Papyrus Lansing
The Papyrus Lansing is an ancient Egyptian document written during the reign of the pharaoh
Context
During
Content
The Papyrus Lansing is divided into five parts: Praise of the Scribe's Profession; Advice to the Unwilling Pupil; All Occupations Are Bad Except That of the Scribe; The Misfortunes of the Peasant; and The Scribe Does Not Suffer Like the Soldier.
Praise of the Scribe's Profession
The first section introduces the author as Nebmare-nakht, royal scribe and chief overseer of Amun-ra's sacred cattle. He then claims that becoming a scribe will lead to great advancement, and Wenemdiamun should shun all else in the pursuit of becoming a scribe. Finally, he claims that writing pleases "more than bread and beer".
Advice to the Unwilling Pupil
The second section begins by chastising Wenemdiamun for his slowness to obey and mourning that no amount of whipping can seem to fix his laziness. Nebmare-nakht says that Wenemdiamun would make in excellent scribe if he put himself to his work. Then he again declares how enjoyable writing is, this time comparing it to the joy of a mother with her newborn.
All Occupations Are Bad Except That of the Scribe
Nebmare-nakht begins by explaining that the occupation of the launderer is inferior because they have to burden their arms with carrying around heavy laundry and scrubbing clothing. The
The Misfortunes of the Peasant
When it rains, the peasant is soaked. He farms all day and makes rope all night. If he leaves out his team of horses, they get eaten by jackals and he has to beg for money to get another one. When he finally has the money to proceed, his field needs to be plowed again and he has to use borrowed grain. Even then, there are snakes, and sometimes the crop doesn't grow. Nubians can steal grain, and if there's none to give, the farmer is beaten, tied, and thrown in a well. Then his wife and children are made into slaves, and there's still no grain.
The Scribe Does Not Suffer Like the Soldier
Nebmare-nakht advises Wenemdiamun to make himself a trusted scribe because he can gain wealth and prestige if he does. Nebmare-nakht then states that a soldier is the lowest of the low in rank, has to wake at all hours, toils like a slave, and is hungry. He has no clothes and little water, and is taken quickly by disease or arrows. If he lives, he will be worn out from marching. The scribe has to worry about none of this.
See also
- List of ancient Egyptian papyri
References
- ^ World History Encyclopedia article referenced from The Ancient World: Readings in Social and Cultural History by D. Brendan Nagle, Stanley M. Burstein retrieved approximately 21:24GMT 29.9.11
- ^ "P. Lansing". British Museum. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
Bibliography
- Blackman, Aylward M.; Peet, T. Eric (1925). "Papyrus Lansing: A Translation with Notes". The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology. 11 (3/4): 284–298. JSTOR 3854153.
- Lichtheim, Miriam (1973). Ancient Egyptian Literature: The new kingdom. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-03615-4.