The Tale of the Doomed Prince

Description

At his birth, seven Hathors foretell that an Egyptian prince will die by crocodile, serpent, or dog. Sealed in a tower for safety, he grows restless and journeys north to a foreign court (often identified as Naharin). There he wins the princess by leaping to her window past guards and walls, a feat of agility and courage. Married, he strives to outmaneuver destiny: a serpent plot is foiled, yet the loyal dog he insisted on keeping threatens betrayal, and a crocodile encounter looms by a lake or river. The narrative breaks off, preserving its tension between human agency and divine decree. Written in Late Egyptian and preserved chiefly on Papyrus Harris 500, the tale blends courtly romance, international adventure, and meditation on inescapable fate.

Historiography

The tale survives primarily on Papyrus Harris 500 (British Museum), a New Kingdom manuscript containing several literary pieces; the Doomed Prince section is incomplete at the end. Language and style mark it as Late Egyptian prose. Scholarly debate addresses its geographic setting (often Syria/Upper Euphrates region, ‘Naharin’) and international folktale motifs (prophecy of fated death, wall-jump bridal test). Modern translations derive from hieratic transcriptions; interpretations of the lost ending remain conjectural.

Date Notes

Attested in Late Egyptian on Papyrus Harris 500 (New Kingdom, likely 19th–20th Dynasty); ending fragmentary.

Themes

Archetypes

Symbols

Major Characters

• The Prince
• The Princess of Naharin
• Pharaoh
• The Seven Hathors

Myths

• The Prophecy of the Three Fates
• The Prince’s Flight and Marriage Abroad
• The Contest with the Serpent and the Crocodile

Facts

• The prince is fated to die by crocodile, serpent, or dog as declared by the Seven Hathors.
• To protect him, his father confines him in a high tower until he chooses to travel abroad.
• He reaches a foreign land often identified as Naharin and attempts a suitor’s feat to win the princess.
• The bridal test involves leaping to the princess’s window past guards and walls.
• A serpent hidden in the chamber is discovered and killed after a warning, briefly averting one fatal threat.
• The prince keeps his dog despite warnings, introducing the second danger foretold at his birth.
• A lakeside episode introduces the crocodile motif; the manuscript breaks off before resolution.
• The text is written in Late Egyptian and preserved chiefly on Papyrus Harris 500.
• The narrative blends Egyptian court tale with international folktale motifs about destiny and choice.
• Scholars debate the tale’s conclusion; no secure ancient ending is preserved.

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