Dedi

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the fictional magician. For the robotic probe studying the pyramids, see Djedi Project. For other uses, see Dedi (disambiguation).
Dedi in hieroglyphs
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Djedi
D(j)dj [1]
he who endures[2]

Djedi (also Dedi

4th Dynasty
).

Literary person

Djedi appears only in the fourth story of the Westcar Papyrus – there is no

Egyptologists, since his magic tricks are connected to later cultural perceptions of the personality of king Khufu. Djedi is described as a commoner of extraordinary age, endowed with magical powers and talented in making prophecies.[3][5][6]

The wonder of Djedi

According to the Westcar Papyrus, prince Djedefhor brings up the story of Djedi. He stands before his father, king Khufu, and says: “There is only speaking of miracles which happened a long time ago, something known by past generations only. Truth and falsehood cannot be distinguished here. But there is someone under thy majesty´s own lifetime who is not known, someone who is able to make an ignoramus become wise.”[3] Khufu asks: “What's the meaning of this, Djedefhor, my son?”[3] Djedefhor answers: “There's a commoner named Djedi, living in Djed-Sneferu. He's a simple citizen, but 110 years old, eats 500 loaves of bread, a shoulder of beef and drinks 100 jars of beer every day. He is capable of resurrecting decapitated beings. He is also said to be able to make wild lions so obedient that the animal would follow him with a cord dragging on the ground. Furthermore, this Djedi has knowledge of the number of Iput[7] in the wenet-sanctuary of Thoth.”[3] The pharaoh spent a good deal of time to seek for these chambers, for he planned to build something similar to his horizon.[8] And Khufu orders: “You thyself, Djedefhor, my son, may bring him to me!”[3]

And so Djedefhor arranges his journey during the first month of the schemu-season

Ba know the ways that lead to the gateway of the mummified deceased.”[3]
Djedefhor brings Djedi to the harbor and makes a boat prepared for traveling. The old man promises to follow Djedefhor, on the condition that he may bring his books and scholars with him. Djedefhor accepts, and both men travel to Khufu's royal palace.

Djedefhor enters the palace and goes immediately to his father, king Khufu. The prince says: “May thy majesty live, be blessed and being prosperous! I have brought Djedi to you!”

Mugilidae[13] is cut off!? I would even work with my very own hands to enter them! And then I will visit that temple of Ra, lord of Sachebu.”[3] And Djedi says: “Then I will make the waters at the fordable spots of the canal-of-two-Mugilidae become four cubits in height for you.”[3] Khufu stands up and orders: “Have Djedi assigned to a place within the palace of my son Djedefhor where he shall live from now on. His daily gainings be 1000 loaves of bread, 100 jars of beer, one neat and 100 bundles of field garlic.”[3] And all things are done as ordered.[3][5][14]

Modern analysis

Historians and Egyptologists such as

ethical misgivings.[14][15]

Modern Egyptologists like Verena Lepper [de] and Miriam Lichtheim deny this view and they argue that Sethe and Erman may have just failed to see the profundity of such novels. They point to multiple similar but somewhat later ancient Egyptian writings in which magicians perform very similar magic tricks and make prophecies to a king. According to Lepper and Lichtheim, their stories are obviously inspired by the tale of Djedi. Descriptive examples are the papyri pAthen and The prophecy of Neferti. These novels show how popular the theme of prophesying already was during the Old Kingdom - just like in the story of the Westcar Papyrus. And they both talk about subalterns with magical powers similar to those of Djedi's. The Papyrus pBerlin 3023 contains the novel The Eloquent Peasant, in which the following phrase appears: “See, these are artists who create the existing anew, who even replace a severed head”, which can be interpreted as an allusion to the Westcar Papyrus. pBerlin 3023 contains another reference which strengthens the idea that many ancient Egyptian novels were influenced by Westcar Papyrus: column 232 contains the phrase sleeping until dawn, which appears nearly word-by-word in the Westcar Papyrus. Since pAthen, pBerlin 3023 and The prophecy of Neferti show the same manner of speaking and equal picking up quaint phrases, Lepper and Lichtheim hold that Djedi (and the other wise men from same papyrus) must have been known to Egyptian authors for a long time.[3][5]

References

  1. ^ Westcar-Papyrus, column 7, first row
  2. ISBN 3-447-05651-7
    , page 103.
  3. ^
    ISBN 3-447-05651-7
    , page 41 – 47, 103 & 308 – 310.
  4. ^ „Djed-Sneferu“ was the curatorial name of Dahshur during the Old Kingdom. See: Jean Claude Goyon, Christine Cardin: Proceedings of the ninth International Congress of Egyptologists, volume 1. page 1128.
  5. ^
    ISBN 0-520-02899-6
    , page 215 – 220.
  6. ISBN 90-04-04179-6
    , page 104 – 106.
  7. ^ A word of unsure meaning which may be translated as "sealed chamber" or "sanctuary"; Egyptologists dispute the real meaning. See: Jenny Berggren: The Ipwt in Papyrus Westcar. Master's Thesis, Uppsala 2006 (PDF; 2,57 MB)
  8. ISBN 3-447-05651-7
    , page 42 & 114.
  9. ISBN 978-3806780864
  10. ISBN 3-447-05651-7
    , page 42 & 114.
  11. ISBN 3-447-05651-7
    , page 115.
  12. ISBN 3-447-05651-7
    , page 116.
  13. ISBN 3-447-05651-7
    , page 116.
  14. ^ a b Adolf Erman: Die Märchen des Papyrus Westcar I. Einleitung und Commentar. In: Mitteilungen aus den Orientalischen Sammlungen. Heft V, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Berlin 1890. page 10 – 12.
  15. ^ Udo Bartsch: Unterhaltungskunst A-Z (Taschenbuch der Künste). Henschel, Leipzig 1977 (2. Ausgabe), page 85.

External links

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