The Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor
Also known as: Shipwrecked Sailor, Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor
A Middle Kingdom sailor recounts a shipwreck and his rescue by a benevolent giant serpent on a magical island, whose prophecy sends him safely home. The framed tale offers consolation and counsel on fate, fortune, and wise speech before rulers.
Description
Cast as a framed narrative, a junior official consoles his superior by telling how he once survived a shipwreck and was sustained by a great serpent, lord of a perfumed island. The serpent, sole survivor of a cosmic catastrophe, prophesies the sailor’s rescue, provides gifts, and instructs him in humility before the king. The sailor returns and narrates his adventure, only to meet a skeptical response from his master. The tale blends wonder with didactic aims, typical of Middle Kingdom literary artistry, using a vivid setting, rhythmic prose, and patterned repetitions to explore providence, fortune, and the value of measured speech.
Historiography
Preserved primarily on Papyrus Hermitage (Leningrad) 1115 from the Middle Kingdom, the text is a key witness to early Egyptian narrative prose. Scholarly debate centers on its genre as a ‘wonder tale’ with instructional overtones. Standard translations derive from Gardiner, Lichtheim, and Parkinson, with orthographic variants across copies and restorations. Its reception highlights Middle Kingdom aesthetics of framed counsel tales and the interplay of marvel and moral instruction.
Date Notes
Middle Kingdom composition, often assigned to the late 12th Dynasty based on language and palaeography
Major Characters
- The Sailor
- The Great Serpent
- The Captain
Myths
- The Island of the Serpent Prince
- The Tale of Loss and Consolation
- The Sailor’s Safe Return
Facts
- The tale is a framed narrative spoken by a junior official to console his superior after a failed expedition.
- Its principal manuscript is Papyrus Hermitage (Leningrad) 1115, written in Middle Egyptian.
- The giant serpent claims lordship over a perfumed island and tells of a star that destroyed his family.
- The serpent prophesies the sailor’s rescue and safe return to Egypt.
- The island provides abundance—food, perfumes, and rare goods—which the serpent bestows as gifts.
- The master’s skeptical reply undercuts the sailor’s moral, adding irony to the close.
- Scholars often classify the work as a ‘wonder tale’ with didactic purposes.
- Language and orthography suggest a Middle Kingdom date, likely late 12th Dynasty.