Egyptian Magic, Meggido graves & Helen of Troy

From My Fantasy Writing Desk:

Learning Magic

I’ve been reading about Egyptian magic as I do the research that underpins the third book in the Tesha series. The Egaryan (my rename of Egyptian) characters in this book have decided to drag me into their magical traditions, so I’m loading up my brain. Both Egyptians and Hittites viewed their gods as natural sources of magical power—just part of how the cosmos worked, but the differences between the two cultures’ views of magic outnumber the similarities.

I’ve noticed that Egyptian mortals who command magic gain it primarily by reading books. Some stories mention exceptional people who have something supernatural built in by birth or nature (and then they sound suspiciously like minor gods), but for the most part “magicians” are a kind of priest with access to libraries and who teach others. The more they study the stronger their magic.

The Egyptians had a word for magic, heka, that is neutral. Heka is supposed to be used for good, to bring about justice, but in the hands of a villain, it can be turned to nefarious purposes. While many cultures view magic or sorcery as intrinsically suspicious—Hittites among them—the Egyptians don’t.

All of this may explain why Egyptians viewed magic as suitable for entertainment. No self-respecting Hittite ruler would invite a priest with great magical powers to come to the palace and put on a show, but apparently this was a thing among the Egyptians.

Story time

Here’s a story very loosely adapted from the Westcar Papyrus:

One day when Pharaoh Khufu was bored, he required a certain Djedi to perform the feat of restoring a severed head of a human. The good news is, Djedi refused to use a human subject—interesting that the magician, not the ruler, was the one with a strong moral sensibility. Instead he started with two birds and an ox, eventually even taking on a lion. Djedi worked this rather remarkable magic by saying spells. He didn’t have any figurines or other “props” although there are some great examples of such things in the Egyptian corpus.

I don’t anticipate at this moment using a magician who can restore decapitated heads, but it is a fine idea to store away. As a writer of historical fantasy, you never know when you need such a thing.

Archaeology I Enjoyed:

Unexpected Bronze Age Grave Contents

Some rather extraordinary evidence has come from two Bronze Age graves excavated at Meggido, the Biblical city known as Armageddon—as reported in Science Magazine from ASOR’s annual meeting presentations. The archaeologists concluded the dead are royal or highly elite based on the gold diadems and other jewelry found and the elaborate if cramped vaulted burial chamber.

When scientists tested three jugs for residues, they found the surprising chemical components of vanilla. This exotic flavoring could only get to the Middle East from some far-flung trade routes. More and more, archaeology is exposing such long-distance trade, so here’s another confirmation. But this is a stranger one. Vanilla grows on orchids in a number of places. Previously evidence of domestication and use of vanilla had been found only in Mesoamerica until the Spanish brought it back from Mexico in the 16^th century CE. But if the find of vanilla is confirmed in this burial in 1600 BCE, then it has to come from Africa or India. There was an active trade route with India, but no evidence of the use of vanilla there at this time. A cool mystery that I’m sure we’ll hear more on.

Also intriguing was the high level of medical care evidenced by the graves. Two brothers appear to have had leprosy and show signs of attentive care on a daily basis to feed them despite weak jawbones from the disease. No ostracizing for them, such as we see in later history. One of the young men had undergone trepanation, a procedure that cuts a window into the skull. The surgery showed fine precision and expertise, although the degree of healing indicates the man died within a month. Trepanation was done to treat both physical and spiritual disorders in the ancient world. There’s some uncomfortable food for thought.

Archaeologists also found another sign related to far-flung connections in the ancient world. Among the graves near the humble houses—not the palace like the ones discussed above—DNA study revealed people from what is now Armenia. Long distance travel involved more than the elite families. It’s interesting to guess what forces brought about the immigration. Click here for Science Magazine “In biblical city of Armageddon, signs of early vanilla and elaborate medical care”

Seeing Helen at the British Museum

Here’s an 18 min video from FB of Bettany Hughes and a British Museum curator walking through the Troy exhibit and discussing all the many views of Helen as they look at the pieces in the exhibit portraying her. I love Bettany’s understanding of Helen—no simpering woman without a will or a way. This is a fun glimpse of one angle of this giant exhibit. Many thanks to Laura Kelley for this link. Click here for the British Museum’s video posted on Facebook