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--Samarkhattab (talk) 10:24, 24 June 2013 (UTC)Poems, Songs, and Hymns in Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egyptian literature was written from the time of Ancient Egypt's pharaonic period until the end of Roman domination. It represents the oldest form of Egyptian literature. Writing in Ancient Egypt first appeared in the late 4th millennium BC during the late phase of pre-dynastic Egypt.[1 ] ] By the time of the Old Kingdom, literary works incorporated funerary texts, letters, hymns and poems. According to Richard B. Parkinson, this was the result of the rise of an intellectual class of scribes, new cultural sensibilities about individuality, unprecedented levels of literacy, and mainstream access to written materials.[2 ] ]However, it is likely that the largely literacy rate was restricted to the upper class. Ancient Egyptian literature has been preserved papyrus scrolls, limestone or ceramics, wooden writing boards, and coffins.

Ancient Egyptian funerary texts

The literature that make up the Ancient Egyptian Funerary Texts is an anthology of religious documents that were used in Ancient Egypt in order to assist the spirit of the deceased to be preserved in the afterlife. Funerary Text evolved over time, starting with the Pyramid Texts in the Old Kingdom, which were the concern only of royal burials, through the Coffin Texts of the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom. [4 ] ]The funerary texts of the Old Kingdom was at first kept for the king only, but towards the end of the period, the texts were found in the tombs of royal wives. There is a collection of ancient Egyptian funerary spells written on coffins during the beginning of the First Intermediate Period. The texts are consequent in part from the previous pyramid texts, but they hold extensive new material related to everyday desires that mirror the fact that the texts were now used by the common people. This can be an indication that the pharaohs no longer had exclusive rights to the afterlife. [3]]]

 Ancient Egyptian Poems Pyramids, mummies, and tombs dominate our images of ancient Egypt, but love poems written thousands of years ago may give a more intimate glance of the lives of the everyday ancient Egyptian. Poetry is perhaps the greatest forgotten treasure of ancient Egypt, said Richard Parkinson, an expert on ancient Egyptian poetry at London's British Museum. A group of love poems have been found in workers' village on the border of the Valley of the Kings. It is assumed to be written during Egypt's New Kingdom (1539-1075 B.C.) but it is likely to have been composed much earlier.[5 ] ]

The Flower Song (Excerpt) To hear your voice is pomegranate wine to me: I draw life from hearing it. Could I see you with every glance, It would be better for me    Than to eat or to drink. [5 ] ]

Archaeologists have discovered most of Egypt's love poetry in Deir el-Medina, a village of tomb builders during the New Kingdom. Here, many experts worked on the tombs of different pharaohs such as Ramses II and Tutankhamun. Findings point out that these villagers may have been astonishingly literate for their time. The local community may have contributed to the poems of Deir el-Medina. The love poems were likely set to music and used in events from their daily life such as growing grain, capturing birds, and fishing. Women's voices were strong in Egyptian poetry—as the narrators of poems or as lovers. An example of their poems is: The Crossing

I'll go down to the water with you, and come out to you carrying a red fish, which is just right in my fingers. Such words confirm that women had a higher position in ancient Egyptian culture than in other societies at the time. [5 ] ]

''' Ancient Egyptian Hymns ''' The earliest poetry in Egypt was part of a verbal tradition. Hymns, stories, and prayers were passed down from speaker to speaker. The Egyptian hieroglyphic writing system was likely created to assist with trade, allowing merchants to trace their stock. Later hieroglyphic writing found on nobles' tombs gave biographical account of the tombs' occupants. Over time, longer biographies, narrative poems, and songs began to emerge. Historical tales and hymns had been inscribed inside tomb walls, written on papyrus, and often scribbled onto shards of limestone pottery. "These shards are considered the scratch paper of the Egyptians," said Terry Wilfong, an Egyptologist at the University of Michigan.

'''Hymn To Isis: The High Goddess of Ancient Egypt ''' Swell the fruit of the land, make mother with child Cause flying birds to nest, and bees to swarm Make the endless procession of life grow full and bountiful Bring water to the well and rain to the clouds Cause your veils to fall upon barren earth And make it holy [6 ] ]

The Hymn to the Goddess Isis gives a description about the significance of such work. It is easily noticed that the narrator is asking of the goddess to bring all goodness to the world and to provide them with food, water, and prosperity. This is main point of Hymns. They are songs or prayers of the gods to bring goodness to the world. '''

Ancient Egyptian Prayers and Ritual Worship'''

Ancient Egyptian religion was very compound with many books of worship such as the Book of the Dead, which was thought to be an ancient Egyptian Bible. One of the most well-known images from the book is the deity Anubis weighing the heart of a fallen pharaoh against the feather of truth to decide where he is to reside for eternity in his afterlife. Worship (Gods)- They worshiped many gods at temples where people would give contributions to those gods. Worship (Animals)- There were exact animals that were sacred. The Egyptians thought by honoring them, they would be pleasing the gods. For example: Cats-The male cat had religious connections with the god Ra. Cattle- Beef was often used as a sacrificial offering to a range of deities. Bull- It represented power, aggression, fertility which could be attributes of  kingship.

Prayers were intended to worship, praise, and thank the gods. They were told during religious celebration and rituals. Prayer: Creed We grow from the Earth And we share Her fruits. We fly with bright wings And we reach the stars. We are Immortal with all that is. Evoe Isis! In this creed, the ancient Egyptians worship the god Isis. They assert that they are the followers and disciples of Isis as they recite this prayer, while presenting worship to her. The prayer to the Goddess Nut found on the lids of New Kingdom coffins: "O my mother Nut, spread yourself over me, so that I may be placed among the imperishable stars and may never die." Through this prayer, the goddess nut reassures the deceased place the afterlife forever. This prayer was at the entrance of Hatsheput's tomb “that her name might remain enduring in this temple forever and ever” She feared that she would be forgotten by the people soon after she died. In result, they would pinch her stuff or take down her tomb completely. [7 ] ]

Ancient Egypt: Song of the Harper

In Ancient Egypt the "Harper's Song" (or Song of the Harper) is a poem which was present in the tomb along with the image of a blind man playing a harp. It is thought that the harpist played and sang the song during the mortuary feat for the dead. A version of the "Harper's Song" is occasionally found in the Old Kingdom tombs but these lean to be short and adopt a very traditional view of life and death. Later versions are much longer and prominent because they show a noticeable distinction in perspective to that which is commonly related to Ancient Egyptian philosophy. The poems encourage the listeners to "seize the day" and refuse the more traditional view of eternity even satirizing the construction of large funerary monuments and saying that belongings cannot be taken into the afterlife. Harper's Song: Tomb of Intef (Middle Kingdom). He is Happy this good prince: Death is a kindly fate. A Generation passes, Another stays, Since the time of the ancestors. The gods who were before rest in their tombs, Blessed nobles too are buried in their tombs. (Yet) those who built tombs, Their places are gone, What has become of them? [8 ] ]

[http://www.ancient-egypt.org/index.html

[http://law-journals-books.vlex.com/vid/poetry-kingdom-egypt-dark-perfection-56653614

[[Ancient_Egyptian_funerary_texts|

[http://www.egyptianmyths.net/funerarytexts.htm

[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/04/0416_040416_pyramidsongs.html

[http://www.crystalrivers.com/prayers/isis.html

[https://sites.google.com/a/smpanthers.org/fulay-6th-period-scripture/home/ancient-egyptian-prayers-and-ritual-worship

[http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/harper-song.html