Story of the two brothers is considered the oldest known fable, dating back to ancient Egypt, written thanks to the oral traditions of that period. We will talk more about it in this review
TITLE: HISTORY OF THE TWO BROTHERS AUTHOR: UNKNOWN KIND: FABLE YEAR: XII CENTURY BC
The text dates back to the New Kingdom and is a fairy tale with a magical background. The owner of the papyrus was the pharaoh Seti II but let’s analyze it better. Here is the review of History gods due brothers.
The plot | Review Story of the two brothers: the oldest fable
The story revolves around two brothers, Anubis e Child. The first is rich and happy and the second poor and destined to be his brother’s servant. Things begin to change when Anubis’ wife tries to seduce Bata who, faithful to her brother, rejects her. Feeling rejected, she pretends to have been attacked by her younger brother and asks her husband to kill him. Forced to flee, Bata however manages to talk to his brother and to show his anger at what had happened he cuts his member, hides his heart on a cedar tree, praising a resurrection if ever his brother finds him, and goes away. . Anubis, realizing what really happened, kills his wife.
Bata meets new divinity that forge a beautiful one wife which is however kidnapped by the sea. A lock of her hair reaches the pharaoh Anubis who is fascinated by the scent that emanates and decides to look for it. He manages to find her and takes her to Egypt, making her there favorite and able to fulfill any of his wishes. Unexpectedly she decides to kill her husband. Of the poor Bata there remains only the heart that his brother Anubis, after five years, manages to find, thus bringing him to the death.
Thanks to a magical transformation he transforms and lives again in a bull which is however used as a sacrificial animal at the behest of the same wife. From the drops of the bull’s blood, plants grow which he favors, once again, uproots. In doing so, however, a splinter ends up in her mouth, making her pregnant.
From that pregnancy a son was born whom Anubis names his successor. It was the last semblance and reincarnation of his brother Bata, who has now become king.
The characters | Review Story of the two brothers: the oldest fable
Initially the protagonists of the fairy tale seemed to be the divinities Anubis and Bata but, after yet another evaluation and interpretation, the pharaoh was no longer identified with known characters. He is therefore devoid of any name and the events, consequently, are not historical but fantastic.
Reading the fable you can well see how the donna was seen as the main point of reference. On the other hand, the whole story was written around two of them. In fact, at the time of ancient Egypt the woman had extreme value. She was not marginalized but very independent and could aspire to various roles inside and outside the home. As for the wife of PharaohInstead, it is easy to understand how much she could be venerated like the goddesses, she was considered mistress of the house and had the same juridical position as man.
So, although it is a fantastic story, it is not difficult to understand some main features of that historical period. Like, for example, the karma. In ancient Egypt it was called ma’at and contained the simple concept of the System (cosmos), inside which everything existed and was destined to bounce and come back.
Bata, in fact, after years and numerous deaths and lives, managed to ascend the throne and have his revenge.
A little history | Review Story of the two brothers: the oldest fable
In 1852 a wealthy English lady bought a papyrus at an Italian antiques market. Subsequently referred to as Orbiney, the papyrus was shown to an Egyptologist who revealed its nature. It was written in characters hieratic, therefore ancient, used by the scribes. Today it is located at British Museum.
According to some it would be a political satire based on the difficulties of set II, who apparently was the owner of that papyrus, with his brother Amenmesse. According to others, however, there would be similarities with the biblical story of Giuseppe, the son of Jacob e Rachel, in Egypt. Certainly parts of the fable derive from the myth of the death and resurrection of Osiris.
Seti II
As we have said, it was thought of the pharaoh Seti II and his affairs with his stepbrother at first. Although not certain, it was certain that it belonged to him, that famous papyrus. So who was Seti II?
Seti II was the son of Meremptah e Isinofret and he was head of the Land of the Two Lands for six years. His authority was questioned by Amenmesse, also a son of Meremptah and eager to ascend the throne. The information we have is not much and it is not clear whether there has been an internal conflict or not, what is thought is that Amenmesse only managed to exercise power in Upper Egypt.
Despite this, Seti was able to enlarge several works of architecture, appropriating those of other Egyptian rulers, including those of his brother.
Here we are at the end of this Story of the Two Brothers review! Isn’t it fascinating to imagine how the oral tradition was able to reach us, managing to tell us part of the history of those years? I find it really wonderful, on the other hand this is the meaning of the story, isn’t it?
See you next story!