Life and death are never far apart in Egyptian culture and society, and Bridget McDermott's book looks beyond funerary rites and mummification to explore the beliefs and customs of ordinary people. The book looks at how death occurred - through illness, accidents and violent death, as well as in the natural course. We discover the function of the house of eternity and the way in which it served and sustained the spirit. The process of grief and mourning is also presented, with the attempts to keep the memory of the loved one alive through ritual sacrifice. The author looks at funerary festivals, such as the 'celebration of the beautiful dead' and uncovers the role of ancestor cults in securing the continuity not just of royal lines but of all families. This is a personal and engaging view of death in ancient Egypt. Although it may seem that the Egyptians were preoccupied with death, nothing could be further from the truth. Bridget McDermott shows how it was, ironically, a love of life that drove Egyptians to preserve the physical and uphold a code of moral conduct designed to ensure spiritual survival. Size: 180mm - 250mm. 240 pages. Dust Jacket has some shelf-wear as well as some bumping to corners and extremities. Covers have some shelf-wear as well as some bumping to corners and extremities. Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: 1-2 kilos. Category: History; Egypt; Indigenous Cultures. ISBN: 075093932X. ISBN/EAN: 9780750939324. Inventory No: 50893.
Life and death are never far apart in Egyptian culture and society, and Bridget McDermott's book looks beyond funerary rites and mummification to explore the beliefs and customs of ordinary people. The book looks at how death occurred - through illness, accidents and violent death, as well as in the natural course. We discover the function of the house of eternity and the way in which it served and sustained the spirit. The process of grief and mourning is also presented, with the attempts to keep the memory of the loved one alive through ritual sacrifice. The author looks at funerary festivals, such as the 'celebration of the beautiful dead' and uncovers the role of ancestor cults in securing the continuity not just of royal lines but of all families. This is a personal and engaging view of death in ancient Egypt. Although it may seem that the Egyptians were preoccupied with death, nothing could be further from the truth. Bridget McDermott shows how it was, ironically, a love of life that drove Egyptians to preserve the physical and uphold a code of moral conduct designed to ensure spiritual survival. Size: 180mm - 250mm. 240 pages. Dust Jacket has some shelf-wear as well as some bumping to corners and extremities. Covers have some shelf-wear as well as some bumping to corners and extremities. Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: 1-2 kilos. Category: History; Egypt; Indigenous Cultures. ISBN: 075093932X. ISBN/EAN: 9780750939324. Inventory No: 50893.