Ushabti are tiny anthropoid (human-shaped) figures placed in the tombs of wealthy Egyptians. They were intended to do the work of the deceased in the afterlife. This purpose is implied through their name, which may have derived from the Egyptian word “to answer”. The Burke Museum in Beechworth is home to a particular ancient Egyptian Ushabti figure. This artefact was donated to the Museum in 1875. No details about how it left Egypt, arrived in Australia, and where it was located before this donation are known. The Nineteenth Century, when this artefact was donated, was a period when many museums acquired items of ancient Egyptian heritage. Many of these items were procured in less than desirable circumstances, having often been looted from ancient tombs and sold to tourists without documentation as to their original location and/or accompanying grave goods. These artefacts were also divested through partage (the trading of artefacts for funds); however, the latter is unlikely to have been the case for this artefact. Since the Ushabti was donated by an unknown donor, it is likely to have been in a private collection rather than an institution. Ushabti can be dated using iconographic analysis which is non-invasive and provides a comprehensive study of the artefact. The later period of the 18th Dynasty marked the beginning of an increase in both the inclusion of Ushabti as essential funerary items and the creation of Ushabti with tools. From this period, they are no longer depicted without tools. Depictions of tools including gardening hoes are frequently depicted grasped in the Ushabti’s hands whilst items like the seed-bag are depicted hanging on the back rather than in an alternative position. This Ushabti figure grasps a gardening hoe and a mattock and a small seed bag surrounded by a yoke bearing water jars are depicted on the upper back of the Ushabti. These features are essential in helping narrow this dating to the late 18th and before the early 20th Dynasty. The position of this seed bag also provides dating information. In the early 18th Dynasty this bag was consistently drawn on the front of the figurine; however, by the reign of Seti I, this feature moved to the back. Thus, since the seed bag is located on the back of this Ushabti, it cannot date to the early 18th Dynasty. By the 19th Dynasty, Ushabti’s were increasingly made from either faience or terracotta. The availability of these materials in Egypt resulted in the increase of Ushabti production with tombs containing many more figurines than previously seen. The Ushabti held by the Burke collections is made from terracotta. Terracotta was rarely used for Ushabti before and during the early 18th Dynasty with only the odd appearance until the late 18th Dynasty and becoming common through that period until the late Third Intermediate Period. Whilst the face has been damaged, there is no evidence for the Ushabti having been provided with an Osirian false beard. This omission rules out a dating of later than the 25th Dynasty when beards became prominent. The inscriptions also date the Ushabti to the New Kingdom. This is because of the use of sḥḏ (“to illuminate”) with Wsjr (“Osiris”) which only occurs in these periods. Therefore, considering all these elements, the Ushabti can be confidently be dated to between the late 18th to early 19th dynasty.Artefacts like this Ushabti are no longer exclusively representative of their origins in burial assemblages and significance in the mythology of the Egyptian afterlife but are also significant for the accumulated histories they have gained through travel. The movement of this artefact from Egypt to Australia allows insight into the collecting habits of the 19th century, and in particular, the reception of ancient Egyptian artefacts in small rural museums. The procurement of Egyptian artefacts was a social trend around the late 1800s to early 1900s. Egyptian artefacts were considered curiosities and recognised for their ability to attract public attention to museums. They were also utilised in Australian museums, like the Burke Museum, to connect the collection to one of the oldest civilisations known to man and since Australia was considered a “young” country by European settlers, this was vital and derived from an interest in Darwin’s “Origin of the Species” 1859. Furthermore, there was a culture of collecting in the 1800s amongst the affluent in English society which led to the appearance of many Egyptian artefacts in private collections. The acquisition of this Ushabti figure is not certain, but it was likely donated from a private collection rather than an institution. This particular artefact is significant as an example of a high-quality Ushabti representative of those produced during the late 18th or early 19th century. It provides insight into the individualism of an Ushabti and the mythology of ancient Egypt. It also provides an example of the types of items required in the tomb assemblages of this period and reinforces the importance of ensuring the successful afterlife of the deceased through art. This Ushabti belonged to a woman named Taweret-Khaiti, Chantress of Amun, in the late 18th Dynasty or early 19th Dynasty (c.1292 BC) of the Egyptian New Kingdom. It likely comes from an undetermined tomb in the locality of Thebes. This figure is made from Nile silt clay (a polyester terracotta; clay sourced from the banks of the Nile River) which was a popular material for Ushabti construction in the early 19th Dynasty. It is in a fair state of preservation (with the exception of a break through the centre) and originally made to a high quality. The face has been damaged but the eyes and eyebrows are clearly marked with black ink and the sclera painted white. The Ushabti is painted a light brown/yellow colour and features a vertical line of inscription down the lower front. The Ushabti wears a large wig and and a schematic collar. The arms are painted light brown and depicted crossed with bracelets around the wrists. It grasps a hoe and mattock. A yellow seed-basket is depicted on the Ushabti’s back. These features represent the likelihood that this particular Ushabti was intended to complete farm work for the deceased in the next life. There would have been additional Ushabti of similar design within the tomb who worked under the supervision of a foreman Ushabti. The foreman Ushabti would be depicted dressed in the clothing of the living. The inscriptions are painted freehand in black ink and written in a vertical column from the base of the collar to the foot pedestal on the front of the Ushabti. The owner of the Ushabti could elect to have the figures inscribed with their name, the Ushabti spell and any other details they deemed necessary. In the case of this example, the Ushabti is inscribed with the owner’s details and is an abbreviated version of the standard Ushabti formula. This formula ensured that the Ushabti would complete the desired task in the afterlife when called upon by the deceased. Ushabti which were not inscribed would represent their intended purpose through design; however, this Ushabti, like most made in the late 18th Dynasty, conveys its purpose both through both design and inscription. The inscription is as follows: sHD wsir nbt pr Smayt imn tA-wr(t)-xai(ti) mAa xrw which translates to: "The illuminated one, the Osiris (the deceased), the mistress of the household, Chantress of Amun, Taweret-Khaiti, true of voice (justified)"ancient egypt

p.426fictionThe year young Australians sailed off to war in high hopes of adventure, only to find themselves faced with disaster. The tragedy and violence of Gallipoli provide the climax to this very personal, moving and surprisingly romantic story. With remarkable skill and in achingly beautiful prose, Roger McDonald takes the reader on an archetypal Australian journey which parallels the nation's progress from its country childhood, through the adolescent exuberance of its young cities, to initiation on one of the world's ancient battlefields. It is a vital journey, haunted by menace and disillusionment, one embedded in our national mythology. This astonishing first novel, published to great critical acclaim in 1979 and since then selling over 100,000 copies, tells the story of two boys from the bush, the thoughtful and awkward Walter and his knowing friend Billy Mackenzie, and their girls Frances and Diana. Together they discover a future which seems full of promise, drawing them into the exciting turmoil of passion and war. But theirs is a fateful alliance, in a world all too quickly passing, with an outcome they never could have foreseen.gallipoli campaign - fiction, world war 1914-1918 - fiction

Index, bibliography, notes, p.329.non-fictionPost-traumatic stress disorder increasingly afflicts veterans of modern warfare. To begin healing, says Edward Tick, we must see PTSD as a disorder of identity itself. War's violence can cause the very soul to flee and be lost for life. Drawing on history, mythology, and thirty years of experience, Dr. Tick reveals the universal dimensions of veterans' soul wounding. He uses methods from ancient Greek, Native America, Vietnamese, and other traditions to restore the soul so that the veteran can, at last, truly return home. His work is invaluable for veterans of any war as well as for their families and all who would help thempost traumatic stress disorder - treatment, veterans - mental health - united states

War has been a key part of the Australian experience and central to many national mythologies. Yet more that most activities, war polarises femininity and masculinity, While there has been no shortage of military history, little has been written about Australia's military involvements from the perspective of gender. This exciting collection of essays explores for the first time the interrelationship of gender and war in Australia.sex role - australia - history - 20th century, women and war - australia - history - 20th century, men - australia - sexual behavior - history - 20th century

John Bulmer spent forty years of his life as missionary to Aboriginal people in Victoria, in 1855 devoting his activities to communities on the Murray, but most of his life was spent at Lake Tyers where he established a Church of England mission in 1862, In his later years he wrote a series of thirteen papers in which he recorded his observations on the life and times of the people to whom he ministered. Over a period of several years Alistair Campbell transliterated the manuscripts, altering a little but retaining the flavour of the original text.maps, b&w photograph, word lists, tablesgunai kurnai, gippsland, lake tyers, lakes entrance, king charley, snowy river, ellen hood, sarah moffat, lance mcdougall, kassie mcdougall, tom foster, alec mccrae, nellie blair, john bulmer, victorian history, indigenous social life, kinship, religion and mythology, bush foods

Entry into the 2009 Nillumbik Prize. Angela holds a Masters of Fine Art and has worked with clay for over 20 years. Her work is held in collections around Australia.Angela Nagel's creative practice is informed by an interest in the human condition, universal symbols, mythology and Jung's theory on the 'collective unconscious'. Her hybrid part human/animal creatures reference introduced species and indigenous Australian animals as a way for her to explore a personal mythology, and narrative, of home and environment. Recent work is developing around the relationship of ceramics to other materials such as glass, printmaking and found objects. Angela holds a Masters of Fine Art and has worked with clay for over 20 years. Her work is held in collections around Australia.Human and animal like figure in the stance reminiscent of classical sculpture. Hand built ceramics with engobes, oxides, glaze and gold leaf Medium: Porcelain, oxide, underglazeangela nagel, nillumbik shire council collection, victoria, nillumbik prize, ceramic

judith wharington, orpheus, echo, river, landscape, greek mythology

Index, ill, p.360.non-fictionMyths of the Norsemen from the Eddas and Sagas.mythology - norse, scandinavia - history

Index, ill, p.400.non-fictionGreat stories of the epics; deeds of Krishna, Shiva, taken from puranas, Vedas, folk tales, more.hindu mythology, buddhist mythology

Index, ill, p.450.This splendid compilation of tales offers a perfect introduction to the colorful pageant of Celtic myth. Its wondrous stories range from the oft-told deeds of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table to the less-familiar adventures of mighty Finn and his Fenians, and Ulster's Champions of the Red Branch.mythology - celtic, folklore - celtic

Index, ill, p.453.non-fictionThe West's first encounters with the folk tales and myths of the East proved to be a heady experience, as they were based on an entirely different value system and worldview than those that are reflected in the Greek myths and most subsequent Western folk tales. In Myths and Legends of China, author E.T.C. Werner offers up a rich tapestry of Chinese folk narratives. A must-read for fans of world myths, fairy tales, and legends. mythology - chinese, legends - china

Index, ill, p.212.non-fictionA blend of mythology, psychology and shamanism to reveal the beauty of the Celtic tradition for women today.ireland - religion - fiction, woman's mysteries.

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Ill, p.89.non-fictionAn autobiographical tapestry, recollections of an Irish childhood linked to an account of a journey there today, interwoven with fragments of Irish mythology, history and hearsay.ireland - authors - biography, ireland - description and travel