Started my deep dive into Ma’at’s laws this morning after my coffee, honestly feeling pretty clueless at first. Saw a meme about ancient Egyptian stuff last night and thought, “Why not learn something real today?” Searched online for “Maat principles for dummies” but found nothing straightforward—just academic papers and confusing spiritual blogs. Typical internet.
My First Messy Attempt
Opened a blank doc and tried writing my own explanations. Got stuck almost immediately. What even is “I have not stolen” in ancient context? Modern theft is obvious, but back then… crops? livestock? My brain froze. Closed the doc after 20 minutes feeling dumber than before.
How I Actually Made Progress
Pulled out my kids’ colored markers later. Seriously. Divided my kitchen table into sections:
- Left side: Wrote all 42 law names copied from some dusty-looking website.
- Middle: Scribbled dictionary meanings of confusing words like “perverted” (turns out it meant blocking Nile waterways!)
- Right: Doodled stick figures doing stuff. One law says “I have not caused terror.” Drew a guy screaming while dropping pottery – helped me remember!
Bought a 99-cent notebook during my lunch break. Turned it into my “Maat Cheat Sheet”:
Step 1: Skipped all the “thee” and “thou” language. Rewrote each law like my grandma would explain it. Example:
- Original: “I have not reviled the God.”
- My version: “Don’t trash-talk the local gods.”
Step 2: Grouped similar laws together with marker splotches:
- Anger issues bunch (laws about shouting / cursing)
- Stealing crew (food, land, sacred bread??)
- Truth police (no lying in court / messing with scales)
Step 3: Realized halfway that laws #38 and #39 were basically the same – “don’t snatch temple offerings” and “don’t steal from altars.” Probably just ancient legal padding. Merged them with sticky tape.
The “Aha!” Moment
Noticed a pattern after my third coffee: Most laws boil down to two things:
- Don’t break society’s trust (lying in court, cheating customers)
- Don’t mess with cosmic vibes (stealing gods’ stuff, cursing rulers)
Suddenly made sense why all punishments involved crocodiles or burning. Mess with balance, get eaten. Harsh but fair.
Why Beginners Will Struggle
- Law 42 says “I have not wronged the people of the God.” Still not 100% sure if this means priests, locals, or sacred cats. My notebook just has a question mark.
- Ancient Egyptians loved poetic repetition. “I have not…” starts every dang law. Got tedious by #20.
- Some concepts like “carrying away seeds” (law #33) are impossibly niche. Probably aimed at greedy farmers.
Threw my notebook on the couch after finishing. Done better than any textbook explanation online? Probably not. But it’s got personality and coffee stains – which is more than that dusty website can say.
