Traditional Offering Resources

[Devo]

Hey all,

Do any of you know of any good resources (print or online) that cite things that were traditionally offered in AE? I've seen a lot of generic stuff, but nothing that gets really 'deep' into what was offered regularly. So I was hoping that maybe someone here would know where I could look for more info.

Thanks!



-Devo

[Darkhawk]

Temple Calendars of Ancient Egypt has offering lists for daily and specific festival stuff for surviving temple knowledge. I can go through and dig up some comments on same when I'm not under the baby.

[SatAset]

Hey all,

Do any of you know of any good resources (print or online) that cite things that were traditionally offered in AE? I've seen a lot of generic stuff, but nothing that gets really 'deep' into what was offered regularly. So I was hoping that maybe someone here would know where I could look for more info.

Thanks!

-Devo

Ancient Gods Speak by Donald Redford has an article on offerings and lists a bunch of meats, vegetables etc for offerings that were used in temples. I'd also recommend the book Darkhawk mentioned.

[Darkhawk]

Temple Calendars of Ancient Egypt has offering lists for daily and specific festival stuff for surviving temple knowledge. I can go through and dig up some comments on same when I'm not under the baby.

I will just run through Medinet Habu because it's a) nearly complete and b) the one I opened to at random.

Section titled 'Additions to daily temple offerings' contains:
bit-bread, both emmer and barley
psn-bread
sweet white bread
white bread
offering bread
great bread
dw cakes
shtt bread
idn cakes
qw cakes of white bread
ds-jars of beer
bit-cakes
date cakes
various grains
wine, very good quality
wine, decorated jars(?)
ro-geese
waterfowl
ordinary fowl
long-horned cattle
incense in sticks
baskets of incense
incense by weight
baskets of fruit
pyramidion qw cakes
sweetmeats cakes
milk in jugs
baskets of vegetables
bundles of vegetables
fresh flowers in bouquets
fresh flowers in baskets
charcoal

Most of these offerings repeat as the major substance of each specific festival. Other things that I see scanning through quickly:
flour (barley, wheat, fruit, bb3t)
grain of various types (barley, "white", fresh)
biscuits
a variety of additional types of breads, cakes, buns, and so on; since we aren't clear on what most of these are, I suspect "anything from the bakery" is a potentially decent match! Some are shaped like animals ("biscuits in a lion shape").
long-horned oxen, bulls, short-horned cattle, calves
fattened geese, live ro geese, trp, srt, and s3t geese
pigeons
other qualities of wine
set meals
grapes, figs, dh fruit, zizyphus fruit, isd fruit
honey in bowls and jars
meat in bowls
strings of onions
moringa oil
papyrus (sheets, rolls, and plants)
wood for heating
charcoal for cooking
oryxes, gazelles (probably "wild game", functionally)
salt
natron
greens
baskets of onions, leeks
necklaces (faience)

I am pleased, incidentally, both by "tasty bread" and "bread of presence" in this translation. Also that the Feast of Chewing Onions for Bast does not have onions - or vegetables of any kind - listed in the offering list.

[Devo]

I will just run through Medinet Habu because it's a) nearly complete and b) the one I opened to at random.

Thank you guys for the book sources, I'll see if I can look into them further.

And thank you for the list, Darkhawk. That's very helpful :3

Can I say that I loled over the thought of cakes shaped like animals? Do you think that they served a specific purpose- shaping them like that? I can imagine the fun I could have shaping baked goods into various naughty and nice shapes

Thanks again!

-Devo

[Darkhawk]

Can I say that I loled over the thought of cakes shaped like animals? Do you think that they served a specific purpose- shaping them like that? I can imagine the fun I could have shaping baked goods into various naughty and nice shapes

I think the animal-shape ones were translated as "biscuits", but I'm again away from my library. But even so, yes, they clearly had some sort of purpose. I think they were all powerful animals - I remember lion and hawk.

[SatSekhem]

Thank you guys for the book sources, I'll see if I can look into them further.

And thank you for the list, Darkhawk. That's very helpful :3

Can I say that I loled over the thought of cakes shaped like animals? Do you think that they served a specific purpose- shaping them like that? I can imagine the fun I could have shaping baked goods into various naughty and nice shapes

Thanks again!

-Devo

So... would shaping one like a penis be an okay offering for harvest time?

[Darkhawk]

So... would shaping one like a penis be an okay offering for harvest time?

Sounds like a Mysteries of Wesir offering.

[Nyktipolos]

Also that the Feast of Chewing Onions for Bast does not have onions - or vegetables of any kind - listed in the offering list.

Really? Can I ask what is listed?

[Darkhawk]

Really? Can I ask what is listed?

Mostly bread, IIRC. Not near the book right now.