Destruction of mankind
Nederhof - English
Created on 2006-11-04 by Mark-Jan Nederhof. Last modified 2009-06-08.
Transliteration and translation for "The myth of the Destruction of Mankind", following the
transcription of De Buck (1948), pp. 123-126.
The transliteration throughout follows Hannig (1995).
For published translations, see Hornung (1991); Lichtheim (1976), pp. 197-199.
Bibliography
A. De Buck. Egyptian Readingbook. Ares Publishers, Chicago, Illinois, 1948.
R. Hannig. Grosses Handwrterbuch gyptisch-Deutsch: die Sprache der Pharaonen (2800-950
v.Chr.). Verlag Philipp von Zabern, 1995.
E. Hornung. Der gyptische Mythos von der Himmelskuh. Universittsverlag Freiburg Schweiz,
1991.
M. Lichtheim. Ancient Egyptian Literature -- Volume II: The New Kingdom. University of California
Press, 1976.
xpr swt [...] Hm n ra nTr xpr Ds=f
1
It happened that the majesty of Re, the god who created himself, [...],
m-xt wnn=f m nswyt
rmT nTrw m jxt watj
after he had exercised kingship, and mankind and gods were (still) united.
2
wn.jn rmT Hr kAt mdwt r=f
jsTw rf Hm=f a.w.s. jAw.w
Mankind then
conspired against him, while His Majesty (l.p.h.!) had grown old,
qsw=f m HD Haw=f m nbw Snj=f m xsbD mAat
his bones were of silver, his flesh of gold, and his hair of real lapis lazuli.
3
wn.jn Hm=f Hr sjA mdwt ntt kA.tw r=f jn rmT
3
His Majesty
perceived the conspiring that was done against him by mankind,
Dd.jn Hm=f a.w.s. n ntjw m-xtjw=f
and His Majesty (l.p.h.!) said to those in his retinue:
4
njs mj n=j r jrt=j r Sw
tfnwt gbb nwt
4
'Summon to me my Eye, and Shu, Tefnut, Geb, Nut,
Hna jtw mwwt wnnyw Hna=j
jsT wj m nwn
and the fathers and mothers who were with me when I was in the primordial water,
5
Hna gr nTr=j nwn jnn=f Snyt=f
Hna=f
jnn=k st m ktkt
and also my god Nun, and he shall bring his courtiers with him. Bring them stealthily,
jm mAA rmT jm war jb=sn
jy=k Hna=sn r Hwt-aAt
so that mankind doesn't see and lose heart. Come with them to the palace,
6
Dd=sn sxrw=sn Drtw
jw=j m nwn
6
so that they may give their excellent counsel. I shall return to the primordial water,
r bw xpr.n=j jm
jn{j}.jn.tw nn n nTrw
to the place where I came into being.' Then these gods were brought,
wn.jn nn n nTrw jpn Hr gs=fj Hr dhn tA
m- bAH Hm=f
and these gods came at his two sides, kneeling to the ground before His Majesty,
Dd=f mdwt=f m-bAH jt smsww
that he might present his issue before the father of the eldest,
jr rmT nsw rxyt
Dd.jn=sn xft Hm=f
who created mankind, the king of the people. And they said to His Majesty:
8
mdw n=n r sDmt=n st
Dd.jn ra n nwn
'Speak to us, that we may hear it!' Then Re said to Nun:
nTr sms xpr.n=j jm=f
nTrw tpjw-a
'O eldest god, in whom I came into being, and ancestor gods,
9
mTn rmT xpr w m jrt=j
kA.n=sn mdwt r=j
look, mankind, which issued from my Eye, they have conspired against me.
Dd n=j jrt=Tn r=s
mTn wj HHj=j
Tell me what you would do about it, since I am deliberating
10
n smA.n=j st r sDmtw=j Dd tj=Tn r=s
and I cannot slay them until I have heard what you might say about it.'
Dd.jn Hm n nwn
sA=j ra nTr aA r jr sw
Then the majesty of Nun said: 'My son Re, god who is greater than he who begot him,
11
wr r qmAyw sw
Hms st=k wr snD=k
11
and most august than they who created him, be seated! Great is the fear of you,
jw jrt=k r wAyw jm=k
Dd.jn Hm n ra
since your Eye is on those who scheme against you.' The majesty of Re then said:
mTn st war(.w) r xAst
'Look, they have fled to the desert,
12
jbw=sn snD.w Hr Dd=j
n= sn
Dd.jn=sn xft Hm=f
12
because their hearts are fearful about what I said to them.' And they said to His Majesty:
Dj Sm jrt=k Hw=s n=k st
wAw m Dw
'Let your Eye go, that it may smite them for you, the schemers of evil.
nn jrt xntj jm=s r Hwt n=k st
There is no Eye that is more able than she to smite them for you.
13
hA=s m Hwt-Hr
13
May it descend as Hathor!'
jw.jn rf nTrt tn smA.n=s rmT Hr xAst
This goddess returned after she had slain mankind in the desert,
Dd.jn Hm n nTr pn
jjj.wj m Htp Hwt-Hr jrt n jrw
and the majesty of this god said: 'Welcome in peace, Hathor, who helped the creator
14
j.n=j r=s
Dd{j}.jn nTrt tn
anx=k n=j
14
when I came to her!' And this goddess said: 'As you live for me,
jw sxm.n=j m rmT
jw nDm Hr jb=j
Dd.jn Hm n ra
I have overpowered mankind, and it was pleasure to my heart.' And the majesty of Re said:
15
jw=j r sxm jm=sn m nsw
m sanDw st
15
'I shall take power over them as king, as he who diminished them.'
xpr sxmt pw Sbbt nt grH
Thus Sachmet came into being, concoction of the night,
r rhnt Hr snf=sn SAa m nnj-nsw
Dd.jn ra
to wade in their blood as far as Herakleopolis. Then Re said:
16
njs mj n=j wpwtjw xAxw sjnw
sxs=sn mj Swt nt Xt
16
'Summon to me swift, nimble messengers, that they may rush like a body's shadow!'
17
jn.jn.tw nn n wpwtjw jpn
Hr-awj
Dd.jn Hm n nTr pn
17
And these messengers were brought immediately. The majesty of this god then said:
SAs{n} r Abw
jn n=j djdjt r wr
'Go to Elephantine, and bring me haematite in great quantity!'
jn.jn.tw n=f nn n djdjt
rDj.jn Hm n nTr pn aA
And this haematite was brought to him. Then the majesty of this great god ordered
18
Hn kt{t} ntj m jwnw Hr nD djdjt jpn
jsTw gr Hmwt Hr tS jt r Hnqt
that the Braided in Heliopolis grind this haematite, while maidservants grind barley for beer.
19
rDj.jn.tw djdjt jpn Hr Sbbt tn
wn.jn mj sn f n rmT
Then the haematite was put into this beer mash, and it became like human blood;
jr{t}.jn.tw Hnqt hbnt 7000
seven thousand jars of beer were made.
jw.jn rf Hm n nsw-bjtj ra
Hna nTrw jpn
Then the majesty of the king of Upper and Lower Egypt Re came together with these gods
20
r mAA nn n Hnqt jsTw HD tA
n smA rmT
20
to see this beer.
jn nTrt
When the day dawned on which mankind would be slain
m sww=sn nw xntyt
Dd.jn Hm n ra
by the goddess, among their days of travelling south, the majesty of Re said:
21
nfr.wj st
jw=j r mkt rmT Hr=s
Dd.jn ra
21
'How good it is! I will protect
mankind against her.' And Re said:
fAy mj st r bw Dd.n=s smA=j rmT jm
'Carry it to the place of which she had said "I will slay mankind there." '
nhp.jn Hm n nsw-bjtj ra
The majesty of the king of Upper and Lower Egypt Re rose early,
22
m nfrw grH
r rDjt stj.tw nn n sDrt
22
in the middle of the night, to have this sleeping potion poured out,
wn.jn AHwt ntj Ssp 3 Hr mH m mw
and the fields were flooded three palms high with the liquid,
23
m bAw n Hm n nTr pn
Sm{t}.jn nTrt tn m dwAw.wj
by the might of the majesty of this god. Then this goddess came in the early morning
gm.n=s nn Hr mHt
nfr.jn Hr=s{t} jm
and found that these (fields) were flooded, and her gaze was pleased by it.
wn.jn=s{t} Hr swr nfr Hr jb=s{t}
Then she drank and it pleased her heart.
24
jj.n=s tx.tj nn sj A.n=s rmT
After she returned drunk without having perceived mankind,
Dd.jn Hm n ra n nTrt tn
jj.{t}wj m Htp jmAyt
the majesty of Re said to this goddess: 'Welcome in peace, O gracious one!'
xpr nfrwt pw m jmAw
Thus beautiful women came into being in Momemphis.
