Popular myths and legends.

Egyptian myths are one of the richest and most fascinating in the universal mythology. Some of them include stories and legends based on the life of Egyptian deities. Others explain their beliefs about the origin of the cosmos, the metaphysical myths of creation and the preponderant role played by solar symbolism in the creation of the Universe.

These myths persist over time because they help us to understand how the Egyptians conceived the creation of the cosmos and is the starting point of the concepts by the great Eastern alchemists.

Scribes and priests passed these myths to provide information on the life after death, about the perpetual journey of the deceased to attain eternal life. These and other concepts were dumped in legends and fairy tales.

The Myth of the Cow of Heaven

One of the most important myths of Egyptian cosmogony in which the end of the Creation and the new Cosmic Order established by Ra says. After creation, Ra ruled on Earth, but when it has reached old age men laugh at him. She decides to punish them by sending a curse it leads to the destruction of humanity. 

Legend, Osiris

According to legend, Osiris ruled the world of men before his brother out of jealousy, killed him, then Isis revived with the power of love and magic then Osiris was avenged by his son Horus to rule the world.

The Story of Re (Legend)

In the beginning, before there was any land of Egypt, all was darkness, and there was nothing but a great waste of water called Nun. The power of Nun was such that there arose out of the darkness a great shining egg, and this was Re. Now Re was all-powerful, and he could take many forms. His power and the secret of it lay in his hidden name.

The Princess of Bekhten (Legend)

In the reign of Rameses III, a large temple was built at Thebes in honor of the The Princess of Bekhten According to a tradition which his priests in later times inscribed on a stone, Princess was synonymous with wealth and prosperity, people had their sculpture in temples and houses.

The Treasure Thief (Myth)

Rameses the Third, the Pharaoh who, , ruled for many years and Egypt grew prosperous under him.  and encouraged trading to such an extent that he became the richest of all the Pharaohs.

Rameses gathered his treasures together in the form of gold and silver and precious stones - and the more he gathered the more anxious he became lest anyone should steal his hoards,  he  trust the his treasure what a wise this robbery also made a curse on Egypt.

References

http://billgl.tripod.com/egipto/mitos.htm

http://www.mundomitologico.com/egipcios/leyendas/

http://www.egiptologia.org/mitologia/leyendas/

How globalization has affected different cultural aspects and what they have done to preserve their identity.

“Clash of civilizations”

Egyptian society in recent years has been strongly influenced by the globalizacón, in this way the common people  cares  about  fulfilling material needs and whims. More over, the ruling class is only interested in lining their pockets and bank accounts. 

Egypt is exemplary for a country that has experienced fundamental economic and political changes in the last decades. These changes were not only triggered by the Arab Spring, but also by the process of liberalization which began in the 1970s. This involves opening the national market to products from all over the world, and also the privatization of all various sectors, including the banking and health sector.

In Volker Perthes’ words: The Egyptian society has become a society of two speeds. One part of the society lives with structures that were developed in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s and have worsened. The other part moves in a globalized world economy that lives with the acquisitions of the 21st century (Perthes 2004 : 181).

Culturally the Arab world feels threatened by globalization due to the imposition of customs handed down through "marks" leading  to an  uniform way of seeing the world, we are all Mc Donalds, Nike, etc. 


References
http://blog.goethe.de/humanities/archives/40-Globalization-and-Society-in-Egypt.html
http://www.libreriamundoarabe.com/Boletines/n%BA82%20May.10/ArabesIslamGlobalizacion1.htm

Folklore and music styles.

Music

In ancient Egypt there was no musical notation, and therefore it was not possible to know what was actually the music of this mysterious country, we know that songs, dance and Egyptian music were beautiful. Egyptian music was essentially mystical and orgiastic also had demonstrations to celebrate the great military triumphs of conquest.  There were demonstrations lyrical expressions of personal reasons.

The song and dance were always together and were complementary instruments, that is served to accompany the melodies. It is almost certain that the Egyptian music, like all of antiquity was monodic.

The Egyptians were the inventors of the two basic string instruments: The Harp and Laúd. The Harpa did not soundboard but was later added a similar sound to the current box. The Laúd was used in religious services.

Folklore

Currently In Egypt folk dances are varied and rich, and come from different regions. Some of them are:

• Fallahi: This word means farmer. This dance uses a light and lively musical rhythm accompanied by songs. Describe the daily work of farming while washing clothes outside the river and gather food baskets and water jars or pitchers. The dancers are dressed with very wide or long cotton dress natural fabrics and wear a head scarf or veil headdress with tassels. 

•  Saidi: Folk dance from the south of Egypt known as Al Said or Upper Egypt. Be characterized by four times and have two dums very marked in the third period. The typical instrument Saidi: the mizmar. It is a dance both men and women. You can dance figures and making turns with a cane. The costumes for women consist of a long straight sleek Galabeya with openings on the side and headdress in her hair. 

• Hagalla: It is a dance performed by the Bedouin colonies of Mersa Matruh in Western Egypt. The Hagalla defines a type of music, dance and gives its name to a rhythm. It is a very quick and simple rhythm, than two times. It is dance who danced the gypsies, who were with their nomadic caravans crossing the desert camp to camp, to entertain with music and dancing desert people. 

• Melaia: It is within the modern Egyptian folklore. The meaning of "Melaya Lef" is rolled cloth, where a piece of black cloth is used as an accessory. While dancing, cover and uncover the shawl. The dancer in this dance plays being very flirtatious, retaining her femininity while going slowly showing parts of her body that Mileia covered. The songs are very sharp and agile, typical of Egyptian folklore and lyrics about the outrageous audacity that occurs. 

• Nubio: Dance of the Nubian Desert region at the edges with Sudan. It is a dance of celebration, very energetic and busy. It is a dance group danced by men and women. It is danced in very long lines bouncing on one foot, which is the basic step scissor most folk dances. It is a dance where all the time is on the move, no movement of hips and very few arms. The typical wardrobe consists of spacious and colorful robes and a long headscarf which can also be used as an accompaniment to the dancebesides very large rings and necklaces in the form of a crescent.

References

http://genesis.uag.mx/edmedia/material/tmusica/clase1.cfm

http://www.raksaisha.com/products/folklore-egipcio/

Some common ways to meet new people.

Dignity is a fundamental trait of humility that appears, probably for the tragic sense that the Egyptians have in life, that is, it all depends on the divine will. Therefore, everywhere and anytime you can hear expressions of religious as "it is the will of God," "God willing" and even the typical greeting "salam aleikun" has this sense because what you want is that "peace be with you.”

• Among the customs in Egypt are told to shake hands when greeting because they consider it a gesture of respect. Physical contact is very common among the locals, as they are used to growing up in large families.

• The warmth and familiarity reaches up business meetings, that are regularly interrupted by visits from friends and family, and the deals are not closed until there is a bond of trust between the Covenanters.

• It is common for people to smoke and have extended conversations about trivial subjects such as sports, jokes, gastronomy, etc. Friday is the Muslim holy day and almost no one works.

•  One of the customs in Egypt is asking for tips, activity performed from children to the police.

References

http://conocegipto.blogspot.com/p/religion.html

http://egiptopia.com/La+Gente+y+sus+Costumbres+en++Egipto_30_100_3_15_137204_es.html

Colors in rituals, religious ceremonies and festivals in Egypt

The holidays in Egypt, particularly religious, have an important place in the calendar as a good Muslim country. In addition to Islamic holidays, there important dates and political events that are traditional, the holidays in Egypt consist of numerous and strict rituals that are carefully developed, including every Friday, which constitute the holy day for Islam in which any activity other than prayer is performed.

Colors 

In Ancient Egypt, the Egyptians had a special meaning for the colors used in their representations. The colors were in Egyptian painting, more precisely in the frescoes and murals still remain today. The colors for the Egyptians have great symbolic significance that goes beyond their ornamental function. However as their works were not intended to be an accurate representation of reality, the color palette used by the Egyptians was not very wide. The colors its palette obtained from the different substances of mineral origin. 

• Red: It represented the barren and desert land, life and victory, at the same time was a symbol of fire and fury. During the celebrations many Egyptians dyed their bodies in red to symbolize their commitment and dedication to achieve their goals. Red could be used to mean "anger", "destruction", "death", or phrases such as "furious". 

•  Blue: Its meaning was different depending on the tone that was used, representing the sky and the color of the sea, as it
  
  
  was also a symbol of life and rebirth. Many figures made in blue stones represent fertility.

•  Yellow: Color of the sun, seen as something eternal and imperishable. The images of the gods were built with pure gold, yellow.

• Green: Its meaning was attributed to the vegetation and the beginning of a new life. It is the color of life and growing things like plants, symbol of resurrection.

•  White: It symbolized purity and a higher power. It was the color of sacred things. In the rituals and ceremonies white sandals were used for that reason. Also symbolized cleanliness, ritual purity and sacredness.

• Black: It symbolized the "underworld", so t
  he king of the dead, Anubis, was depicted in that color. Also represented the night and death, however, was sometimes used to symbolize resurrection and fertility.

References

http://www.101viajes.com/Egipto/Festivales-fiestas-Egipto

 http://www.unl.edu.ec/educativa/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/El-color-andino.pdf

  http://egiptoatuspies.blogspot.com/2013/01/el-color-y-los-egipcios.html#.VBdz2Pl5N7U

Creaters

Catalina Jamaica Gómez

She is 18 years old, she is studying Management service institutions in Sabana University, she has different tastes for example, do a lot of exercise, she trains cheerleading, she likes sushi and she enjoys every moment of her life to the fullest.

Mara Chaves P.

She is Mara Chaves, she is an student of gastronomy in the university of Sabana, she really enjoys to spends her time with her family and friends. She has a lot of dreams and one of them is graduate from the college and travel a lot.

Carlos Garzon R.

He is a medical student of 5 semester, his virtues are smart, responsible and honest. He likes to help his friends, and  watch movies, also he  practices sports for example: swimming and football. 

Lissete Gómez.