A cognitive semantic analysis of two ancient near eastern creation narratives : the great hymn to Khnum and Genesis 2:7

Abstract

This study sets out to explore the role of embodied cognition and lived experience in the construction of meaning in religious texts dealing with supernatural abstract agents and counterintuitive acts of divinity. The study is situated within the theoretical framework of cognitive linguistics and undertakes a cognitive semantic analysis of two Ancient Near Eastern cosmological texts: The Great Hymn to Khnum and Genesis: 2:7. These narratives recount the process through which humans were created by the respective creator deities of the Ancient Egyptians and Israelites: Khnum and Yahweh. In the analysis, the conceptual blends and conceptual metaphors identified in the two narratives are analysed within relevant conceptual frames, and the conceptual similarities and differences between the narratives are explored, using a qualitative approach. The findings of the study illustrate that while The Great Hymn to Khnum and Genesis 2:7 are sacred texts narrating divine events, they are grounded in the embodied experience and everyday reality of the Ancient Egyptian and Israelite cultures. The study further demonstrates how the cognitive operations of conceptual blending and conceptual metaphor, within relevant cultural and religious frames, can account for meaning construction within the texts.

Hierdie studie ondersoek die rol wat beliggaamde kognisie en geleefde ervaring in betekeniskonstruksie in religieuse tekste speel, spesifiek waar hierdie tekste op bonatuurlike abstrakte agente en teen-intuïtiewe dade van goddelikheid fokus. Die studie val binne die teoretiese raamwerk van kognitiewe linguistiek en onderneem 'n kognitiewe semantiese analise van twee Ou Nabye Oosterse kosmologiese tekste, naamlik ‘The Great Hymn to Khnum’ en Genesis: 2:7. Hierdie tekste verduidelik die proses waardeur die onderskeie gode van die Antieke Egiptenare en die Israeliete (Khnum en Yahweh) die mens geskep het. In die analise word die konseptuele vermengings en konseptuele metafore wat in die twee tekste geïdentifiseer is, binne relevante konseptuele rame ontleed, en die konseptuele ooreenkomste en verskille tussen die tekste word ondersoek, met behulp van 'n kwalitatiewe benadering. Die bevindinge van die studie illustreer dat alhoewel ‘The Great Hymn to Khnum’ en Genesis 2:7 religieuse tekste is, wat goddelike gebeure beskryf, beide tekste gegrond is in die beliggaamde aardse ervaring en alledaagse werklikheid van die Antieke Egiptiese en Israelietiese kulture. Die studie demonstreer verder hoe kognitiewe bewerkings soos kognitiewe metafoor en vermenging, betekeniskonstruksie in religieuse tekste kan verklaar, gegewe die agtergrond van ‘n spesifieke kulturele en godsdienstige raamwerk.

Thutonyakisiso ye e ikemiseditse go kwesisa tema yeo e kgathago ke temogo le maitemogelo a bophelo tlhamong ya dingwalwa tsa sedumedi, tseo di lebaganego le dilo tseo di sa bonwego tsa tlhago le ditiro tsa sedimo tsa go thulana le tlhaologanyo. Thutonyakisiso e hlahlwa ke tlhako ya teori ya thutamaleme ya temogo (cognitive linguistics) gomme e dira tshekatsheko ya molaetsa wa temogo wa dingwalo tse pedi tsa botala tsa temogo ya legohle tsa Ancient Near East: Sefelakgolo go Khnum le Genesi 2:7. Dikanego tse di hlalosa mokgwa woo batho ba dirilwego ka gona, ba dirwa ke badiri ba bona ba Egepita le ba Isiraele tsa bogologolo: Khnum le Yahweh. Ka gare ga tshekatsheko, tswakanyo ya dikgopolo (conceptual blend) le tshwantsho ya kgopolo (conceptual metaphor) tseo di hlathilwego go dikanego tse pedi di sekasekwa ka tshomiso ya ditlhako tsa kgopolo tsa maleba, gomme tshwano le diphapano tsa dikgopolo gare ga dikanego di hlarollwa ka tshomiso ya mokgwa wa nyakisiso wa khwalithethifi (qualitative approach). Dipoelo tsa thutonyakisiso di laetsa gore le ge Sefelakgolo go Khnum le Genesi 2:7 e le dingwalo tse kgethwa tsa tlhaloso ya ditiragalo tsa sedimo, di theilwe go ditlwaedi le dinnete tsa bophelo tsa ‘tsatsi ka ‘tsatsi tsa ditso tsa Egepeta le Isiraele ya botala. Thutonyakisiso e tswela pele go bontsha ka mokgwa wo go soma ga kgopolo ga tswakanyo ya dikgopolo le tshwantsho ya kgopolo go ka thusago ka kago ya molaetsa ka gare ga dingwalo, ka gare ga ditlhako tsa maleba tsa setso le bodumedi.