Textual research on ancient Egyptian literature

As early as the ancient kingdom, there were all kinds of symbols in Pharaoh's mausoleum. During the period of the Middle Kingdom, the types of religious symbols increased, and middle-class residents also put symbols in the coffins of the dead. The Book of the Dead, produced in the New Kingdom period, is a variety of mantras, prayers and carols written on long papyrus scrolls and placed in the graves or sarcophagus of slave owners and emperors for the "undead" to read. Most of its content is an ode to God, a curse to the devil, and praise to slave owners. These hymns and spells have preserved a large number of ancient Egyptian myths and folk songs. The book of the dead is also a guide for the dead to enter the underworld, helping the dead to cope with the trial smoothly, avoiding all kinds of bad luck and protecting the "undead" to live happily in the underworld. The Book of Death consists of 27 poems, each of which is different in length. Many poems are solemn, elegant and magnificent. It shows the infinite worship of the ancient Egyptians to the sun god. He can not only bring life and joy to the living, but also bring life and joy to the dead. People praised him before and after his death. Many ancient poems praise the king, such as Ramses II, and compare him to God and the sun. The king is a humanized god, and God is a deified person. The rulers of slave owners in ancient Egypt believed that the praise of the sun god was consistent with the praise of the king's power on earth. There were also some poems describing festival activities in ancient Egypt.

Ancient Egyptian poetry is a kind of rhythmic poetry, with short lines, and often three or four lines form a complete section.

In ancient Egypt, there were doctrines and proverbs in every period. Proverbs are mostly written by rulers or pharaohs to teach their children and deputies how to rule the people; Others preach how to stand up and act. Later generations traced Oracle Bone Inscriptions's literature back to the ancient kingdom period, and Proverbs of Putahutipu is the work of this period. It is said that in the famous Wisdom of Solomon, we can see the influence of proverbs written by ancient Egyptian priest Puta Hotip.

The story of ancient Egypt originated from people's oral creation, and many stories were handed down from generation to generation in various historical periods. During the Middle Kingdom period, due to the expansion of economic activities, stories in literary works increased. Most of these stories describe the adventures of the protagonists with twists and turns. It shows that the social horizons of Egyptians were greatly broadened at that time, and it also reflects the increasing exchanges between Egypt and overseas. Some stories are based on historical events, while others are pure fiction. The story of a farmer who can speak well in the tenth dynasty during the Middle Kingdom period (translated "The Story of the Eloquent Cultivator") is one of the excellent works. It reflected the social contradictions at that time and shaped the image of a clever working people. The story of Sanuhi is based on the real events in the early 12 dynasty. It describes the political, economic and military situation of the country at that time and reflects the real life of Egyptians in Palestine. Another well-known story in the Middle Kingdom is the story of a shipwrecked sailor, which is very similar to the story of Simberta's voyage in Arabian Nights and Robinson Crusoe. This work is interesting and fascinating, full of thrilling scenes and strange plots, reflecting the life and patriotic enthusiasm of Egyptian sailors at that time. During the new kingdom period, many bizarre stories were left, such as the story of two brothers, the hapless prince, the occupation of Yuba City, and the true and untrue stories. Another outstanding literary genre in the new kingdom period is realistic travel notes. The famous Travels of Venamon, written at the end of the 20th dynasty, describes the story that Harry Hall, the high priest of the Temple of Amon, sent Venamon to Biblus in Phoenicia to buy wood. Many ancient Egyptian stories have both realistic aspects and ancient legends, most of which are also owned by folk literature of various countries. Ancient Egyptian literature had a profound influence on ancient Greek literature, Coptic literature and medieval oriental literature, and made valuable contributions to human civilization.