Ancient Egyptian Magic

An entertaining introduction to the ways ancient Egyptians practised magic in their daily lives.In the ancient world the magicians of Egypt were considered the best. But was magic harmless fun, heartfelt hope, or something darker? Whether you needed a love charm, a chat with your dead wife, or the ability to fly like a bird, an Egyptian magician had just the thing. Christina Riggs explores how the Egyptians thought about magic, who performed it and why, and also helps readers understand why we ve come to think of ancient Egypt in such a mystical, magical way in the first place.This book takes Egyptian magic seriously, using ancient texts and images to tackle the blurry distinctions between magic, religion and medicine. Along the way, readers will learn how to cure scorpion bites, why you might want to break the legs off your stuffed hippopotamus toy, and whether mummies really can come back to life. Readers will also (if so inclined) be able to save a fortune on pregnancy tests by simply urinating on barley seeds, and learn how to use the next street parade to predict the future or ensure that annoying neighbour gets his comeuppance.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Magic Words 2. Princes, Priests and Sorcerers 3. Dealing with the Dead 4. A Magical Menagerie 5. When the Snake Bites 6. Love, Sex, Babies 7. Predicting the Future 8. Magical ThinkingChristina Riggs has brought an incisive take on ancient Egypt to the reading and museum-going public for nearly twenty years. Backed by award-winning research, her most recent work has focused on the history of the excavation of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1920s Egypt and its impact ever since – the subject of her current writing project for Atlantic Books. She has also appeared in and consulted on several TV and radio documentaries, most recently an In Our Time episode on Tutankhamun (BBC Radio 4).Riggs' latest book is 'Ancient Egyptian Magic: A Hands-on Guide', published by Thames and Hudson in Spring 2020. She has also written for the Times Literary Supplement, the London Review of Books, and Italia magazine, the last reflecting her love of all things Italian.Riggs is Professor of the History of Visual Culture at Durham University. She lives between the north of England and the north of Italy – and wherever she is, she writes first thing in the morning, with a strong cup of coffee.