Ancient Egyptian biographies : contexts, forms, functions
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Date
2020
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Lockwood Press
Abstract
(Auto-)biography is a genre of ancient Egyptian written discourse that was central to high culture from its earliest periods. Belonging to the nonroyal elites, these texts present aspects of individual lives and experience, sometimes as narratives of key events, sometimes as characterizations of personal qualities. Egyptian (auto-) biographies offer a unique opportunity to examine the ways in which individuals fashioned distinctive selves for display and the significance of the physical, religious, and social contexts they selected. 0The present volume brings together specialists from a range of relevant periods, approaches, and interests. The studies collected here examine Egyptian (auto-)biographies from a variety of complementary perspectives: (1) anthropological and contrastive perspectives; (2) the original Old Kingdom settings; (3) text format and language; (4) social dimensions; and (5) religious experience.
Description
Introduction Julie Stauder-Porchet, Elizabeth Frood, Andréas Stauder Part 1. Anthropological and Contrastive Perspectives Narrating Biography versus Biographical Indexicality Michael Silverstein Self-Representation in Mesopotamia: The Literary Evidence Christopher Woods From Living a Life to Creating a Fit Memorial John Baines Part 2. The Original Old Kingdom Settings Genres and Textual Prehistories of the Egyptian Autobiography in the Old Kingdom Julie Stauder-Porchet (Auto-)Bioconographies versus (Auto-)Biographies in Old Kingdom Elite Tombs: Complexity Expansion of Image and Word Reflecting Personality Traits by Competitive Individuality René van Walsem Part 3. Text Format and Language Autobiography versus Biography in the Second Person and Biography in the Third Person: Textual Formats, Authorship, and Apocryphal/Pseudepigraphic Works Pascal Vernus Clichés in Ancient Egyptian Autobiographies Laurent Coulon Expressions of Royal Agency: Forms of the Verb in the Old Kingdom Event Autobiography Andréas Stauder Part 4. Social Dimensions The Social Context of Biographies (Old and Middle Kingdom) Juan Carlos Moreno García Images of Social Ascent in Biographical Self-Presentations from the Old Kingdom to the Middle Kingdom Katalin Anna Kóthay jnk wr m njw.t=f : References to njw.t, Town, City in Biographies of the Second Intermediate Period Sabine Kubisch Part 5. Religious Experience Living a Religious Life: The Display of Religious Experience in Egyptian Autobiographies Maria Michela Luiselli Participation in Religious Ceremonies, as Related in Egyptian Biographies David Klotz
Keywords
Ancient Egypt (region), Autobiography Social aspects Egypt History, Biographie (Genre littéraire) Histoire, Biography
Citation
Atlanta, Georgia