Ancient Egyptian Myths and Legends by Lewis Spence

The book is divided into nine parts. The introduction by Lewis Spence provides some information on how the cults and religions of ancient Egypt might have started. He briefly discussed animism, fetishism and totemism. He also discussed the different versions of the creation myth and introduced the importance of the pyramids and mummification. It is important to note that Spence has already stressed at this part of the book that the burial is important for the Egyptians. The last part of the introduction differentiated the ka and ba, meaning the spirit and the soul, respectively.

The second and third parts introduces life in ancient Egypt in general and the different concepts the Egyptologists used in classifying information. The third part gives us a glimpse on how the sacred places look like and what encompassed the duties of the priests.

Chapters four and five are the most important parts of the book. Part four is about the cult of Osiris. It retells the journey of Osiris and it also provides us some information on the other gods and goddesses. Spence also gave interpretations and analyses on how the the pantheon has evolved. Apparently, the Egyptians weren't hostile to foreign gods and they usually incorporate them with the local deities. Spence has also provided examples from other myths in comparison to those of Egypt. Chapter five covers all the major deities worshipped throughout Egypt. Some of the myths involving specific gods are retold.

Chapter six contains some of the legends that have survived. There are a few stories that are incomplete but Spence retold them anyway. Meanwhile, part seven provided us the Egyptian idea of magic. Spence distinguished sympathetic magic from 'magic of wonder'. Like all primitive men, and even religions of today, we find similarities in how people deal with their god or gods. There is an interesting part discussing medical magic and alchemy. It is argued that alchemy possibly originated and was heavily influenced by Egyptians. Chapter eight provides information on foreign gods that have had a huge impact on the Egyptians. Although the royal and priestly organizations spend their energy in one religion, the middle and lower classes are free to worship any deity.

Chapter nine is a brief introduction to Egyptian art. Spence did not go on to discuss the different periods and styles but instead emphasized that there has been confusion as to what separates Egyptian art from ordinary artifacts. He said that there are very few pieces that can be considered art but the public generally views everything that comes from Egypt as part of art and architecture of that nation as a whole.

The book was easy to understand. Even Spence's explanations of his and others' theories are clear. However there are some examples he provided that I did not recognize. It did not help too that the glossary does not provide a brief description of the places, names and artifacts that are not Egyptian. The divisions of different sections seems unclear as well and the reader might get a bit confused the first time s/he sees it. Overall, it is still a good introduction to Egyptian mythology because he provided sections for the major deities and dedicated a chapter to Osiris' cult, the most recognizable figure in ancient Egypt.