The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion (Third Edition, Vol. 11 of 12)Frazer, James George
Religion
The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion (Third Edition, Vol. 11 of 12)
Frazer, James George
Magic; Mythology; Religion; Superstition
behind the door, his knife in his hand. So he fled and his brother pursued
him with the knife. But the younger brother cried for help to the Sun, and
the Sun heard him and caused a great water to spring up between him and
his elder brother, and the water was full of crocodiles. The two brothers
stood, the one on the one side of the water and the other on the other,
and the younger brother told the elder brother all that had befallen. So
the elder brother repented him of what he had done and he lifted up his
voice and wept. But he could not come at the farther bank by reason of the
crocodiles. His younger brother called to him and said, “Go home and tend
the cattle thyself. For I will dwell no more in the place where thou art.
I will go to the Valley of the Acacia. But this is what thou shalt do for
me. Thou shalt come and care for me, if evil befalls me, for I will
enchant my heart and place it on the top of the flower of the Acacia; and
if they cut the Acacia and my heart falls to the ground, thou shalt come
and seek it, and when thou hast found it thou shalt lay it in a vessel of
fresh water. Then I shall come to life again. But this is the sign that
evil has befallen me; the pot of beer in thine hand shall bubble.” So he
went away to the Valley of the Acacia, but his brother returned home with
dust on his head and slew his wife and cast her to the dogs.
(M108) For many days afterwards the younger brother dwelt alone in the
Valley of the Acacia. By day he hunted the beasts of the field, but at
evening he came and laid him down under the Acacia, on the top of whose
flower was his heart. And many days after that he built himself a house in
the Valley of the Acacia. But the gods were grieved for him; and the Sun
said to Khnumu, “Make a wife for Bata, that he may not dwell alone.” So
Khnumu made him a woman to dwell with him, who was perfect in her limbs
more than any woman on earth, for all the gods were in her. So she dwelt
with him. But one day a lock of her hair fell into the river and floated
down to the land of Egypt, to the house of Pharaoh’s washerwomen. The
fragrance of the lock perfumed Pharaoh’s raiment, and the washerwomen were
blamed, for it was said, “An odour of perfume in the garments of Pharaoh!”
So the heart of Pharaoh’s chief washerman was weary of the complaints that
were made every day, and he went to the wharf, and there in the water he
spied the lock of hair. He sent one down into the river to fetch it, and,
because it smelt sweetly, he took it to Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh’s magicians
were sent for and they said, “This lock of hair belongs to a daughter of
the Sun, who has in her the essence of all the gods. Let messengers go
forth to all foreign lands to seek her.” So the woman was brought from the
Valley of the Acacia with chariots and archers and much people, and all
the land of Egypt rejoiced at her coming, and Pharaoh loved her. But when
they asked her of her husband, she said to Pharaoh, “Let them cut down the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account