Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Post for November 1


On Monday you will be learning about foreigners in Ancient Egypt. Professor Morris will talk about the representation of foreigners (in art and literature), the Egyptian perception of foreigners (both positive and negative), the kinds of Egyptian interactions with foreigners (we already touched upon this a bit with the rise of foreign slaves during Egyptian expansion), and the professions/roles foreigners performed in Egyptian society.

For Tuesday you will read two primary texts: The Story of Sinhue set in the Middle Kingdom and the Report of Wenamon from the Late Period. Read these two texts very carefully making note of how the Egyptian protagonist perceives the foreigners and their lands and conversely, how the foreigners treat the Egyptian.

In your post I would like you to pick out ONE aspect of these stories and either compare or contrast it. Be as specific as possible with your evidence. Please make sure to read the introductions to both texts--it will help you better understand how these texts reflect the socio-political landscape of their time (you do not need to talk about this in your post).

17 comments:

  1. In both accounts, it seems that Sinhue and Wenamon were Egyptian officials who were sent out the foreign lands in order to preserve order and perhaps make sure that the foreign lands pay tribute to Egypt as Egypt was the ruling power.
    Sinhue seems to be the heroic protagonist, as there is an account of him defeating a foreign "strong man" and successfully won the heart of the ruler in Palestine. In his account, he says:"I brought away his possessions, I seized his cattle. What he had thought to do to me I did to him. I took away what was in his tent. I stripped his camp, and it was abundant for me therein. I became rich in treasure, a great proprietor of cattle." He also said: "This ruler, Amusinenshi, took me in his arms and he kissed me in my clasp." Clearly, Sinhue was much loved by the new king Senworset I due to his success in controlling foreign lands and winning affection and respect from foreign rulers. Further, he longed for Egypt even in foreign land and one day he was finally welcomed back by the royal family with the promise of not only a sacrophagus (the most sacred burial rite a king could award an official) but also a pyramid made out of stone. I thought this was particularly impressive as in my understanding pyramids were a reserved right for the kings. This demonstrates how important in the Middle Kingdom the court placed on foreign relations, and when an official is that capable and that loyal to Egypt, the entire royal family makes offering to him. In Report of Wenamon, however, Wenamon seems less capable in that in the very beginning his money was stolen and he was not able to get it back as the prince insists that the thief is on the Egyptian ship and Wenamon had no choice but to stay at the port as the prince of the foreign land suggested. This shows weakness and that by the Late Period Egypt no longer had as much control over foreigners as they did during the Middle Kingdom.

    ReplyDelete
  2. In the Story of Sinuhe and The Report of Wenamon, it is apparent that Egyptians who travel abroad are faithful servants to their homeland and their kings, no matter what the condition of the state is in. Foreigners and foreign lands do not fulfill their lives like the lives they lived in Egypt. Sinuhe and Wenamon constantly uphold the name of Egypt, praising their gods, kings and land. In The Story of Sinuhe, he says, “O God, whoever you are, who decreed this flight, may you be merciful and may you set me in the capital”, explaining how he wishes to return to Egypt. Even in Wenamon, a sort of home sickness can be gathered from the text; “I went to the seashore to where the timbers were stacked and watched eleven freighters coming in from the sea belonging to the Tjeker, (who were) saying, ‘Apprehend him! Put no freighters at his disposal (headed) for the land of Egypt.’ So I sat down and wept.”

    Both Sinuhe and Wenamon quarrel with the foreigners they encounter. It seems as though they have a high standard and liking for other Egyptians and a low standard, disliking toward foreigners. Wenamon clashes with the prince of Dor and Sinuhe engages in combat with another. Sinuhe says, “There is no foreign bowman who is an ally of a Delta man.”, evidence of the high standards Egyptians hold of themselves compared to foreigners. Wenamon quotes, “There is now any ship upon the river which doesn’t belong to Amon. His is the sea, and his is the Lebanon, which you claim is yours. It is for Amon-Userhat, the lord of every ship that he maintains / a growing tract (there).” In both texts, when foreigners are compared to Egyptians, in representation and perception, they are belittled and demeaned by Egyptians.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Something I found both of these stories to have in common is they are both almost propaganda stories. They both tell tales of men who travel outside of Egypt, but discover that they only want the comfort of Egypt, and that they'd rather be there. It seemed to me like whomever had these stories written was doing so for a very political reason. They were also both copied many times by scribes, therefor spreading the word of the greatness of Egypt. If this is the case, it is a brilliant use of propaganda, as both the protagonists beg to return to Egypt after having learned that life in Egypt is far superior.
    In the case of Sinuhe, he begs to return home. He says "O God, whoever you are, who decreed this flight, may you be merciful and may you set in the capital. Perhaps you will let me see the place where my desire lives. What can be more important than joining my dead body to the land where/ I was born? Come, help me!" He refers to Egypt as his "desire" and begs to God that he can be returned to this place. The king is so overwhelmed by this request (and by Sinuhe's heroic actions on the battlefield) that he gives Sinuhe the best possible burial for his status. "A procession will be made for you on the day of the internment, the anthropoid sarcophagus (overlaid) with gold [leaf], the head with lapis lazuli...". This shows how if you stay in Egypt, your are living the best possible life.
    Wenamon has the same kinda situation. His vessel was stolen, and he wants to return to Egypt. He says "How long am I to be abandoned here?" He wants to return to Egypt, and is jealous of the birds that get to return to Egypt. He isn't liking his life, and only wants to be in Egypt.
    Both of these story are very effective of propaganda. They show the dominance of Egypt and how Egypt was definitely the "superpower" of the time.

    ReplyDelete
  4. In both stories, protagonists Sinuhe and Wenamon flee Egypt, and just as their purposes are different (Sinuhe seems to be exploring while Wenamon is trying to get cedar), the treatment they receive from the foreigners they encounter has its similarities and differences. One similarity is the custom of gifting both men. The Chief of Upper Retenu (a part of Palestine and Syria) gave Sinuhe his eldest daughter and a ‘choicest’ part of land. Additionally, he gave him a chief title in that land. Sinuhe even served as officer of Retenu’s troops. Likewise, Beder, Prince of Dor (a port town of Palestine) gave Wenamon fifty loaves, one amphora of wine, and one ox haunch. Later on, he also sent him two more amphoras of wine, a sheep, and a songstress. So, the foreign custom of accommodating Egyptians and showing respect by gifting them seems to be fairly uniform behavior. However, according to these two stories, there could also be much variance in how accommodating foreigners were willing to be to Egyptians. The Palestinians were quite passive in welcoming Sinuhe to their land (their hearts all even ‘burned’ for him as he fought the strong man of Retenu), but to contrast, the princes of Dor and Byblos questioned aiding Wenamon. Beder, the Prince of Dor, refused to believe a thief who stole five gold deben and thirty-one silver deben from Wenamon was from Dor; Beder would’ve only paid him back if the thief was from here. Similarly, Tjekerbaal, Prince of Byblos, will only help Wenamon when it is fair; he refuses to supply him with lumber unless Byblos gets Egyptian goods in return, as was the tradition of trade used by his ancestors. Tjekerbaal diverges from the foreigners that Sinuhe encountered even more when he goes as far as questioning ‘what the point is of these fooling journeys [Wenamon] has had to make.’ Questioning journeys ordered by the king himself is quite an act of boldness in Egyptian society. So, as shown, although the foreigners of both stories respected, accommodated, and gifted Sinuhe and Wenamon, the princes of Wenamon’s story were bolder in that they challenged Wenamon and wanted fairness in transactions.
    Caroline Miller

    ReplyDelete
  5. The Story of Sinhue and the Report of Wenamon are two similar texts about men who leave their homeland to either satisfy individual needs or royal duties. In the Story of Sinhue, Sinhue flees Egypt due to panic and fear of the outcome Egypt may face after the assassination of Amenemhet I. After his escape and near death he is rescued and brought to the nearby land and settles down in Syria. Sinhue was respected even as a foreigner and was highly looked upon especially by Amuneshi. He later mates with Amunenshi’s daughter and together have children. With this new life he prospers with a significant place in the army fighting other tribes. However, throughout his life in that foreign land, he was always filled with remorse for leaving his homeland. Therefore, he pleads his case to the king who welcomes him back and agrees to bury Sinhue in Egypt.

    This story relates to the Report of Wenamon only in the sense that Wenamon must leave Egypt as well but in order to seek resources for the high priest. However, Wenamon encounters much harsher circumstances as an Egyptian in a foreign land. Upon arriving, he is robbed and treated with cruelty until he reaches the local king to whom he requests the needed materials to bring back to Egypt. Instead of complying to his simple request, they demean his authority and insist on payment as a way to show their superiority over Egypt. Wenamon desires to come back to his homeland, not because of desire like Sinhue, but because of the necessity to escape the horrible conditions he was facing in the foreign land. Like Linjia stated above, juxtaposing these two stories clearly illustrate the difference in treatment Egyptian foreigners faced during these two time periods. A great difference is shown from the Middle Kingdom to the Late Period when Sinhue chooses to return to Egypt out of his own will after living a prosperous life compared to how Wenamon begs to return to Egypt after facing terrible circumstances.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I found it very interesting that in both “The Story of Sinuhe” and “The Report of Wenamon” the protagonists both treated the foreigners that they encountered with distaste, and clearly viewed themselves as far superior to those whom they encountered. Sinuhe makes reference to the Egyptian walls that “crush the sand-travelers” (56) and expresses his own superiority to a challenger when “The (Egyptian) bull prevails against him” (59). Moreover, when Sinuhe finally returns to Egypt, he is cleansed and given new clothes, as “years were caused to pass” (66) from his body, suggesting that his living in a foreign land has somehow made him impure and so it is necessary for him to be properly purified by the king.
    Likewise, Wenamon is distrustful of foreigners, and when one steals a freighter from him he seizes a freighter from (presumably) the Prince of Byblos, saying that he will only give it back when his own property is returned to him. This idea of grouping all foreigners together and holding each responsible for the actions of any member of that group seems to be symptomatic of the Egyptian perception of foreigners. We have seen in lecture, from the stereotyped depictions of various groups, and it suggests a lot about the Egypt-centric viewpoint that many Egyptians seem to have had.

    ReplyDelete
  7. “The Story of Sinuhe” and “The Report of Wenamon” are similar in that they both tell of protagonists leaving egypt and exploring foreign territory and mingling with foreign inhabitants. However, “The Story of Sinuhe” seems to have a more positive tone of self-discovery and inevitable return. Sinuhe, driven by an inner force, flees Egypt and becomes chief of a foreign tribe. After considerable time abroad, Sinuhe returns to Egypt at the request of the new king and is welcomed back with open arms and showered with gifts and regal positions. “His Majesty had them send a capable overseer of field laborers of the royal estate and with him ships laden with presents of the royal bounty for the Asiatics who had come with me to lead me to the Ways of Horus,” Sinuhe exclaims. In “The Report of Wenamon,” the protagonist's experience abroad does not seem to be as glamourous. While on a mission to retrieve lumber, Wenamon is robbed and forced to stay in foreign land for longer than he wishes. At one point, Wenamon recalls that, “the townsman came out against me to kill me.” It is only after Wenamon tells the princess of the foreign town of their injustices, that he is treated as a proper guest.
    Both stories do act as propaganda for Egypt. In one, Egypt is an exemplary land that constantly praises their officials, even if they have been abroad for extended periods of time. In the second story, foreign lands are portrayed in a negative light, thus boosting Egypt's image as a just and holy land.

    ReplyDelete
  8. In the story of Sinuhe, this dude Sinuhe travels around other states. He almost very frequently bring up names of God, and the king, like he does on page 55, “The God ascended to his horizon, the King of upper and Lower Egypt, Sehetepibre. He penetrated the sky, being joined to the sun disk, the God’s body being….” This shows how faithful and pious Sinuhe, and ultimately Egyptians were at the time. I mean, no one in present times mention the name of God all the time. He praises the king as he does a God, “He is a champion who acts with his scimitar, a fighter without anyone like him when he is seen attacking the bowmen and engaging the fray. He is one who bend back the horn and renders hand powerless, so that his enemies cannot muster their rank.” (57) When he is in Palestine, he ‘realizes’ that Egypt is good. “Indeed, Egypt is fortunate, now that she knows that he flourishes.” (58) And later he severely wishes to return to Egypt, “O God, whoever you are, who decreed this flight, may you be merciful and may you set me in the capital.” (60) He wishes to return to the land he was born, and that would ‘satisfy’ him. But this is also because the “Asiatics will not escort you.”(62)
    As for Wenamon, he is ‘forced’ to stay at the harbor and seriously desires to return to Egypt too. And he is also very pompous and rude in a sense when talking with foreigners at the harbor. He goes up to the prince and orders him to search for his stolen money. “I have been robbed in your harbor. Now not only are you the prince of this land, but you are also its investigator. Search for my money!” (117) But he has a reason to behave rude. “It belongs to Amon-Re/ King of the Gods, the lord of the lands” And yet, unlike the situation of Sinuhe, this time is different in the way they treat Wenamon. They just leave him with nothing done for days, they do not respect him as much which makes him to desire to go back to his country.
    By putting the two stories together, we cannot only see the different attitudes by foreigners give to the Egyptians, but also feel the pride and faithfulness(?) of Egyptians in both texts. The both miss home a lot, and they praise God often.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sinuhe’s story and Wenamon’s Report speak to their flight from Egypt, for apparently unknown reasons. However, in Sinuhe’s case in particular, it seems to be related to the death of the king. During his travels, he spreads news of the king’s death like a saddened devotee. Indeed, he similarly spreads praise for the king’s heir and son, Senworset I. Perhaps it is for his authenticity that he is so well by those he encounters.
    His meeting with Amusineshi (chief of “Upper Retenu”) results in an arranged marriage, choice land acquisitions, good food, and the title of chief of his regions and officers of his troops. In response, Sinuhe acts accordingly, when he “made [his] attack…plundered [the enemy’s] cattles and brought back its inhabitants” (Simpson 59). Following his mentor’s advice, he felled the “strong man of Retenu” in a seemingly unfair battle (known to be the equivalent of a David and Goliath-type fight) and praises God for his blessings and mercy.
    Despite his fortune in foreign lands, Sinuhe eventually desires to return to his homeland. Luckily, the king’s decree favors his return, and he inhabits “the house of a king’s son” (65) in which fine things reside. His burial preparation is made grand, and although he has grown old as an Asiatic, his body returns back to where his soul was borne.
    Sinuhe’s travels tell a tale of a successful foreign rendering. Although there are likely many stories speaking to the contrary, Egyptians generally fare well in foreign lands. The culture shock is magnified, however, since life in Egypt is somewhat like a bubble. But for reputable persons, returning back to the homeland can be a unique, if not exciting, experience.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think the most interesting thing about the way Sinuhe and the Asiatics interact is in the way their deeds are described. When Sinuhe first arrives in Palestine, he is immediately tended to and treated with respect. He says that "what they did for [him] was good" (56), rather than saying that THEY themselves were good. Not only does this dehumanize the Asiatics, in a certain respect, but it also places a higher value on their actions towards an Egyptian, rather than their attitude. Of course, I think we can all agree that helping somebody in need, regardless of their ethnicity is a good, yet here the value of that good is placed on WHAT is being done and not WHO is doing it. Sinuhe seems to completely disregard the Asiatics as actual persons, and looks at them as simply being foreigners.

    On the other side of this relationship, the Palestinian who speaks to Sinuhe uses the same language: "what I shall do for you will be good" (58). In addition to Sinuhe being a character who most likely represents the Egyptian attitude concerning foreigners, the leader of the foreigners himself seems to submit to this idea that his actions are more important than he. As Simpson comments in his brief introduction to this text, the Story of Sinuhe is a "literary narrative," (55) and should be regarded as such. This is not to say that the ideals contained in this work are false, or that they do not represent the cultural importances of the time - they do - but, rather is to say that the situations and thoughts portrayed should be taken with a certain degree of cynicism, or even skepticism.

    Based on our lecture today, I'd venture so far as to say that this text is very representative of the Egyptian attitude that they were, well, better than everybody else. But, my point is that this normative, cultural idea that is demonstrated in this very specific language of the story, it follows that the Egyptians regarded foreigners as lesser people. Perhaps they even associated particular groups with particular actions, such as the Hyksos with war, or the Nubians with magic. That WHAT the Palestinians do for Sinuhe is good, rather than the Palestinians themselves BEING good to Sinuhe is indicative of precisely that. --Melanie Zelikovsky

    ReplyDelete
  11. I agree with Kira about the propaganda aspect of both stories. Like Professor Morris said in class today, these stories are about Egyptians going abroad and having no idea what the world outside of Egypt looks like. Kira writes that she sees some sort of political reasoning for writing of these stories. The preface before The Report of Wenamon states that the story is preserved on a papyrus implying that the story would appear to be an official document. Maybe this is where we can figure out if The Report of Wenamon and The Story of Sinhue have political connotations?

    Going back to the stories, it is clear that the protagonist in both have close ties with their homeland, often times referencing Gods and physical features of Egypt. At one point Wenamon sits down and cries and says, “Can’t you see the migratory burds that have already gone down twice to Egypt? Look at them journeying (north) to the cool region. How long am I to be abandoned here? For can’t you see those who have come again to apprehend me?” (123). The prince of the foreign land was upset because of Wenamon’s hurtful words, so he sent his letter scribe, two amphoras of wine and one sheep, and and Egyptian songstress. This offering illustrates foreigner’s attitude toward Egyptians. Through this quote, we can see how respected Egyptians were within the rest of the world and their super power status. Any sign of discomfort, foreigners would do anything they could to appease the Egyptians.

    Within The Story of Sinuhe, we can see the respect of foreigners towards Egyptians as well. The story, In “Sinuhe in Palestine” describes the Chief of Upper Retenu giving him his eldest daughter and “the choicest part of what he owned” (58). He also “obtained rations as daily disbursement and wine as a daily requirement” (58). In both stories, Egyptians were clearly respected in other lands and were given the best treatment. The stories are similar in the sense that two Egyptians are being sent into foreign contexts with different missions in mind, yet their treatment in both lands are similar.

    ReplyDelete
  12. When reading "The Story of Sinuhe" and the "Report of Wenamon", one of the things that stuck out the most for me was the difference involving treatment of the two Egyptian main characters in each story by foreigners. As soon as an Asiatic chief looked upon Sinuhe, who was exhausted and dying of thirst, he immediately "gave [him] water and boiled milk" (Simpson,56). Although this is a generous act it's ironic how in the same story, we get a sense of a superiority complex on the count of the Egyptian. One would expect Sinuhe to speak more kindly about the foreigners who had accepted him, a foreigner himself in their own country, into their land. Yet, we still get descriptions by him of how the new king "was made to crush the Asiatics and crush the sandcrossers" (Simpson, 58).

    In the "Report of Wenamon", the complete opposite occurs. This character is not shown any respect starting from the moment he stepped foot onto foreign territory. First, Wenamon has to deal with a robbery. Things escalate when the prince refuses to really do anything about it. "Are you serious, or are you joking?" (Simpson 117). The way the prince talks back to the Wenamon must have been surprising and probably resembled a child talking back to their authority figure. At the end of this literary work, it's just fortunate that he was even able to leave that place! However, Wenamon shouldn't completely be painted as a victim here since his tone with the foreign prince resembled that of Sinuhe's as if it was expected, or second nature, to give him what he wanted.

    One can clearly see how much respect for the Egyptians had plummeted in foreign countries from the Middle Period to the Late Period.

    ReplyDelete
  13. The “Story of Sinuhe” and the “Report of Wenamun” are both Egyptian stories that regard the interactions between Ancient Egyptians and Ancient foreigners. Though the themes of the stories are similar, based on my reading, they each portray a different relationship between Egyptians and their neighbors. The “Story of Sinuhe” tells the story of an Egyptian man who, for some unknown reason, wanders from Egypt and wants to go back home. The story begins, however, with a description of the Egyptian king’s mission to “strike the foreign lands and to smite those who were among the Tjehenu people”, while also bringing back foreign slaves. Though the Egyptians do not appear to be so kind to foreigners, during his time abroad, Senuhe was treated very kindly. For example, in the king of Palestine allowed Sinuhe to marry his eldest daughter and made him “chief of a tribe of the finest in his land”. Despite this graciousness, Sinuhe ultimately decided to return home. When he did, he was greeted with a king’s reception, as if it were a feat to make it back alive after being outside of Egypt. This lead me to believe that the Egyptians had strong misconceptions about the people outside of Egypt, thinking them to be less sophisticated and more barbaric than they actually are.
    The “Report of Wenamun” gave a different, and contradictory, description of foreigners. I say contradictory because I myself was confused about the message the author was ultimately trying to portray about foreigners. For example, while abroad, Wenamun is pick pocketed, which you would think is a bad portrayal for the foreigners. However, then their king says that he himself will look for the money stolen, which shows a lot of integrity. Later, the foreign king wants Wenamun out of the harbor, but it seems like a reasonable request since he has been there for 29 days. Lastly, Wenamun said that a band of foreigners were going to kill him, which shows barbarism and intolerance. However, then, a person from the crowd steps forward with the ability to speak Egyptian, which proves intelligence. By the end of the “Report of Wenamun”, I was unsure how I was supposed to interpret the Egyptian’s view of foreigners. Perhaps they themselves weren’t even certain of their relationship with their neighbors.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Both primary sources provided me with a practical image of an Egyptian’s experience in foreign territory. I found the stories curious and somewhat similar, both describing the journey of a higher class individual into unfamiliar land to pursue royal obligations or a personal quest. In “The Story of Sinhue,” the protagonist is an Egyptian courtier that flees from the court, but realizes the benefits of the king and traditional funerary rites after he runs away. Sinhue is respected by foreigners upon arrival, and offered gifts in order to survive and subsist. He treats the foreigners, however, with disrespect; subtly displaying characteristics of his “supremacy” throughout the story. He wants desperately to return to Egypt after seeing another place, understanding how special of a place it really must have been. I feel that high-class Egyptians throughout greater Mesopotamia were granted some kind of authority; perhaps because of their advanced technologies, material wealth, or complex ruling system. It is hard to know exactly what foreigners may have been able to perceive about the Egyptians, but it is obvious from stories like this that they understood, at least in part, the intricacy and intelligence behind their socio-political organization, and treated Egyptians accordingly. Proof of this is on page 63, stating “a man is modest when his homeland is known, for Re has placed the fear of you throughout the land and the dread of you in every foreign land.”

    The Report of Wenamon is a similar story, but set in the Late Period rather than the Middle Kingdom. This is, arguably, an official document that “reflects the decline of Egypt’s prestige abroad following the collapse of the New Kingdom empire” (116). Throughout his journey to obtain cedar, Wenamon is treated with respect, but less than Sinhue. He becomes trapped in foreign territory after his vessel is stolen, and wants only to return to Egypt, his home and place of comfort. He feels great homesickness, jealous of the birds in flight towards his home, he “sat down and wept” at the dock. I feel that both of these stories, more than anything else, reflect Egypt’s great power and idealized nature by its inhabitants and even foreigners. Anyone from Egypt seems to have deserved respect in this time just for being Egyptian, and those who were foreign, were “filthy” and uncivilized by nature.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Just as many of my peers have stated, both Sinuhe and Wenamon take pride in their Egyptian heritage, though in Sinuhe's case, he was more clearly well treated by his foreigners. "Amusinenshi took me in his arms, and he kissed me" (Sinuhe 65). Additionally, the foreigners in both cases respect Egypt on some level. "You will be well with me, for you will hear the speech of Egypt. He said this for he knew my reputation" (Sinuhe 60), and as mentioned in an earlier post, when Wenamon is stolen from, the prince himself says he would "repay it...from [his] own storehouse" (Wenamon 144), indicating that the prince treats him as an equal. Moreover, while Sinuhe acknowledges that there are foreign lands to be admired, there is far less indication that Wenamon recognizes this in his experiences outside of Egypt. "It was a wonderful land called Yaa...[with] more wine than water" (63), says Sinuhe, while Wenamon focuses on the idea of gift-giving as a sign of respect. One interesting line to note is when Wenamon states, "I am not your servant and neither am I a servant of the one who sent you" (149). I would not think that this would ever be what a messenger would say, since it imbues a sense of "why are you here" attitude in the receiver of the message, just as the harbor master later asks Wenamon, "On what sort of business have you come" (148)?

    ReplyDelete
  16. In both "The Story of Sinuhe" and "Report of Wenamon", there are many references to and depictions of the Egyptian king, although the two protagonists had left their homelands. The Story of Sinuhe begins with the notion of death of the king Amenemhet I: "the God ascended to his horizon, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Sehetepibre. He penetrated the sky, being joined to the sun disk, the God's body being mixed with that of him who made him." (55) This is an exact reference to how the king is the son of the son god Re and how he becomes reunited with him once he ascends to heaven. Sinuhe also refers to the deceased king as "the Falcon" (56) the symbol that represents Horus, the son of the first king Osiris. There is another interesting reference where it says "the bull of the kine attacks him, but the Egyptian bull prevails against him." (59) The king is often depicted as a bull in art, hence here it must be talking about the foreign king and the Egyptian king, who Sinuhe is faithful to. Finally, in the "Sinuhe at the Palace" section, the story describes Sinuhe's return to the palane and his interaction with the king.

    In "the Report of Wenamon", Wenamon repeatedly mentions Amon-Re the sun god. For example, throughout the first few sentences he mentions "Amon-Re, King of the Gods" three times (117). Wenamon, while traveling through Lebanon, kept his faith as a follower of "Amon-Re, King of the Gods, who told Herihor, my lord, to send me forth, and he had me come bringing this great god" (121). Throughout the rest of the text, he continues making numerous references to Amon-Re and continues to keep his faith during his stay by the sea.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Even though both Sinuhe and Wenamon’s stories talk about their jouney to a foreign country, the purpose of each one seems different. Sinuhe seems to explore the new world, while Wenamon is trying to accomplish his job as obtaining the cedar as Caroline mentioned.

    Sinuhe is fond of his life in Yaa, Palestine and the natural products such as “figs in it and grapes, and more wine than water.” He also discusses a battle with a man from Retenu, with confidence in fighting against someone in their land, “I am like a bull of a grazing herd in the midst of another herd. The bull of the kine attacks him, but the Egyptian bull prevails against him.” Even though the enemy was bigger and stronger than him, he still defeats him - Sinuhe was still superior and onlookers supported him. I believe this attitude came from the fact that foreigners did not know Egpytian’s customs well, and Egyptians were inclined to their own land. When old Sinuhe hopes to go back to Egypt, he is lured by an Egyptian burial and well-treated afterlife, as compared to a foreign burial, “You shall not be placed in a ram’s skin as they make your grave… Take thought for your dead body and return.” Sinuhe certainly is treated well in his journey.

    On the other hand, in the Report of Wenamon, Wenamon presents Beder, the prince of Dor, as being somewhat stubborn and imprudent. When Wenamon is robbed and approaches Beder, he criticizes him very much by justifying his action of stealing his money and not giving it back until he gets his money back. At the harbor of Byblos, the tension between Egyptians and foreigners is exclusively demonstrated. The prince incessantly yells at Wenamon to "get out of [his] harbor," and Wenamon eventually throws that back in his face. As Sinuhe’s story showed, Wenamon’s story also displays Egyptian’s superiority over foreigners. However, Wenamon’s case is an extreme case because the foreigners are not receptive and even threatening him. I believe these two stories illustrate the different treatments of Egyptians in foreign countries and similar mindset of Egyptians where they had confident in their superiority.

    ReplyDelete