-room, in Heli-opolis; they
are in this chest." And Dedi said further unto him, "O king (life, wealth,
and health), my lord, it is no It that is to bring them to thee." And his
m'jesty said, "Who, then, is it that shall bring them to me?" And Dedi
answered to him, "It is the eldest of the three children who are in the
body of Rud-didet who shall bring them to thee." And his majesty said,
"Would that it may be as thou sayest! And who is this Rud-didet?" And Dedi
replied, "She is the wife of a priest of Ra, lord of Sakhebu. And she has
conceived these three sons by Ra, lord of Sakhebu, and the god has
promised her that they shall fulfil this noble office (of reigning) over
all this land, and that the eldest of them shall be high priest in
Heliopolis." And his majesty's heart became troubled for this; but Dedi
spake unto him, "What is this that thou thinkest, O king (life, wealth,
health), my lord? Is it because of these three children? I tell thee thy
son shall reign, and thy son's son, and then one of them." His majesty
said, "And when shall Rud-didet bear these? "And he replied, "She shall
bear them on the 26th of the month Tybi." And his majesty said, "When the
banks of the canal of Letopolis are cut, I will walk there that I may see
the temple of Ra, lord of Sakhebu." And Dedi replied, "Then I will cause that there be
four cubits of water by the banks ot the canal of Letopolis." When his
majesty returned to his palace, his majesty said, "Let them place Dedi in
the house of the royal son Hordedef, that he may dwell with him, and let
them give him a daily portion of a thousand loaves, a hundred draughts of
beer, an ox, and a hundred bunches of onions." And they did everything as
his majesty commanded. And one day it came
to pass that Rud-didet felt the pains of birth. And the majesty of Ra,
lord of Sakhebu, said unto Isis, to Nebhat, to Meskhent, to Hakt, and to
Khnumu, "Go ye, and deliver Rud-didet of these three children that she
shall bear, who are to fulfil this noble office over all this land; that
they may build up your temples, furnish your altars with offerings, supply
your tables of libation, and increase your endowments." Then went these
deities; their fashion they made as that of dancing girls, and Khnumu was with them as a porter. They
drew near unto the house of Ra-user, and found him standing, with his
girdle fallen. And they played before him with their instruments of music.
But he said unto them, "My ladies, behold, here is a woman who feels the
pains of birth.'' They said to him, "Let us see her, for we know how to
help her." And he replied, "Come, then." And they entered in straightway
to Rud-didet, and they closed the door on her and on themselves. Then Isis
stood before her, and Nebhat stood behind her, and Hakt helped her. And
Isis said, "O child, by thy name of User-ref, do not do violence." And the
child came upon her hands, as a child of a cubit; its bones were strong,
the beauty of its limbs was like gold, and its hair was like true lapis
lazuli. They washed him, and prepared him, and placed him on a carpet on
the brickwork. Then Meskhent approached him and said, "This is a king who
shall</p>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/p1-6.jpg" alt="p1-6.jpg" width-obs="100%" /><br/></div>
<p>reign over all the land." And Khnumu gave strength
to his limbs. Then Isis stood before her, and Nebhat stood behind her, and
Hakt helped her. And Isis said, "O child, by thy name of Sah-ra, stay not
in her." Then the child came upon her hands, a child of a cubit; its bones
were strong, the beauty of its limbs was like gold, and its hair was like
true lapis lazuli. They washed him, and prepared him, and layed him on a
carpet on the brickwork. Then Meskhent approached him and said, "This is a
king who shall reign over all the land." And Khnumu gave strength to his
limbs. Then Isis stood before her, and Nebhat stood behind her, and Hakt
helped her. And Isis said, "O child, by thy name of Kaku, remain not in
darkness in her." And the child came upon her hands, a child of a cubit;
its bones were strong, the beauty of its limbs was like gold, and its hair
was like true lapis lazuli. And Meskhent approached him and said, "This is
a king who shall reign over all the land." And Khnumu gave
strength to his limbs. And they washed him, and prepared him, and layed
him on a carpet on the brickwork. And the
deities went out, having delivered Rud-didet of the three children. And
they said, "Rejoice! O Ra-user, for behold three children are born unto
thee." And he said unto them, "My ladies, and what shall I give unto ye?
Behold, give this bushel of barley here unto your porter, that ye may take
it as your reward to the brew-house." And Khnumu loaded himself with the
bushel of barley. And they went away toward the place from which they
came. And Isis spake unto these goddesses, and said, "Wherefore have we
come without doing a marvel for these children, that we may tell it to
their father who has sent us?" Then made they the divine diadems of the
king (life, wealth, and health), and laid them in the bushel of barley.
And they caused the clouds to come with wind and</p>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/p1-7.jpg" alt="p1-7.jpg" width-obs="100%" /><br/></div>
<p>rain; and they turned back again unto the house.
And they said, "Let us put this barley in a closed chamber, sealed up,
until we return northward, dancing." And they placed the barley in a close
chamber. And Rud-didet purified herself,
with a purification of fourteen days. And she said to her handmaid, "Is
the house made ready?" And she replied, "All things are made ready, but
the brewing barley is not yet brought." And Rud-didet said, "Wherefore is
the brewing barley not yet brought? " And the servant answered, " It would
all of it long since be ready if the barley had not been given to the
dancing-girls, and lay in the chamber under their seal." Rud didet said,
"Go down, and bring of it, and Ra-user shall give them in its stead when
he shall come," And the handmaid went, and opened the chamber. And she
heard talking and singing, music and dancing, quavering, and all things
which are performed for a king in his chamber. And she returned and told
to Rud-didet all that she had heard. And she went
through the chamber, but she found not the place where the sound was. And
she layed her temple to the sack, and found that the sounds were in it.
She placed it in a chest, and put that in another locker, and tied it fast
with leather, and layed it in the store-room, where the things were, and
sealed it. And Ra-user came returning from the field; and Rud-didet
repeated unto him these things; and his heart was glad above all things;
and they sat down and made a joyful day. And
after these days it came to pass that Rud-didet was wroth with her
servant, and beat her with stripes. And the servant said unto those that
were in the house, "Shall it be done thus unto me? She has borne three
kings, and I will go and tell this to his majesty King Khufu the blessed."
And she went, and found the eldest brother of her mother, who was binding
his flax on the floor. And he said to</p>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/p1-8.jpg" alt="p1-8.jpg" width-obs="100%" /><br/></div>
<p>her, "Whither goest thou, my little maid?" And she
told him of all these things. And her brother said to her, "Wherefore
comest thou thus to me? Shall I agree to treachery? " And he took a bunch
of the flax to her, and laid on her a violent blow. And the servant went
to fetch a handful of water, and a crocodile carried her away.
Her uncle went therefore to tell of this to
Rud-didet; and he found Rud-didet sitting, her head on her knees, and her
heart beyond measure sad. And he said to her, "My lady, why makest thou
thy heart thus?" And she answered, "It is because of this little wretch
that was in the house; behold she went out saying, 'I will go and tell
it.'" And he bowed his head unto the ground, and said, "My lady, she came
and told me of these things, and made her complaint unto me; and I laid on
her a violent blow. And she went forth to draw water, and a crocodile
carried her away." <i>(The rest of the tale
is lost.]</i></p>
<hr />
<p><br/></p>
<h2>REMARKS</h2>
<p> The tales or the magicians are only
preserved in a single copy, and of that the beginning is entirely lost.
The papyrus was brought from Egypt by an English traveller, and was
purchased by the Berlin Museum from the property of Lepsius, who had
received it from the owner, Miss Westcar: hence it is known as the Westcar
papyrus. It was written probably in the XIIth Dynasty, but doubtless
embodied tales, which had been floating for generations before, about the
names of the early kings. It shows us probably the kind of material that
existed for the great recension of the pre-monu-mental history, made in
the time of Seti I. Those ages of the first three dynasties were as long
before that recension as we are after it; and this must always be
remembered in considering the authority of the Egyptian records.
This papyrus has been more thoroughlystudied than most, perhaps more than any other.
Erman has devoted two volumes to it; publishing the whole in photographic
facsimile, transcribed in hieroglyphs, transcribed in the modern alphabet,
translated literally, translated freely, commented on and discussed word
by word, and with a complete glossary of all words used in it. This
exhaustive publication is named "Der Marchen des Papyrus Westcar."
Moreover, Maspero has given a current translation in the "Contes
Populaires," 2nd edit. pp. 53-86. The
scheme of these tales is that they are all told to King Khufu by his sons;
and as the beginning is lost, eight lines are here added to explain this
and introduce the subject. The actual papyrus begins with the last few
words of a previous tale concerning some other magician under an earlier
king. Then comes the tale of Khafra, next that of Bau-f-ra, and lastly
that of Hor-dedef.</p>
<p><br/></p>
<p>It need hardly be said that these tales are quite
fictitious. The king and his successor Khafra are real, but the other sons
cannot be identified; and the confusion of supposing three kings of the
Vth Dynasty to be triplets born early in the IVth Dynasty, shows what very
vague ideas of their own history the Egyptians had when these tales were
formed. This does not prevent our seeing that they embodied some very
important traditions, and gives us an unequalled picture of the early
civilisation. In the earliest tale or the
three there seems at first sight merely a sketch of faithlessness and
revenge. But [Page 10] there is probably much more in it. To read it
aright we must bear in mind the position of woman in ancient Egypt. If, in
later ages, Islam has gone to the extreme of the man determining his own divorce at a word, in early times almost
the opposite system prevailed. All property belonged to the woman; all
that a man could earn, or inherit, was made over to his wife; and families
always reckoned back further on the mother's side than the father's. As
the changes in historical times have been in the direction of men's
rights, it is very unlikely that this system of female predominance was
invented or introduced, but rather that it descends from primitive times.
In this tale we see, then, at the beginning of our knowledge of the
country, the clashing of two different social systems. The reciter is
strong for men's rights, he brings destruction on the wife, and never even
gives her name, but always calls her merely "the wife of Uba-aner." But
behind all this there is probably the remains of a very different system.
The servant employed by the mistress seems to see nothing outrageous in
her proceedings; and even the steward, who is on the master's
side, waits a day or two before reporting matters. When we remember the
supremacy in properly and descent which women held in Egypt, and then read
this tale, it seems that it belongs to the close of a social system like
that of the Nairs, in which the lady makes her selection—with
variations from time to time. The incident of sending a present of
clothing is curiously like the tale about a certain English envoy, whose
proprieties were sadly ruffled in the Nair country, when a lady sent him a
grand shawl with an intimation of her choice. The priestesses of Amen
retained to the last this privilege of choice, as being under divine, and
not human protection; but it seems to have become unseemly in late times.
The hinging of this tale, and of those that follow
it, upon the use of magic, shows how thoroughly the belief in magic powers was ingrained in the Egyptians. Now such a
belief implies the presence of magicians, and shows how familiar must have
been the claim to such powers, and the practising of the tricks of
witchcraft, so prevalent in Africa in modern times. The efficacy of a
model, such as this crocodile of wax, is an idea continually met with in
Egypt. The system of tomb furniture and decoration, of <i>ka</i> statues,
of <i>ushabtis</i> or figures to work for the deceased, and the models
placed in foundation deposits, all show how a model was supposed to have
the efficacy of an actual reality. Even in the latest tale of all (written
in Ptolemaic times), Setnau makes a model of a boat and men, to be sunk in
the river to work for him. The reconversion of the crocodile to wax, on
being taken up by the magician, reminds us of the serpent becoming again a
rod when taken up by Aaron. The punishment
of burning alive is very rarely, if ever, mentioned in Egyptian history,
though it occurs in modern Egyptian tales: and it looks as if it were
brought in here rather as a dire horror for the climax than as a probable
incident. The place of the penalty, in front of the harem, or the private
portion of the palace, was evidently for the intimidation of other ladies.
At the close of each tale, King Khufu, to whom it
is told, orders funerary offerings by the usual formula, to be presented
in honour of the king under whom the wonder took place. On the tablets of
the tombs in the early times, there is usually recorded the offering—or,
rather, the pious desire that there should be offered—thousands of
loaves, of oxen, of gazelles, of cranes, &c., for a deceased person.
Such expression cost no more by the thousand than by the dozen, so
thousands came to be the usual expression in all ordaining of offerings.</p>
<p>We are so accustomed to think of tedium as
something modern, that it seems strange to find in the oldest tales [Page
16] in the world how the first king of whom we know anything was bored by
his pleasures. A reward for discovering a new pleasure is the very basis
of the tale of Sneferu; and the wise man's remedy of a day in the country
is still the best resource, though all that we know as human history has
tried its experiments in enjoyment since then. The flavour of the ballet
thrown in, by the introduction of the damsels of the household clad in
fishing nets, is not yet obsolete in modern amusements; and even in this
century Muhammed Ali had resource to the same way of killing time, as he
was rowed about by his <i>harem,</i> but on an artificial lake.
The use of two large oars for steering explains
the detail of the story. The oars were one on each side of the stern, and
were each managed by a steerer. From the tale we
see that the steerer led the song of the rowers, and if the leader ceased,
all that side of the boat ceased also.. The position of the lost jewel
upon the hair shows that it was in a fillet set with inlaying, like that
seen on early figures, such as Nefert at Medum, who wears a fillet of
rosettes to retain the hair; and the position of the steering oar attached
to a post, with the handle rising high in the air, explains how it could
strike the fillet and displace the jewel. The
last tale is really double, a tale within a tale. It begins with the
wonders done by Dedi, and then goes on
with the [Page 22] history or the children
about whom he prophesied to Khufu.
The village of Dedi was probably near Medum, as in
the temple of Sneferu at Medum an offering was found presented by a
worshipper to the gods of Ded-sneferu:</p>
<p>hence the background which is here given for the
scene of Hordedef leading old Dedi. The translation of "the designs of the
dwelling of Tahuti" is not certain; but the passage seems to refer to some
architectural plan which was desired for the pyramid. The story of Rud-didet is remarkable historically. She
is said to be wife of the priest of Ra, her children are sons of Ra, and
they are the first three kings of the Vth dynasty, and supplanted the line
of Khufu. This points to the Vth Dynasty having been a priestly
usurpation; and on looking at its history we see two confirmations of
this. The title "Son of Ra" is so common in most ages in Egypt that it is
taken for granted, and is applied in lists to any second cartouche; but it
is not found until well into the Vth Dynasty; the earlier kings were not
descendants of Ra, and it is only on arriving at this dynasty, which
claimed descent from Ra, through the wife of the priest of Ra, that we find the claim of
each king to be a "son of Ra." Another confirmation of this priestly
descent is the abundance of priesthoods established for the kings of the
Vth Dynasty; a care which agrees with their having a priestly origin;
while in the tale it is particularly said that they would build up the
temples, furnish the altars with offerings, supply the tables of
libations, and increase the religious endowments. The names of the three children are a play upon the
names of the first three kings of the Vth Dynasty. User-kaf is made into
User-ref; Sahu-ra is written Sah-ra; and Kaka is Kaku; thus making
allusions to their births. The comparison of the hair to true lapis lazuli
seems very strange; but there is often a confusion between black aind blue
in uneducated races, and <i>azrak</i> means either dark blue or green, or
black, at present in Arabic. Lapis lazuli is brought in to the name of the
queen of Ramessu VI., who was called "gold and lazuli," <i>Nub-khesdeb;</i>
recalling the comparison here of personal beauty to these precious
materials. It is noticeable here that in a
tale of the Vth Dynasty, certainly written as early as the XlIth Dynasty,
we find professional dancers commonly recognised, and going on travels
through the country, with a porter. From
this tale we also learn that Egyptian women underwent a purification of
fourteen days, during which they kept apart and did not attend to any
household matters. The mistress of the house here inquires if the
preparations are made for the feast on her return to household affairs;
and hears then how the beer cannot be made for lack of the barley.
The securing of the sack is just in accord with
the remains of this early period; the use of boxes, of thongs of leather
for tying and of clay sealings for securing property, were all familiar
matters in the XlIth Dynasty, as we learn from Kahun.</p>
<p>The present close of the tale is evidently only a
stage in it, when the treacherous maid meets with the common doom of the
wicked in Egyptian romance. How it was continued is a matter of
speculation, but Khufu ought certainly to reappear and to order great
rewards for Dedi, who up to this has only had maintenance on his requisite
scale provided for him. Yet it is imperative that the children shall be
saved from his wrath, as they are the kings of the Vth Dynasty. There may
be a long episode lost of their flight and adventures. One reference to a date needs notice. The 25th of the
month Tybi is said to be the predicted birthday of the children; and Khufu
refers to going to Sakhebu about that time apparently, when the banks of
the canal are cut and the land was drying after the inundation, whereon
Dedi threatens that the water shall still be deep there. This points to
25th Tybi being about the close of the inundation. This would be about the case both in the beginning of the IVth
Dynasty, and also in the XIIth Dynasty, when the papyrus was perhaps
written: hence there is nothing conclusive to be drawn from this allusion
so far. But when we compare this tale with those following, we see good
ground for its belonging to a time before the XIIth Dynasty The following
tale of the peasant and the workman evidently belongs to the IXth or Xth
Dynasties, when Herakleopolis was the capital, and Sanehat is certainly of
the XIIth Dynasty. Yet in those we see character and incident made the
basis of interest, in place of the childish profusion of marvels of the
Tales of the Magicians. It seems impossible not to suppose that they
belong to very different ages and canons of taste; and hence we cannot
refer the crudities ot the Khufu tales to the time of the far more
elaborate and polished recital of the adventures of Sanehat in the XIIth
Dynasty. Being thus obliged to suppose an earlier date for these tales,
the allusion to the month Tybi throws us back to a
very early period—the IVth Dynasty —for their original
outlines. Doubtless they were modified by reciters, and probably took
shape in the Vth or VIth Dynasties; but yet we must regard them as
belonging practically to the age to which they refer.</p>
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