The two jackals
The two jackals is an animal fable written down in the second century AD , which is described in the context of an ancient Egyptian - demotic story in the papyrus The Homecoming of the Goddess . The narrative is based on an older model. The exact date of writing is difficult to estimate. Some older forms of language as well as inscriptions and papyri refer to templates that go back at least to the time of the New Kingdom (1550 BC to 1070 BC). In particular the Papyrus Turin 55001 and a Ramesside ostracon (1290 BC to 1070 BC) as well as two limestone blocks from Medamud contain striking parallels.
content
Once upon a time there were two jackals who were friends and who sat on a mountain and talked about their next activities: One of us is going to do charitable things in the name of the other . After they both agreed on this plan, they ate and drank together and had a good time. One day when it was very warm and they were looking to cool off under a tree, they saw a lion on the hunt and angrily running towards them. However, the two jackals did not flee, but waited in peace for the lion, who was completely surprised by the reaction of the jackals when he arrived and asked curiously: " What does it mean that you do not run away from me ?"
“The jackals replied, 'We saw you in your anger and decided we shouldn't run from you. You would reach us anyway. It is better if you eat us when all strength is still in us. And we don't have to die miserable and exhausted after the hunt. May the crocodile that catches me have a good taste of me in its mouth. '"
The lion, who had heard the jackals answer, replied, " A great gentleman is compassionate, as if it is said that a great man is not angry because of the truth " and in his mercy released the jackals.
Mythological connections
Papyrus Turin 55001
The Turin 55001 papyrus, which dates from the New Kingdom era, contains two strips of images in which animals in human roles are shown dancing and making music in clear erotic scenes, among other things . The iconography shows clear connections to that cult that is described in the myth of the homecoming of the goddess , where also only animals appear as manifestations of the respective deities. Animal fables, for example “The Two Jackals”, are integrated into a framework story. Assumptions that the animal fables have an "amusing character" have meanwhile been refuted. Rather, they are religious motifs that are deeply rooted in ancient Egyptian mythology .
Medamud representations
Two blocks of a chapel come from the temple district in Medamud, on which animals in human roles can be seen, similar to the Turin 55001 papyrus. A closer processing and a related detailed publication have so far not been made. The lines of text there "comment" on the events that can be seen in the pictures. Presumably the scenes belonged to a larger mythological complex, which is however no longer completely preserved. The iconographic forms correspond to those of the Amduat's pictorial program , which was used under Thutmose I and Hatshepsut .
The narrative text from Medamud contained an action that was mostly described in dialogue form. The picture scenes probably show the content of the fable “The Two Jackals”: On the left side, two jackals with a dead goose can be seen on a table; in the right part another jackal and a standing crocodile. The associated texts are only available in fragments: Jackal […], […] Jackal. He said "I'm exhausted" . The conclusion that the Medamud motifs are a prototype of the later demotic version is very likely, especially since the language of the texts points in the same direction.
See also
literature
- Fernand Bisson de LaRoque: Rapport sur les fouilles de Médamoud 8 (Fouilles de l'Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale du Caire. Reports préliminaires) . Le Caire 1931.
- Friedhelm Hoffmann , Joachim Friedrich Quack : Anthology of demotic literature (= introductions and source texts on Egyptology. Volume 4). LIT, Berlin 2007, ISBN 3-8258-0762-2 .
- Hermann Junker The departure of the Hathor-Tefnut from Nubia . Berlin 1911.
- Dieter Kessler: The satirical-erotic papyrus Turin 55001 and “Spending the beautiful day” . In: Studies on Ancient Egyptian Culture (SAK) 15 . 1988, pp. 171-196.
- Joseph A. Omlin: The papyrus 55001 and its satirical-erotic drawings and inscriptions (Catalogo del Museo egizio di Torino, Seria 1; 3) . Pozzo, Turin 1973.
- Alexandra von Lieven : Wine, Woman and Song - Rituals for the Dangerous Goddess - In: Carola Metzner-Nebelsick: Rituals in Prehistory, Antiquity and the Present - Studies on Near Eastern, Prehistoric and Classical Archeology, Egyptology, Ancient History, Theology and Religious Studies. Interdisciplinary conference from 1-2. February 2002 at the Free University of Berlin - , Leidorf, Rahden 2003, pp. 47–55.