Droit et Cultures (May 2016)
Du conflit archaïque au mythe osirien
Abstract
Two main mythical patterns have invigorated Ancient Egypt society and its literary production, as soon as Pyramid Texts appeared: the archaic myth of Horus and Seth, born during the Early Dynastic times, and the Osirian myth, which spread out quickly through the whole land from the Vth Dynasty on. The first one, the originally historiographical aim of which is to explain how the Pharaonic State was born and why Egypt was a dual entity, has been used as a model for juridical practice, administration and management. The second one, through establishing the institutional rules for transmission of kingship, has built an ideological description of the opposant, leading to justify political repression and State violence. Nevertheless, both patterns contributed, according to their own specificities, to civil peace and social coherence.
