Author Description

Alchemy, astrology and other secret sciences have Egyptian roots, and movies, popular fiction and comics frequently draw on Egyptian themes. Rosicrucianism, Mormonism and Afrocentrism share elements of Egyptian origin. In Erik Hornung's view, modern esoteric endeavors find in Egyptian culture an endlessly renewable intellectual reservoir, and are almost inconceivable without Egypt. Although such persistence ensures Egyptian ideas an extraordinarily widespread impact, the field of Egyptology has largely overlooked this phenomenon. The book traces the influence of the esoteric image of Egypt, especially as manifested by the god Thoth, on Western intellectual history since Antiquity. From Gnostic writings and Romantic poetry to Freemasonry and the theosophical movement, Egyptian deities resurface in ever-surprising forms. Since antiquity, Egypt has been associated with esoteric practices and beliefs and has been considered the source of all secret knowledge, an association that, according to Hornung, bears only a slight relation to historical reality.