WARNING: we do talk about creation myths and mention onanism. It isn't explicit, but then again, it isn't an episode for children or suitable for the classroom.

This episode explores ancient Egyptian religion, focussing on the creation myth, the significance of the Nile River, and the influence of gods and goddesses. We highlight the fluidity of Egyptian religion, with regional variations and the merging of gods, and the importance of animals in religious and cultural practises.

Watch this episode on youtube: https://youtu.be/DhiRB7Sgizc

Do please support the show and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/TalkLikeAnEgyptian

It occurs to us that in order to prep for some of the deep-dives we have coming up, a quick run down of the major aspect of Egyptology might be helpful. And in act Chris has found it quite the challenge to think about what Egyptology is. And here is his attempt to explain what he does… Where was Egypt (silly questions perhaps) but were its boundaries exactly where they are today (nope)? When was it? When did Egypt of the pharaohs begin and end? What language did the Egyptians speak and what scripts (plural) did they use to write things down?

If you want links to bonus material and support the podcast please go to www.patreon.com/talklikeanegyptian

You can watch this episode on youtube here: https://youtu.be/CPNTRQSvjlI

Links to The Cursed Tomb by Iszi Lawrence: https://amzn.eu/d/6goeSPz

Links to Chris's books: https://chrisnaunton.com/writing/

This is a mildly edited recording of the livestream we broadcast on youtube on 11.11.25. Thank you for all those who made it. You can watch the broadcast from our patreon page where you can also download loads of extra content.

Please go to https://www.patreon.com/TalkLikeAnEgyptian

If you are looking for iszi's books find them here (or on your favourite shop) https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/author/iszi-lawrence/

Find Chris's books here: https://chrisnaunton.com/writing/

Massive thanks for listening - remember to join our patreon so you don't miss out on any future live streams,

Life! Prosperity! Health!

Big thank you to Bill, Temika, Tini, Amy and Danny.

All your support means the world to us!

We hope to be back for another series as soon as possible, please subscribe and follow us on Patreon to make sure you do not miss an announcement.

https://www.patreon.com/TalkLikeAnEgyptian

Meanwhile do please check out our books. For those interested in Medieval England, Iszi has a new novel, The Domesday Cows coming out in January.

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/domesday-cows-9781801996068/

Life! Prosperity! Health!

Chris & Iszi

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Tutankhamun is now very famous of course but ironically he was relatively insignificant right? We know that Tutankhamun was the 'boy king' and ruled as a child and so didn't - couldn't have - done much… In this episode we challenge this view, and show that in fact Tutankhamun ruled at the most interesting of times and may have been responsible for restoring the traditional religion after the brief period of heresy under Akhenaten.

Links:

Extra content: https://www.patreon.com/talklikeanegyptian

Reeves, Akhenaten: Egypt's false prophet

Dodson, Amarna Sunrise (for the early part of Akhenaten's reign and the period immediately before it) and Amarna Sunset (for the later part f the reign and Akhenaten's successors including Tutankhamun.

For a fictional adventure into the Valley of Kings: The Cursed Tomb: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/cursed-tomb-9781801996020/

The greatest archaeological discovery of all time. Even now, it's difficult to comprehend the full extent of what Howard Carter found in Valley of Kings tomb no. 62: the intact tomb of a pharaoh who turned out to have been a little boy when he came to throne, and possibly still in his teens when he died, containing more than 5,000 objects, almost all of them made of the finest materials and exquisitely fashioned. It was watershed moment for Egyptology, and it's almost inconceivable that anything more sensational will ever be found in future.

Links:

Extra content: https://www.patreon.com/talklikeanegyptian

The last word on the subject, is Reeves, The Complete Tutankhamun, a revised edition of which was produced in time for the centenary of the discovery in 2022.

For an even more lavishly illustrated volume on the objects alone see Hawass, Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb

The most thorough account of the life of the discoverer, Howard Carter, and the story of the discovery itself, is James, Howard Carter: The Path to Tutankhamun

For a fictional adventure into the Valley of Kings: The Cursed Tomb: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/cursed-tomb-9781801996020/

Why are we so obsessed with Ancient Egypt? All children study it, museum galleries displaying Egyptian objects are always full, documentaries always do really well, and we've had a couple of waves of Egyptomania – in the 1800s and following the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. We talked a lot in this episode about the historical background to the development of Egyptology, in particular colonialism and the rivalry between Britain and France. Also about how the aesthetic of Egyptian art and architecture is very distinctive and striking and so many other aspects of Egyptian culture are so intriguing including: mummies and mummification, animal-headed gods, the lure of the desert, and the idea that treasure is buried and awaiting discovery - 'revealing' things that are 'hidden'…

Links:

Extra content: https://www.patreon.com/talklikeanegyptian

Thompson, Wonderful Things: A History of Egyptology (three vols.)

And for a more concise, illustrated account we couldn't not mention – sorry! – Chris' book, Egyptologists' Notebooks.

On 'Egyptomania', see Brier, Egyptomania: Our Three Thousand Year Obsession with the Land of the Pharaohs

Chris's book for kids that gets mentioned this episode King Tutankhamun Tells All!

https://chrisnaunton.com/king-tutankhamun-tells-all/

Iszi's book for kids which didn't get mentioned this episode The Cursed Tomb: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/cursed-tomb-9781801996020/

The pyramids, particularly those at Giza, are pretty famous right? In this episode we ask: What were they? Where were they? When were they? Were the all the same? (No). How did they differ, how did they develop? What was inside? Are you sure they're tombs? Not power stations or spacecraft? When weren't they? Why did the Egyptians stop building them? What's the significance of the shape? They had them in Mexico and elsewhere. They must have been connected right, come on…

Links:

Extra content: https://www.patreon.com/talklikeanegyptian

The best concise overview of every aspect of the pyramids – in Egypt and Sudan, their design, meaning etc is Lehner, The Complete Pyramids.

The author has spent an entire career working at Giza and he, along with the world's other leading expert on the site, has now published the last word on the pyramids there, also the sphinx and thousands of other monuments at the site: Lehner and Hawass, Giza and the Pyramids. This is a bog book and it's not cheap but it is indispensable for research on the site.

It's not the only reason why Chris became an Egyptologist but as a young Dr Who nut he liked nothing more than watching old serials on VHS, and The Pyramids of Mars from 1975 might just have helped nudge him in the right direction: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00vf241/doctor-who-19631996-season-13-pyramids-of-mars-part-1

Iszi's book (she's so needy) The Cursed Tomb where you go into The Pyramid of Unas: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/cursed-tomb-9781801996020/