jjares reviewed African Myths and Egyptian Gods: A Captivating Guide to African Mythology and Gods of Ancient Egypt on + 3263 more book reviews
This is the combination of two of Captivating History's winning productions offered recently. The first is about the unique African myths that come from many independent tribes and cultures. The second is about the Egyptian gods and how they changed over the centuries. Overall score: 4.5 stars.
African Myths --
Of all the books I've read this year, this has to be the most unique. I did not know that there are 54 African countries and over 3000 different cultures there. The author has taken 10 African folktales to share with the reader. Most of these stories have been transmitted orally for many generations.
The tales are of differing kinds: animal tricksters, hero tales, cautionary stories, and stories that show Arab and Islam influences. I was fascinated to learn that in Africa, they have the concept of owning stories and one must get permission to tell another's story. Thank you to the author for offering helpful explanations before each story. Because other cultures have different attitudes about life and death, those explanations are critical to understanding what is offered.
Egyptian Gods --
Probably one of the most important facts of this book: The pharaohs were thought to be the sons of a deity; so Egyptian religion was closely involved with politics. Religion changed according to the pharaoh's beliefs. However, a pharaoh could move too rapidly for his population and be accused of heresy. We all know of Akhenaten's drastic changes that were reversed by his son, Tutankhamun.
There is a huge pantheon of gods for the Egyptians. The gods and goddesses changed their roles over the centuries. Thus, this book is an effort to explain the most significant gods and goddesses of the Egyptians. Thanks for the timeline; it helped place events and characters in a time reference. I referred to it often. The book offers an impressive bibliography and even endnotes.
African Myths --
Of all the books I've read this year, this has to be the most unique. I did not know that there are 54 African countries and over 3000 different cultures there. The author has taken 10 African folktales to share with the reader. Most of these stories have been transmitted orally for many generations.
The tales are of differing kinds: animal tricksters, hero tales, cautionary stories, and stories that show Arab and Islam influences. I was fascinated to learn that in Africa, they have the concept of owning stories and one must get permission to tell another's story. Thank you to the author for offering helpful explanations before each story. Because other cultures have different attitudes about life and death, those explanations are critical to understanding what is offered.
Egyptian Gods --
Probably one of the most important facts of this book: The pharaohs were thought to be the sons of a deity; so Egyptian religion was closely involved with politics. Religion changed according to the pharaoh's beliefs. However, a pharaoh could move too rapidly for his population and be accused of heresy. We all know of Akhenaten's drastic changes that were reversed by his son, Tutankhamun.
There is a huge pantheon of gods for the Egyptians. The gods and goddesses changed their roles over the centuries. Thus, this book is an effort to explain the most significant gods and goddesses of the Egyptians. Thanks for the timeline; it helped place events and characters in a time reference. I referred to it often. The book offers an impressive bibliography and even endnotes.
