ffi lucia@gahlin.org
from 9th February for 20 weeks:

Religion and Art of Ancient Egypt
The Egyptian artistic style is immediately recognisable. It also lasted with apparently little change for over three thousand years. This course attempts to explain the reasons why the style developed and why it was kept. We also look at how to distinguish the characteristics of different periods. Egyptian art is intimately bound to the religion and we look at this relationship in more detail. We will attempt to understand the bewildering array of gods, many with animal heads, and their functions. We will also look at the underlying purposes and principles of Egyptian religion.

Syllabus Plan
Materials of art and architecture. A wide range of stones, woods and metals was used. These were brought from surrounding countries and were valued for their symbolism and colours as well as their value and beauty.
The principles of the Egyptian style. The design of the human body on a grid, with elements shown part in profile and part full face.
Changing styles in Egyptian art. The styles of different periods were all based upon the original "canon", but with subtle variants.
The art and religion of the age of Akhenaten. This period is often called "revolutionary" but we will see that it conforms to many of the basic tenets of both religion and art.
The gods of ancient Egypt. A survey of the multiplicity of different gods.
The form and function of Egyptian temples. The classic design of an Egyptian temple was both a house of the god and a representation of the cosmos at the moment of creation.
Art and writing. Scenes on temple and tomb walls are essentially large-scale hieroglyphic writing.
Religious landscapes. Temples were only one aspect of religion. We will look at chapels and religious sites in the land surrounding the towns and the relationship between religious centres.
Funerary art and religion. Why did the Egyptians expend so much effort on their tombs? We also consider changes over time.
Hymns, prayers and ethical texts. The Egyptians left a wealth of religious literature which allows us to understand the ethical and moral basis of their thought.
Religious ritual. How did the Egyptians worship their gods?
Music and religious worship. A subject little considered, but an important element.
Priests. Egyptian religion was dominated by the priesthood. Who were they? What did they do?
The religion and art of Egypt in the later periods. The time when the animal cults became prominent, and when many texts were carved on the temple walls rather than written on papyrus.
The Egyptian gods in the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. The influence of Egypt on the Greek and Roman worlds was quite profound.
The transition to Christianity and the "Hermetic" texts. Christianity rapidly gained a place in Egypt, but in the first four centuries AD, there was a complex mixture of old and new religions.