Egyptian Art and Religious Influences - 1461 Words

Egyptian Art and Religious Influences Samantha L. Burgos Edison College Abstract Religious beliefs were a fundamental basis in Ancient Egyptian culture. This thesis reviews the Egyptian polytheistic way of religion and its famous aspect of afterlife. Two art forms are included to demonstrate that religion influenced Egyptian art. The two art forms that will be analyzed in this excerpt are The Tomb of Seti I, and pyramid texts such as The Cannibal Hymn. Egyptian Art and Religious Influences â€Å"The art of Egypt is heavily influenced by spiritual and religious ideas and culture that extends back thousands of years† (Dagan, 2008). The Egyptians wrote their history and painted images on their palace walls. They painted†¦show more content†¦2378 - 2348 B.C. The Cannibal Hymn consists of a spell which metaphorically portrays the supreme power of pharaoh over the gods. The texts draw the picture of King Unas consuming the gods. More specifically King Unas butchers, cooks, and eats the gods as sacrificial bull. Wim van den Dungen states that, â€Å"The object of this song of praise, usually a deity, is Pharaoh†¦ Pharaoh reigns over the deities and is feared by them†¦ He is a god, who as a divine cannibal, metaphorically eating the other deities and gulping down their spirits†... (2009). It is also learned that in acquiring and exercising the powers of the gods it facilitated his passage and confirmed his transformation as a god ruling in the sky (Eyre, 2009). Later during The Middle Kingdom period, rock cut tombs were used to bury the pharaohs. Among all tombs is The Tomb of Seti I which is the most developed. It is the deepest and most completely finished of all tombs. The Litany of Re is a religious piece of art that appears for the first time in the tomb of the Seti. The Litany of Re was a composition that was first found in the tomb of Tuthmosis III and the tomb of Useramun and later an actual figure in relation was found in the tomb of Seti. The composition starts with the sun god Re being invoked a total of seventy-five time by different names and by various forms. A lot of the figures appear in a mummified state, with a fewShow MoreRelatedAncient Egypt : An Ancient Civilization1523 Words   |  7 Pagesof the world’s greatest, would last over 3000 years thanks to the many Egyptians contributing to its success. One such Egyptian was the Pharaoh, Akhenaton. Born to Ki ng Amenhotep III, Akhenaton ascended to the throne at around 1353 BCE . He was also known as Amenhotep IV, but would later change his name to Akhenaton in order to worship the god â€Å"Aton† . 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