Tales of Ancient Egypt

by Roger Lancelyn Green, Romy Blümel (Illustrator), Geraldine McCaughrean (Introduction)

A collection of the myths, the folk tales, and the legends of ancient Egypt. This book presents legends from ancient Egypt - of gods, magic and adventure. These stories include the great myths, and take us back to the dawn of the world when Ra, the greatest god of all, created the earth and all the creatures in it. From the formation of the Sphinx to the search for the mystical "Book of Thoth", these tales brilliantly re-create a fascinating world long vanished.

Genres: Mythology, History, Classics, Egypt, Nonfiction, Short Stories, Childrens

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Roger (Gilbert) Lancelyn Green was a British biographer and children's writer. He was an Oxford academic who formed part of the Inklings literary discussion group along with C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Born in 1918 in Norwich, England, Green studied under C. S. Lewis at Merton College, Oxford, where he obtained a B.Litt. degree. He delivered the 1968 Andrew Lang lecture. Green lived in Cheshire, in a manor which his ancestors owned for over 900 years. He died in October 1987. His son was the writer Richard Lancelyn Green

Reviews

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I have ever read a book of Egyptian myths before, I don’t remember it. This little volume was a very pleasant introduction to the Egyptian mythos—something that I’ve learned by osmosis while reading books about the land’s history and art and reading fiction set in Ancient Egypt. As in most mythologies, there are unexpected treasures.

The man who polished these little tales was a friend of C.S. Lewis and seems to have made his reputation on rewriting myths and legends for the children’s market. I realize now that the vocabulary of this volume was probably suitable for children, but it did not detract from my enjoyment as an adult reader. He blends history and myth to make both clearer for the reader.

I have always found the Ancient Egyptians to be fascinating—this volume merely reinforced my obsession.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, Roger Lancelyn Green was in The Inklings. ...Who knew? The Inklings, right? That literary group C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were in? With a bunch of other people everybody forgets? Well, Roger Lancelyn Green was in it - at least according to the "Author File" in the back of the Puffin book. ...And Wikipedia... Of course, a little more internet sleuthing said he wasn't a member, but rather someone who was friends with other Inklings, and occasionally attended their meetings.

Also, he was the first one to read the Narnia series. And give it the name "The Chronicles of Narnia." ...Dang it, sounds like a member to me.

I've taught Ancient Egypt to middle school students for years now - along with Ancient Mesopotamia, The Ancient Indus, Ancient China... You know, the big ones. But there's so little time, we can't really delve into it. So: pyramids, mummies, Nile, pharaohs, hieroglyphs and we're out.

And that's sad, because Egypt lasted 4000 years. Four THOUSAND. I mean, U.S. History teachers get bent out of shape because their students don't know about the XYZ Affair or the Teapot Dome Scandal. Can you imagine how the public school teachers in Ancient Egypt must have felt? All those little Egyptian kids screwing around all the time at their desks. Putting a baby crocodile on the teacher's chair.

Four thousand years of continuous civilization. (Counting the Greeks and kindof counting the Romans... Not counting the Arabs. Sorry, guys.)

So, I'm a little bit shaky on some of my Ancient Egypt knowledge. I'd never been required to read any of their myths, so I hadn't. Or at least, I'd read very few. I knew about the gods, and could have listed several: who they are, what they did. But I didn't really know the stories.

And the stories are fascinating.

I'd be interested in seeing a more direct translation now that I've read this for several reasons.

First, there's so much that overlaps with Biblical narrative. In the story, Ra and his Children, for instance so much seemed similar to Genesis. The creation of the world, separating night from day, creating man and woman... People rebelling against Ra and "did evil in his sight, worshipping the dragon of darkness..."

I mean, there are some differences, in the Bible when the people turn evil God saves them with an ark. In Ancient Egypt, Ra saves them with beer... so there's that...

Here's another one, from the story "The Land of the Dead," and humans are being judged. Among the things they say at judgement: "I have given bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, clothing to the naked and a boat to him who could not cross the River..." This is very similar to Christ's discussion of the judgement in Matt. 25.

And later in the same story, we hear of Apophis - the snake, the "eater of souls" who dwelt in "the Pits of Fire." Yeah, sounds familiar. I've been told not to be afraid of anyone who can kill me, but I should be afraid of the One who can destroy both my soul and body in Hell.

And Christ did spend some time in Egypt, right? Right? Now, I'm not claiming Christ is taking Egyptian belief and turning it into some sort of Judeo-Egyptian syncretistic religion, or anything like that. I'm sure others have already said that. I'm just saying I found it interesting, and I'd also be interested in reading the direct translations.

Ok, here's one more from the story, "The Taking of Joppa." The Egyptians are up in Palestine, trying to get Joppa and the governor says, "I swear to Jahwah, my god, that you shall be second only to myself in this new kingdom which we shall carve out of... dat da dat da daaa..." Did the Ancient Egyptian texts reference Jahwah? Or did Green add that to the story to give it an extra sense of veracity? And if he added that, did he add the other stuff? A quick search tells me he didn't add everything. But still, interested.

Side note, that Jahwah part reminded me of Indiana Jones. "But in the Latin alphabet, Jehovah begins with an "I."

As for the book, and the myths: I found them fascinating. I'll probably read them again sometime soon. And I may give one or two to my class to read. Don't let the cover fool you, though. This would be a challenging read for a good many middle-school students. Here's a sentence from the first page of the introduction, "The first Greek historian, whose works survive, Herodotus, visited it in about 450 BC and found that only priests could still read the ancient hieroglyphs in which inscriptions had been carved or written on the monuments since the days when Menes, the first historical Pharaoh, united the 'Two Lands' in about 3200 BC."

Or this one: The natural conditions in any land are often to a large extent responsible for its religious beliefs, the form its civilization takes, and the stories that evolve into its literature.

So, I might not go into buying this book thinking it will definitely be worth having your students read it. But for the teacher who is unfamiliar with the myths of Ancient Egypt, it's a great intro.

[Tim Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here we have, gathered in one place, many stories that are quoted or alluded to elsewhere, such as in Herodotus' Histories and Keller's The Bible as History. There is even an Egyptian version of Euripides' play Helen. There are scenes reminiscent of the Garden of Eden, Sinbad the Sailor and yes, Cinderella too.

I remember reading somewhere a fragment of Tale of Two Brothers, specifically the scene where the elder brother is hiding behind the stable door and the cattle warn the younger brother that the elder is waiting to kill him. But it turns out that the tale is not one of sibling rivalry. The real story is one of treacherous wives and brothers who stand together to the end.

There are of course creation stories and origin myths concerning the Egyptian Gods: Ra, Hathor, Set, Horus and Thoth.

In Chinese tradition, ill news comes from the north; in Egypt, the land of savages, demons and spirits lies to the south. The peoples across the Sinai (Hebrews, Syrians etc.) are backward and rebellious, of course, but it the Sudanese and Ethiopians who are really feared.

[Alp · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're deeply interested in Ancient Egypt stories, mythology etc you'll find this book very interesting and informative. Except the last chapter it is quite interesting; it refers papyruses, drawings and scriptions, and that makes the impression book gives more like a documentary then a usual story books. Language is OK, but in my opinion you need to have a map of Egypt in your mind while reading the book. I was trying to match the story with the location, told in the final chapters.
Knowing(or believing)that these stories were actually lived,.. I liked that feeling.

[J. Wootton · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are probably better collections of ancient Egyptian mythology and folklore available now - better as in more contextually robust and/or wide-ranging - but this is a great introduction, especially for grade-school kids. Green helpfully includes a map, historical timeline, and commentary on his source material, so this collection could easily serve as the first step in further exploration.

[সালমান হক · Rating 4 out of 5]

আমার পড়া সবচেয়ে অদ্ভুত মিথ হচ্ছে জাপানিজ মিথ, এরপরেই ইজিপশিয়ান । রজার ল্যান্সেলিন গ্রিনের এই বইটিতে যে শুধু দেবদেবীদের দেখা মিলবে তা নয়, প্রাচীণ মিশরের অনেক কেচ্ছা-কাহিনীও জানা যাবে ।

অনুবাদকদ্বয়ের কাজ প্রশংসনীয়, ঝরঝরে । :)

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gods of their own making. A book I picked up years ago because it sounded interesting was Tales of Ancient Egypt by Roger Lancelyn Green. At long last, I finished reading it this week. The prologue explains the ancient civilization was “the most self-contained of all the countries of the ancient world; it lived its own life, practiced its own religion and made up its own stories…”

First conquered by the Greeks, and then the Romans, many of Egypt’s stories were lost. Those that survived were hidden in its hieroglyphs, rediscovered in more modern times. The stories in this collection were carved on tablets or painted on papyrus by Egyptians or preserved by Greek historians.

But all were recorded by or for the pleasure of the ruling class, and reflect their narrow perspectives. There are peasants included, but none rise above their station unless gifted with uncommon beauty or prophesy. The slaves who built the great pyramids and temples pass through unseen.

These stories and fables provide a fascinating glimpse into ancient Egyptian history and culture as perceived by those who benefited most. A single line repeated again and again throughout the stories and reigns, the first words uttered in the presence of a Pharaoh, “Life, health, and strength be to you!” speaks volumes.

[Anisha Inkspill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this is a beginning to get more familiar with Mythology of ancient Egypt.

What I know about Egyptian mythology is unconnected fragments, which I don’t think really counts, so I liked how a concise intro is included in this book. This made me aware of how old these tales are. I knew, but it just hadn’t sunk in.

This Puffin classic for children was first published in the later 1960s, and looking at a Kindle sample for very recent publications, the content seems the same.

This is not surprising as the 21 tales left me with a clear view of Egyptian mythology. It starts with the creation story and is followed by tales of magic and adventure with moral teachings. The book does not have every tale but the selection left me with a sound springboard to discover more.

[Degenerate Chemist · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

I have been looking for a book like this for a few months now and I have had a hard time finding it. This book is just a small, no frills collection of Egyptian myths.

The book is split into three sections; stories of the gods, stories of magic, and adventure stories. Some of the stories(The Story of The Shipwrecked Sailor, The Adventures of Sinhue) I had seen referenced in other works, but had never read before. Other stories(all the tales of the gods) I knew the general facts but not the details. There were plenty of tales I had never heard before.

My personal favorites were The Book of Thoth, The Tale of Two Brothers, The Land of the Dead, and The Girl with the Rose-red Slippers.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

These stories were interesting but pretty hard to read and remember everything for the age level it was required for. Pretty tedious reading. I read most of them out loud with my son as it was pretty difficult reading level.
Learned a lot and it was interesting.

[Mohsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice intro to Egyptian mythology. A great read for young readers.

[Karen (Living Unabridged) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So fun to read aloud. Inspired good discussions comparing various other myths (notably, Greek) and fairy tales (Cinderella).

[Nick Girvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tales of Ancient Egypt will likely be the first of more looks into one of the neatest ancient civilizations. Roger Lancelyn Green breaks this into three parts; Gods, Magic, and Adventure, presented in chronological order within their respective subjects. I’ll admit, the Magic section left much to be desired (except the Devourer, that shit was cool), but the tales of Gods were absolutely perfect and the Adventures had some neat stories too, especially near the end when Greek civilization started to interact with Egypt.

I think what I really found interesting was the huge crossover with biblical teachings I grew up with. A lot of this almost feels like the same tales told from different perspectives in the same land (because it probably is). Talks of Ra wanting to kill everyone early on, of a 7 year famine from the Nile drying, of Set betraying his family and needing to be stopped by Isis and Osiris should all sound somewhat familiar. I also like to think some of the nature encounters of Egypt is thought of due to real life interactions in a time when we knew no science. Ra being bitten by a cobra and feeling the venom likely was a mere reaction to someone actually being bitten, same can be said of Set taking the form of a scorpion to sting his aggressor. Also, the sphinx’s story of guarding Egypt from Set’s spirit after his defeat is really neat, and the entire concept of Duat after death is something I found fascinating.

Take from this what you will. I’ll probably forget the details (as I already have), but my interest on the subject has been piqued. What’s also worth noting is the many mentions of neighboring Palestine, in case some morons want to forget it existed for thousands of years.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

For the beginning reader of Ancient Egyptian lore this is a wonderful starter book that dives into some of the most common stories that can be found in the land of pyramids, desert and exotic gods. What makes it so intriguing to the reader is the fact that the author has compiled it so that it follows a certain timeline within its section of stories although without using dates.

What disappointed me the most is the fact that there are actually more lore from Ancient Egypt then what was provided for but I guess for the sake of simplifying everything the author chose to stick with the Osirian cycle of deities. At the same time for those that were used it would have made it a lot more easier for the reader if there was a glossary of mentioned deities in the back with a small trivia background.

Furthermore the deities weren't really discussed in their animal-headed or animal personas, which is what differentiates them from most other mythoi types. There were a few quick mentions and the interesting discussion of Set's strange animal head but not enough to bring the reader into the true flesh of the times.

And finally about the stories themselves. Hatshepsut's story shouldn't haven't been included if you were to go along with the Ancient Egyptian belief, especially of her heir Thutmose III who attempted to wipe her out stating that she wasn't an actual pharaoh. At the same time there were a few other stories that I hadn't heard of and I don't know if I would have included them just since of the controversial side of their actual origins.

Roger has proved that he is a lot better in his preservation and re-telling of the stories when compared to those of Edith Hamilton. And although they were bland and too lengthy in some cases, it may be considered a compliment in the keeping of the actual format of the majority of the stories.

Finally there is a bit of a gruesome side to some of the stories so it is with precaution that the reader picks this book up and reads it but be assured of these stories have been quite cleaned up from their original telling.

[Urbi Chatterjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book ages ago, but only just picked it up in August because I have a paper on Ancient Egypt this semester, and I thought it would be a fun idea to read this parallel to my coursework. This is a delightful collection of stories that have been collected from papyrii and tomb inscriptions, and is a window into the lives of people from a civilization that flourished for 3500 years and was already ancient before the birth of Christianity. The stories are narrated in such a manner that one feels transported to the world of the Ancient Egyptians, where gods and men lived side by side. What was particularly fascinating to me was the tale about Helen of Troy. What is known the world over as an ancient Greek adventure purportedly had an Egyptian dimension to it, if the story is to be believed. Interestingly, one of the tales is also reminiscent of the popular children's story 'Cinderella'. From the perspective of a history student, this book was highly entertaining and informative as it helped throw light on the mentality of an ancient civilization while at the same time honouring the shroud of exotica that surrounds it. Anybody who has any interest in history or mythology will definitely enjoy this book thoroughly.

[Amy Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I pre-read this to see if I wanted to assign it for my homeschoolers in our upcoming ancient Egypt studies. I think this would be good for junior high and high schoolers, with some discussion to compare it to biblical theology.

Some examples for discussion: ch 1 Ra and His Children:
Ra creates the world and everything in it by speaking, and in the same order generally as the Bible--beginning with light, then atmosphere, then dry land.
Ra "fights against Apophis, the Dragon of Evil who had grown out of the evil vapours in the darkness of the night and sought ever to devour all that was good and bright and kissed by the sun. Presently the evil of Apophis entered into the souls of the people of Egypt and many of them rebelled against Ra and did evil in his sight, worshipping the Dragon of Darkness instead of the Eye of Day." So Ra gathers the gods to discuss what to do about man's evil. So he made a mighty lioness named Sekhmet to slay most of the evil men, but not all.
ch 2 Isis and Osiris
The Egyptians try to explain the "calendar problem" mentioned in Adam and His Kin--the extra 5 days over 360 in a year.
The first-born son of the godess Nut, Osiris, is called "the Lord of All." His birth is attended by strange signs and prophecies calling him "Egypt's greatest king, Osiris the saviour of mankind."
Ra has a hurt that ends his reign from the first cobra, which bit him in the heel.
Osiris teaches men how to be civilized--farming, having laws, worship, and making music. Compare this with the beginning chapters of Genesis.
Set, filled with the evil one, kills Osiris. Osiris becomes the god of "Duat," the land of the dead, and he as "King of the Dead, welcoming all those whom the Judges of the Dead found worthy to enter his kingdom, and adding them to his army of the blessed with whom he would return to reign on earth after the last great battle with Set." So the Egyptians knew some biblical ideas, but lost a lot of the truth or changed it.
ch 3 Horus the Avenger
Horus, the son of the god Osiris, is killed by being stung by a scorpion the evil one made to kill him. But it's prophesied that Horus shall live again and "his fame shall be known throughout the world."
After Horus returns and fights many battles with Set and destroys him, the "spirit of Set entered into a poisonous black snake which crept away into a hole in the river bank."
They embalmed their dead kings because "they knew that the day would come when Osiris and Horus would return to earth and fight the last and greatest battle against Set, and overcome him for ever. And that then all the dead who had lived virtuous lives and won through to the Duat, would return to earth with Osiris, and re-inhabit their bodies, and dwell for ever in an Egypt purged of all wickedness -- a fit home for the blessed."
ch 12 Land of the Dead
Lots of discussion points here--compare and contrast this account with what the Bible says. (Begin with Heb. 9:27?) Note the similarities and differences with the Bible. For example, the person proclaims his own goodness, partly by saying he gave "bread to the hungry, water to the thirst, clothing to the naked, and a boat to him who could not cross the River..." Similarities include that the righteous have eternal life, and the evil have eternal punishment. The big difference to discuss is that the Egyptians, though they understood that a person's heart and actions, not his wealth, mattered for eternity; yet they didn't understand that weighing a person's good vs. bad actions on literal scales to see if the good outweighs the bad will show that no person may live. We need a mediator--One truly righteous to pay for us and speak for us (as Horus speaks for the dead man before Osiris).

Compare the Story of the Greek Princess with Homer's tales of Helen, and The Girl with the Rose-Red Slippers to the Cinderella story.

Some of the stories were very weird, like other fairy tales, but weird with Egyptian myth flavor, like the Golden Lotus or the Tale of the Two Brothers. Some were disturbingly illogical or even creepy.

Mentions of other peoples and places: Byblos (Phoenicians), Syria, Libya, Hittites, Mesopotamia, Babylon, Ethiopia, central Africa and the "black dwellers of the Punt," the Red Sea, the Greeks, the Mycenaeans, Joppa (did Green add the word "Jahweh" in there to make it sound like Hebrews, or is that in the original text? If so, that may help with the dating debate for when the Exodus happened, if we could figure out when the text for "The Taking of Joppa" was written.)

My Puffin Classics version has an extra section at the end that may be helpful. It includes an author section (didn't know Green was connected to C.S. Lewis at all!), a list of Who's Who in the book--very helpful for the list of gods/goddesses, a "Did You Know?" section, and "Some Things to Think About..." which gives some possible discussion questions, "Some Things to Do" which we won't except for maybe the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World in our history studies, and a short helpful glossary.

[Swadesh Maverick · Rating 4 out of 5]

মিশরের পৌরাণিক কাহিনী নিয়ে যতগুলো বই পড়েছি, তার মধ্যে সম্ভবত এই বইটাই সবচেয়ে আনন্দ দিয়েছে আমাকে। ছোট ছোট গল্পাকারে পর্যায়ক্রমে বলা হয়েছে প্রাচীন মিশরীয়দের ধর্মীয় বিশ্বাসের ইতিকথা। পৌরাণিক ঘটনাগুলো সংরক্ষণ করা হয়েছে খোদ মিশরের পিরামিডের ভেতরেই হাজার হাজার বছর ধরে শুয়ে থাকা অক্ষত মমির ভেতরে রাখা প্যাপিরাস থেকে। কীভাবে নিরাকার সর্বশক্তিমান "শাশ্বত-রা" তৈরি করলেন এই বিশ্বব্রহ্মান্ড, "হও" বলে নাম দেবার সাথে সাথে তৈরি হয়ে গেল বিশ্বব্রহ্মান্ডের প্রতিটি সৃষ্টি, কীভাবে নিজে ধারণ করলেন দৈবদেহ, সৃষ্টি করলেন অন্যান্য দেবতাদের এবং নীলনদের অববাহিকায় প্রাণের সঞ্চার করে মহিমান্বিত করলেন মিশরকে- বইয়ের শুরুতেই এই বিষয়ে বলা আছে।

সবচেয়ে আশ্চর্যের বিষয়, খ্রিস্টপূর্ব ২৬০০ অব্দে চতুর্থ রাজবংশের শাসনামলে ফারাও খুফু তৈরি করেছিলেন গিজার বিখ্যাত তিনটি পিরামিড- খুফু, খাফরা ও মেনকাউরা। পিরামিড তৈরির ফর্মুলা নেয়া হয়েছিল ২৭০০ খৃষ্টপূর্বের প্রখ্যাত পুরোহিত ও আর্কিটেক্ট ইমহোটেপের রেখে যাওয়া প্যাপিরাসের মন্ত্র থেকে। ধারণা করা হয়, সেই সময়কার আর্কিটেক্টরা বিশ্বাস করতো এই তিন পিরামিড দেবতাদের আশীর্বাদপুষ্ট। মিশরের সব পিরামিড ধ্বংস হয়ে গেলেও ইমহোটেপের মন্ত্র ব্যবহার করে তৈরি করা এই তিন পিরামিড কালের বিবর্তনেও হারিয়ে যাবে না। বজ্রপাত, ঝড়বৃষ্টি, বন্যা, এমনকি প্রচন্ড ভূমিকম্পেও মাথা উঁচু করে দাঁড়িয়ে থাকবে পৃথিবীতে মানবসভ্যতার শেষ দিনটি পর্যন্ত।

কে জানতো, সেই সময়ের স্রেফ একটা বিশ্বাস একবিংশ শতকে এসে সত্য প্রমাণিত হবে? পরিণত হবে পৃথিবীর সপ্তমাশ্চর্যের একটিতে?

বইয়ের লেখক রজার গ্রিন একজন মিথোলজিস্ট। মিশরীয় মিথোলজির পাশাপাশি কাজ করেছেন নর্স-গ্রিক-ইসরায়েলি এমনকি ট্রয়ের মিথোলজি নিয়েও। বইয়ের অনুবাদ যথেষ্ট সাবলীল, মনেই হয় না যে ভিন্ন কোনো ভাষা থেকে অনুবাদ করা হয়েছে। সবমিলিয়ে মিথোলজি-প্রেমী পাঠকদের জন্য বইটি অবশ্যপাঠ্য।

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Folio Society edition of Tales of Ancient Egypt is truly beautiful, from the brilliant blue, tactile slipcase to the bold, colourful illustrations. So, if nothing else, it was simply a pleasure to hold and behold.

I will admit that I found the first of 3 sections - Tales of the Gods - slow work and hard going, though this may be a reflection of the fact that I was feeling unwell at the time! However, the next 2 sections - Tales of Magic and Tales of Adventure - held me spellbound and were a great pleasure to read. So, all in all, this book is an absolute delight!

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Green is great at telling stories, and this was no disappointment.

Liked it a lot.

[allison riera :)]

/ for school.

[Dimcea Anca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring!!!!!

[Taylor Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging telling of ancient Egyptian stories that helped me and my kids develop a working knowledge of Egyptian mythology and history, while also being written in such a way that parallels to biblical stories were very apparent without being directly pointed out.

[Andrew Obrigewitsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Tales of Ancient Egypt" by Roger Lancelyn Green proves to be an excellent resource for delving into the captivating realm of Egyptian mythology. Whether exploring it independently or sharing it with younger readers, this book offers an engaging and educational journey into the world of ancient gods and legends. As a parent, I had the pleasure of reading it to my son, and it was delightful to witness his recognition of the gods from the Disney Moon Knight show, fostering a connection between ancient lore and contemporary media.

One of the standout features of "Tales of Ancient Egypt" is its ability to introduce readers, young and old, to the captivating pantheon of Egyptian gods and their mythical stories. The book provides an accessible and comprehensive overview of these deities, their origins, and their significance within the ancient Egyptian culture. With its engaging narrative style, Green successfully brings these mythological beings to life, making them relatable and captivating for readers of all ages.

The book's family-friendly appeal is a notable aspect, as it provides an opportunity for parents to share the wonders of ancient Egypt with their children. The recognizable presence of Egyptian gods in popular contemporary media, such as the Disney Moon Knight show, serves as a bridge between ancient mythology and modern entertainment. This connection creates a sense of excitement and relevance for young readers, fostering a deeper appreciation for both the myths and their enduring influence.

As a parent, I found it particularly rewarding to witness my son's recognition of these gods while watching Moon Knight on Disney plus. It sparked conversations about ancient civilizations, their beliefs, and the enduring legacy of Egyptian mythology. "Tales of Ancient Egypt" not only served as an educational tool but also ignited curiosity and opened the door to further exploration and learning.

In conclusion, "Tales of Ancient Egypt" by Roger Lancelyn Green proves to be an invaluable resource for anyone interested in delving into the rich tapestry of Egyptian mythology. Its accessibility, engaging narrative style, and family-friendly appeal make it an ideal choice for readers of all ages, including parents seeking to share the wonders of ancient Egypt with their children. Through its exploration of the gods and their mythical tales, this book fosters a sense of connection between the ancient and the contemporary, sparking curiosity and inspiring further exploration.

[Willem van den Oever · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Tales from Ancient Egypt’ offers a collection of easy readable stories, presenting a wonderful introduction to the legends and legacy of Ancient Egypt for children and adults alike. The way Roger Lancelyn Green has penned down these stories makes them read like fairytales, cautionary tales about the value of honor, friendship and loyalty. With each story only taking about ten pages or less, they do sometimes regrettably lack in details due their short span. Yet, they remain thoroughly entertaining, striking stories that in essence still hold great literary value; and stories that are told more elaborately stick out for being so much more engaging. The tragic attempt of Nefrekeptah to obtain the mysterious Book of Toth has a wonderfully gothic feel to it and forms one of the high points within this collection, mainly because Green takes his time to tell this story so passionately.
The mix of tales about creation, adventures from civilian and military Egyptians and the magical encounters various Pharaohs had with their gods makes for a varied read, with each story being significantly different from the previous one. The retellings of the birth of Egypt and its gods might hold nothing new to readers already more familiar with Egypt culture, but for them the lesser known stories about the brothers Anpu and Bata, or the tale of Hatshepsut’s birth might hold something new. And even if one’s already acquainted with most of these tales, it’s still a pleasure to relive them through this bundle.
Combined with a timeline and an overview of ruling Pharaohs and their (architectonic) achievements, this book offers a little extra for readers eager to dive deeper into the historical angle of this book. For the rest, though, it can simply be read as a collection of wonderful short stories and fairytales who at once feel familiar and yet brand new.

[Raquel Laforet]

El "Dioses y héroes de la Antigua Grecia" de la mitología egipcia. Cuentos orientados a un público infantil, con algo de historia y mitología; no demasiado interesante para profundizar en la cultura egipcia.

[Christina Pilkington · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

My kids and I enjoyed reading the short stories in this book about Egyptian mythology and ancient Egypt. Sometimes the writing felt stilted and it bogged down the story, but for the most part the stories were interesting and memorable.

[Alendi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una forma muy ligera para que gente de cualquier edad haga un primer acercamiento a la mitología egipcia. Es curioso ver como los cuentos populares y las aventuras clásicas son prácticamente iguales independientemente de la cultura que las cuente.

[Dina · Rating 4 out of 5]

its a good book having many entertaining stories and gives you a glimpse about pharaohs, how they lived and what they believed in

[Jeff Jellets · Rating 4 out of 5]

”Life, health, strength be to you!”

Although originally written for much younger readers, even as an adult I found Roger Lancelyn Green’s Tales of Ancient Egypt charming. The classic collection is reminiscent of Bullfinch’s Mythology providing a wonderful introduction to the gods, goddess and mythology of old Egypt. While time must have stolen many of the pantheon’s tales, this collection is far richer than expected with stories not just of deities, kings and cosmology, but peasants, thieves and princesses. Despite being hundreds (if not thousands) of years old, the stories remain remarkably accessible, clever in many respects, and open a wonderful window into the civilization on the Nile.

My favorite tales include the legend of Isis and Osiris. Two of the principle deities of the pantheon, the lovers’ story is essential to understanding Egyptian mythology and echoes with themes and imagery that can be found in other religious stories. Se-Osiris’s visit to the Land of Dead seems to presage Dante’s Inferno as the magician and his father pass through the realms of the Duat (or afterlife) to find Ibis-headed Thoth weighing the worth of souls against a feather on scales of gold.

Past the tales of the gods are the tales of magic and adventure which range from the outright domestic — such as the wonderful stories of The Peasant and the Workman and The Treasure Thief which emphasize the cleverness of commoners who are able to outsmart misfortune and rise to prominence. The Taking of Joppa anticipates the Trojan Horse while The Story of the Greek Princess would be — in today’s comic-speak — an outright ‘retcon’ of some of the finer points of Homer’s Iliad, illustrating that even among ancient cultures, stories were traded and embellished by tellers. The book ends with The Girl with the Rose-red Slippers, one of the earliest versions of the archetypal Cinderella-story, in which a divine eagle absconds with the slipper of a slave-girl and drops it into the lap of a king.

While the book’s introduction teases the source of these remarkable stories, the history buff in me begged for a bit more detail on the archeological origins of these tales (and at some point I’ll probably go digging for a bit more sophisticated critique). To publisher Puffin’s credit, however, they did offer a nice thumbnail biography of R.L. Green in the back of the book. A contemporary of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, Green is credited with encouraging Lewis to finish the first Narnia book after Tolkien poo-poo’ed it.

It seems kismet then that Green, a scholar so enraptured by the folklore of ancient peoples, should himself be instrumental in nurturing Narnia, one of our most beloved modern fantasy tales.

[Maeve · Rating 3 out of 5]

As it is specified in the title of this novel, this book is a collection of stories from ancient Egypt. The stories are divided into subcategories, some about adventures and other lands (many about Grecians, one even telling about the Greek princess Helen), some about magic, and some about the gods. As I am a great fan of mythologies and just learned about ancient river valleys, including the Nile River Valley, I thought it appropriate to read this book now. Most stories were about pharaohs and their relation to the gods as well as certain experiences changing their lives (i.e. reading the Book of Thoth or neglecting to pray to Khnemu the Nile God, causing there to be a drought).
This book was alright. As far as mythologies go, I would consider myself pretty adept at reading them and enjoying them (especially Norse and Greek mythology). The primary books that I read as a child were in the fantasy or mythological genre (Edith Hamilton and Thomas Bulfinch were among my most favorite authors of mythologies. I have read other books by Roger Lancelyn Green and enjoyed them, especially King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table and The Adventures of Robin Hood. It seemed to me, then, that I would enjoy this book, but I didn't especially like the actual stories. I appreciated that Mr. Green added an introduction and talked about some of the history behind these tales (and I could recognize this history as I just studied ancient river valleys, including the Nile River Valley, in history class).
The stories insightful as to the Egyptian way of life. For instance, Egypt had "magicians," the most powerful of which, at the age of 12, could read a sealed scroll from the outside. There was a trace of racism towards Ethiopians in a few of these tales and a few instances of a Pharaoh falling in love with the bride of another man and then taking her from him. Throughout the book there were insights similar to these and I appreciated learning about them.
I didn't like that there was racism and a little bit of sexism in these stories (though, surprisingly, not a lot of sexism; in the Nile River Valley, women were a lot more equal to men as they could sue and be sued, own land, sign contracts, and do other things that women in the Indus, Tigris and Euphrates, and Yellow River Valleys could not). This, however, wasn't something that Roger Lancelyn Green could have changed, as he was the collector, not author, of these stories. Overall, though I didn't enjoy the actual mythology in these stories as I wanted to, I am glad to have learned more about the culture of ancient Egypt.