Dreams and Nightmares in Antient Aegypt
[in transliteration, /j/ is /used for /i,/, as in German]
terminology
p. |
term |
11, fn. 1 |
"using the word ‘farworld’ here in place of the usual ‘netherworld’ or ‘underworld’." |
15 |
/RSW-t/ ‘dream’ (1st Intermediate Period), /rasou/ (Coptic) |
16 |
/RS/ ‘to awaken’ (intransitive) |
Akkadian /s^uttu/ ‘dream’, /s^ittu/ ‘sleep’ |
|
/QD/ ‘sleep’ [‘meditation’ (p. 151)], /QDD/ ‘slumber’ (Middle Egyptian) |
|
/SDR/ ‘lying down’ |
|
20 |
"Homeric dreamers spoke of seeing a dream, not of having one ... . ... The ancient Egyptian saw (m33) the dream". {would this emphasis imply awareness of rapid-eye-movements during dreams?} |
79 |
/PHR/ ‘circumambulation’ |
123 |
/3H^/ ‘justified’ |
/MW-t/ ‘unjustified’ |
|
/NTR/ ‘god’ |
|
125 |
/MRW-t/ ‘love’ |
/WPW-t/ ‘message’ |
|
127 |
/JTRW/ ‘river’ |
129 |
/J3W-t/ ‘cattle’ |
131 |
/H.TP/ ‘merciful’ |
132 |
/BT3/ ‘crime’ |
134 |
/T3J-t/ ‘stealing’ |
136 |
/HRW/ ‘day’ |
/JB/ ‘mind’ [‘self’ (p. 137)] |
|
165 |
/TMS/ ‘ailment’ |
eyen open in sleep
p. 16 "the determinative is again D6, the open eye with make-up ..., indicating ... the connotation of qd". |
{cf. "Endymion, who is ... lying asleep with his eyes open. (Arnobius ... V, 7) Licymnios of Chios explains ... that Hypnos fell in love with the youth and left his eyes open so as to be able to see with them. The same phenomenon may be noted on the oldest known sarcophagus of Adonis." (THNT, vol. 3, p. 433)} |
ThDNT = Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans Publ, 1966.
epistles to the dead
p. |
epistles |
22 |
"when the sleeper is temporarily in the primeval ocean of Nun {cf. [Vajra-yana] ocean of "clear light"}, and he awakens in a dream, he finds himself within the confines of the farworld, and able to interact with the other inhabitants." "The first reference to dreams appears in the Letters to the Dead. These texts ... date from the Old to the new Kingdom ... were often written on pottery vessels, and left in the tombs. ... Most of these letters, particularly the earliest ones, are written on offering bowls ... of tasty offerings." |
23 |
"these missives are addressed to the dead, and not to the gods. The dead themselves are in contact with gods ... . ... These divinities include ‘Ha, Lord of the West’, ‘Anubis, Lord of Burial’, ‘Osiris, Foremost Lord of the Westerners’, ‘Hathor, Lady of the Horizon’, ... ‘Lords of the ... Nome’ ... ." |
influences in world of the dead
26 |
"oracular amuletic decrees of the Third Intermediate Period ... worn like a necklace ... mention ... promises to keep away any evil eye, ... the eye of a dead person ... . ... in BD 108 (CT 160) ... Apophis ‘turns his eye toward Re’, thus causing the Sacred Barque to halt. Seth, as protector of the barque, speaks ... ‘... you who see from afar, just close your eye!’ " |
27 |
"Book of the Dead spell 110 ... lists a number of specific towns or regions in the farworld." "Sleepers are occasionally mentioned (the Book of Night is one such example), but these sleepers are already deceased; they will waken when the sun-god goes by, and then go back to sleep again." |
contents of the Ra<mes^s^ide Dream-Book
p. |
contents |
73 |
"the final section begins with the heading ‘BEGINNING OF THE DREAMS of the followers of Seth’ ... . The first portion of the papyrus is missing, but it is possible that it began with a description of ... ‘follower of Horus’ ". |
76 |
"In the first section, the 139 dreams interpreted as good omens are listed first (r. 1.12-6.25), then 83 negative omens (r. 7.1-10.9). This is immediately followed by a protective spell to ward off the effects of a bad dream (r. 10.10-19) ... . The description of the Sethian type of man is found in r. 11.1-18, and a listing of four good dreams (r. 11.19-23) ... ." |
pp. 77-96 the Ra<mes^s^ide Dream-Book : of favorable prognosis
p. |
r. __ |
dream |
its prognostication |
77 |
1.1-11 |
[missing] |
[missing] |
1.12 |
? |
? |
|
1.13 |
? |
giving |
|
1.14 |
? |
? |
|
1.15 |
? |
which will happen |
|
1.16 |
? |
? |
|
1.17 |
? |
? |
|
1.18 |
? |
his god |
|
1.19 |
? |
something |
|
78 |
1.20 |
? |
pretious thing |
1.21 |
? |
is prosperous of things |
|
1.22 |
? |
sustenance |
|
1.23 |
? |
will fill |
|
1.24 |
? |
sickness will be removed |
|
1.25 |
? |
? |
|
2.1 |
mouth is broken (sd) |
god will break (sd) heart |
|
2.2 |
eating tigre-nuts (Cyperus esculentus, w<h.) |
governing townspeople |
|
79 |
2.3 |
crane (d3-t) |
prosperity (wd3) |
2.4 |
honey-jar with cover |
something by his god |
|
2.5 |
townsfolk encircling him (circumambulation) |
? |
|
2.6 |
chewing waterlily-leaves (jnh.3s) |
will enjoy something |
|
2.7 |
shooting at target |
something will happen |
|
2.8 |
receiving copper (h.mtj) |
will be exalted |
|
2.9 |
his woman (h.m) to a married man |
will retreat (h.m) |
|
80 |
2.10 |
? |
great |
2.11 |
his penis hath enlarged |
increase of possessions |
|
2.12 |
bow in hand |
receive important office |
|
2.13 |
dying from back-wound (d3y) |
living after father |
|
2.14 |
"god who is above" |
great meal |
|
2.15 |
son-of-earth (s3-t3) snake [son of GB – Pyr 689b] [p. 81 against S^W – CT 885] [p. 81 2-legged – BD 87] |
meal {is the meal the forbidden fruit of sycamore? [in Pyr 689, s3-t3 is at sycamore (p. 87)]} |
|
81 |
2.16 |
entering his |
disputes will be dismantled |
2.17 |
beer [cf. nd3d3-yt beer] |
surging (nd3d3) emotions |
|
82 |
2.18 |
? |
great feasting |
2.19 |
reducing? |
reducing (h^b) |
|
2.20 |
mouth filled with earth |
eating off fellow-citizens |
|
2.21 |
consuming flesh of donkey (<3) |
will become great (s<3) |
|
2.22 |
consuming flesh of crocodile [cf. 2.22] |
consuming the possessions of an official |
|
2.23 |
upon a sycamore (nht3-t) |
will lose (nhy) |
|
2.24 |
looking through a window |
call will be heard by his god |
|
83 |
2.25 |
homage-praesent |
call will be heard |
2.26 |
upon a roof |
something will be found |
|
3.1 |
pond? |
road will tilt |
|
3.2 |
mourning (g3s) |
multiplying of possessions [should be : road will tilt (g3s] |
|
3.3 |
hair hath lengthened |
face will brighten [should be (p. 84) : multiplying of possessions] |
|
84 |
3.4 |
bread-white (t-h.d) |
face will brighten (h.d) |
3.5 |
drinking wine |
living according to truth |
|
3.6 |
sailing downstream |
tying |
|
3.7 |
copulating with his mother |
will be joined by clansfolk |
|
3.8 |
copulating with his sister |
something will be assigned |
|
3.9 |
upon dom-palm |
joy of his k3 |
|
85 |
3.10 |
uplifted fingers |
provided by his god |
3.11 |
with a blow |
something to him |
|
3.12 |
ape (s^sr) |
heart |
|
3.13 |
seeing a dead bull |
enemies |
|
3.14 |
? |
overthrow |
|
3.15 |
send far [a message] |
great |
|
3.16 |
woman |
against a wife by husband |
|
3.17 |
"being given a head’ |
in order to speak |
|
3.18 |
? |
? |
|
3.19 |
donkey |
? |
|
3.20 |
being very discreet |
? |
|
86 |
3.21 |
going forth a leg |
? |
3.22 |
? |
? |
|
3.23 |
? |
? |
|
3.24 |
copulating |
? |
|
3.25 |
? |
? |
|
4.1 |
killing snakes |
disputes will be killed |
|
4.2 |
face as panther |
acting as chief |
|
4.3 |
large cat [Great Cat in CT 335 & BD 17 are identified as R<] |
large harvest |
|
4.4 |
drinking wine [cf. 3.5] |
mouth will be open |
|
87 |
4.5 |
binding people who are netted in the night |
speech will be taken away from his enemies |
4.6 |
ferrying in a ferry-boat |
going forth of all disputes |
|
4.7 |
sitting on a sycamore tree [cf. Pyr 916 gods sit on sycamore] |
badness will be driven out |
|
4.8 |
killing a bull |
enemies will be killed |
|
88 |
4.9 |
Busiris |
great old age |
4.10 |
mixing dates |
victuals will be found |
|
4.11 |
climbing up a mast |
will be elevated by his god |
|
4.12 |
tearing own clothes |
freed from all badness |
|
4.13 |
dead |
long life |
|
4.14 |
binding own legs |
dwelling with fellow-citizens |
|
4.15 |
falling off a wall |
outcome of quarrel |
|
4.16 |
cutting up a bull |
opponent will be killed |
|
89 |
4.17 |
fetching jars out of the water |
life of abundance |
4.18 |
writing |
established in office |
|
4.19 |
herbs of field |
sustenance for father |
|
4.20 |
taking dates |
victuals as gift of his god |
|
4.21 |
ploughing emmer |
something |
|
4.22 |
giving one’s self victuals of the temple |
life will be assigned to him by his god |
|
4.23 |
sailing in a boat |
dwelling with fellow citizens |
|
4.24 |
bones? |
sustenance of the palace |
|
4.25 |
? |
will assign to him |
|
90 |
5.1 |
in the field |
giving to him |
5.2 |
river |
will be heard by his god |
|
5.3 |
blood? |
end to his enemies |
|
5.4 |
milk |
much food |
|
5.5 |
urine |
something belonging to his daughter will be consumed |
|
5.6 |
silver and gold |
much food of the palace |
|
5.7 |
against his finger |
receiving cattle |
|
5.8 |
stone |
receiving something |
|
5.9 |
papyrus scroll |
established in own home |
|
91 |
5.10 |
cutting up a female hippopotamus |
much food of the palace |
5.11 |
crocodiles |
acting as official |
|
5.12 |
? |
food of the palalce |
|
5.13 |
sitting in a garden of sunlight |
pleasure |
|
5.14 |
removing a wall |
purification from badness |
|
5.15 |
faeces |
his possession will be consumed |
|
92 |
5.16 |
"breeding with a cow" / "making love with a cow" |
"happy day" / "day of love" |
5.17 |
consuming the flesh of a crocodile |
acting as an official |
|
5.18 |
paddling? water? |
prosperity |
|
5.19 |
immersing in the river |
being purified from badness |
|
5.20 |
lying down on the floor |
something of his will be consumed |
|
5.21 |
w<h. (tigre-nuts) [cf. 2.2] |
happy life |
|
5.22 |
the moon shining |
clemency to him of his god |
|
5.23 |
veiling (<fn) himself |
will drive away his enemies |
|
93 |
5.24 |
falling |
prosperity |
5.25 |
sawing wood |
his enemies are dead |
|
6.1 |
burying an old man |
prosperity |
|
6.2 |
cultivating herbs |
victuals will be found |
|
6.3 |
causing cattle to come in |
people will be assembled for him by his god |
|
6.4 |
working stone |
established in his house |
|
94 |
6.5 |
throwing own clothes on ground |
outcome of a dispute |
6.6 |
towing a boat |
landed well in his house |
|
6.7 |
threshing grain |
receiving life in house |
|
6.8 |
eating grapes |
receiving something of one’s own |
|
6.9 |
planting gourds |
good life as his god’s gift |
|
6.10 |
writing |
life good |
|
6.11 |
burying alive |
lively prosperity |
|
6.12 |
breaking into |
receiving wife |
|
6.13 |
binding |
receiving house in the end |
|
6.14 |
h.q3y-t blossom |
prosperity |
|
95 |
6.15 |
plundering |
will be satisfied |
6.16 |
eating |
food |
|
6.17 |
chewing |
something will happen |
|
6.18 |
barley and emmer in the beyond |
will be protected by his god |
|
6.19 |
weak |
find enemies |
|
6.20 |
receive material (wd) |
prosperity (wd3) |
|
6.21 |
praising |
will be justified before his god |
|
6.22 |
receiving |
estate will united |
|
6.23 |
mourning? tomb? |
possessions will be great |
|
96 |
6.24 |
nomads |
dead father will come |
6.25 |
with one greater than oneself |
exalted by own ability |
pp. 96-112 the Ra<mes^s^ide Dream-Book : of unfavorable prognosis
p. |
r. __ |
dream |
its prognostication |
96 |
7.1 |
entering temple of ‘female deity’ (ntr-t h.m-t) |
? |
7.2 |
eating sycamore figs |
pains |
|
7.3 |
copulating with h.dr-t [female aardwolf (p. 97)] |
judgement against him |
|
97 |
7.4 |
drinking warm beer |
suffering will come upon him |
7.5 |
eating the flesh of cattle |
something will happen to him |
|
7.6 |
chewing a melon (s^sp-t) |
disputes will happen |
|
7.7 |
stepping into msh^r |
conspiracy against him |
|
98 |
7.8 |
eating a gutted catfish |
will be seized by a crocodile |
7.9 |
chewing a d3j-plant |
debate (d3js) |
|
7.10 |
shank of his leg amputated |
judgement against him |
|
7.11 |
seeing own face in mirror |
another wife |
|
7.12 |
drive away his tears for god |
fighting |
|
99 |
7.13 |
with one side paralyzed (s^n) |
something taken away |
7.14 |
eating hot meat |
no justification |
|
7.15 |
shod with white sandals |
roaming the earth |
|
7.16 |
eating what he detesteth |
will eat unwittingly |
|
7.17 |
copulating with a woman (s-t h.m-t) |
mourning |
|
7.18 |
bitten by a hound (tsm) |
touched by magic {should be : "mourning"?} |
|
100 |
7.19 |
bitten by a snake (hf3w) |
a dispute against him {should be "touched by magic"?} |
7.20 |
measuring barley |
a dispute against him |
|
7.21 |
writing on papyrus roll |
his crimes will be reckoned by his god |
|
7.22 |
tossing about his house |
will be ill |
|
7.23 |
being enchanted (s^nj) by a spell (r3) |
mourning |
|
101 |
7.24 |
as helmsman of a boat |
judgement against him not justified |
7.25 |
bed goeth up in flames |
his wife will be expelled |
|
7.26 |
waving a rag (mny) {pennant?} |
will be challenged |
|
7.27 |
being pricked by a thorn |
telling lies |
|
7.28 |
catching of birds |
something of his will be carried off (nh.m) |
|
102 |
8.1 |
? |
? |
8.2 |
penis stiffening (nh^t) |
victory (nh^t) of his enemy |
|
8.3 |
sailing downstream |
life running backward (sh^h^) |
|
8.4 |
receiving a harp (bn-t) |
come to harm (bjn) |
|
8.5 |
looking into deep well |
be placed in prison |
|
103 |
8.6 |
flames coming against him |
he will be slaughtered |
8.7 |
removing his fingernails |
removing works of his hands |
|
8.8 |
potting |
will be in pain |
|
8.9 |
wings enfolding |
not justified before his god |
|
104 |
8.10 |
copulating with a kite ("boldly snatch ... the catch of a fisherman") |
something might be grabbed right out of his hand |
8.11 |
ostrich |
harm to him |
|
8.12 |
teeth falling out below |
underling will die |
|
8.13 |
dwarf (midget) |
taking away half his life |
|
8.14 |
fallen prostrate before the southern tribunal |
will be removed from office |
|
105 |
8.15 |
beaten by a willow |
funeral procession |
8.16 |
clothes are wet |
fighting |
|
8.17 |
shaving lower body |
mourning |
|
8.18 |
breaking apart stone |
his god is angry with him |
|
8.19 |
casting copper |
roaming the earth |
|
106 |
8.20 |
fattening the cattle |
" " " |
8.21 |
closing house |
repulsion |
|
8.22 |
snaring birds |
deprived of possessions |
|
8.23 |
notching sycamore figs |
dpression? |
|
8.24 |
building own house |
disputes against him |
|
8.25 |
carrying off temple items |
property confiscated |
|
8.26 |
placing incense on the flame (h^t) for the god |
power of the god against him |
|
107 |
8.27 |
throwing wood (h^t) |
harm will be brought into house |
9.1 |
seat? in his boat |
wife will be set aside |
|
9.2 |
being appointed an official |
death is approaching |
|
9.3 |
wearing Asiatic garment |
will be expelled from office |
|
9.4 |
people far away |
death is drawing near |
|
9.5 |
eating an egg |
something will be stolen |
|
108 |
9.6 |
anointing self with oil |
his people will be taken away from him |
9.7 |
harnessing a wagon |
insults against him |
|
9.8 |
sky raining |
disputes are coming |
|
9.9 |
"seeing a woman’s vulva (k3.t)" |
"backside" of minsery |
|
9.10 |
baring own rear-end |
will be poor |
|
109 |
9.11 |
eating figs and grapes |
pain |
9.12 |
pressing (h.m) wine |
possessions will be confiscated (nh.m) |
|
9.13 |
plastering house with yellow ochre |
his people will be taken away |
|
9.14 |
placing own face against floor |
requirements by yon ones |
|
9.15 |
fire |
son or brother will be taken away |
|
9.16 |
copulating with a pig |
possessions will be emptied |
|
9.17 |
sitting in the hold of a ship |
dragging of own heart |
|
110 |
9.18 |
drinking blood |
fighting |
9.19 |
cutting own hair |
something will be taken from house |
|
9.20 |
own face in water (reflection?) |
spending lifetime in another life |
|
9.21 |
weaving thread |
possessions will be confiscated |
|
9.22 |
copulating with wife in the daylight |
his crimes will be seen by the god |
|
9.23 |
brewing beer in house |
being turned away from own house |
|
9.24 |
pounding barley and emmer |
seeking from him |
|
111 |
9.25 |
building house for oneself |
contrary words ahead |
9.26 |
snatching the wood of a god from his hand |
own crimes will be discovered by his god |
|
9.27 |
guarding patras monkeys |
change is ahead |
|
9.28 |
bringing mice (pnw) from a field |
bad heart |
|
10.1 |
sailing downstream |
violent dispute |
|
10.2 |
eating faience |
strong dispute |
|
10.3 |
praeparing a shrine (h.by-t) |
crime will be brought to light |
|
112 |
10.4 |
tending small kids |
possessions will be lost |
10.5 |
measuring barley with a measuring-cup |
victuals will be regulated |
|
10.6 |
eating flesh of cattle |
fighting |
|
10.7 |
extinguishing |
possessions will be ended |
|
10.8 |
placing beer into jug |
something will be taken away from his house |
|
10.9 |
breaking a vessel with his feet |
fighting |
favorable dreams of the followers of SWTH
p. |
r. __ |
dream |
its prognostication |
113 |
11.20 |
carved-up billy-goat’s limbs are given to him |
? |
114 |
11.21 |
standing on high ground, holding sceptre |
? |
11.22 |
following behind a herd of billy-goats |
? |
|
11.23 |
throwing hay onto water |
elated |
{p. 127 5.2 JTRW implying "his call will be heard by his god" is similar to YiTRoW enabling his son-in-law Mos^eh to be heard by his God;
the author’s explanation is (by way of "see their king (the god incarnate), who would often bestow gifts to the public from his window.") in terms of "seeing in the dream and looking into the farworld." (cf. the [Radha Soami] visionary "Square Window" as means of gazing into the other world).}
myths; prayer
p. |
|
129 |
R< "wept again. The water from his eye ... transformed into a bee. As the bee was created, ... . This is how wax was created, and how honey was created." (P. Salt 825) |
131 |
"desire to go on a pilgrimage" : "I pray to Ra<, ... so that he may allow me to accompany Sokar in Restau on the day of the walking around on the wall (TR O77, C1-ff)." |
p. 150 animals remarked on in the ‘Statue-ritual’
pronouncement |
remark concerning animal |
"Your father should not distance himself from you." |
WNW falcon |
"the spider has caught him" |
SH^-t-h.r ‘spider’ {cf. spider-god Anansi} |
"the have seen the father (in one instance the mother) in all his forms" |
"the form of a praying mantis’ {cf. [Khoi-san] preying-mantis deity |
"prevent him from suffering" |
"three bees" |
p. 167 words for ‘nightmare’ in various languages
language |
‘nightmare’ |
its derivation |
<arabic |
kabus |
kabasa ‘to squeeze’ |
Eskimo |
*uqimangiR |
*uqimangit ‘to be heavy’ |
Swahili |
jinamizi |
‘to twist’ |
German |
alp-traum |
alp "small ... fairy ... that exerts pressure on the sleeper’s chest and takes his breath away" |
Japanese |
unasareru |
|
Old English |
maere |
*maron ‘goblin’ |
p. 177, fns. 51 & 54 http://www.ai.univie.ac.at/archives/Linguist/Vol-7-1400-1499/0093.html
p. 173 deities (depicted on headrests) who protect the sleeper
"Commonly, these deities can be identified as the Bes-image ... in leopard[skin]- or panther[skin]-garb ... . The goddess Neith makes ... appearance as the guardian of sleep on an interesting headrest from the Saite Period, which depicts her shooting her arrows at an enemy who had presumably intended to bother the sleeper." |
"In ninth-century China ceramic pillows and headrests began to be designed bearing zoomorphic forms to ward off hostile spirits. Lions and tigers were particularly popular ..., while in other areas of Asia tapirs were the guardian of choice." (p. 179, n. 94 "They were apparently believed to eat bad dreams (Falgayrettes [: Supports du re^ves. Paris, 1989. p.] 108).") |
"In Japan, a hybrid creature called ‘baku’, whose ‘body is like a bear, its nose like an elephant, its eye like a rhinoceros, its tail like an ox, and its legs like a tiger’ was credited with consuming bad dreams." (p. 179, n. 95 – "McCallum [: "The pillow in East Asia", p. 160. In :- Sleeping Beauties. Los Angeles, Fowler Museum, ] 1993[. pp. 148-63]") |
Kasia Szakowska : Behind Closed Eyes : Dreams and Nightmares in Ancient Egypt. The Classical Pr of Wales, Swansea, 2003.