The world's oldest myths - Mesopotamian and Egyptian myths

Author: Takehashi Fumio
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: This book introduces the myths preserved to this day from the representative Mesopotamian peoples of the Sumerians, Akkadians, and Hittites. Before diving into the main content, let's take a look at the natural environment of Mesopotamia that nurtured these people, the ancient civilizations they created, and the history of their rediscovery by modern archaeologists and linguists. Mesopotamia, meaning "between two rivers" in Greek, refers to the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, often called the "land between the two rivers." The name Tigris derives from the Sumerian word Idigna and the Akkadian word Idiglat, while the Hittites called it Aranzazi. The name Euphrates comes from the Sumerian word Brannu and the Akkadian word Brat. The Greek historian Herodotus once said: "Egypt is the gift of the Nile." As this saying goes, the ancient Egyptians built pyramids or temples, created hieroglyphs (Egyptian hieroglyphs), and produced an outstanding civilization—all thanks to the Nile River, which originates in the heart of Africa, flows through the edge of the Libyan Desert for thousands of kilometers, and empties into the Mediterranean Sea. Because this river flows down with a large amount of water for several months each year, causing flooding in the downstream areas and bringing nutrient-rich soil that makes the land more fertile, allowing for abundant crop yields. Additionally, in the Nile and its surroundings, a great number of fish and birds can be caught; the lush reeds growing along the riverbanks also provide the material for writing Egyptian hieroglyphs—the papyrus. This book mainly introduces two parts: "Myths of Mesopotamia" and "Myths of Egypt."