Understanding the Conduct During Festivals of Drunkenness
How the Egyptian worldview justified breaking with social conduct norms during religious festivals
Keywords:
Egyptology, Festivals, GoddessAbstract
When studying the proper conduct dictated by ancient Egyptian instructional texts, specifically the Papyrus Insinger teachings, the conduct that is encouraged is starkly different from what was practiced during festivals to the Solar Eye Goddess. This article seeks to compare depictions of the Festivals of Drunkenness with Wisdom Literature which dictate good etiquette. Special focus will be on the how differently the festivals and the instructional texts endorse alcohol consumption, boisterous behaviour, and promiscuity. Finally, an explanation for the differences will be suggested: The reason the Egyptians were willing to defy cultural moral norms on such occasions were ideological – in order to keep the capricious and powerful Solar Eye Goddess at peace, as many people as possible should partake in her favourite activities during her celebration. If she was somehow not satisfied during her festival, it could lead the world into numerous kinds of disasters. Therefore, by taking part in these, otherwise discouraged, acts, every Egyptian was helping keep the world stable.
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