The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-07-13

a bhSA hCtioDoiio' LVohlh6
back in the light of the unearthed his
torlcal munlments Of this ancient land,
our interpreter visions this singer,
abroad in the early morning like the
Shulamite Of King SOlomon's day." her
hair moving in the breeze 'as Il flock
of goats that appear from Mount Gil
lead" her teeth white las the shoru
sheep which come up from the wash
ing" and her lips like a thread of
scarlet singing of her hearts delight
where the wild ducks cry 10 each
other as they scuttle through the tall
reeds"
The Egyptians loved the great out
doors-the gardens, the leafy places.
They spo0ned in the great parks which
were laid out by the Pharaohs, planted
with rare shrubbery and flowers from
distant lands. They danced and sang
in the festivals that were held in the
season when the flowers were In full
bloom and the llght-hearted lovers
made the flowers and the trees vocal
with the delight of life. In one Of their
ong a fig tree is made TO call to a
passing maiden 70 come into Its shade:
Come" 1t says, land spend the fes-
tai day and tomorrow and the day
after tomorrow, sitting in my shadow.
Let thy lover sit at thy side and let
him drink. Thy servants will come
with the dinner things-they will
drink of every kind, with all
Of cakes, flowers Of yesterday and OF
.Al . III lG-r- -oE-Ay-.
fruit"
From many an inscription breathes
this pervasive 10y of life" The very
names which the Egyptians gave their
children are redOlent Of gayety-
"Eyes-of-Love," NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS."
"Cool-Breeze, OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES"
Beautiful Morning." Their vases and
toilet articles and furniture and all OBJ
iects of daily use tell OF a people who
believed the world was made to be
happy in. There is no reflection"
says our author, "of the underworld to
Se looked for In the ornamental bronze
mirrors, nor smell of death In their
frail perfume pots. Religious abstrac-
ton is not to be sought In transformed
drinking cups, and modification OF the
body Is certainly not practiced on
golden chairs and soft cushions. And
these were objects found buried even
in the tombs OF their priests and re.
liglous teachers"
Joy Was Unconfined.
The intense craving of the Egyptian
for brightness and cheerfulness Is the
real voice that comes from Egyptian
tombs. They were ~passionately fond
of ceremonial display. Their huge tenn
pies, painted with the most brilliant
cOlors, formed the setting OF process
sions and ceremonies in which music.
rhythmic motion and color blended. In
honor of the gods dances were con-
Quoted, while celebrations, such as the
fantastic feast Of lamps. were held on
the anniversaries og rei.gtous events.
In these gorgsaialy sTv, ocular cer--
monies there wEs dru pldce Cor any,
thing somber Or austeie, nor couiu
they have been conceived by any ou'
the most. life-lo,ting temperuments'
AT all times I be Egyptians peuecAeu
themselves with flowers n rich anu
poor alike breath.ed what they caiieu
1.-The sweet north wind through q
screen Of blossoms. At their ieasts
and festivals each gusest was presen'eo
with necklaces and crowns OF lotus no"
ers and Il specially $ elected pouq'
was carried in their ha ,nuS 1ohSl""
ly as the hours passed fresh hoN -
we're brought to them, AaSR euxAs RSE
are shown in the tomb paintings In the
act of burying their faces Ia the dell
cate petals with an air of luxury which
even the conventionalities Of the
~draughtsman cannot hide. The COM
mon people arrayed themselves with
wreaths Of lOtuses at all galaS and
carnivals. The feast rooms were elab-
orately decorated with flowers-gar-
lands twined themselves about the la
bles and around the jars Of wine. Keen
was their delight in music. The strings
and the pipe, the lutte and the harp,
made music at every festival-reli-
gious, national and private. The words
for rejoice" INT dance" were syn
onymous in the literature of the Egyp-
tians. At all banquets dancing was as in
~dispensaSle as wine. women and song.
One sees representations Of girls, their
heads thrown back and their long hair
flying, merrily %twanging a guitar
as they skip across the dancing floor.
In the civil and religious professions
many of the participatOrs danced along
rs though from sheer lightness OF
heart, and on some occasions even the
band footed it down the high road, cir
cling. jumping and skipping as they
played.
Hathor and Bast were their great
goddesses of pleasure. They were the
patrons Of sports and dancing. JOY and
pleasure, beauty and love and the hap
by temperament of the Egyptians was
evidenced in the high esteem in which
these goddesses were neld. The an
nual festival Of Bast took place ut
Bubastis and it was an occasion OF
49, -.Atact ,nnr;,,nrt nnI frixycIjfy