Egyptian Tales, Translated from the Papyri: First series, IVth to XIIth dynastyPetrie, W. M. Flinders (William Matthew Flinders)
General
Egyptian Tales, Translated from the Papyri: First series, IVth to XIIth dynasty
Petrie, W. M. Flinders (William Matthew Flinders)
Egyptian literature -- Translations into English
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 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."
_(The rest of the tale is lost.)_
Remarks
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 thoroughly studied 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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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