The Myth of Egypt and Its Hieroglyphs in European Tradition
Summary
The feel-good place to buy books
The Myth of Egypt and Its Hieroglyphs in European Tradition by Erik Iversen
Erik Iversen describes the powerful effect of the "myth of Egypt" - particularly Egyptian hieroglyphs - on European literature, art, religion and philosophy. It explains how an erroneous interpretation of the traditions of ancient Egypt became a rich source of inspiration for Europeans from ancient times through the medieval and Renaissance periods to the Baroque era. The misguided notion that hierogylphs were allegorical, and that they constituted a sacred writing of ideas, exerted a dynamic influence in almost all fields of intellectual and artistic endeavour, as did conceptions of Egypt as the venerable home of true wisdom and of occult and mystic knowledge. Iversen begins by discussing the nature of Egyptian writing. Then he explains, with illustrations and quotations, the ways in which Europeans tried to understand and use the hieroglyphs. A final chapter sets Jean Francois Champollion's decipherment of the hieroglyphs into a reconstructed historical context.
"This book traces the complex ways in which the idea of Egypt was totally altered by the new Renaissance ideas. . The Myth of Egypt and its Hieroglyphs gives one the thrill that can only come from an erudite study suddenly making sense of the scattered and disconnected pieces of information the reader might have, from connections that spring to mind and illuminate much." * Bibliotheque d'humanisme et Renaissance *
Erik Iversen is a Danish Egyptologist, who lives in Frederiksberg. Among his other works are Canon and Proportions in Egyptian Art (Sidgwick) and Obelisks in Exile (Gad).
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780691021249 |
| ISBN 10 | 0691021244 |
| Title | The Myth of Egypt and Its Hieroglyphs in European Tradition |
| Author | Erik Iversen |
| Series | Bollingen Series |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Princeton University Press |
| Year published | 1993-10-24 |
| Number of pages | 184 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |