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.