Magyar László szerk.: Orvostörténeti Közlemények 170-173. (Budapest, 2000)

KÖZLEMÉNYEK — COMMUNICATIONS - Győry, Hedvig: "Providing protection to a new-born on the day of his birth ". Extra-and intrauterine complications and abnormalities in ancient Egypt. — „Az újszülött védelméről gondoskodni születése napján ". Méhen kívüli és belüli komplikációk és rendellenességek az ősi Egyiptomban

them in the cults of various gods, where their traditional dancing and assisting tasks were needed. At some dramatic cultic plays they probably even presented Bes himself. The rites about delivery, however, did not end by the physiological act of labour, the consequence as noted in the Torino oracular amulet decree could also be disease or death of the mother. The life expectancy of the pathological or even healthy infant could also be dubious. Even if the new born looked sound he/she could have interior alterations, some organs might work improperly, or could easily get infections, or could randomly die of SIDS, which is not fully understandable even today. For detecting such conditions ancient Egyptians did not have equipment. Based on the behaviour of the baby they tried to determine the circumstances and prospects for the future,

108 and by the help of medical magic to avoid the accidentally threatening invisible and unpredictable dangers. Several incantations against death, which were to be used for the protection of mother and child, remained. They were also used immediately after birth as new born babies were extremely vulnerable, even a bad move might end up in death. When outer signs did not hint to any threat they were afraid of the interference of demons and other harmful netherworld beings.

109 One typical person of them was the dead woman who wanted to hush and kiss the babies — and take them with her. A whole papyrus remained with full prescriptions for preventing and hindering such and similar cases. The below quoted quotation we find fights with incantation and medicaments: "You will break out, you who have come in the darkness, who have entered stealthily his nose turned backwards, his face averted

— having failed in what he came for! You will break out, you who have come in the darkness, who have entered stealthily — his nose turned backwards, his face averted

— having failed in what he came for! Have you come to kiss this child? I will not let you kiss it. Have you come to hush (it)? I will not let you do your hushing with it. Have you come to harm it? I will not let you harm it. Have you come to take it away? I will not let you take is away from me. I have ensured its protection against you with clover that means, use of force —, with garlic — which harms you —, with honey — sweet to people, but bitter to those there —, with the tail(?) of abdu fish, with the jawbone of a black cow(?), with the dorsal part of a Nileperch. 10 (J.F. Borghouts, Ancient Egyptian Magical Texts, no. 65. ) In other cases magic formulas, spells and/or magical acts and/or amulet(s) and/or only medicaments were applied, as e.g. in one of the prescriptions of the oldest known gynaecological papyrus: "To make protection for a child on the day of birth...: to place ...a small amount of excrement on him after he has come out of his mother's womb. (Ram IV. C. 15— 6) This process with such material that having obviously magical effects wards off the harmful beings in ancient Egyptian world by their horror of dirt and trash.

111 Beside this type of ceremonies there were purifying and cleansing ones too. The latter one reminding to 108 Győry Hedvig: "Megalkotlak itt téged" — Magzat és újszülött az ókori Egyiptomban, Orvosi Hetilap 140/38, 1999, p. 2118—2123. (in Hungarian) 109 cf. the role of the karineh of the mother in Egyptian rural conceptions see Winifred S. Blackman: o.e., p. 69—74. 110

MuK C, 1,9—2,6. 111 cf. during the first 7 days after birth the new born was not washed in Upper Egyptian villages because of fear of envy, see Winifred S. Blackman: o.e., p. 77—79.