Episodes
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How did Egyptian mummies become entwined with fairy tale princesses? What was an Egyptian queen doing in King Arthur's court? What Do Egyptologists Wallis Budge & Battiscombe Gunn, have in common with Occultists Aleister Crowley & Florence Farr? And where do Lovecraft, Freud, and Cleopatra fit in? Answers to this, and more in this weeks episode!
Dr Eleanor Dobson is lecturer in nineteenth century literature at the university of Birmingham, with a particular focus on the reception of ancient Egypt. She was instrumental in the foundation of the Tea with the sphinx annual conference, and author of several fascinating papers (which I encourage you to find online), and the upcoming book, Ancient Egypt in the Modern Imagination: Art, Literature and Culture.
We sat down over Skype to talk about the inspirations behind some major horror and mummy fiction, as well as some unexpected social connections between some famous and infamous Egyptologists and occultists of the 19th century! So, if you like your Budge with a slice of Crowley, or your Yeats with a slice of Lovecraft, you’ve come to the right place!
As ever, if you enjoy the show please give it a like and share and help the audience grow and be sure to check out the work of our guests.
Where to find Dr Dobson
Twitter
@EllieCDobson
Academia.edu (profile & papers)
https://bham.academia.edu/EleanorDobson
By Eleanor Dobson
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Silver-Bullets-Classic-Werewolf-Stories/dp/0712352201/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=silver+bullets&qid=1573730909&sr=8-2
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1526141884/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07FFBDLKR/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1
Forthcoming book
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/ancient-egypt-in-the-modern-imagination-9781788313391/
Works Mentioned
Stoker
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Jewel-Seven-Stars-Complete-Published/dp/143828747X/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Jewel+of+Seven+Stars&qid=1573731043&sr=8-2
Hammer
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Mummys-Tomb-Doubleplay-Blu-ray/dp/B0753P27VH/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=blood+from+the+mummy%27s+tomb&qid=1573731182&sr=8-1
Conan Doyle
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Lot-Penguin-Little-Black-Classics/dp/0241251567/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=lot+no.+249&qid=1573731079&sr=8-3
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Ring-Thoth-Arthur-Conan-Doyle/dp/149740830X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=ring+of+thoth&qid=1573731132&sr=8-1
Ziska
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Ziska-Problem-Wicked-Marie-Corelli/dp/1519647697/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_g8682124849?_encoding=UTF8&%2AVersion%2A=1&%2Aentries%2A=0&ie=UTF8
Florence Farr
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Magical-Writings-Florence-Farr-Golden/dp/1926982029/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=florence+farr&qid=1573730532&sr=8-2
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Egyptian-Magic-Florence-Farr/dp/116256220X/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=florence+farr&qid=1573730592&sr=8-3
Crowley
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Book-Law-Aleister-Crowley/dp/1983524638/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=crowley&qid=1573730643&sr=8-1
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Thelema-Introduction-Philosophy-Aleister-Crowley/dp/0738751049/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=thelema&qid=1573730679&sr=8-1
Lost in a Pyramid
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Pyramid-Andrew-Smith/dp/0712356177/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=lost+in+a+pyramid&qid=1573730793&sr=8-1
Lovecraft
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Under-Pyramids-Fantasy-Horror-Classics-ebook/dp/B01DNYFY0K/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=horror+under+the+pyramid&qid=1573730866&sr=8-1
*note these are not affiliate links but charity links for Action Duchenne Uk. Purchases result in a donation to the registered charity by Amazon. Thank you.
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Is there anything left to find in the sands of Egypt??? YES! And this man knows how and (potentially) where!!
Dr Chris Naunton is an Egyptologist, broadcaster and author. In addition to being the former director of the Egypt Exploration Society, he’s appeared on the BBC and Channel Five, hosting shows covering Flinders Petrie (the founding father of scientific Egyptology) and Tutankhamun, among numerous other subject relating to ancient Egypt.
He’s currently the Director of the Robert Anderson Research Charitable Trust (RARCT), a London-based charity that provides support to visiting academics, and President of the International Association of Egyptologists ….and on top of all of that- he’s written a fascinating, and I mean that sincerely, fantastically interesting book Searching for the Lost Tombs of Egypt! Which takes us on an historical and modern tour of the potential sites of the final resting places of some of the most famous ancient Pharaohs and personalities from history. It really is my great pleasure to introduce Dr Chris Naunton!
https://chrisnaunton.com/
https://twitter.com/chrisnaunton (@chrisnaunton)
https://www.facebook.com/chrisnauntonofficial
Searching for the Lost Tombs of Egypt - https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/0500051992/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_OonUCb8SRKJF7 via @AmazonUK
The EES (Egypt Exploration Society) https://www.ees.ac.uk/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psusennes_I
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Montet
Kingsley Amis https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/books/the-egyptologists/GOR004177032?keyword=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwwODlBRDuARIsAMy_28Un15-lYA6FWCSrwNU3HfhGEUy8UixknnURrvmMU2h3BSTm71aBef4aAg7REALw_wcB
Also, I should give a big shout out and thank you to the Egypt Exploration Society for accommodating Chris and I at very short notice, and allowing us a space to record this interview – there is some background noise and the occasional phone, but overall I’m extremely happy how this turned out, so thank you guys, it is much appreciated – please check out the EES and their research and membership scheme, they have a fantastic library in central London and it’s really an oasis of calm in the busy centre of town!
As I mentioned in the podcast, I had a dozen other questions that I wanted to ask Chris, but unfortunately there simply wasn’t time, however, he’s promised to come back for round 2, so we’ll be revisiting Chris hopefully soon after he’s returned from the next round of Egyptian exploration! Speaking of, if you fancy heading to Egypt with Dr Chris, he runs annual tours, so check out is website www.chrisnaunton.com for more details, and I urge you to pick up his book Searching for the Lost Tombs of Egypt, it reads like a novel, and it really is a fun exploration of the some of the most fascinating and enduring aspects of the field.
Thanks so much for tuning in, and have a great Easter holiday everyone! – oh and before I forget, Chris and I both appear on the brand new show Egypt’s Unexplained Files over on Discovery Science Channel, it debuted last Sunday and should be running for the next couple of months, so please check that out and let me know how it goes because I don’t carry the channel and I never get to see these shows! Thanks all!
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Episodes manquant?
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“If Archaeologists won’t talk to (people) someone else will (…) we’ve been duped into thinking we need to struggle to tell our story…”
Today’s guest should be a familiar face to anyone who’s watched archaeological media online. Marc Barkman-Astles is the creator and face of Archaeosoup, a Youtube channel he established way back in the almost prehistoric-vlogger days of 2010.
In his twelve-year career as a professional archaeologist, Marc has produced more than fifteen hundred videos, and amounted an impressive 3.5 million views. In addition to all this he’s also grown a pretty epic beard.
But what are some of the challenges and realities tackled by the public faces of archaeology today, particularly in an environment that’s increasingly politically divisive and inundated with rhetoric and pseudoarchaeology?
Marc shares some experiences and insights from his impressive career so far, from the praise, to death threats(!) and highlights the necessity, alongside the potential pitfalls (and metaphorical rolling boulders) that public archaeologists face in the era of modern discourse.
So, settle in as we dig into the work of Mark Barkman-Astles, aka Mr Soup!
Check out Marc's work and impressive video back-catalogue at Archaeosoup!
https://www.youtube.com/user/Archaeos0up
The Questions of Doom Series
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KnxyK7PbWQ&list=PLFF23C48290E7D35A
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Dreams! Nightmares! Demons! What were the role of these concepts in ancient Egypt? The Answers may surprise you...
Dr Kasia Szpakowska is an Associate Professor of Egyptology at Swansea University, and Director of The Ancient Egyptian Demonology Project for The Leverhulme Trust.
Kasia’s research is especially fascinating for me, as it focuses on Ancient Egyptian private religious practices, so not necessarily the practices of the elites, though it does include them…but the practices of everyday Egyptians.
She is also a leading expert and author of several volumes on dreams, demons and the archaeology of magic in ancient Egypt and her work provides unique insights into the mindset of the ancient Egyptian in ways we cannot accomplish just by looking at artefacts.
Now I should point out that when we mention magic in the context of ancient Egypt, it wasn’t seen as something occult or weird in ancient Egyptian culture. Magic was as much a part of daily life and religion as any other practice or response to their often frightening and dangerous world. It’s not until much later, with the advent of monotheism that we see a separation of magic from religion and the subsequent fall from grace of magic into something either false, as in trickery, or ungodly and unholy.
We also touch on something that I’ve become much more aware of in my life of late which is narcolepsy and what seem to be ancient Egyptian spells which may have been responses to this condition. If you or anyone you know is suffering from sleep paralysis (as terrifyingly portrayed in the recent Netflix show, the Haunting of Hill House) or thinks you may have narcolepsy symptoms, I’ve included a link in the show notes to Narcolepsy UK, a leading UK charity where you can get more information on this condition.
But returning to the headline of the show, which is dreams, and indeed nightmares and demons from ancient Egypt, I know that academic papers and books can be difficult to get a hold of when you’re not at University and Kasia has very kindly made many of her papers available for FREE on a website called academia.edu. As ever, you can find links in the show notes at Podbean on Facebook and on iTunes and YouTube. And if you dig this episode, be sure to check out the Demon Things website, and the DemonBase Catalogue where you can search these bizarre and fascinating entities and learn more about them! So without further ado, ladies and germs, Kasia Spakowska.
Check out the Demon Things Project Website!
http://www.demonthings.com/
And some FREE papers on the subject!
https://swansea.academia.edu/KasiaSzpakowska/Papers
Recommended papers:
Szpakowska, K. "Through the Looking Glass: Dreams and Nightmares in Pharaonic Egypt." In Dreams: A Reader on the Religious, Cultural, and Psychological Dimensions of Dreaming, edited by K. Bulkeley, 29-43. New York: Palgrave, 2001.
———. "The Ungrateful Dead: A Dimension of Dreams in Pharaonic Egypt." In Proceedings of the Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations Graduate Students' Annual Symposia 1998–2000, edited by C. Rocheleau, 97–109. Toronto: Benben Publications for Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations Graduate Students' Association, 2001.———. "Feet of Fury: Demon Warrior Dancers of the New Kingdom." In Rich and Great. Studies in Honour of Anthony J. Spalinger on the Occasion of his 70th Feast of Thoth, edited by R. Landgráfová and J. Mynářová, 313-23. Prague: Charles University in Prague, 2016.
———. "Death and Demons." Ancient History 14 (2018): 18-20.———. "Demons, Pharaonic Egypt." In Encyclopedia of Ancient History, edited by R. Bagnall, K. Brodersen, C. Champion, A. Erskine and S. Huebner, 2023-25. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012.
———. "Demons in the Dark: Nightmares and other Nocturnal Enemies of Ancient Egypt." In Ancient Egyptian Theology and Demonology: Studies on the Boundaries between the Divine and Demonic in Egyptian Magic, edited by P. Kousoulis, 63-76. Leuven: Peeters, 2011.
———. Daily Life in Ancient Egypt: Recreating Lahun. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2008.
———. "Demons in Ancient Egypt." Religion Compass 3, no. 5 (2009): 799-805.
———. "Nightmares in Ancient Egypt." In Le cauchemar dans l’Antiquité: Actes des journées d'étude de l'UMR 7044 (15-16 Novembre 2007, Strasbourg), edited by J.-M. Husser and A. Mouton. Études d'archéologie et d'histoire ancienne, 21-39. Paris: de Boccard, 2010.
———. "Religion in Pharaonic Society." In A companion to Ancient Egypt, edited by A. B. Lloyd. Blackwell companions to the ancient world, 507-25. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.———. "The Open Portal: Dreams and Divine Power in Pharaonic Egypt." In Prayer, Magic, and the Stars in the Ancient and Late Antique World, edited by S. B. Noegel, J. T. Walker and B. M. Wheeler. Magic in History Series, 111-24. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2003.
Here’s a link to Kasia’s books
Daily Life in Ancient Egypt: Recreating Lahun
by Kasia Szpakowska
Link: http://amzn.eu/d/jaNf33IThrough A Glass Darkly: Magic, Dreams and Prophecy in Ancient Egypt
by Kasia Szpakowska
Link: http://amzn.eu/d/7ufEMHPAnd last but not least – Support for people with or partners and family of people with Narcolepsy
https://www.narcolepsy.org.uk/
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Hello everyone and welcome to profane Egyptologists, the show where we discuss Egypt’s past in the present!
Today I’m joined once more by my friend, the award-winning horror film-maker Chris Kemble, as we discuss 2017s remake of the Universal film, The Mummy! This is part TWO of a two-part episode where we’ll dig into both the Egyptology and film-history that this movie taps into.
As a specialist in the horror genre Chris is uniquely positioned to give insight into this film, and as a non-Egyptologist he asks many questions I might not consider. I hope you enjoy this format, feel free to send me feedback on twitter (@doc_harrison), and please, if you like the show, subscribe on iTunes and rate and review, as that really helps us spread the word and raise the show’s profile!
Now buckle up for part 2 of our Halloween special as we explore the world of …The Mummy…
Where to find Chris Kemble
If you want to check out Chris’s work in the horror genre, some of his films are listed here
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5187440/
Books mentionedConsuming Ancient Egypt (eds. Rice & MacDonald) UCL Press 2003.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jZ3oAp9OEXEC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
Lot No. 249 (Penguin Little Black Classics) by Arthur Conan Doyle
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/0241251567/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_pXDXBbP66Y1HH
via @AmazonUK
The Ring of Thoth (Fantasy and Horror Classics) Kindle Edition by Arthur Conan Doyle
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Ring-Thoth-Fantasy-Horror-Classics-ebook/dp/B00CFNB5QI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1539693711&sr=1-1&keywords=ring+of+thoth
She (Oxford World’s Classics) H. Rider Haggard
https://read.amazon.co.uk/kp/embed?asin=B00846QWEU&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_JhGXBbW539Z37
The Jewel of Seven Stars by Bram Stoker
Movies Mentioned
Link: http://amzn.eu/d/4CxMTGdThe Mummy (2017)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2345759/?ref_=nv_sr_1
The Mummy (1999)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120616/?ref_=nv_sr_2
The Mummy (1959)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053085/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_9
The Mummy (1932)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023245/?ref_=nv_sr_8
Blood from the Mummy's Tomb
Link: http://amzn.eu/d/5ALt1JZ
CharactersImhotep The Mummy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imhotep_(The_Mummy)
Imhotep (Historical)
https://www.ancient.eu/imhotep/
Kharis The Mummy
https://comicvine.gamespot.com/kharis/4005-91856/
Ahmanet The Mummy
http://villains.wikia.com/wiki/Ahmanet
Amunet The Goddess
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amunet
Nick Morton
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2345759/characters/nm0000129
Dr Jenny Halsey
http://mummy.wikia.com/wiki/Jenny_Halsey
Rick O’Connell
http://mummy.wikia.com/wiki/Richard_%22Rick%22_O%27Connell
Evelyn Carnahan (O’Connell)
http://mummy.wikia.com/wiki/Evelyn_O%27Connell
As ever, if you enjoyed the show, subscribe on iTunes, give us a rating and check us out for the latest news @doc_harrison and as profaneegyptologists on Instagram. Thanks for listening!
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Welcome to part 1 of this 2-part Halloween Special focused on those classic staples of the horror genre...MUMMIES!!
Today I’m joined by my friend, the award-winning film-maker Chris Kemble, as we discuss 2017s remake of the Universal film, The Mummy, and dive into it's legacy on film and in literature.
This is part one of a two-part episode where we’ll dig into both the Egyptology and film-lore that this movie taps into. As a specialist in the horror genre Chris is uniquely positioned to give insight into this film, and as a non-Egyptologist he asks many questions I might not consider!
I hope you enjoy this format, feel free to send me feedback on twitter (@doc_harrison), and please, if you like the show, subscribe on iTunes and rate and review, as that really helps us spread the word and raise the show’s profile!
Now buckle up for our Halloween specials as we explore the world of …The Mummy…
Where to find Chris Kemble
If you want to check out Chris’s work in the horror genre, some of his films are listed here
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5187440/
Books mentionedConsuming Ancient Egypt (eds. Rice & MacDonald) UCL Press 2003.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jZ3oAp9OEXEC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
Lot No. 249 (Penguin Little Black Classics) by Arthur Conan Doyle
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/0241251567/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_pXDXBbP66Y1HH
via @AmazonUK
The Ring of Thoth (Fantasy and Horror Classics) Kindle Edition by Arthur Conan Doyle
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Ring-Thoth-Fantasy-Horror-Classics-ebook/dp/B00CFNB5QI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1539693711&sr=1-1&keywords=ring+of+thoth
She (Oxford World’s Classics) H. Rider Haggard
https://read.amazon.co.uk/kp/embed?asin=B00846QWEU&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_JhGXBbW539Z37
Movies MentionedThe Mummy (2017)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2345759/?ref_=nv_sr_1
The Mummy (1999)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120616/?ref_=nv_sr_2
The Mummy (1959)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053085/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_9
The Mummy (1932)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023245/?ref_=nv_sr_8
Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082971/?ref_=nv_sr_1
CharactersImhotep The Mummy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imhotep_(The_Mummy)
Imhotep (Historical)
https://www.ancient.eu/imhotep/
Kharis The Mummy
https://comicvine.gamespot.com/kharis/4005-91856/
Ahmanet The Mummy
http://villains.wikia.com/wiki/Ahmanet
Amunet The Goddess
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amunet
Nick Morton
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2345759/characters/nm0000129
Dr Jenny Halsey
http://mummy.wikia.com/wiki/Jenny_Halsey
Rick O’Connell
http://mummy.wikia.com/wiki/Richard_%22Rick%22_O%27Connell
Evelyn Carnahan (O’Connell)
http://mummy.wikia.com/wiki/Evelyn_O%27Connell
As ever, if you enjoyed the show, subscribe on iTunes, give us a rating and check us out for the latest news on Twitter @doc_harrison and as profaneegyptologists on Instagram. Thanks for listening!
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Today we re-join the Temple of Ra and Kemetic Temple of San José for the second part of this interview with key figures and authors of the contemporary Kemetic Reconstructionist movement in the West. Be sure to check out part 1 if you haven’t yet.
A very valuable point is raised in this interview regarding phenomenological and performative archaeology – given a reliance of shared resources, and given the focus on academic resources in Kemeticism, why is it not valued in the same was as corresponding fields of archaeology which use the same techniques to reconstruct ancient worlds? I have my own theories on this (as expressed in my book, Profane Egyptologists), and we explore this a little in conversation. A lot of it has to do with perceptions, status, and fear of ‘infection’ from the ‘fringe/other’ which has been a stifling factor in building bridges and having conversations. And that, dear listeners, lays at the very heart of the premise of this show!
This episode was recorded on location in San Francisco back in spring 2018. I first encountered the Temple of Ra through one of its founders, Richard Reidy, who was a participant in my phd ethnography, and so generous with his time and knowledge that we later became friends.
Sadly, Richard passed away in 2015 but his legacy lives on in the form of a number of Egyptian Kemetic Temples in the USA and two books on Ancient Egyptian Ritual practices.
Here’s part two I hope you enjoy it. As ever, references from the show can be found in the show notes. Be sure to like, review and subscribe.
Richard Reidy’s Eternal Egypt
https://www.iuniverse.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?Book=172324
Everlasting Egypt (Published posthumously by temple members)
https://www.iuniverse.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001114114
Kemetic Orthodoxy (“KO”) /House of Netjer
http://www.kemet.org/
https://www.netjer.org/forums/
Performative Archaeology (Tale of Sinuhé) at the British Museum
http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/research_projects/all_current_projects/the_ramesseum_papyri/performance_tale_of_sinuhe.aspx
Erik Hornung The One and the Many
Geraldine Pinch
Wisdom Literature – Instructions/Teaching of Ptahhotep
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-static/digitalegypt/literature/ptahhotep.html
Lichtheim
Lichtheim, Miriam 1996. Didactic literature. In Loprieno, Antonio (ed.), Ancient Egyptian Literature, 243-262. Leiden; New York; Köln: E. J. Brill
Simpson, William Kelly. The Literature of Ancient Egypt: An Anthology of Stories, Instructions, Stelae, Autobiographies, and Poetry. New Haven, US: Yale University Press, 2003. Accessed January 28, 2017
James Allan (Grammar) Middle Egyptian
https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Middle_Egyptian.html?id=gMxfheT1XQIC&redir_esc=y
Kerry Wisner
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1?ie=UTF8&text=Kerry+Wisner&search-alias=books-uk&field-author=Kerry+Wisner&sort=relevancerank
(Note, I interviewed Mr Wisner for Profane Egyptologists, but have since lost contact. If anybody knows what happened to him, please feel free to reach out).
Tamara Siuda’s literature
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=tamara+siuda+books&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAONgFuLSz9U3MDKrNKg0UEJia0llJ1vpJ-XnZ-snlpZk5BdZgdjFCvl5OZUA98xt0TYAAAA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwil6Lb4wdvcAhWmx4UKHXUeDJIQMSgAMB56BAgJEDM&biw=1744&bih=859
Kemetic Temple of Ra and San José
http://kemetictemple.org/Kemetic_Temple/Welcome.html
Imperishable Stars by Matt
https://imperishablestars.com/
(check out the fascinating work on vocalization of the Pharaonic language!)
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Today’s episode was recorded on location in San Francisco back in spring 2018, where I met with members of the Kemetic Temple of San José and the Temple of Ra.
I first encountered the Temple of Ra through one of its founders, Richard Reidy, who was a participant In my phd research, and so generous with his time and knowledge that we later became friends. Sadly, Richard passed away in 2015 but his legacy lives on in the form of a number of Egyptian Kemetic Temples in the USA and two books on Ancient Egyptian Ritual practices.
But what is Kemeticism?
To put it extremely simply, Kemeticism is the revival and or reconstruction of ancient Egyptian religion and practices in the modern age. It crosses multiple boundaries, of geography, ethnicity and culture, but one thing they all tend to have in common is a reverence for the ancient Egyptian deities, and desire to uphold Ma’at - that’s the principle of truth, harmony, justice and order named for the goddess Ma’at of ancient Egypt, or Kemet.
Kemeticism comes from the word Kemet which is the ancient name for Egypt, often translated as ‘Black Land’. We’ll get into the implications of that nomenclature another time, as that deserves several episodes, but for now, relax, grab a cup of your favourite bevvy, and settle in for this two-part interview with members of these Kemetic Temples. Enjoy!
Kemetic Temple of Ra and San José
http://kemetictemple.org/Kemetic_Temple/Welcome.html
Kemetic Orthodoxy (“KO”) /House of Netjer
http://www.kemet.org/
https://www.netjer.org/forums/
Ma’at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maat
Per Akhet Temple
https://www.facebook.com/denverkemetictemple/
Pantheacon
https://pantheacon.com/wordpress/
Richard Reidy’s Eternal Egypt
https://www.iuniverse.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?Book=172324
Richard Reidy's Everlasting Egypt: Kemetic Rituals for the Gods (published posthumously by temple members)
http://amzn.eu/d/3KURl03
Daily Offering Ritual
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-static/digitalegypt/religion/dailycult.html
Beer in ancient Egypt
https://blog.britishmuseum.org/a-sip-of-history-ancient-egyptian-beer/
The Pyramid Texts
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_Texts
Sekhmet Statuary (Also See Setken’s reference to a similar Sekhmet experience/awakening, and a reference to the same phenomenon by Richard Reidy in Profane Egyptologists).
http://www.chrysler.org/our-collection/collection-highlights/ancient-worlds/
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (not to be conflated with Greek Political Far-Right group of same name)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetic_Order_of_the_Golden_Dawn
Thelema
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelema
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Today’s guest will be familiar to anybody who’s a fan of Kemetic art or who happens to have seen the luscious artwork that graces the cover of my book Profane Egyptologists (shameless plug!) Setken describes his paintings as “Nouveau Kemetic”, “Neo Kemetic”, and “Neo Pharaonic”, as these terms speak to the ancient Egyptian themes that his work centres upon, and his contemporary, and I must say quite striking take on Egyptian themes.
This is the second part of this two-part interview, so be sure to head over and check out part one, which deals with Setken’s background and how he arrived at his Kemetic subjects. Or alternatively, dive into this episode, which focuses on the artwork almost exclusively.
Links to paintings we discuss are available in the show notes.
I should mention that this was the very first remote ie skype interview that I attempted, and there were a couple of technical glitches. This resulted in my voice having to be cleaned and amplified digitally, so I apologise both to you, the listener and most deeply to Setken, for the audio quality on my side, but thankfully this did not affect Setken’s voice quality. Enjoy!
Where to find Setken
Website - www.setken.com
Facebook page - @The Art Of Setken
Twitter - @wingedphysique
Insta - @setken
A collection of Setken’s Recent Art
https://www.setken.com/recent-works
Why do testicles freeze in cold weather?
https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/questions/why-do-male-private-parts-shrink-cold-weather
‘Cleopatra’s Needles’ (ancient Egyptian Obelisks)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleopatra%27s_Needle
Setken Painting: This Has All Happened Before and This Will All Happen Again
http://setkenblog.blogspot.com/2015/09/this-has-all-happened-before-and-this.html
Kemetic Orthodoxy
http://www.kemet.org/about
Setken Painting: Triple Sekhmet
http://setkenblog.blogspot.com/2015/11/triple-sekhmet.html
Her Bak
https://www.innertraditions.com/her-bak.html
Setken Painting: Material Immortality
http://setkenblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/material-immortality.html
The Temple of Set
https://www.xeper.org/
E.A Wallis Budge. The Gods of the Egyptians. Note chapter ‘miscellaneous gods’.
https://archive.org/stream/godsofegyptianso02budg/godsofegyptianso02budg_djvu.txt
Jeremy Naydler’s Shamanic Wisdom in the Pyramid Texts
https://www.innertraditions.com/author/jeremy-naydler/
Setken Painting Downloading Netjer (Approx 27 mins)
http://setkenblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/downloading-netjer.html
Fetish Models
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetish_model
Memorial I, II, and III: a triptych honouring the tomb of David Syme by Walter Butler
http://setkenblog.blogspot.com/2018/02/memorial-i-ii-and-iii-triptych.html
More on David Syme
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10331867.2003.10525174
Trajan’s Kiosk Philae
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trajan%27s_Kiosk
The Book of What is in the Underworld
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amduat
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Today’s guest will be familiar to anybody who’s a fan of Kemetic art or who happens to have seen the luscious artwork that graces the cover of my book, Profane Egyptologists (shameless plug!). Setken describes his paintings as “Nouveau Kemetic”, “Neo Kemetic”, and “Neo Pharaonic”, as these terms speak to the ancient Egyptian themes that his work centres upon, and his contemporary, and I must say quite striking take on those themes.
But Setken wasn’t always an artist. Faced with a crossroads having been accepted into both the Centre For the Performing Arts (now the Helpmann Academy) as an actor, and simultaneously accepted into the Stanley Street School Of Art (now the South Australian School Of Art) as a visual artist setken chose the former, and began on the road to professional acting.
But en route he also became Mr Fitness Australia champion, a personal trainer, and even a male striptease performer, before the realisation of a lifelong dream resulted in a trip to Egypt and the reemergence of his artistic urges.
I’ve been a fan of Setken’s art for many years, which is why I chose it for the book cover, but his path to becoming an artist has been deeply varied and interesting. As a side note, I should mention that this was the very first remote skype interview that I attempted, and there were a couple of technical glitches. This resulted in my voice having to be cleaned and amplified digitally, so I apologise both to you, the listener and most deeply to Setken, for the audio quality on my side, but thankfully this did not affect Setken’s voice quality. So settle in for this two-parter as we explore the theatre of cruelty, shamanic initiations, and Kemetic art.
Where to find Setken
Website - www.setken.com
Facebook page - @The Art Of Setken
Twitter - @wingedphysique
Insta - @setken
Artwork
https://www.setken.com
Antonin Artaud and the Theatre of Cruelty
https://www.bl.uk/20th-century-literature/articles/antonin-artaud-and-the-theatre-of-cruelty
Charles Muses and The Lion Path
https://www.scribd.com/doc/251335048/Charles-Muses-Lion-Path-Musaios
Schwaller deLubicz
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._A._Schwaller_de_Lubicz
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This week’s guest is a growing voice in historical fiction. Emily Holleman is the author of two books, Cleopatra’s Shadows and The Drowning King, both set in ancient Egypt during the reign of the last Ptolemaic rulers.
However, her career was not always geared in that direction. With an interest in the systems and motivations behind peoples’ influences, perceptions and behaviours, Emily took a major in sociology before becoming an editor at high profile political news site Salon.com.
In her prose she shines a light on the ancient world which is both captivating and unflinching, painting a picture of Ptolemaic Egypt which could make even Game of Thrones look tame, and indeed her historical fiction has been called "the Game of Thrones of ancient Egypt…" .
As a fan of her work, I’ve been looking forward to this interview for a very long time, and I encourage anybody with an interest in historical fiction to check out her work. Links are included below for your convenience.
Where to find Emily -
https://emilyholleman.com/
@emilyholleman
Cleopatra's Shadows
http://a.co/0q5EaJ1
The Drowning King
http://a.co/2PjdH0F
The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson
http://amzn.eu/9i5p11D
D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths
by Ingri d'Aulaire et al.
http://a.co/bPRrQcOPtolemaic Egypt
https://www.ancient.eu/Ptolemaic_Dynasty/
Recommended/further reading
Antony and Cleopatra
by Adrian Goldsworthy
http://amzn.eu/4khI0Bv
