Description

Dr. Kambon’s Critique of Nana Ayi Kwei Armah’s Wat nt Shemsw

Duration: 1 hour, 03 minutes, 57 seconds

46 slides

Why is this critique important?

1. The contradiction of using Asar ‘Osiris’, a divine ruler, to argue against divine rulership. Asar was at the center of a mythic hierarchy. Therefore, Asar couldn’t have been anti-hierarchy nor the paragon of egalitarianism.

2. Sources have been left out that contradict the author’s interpretation. Due to the intentional or unintentional omission of such sources, the reader does not get a balanced view of so-called pre-dynastic/mythic times (or Asar as the representative thereof), but rather gets an idyllic interpretation of the author that contradicts primary, secondary, and tertiary sources on the myths to which the author refers.

3. Because out of the 302-page book only SIX WORDS from any Kemetic source are actually quoted with the rest being author interpretation that is at odds with textual, iconographical and archeological evidence.

4. Asar is presented as peaceful in the book, but primary, secondary and tertiary sources show otherwise.