Curse like an Egyptian: text and material culture of a ritual of banishment

Talk by Fredrik Norland Hagen, Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies (University of Copenhagen).

The talk will present some recently discovered papyrus fragments from the temple of Thutmose III at Thebes (c. 1300 BC) which sheds light on the material culture of curse rituals in ancient Egypt. Using these fragments as a starting point and drawing on a range of relevant texts, depictions, and archaeological objects, the talk will reconstruct how the ritual banishment of the great serpent Apophis, the enemy of the sun-god Ra, was carried out. Beyond the practicalities of the magical ritual, the focus will be on its purpose and social context, such as the types of priests that were likely to have been involved. By the end, audience members should be able to carry out the curse ritual themselves, as needed.