Ancient Egyptian Entertainment
Ancient Egyptian Entertainment Despite the ancient Egyptian civilization was
built around the concept of death and the afterlife, it
had a big part of Egyptian lives, they didn’t miss a chance where they could have
had fun, they appreciated life and truly believed in the existence of magic.
Countless artworks, inscriptions, and various objects showcase ancient Egyptian
entertainment and how the Egyptians enjoyed life through their various forms of entertainment.
They organized many festivals and ceremonies to celebrate all the moments of
their lives whether they were positive or negative as they saw the touch of the gods in everything.
They had various forms of recreation, games, sports, dance, and music to pass the time and took full advantage of their life.
Ancient Egyptian Entertainment /Ancient Egyptian Sports
The ancient Egyptians spent a great deal of time outdoors where the children
would play in the yard or the streets various different kinds of sports.
Boys would practice sports like wrestling, boxing, rowing, game-like tug of war
played using a hoop and field hockey, while girls would engage in gymnastics, and dancing.
Both girls and boys were taught to swim and boat from an early age. Archery
was known for being the sport of the royalty and nobility like Ramesses the great
(1279-1213 BC) and Amenhotep II (1425-1400 BC). Physical fitness and athletics
played a vital role in society as it was believed that a healthy childhood would
Ancient Egyptian Entertainment /create a productive adult member of the community.
Ancient Egyptian Sports were found everywhere in ancient Egypt like it was
part of the king’s coronation, military victories, and even in religious festivals and ceremonies.
One of the most famous ancient Egyptian festivals was Heb-Sed which involved
the pharaoh showcasing his physical fitness after thirty years of a king’s reign.
Sports or any form of physical exercise were valued and enjoyed by every
member of any social status.
The ancient Egyptians would hold competitions like juggling, swimming,
rowing, dancing, pageants, wrestling, and a javelin which were very entertaining popular spectator sports.
One of the most famous activities was hunting and fishing which took
courage and patience.
Ancient Egyptian Music & Dancing
The ancient Egyptian civilization infused their society with the magic and dance of
ancient Egypt, they enjoyed their life to the absolute fullest, and every festival or
banquet or celebration was only considered complete with dancing and music.
Within the secular and religious activities, music and dancing were the most important parts.
Male and female dancers would perform to music produced using harps,
drums, lutes, flutes, clappers, cymbals, and tambourines.
They had various musical instruments which indicate the importance of
music within their daily life.
During the banquets, the guests would enjoy a majestic show of gorgeous
girls wear nothing but jewels and lithe acrobats dancing to enchanting music.
The musicians and dancers would encourage the guests to join in the party by
clapping, chanting. Many scenes and images are immortalized on stone vessels
and ceremonial palettes that showcase love, sensuality, and music having a
major effect on their lives.
Dancing was one of the main components of ritual and also a celebration as
dance troupes were available to hire to perform for any different event.
There were six different kinds of dancing in ancient Egypt harem dances,
banquet dancing, religious & non-religious dancing, combat dancing, and street dancing.
The overall design of a party is not that much different from what we have today.
Both the musicians and dancers would perform while the servants would tend to the needs of the guests.
Ancient Egyptian Games & Toys
There were a lot of board games and toys in ancient Egypt, young children
would play with dolls, animal toys with moveable jaws, puppets either made of wood or clay.
Many told of Egypt’s middle kingdom (2040-1782 BC) were made of a piece of rope or string.
Many of the toys took the shape of animals like cats, dogs, frogs, mice, and birds.
The girl dolls were made of cloth and stuffed with grass, hay, and horsehair.
A mechanical dog with a lever that moves when someone presses it back
was located in Egypt’s new kingdom (1570-1070 BC).
There were many board games in ancient Egypt like the Hounds and jackals
board game found in King Tutankhamen tomb which purpose was the
capture the opposing side’s pieces while advancing your own.
The oldest known board game known to man is Mehen a.k.a the game
of the snake between 3150 BC and 2613 BC which used as the ritual
enchantment of the overthrowing of Apophis.
The most popular board game in the history of ancient Egypt was Senet which
takes two players and is known to represent one’s journey from life to eternity.
Ancient Egyptian Storytelling
Storytelling was the most influential form of art in ancient Egypt.
The stories and myths of ancient Egyptian gods and tales of heroes
like the tale Sinuhe, the tale of Setna and Taboubu. the tale of the shipwrecked
sailor, or the ghost stories told at gatherings, festivals, and parties.
These stories gave birth and evolved to the gods and the belief system of the
ancient Egyptian civilization.
These stories had a moral impact on the people of ancient Egypt and reflected
the values of the ancient Egyptians in the hope of enhancing one’s soul in the
same way sports enhance one’s body.
The Egyptians understood the importance and value of entertainment to the
the physical and spiritual development of anyone’s life so don’t miss the chance
to enjoy some of the world’s most beautiful artifacts and monuments in the
majestic cities of Cairo. Alexandria, Luxor, and Aswan. You get to board a
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packages and explore the timeless heritage of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs.