Product Description

Spanning Ancient Egyptian culture (ca. 3200 BC to AD 400), the Handbook of Egyptian Mythology is the only complete survey of Egyptian mythology of its kind available in English.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #130479 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Customer Reviews

Interesting Egyptian Mythology reference book
I found this quite good as a reference book - very factual, with lists of who's who, and cross references to time lines - but for anything more entertaining or a bed time read I would suggest purchasing something with more of a storyline to it.

One to keep.
Trying to get a little clarity into the bewildering belief systems of Ancient Egypt is not an easy task but Geraldine Pinch definitely nails it. With its multiplicity of deities whose attributes sometimes changed over the millenia, Egyptian mythology allows a variety of interpretations and too many books on the subject leave the reader more confused than enlightened. She is not dogmatic in her approach and offers various interpretations but doesn't beat you to death with her encyclopedic knowledge of the subject. I thought she hit the write balance and on occasions had some profound insights to offer.

Its probably not the book to get if you know nothing of the subject, nor if you've already graduated to reading Hornung or Assman. As the title implies, it is a guide to Gods and Goddesses and the traditions from which they arose. It is not a collection of stories like the Greek myths. There are stories and anecdotes but they are not a major feature of the book.

A good all round reference work that you'll keep going back to.