Hapi was Egypt. The life-giving waters of the annual flood (inundation) were his work; and thanks to these waters, Egypt flourished, its people were fed, the gods received their offerings, and the social order was maintained. From the New Kingdom, papyrus and ostraca record songs/poems to the river god, called "Praise (dua) of Hapi." From the days of Ramesse ... Show More
Jul 4
NSFW Not Safe for Water (Did Pharaohs Masturbate into the Nile?)
Explicit content. There's a factoid floating around on the internet. It claims that, to ensure fertility and good harvest, pharaohs would annually masturbate into the River Nile. This claim is total bubkis, but where did it come from? Which deities and myths were most closely ass ... Show More
14m 30s
Jun 20
Scent of a Mummy: Smells and Pleasure in ancient Egypt, with Dora Goldsmith
What did ancient Egyptians like to smell? Did they use any narcotics in their day to day lives? And what do mummified bodies smell like? Today, I'm pleased to welcome Dora Goldsmith to the podcast. Dora Goldsmith is a PhD-candidate at the Freie Universitat in Berlin, Germany. Spe ... Show More
40m 50s
Sep 2024
Origins of the Egyptian Gods
The legends of Ra and Hathor, of Osiris and Isis, of Anubis and Set have been passed from mouth to ear in Egypt for millennia. They were painted on temple walls, etched on delicate papyrus and discovered at the heart of the pyramids. But who were the Gods of Egypt? How did their ... Show More
46m 14s
Apr 2019
A Lady's Life in Ancient Egypt, Part 1
Season 2, Episode 1. Of all the civilizations in the ancient world, Egypt was perhaps the most prone to the miraculous. They invented many wonders: the 365-day calendar, breath mints, paper, the ramp and lever. And then there’s this particular wonder: ancient Egyptian women had m ... Show More
46m 16s
Sep 2024
Isis and the Goddesses of Egypt
Isis, Hathor, Sekhmet and Bastet were adored and honoured in Ancient Egypt, with their stories passed between thousands of followers and down through the generations through spoken word and painted hieroglyph. But there weren't simply maternal, wifely, caring deitites. They could ... Show More
46m 42s