I guess what I was trying to say wasn't coming across properly.

To me, magic operated in Egypt on many levels and my understanding of how "intellectual" activities were related to "magical" activities is somewhat different. I will use logic as a replacement for intellect for this post.

The King and his rule was seen as magical and reinforced by the cosmology of ancient Egypt.
However, within this cosmology there was also the concept of divine order rising out of the chaos of primeval nature. This order was maintained by the King through Maat as a function of wisdom and logic. By practicing sound planning and organization in order to ensure proper maintenance of the irrigation systems, the harvest activities and the storage and distribution of crops, the King brought life to the people. Yes it was magical, but it was also the result of sound logical planning and organization. So I would look at activities related to planning, organizing, practicing various crafts, math, responsibilities of state as logical activities which produce "magical" results. If the King and his viziers do not properly manage the affairs of the country Maat is not maintained, the divine order falters and people begin to question his "magical" powers. Therefore, within this system logic and magic were related, even if every activity was not considered "magical". So the institution of kingship may have been maintained and presented as a "magic kingdom" under a divine king, for public consumption, but it was also the cumulative result of the wise and logical acts of the King and his companions in running the country that kept the people confident in the institution of Kingship in Egypt and its "magical" powers.

For an example, building the pyramids was a monumental undertaking requiring planning and organization to organize the labor, feed them, develop the design of the structure, excavate the materials, transport them, refine the stones and put them into place. All of those acts were seen as a reflection of Ptah or divine mind, meaning logic and order in the universe. They were also a relfection of Seshat and Djehuti, the patrons of writing, calculations and recordings, which are another way of saying divine logical order. Ptah as a reflection of organized thought in creation, reflects the actions of craftsmen who bring ideas to life. The act of carving blocks or moving them may not have been considered magic, but the result of properly doing such things and properly executing an idea would have been considered a magical result. So by mastering ones craft through discipline and hard work, one could produce magic. Therefore, the organization, planning and building of the pyramids could have been considered as logical acts of organizing and planning leading to a "magical" result. It could be also seen how organization and planning are the basis of the law of the divine order of the universe, symbolized as the primeval mountain rising out of the chaos of nun.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/2007 05:11AM by Doug M.