On Monday you will be learning about foreigners in Ancient Egypt. Professor Morris will talk about the representation of foreigners (in art and literature), the Egyptian perception of foreigners (both positive and negative), the kinds of Egyptian interactions with foreigners (we already touched upon this a bit with the rise of foreign slaves during Egyptian expansion), and the professions/roles foreigners performed in Egyptian society.
For Tuesday you will read two primary texts: The Story of Sinhue set in the Middle Kingdom and the Report of Wenamon from the Late Period. Read these two texts very carefully making note of how the Egyptian protagonist perceives the foreigners and their lands and conversely, how the foreigners treat the Egyptian.
In your post I would like you to pick out ONE aspect of these stories and either compare or contrast it. Be as specific as possible with your evidence. Please make sure to read the introductions to both texts--it will help you better understand how these texts reflect the socio-political landscape of their time (you do not need to talk about this in your post).
After reading these two primary documents, I felt that a major concept that stuck out for me was the relationship between the Egyptian protagonist and the foreigners he encountered. While this is a pretty broad theme, I was especially interested in the polar opposite welcomes that the main characters received. It seems as though Sinuhe was far luckier in his adventures than Wenamun was in his.
ReplyDeleteAfter the death of Amenemhet I, Sinuhe flees the country, eventually lands in the Qedem, and is given a warm welcome by Amusinenshi. The local ruler tells him that "you are here, and you shall be with me, and what I shall do for you will be good" (Story of Sinuhe 58). Amusinenshi offers Sinuhe his eldest daughter's hand in marriage and gives him the "wonderful land called Yaa" (58). Additionally, he becomes the chief of his own tribe and enjoys "many sweet things with milk in everything cooked" (58).
On the other hand, Wenamon faces greater struggles in his story. As the story begins, the principal character is sent to Byblos to get lumbar for a new ship to be used for religious purposes. On his way, he is robbed of "a golden vessel worth five deben, four silver jars worth twenty deben, and a purse containing eleven deben of silver" in the port of Dor (Report of Wenamon 116). When he goes to Beder, the prince of the Tjeker town, he is told that "Actually, as for the thief who has robbed you, he belongs to you and he belongs to your freighter" (117). He does, however, agree to look for the criminal if Wenamon remains for a little while longer.
After nine days in Dor, Wenamon sails to Byblos, where he encounters even further difficulties with obtaining the lumbar. The hostile local king demands payment for his resources and insists "you have but to pay me for supplying it, and I will supply it...you, what have you brought me in my turn?" (120).
It is easy to see from the examples that the two characters had very different experiences abroad from Egypt. By the end of the first story, Sinuhe actually wants to go home. It is his dying wish to see Egypt again. Unfortunately, "The Report of Wenamon" cuts off before any resolution is reached but it seems like events are taking a turn for the better, as the priest finds himself under the protection of Hatiba, the princess of the town. The story literally ends with him being told to sleep.
As far as explicit concepts are concerned, I think that that is the biggest contrast between the two stories. Not only do the two Egyptians have differing travels, but also one escapes to another country in fear for his life, while the other is sent away on an obligatory assignment. One finds happiness, while the other finds strife and conflict. I believe that these experiences, which very well could have been based on truth, were therefore able to shape other Egyptians’ mixed opinions of foreigners.
In the intro for the report of Wenamon, it says, “the report clearly reflects the decline of Egypt’s prestige abroad.” And yes, clearly the way Wenamon was treated outside of Egypt was nothing like how Sinuhe was treated.
ReplyDeleteUpon landing, Sinuhe was welcomed. The fact he was respected Egyptian was good enough reason for him to get warm welcomes. Chief of Upper Retenu said, “You will be well with me, for you will hear the speech of Egypt. “ No one accused him, no one spat in his face. Sinuhe gets to be chief of a tribe of the finest land and gets to marry chief’s eldest daughter. And he “spent many years while (his) offspring became strong men, each man managing his own tribe.”
Unlike Sinuhe who was welcomed and given position of chief and wealth, Wenamon seems to have had bad time abroad. Wenamon was robed. And when he demanded the Prince of Dor, he says “Are you serious, or are you joking? See here, I cannot understand this allegation you have made to me.” By the way Prince talks to Wenamon, we can see that being an Egyptian official didn’t earn so much respect as it did back in Sinuhe’s time. Prince’s tone is rather condescending. He makes Wenamon moored in the harbor for 29 days. The way he talks seems more like an order: “Quet! If you wish to find your money, hear my words and do what I tell you,” “Stay until tomorrow, so the prince says.” And prince calls Wenamon’s journey as “foolish journeys.”
It seems it is important to look at how much power Egypt had world widely at that time period.
In The Story of Sinuhe, Sinuhe is warmly welcomed by the “Bedouin chief” and is taken into his family as the chief’s new son in law (56-58). The chief is quite hospitable, for he has not only given Sinuhe the right to marry his eldest daughter, but awards him with access to the “choicest part of what he owned” (land) to call his own, and gives him the title of “chief of a tribe of the finest in his land” (58). Surprisingly, no one in this new land exposes that they are harboring a runaway, as stated in “No reproach was heard, and my name was not heard in the mouth of the town crier” (57). Sinuhe is so overwhelmed with happiness with this new home of his, that he states “It was like the plan of a God” (57).
ReplyDeleteHe was extremely pleased with the flourishing nature of this new found land as well. He lists the cultivation of a variety of products such as “figs…grapes…wine…honey…olive trees…emmer…cattle” etc (58). When Sinuhe finally feels the need to return back to Egypt, he does not belittle the greatness of foreign rulers, but rather praises them as expressed in “They are rulers whose names are worthy and who have been brought up in your love” (63).
Wenamon’s report on the other hand, relays feelings of discomfort, anger, and disparagement. The text opens with a troublesome scenario, for the Egyptian has been robbed (117). Although, “a man of” his own “freighter” stole his products, he reports it to Beder the prince, expecting compensation for this robbery (117). The narrator intends to seek the reader’s sympathy by stating the rude speech the foreigner uses, but in actuality looks foolish for it is not the foreigner’s duty to compensate him for something a man of his own land stole from him. Dialogue such as “Get out of my harbor!”, “…am I your servant? Or am I a servant of the one who sent you?” indicates the low level of respect he supposedly received from the foreigners (119-120).
Egyptian perception of foreigners was no doubt shaped by both the kinds of interactions Egyptians had with foreigners, and the kinds of interactions they learned about/read or saw via stories and art. That being said, it was very fascinating to read The Story of Sinhue and The Report of Wenamon . Both tales are set in different periods and have main characters who experience the act of leaving Egypt with different results. I noticed how in both stories the Egyptian protagonist eventually looks favorably on Egypt as the land they want to be.
ReplyDeleteSome moments portray the foreigners and their land as dangerous. For example, on Wenamon’s way, he is robbed of "a golden vessel worth five deben, four silver jars worth twenty deben, and a purse containing eleven deben of silver" in the port of Dor (116).
Both Wenamon and Sinuhe are experiencing cultures other than Egyptian and both show high regard for Egyptian culture. After the death of Amenemhet I, Sinuhe leaves Egypt (which to me speaks to the level of faith Egyptians have in their leader) and finds himself in the Qedem, where he meets Amusinenshi. Amusinenshi says "you are here, and you shall be with me, and what I shall do for you will be good" so Sinuhe is welcomed into this strange and "wonderful land called Yaa" (58). Sinuhe becomes the chief of his own tribe and enjoys "many sweet things” so it is hard to imagine why he would ever want to go home to Egypt. But, it becomes Sinuhe’s ultimate desire to see Egypt again—underscoring how close his birth land is to his heart.
Wenamon seems less attached to Egypt but instead his tale focuses on the challenges of interacting with an exotic culture in Byblos as we watch him struggle to obtain wood. Wenamon arrives in Byblos (via boat) and goes to a king to obtain lumbar. The local king demands some form of pay in return for his wood and gets very agitated and is portrayed as difficult to deal with. The King barks "you have but to pay me for supplying it, and I will supply it...you, what have you brought me in my turn?" (120).
While Wenamon’s struggles stem from challenges to accomplish a task in a exotic place Sinuhe’s struggles stem from the inner connection to Egypt that makes even a land of wonder feel empty. Both tales then operate in a similar function—they encourage Egyptians to have pride in their culture and land.
After reading Report of Wenamon and the The Story of Sinhue, I was quite shocked by the incredible difference of reception the foreigners had towards the Egyptian protagonists. Where Sinhue was treated with great respect, Wenamon was treated with no respect, where Sinhue was given a lavished life, Wenamon was stuck for 29 days at a foreign harbor, waiting for his lumber. The ways the two protagonists were treated could not be more different.
ReplyDeleteAfter Sinhue left Egypt he traveled to many foreign lands. When he arrived at the Asiactics, he was given water and milk for sustenance by the their bedouin chief (56). When Sinhue was in Palestine, he was given the chief's eldest daughter's hand in marriage, and also his own small country and troops (58). The foreigners took a great liking to Sinhue and treated him as one of their own. He was instantly greeted with much respect due to his position and intelligence.
Wenamon on the other hand was not as lucky. As soon as his ship arrived at Byblos, he is robbed of a total of "five deben of gold and thirty-one deben of silver" (117). When he asked the local prince to investigate this crime, the prince replied with, "Are you serious, and you joking" (117). Wenamon had to continuously make an effort to get his silver and gold back. To make matters worse, he is condemned to stay on the harbors for 29 days before he is granted an audience with the king, in order to receive his shipment of lumber. During those 29 days, he is sent daily letters telling him to leave the harbor (118). As one can see this reception is very different from Sinhue's reception. Wenamon is constantly given the runaround and has to waste his time in a foreign land where his most valuable possession have been stolen from him. The foreigners in the story do not care about Wenamon's position, or the fact that he is an Egyptian.
The Story of Sinuhe and The Report of Wenamon both represent stories of Egyptian travels. After each of the travels, the protagonist ends up lingering back to Egypt. This show the importance of the capital to Egyptians lives even after exposure to foreign lands. In these two stories, their journeys and encounters with the foreigners are depicted differently.
ReplyDeleteIn The Story of Sinuhe, Sinuhe start the voyage with an unknown reason. “I do not know what bought me to this land. It was like the plan of a God” (Simpson 57). The Asiatics and other foreigners treat him with riches and kindness rather than hostility and force. The chiefs of other lands respected him as an individual and as an Egyptian. The Asiatics “chief recognized me, a man who had been in Egypt. He gave me water and boiled milk me, and I went with him to his tribe and what they did for me was good” (56). Next, Sinuhe find himself with chief of Upper Retenu, “he said to me: You will be well with me, for you will hear the speech of Egypt” (57). The foreigners respect Egyptian cultures, which is very interesting. The foreigners respect Sinuhe’s reputation and intelligence. Even after Sinuhe’s success in combats and raising his own tribes in foreign lands, the greatness of the capital (Egypt) continues to pop up through the foreigners’ praises and Sinuhe’s head, reminding Sinuhe of his home. Returning home becomes Sinuhe’s ultimate desire. This shows the unbroken bond of an individual to his/her homeland. Even when Sinuhe leaves the foreign land, the foreigners did not hesitate to give him a respectful farewell.
In The Report of Wenamon, Wenamon “departed to obtain lumber for the great and noble riverine barge of Amon-Re, King of the Gods” (117). His encounters with foreigners are opposite of Sinuhe’s encounters. Foreigners treat Wenamon with disrespect. “I spent twenty-nine days in his harbor while he spent time sending word to me saying, ‘Get out of my harbor!’” (118). Because of the prince’s inhospitable treatment “…I had located a freighter headed for Egypt and had already loaded all my possessions into it but, so as to prevent another eye from seeing the god, I was waiting for darkness to fall that I might put him abroad” (119). This shows that even though Wenamon has been away from Egypt for 5 months, his homeland is still in his heart. Wenamon continues to struggle relating to Byblos cultures and interacting with the Prince. “As for the Ruler of Egypt, is he the lord of what is mine, and I his servant as well?” (120). Here, the Prince uses disrespectful tone to look down upon Egypt. Instead of helping Wenamon with his journey, the Prince continues to disparage Wenamon and his search for lumbar. This voyage is filled with struggles. Even though the story is interrupted, we gain a sense that in the end, Wenamon will return to Egypt.
In the Story of Sinuhe, it seems as if there is mutual respect between Sinuhe and between the people in the foreign lands that he visits. This seems to be a parallel between the people at Avaris and the people throughout the rest of Egypt in that there is no animosity at that time (though things are later said that weren't true).
ReplyDeleteIn the Report of Wenamun, there seems to be a more negative view of foreign peoples, as this was a period in time when Egypt was taking a lot of foreign slaves. Interestingly enough, though, these foreigners seemed to be treated well enough that they did not despise the egyptians but rather recognized their power and aspired to be them, which is interesting.
Sara Landry
After reading both tales, I was surprised by the lack of commonality between them. The stories come from different periods, have different protagonists, and their experiences couldn't have been more different. Sinhue had a much more positive experience than Wenamon in the course of the tales. Sinhue is treated with the utmost respect and nearly all his demands are carried out without issue. Even the hardships he endures are easily overcome. Wenamon, on the other hand, is seemingly treated in low-regard. His interactions with the rulers of foreign lands are tepid, at best.
ReplyDeleteWhile thinking of an argument for this post, I began focusing on why these two Egyptians would be treated differently. Its possible Sinhue was exaggerating the truth in his tale, which does seem plausible to me (had the distinct impression while reading his tale that his exploits were a little too perfect). While both tales come from different time periods, the Egyptians were already widely known in that part of the world (Sinei), though in the late Kingdom (where Wenamon's tale originates from) there could be more resentment towards the aggressive, imperialistic Egyptians, which might explain Wenamon's not so warm welcome.
Also noteworthy is that Sinhue is directly tied to the royalty as an official of the Queen, while Wenamon holds a somewhat important post at a temple (temple elder? Doesn't sound like high priest, or someone as important as high priest). This could be an important factor, as foreigners wouldn't voluntarily offer much respect to a foreign priest that worships foreign gods. But, they would give a foreign official to a foreign Queen all the respect and courtesy required to strengthen ties to that foreign land. A wise move considering the power Egypt had over its neighbors.
The stories of both Sinuhe and Wenamon are obviously vastly different, as the depiction of foreigners is the main point of variation. However, these views and depictions of foreigners are coming from two different circumstances.
ReplyDeleteSinuhe traveled aimlessly without a destination in mind and eventually ended up in the land of Retenu as “it was like the plan of a God” (57). He had no intention or hope in his travels, so when he stumbled upon the gracious and kind Amusinenshi, he was welcomed with open arms and treated as a king. Sinuhe, however, does come off as somewhat pompous by depicting himself as this privileged, high-class man living in “the land of the barbarians” (62). Even though he was graciously greeted and even lived out most of his life in this land, Sinuhe still believed that was greater than his, now, own family, as he had children and married. When given the opportunity to return, he abandoned his family and left straight for Egypt. One can only assume that much of this story is blatantly biased and cannot be taken too seriously as it was even stated in the introduction that much of this work was fictitious. After reading this story, people would clearly believe that Egypt was this superior land and that living in the “land of the barbarians” would be no substitute for the glorious Egypt.
Wenamon, on the other hand, writes his work under much different circumstances. He traveled to the city of Dor in order to go on an errand for his king to retrieve the “great and noble barge of Amon-Re” (120). At the harbor, he claims to have been robbed and pleads his case to the king. He reports that the king responded by saying, “Are you serious or are you joking?” (117). When reading this story, I was very confused by the intense hostility of the foreigners towards Wenamon. However, upon further reading, I realized one crucial line that made me see the bias of the writer. During one of the confrontations of Wenamon and the foreign king, Beder, the king exclaims, “Truly, I have not done to you what was done to Khaemwase’s envoys when they had spent seventeen years in this land, and they died right at their post” (122). We will never know if the king actually said this, but as the readers, we can conclude that there has obviously been tremendous hostility and a great deal of background information that we are not given at the beginning. If we read this text with this feud in mind, it is understandable why Wenamon would portray his visit as a nightmare such as this one in order to gain support by his fellow Egyptians.
Though both pieces may be tremendously different in their original depictions of foreigners, it can be noticed that they are both promoting Egyptian nationalism in the end and use these depictions of foreigners in order to heighten and strengthen their claims.
One main aspect that I found in the reading was the way in which the main character was treated. In “The Story of Sinuhe,” Sinuhe is constantly treated graciously by the people he encounters. Before he is even capable of making it into the city, he is discovered by the Bedouin chief, which bestows upon him water and milk to parch his thirst. The man then brings him to his tribe thus starting Sinuhe transfer from chief to tribe. When Sinuhe finally reaches the king, he is given numerous things, from the king’s daughter to land. As the story continues, Sinuhe illustrates his thankfulness by dutifully fighting for the king.
ReplyDeleteThis view of foreigners treating Egyptians well is greatly contrasted by “The Report of Wenamon.” Throughout this story right from the beginning, Wenamon is treated very poorly, upon entering the city his belongings are stolen from him. Unable to continue on his journey he continuously begs for a ship to take him back home and his pleas are consistently ignored. Wenamon is even forced to steal. When Wenamon meets with the king, he is treated like a slave, forced to do work as punishment for what happened to another man. Overall, throughout both stories there is a large contrast in the generosity of foreigners towards Egyptians.
In "The Story of Sinuhe", Sinuhe is prince Senwosret's follower. He accompanies the price to Egypt. He accidentally overheard the death of a King and is considered "being in the vicinity of a conspiracy" (56). He gets scared and flees to Retjenu. He has gained positions but wants to return to Egypt. He says, "May god pity me..may the King have mercy on me…may i be conducted to the city of eternity!" The Pharaoh hears this and invites him to come back. He is treated as a royal man. The story shows that the Egypt does not reject foreigners but instead appreciate the brave and loyal ones.
ReplyDeleteIn the other story, the egyptian, Wenamun, sent to other country, as a foreigner, is not being treated fairly due tot he reducing power of Egypt at that time period. He is asked to pay whereas he is not supposed to do so. The Egyptian is also robbed on the road returning to Egypt. We can see that other countries being influenced by Egypt do not welcome Egyptians especially when Egypt become less powerful.
As we discussed in class, foreigners could be received in one of two ways: one, they could be respected and treated with kindness and equality, or two, they could be abused or taken advantage of. Both ways are seen in these two narratives that we read for section.
ReplyDelete“The Story of Sinuhe” tells the story of a man named Sinuhe who leaves Egypt after the death of king Amenemhet I. Along his travels he comes across the land of Qedem, where he seeks refuge and is welcomed with open arms by the leader of the tribe there (56). Not only is he treated with kindness and respect for the long duration that he stays, but the chief gives his daughter to Sinuhe to marry, as well as makes him chief of “a tribe of the finest in his land” (58). After many years of remaining with the foreigners, Sinuhe decides it is time for him to leave them and return to Egypt, which he eventually does. Sinuhe throughout the story expresses much gratitude towards the foreigners for their hospitality. This story is a perfect example of two foreign peoples getting along and treating each other with kindness and equality.
“The Report of Wenamon”, on the other hand, expresses the opposite side of the foreigner spectrum. In his story, Wenamon the Elder is treated with disrespect in multiple ways by the foreigners. First off, he is robbed from-- not exactly the happiest start to a story. Then, when he seeks help from the Prince, Wenamon is given no help and talked down to, despite his high status as an Elder in Egypt.
I suppose, depending on one’s circumstances and the time period, one’s interactions with foreigners could have been a positive or a negative one in ancient Egypt.
"The Story of Sinuhe" and "The Report of Wenamon" differ greatly from each other, although both detail the journey of two Egyptians into foreign lands. In “The Story of Sinuhe,” when Sinuhe escapes Egypt and wanders into foreign lands, he is treated as a royal guest by the Asiatic peoples. Throughout the text, Sinuhe mentions several times of how well he is treated. Sinuhe states,“[the] Bedouin chief…gave me water and boiled milk for me,…and what they did for me was good” (56). He later marries the daughter of an Asiatic, and is given ample farmland to cultivate. He stays in the foreigners’ land long enough to have children, who grow into “strong men, each man managing his (own) tribe” (Simpson 58). It almost seems as though Sinuhe’s life in Palestine is superior to his life in Egypt.
ReplyDeleteLike some have mentioned above, I also felt as though the tale has an unrealistic, fairytale-like quality to it. I think one of the main reasons Sinuhe is embraced by the Asiatics is because Sinuhe (if such a person existed) came from a time period in which Egypt was prosperous and power. In the introduction to the text, the author states that Sinuhe was a “resourceful man of…a time of rising prosperity in Egypt and its relations abroad” (54). When Sinuhe meets the chief of Upper Retenu, the chief says he has heard of Sinuhe’s reputation, and consequently treats Sinuhe with respect.
Wenamon’s account, however, tells of an entirely different tale. Wenamon is said to be an “Elder of the Portal of the Temple of Amon,” and upon arriving in a Tjeker town, Wenamon is immediately robbed by a man on his freighter. Wenamon then finds the prince, telling him of his problem and demanding the prince to search for his money. The prince blatantly denies Wenamon, almost jeering at him, and declares that he cannot repay Wenamon’s stolen money since it was stolen on Wenamon’s freighter, and thus is not the prince’s responsibility. The prince’s reaction to Wenamon’s proposal of searching for the lost money is the prince exclaiming, “Are you serious, or are you [joking]?” (117). Apparently, finding Wenamon’s money is out of the question. Wenamon is treated in radically different ways by the foreigners than Sinuhe is. I think Wenamon is treated with such abhorrence largely because he came from a period in which “the decline of Egypt’s prestige abroad following the collapse of the New Kingdom empire” was prominent. Apparently, the foreigners were very concerned with the amount of power other countries held, and subsequently treat people largely based on their political power.
Although the Story of Sinuhe and the Story of Wenamon are both fictional, they showcase the attitude of foreigners towards Egyptians. As many of the posts before me point out, Sinuhe is treated with respect and is able to prosper in the Asiatics, whereas Wenamon is received with hostility and is humiliated by the foreign king. Sinuhe not only married Amusinenshi’s eldest daughter but was also allowed to “pick from his country/the choicest part of what he owned on his border with another country”. The treatment that each character received corresponds with the amount of power Egypt had over the foreign states at that particular time. As Ashley mentioned, Sinuhe “is a resourceful man of his times, a prototype of the proper official at a time of rising prosperity in Egypt and its relations abroad” while Wenamon’s period “reflects the decline of Egypt’s prestige abroad following the collapse of the New Kingdom empire”. These two pieces of literature would have reflected how Egyptians of those two time periods would’ve perceived foreigners based on true stories they heard from family and friends.
ReplyDeleteBefore I read the two stories of Sinuhe and Wenamon, I was expecting the two to be somewhat similar. Most of the prior readings displayed a similarity in the themes and views when it came down to the different categories. It was interesting to see, though, how dissimilar and different they really were from each other. Sinuhe's story dealt with a more positive aspect of being a foreigner. He was treated as a royal guest by the Asiatics and later on ends up marrying one as well. The Story of Wenamon on the other hand was much more unfortunate. He was robbed on his own freight and was not reimbursed of it when bringing the problem to the prince. The prince simply argued that it was not his responsibility and does not take Wenamon seriously at all. I think that it is important to take into consideration of the different time periods the stories of these two foreigners. The first, Sinuhe, takes place during a time where Egyptians prospered and therefore respected Sinuhe and his wealth. The latter, Wenamon, was unluckily during a time when there was a decline in Egypt's prestige as the introduction to this report has stated. Although both foreigners had some kind of high status, they were treated very differently according to, I believe, the success and prosperity of the Egyptians.
ReplyDeleteThe story of Sinuhe differs greatly than that of Wenamon in terms of foreigners. Most evidence that we've seen is very intolerant of foreigners; however, Sinuhe's sotry was favorable towards foreigners, giving a better impression. I hadn't quite considered time periods, but I think that is the most significant difference between the two stories. Wenamon's takes place in a time of much greater political turmoil and in which Egypt's prestige was not nearly as strong/established as Sinuhe, which changes greatly how foreigners perceived Egyptians and thus how Egyptians perceived foreigners. Sinuhe lived in a time of prosperity and was welcomed into a foreign land readily; he lived a good, and long, life there. Wenamon, on the other hand, who lived in a later time period, was robbed and generally looked down upon.
ReplyDeleteThe two primary documents of “The Story of Sinuhe” and “The Report of Wenamon” were more or less opposites when it came to relations with foreigners and foreign countries. It is almost amusing to compare the two experiences to each other because of how different they are. When in a foreign country, Sinuhe was treated with respect and was given a good life by the Asiatics, as opposed to Wenamon, who was treated horribly, was robbed of his possessions, and was not treated well by the foreign king. This makes me wonder, why were certain Egyptians were treated differently and better than others were? My best answer to this question is that it is merely based on the time period. Sinuhe’s story occurred during a time when Egypt was prosperous, while Wenamon’s occurred during a time when Egypt was not as powerful, therefore Sinuhe was more respected.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting that Sinuhe wanted to return to Egypt near the end of his life, despite the nice lifestyle he was given abroad. I find this interesting because it seems that he fears that he will not receive a proper burial and funeral if he were to remain abroad, something that is of high value to all Egyptians.
More or less, the two tales give off a somewhat fairytale type of tone, as many stated above. Though probably fiction stories, the two give a proper depiction of the dynamic of foreign relations and the view of foreigners. They were either very good and respected or miserable.
In both the Story of Sinuhe and the Report of Wenamun, I saw the willingness and unwillingness of foreign people to aid Egyptians as significant. In the Story of Sinuhe, he seems to easily find refuge so much to the point the person who helps him out even gives him one of his daughters to marry. Sinuhe then seems to be easily assimilated into the foereighn culture and just as easily welcomed and loved. In his “David v. Goliath” battle he says that husbands and wives were crying for his safety and well-being. Just as Donadoni had said, the foreigners pretty much adored the Egyptians and respected them both in their artistry and in their behaviors.
ReplyDeleteThis, however, does not seem to be the case in the Report of Wenamun. Wenamun gets robbed-a large chunk of wealth stolen-and the prince doesn’t care one bit. The prince constantly tells him to get out and that it isn’t his problem. The prince simply wants to get rid of Wenamun. This completely contrasts what we’ve seen before. A foreign power is now denying refuge, sanctity, and solace to an Egyptian. More than denying but trying to get him to lead. Therefore in these two stories there seems to be a feint theme of duality where in one case being alien can be very beneficial while in the other it is, in a sense, consequential (Wenumun had his gold stolen and received no help or compassion towards his situation).