What first got you interested in Egypt? ^o^

[Vittoria della Notte]

And weren't there Books of the Dead in pretty much every tomb or something because it helped lead the soul to the afterlife? Or was it because the guy performing the ceremony read from it, and left it in the tomb to lead them to the afterlife? I get the different things I've read confused sometimes.  

[WebenBanu]

Yes! The Book of the Dead (BotD), more accurately called the Book of Coming Forth by Day (BCFbD), was a guide for the deceased complete with passwords and spells to be recited in order to repell the dangers of their passage through the afterlife. Each version of the book was tailored to the individual it was purchased for- containing different spells, and different sets of Negative Confessions (a.k.a. Declarations of Purity). So there is the Egyptian Book of the Dead which was meant for the use of the dead person... but there is also a Tibetan Book of the Dead (which I haven't read but have heard about) which is more for the living who've been left behind. I don't know much about the Tibetan Book of the Dead, but perhaps that's where the confusion comes in?^_^ There were definitely parts of the Egyptian BotD which were read by priests, though- Chapter 125 (The Negative Confessions/Declarations of Purity) being a prime example. It had a magical function of purification which wasn't fully activated until it had been read aloud.

If they ever find a Book of the Living, though, that will totally creep me out. xd  

[Silvenya]

I have a Book of the Dead. I like it for the pictures. sweatdrop  

[Krimson Kandy]

I started getting interested in seventh grade when we were learning about ancient civilizations. Before then I was always interested in pyramids but didnt know too much about it.  

[Hellenistic Wisdom]

The 6th grade. I had a really GREAT history teacher. She was a monster, but she was a GREAT teacher. Made us learn the entire Greek alphabet. I still remember it. Couldn't tell you what the symbols mean, but I remember it. We made our cartouches in that class out of heiroglyphs. I felt proud that I could write my name in another tongue. It's probably what got me started wanting to learn another language--I found out that the tongue of ancient Egypt was long since dead so I moved on to Japanese. Go figure.

My apologies, I ramble. Also, I grew up under a religion that publishes its own literature. Since the Bible mentions Egypt in large amounts during a couple of books in the Hebrew scriptures, they sometimes include articles related to the biblical stuff of that time period in their magazine. I even remember some stuff on the history of some of the royal family in there from time to time. Couldn't tell you if they still do it or not...  

[Hellenistic Wisdom]

Silvenya

I have a Book of the Dead. I like it for the pictures. sweatdrop

Where can I get one?  

[Kalita-chan]

I've been interested in Egypt for so long, I don't even remember how I got interested eek . But I adored the Egyptian myths and legends since I was five and I've read tons of books about the culture too.  

[DestroyanSigma]

When I was seven years old I saw a picture of a papyrus of The Book of the Dead. I got curious about that and I started to find out about the Ancient Egypt.  

[DaughterofIsis]

When I was four, I just got an Egyptian hair up my butt. I was nuts. I bugged my dad until he got me books and little worksheets. I just couldn't get enough. I think that is when I got my fascination for mythology. Right now I am working on memorizing all the names of the Celtic deities (linguistic adventure, believe me).  

[starmeow]

The eye of rah, and gold jewlery!  

[lime whirlpool]

Let's see..... In the third grade I had to do a biography project and my dad suggested Howard Carter. Now I have done five different projects on Howard Carter and King Tut and am totally obsessed with Egypt.  

[Aurora234]

I also have a verison of the "Book of the dead". It is really neat. It is translated into english and then above it is how you would say it (what they believe anyways) in Ancient Egyptian.

I don't actually have a date that started me in my interest. I have a strange story that you don't have to believe but it is how I really got 'back' into it.

When I was little I use to have crazy/creapy dreams. Most came true to an extent. One night I had this dream of this building. I couldn't quite make it out but I knew it had to be in a desert area. After a certain dream (creapy one) I told myself I never wanted to dream again. I litteraly have to train myself to dream again or at least remember them now. Anyways, this dream of this building and the people around it was when i was about 8 or 9. I'm 20 now, just turned it on the 17th ^.^ A few years ago I was researching Egypt for a project in high school. I was flipping through the pages but then quickly stopped reconizing something. I knew instantly it was the building in my dream when i was younger. However, this was the front view of Hatshepsut's temple when my dream was the side view. Yes that is right, it was Hatshepsut's temple. It was strange because I had almost every detail except it wasn't old it seemed new. Living where I do now in Canada, we have lots of tarot card readers who specialize in past life experiences. I went thinking it would be fun but i was a little creaped out when I found that I once lived in a "palace" in ancient Egypt. I wasn't like the pharoah or anything (at least i don't think). I could have just been a servant or something. I thought that was pretty neat. Then everything about me started to go back to Egypt without me knowing. I bellydance which comes from Egypt. I didn't know this until after I started. My favourite star constellation is Orion's belt for some reason....then i found out about the pyramids relation to them. I'm a taurus and my sister is very into Astrology. She looked up my era (taurus one) and it was the Egyptian Era. I also went into a museum in Vancouver for a trip in school. I was literaly a tour guide. I went into one room which had alot of Hatshepsuts belongings. I was able to tell people what they were.
You know when you just doodle in class when your bored and you come up with crazy designs? I use to do that. Before I even knew what an ankh was i was drawing them everywhere along with the 's' hieroglyphic symbol. I can also read hieroglyphics and spell in them as long as the word its writing is in english (does that make sense?)

Sorry for the long Post! ^.^  

[Tammpwn]

I am 1/8th Egyptian, so ever since I was a kid, I wanted to learn about my roots. Unfortunately, my father knew only about my Italian and Sicilian roots, so I kinda never learned about them. I knew that my great grand mother was 100% Egyptian, and that she got to Italy by being kidnapped originally, and that is about it. Now I am obsessed with Egyptian culture still, especially contemporary Egyptian culture!  

[Aurora234]

Tammy-Seignfree

I am 1/8th Egyptian, so ever since I was a kid, I wanted to learn about my roots. Unfortunately, my father knew only about my Italian and Sicilian roots, so I kinda never learned about them. I knew that my great grand mother was 100% Egyptian, and that she got to Italy by being kidnapped originally, and that is about it. Now I am obsessed with Egyptian culture still, especially contemporary Egyptian culture!

Kidnapped? Oh no that isn't good! How'd that happen? ...well you don't have to say if you dont' want to.  

[Tammpwn]

Aurora234

Tammy-Seignfree

I am 1/8th Egyptian, so ever since I was a kid, I wanted to learn about my roots. Unfortunately, my father knew only about my Italian and Sicilian roots, so I kinda never learned about them. I knew that my great grand mother was 100% Egyptian, and that she got to Italy by being kidnapped originally, and that is about it. Now I am obsessed with Egyptian culture still, especially contemporary Egyptian culture!

Kidnapped? Oh no that isn't good! How'd that happen? ...well you don't have to say if you dont' want to.

I'm not sure, actually, I don't really have any way to get a hold of either side of my family, so learning more than I already know is hard. I do know I have an uncle in Lake Placid, New York that communicates with most of that side of my family. If I learn more, I'll post it. ^__^