Featured Reference Book: Kemet
by Takhaet sat Mentuhotep and Tjaneferet sat Mentuhotep
Why is there a reference book on ancient Egypt or Kemet? Kemet, the ancient Egyptian's name for their own country, has long captured the imagination of the world. The Greeks and Romans marveled at the already old pyramids and monuments. The land of Egypt is so old that even the Egyptians themselves made up stories about their monuments. The Egyptians forgot that the predynastic King Djer was buried at Abydos and decided that the building must be the tomb of Osiris, god of the underworld.
Kemet was such a fun reference book before the Crash that we revived it. In its most recent incarnation, armchair Egyptologists have discussed the ever-popular kings and queens of Kemet. Some of them, such as Tutankhamun, still dominate the archaeological news today. Other members of the Egyptian royalty, such as Rameses II, Cleopatra VII, and Hatshepsut, continue to intrigue us. Still other members of Kemet have written about everyday life and have explored Egyptian marriage and birthing customs, music, dancing, games, sports and seasons. Others have talked about the Egyptian religious calendar, Opet Festival, and female priests in ancient Egypt.
People who are looking for good professions for their Egyptian personas may be interested in posts under the topic of "Economy and Trade". Potential nomarchs may be interested in the post on nomarchs under the "Government and Military" thread. Other topics include Egyptian language and literature, science and medicine, and architecture. If you want to research a topic for role-playing purposes, this is the place to post your research! Posts can cover any time period from Archaic Egypt to Roman Egypt.
Kemet's Social Board is a place where people can relax and be creative. The "Alphabet Game" under the Social Board has proven very popular. Members relate a letter of the alphabet to Egyptian history and culture. For example, A is for Amun and Apep, C is for Canopic Jar, and H is for Hathor. We are currently at "K is for..." Questions on "Egyptian Trivia" have ranged from identifying two common Egyptian cures for toothaches to a question about Horus’ two eyes. Other members have paused to chat at the "Cafe Along the Nile". The "Cafe" gives us a chance to play with Egyptian topics in a more informal manner. Still others have talked about the stories behind their names. A recent banner contest led to many beautiful entries.
There is much to see and do in Kemet. Come and join us!
