Ancient Egyptian legends — A Closer Reading

Murray's Method: Retelling with Fidelity and Adaptation

Murray's preface clarifies her approach: she adheres strictly to the story but adapts phrasing to English conventions, inserting whole sentences where the narrative divides naturally—as in 'The Battles of Horus' and 'The Regions of Night and Thick Darkness.' This repetition, she notes, is 'quite in accordance with the style of Egyptian literature.' The excerpts confirm this: in 'The Battles of Horus,' the hymn repeats epithets like 'Horus the Avenger' and actions such as harpooning the hippopotamus, creating a liturgical rhythm. Murray also provides notes at the end, giving the origin of each legend and references to scholarly translations, balancing accessibility with academic rigor.

The Role of Repetition and Ritual in the Legends

The excerpts show that repetition is not merely a stylistic tic but a structural element. In 'The Beer of Heliopolis,' the phrase 'the great god Nun, whose dwelling is in the waters of the sky' appears twice in close succession, reinforcing the god's cosmic role. The hymn in 'The Battles of Horus' uses parallel clauses: 'Rejoice, O women of Busiris! Rejoice, O women of Pé!' and later 'Eat ye the flesh of the vanquished, drink ye his blood.' This incantatory style mirrors Egyptian ritual texts, where repetition invokes divine power. Murray preserves this feature, allowing readers to sense the oral and ceremonial origins of the stories.

The Catalog Subject vs. The Text's Actual Focus

The catalog lists 'Mythology, Egyptian' and 'Legends -- Egypt,' which are accurate but broad. The excerpts, however, reveal a narrower focus: the legends center on the gods Osiris, Ra, and Horus, with particular attention to conflicts and cosmic order. 'The Beer of Heliopolis' describes Ra's aging and his secret council with the gods, while 'The Battles of Horus' culminates in Set's death by harpoon. Mummies are mentioned only in the Duat, as Murray notes in her preface. The book does not cover all Egyptian mythology but selects stories that highlight divine kingship, vengeance, and the cycle of death and rebirth. The notes, though not excerpted, likely provide the scholarly context that the general reader might miss.

Readers should note that Murray's sequence is her own—she groups legends of miscellaneous gods first, then Osiris and his circle, and finally Ra. The notes at the end are essential for understanding the sources, as they cite the original texts and modern translations. This edition preserves the 1920 reprint, with its original dedication 'To my students, past and present.' For those interested in how early 20th-century Egyptologists popularized ancient myths, Murray's work offers a clear example of scholarly translation adapted for a lay audience.

Reading Margaret Murray’s retellings of Ra’s weary journeys, I kept thinking of how every god carried a flower or a tree as a quiet signature. That same patient reverence for green things lives in Plant Lore, Legends, and Lyrics Embracing the Myths, Traditions, Superstitions, and Folk-Lore of the Plant Kingdom — Reading Companion, where even the humblest herb hides a story worth lingering over.