Sunday, January 20, 2002

So, I suddenly realized that if I had a Game of Time, I had to have someone who set the game in motion. I did a search on the Internet for Goddess and History. Almost immediately I stumbled across a little page about Seshat. .... Where other Gods hold the was-scepter in hand, she bears one of notched palm leaves that terminates at the bottom with a tadpole which rests on the symbol of eternity. The notched palm leaf itself is a large representation of the hieroglyph rnpwt, the tadpole or shen meaning millions of. Together, they convey the message of "millions of years". ... and the fact that Seshat is the minister of Time.

Well, now there's a nice little bit. Perfect, in fact. I wanted to know a bit more about her and went to my own shelves, thinking it was a shame I had never really collected much on Egypt....

Ummm... I went to my shelves pulled down 19 hardbound and oversized paperback books on Egyptian history. I'm not sure where they all came from. I've even found her name in heiroglyphs in Budge's The Dwellers on the Nile. I've learned an alternate (and more Egyptian-like) name, Sefkhet-Aabut, and that she's also known as the Goddes of literature and the library and is closely assoicated with Thoth, the God of wisdom. I think I like this Goddess.

The great thing about this is that I can now have a definite background for the game board as well. I could base it on their senet game, I suppose... three rows/ten squares with five to seven playing pieces. No one knows the rules for senet, and I wouldn't want to use the throwing sticks anway.

OH.... how about a game between Seshat and a god or goddess of the new Ptolemaic rulers....

Greek books. Actually, Hellenic history... or is that Hellenistic? I can never keep them straight. Also not one of my better time periods, but wouldn't that be Athena she'd be playing with? We could go with Kronos, of course... but I'd like someone a little less known.

Hey, I think I found what I want. Ptolemy I, who served with Alexander and founded the kingdom of Ptolemaic Egypt was also a historian. I think that's perfect.

Yes, I am really starting to get into this story... and this part is going to be no more than a couple paragraphs. It's now 4:40am and I have books stacked all over.

I can see a cover for this book: Seshat on one side of the board, Ptolemy I on the other, and between them on the board itself the figures of my characters....

No comments: