Legends of the Gods: The Egyptian Texts, edited with TranslationsBudge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir
General
Legends of the Gods: The Egyptian Texts, edited with Translations
Budge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir
Egyptian literature -- Translations into English; Mythology, Egyptian
XVII. At the first place where she stopped, and when she believed that
she was alone, she opened the chest, and laying her face upon that of
her dead husband, she embraced him and wept bitterly. Then, seeing
that the little boy had silently stolen up behind her, and had found
out the reason of her grief, she turned upon him suddenly, and, in her
anger, gave him so fierce and terrible a look that he died of fright
immediately. Others say that his death did not happen in this manner,
but, as already hinted, that he fell into the sea. Afterwards he
received the greatest honour on account of the goddess, for this
Maneros, whom the Egyptians so frequently call upon at their banquets,
is none other than he. This story is contradicted by those who tell us
that the true name of this child was Palaestinus, or Pelusius, and that
the city of this name was built by the goddess in memory of him. And
they further add that this Maneros is thus honoured by the Egyptians at
their feasts because he was the first who invented music. Others again
state that Maneros is not the name of any particular person, but a were
customary form of complimentary greeting which the Egyptians use
towards each other at their more solemn feasts and banquets, meaning no
more by it than to wish "that what they were then about might prove
fortunate and happy to them." This is the true import of the word. In
like manner they say that the human skeleton which is carried about in
a box on festal occasions, and shown to the guests, is not designed, as
some imagine, to represent the particular misfortunes of Osiris, but
rather to remind them of their mortality, and thereby to excite them
freely to make use of and to enjoy the good things which are set before
them, seeing that they must quickly become such as they there saw.
This is the true reason for introducing the skeleton at their banquets.
But to proceed with the narrative.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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