Rune Nyord

How our understanding of the ancient Egyptian afterlife was shaped by Christianity. Many of us are familiar with the ancient Egyptians’ obsession with immortality and the great efforts they made to secure the quality of their afterlife. But, as Rune Nyord shows, even today, our understanding of the Egyptian afterlife has been formulated to a striking extent in Christian terms. Nyord argues that this is no accident, but rather the result of a long history of Europeans systematically retelling the religion of ancient Egypt to fit the framework of Christianity. The idea of ancient Egyptians believing in postmortem judgment with rewards and punishments in the afterlife was developed during the early modern period through biased interpretations that were construed without any detailed knowledge of ancient Egyptian religion, hieroglyphs, and sources. As a growing number of Egyptian images and texts became available through the nineteenth century, these materials tended to be incorporated into existing narratives rather than being used to question them. Against this historical background, Nyord argues that we need to return to the indigenous sources and shake off the Christian expectations that continue to shape scholarly and popular thinking about the ancient Egyptian afterlife.

How our understanding of the ancient Egyptian afterlife was shaped by Christianity. Many of us are familiar with the ancient Egyptians’ obsession with immortality and the great efforts they made to secure the quality of their afterlife. But, as Rune Nyord shows, even today, our understanding of the Egyptian afterlife has been formulated to a striking extent in Christian terms. Nyord argues that this is no accident, but rather the result of a long history of Europeans systematically retelling the religion of ancient Egypt to fit the framework of Christianity. The idea of ancient Egyptians believing in postmortem judgment with rewards and punishments in the afterlife was developed during the early modern period through biased interpretations that were construed without any detailed knowledge of ancient Egyptian religion, hieroglyphs, and sources. As a growing number of Egyptian images and texts became available through the nineteenth century, these materials tended to be incorporated into existing narratives rather than being used to question them. Against this historical background, Nyord argues that we need to return to the indigenous sources and shake off the Christian expectations that continue to shape scholarly and popular thinking about the ancient Egyptian afterlife.

Hvad sker der, når vi lukker øjnene for sidste gang? De gamle egyptere giver et fascinerende svar på menneskelivets mest gådefulde spørgsmål. Over 3000 år udvikler den rige flodcivilisation ved Nilens bredder begravelsesskikke, gennem hvilke egypterne finder vejen til et evigt liv, hvor alt levende bliver genfødt efter døden. Vejen begynder i balsameringsværkstedet, hvor de afdøde bliver forvandlet til mumier. Kapitel for kapitel indvier bogen læseren i, hvordan de gamle egyptere fandt vejen til evigt liv. Den præsenterer en svunden kulturs forestillinger om døden og dens utrolige begravelsesskikke. Et vildt og dragende univers af myter og ritualer, der ved første øjekast virker næsten urovækkende fremmed, men som langsomt begynder at tale til os på tværs af mange tusind år. Bogen er udgivet i forbindelse med Moesgaard Museums særudstilling Egypten – Besat af livet, men kan læses som en selvstændig introduktion til egypternes efterlivsforestillinger. Med bidrag af Tine Bagh, Paul John Frandsen, Ole Herslund, Rune Nyord, Rune Olsen, Maxime Rageot, Sofie Schiødt, Philipp Stockhammer og Jørgen Podemann Sørensen.

What happens when we close our eyes for the very last time? The ancient Egyptians provide a fascinating answer to human life’s most enigmatic question. Over three millennia the rich river civilisation along the banks of the Nile develops funerary customs which enable the Egyptians to find their way to eternal life, where everyone who lives and dies is reborn. It all begins in the embalming workshop, where the dead are transformed into mummies. Chapter by chapter, the reader is initiated into how ancient Egyptians achieved immortality. A lost culture’s conception of death and its incredible burial customs are unfolded and explained, revealing a fantastic and compelling universe of myths and rituals. At first glance, it all appears alarmingly alien, but gradually it begins to make sense and speak to us across the many millennia. Published in conjunction with Moesgaard Museum’s special exhibition Ancient Egypt – Obsessed with life, this book can also be read as an independent introduction to the Egyptians’ conceptions of the afterlife. With contributions by Tine Bagh, Paul John Frandsen, Ole Herslund, Rune Nyord, Rune Olsen, Maxime Rageot, Sofie Schiødt, Philipp Stockhammer and Jørgen Podemann Sørensen.

This Element offers a new approach to ancient Egyptian images informed by interdisciplinary work in archaeology, anthropology, and art history. Sidestepping traditional perspectives on Egyptian art, the Element focuses squarely on the ontological status of the image in ancient thought and experience. To accomplish this, section 2 takes up a number of central Egyptian terms for images, showing that a close examination of their etymology and usage can help resolve long-standing question on Egyptian imaging practices. Section 3 discusses ancient Egyptian experiences of materials and manufacturing processes, while section 4 categorizes and discusses the different purposes and functions for which images were created. The Element as a whole thus offers a concise introduction to ancient Egyptian imaging practices for an interdisciplinary readership, while at the same introducing new ways of thinking about familiar material for the Egyptological reader.