posted
Over the past few months, I've been working on a historical fantasy novel set in an alternate timeline wherein the ancient Egyptians established a colony on the coast of Greece. The story will be about an Egyptian priestess who grew up in the colony and wants to defend it from annihilation at the hands of a Mycenaean Greek insurgency. Of course, the premise was inspired by certain Greek legends about Egyptians settling in Greece (e.g. the Danaides and the "black doves" of Dodona).
What I want to get a better sense of right now is how the Egyptian colony in my story got set up. I originally envisioned it as being established circa 1900 BC during the Middle Kingdom, but the story itself takes place later in 1600 BC (this is 50 years after the Hyksos seized control of northern Egypt as well as the period when the Mycenaean civilization got started). In this case, the colony's founding would have been motivated by trade, extracting native Greek resources, and maybe monitoring piracy in the Aegean sea.
However, my mom suggested that my Egyptian colonists would instead be refugees from northern Egypt fleeing the Hyksos in 1650 BC. Personally, I don't like that suggestion as I would think any Egyptians fleeing the Hyksos would move further south into Upper Egypt (where they would be guaranteed to be among their own people), and fifty years isn't a lot of time to set up a colony before the story begins in 1600 BC. Plus, I want the Egyptians in the colony to be from various parts of Egypt rather than all northern Egyptian (e.g. the heroine is of Upper Egyptian descent on her mother's side and Lower Egyptian on her father's).
So which scenario would you guys prefer?
A) Egyptians colonizing Greece in 1900 BC, then getting cut off from their mother country in 1650 BC courtesy of the Hyksos, and finally facing extermination by the Mycenaean insurgents.
B) Egyptians fleeing northern Egypt in 1650 BC before being targeted for extermination by the Mycenaeans in 1600 BC.
AshaT Member # 22658
posted
Vibing more with A tbh. The refugee thing has been done before.
Tyrannohotep Member # 3735
posted
quote:Originally posted by AshaT: Vibing more with A tbh. The refugee thing has been done before.
Which stories have you seen recently dealing with the theme of refugees?
Tyrannohotep Member # 3735
posted
By the way, this is a map of my setting:
the lioness, Member # 17353
posted
quote:Originally posted by Tyrannohotep: [QB] Over the past few months, I've been working on a historical fantasy novel set in an alternate timeline wherein the ancient Egyptians established a colony on the coast of Greece.
Bernal and others earlier said the Egyptians colonized Greece based on Herodotus
posted
It's less specific stories and more the concept. Hell, even the Romans were saying their first settlers were refugees from Troy. The 'persecuted people who would really just like a break and hey look here's this special person who'll rep them' is just kind of old to me.
Tyrannohotep Member # 3735
posted
I decided to go with scenario A. I'm currently five chapters and >9.5k into the story, by the way. Also, I reworked my map a bit:
The colony has been renamed Per-Pehu, which should mean "House of the North" in ancient Egyptian.
Tyrannohotep Member # 3735
posted
Just wanted to announce that I've finished Ch. 7 of the novel this morning. Overall the manuscript has almost 13,000 words in it. Onto Ch. 8 and beyond!
In the meantime, enjoy this concept art for Itaweret, the Egyptian priestess from Per-Pehu who is the heroine of our story:
And this is her interacting with the main antagonist, King Scylax of Mycenae:
Tyrannohotep Member # 3735
posted
Chapter 8 complete. Now onto Chapter 9!
Tyrannohotep Member # 3735
posted
Almost done with Chapter 9. In the meantime, enjoy this concept art of Bek, Itaweret's younger brother.
Tyrannohotep Member # 3735
posted
Chapter 9 is done, and Chapter 10 is already underway!
Tyrannohotep Member # 3735
posted
Chapter 10 is done!
Tyrannohotep Member # 3735
posted
While I'm working on Chapter 11, please enjoy this concept art of Per-Pehu, my Egyptian colony in Greece:
Tyrannohotep Member # 3735
posted
Still working on Ch. 11. But I want to share a couple of more concept art pieces, each representing a different culture featured in the novel.
This man represents the Pelasgians, who are supposed to be the autochthonous inhabitants of Greece prior to the arrival of the Greeks proper from Asia Minor. For the purposes of my novel, I have chosen to portray them as a race of brown-skinned, blue-eyed hunter-gatherers whose culture has left behind cave paintings and Stonehenge-style megalithic ritual sites. Oh, and these Pelasgians also have a special fondness for making jewelry and artifacts out of silver, which they bury with the bodies of their deceased leaders.
Although he doesn't have a name yet, the character is supposed to be the king of Troy on the western coast of Anatolia (now Turkey), and the Egyptian priestess Itaweret is going to request his aid against Scylax of Mycenae. However, the Trojan king is reluctant to get involved in overseas affairs that don't affect his own people. Anyway, his attire is inspired by that of the ancient Hittites, a people who occupied central Anatolia during the Bronze Age. I figured ancient Trojan culture might have been influenced by that of the Hittite Empire.
Tyrannohotep Member # 3735
posted
Finished Chapter 12 today!
Autshumato Member # 22722
posted
Are you all done now? Beautiful art work!
Tyrannohotep Member # 3735
posted
quote:Originally posted by Autshumato: Are you all done now? Beautiful art work!
It will take a while, but I plan to be done with the first draft halfway through the year. And thanks!
Tyrannohotep Member # 3735
posted
Off-topic, but I wanted to share this anyway:
This is a design for an illustrated “waifu pillow” (or dakimakura) starring the female Egyptian Pharaoh Hatshepsut. I did this as a commission for a guy on DeviantArt, and I gotta say it was a pretty appealing subject to draw (for reasons that should be obvious to anyone who knows me ).
One Third African Member # 3735
posted
Two days ago, I finished the last chapter (Ch. 30) of my novel's first draft. I'll be taking a break for about a week or two, and then onto the revision and polishing!
posted 
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
).