Ninth Annual Legacy of Egypt Lecture

"Performance and Oral Tradition in Ancient Egyptian Autobiographical Texts"

Public Lecture: 7:30 p.m.

Public Reception: 6:30 p.m.

Location: University Center, Fountain View Suite (room 350)
The University of Memphis Campus

The lecture and reception are FREE and Open to the Public

Pay parking is available in the Zach Curlin Garage (PG-2 #3 on the parking map) or in the Fogelman Garage (PG-1 #40).

In this illustrated talk, Dr. Leprohon will provide examples of how the ancient Egyptians used the spoken word to great effect, from ordinary folk tales to the recounting of Pharaoh's great deeds.  The presentation will also offer comments on autobiographical narratives, the format of which offers evidence that these accounts of brave deeds and praiseworthy acts were originally recited aloud.

In one version of the creation account associated with the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis, the god Ptah brought the world into being through thought and the spokien word. As the ancient text describes this, "It is through what the mind plans and the tongue commands that all divine words came about."

For the ancient Egyptians, the concepts of thought and speech were concrete entities.  Kings were taught that everything they spoke was, quite literally, done, and the Instructional Literature went on at length about the importance of proper speech.

Ronald Leprohon, PhD, is professor of Egyptology in the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations at the University of Toronto (Canada).  He has published extensively on the history, literature and religion of ancient Egypt. For ancient Egyptian religion, he is most interested in their myths as well as the ancient Egyptians' moral code of behavior, especially as it is expressed through Instructional literature and through personal and private epithets attached to people's autobiographical statements. 

Dr. Leprohon is a multiple-year winner of the Dean's Excellence Award in the College of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto.

For more information about the event, contact the Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology at (901) 678-2555.