Customer Reviews

The Neteru of Kemet: An Introduction

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

My only regret with this book was that it was far too short! However, it presented the Egyptian gods (or netjer, as the author refers to them) from a fresh, new perspective hitherto unseen in most texts pertaining to them (including most Wiccan "Egyptian" books). After so many years of poorly-researched books and manuals that used Budge or 70's romance novels as their references on the subject, it's good to see someone out there worth her salt putting effort into the matter (and amusing to see how many people imitate her pronunciations and use her definitions without giving her any credit whatsoever). This book touched me deeply, and has led me to question much of what I thought of the Egyptian belief system. For that alone, it is worth my praise. Now if she'd just write another one....

This author has produced more updated material since The Neteru of Kemet was published, but this book is still a favorite in our household.

The book is formatted in vignettes that each include gentle visualizations which provide an excellent starting point for getting to know the Ancient Egyptian Gods on a personal level.

Readers who seek to begin a personal relationship with these Gods will find this book a helpful introduction.

THE NETERU OF KEMET: An Introduction Tamara Siuda Eschaton Productions, Inc., Chicago, IL, 1994

If you are looking for a good introductory book to the Gods of ancient Egypt, The Neteru of Kemet is the best I have read. The author is a graduate student of ancient religions and a priestess of the House of Netjer. Thus, she writes of the Gods (Neteru) with both scholarly background and personal experience. This combination gives her material that sense of truth so often lacking in other recent books on this subject.

The introduction deals principally with the religious practices of Kemet (ancient Egypt) and touches on those of the House of Netjer. The bulk of the book consists of 13 vignettes devoted to the most universally known Neteru. Each vignette contains Kemetic texts, visualizations/meditations, illustrations, and a discussion of the Neter being described. Following these is an excellent bibliography and a brief glossary. The text is well written and accessible, if brief in places. Overall, I highly recommend it and hope to see more extensive works by Ms. Siuda in the future.

Reviewed by Shawn Fields-Berry

Rev. Siuda is a knowlegeable and powerful writer. Her sources and research are absolutely impeccable. Constantly I am asked where to start in begining to understand the seemingly confusing religious beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians, I always refer them to this book. :)

I would very much like to see the new edition of this book as soon as it is released.

THE NETERU OF KEMET: An Introduction Tamara Siuda Eschaton Productions, Inc., Chicago, IL, 1994

If you are looking for a good introductory book to the Gods of ancient Egypt, The Neteru of Kemet is the best I have read. The author is a graduate student of ancient religions and a priestess of the House of Netjer. Thus, she writes of the Gods (Neteru) with both scholarly background and personal experience. This combination gives her material that sense of truth so often lacking in other recent books on this subject.

The introduction deals principally with the religious practices of Kemet (ancient Egypt) and touches on those of the House of Netjer. The bulk of the book consists of 13 vignettes devoted to the most universally known Neteru. Each vignette contains Kemetic texts, visualizations/meditations, illustrations, and a discussion of the Neter being described. Following these is an excellent bibliography and a brief glossary. The text is well written and accessible, if brief in places. Overall, I highly recommend it and hope to see more extensive works by Ms. Siuda in the future.

Reviewed by Shawn Fields-Berry

Kemet is the ancient name for the land we know today as Egypt. Neteru translates as "powers" or "divinities." This volume, then, is a discussion of Egyptian religion, which, thanks to extensive archaeological investigation and the Egyptians' penchant for writing, we know an awfully lot about. The author provides both a general overview and in-depth profiles of 13 of the most widely worshipped neteru, offering readers a fresh look at a religio-philosophical system that displays marked similarities to its contemporary counterpart half a world away: Taoism."

You're right - this was a simplistic book, but what do you expect for less than $10 and less than 100 pages? I thought it was a nice place to start, though I've seen other better books. The reading list was worth the price of this book - I got a lot of good resources from there. Oh, about the temple being gone though, that's not true. They renamed it the House of Netjer and it's out there on the web - there's a cool FAQ that explains it. Isn't the URL listed?

Rev. Siuda writes with accuracy and clarity. My only wish is that the book was larger and had more of the Netjeru in it. What is contained in this book are concise and clear definitions of the most well known names of Netjer. Highly recommended.

Has anyone else thought of giving it as a gift to interested young adults? I think it makes a marvellous children's or beginners' book and would like very much to see additional material from this authoress.

The reviewer who awarded this book one star obviously never glanced at a traditional stanza of ancient Egyptian poetry, where you will often find references to various gods "in this Your Name of" followed by the name of another god (i.e., "O Isis, in this Your Name of Mut....")! The importance of the ren -- or the name -- is not of Rev. Siuda's invention; it's a common theme in Egyptian theology. It will be very interesting to see the next installment of this work -- I'm looking forward to it after this one!