The Presence of Myth in the Pyramid Texts by Jennifer Elisabeth Hellum (2001).pdf

The Presence of Myth in the qnamid Texts

A thesis submitted in conformity with the nquirements

for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Graduate Department of Near and Middk Eastern Civilizations

University of Toronto

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THE PRESENCE OF MYTH IN THEPYRAMIDTEXTS

Doctor of Philosophy 200 1

JederElisabeth Hellum

Graduate Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations

University of Toronto

The Pyramid Texts, written on the waUs of the entrance corridors, antechambers, and

funerary chambers of the royal pyramids of the late Fiifth and entire Skth Dynasties, are

filied with mythic statements and allusions, without using prose or poetic narrative. They

hctioned as a holistic group, each distinct from the other, yet each working within the

group to create a situation paraHehg the mythic, celestial worid of the afterlife. By this

means, the king (and later, queen) were caused to enter and assume theY nghtful place in

the afterlife as deities. The language of the texts provides evidence for the process by

which this takes place: aiigning the royal with the deities by means of family tem. and

using various literary methods of inserthg the king into the world of the myth. The

placement of the texts has proved to be of interest because, while certain spells of

protection or offering were placed around entrantes or around the Stone sarcophagus, the

majority of the spelis show by their content that no qxdic placement was intended. Many

speils are found on different waiis in dierent pyramids., in fact, &y are the same spek

found in the same place in two pyramids- UltimateIy, the Pyramid Texts functioned as a

a mythic existence for the king (and queen), with the

rooms of the pytamids used as the vehicle for this mation.

passageway into the afterlife, dg

1 would like to acknowledge the hancial support of the University of Toronto,

through the granting of University of Toronto Scholarships, the Sigmund Samuel

Scholanhip, a graduate student bursary, and a UTAPS bursary. 1 would also like to

acknowledge the hanciai support of the Govemment of Ontario for an Ontario Graduate

Scholarship. 1 am most grateful for this much-needed support and am thanldul for the

patronage of the Ontario govemment and the University of Toronto.

There are a few necessary personal acknowIedgements. If 1 had not had the

support of the foiiowing people, 1 wouid never have completcd this dissertation and

the goal of a six-year-oId, standing in the schwlyard in Calgary, holding a muddy,

trampled-on bubble-gum card of Tutankbarnun, and suddenly understanding (so young!)

the enthrallment of ancient Egypt. Fit, 1 would like to thaak Dr. Ron Leprohon for all his

support and backing. I am grateful to have had him as a supervisor, knowbg as 1 well do

that he was a lone voice crying in the wildemess. Thanks, Ron. My codttee also

deserves a round of applause, for Ietting me get on with what had to be done, and not

troubhg (TOO much) about the deW. Next, I'd like to thank everybody I ever met who

said 'Wow, that's cool" when 1 told them what I was doing. In so doing, thty thereby re-

instilleci in me the irnpetus to finish, together with the fealisation that "Ya, indeed, it IS

cool," and, most hportantly, ~kindied my love of this subject aIl over again. I'd me to

thank my parents for putting up with me and dways, ALWAYS Mg

there when 1 needed

them, as 1 so often did during this Ûial by fjre. You caxmot know how vev important that

Wed

has ben, boda youse. Together with parents, go sibs. I'd iike to thank, too, all the

fiiends with whom 1 have been blesse& who have cheered me on and picked me up when 1

shimbled. Fuially, the biggest 'without whom' goes to my mentors, Diane EGiger and

Cindy Nimchuk Had Chdy not appmached me to start a group with her and Diane, 1

quite literally wouid never have f~shed

this and would never have known the sheer joy of

complethg a tremendously mcult, seemingly overwhelrning, and hally immensely

satisfjhg task. To Diane and Cindy for their support and constancy and wondemil

fnendship, 1 owe everiasting love and thanks. F.O., you guys. Thanks for hanging in.

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