Michelle Jabes Corpora, author of His Face Is the Sun, chats Ancient Egyptian myth
Michelle Jabes Corpora, author of His Face Is the Sun, shares where to learn more about Ancient Egyptian myth.
Greek myth retellings are very popular these days, and by an extension, Roman myth retellings too. On the other hand, Egyptian and Norse myth retellings are far too difficult to come by. Michelle Jabes Corpora is here to change this with His Face Is the Sun. Filled with political intrigue, this New York Times Bestseller has been described as “Ancient Egyptian Game of Thrones“.
Guest post written by Michelle Jabes Corpora, author of His Face Is the Sun.
One of the big reasons I wrote His Face Is the Sun, the first book in my Throne of Khetara trilogy, is to share my passion for Ancient Egyptian history and myth with the world. So much page and screen time is devoted to Greek and Norse myth in particular, but not nearly enough to the incredible stories of Ancient Egypt. I wanted to change that. In my Ancient-Egyptian inspired epic fantasy, four characters from the four corners of the kingdom are joined by an ancient, forgotten prophecy which brings them up close with gods and legend. Although my books are fantasy, and the places and characters fictional, the gods and religion in particular are taken straight from history. It is my sincere hope that readers finish the book and go on to do their own studies of Ancient Egyptian myth, which is more captivating and beautiful that I could ever capture in one or even three 500-page novels.
At the moment, there aren’t a ton of new books all about Ancient Egyptian mythology—I hope to change that one day soon!—but there quite a few older books that I would heartily recommend. Anything by Bob Brier, including his lecture series about the History of Ancient Egypt, is an amazing resource, and I also really appreciated the books of Richard H. Wilkinson on a variety of subjects, including religion and art. There is also an amazing wealth of information online provided by museums and nonprofits organizations across the globe, one of my favorites being the World History Encyclopedia. But don’t stop at who the gods are, there is more magic to be found by researching Ancient Egyptian literature, which tells the stories of the god—their rivalries and passions, and the part they played in the creation of the earth. There’s even Ancient Egyptian love poetry, too! You can find it all online with a quick search. But I warn you, it’s a very deep well, and once you fall in, you’ll find it hard stop falling in love with the world of the Ancient Egyptians. During my research, I also did a lot of work on Ancient Egyptian “heka” magic, which is a realm of study all its own. I recommend Bob Brier’s book on the subject, as well as the very accessible guide by Christina Riggs. These topics were some of the most fascinating of anything I learned, and I highly recommend you dive in.
Ancient Egyptian beliefs are often portrayed in the media as quite primitive and cartoonish, but it was anything but. It is thought-provoking, elegant, and incredibly inspiring, even for a modern reader, and demonstrates more than anything else that the human experience never really changes. Even thousands of years ago, people had the same questions about life, the same fears, the same hopes. In writing His Face Is the Sun, I hoped to draw a link between those ancient people and ourselves, and to open up this amazing history and mythology to readers around the world. I hope you enjoy the book, and I’m so excited for you to embark on your own adventure through the sands of time, back when magic rode the desert wind, and stories were new.
