Customer Reviews

The Gods of the Egyptians, Volume 2

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The most frustraing thing about E.A. Wallis Budge's books is that it's often impossible to tell when he's using conjecture and when he's actually stating a fact. Far too often he'll make a statement that today we know to be false -- for example, that the name of "Bast" and "Sekhmet" derive from words for "fire", which they don't as they mean (respectively) "Devouring/Ointment Lady" and "Powerful Lady" (nothing at all to do with fire) -- and then make a statement that actually has some basis in fact. For BEGINNERS, I would say: STAY AWAY from this book until you have a very firm grasp of Egyptian society and culture. If you need an indexed book about Egyptian deities, try George Hart's "Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses". For ADVANCED USERS, I would say: Yes, you should probably read this, but be sure that when Budge makes a statement that there's some way to verify what he's saying, or your research could be seriously skewed.

For those looking for a clear and up-dated overview of ancient Egyptian religion, THIS IS NOT THEIR BOOK. As it happens with many of Budge's books, this two-volumes set is quite out-dated and, moreover, it is highly-speculative (but without warning one that what he says is just that: speculation). Non the less, for those with a rather deep acquaintaince of the Egyptian Mythology and beliefs, it still could be helpful in certain matters. And, as it always occurs with Budge's works, there are scattered here and there some bits of useful data. Another criticism, which can be extended over to any of his other titles, is the lack or meagre references to the bibliography or documents from which he extracted his quotations. So that, BEGINNERS BEWARE!

Budge's works are generally considered a bit of an Egyptological embarrassment; his intentions were noble but he seemed to favor quantity over quality when it came to research and there are lingering questions about the extent of his "exploitation" of the antiquities trade. No one will know for certain whether his legacy to Egyptology was helpful or ultimately harmful but his works have served to generate a fantastic sort of curiosity about Egypt, which may benefit the preservation of archaeological goodies in the long run. This book, like all of his others, is rife with errors, contradictions, mistranslations of the ancient texts and sadly void of references for Budge's countless "scientific" assertions. Generally, however, he gets the basic qualities and legends of the deities correct. The amateur Egyptolgist may use this book with a grain of salt and opt instead for scholarly recent books by Meeks or Hornung.

I find the narrow mindedness of the earlier reviewers disgusting. It is typical of our present day amateurs to judge excellent work after having briefly skimmed over it with sporting eyes.