Ancient Egyptian Religion
Description:
Ancient Egyptian religion was a complex system of polytheistic beliefs and rituals that formed an integral part of ancient Egyptian society.
It centred on the Egyptians’ interactions with many deities believed to be present in, and in control of, the world. Rituals such as prayer and offerings were provided to the gods to gain their favour. Formal religious practice centred on the pharaohs, the rulers of Egypt, believed to possess divine powers by virtue of their positions. They acted as intermediaries between their people and the gods, and were obligated to sustain the gods through rituals and offerings so that they could maintain maat, the order of the cosmos.The state dedicated enormous resources to religious rituals and to the construction of temples.
This short course will examine the religion of the ancient Egyptians, focusing on the artefacts in the Egypt Centre collection.
Tutor:
Dr Ken Griffin is the Collections Access Manager of the Egypt Centre, Swansea University. His association with the Egypt Centre first began in 2000 as a volunteer. Over the past two decades, he has been researching the collection, including publishing a number of the objects. Prior to his appointment as the Collections Access Manager, he was a lecturer in Egyptology at Swansea University. He has visited Egypt on over 50 occasions and participated in archaeological work at Abydos, the Valley of the Kings, the South Asasif necropolis, and Sai Island (Sudan).
When:
In order to be as accessible as possible, this course will be run twice (numbers permitting):
- Sunday evenings 6–8pm (UK time)
- Wednesday mornings 10–12am (UK time)
Additionally, one of the sessions will be recorded and made available for a limited time to registered participants.
Course Outline:
Week 1 (Sunday 12 July or Wednesday 15 July): The origins of Egyptian religion and creation myths
Week 2 (Sunday 19 July or Wednesday 22 July): The Egyptian pantheon
Week 3 (Sunday 26 July or Wednesday 29 July): Egyptian temples
Week 4 (Sunday 02 August or Wednesday 05 August): Priests and priestesses
Week 5 (Sunday 09 August or Wednesday 12 August): Egyptian festivals
Cost: £40
- Payment can be made via our crowdfunding page: https://wave.swansea.ac.uk/p/egyptcentre/
- In addition to making the payment, please email Ken at k.griffin@swansea.ac.uk who will reply within 24 hours confirming your place on the course. Make sure to check your spam/junk folder
- Note that as this is a payment for a service, you should NOT tick the gift-aid box
- For alternative methods of payment, please email Ken at k.griffin@swansea.ac.uk
Full instructions on how to join each of the sessions will be issued to all participants in the days leading up to the first class. If you have any questions, please contact Ken at k.griffin@swansea.ac.uk
