In 2006 (April 7th), as I was doing my doctoral (Ph.D.) research at the anthropology department of the Université de Montréal, I had the opportunity to participate in the annual colloquium of the The Society for Near Eastern Studies (Montreal chapter) on the topic of magic and medicine in the ancient Near-East. here, I presented my research on medicinal and psycholeptic properties of the water lilies (known as “lotus”) from Pharaonic Egypt. The flowers were very often appearing in the iconographical analysis I was doing of ancient Egyptian marsh-bowls also called Nun-bowls.
The same year, this research was also published in the associations periodical: Revue d'Études des Civilisations Anciennes du Proche-Orient (RECAPO).
You can download the free presentation (see below) and read a basic English translation of the introductory text to this presentation and publication.
Exploration of the medicinal and psycholeptic properties of the water lilies (known as “lotus”) from Pharaonic Egypt
"The omnipresence of the iconographic motif of the blue water lily in Pharaonic Egypt as well as its multiple mentions in the medical literature of the time have led several researchers to infer the potentially narcotic role of this flower. However, these researchers do not agree on the results of the analyzes obtained, and some confusion remains as to the clear identification of pharmacodynamic properties that may be linked to Egyptian water lily.
This article therefore aims to review our current knowledge concerning the controversy associated with the potentially psycholeptic or narcotic properties of Egyptian water lilies (wrongly called lotuses). First, however, we will briefly review the botanical aspect and the different contexts in which they are found, and examine their mention in the medicinal recipes of the various Egyptian medical papyri of the Pharaonic era."
(2007) Abigaëlle Richard. Exploration of the medicinal and psycholeptic properties of the water lilies (known as “lotus”) from Pharaonic Egypt, presentation at the annual colloquium of the The Society for Near Eastern Studies (Montreal chapter) and publication in the Revue d'Études des Civilisations Anciennes du Proche-Orient (RECAPO) 13, p. 36-49.
(2007) Abigaëlle Richard. Exploration des propriétés médicinales et psycholeptiques des nymphéas (dits « lotus ») de l’Égypte pharaonique, conférence donnée au colloque annuel de la Société pour l'Étude du Proche-Orient Ancien et publication dans la Revue d'Études des Civilisations Anciennes du Proche-Orient (RECAPO) 13, p. 36-49.
Download the free presentation in French:
In 2005, I submitted my Masters' thesis in French at the Université de Montréal. The topic of this research was an iconographical analysis dance in Ancient Egypt in the form of tomb paintings of the elite of the New Kingdom. The aim of the research was to identify the social and ideological functions of iconographical representations of dance in Pharaonic Egypt. A full version of the text in available in the form of a free ebook (see below), while a basic English translation of the introductory text can be found here.
"Social and ideological functions of iconographical representations of dance in Pharaonic Egypt"
"The objective of the author of this work is to identify the functions of the iconographic representations of dance in Pharaonic Egypt. First, she analyzes the socio-cultural context of Egypt, the contexts in which the dances appear, the movements of the dancers and the social status of the dancers themselves. In a second time, it exposes the problematic of work. The third section studies the concept of representation itself, examining its nature and functions and situating them in the context of Egyptian representations. The fourth section studies the symbolic and plastic aspects of the Egyptian canon of representation. In the last section of the dissertation, the author analyzes a corpus of around a hundred iconographic representations of dance in order to extract from them elements allowing the validation of the identification of five main functions, belonging to the social and ideology of Egyptian society.
The primary function of dance performances would have been to express and maintain the socio-economic and political status of members of the elite, who could afford to hire dancers and performers to represent them in their tombs. A second function would have made it possible to use dance performances as updates to mythical stories and thus to stabilize society and the universe. A third function would have been to produce depictions of dwarf dancers or dancing deities like Bes, who possessed apotropaic power against various threats. A penultimate function, associated with the representation of sensual dancers in the tombs, would have made it possible to magically stimulate the vital force of the deceased, thus allowing him a post-mortem rebirth. Finally, the last function of the dance would have consisted of a form of offering for the gods or the deceased.
The author concludes her analysis with a study of the elements that could make the case for future studies on the subject."
(2005) Abigaëlle Richard, Social and ideological functions of iconographical representations of dance in Pharaonic Egypt, masters' thesis, Université de Montréal, Montreal.
(2005) Abigaëlle Richard, Fonctions sociales et idéologiques des représentations iconographiques de danse de l’Égypte pharaonique, thèse de maîtrise, Université de Montreal, Montréal.
Download the free ebook in French:
In 2004, I researched on sexuality and Ancient Egypt for a masters thesis seminar. My aim was to explore the transformations in sexual practices and iconographical representations between the Pharaonic and Ptolemaic periods, through a comparative study. A full version of the text in available in the form of a free ebook (see below), while a basic English translation of the introductory text can be found here. The research was also published in the Revue d’Études des Civilisations Anciennes du Proche-Orient (RECAPO) 12, p. 33-41, Montreal
"Sexuality in ancient Egypt: a brief comparative study of the transformations between the Pharaonic and Ptolemaic periods"
“Initially, the objective of this research is to examine the current state of knowledge regarding sexuality in Dynastic and Ptolemaic Egypt. Secondly, as part of a first problem, we will examine these data in order to determine what were the changes in the conception and practice of sexuality during these two periods. A second issue consists in qualifying this analysis by examining the more or less important dichotomy found in the Ptolemaic period between Greeks and native Egyptians. The analysis in synthetic form of these transformations will allow us to establish the level of sexual transformation that took place between these two periods through the different strata of society."
(2004) Abigaëlle Richard. Sexuality in Ancient Egypt: a brief comparative study of the transformations between the Pharaonic and Ptolemaic periods, La Revue d’Études des Civilisations Anciennes du Proche-Orient (RECAPO) 12, p. 33-41, Montreal
(2004) Abigaëlle Richard. La sexualité en Égypte ancienne: Brève étude comparative des transformations entre les périodes pharaonique et ptolémaïque, La Revue d’Études des Civilisations Anciennes du Proche-Orient (RECAPO) 12, p. 33-41, Montréal
Download the free ebook in French: