Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Confessions of an Egytophile and Why You Should Also Be One



I have a deep love for Ancient Egypt or Kemet as it was called  by its olden inhabitants. Now this is not an obsession that is akin to a four olds obsession with dinosaurs that shall wither away; rather it is more of a fascination with a  magnificent civilization that is so exotic and strange but yet so familiar.


While I feel  that western  society suffers from Egytomania,  I think it also has refused to incorporate the wisdom  that this ancient civilizations possess  in our culture.  Although the common man is familiar with some of the information about Egyptian civilization such as Tutankhamun; he most likely has not heard of the Egyptian philosophical concept of Maat or the fact that the pyramids were not built by slaves but by free peasants. What even ticks me off more is the fact that Egyptian civilization has acted as the cradle for Western Civilization. Yet for reasons that escape me, we refuse to put them in our canon of classical civilizations alongside Greece and Rome. Do scholars really believe that only two civilizations  are  the only pillars of modern heritage  from antiquity?  Are Rome and Greece not tremendously different from one another or  are they just  in a larger zeitgeist category ?


Now by no means am I trying to disrespect or disregarded  these civilizations that I myself have admire, I'm  arguing for my  firm  although some what unorthodox  belief that today's Academia  should allow Ancient Egypt to join the Western Classical canon. Now many scoff at this idea arguing that the only way to impose a certain Culture upon the other is through  brute force like  the Hellenistic Greeks and Imperial Romans. This argument is horribly flawed because the reason why the Legacy of Greece and Rome lives on today is due to the persistence of Renaissance era Romantics  to bring back the splendors Classical Civilization in their own  present and for all coming prosperity. If it were not for men like Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Countless others, Greece and Rome may have become cultural eye candy and its wisdom would have never become solidified in western ( which is similar to Ancient Egypt's status today). Furthermore, as the inhabitants of World become increasingly more connected due to Globalization, Countries  far  and wide are aligning themselves western sphere of influence at a unprecedented number. The influx of hundreds of different cultures and their subsequent liquefaction in great "melting pot" has led to the diverse restaurants, language, religions and entertainment we interact with on a day to day basis. However our discipline of Historiography is extremely elitist in comparison because of the unwavering dogma of how only two European countries created a system of beliefs and values to spans over all seven continents today.


So what should we do? As Egytophile, I will continue to Fight for the glory that this lost world deserves. This could be another of my futile Crusades if you Don't join without your help! Yes! I want you to  help me incorporate Eygptian culture into Todays World.  More Posts on subject are upcoming! Untill next time; Ankh wedja seneb!!!

Friday, June 25, 2010

Upcoming Summer Posts

Sorry that I have not updated my blog. This was due to my mountain of schoolwork and  at that time upcomming finals. Now that summer is here I have plenty of time to focus on upcoming posts:

June 27th,June 28th, or June 29th- Confessions of an Egytophile



July 28-  Reflections on  Camp *

*(Note : I am going to camp for 4 weeks starting on July 1st)

More to come!