Divine and Human Hatred in Ancient Egypt

Abstract

This article examines the conceptualization of hatred as a complicated and intense emotion in the realms of humans and deities in ancient Egypt. It thoroughly discusses the addressees, psychology, effects, justifications, and incitements of hatred, as well as the possibility of the pacification of its feelings. It discusses the attestations of hatred, its perceived consequences and experience by the deities, living and dead humans. The article also examines the phraseology, contextualization, and lexical semantics of hatred in a detailed lexicographical and linguistic analysis. The addressed research problem strives to ascertain whether deities and humans, either living or dead, manifest the same feelings, purposes, incitements, and justifications of hatred or not. Thus, both the negative and positive connotations of hatred are examined. The methodology followed is to examine and analyse attestations in which hate feelings are demonstrated for a better understanding of the phenomenon. The study comes to the conclusion that hatred in ancient Egypt had positive connotations, in contrast to its present-day negative emotional valence as suggested.