Sign-In
Cart
Tales from the Black Land - Twenty-One Myths of Ancient Egypt Retold: Dark Tales of Gods, Magic, Monsters, and the Afterlife
Paperback
Series: The House of Life, Book 5
Mythology & FolkloreAncient Egypt
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Aug 24 2026
Pages: 332
Weight: 0.89
Height: 0.83 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Ancient Egypt was not a world of quiet tombs. It was a living cosmos in which gods bled, magic reshaped matter, monsters guarded the borders of existence, and every sunrise had to be won.
Tales from the Black Land presents twenty-one immersive retellings of ancient Egyptian myths and legends for adult readers. Drawing upon funerary texts, magical papyri, temple traditions, and surviving works of Egyptian literature, these stories reveal a mythology far stranger, darker, and more emotionally powerful than its familiar modern image.
Enter the primeval waters of Nun as Atum-Ra struggles to create the first solid ground. Sail aboard Ra's solar barque as Apep-also called Apophis-attempts to swallow the sun. Witness Isis use intelligence and heka, the magic of creation, to challenge divine power. Follow the murder and resurrection of Osiris, the making of the first mummy, and the eighty-year struggle between Horus and Set, also known as Seth.
Beyond the famous gods and goddesses lie equally remarkable tales of mortal destiny and forbidden knowledge: a shipwrecked sailor meets a golden serpent on a vanished island; a prince tries to escape three inescapable fates; a magician turns wax into a living crocodile; and Neferkaptah pays a devastating price for stealing the hidden Book of Thoth.
The final journey leads through the Egyptian underworld, or Duat, where Anubis weighs the heart against the feather of Ma'at, Ammit waits to devour the unworthy, and the vindicated dead seek eternal life in the Field of Reeds.
Inside this collection, readers will discover:
- Creation myths of Ra, Atum, Nun, Shu, and Tefnut
- The solar journey and nightly battle against Apep
- The complete Osiris, Isis, Horus, and Set cycle
- Egyptian magic, sorcerers, monsters, and sacred names
- Stories of pharaohs, shipwrecks, prophecy, and fate
- The Book of the Dead, judgment of the soul, and Egyptian afterlife
- Source notes connecting each cycle to ancient texts and traditions
Written with the momentum of fiction and the depth of narrative history, Tales from the Black Land is ideal for mythology enthusiasts, ancient-history readers, students, educators, writers, and anyone searching for an accessible collection of Egyptian Mythology for adults.
These stories have not been cleaned, softened, or reduced to museum labels. They return the myths of ancient Egypt to what they were: visceral encounters with creation, kingship, betrayal, magic, death, and humanity's refusal to disappear.
Contains mature mythological violence and sexual themes.
Also from
Marbury, Helena
Also in
Mythology & Folklore
Witches, Druids, and Sin Eaters: The Common Magic of the Cunning Folk of the Welsh Marches
Hughes, Jon G.
Paperback
Princes, Frogs & Ugly Sisters: The Healing Power of the Grimm Brothers' Tales
Hunter, Allan G.
Paperback
Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype
Estés, Clarissa Pinkola
Paperback
Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype
Estés, Clarissa Pinkola
Paperback
Mythology (75th Anniversary Illustrated Edition): Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
Hamilton, Edith
Hardcover
Freaky Folklore: Terrifying Tales of the World's Most Elusive Monsters and Enigmatic Cryptids
Darkness Prevails
Hardcover
Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance: The Forgotten Founding Mothers of the Fairy Tale and the Stories That They Spun
Harrington, Jane
Hardcover
The Odyssey: An Illustrated Guide: A Character-By-Character Guide to the Story of Odysseus
Metzger, Doug
Hardcover
Appalachian Folklore Unveiled: Mysterious Happenings of Folk Spirits and Mystic Shades from the Ancient Foothills
Darkness Prevails
Hardcover
In Defense of Witches: The Legacy of the Witch Hunts and Why Women Are Still on Trial
Chollet, Mona
Paperback
Classical Mythology of the Constellations: Timeless Tales of the Starry Night Sky
Giesecke, Annette
Hardcover
Seasonal Folktales: Myths, Magic & Folklore of the North, from Scotland to Scandinavia
Graham, Morvern
Hardcover
Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype
Estés, Clarissa Pinkola
Hardcover
This Haunted Land: Reckoning with Ghosts and the Stories That Shape America
Quammen, Betsy Gaines
Hardcover
Tony Stark, Odysseus, and the Myths Behind Marvel: Ancient Heroes in the Modern World
Meineck, Peter
Hardcover
The Stories Behind the Poses: The Indian Mythology That Inspired 50 Yoga Postures
Balkaran, Raj
Hardcover
Classical Mythology A to Z: An Encyclopedia of Gods & Goddesses, Heroes & Heroines, Nymphs, Spirits, Monsters, and Places
Giesecke, Annette
Hardcover
Briggs's Dictionary of Fairies: Banshees, Boggarts and Other Folklore Creatures
Briggs, Katharine
Hardcover
The Fright Before Christmas: Surviving Krampus and Other Yuletide Monsters, Witches, and Ghosts
Belanger, Jeff
Hardcover
Cat Gods, Goddesses, Deities, and Demons: A Guide to Feline Folklore and Mythology
Bovis, Natalie
Hardcover
Mill Dust and Dreaming Bread: Exploring Scottish Folk Belief and Folk Magic
Richardson-Read, Scott
Hardcover
Mill Dust and Dreaming Bread: Exploring Scottish Folk Belief and Folk Magic
Richardson-Read, Scott
Paperback
Myths, Gods, and Rituals of Aztec Mythology: Before the First Sun (Aztec Gods, Creation Mythology)
Torres, Matthew
Paperback
Fairy Tales & Folklore Coloring Book: A Magical Journey Inspired by Scandinavian Fables
Öberg, Emelie Lidehäll
Hardcover
Yoruba Mythology: Stories of the Orisa from West Africa and the Diaspora
Ogunnaike, Ayodeji
Hardcover
Norse Mythology: The Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook: From Vikings to Valkyries, an Epic Who's Who in Old Norse Mythology
Fuller-Shafer, Kelsey A.
Hardcover
Chasing North American Monsters: A Guide to Over 250 Creatures from Greenland to Guatemala
Offutt, Jason
Paperback
The Book of Yokai, Expanded Second Edition: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore
Foster, Michael Dylan
Paperback
Spooky Michigan: Tales of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, and Other Local Lore
Schlosser, S. E.
Paperback
Popol Vuh: The Definitive Edition of the Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life and the Glories of
Tedlock, Dennis
Paperback
The Soul Would Have No Rainbow If the Eyes Had No Tears and Other Native American Proverbs
Zona, Guy
Paperback
Serpent, Siren, Maelstrom, and Myth: Sea Stories and Folktales from Around the World
Smyth, Gerry
Paperback
Rebel Folklore: Empowering Tales of Spirits, Witches, and Other Misfits from Anansi to Baba Yaga
Sedgwick, Icy
Hardcover
Enuma Elish: The Babylonian Creation Epic: also includes 'Atrahasis', the first Great Flood myth
Stephany, Timothy J.
Paperback
Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and Other Classic Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault
Carter, Angela
Paperback
Beneath the Moon: Fairy Tales, Myths, and Divine Stories from Around the World
Yoshitani, Yoshi
Hardcover
The World of Italian Folk Magic: Magical and Herbal Cures from the Wise Women of Italy
Inserra, Rose
Hardcover
Women of Myth: From Deer Woman and Mami Wata to Amaterasu and Athena, Your Guide to the Amazing and Diverse Women from World Mythology
McMenemy, Genn
Williamson, Jenny
Hardcover
Postcolonial Astrology: Reading the Planets Through Capital, Power, and Labor
Sparkly Kat, Alice
Paperback
Mujeres Que Corren Con los Lobos: Mitos y Cuentos del Arquetipo de la Mujer Salvaje = Women Who Run with the Wolves
Estés, Clarissa Pinkola
Paperback
The Cunning Folk's Book of Cottage Witchcraft: Spells, Charms & Traditions of Wild Folk Magic
Forest, Danu
Paperback
Egyptian Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt
Pinch, Geraldine
Paperback
Cryptids, Creatures & Critters: A Manual of Monsters & Mythos from Around the World
Quinney, Rachel
Paperback
Spooky Washington: Tales of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, and Other Local Lore
Schlosser, S. E.
Paperback
Curious Cats and Fantastical Felines: The Cat in Folklore, Myth, and Legend
Winsham, Willow
Hardcover
Conjuring the Calabash: Empowering Women with Hoodoo Spells & Magick
Bomani, Mawiyah Kai El-Jamah
Paperback
God's Monsters: Vengeful Spirits, Deadly Angels, Hybrid Creatures, and Divine Hitmen of the Bible
Hamori, Esther J.
Hardcover
Mothman: Sightings and Investigations of the Iconic Flying Cryptid
Estep, Richard
Wayland, Tobias
Paperback
Spirits of the Earth: A Guide to Native American Nature Symbols, Stories, and Ceremonies
Lake-Thom, Bobby
Paperback
Hawaii's Night Marchers: A History of the Huaka'i Pō
Kapanui, Tanya
Kapanui, Robert Lopaka
Paperback
The Return of the Light: Twelve Tales from Around the World for the Winter Solstice
Edwards, Carolyn
Paperback
Sage Warrior: Wake to Oneness, Practice Pleasure, Choose Courage, Become Victory
Kaur, Valarie
Paperback
Mothers of Invention: A History of Creativity from the Greek Muses (Large Print Edition)
McTier, Moiya
Paperback
Phantom Phenomena: Tales of the World's Most Terrifying and Supernatural Events
Darkness Prevails
Hardcover
A Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake: Unlocking James Joyce's Masterwork
Robinson, Henry Morton
Campbell, Joseph
Paperback
Witch's Forest: Trees in Magic, Folklore and Traditional Remedies
Kew, Royal Botanic Gardens
Lawrence, Sandra
Hardcover
Hamlet's Mill: An Essay Investigating the Origins of Human Knowledge and Its Transmissions Through Myth
de Santillana, Giorgio
Von Dechend, Hertha
Paperback
Improving Your Storytelling: Beyond the Basics for All Who Tell Stories in Work or Play
Lipman, Doug
Paperback