For this year's A-Z challenge, I'm posting juicy tidbits of researchy goodness for your interest and edification. I intend to use these as story prompts for the terrifying writing challenge Story a Day in May. You may use them however you wish.
I admit I'm getting tired of titling my posts according to the letter of the alphabet. This
is an A to Z post; it's just that "D" - today's letter - is encoded.
"[T]he god Khepera...represents matter containing a living germ which is about to pass from a state of inertness into one of active life."
"As he was a living germ in the abyss of Nu, and made himself to emerge therefrom in the form of the rising sun, so the germ of the living soul, which existed in the dead body of man, and was to burst into a new life in a new world by means of the prayers recited during the performance of appropriate ceremonies, emerged from its old body in a new form either in the realm of Osiris or in the boat of Ra."
"This doctrine was symbolized by the germs of life rolled up in the egg-ball of the beetle, and the power which made those to become living creatures was that which made man's spiritual body to come into being, and was personified in the god Khepera."
"Thus Khepera symbolized the resurrection of the body, and it was this idea which was at the root of the Egyptian custom of wearing figures of the beetle, and of placing them in the tombs and on the bodies of the dead."
Text from page 357 of
The Gods of the Egyptians (Vol. 1) by E.A. Wallis Budge (Methuen & Co.,1904).
(D is for dung beetle. I promise at some point I'll get off this animal / insect / poop / Egypt theme. This one was for
FWG.)
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17 comments:
Just want to quickly say how much I'm enjoying your A-Z. Loving the brain nudges, the images and the intelligent humour.
Quite frankly, Elizabeth, I'm concerned for your sanity. I think it's time to hand yourself over to the authorities. I'll even speak on your behalf.
Brill first photo on that dung beetle :)
Wow. That was a lot more interesting than I would have imagined. Kudos!
I have to admit, I find ancient Egyptian culture fascinating.
"I admit I'm getting tired of titling my posts according to the letter of the alphabet."
*laughs* But that's the thing. Still I must say it was nice to a have a K instead of a D.
Oooh I've just noticed your moon. That's cool. And hey it's on Greenwich time. That's clever.
And I saw you on duotrope this week. Congratulations.
You know, if you had titled it 'Dung Beetle" I might have skipped it and missed a pretty interesting post. You've got some really intriguing material for Story a Day in May. Looking forward to that.
*~ MAJK ~*
Safireblade.com
A to Z Challenge
Thinking outside the box. I like it. Cute dung beetle cartoon.
medium rare please. Did you know the Japanese are using human dung as food products? True. So beetles are pretty mild in my book!
Thanks! I'm enjoying yours too!
Gee, is quoting from early 20th century works of anthropology a sign of insanity now? I guess the DSM-5 really is more specific than the DSM-4.
I have spent way too much time looking at that first photo. It's amazing.
The story idea I have for May's challenge based on this post is just ridiculous, nowhere near as cool as Khepera deserves. I might end up changing it.
Me too, apparently. Who knew?
I love that moon widget! If you click on the wee link you can have one of your own.
Thanks for the congrats! I am chuffed to finally be on the map in 2012. It doesn't count as a 2012 acceptance, though, since I wrote that story in 2011. (I'm thinking in terms of W1S1.
Ha, thanks, MAJK.
Are you thinking of doing Story a Day? It really pushed me to new heights (and depths) last year.
I won't be posting my stories in May, since I'll be subbing them to magazines later on, but I will be posting during May and would love some Story a Day allies.
Hi Luana. That cute comic came from Fantasy Writer Guy. He's a few posts up. I highly recommend getting to know him.
I did know that! Ben and Aaron talked about it on Mysterious Universe a few podcasts ago. Apparently human feces are relatively high in protein.
EEEEwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Ew.
*officially inspired to stop posting about poop*
I did Deep Purple, you did Dung Beetle - lol
Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Alex
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