Research! It’s what can make the difference between a 4-star rating and a 5-star rating when I read a novel. The background story. The driving distance and time. The description of the scenery. All those little details make the story come alive, and in all my novels, I use those details to turn the unbelievable … Continue reading {Sunday Musings} Why Research Matters to Me
Tag: Ancient Egypt
{Sunday Musings} Top Ten Assets I Consider When Writing Ancient Egyptian Gods or Goddesses
My writing is steeped in ancient Egyptian mythology. The Descendants of Isis trilogy focuses on the myth of Isis and Osiris while in Dark Reflections I weave the myth of Sekhmet and the Eye of Ra into my vampiric world. Additionally, Astyr from Bly is connected to Geb, ancient Egyptian god of the earth, and … Continue reading {Sunday Musings} Top Ten Assets I Consider When Writing Ancient Egyptian Gods or Goddesses
The Pharaohs and Queens that Inspired My Novel
Natara Stone, the main character from Descendants of Isis, stems from a long Egyptian bloodline that once served the goddess Isis. In ancient Egypt, women held more rights than women do today. They could divorce their husbands, own their own land, and a few held high power over political matters. However, there were three primary … Continue reading The Pharaohs and Queens that Inspired My Novel
Zodiac of Dendera
The concept of the zodiac was invented by the Babylonians in the 5th century B.C., then taken up by the Greeks, and finally appeared in Egypt at the end of the 3rd century B.C. The first depiction of the zodiac signs in Egyptian art was on the astronomical ceiling of the tomb of Senenmut, chief … Continue reading Zodiac of Dendera
Egypt
Ancient Egypt existed in a landscape of extremes. Around 5,000 B.C., climate change turned the Sahara grasslands into a vast desert, and nomadic hunter-gatherers were pushed toward the Nile Valley. Through the Nile Valley flows a river that runs 56 miles long before reaching the Delta. There, the river traverses into seven branches. At the … Continue reading Egypt
Axes and Other Egyptian Weapons
The earliest arms differed little from hunting weapons and craftsmen’s tools. Bows, knives, and axes were sufficient enough to halt any local rebellion or conquer a neighboring area along Egypt’s border. However, as Egypt expanded its influence, Egyptians started to arm their military with maces, daggers, throw sticks, and spears. In addition, infantries were armed … Continue reading Axes and Other Egyptian Weapons
Egyptian Writing
In ancient Egypt, writing was considered to have magical properties, where written words breathed life into reality. And there was no more important job than that of the scribe. To form the sacred symbols known as hieroglyphs, ancient Egyptians took their inspiration from the world around them: animals, plants, natural elements, household objects, and buildings. … Continue reading Egyptian Writing
Valley of the Kings
Since the beginning of the New Kingdom, pharaohs were no longer buried in pyramids. Instead, they were placed in tombs that were cut into the cliffs of the Valley of the Kings. The Valley of the Kings consists of two remote, desert valleys that come together on the west bank of the Nile, across from … Continue reading Valley of the Kings
Ujat or Wadjet
The Ujat, more commonly known as Wadjet or Eye of Horus, was a powerful symbol in ancient Egypt. It was frequently displayed on jewelry made of gold, silver, lapis, wood, porcelain, and carnelian. It was believed to have healing and protective powers. In use of notation of measurement, the symbol was divided into six fractions, … Continue reading Ujat or Wadjet
Egyptian Temples and Priests
The Egyptian temples that have survived until today tend to date back to the New Kingdom. They were known as “the houses of the gods.” Even the word for temple is ancient Egyptian, hwt-netjer, means “the god’s home.” When approaching a temple, one starts by walking along the processional way or avenue, which are often … Continue reading Egyptian Temples and Priests
Kelsey Ketch 