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Chapter 25 Chapter 5 Farewell Totem

Just as many peoples had witchcraft in clan times, they also had totems in tribal times. Like Egypt. Unlike China, India, and Mesopotamia, Egypt is not "between two rivers."The Egyptians had only one mother river, the Nile.In ancient times, the Nile River was like a chain of beads, dotted with dozens of settlements like large and small pearls from south to north.These settlements were called "Spart" (spt) by the ancient Egyptians, "Nomos" (Nomos) by the Greeks, and translated as "state" in Chinese.They were originally tribes and later became nations.Ancient Egyptian civilization was born here.

The "Spat" or "Nome" that became a state was at first a tribal state, but also a city state.They all have their own patron saints.Many of them are animals, such as eagles, snakes, wolves, bulls, lions, crocodiles, and ibis;

Map of the ancient Nile valley

Knum of Elephantine
what!Like China, Egypt also has "sheep people". Their "Fuxi Era" or "Emperor Yan Era" was also "a group of demons dancing wildly". That's right, ancient times were originally the stage for ghosts and monsters.Their eagle gods, snake gods, crocodile gods, ibis gods, etc. were all totems at the earliest, and even symbols of reproductive worship.After entering the civilized age, he became the patron saint of the country.

This is a major shift. Change is inevitable and necessary.The purpose of humans inventing totems is to "change the paternal line into a matrilineal line" and "change the clan into a tribe".Therefore, as soon as nations are born, they must bow down, just as witchcraft must become science, religion, or ritual music. The question is only what becomes. The Egyptian option was to turn them into gods.This is of course the most logical.Because the totem was originally very mysterious, and it was a mysterious thing that could make the clan's grandmother miraculously conceive.It also originally enjoyed the status and respect of God.For example, the meat of totem animals cannot be eaten, and they cannot be treated in a rude, obscene and teasing manner, and they must hold a grand funeral after death, etc.

Isn't it easy for a totem to become a god? Moreover, for a monarchy, this is the most suitable and profitable way.Because the monarchy means "sovereignty is in the king, and the power of the king is granted by God".Therefore, those monarchs in Europe must be crowned by the Pope.But if the king is the "Son of God", then there is no need to go through the procedure of authorization, wouldn't it be convenient? Besides, it's not difficult at all.From a tribe to a country, from a totem to a god, for the common people, it is nothing more than a nation changing into a nation, and the national emblem changing into a national emblem;The totem was originally the ancestor of the tribe.The chief, of course, is the "son of the totem".Therefore, as long as the totem is turned into a god by the way, everything is OK.This is the reason why the Egyptian gods changed from animals to half-humans and half-animals, and finally to human form.

This is indeed divine! Perhaps, relying on this "divine power", Egypt only took a few hundred years from a tribal country to a unified dynasty.In 3100 BC, before most nations in the world woke up, Narmer (Menes) annexed Upper and Lower Egypt and established the "First Dynasty".Compared with China, not only the time is much earlier, but also the process is much faster.After that, it will take at least a thousand years before the Xia in Chinese legend will appear, and it is only equivalent to the "Nome Country" in Egypt.It will take more than 2,800 years for Qin Shihuang to rule the world.At that time, only the afterglow of the setting sun remained.

strangeness!How could this "God's Blessed Country" die?
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