The Dawning Moon of the Mind: Unlocking the Pyramid Texts

With a brilliant combination of literary criticism, cultural history, and linguistic expertise, archaeologist Morrow (The Names of Things) provides a dazzling new translation of the hieroglyphs of the pyramid of Unis (built in 2323 B.C.E.) as well as a detailed and thoughtful guide to interpreting hieroglyphs and understanding the culture that produced them. Though others have translated the so-called Pyramid Texts, Morrow points out that they miss much of the poetry and meaning because they rely on Western notions of Egyptian religion and art. In the book’s first section, she shows that the poetic writing on pyramid walls reveals two streams of subject matter: the night sky and the constellations that fill it, and the death and waning of the human body. Morrow explores the poetic devices and themes—such as riddles, rebuses, paradoxes, and reincarnation—that will help readers to understand the Pyramid Texts, and she explains the meanings behind other pictures, including the falcon, Taurus, and fire. Most translations misinterpret the Pyramid Texts to be the stories of animals and gods, but Morrow’s translation and interpretation reveal them to be the story of the invention of time and an examination of the ways in which humanity is deeply embedded in the cosmic. (Dec.)