Reflections after reading "The Revenge of Thoth, the God of Wisdom [Ancient Egypt] Anonymous"

Summary of the work

Princess Hathor, the daughter of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Milibta, and her brother Prince Nefer married in order to maintain the royal bloodline, and gave birth to the little prince Mi Filibuster. Prince Neffel pursued knowledge and wisdom, and an old priest told Prince Neffel the secret of a magic book written by the god of wisdom, Thoth himself. Prince Nefer, his wife and children embarked on a journey to Guftai City to find the magic book. Thoth, the god of wisdom, punished the prince after learning that his magic book had been stolen. The prince's family paid the price with their lives for stealing the magic book.

Selected works

In ancient Egypt, there was a pharaoh named Miribta, who ruled Egypt for many, many years. During his time in power, he was honest and upright, taking care of everything and working for the people day and night. So, the god Ra gave him a gentle and beautiful princess named Hathor. Later, the god Ra gave him a clever prince named Nefer Ka Ptah.

The Pharaoh hoped that the prince and princess would become educated and knowledgeable people as soon as possible so that they could succeed him in governing the country in the future.

So the Pharaoh selected the best gentlemen from all over the country to teach the prince and princess how to read and write.

Princess Hathor loves books that cultivate sentiments. She strives to cultivate her noble sentiments. She believes that all personal achievements should be attributed to the great god Ra.

As for Prince Nefer, he loves philosophy and reads widely philosophical books. Reading such books increased his knowledge and broadened his horizons. In addition, the prince was particularly keen on studying the words in the ancient Book of Life written on papyrus and stored in the "Palace of Life", and was even more interested in the strange hieroglyphs carved on the walls of the temple.

The prince studied diligently and fascinatedly. He humbly sought advice from famous priests and magicians from all over the world, and read all the books he could get his hands on. Finally, he became the greatest scholar, the most famous philosopher, and the most outstanding magician of that era. Pharaoh and his subjects all praised his profound knowledge and powerful magic.

At that time, according to the laws of the Pharaoh's time, the Pharaoh's eldest daughter, Princess Hathor, was the heir to the throne. Only when the princess gets married is the prince eligible to inherit the throne and become the new pharaoh. The Pharaoh hoped that his descendants would maintain the royal bloodline forever, so he did not want Princess Hathor to marry outside.

Princess Hathor admired her brother Prince Nefer's profound knowledge and popular reputation, and she was very willing to marry him. The Pharaoh strongly approved of this marriage. As for Prince Nefer, he was extremely happy because the royal power would not be stolen by outsiders, and he would be able to govern the country together with the Queen's sister.

The Pharaoh soon held a grand wedding for the prince and princess, and people from all over the country came to the palace to bless the couple. The Pharaoh sent people to deliver a large number of sacrifices to the temple, praying to the Almighty God to grant his happy partner countless princes and princesses.

After the wedding, the prince and princess moved into the magnificent palace.

Time flies like an arrow, and the sun and the moon fly like a shuttle.

The princess became pregnant and soon gave birth to a lively and handsome little prince named Mirabu. Joy filled the mother's mind, and she carefully cared for and cared for her son, while Prince Nefer devoted more energy to studying knowledge and increasing his talents.

One day, Prince Nefer went to the Temple of Ptah in Memphis as usual. He first walked around the majestic temple, walking from one end of the temple to the other. . Later, he stood in front of a carving and looked at it for a long time. He found that the carving was unusual. He had never read such writing. So, he came closer and took a closer look. The words in front of him disappeared without a trace. Apart from him, there was nothing...

Just when he was very puzzled, suddenly , there was a burst of laughter from behind, and the prince turned around and saw an old priest wearing a pure white linen gown, standing aside laughing. The old priest laughed so hard that tears flowed from his eyes! Prince Nefer asked strangely:

"Why are you laughing at me like this, strange elder?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, my dear prince, how dare I I'm laughing at you!" the elder said, then smiled and said, "You are the son of the great Pharaoh. Tomorrow, you may become the head of a country.

”

“So, what makes you laugh? Don't be afraid, you won't be punished. "The prince comforted the priest and said.

"***Are you afraid of you? Why do you like punishing people? You are a great scholar with a very high reputation. Reputation and character prevent you from getting angry and don't like to punish people! "The old priest answered the prince with a smile.

"But why are you laughing suddenly behind me? "The prince still asked the priest.

"Yes, my prince, I feel funny, because I find that you, a scholar like you, are standing here wasting time, reading things that are useless and useless. Power stuff. "

The old priest finally told the reason that made him laugh.

After hearing what the old priest said, the prince retorted with disapproval:

"Respectable Elder, why do you dislike these valuable carvings and hieroglyphs? They are precious treasures left by our ancestors. "

The old priest smiled slightly again and said:

"Even if you are right, they are nothing special! Did you know? Thoth, the god of wisdom, keeps one of the greatest and most magical magic books in the world, which can be called a rare treasure. The God of Wisdom is the omniscient and omniscient god among the gods. The magic book was written by him and hidden in an extremely secret place. "

When he mentioned the magic book of the God of Wisdom, the prince suddenly became excited:

"Respectable elder, I have heard of this magical magic book a long time ago. However, I didn’t know how to find it, and no one was willing to take me to where the books were stored. I also heard that Pharaoh Hufu, who built a huge pyramid for himself, also tried every means to get the magic book! "

"Great prince, my little master, but you, with your intelligence and superb skills in magic, you can get this book! "The old priest encouraged Prince Nefer.

The prince shouted happily.

"Dear elder, this is great. I have been looking forward to getting the magic book for a long time. Hurry up. , tell me about it. ”

“Your Majesty, the God of Wisdom wrote this book himself, which contains all kinds of magic in the world. If you read the first page of the incantation, you will become sharp and able to see clearly everything in heaven and earth: whether it is something hidden in a cave or buried in rivers, lakes and seas, you will see it clearly. . You will understand the speech of birds flying in the air, the speech of reptiles on the ground, and the conversations of fish swimming in the water. If you read the second page of the spell, although you will enter the ghost world after death, you can have the ability to come back to life, become your original appearance, and return to the world. In addition, you will be lucky enough to see the throne of the great gods in the sky and the huge procession of the Sun God patrolling the sky, which will make you feel happy for life. "The old priest told the prince in detail.

Prince Nefer could not restrain his infinite joy. He begged the old priest:

"By the great gods, by Pharaoh I swear on my life, respectable elder, as long as you can help me get this magic book, I will definitely pay you a huge reward and meet all your requirements. "

The old priest was silent for a moment and said:

"Prince, I only have a small request. Please build a tomb for me. After I die, I hope to hold a grand funeral for me so that people will regard me as a wealthy priest. Let many priests chant around my tomb, and women weep for me. Let them offer exquisite and rich sacrifices to the gods on my behalf, and fill their cups with pure and sweet wine. Finally, let my soul rest in peace in heaven. Ah, Prince, I think this will cost a hundred pieces of silver! "

Prince Nefer immediately clapped his hands and called his servant. He ordered that a hundred pieces of silver be immediately taken and handed over to the old priest.

After the old priest collected the silver, he Said to Prince Nefer:

Dear prince, my master,

The magic book is hidden near the city of Thebes

In the city of Guftai In the middle of a river.

There is an iron box in the middle of the river,

There is a copper box in the iron box,

There is a sandalwood box in the copper box,

< p> There is an ivory and ebony chest within the sandalwood chest,

There is a silver chest within the ivory and ebony chest,

There is a gold chest within the silver chest,

Hidden in the gold box is the magic book of the God of Wisdom!

Ah, there are countless snakes, scorpions and other reptiles wrapped around the iron box.

There is also a terrifying immortal snake. !

They guard the magic book all the time.

The old priest finished speaking in one breath. He gasped and then said:

"How many people have tried to get the magic book, but they have failed. So, this is It is a dangerous and difficult thing, so you must always be vigilant and act cautiously."

Prince Nefer ran back to the palace with joy and joy, and told his wife, Princess Hathor, about the magic book. Said to leave immediately to Guftai to retrieve the magical magic book.

After hearing what the prince said, Princess Hathor felt very sad. She dissuaded Nefer:

"Give up this plan, don't go to Guftai, my dear. Wisdom. How can we hope for the treasures of God? My heart is telling me that in the south, only disaster and sorrow await us."

As she spoke, Princess Hathor held Nai with her soft and slender arms. Prince Foer's strong arms seemed to rescue him from the abyss of suffering. However, the prince did not intend to change his opinion easily. He left his wife and came to the Pharaoh.

The prince reported everything to Pharaoh, and then begged his father:

"Your Majesty, please give me a big ship. I will take my wife and children with me to go south and retrieve it. That rare magic book! ”

The Pharaoh, like the prince, was eager to see the magic book as soon as possible, and he agreed to his son’s request.

A majestic and huge royal boat carried Prince Nefer, Princess Hathor and little prince Mirab on their journey south. Pharaoh also sent him a large number of skilled sailors who were familiar with the properties of water. The royal boat sailed upstream in the Nile River, heading for the city of Guftai day and night.

After several days and nights of sailing, Yuzhou finally arrived at Guftai City successfully.

The priests of the goddess Isis in Guftai City rushed to the shore to welcome Prince Nefer, Princess Hathor and the little prince Mirab.

Once ashore, people lined up in a long line to come to the temple. Prince Nefer came forward with an ox, a goose and a skin of wine to offer sacrifices to the goddess Isis and her son Horus. The priests of the goddess Isis and their relatives held grand banquets for four consecutive days to warmly entertain Prince Nefer and his entourage.

On the morning of the fifth day, Prince Nefer called a priest. The priest was proficient in all kinds of magic and even knew many secrets of the gods. The priest used a spell to create a magical box like a diving cabin; Prince Nefer made many sailors and oars out of candles, and then chanted spells on them, so the sailors could breathe and gain life. Holding the paddle tightly in hand.

Prince Neffel sank the diving cabin into the water and ordered:

"Do as I say, faithful servant!"

Diving The cabin suddenly disappeared.

The prince filled the royal boat with sand and sailed away with the priest.

Princess Hathor sat anxiously on the shore with her son. She was looking forward to the good news and waiting for her husband to return early. She always felt that hardships would be filled with hardships in her future life.

The sailors created by Prince Nefer worked day and night in the diving cabin for three days. When they stopped, the prince's boat could not move. Prince Neffel knew that they had arrived at the place where the magic book was hidden.

The prince and the priest first shoveled the sand out of the boat, spread it into a beach fifty cubits long and fifty cubits wide in the river, and parked the royal boat in the middle of the beach. Then, the prince recited a magical spell, grabbed a handful of sand, and threw it into the water.

The sand was like countless sharp axes, splitting the water in half when it touched it. Soon, the bottom of the water was exposed, and there was a huge iron box there. The prince was so excited that he almost shouted.

The prince calmed down and took a closer look. He found that the iron box was actually surrounded by a thick and fierce viper. There were also thousands of venomous snakes, scorpions and various water reptiles floating near the box. From time to time, it raised its head and raised its tail to spy on what was going on around it, and faithfully guarded the magic book.

Prince Nefer loudly rebuked the snakes, scorpions and various reptiles, and put a talisman on them. The animals immediately seemed paralyzed, unable to move at will, let alone harm others.

The prince jumped out of the boat and walked in the water, passing snakes, scorpions and reptiles. They could only look at Nefer with wide eyes, unable to stop his actions.

The prince happily walked to the iron box. Just as he was about to touch the box, a huge viper attacked him. The God of Wisdom cast a spell on the viper, but Prince Neffel's magic had no effect on it. It was still fierce, agile, and extremely lethal.

Now, Nefer has to go all out to deal with the giant viper. He pulled out the sharp dagger he had on him and slashed at the big viper quickly and accurately. The snake's head immediately fell to the ground. However, the snake's head was quickly reconnected with its body, and the snake came back to life. Neffel attacked the snake again, chopped off its head, and threw it far away into the river. However, the snake's head and body were quickly connected, and the snake returned to life. The prince knew that strength alone could not kill the viper, he had to use strategy. So, Prince Neffel launched a third attack on the snake. This time, he first cut the snake's body into two parts, and then sprinkled sand on the broken place. The snake's body was stuck to the sand and the severed head could not be connected. . In this way, the huge and ferocious viper finally died in the hands of the prince.

Prince Neffel stood in front of the iron box. Although the box was surrounded by poisonous snakes, scorpions and various reptiles, they could only look at Neffel helplessly, but could not move at all, because they Been under Neffel's spell. The prince quickly broke the lock and opened the iron box. As the old priest said, there was a copper box inside the iron box; he opened the copper box and saw a sandalwood box inside; he opened the sandalwood box and saw an ivory and ebony box inside. ; Open the ivory and ebony box, and see a silver box inside; open the silver box, and see a gold box inside; open the gold box, and Prince Nefer finally sees the magic book written by Thoth, the God of Wisdom!

Prince Neffel was ecstatic. He hurriedly opened the magical magic book, his eyes widened, and he read the first page in one breath.

A miracle happened.

Prince Neffel's eyesight is getting better and better. He feels that the very small things in the world have become larger, and things in the distance seem to be right under his nose. He looked up to the sky and saw the great god Ra on the eternal sun boat, surrounded by gods; he looked down and saw the underworld deep in the earth, where it was extremely dark and extremely hot, where the perfidious and the tyrannical were all. Being punished in hell. He also strangely found that he could understand the language of flying birds and the speech of various reptiles in the cave... How miraculous all this is!

Prince Neffel read the second page intently.

This time, he saw the sun rising in the east, the moon setting in the west, and the stars twinkling in the sky. They actually appeared in the sky at the same time! He could also clearly see all the gods in the sky and understand the status of each of them...

At this time, Prince Nefer completely believed that the old priest's words were absolutely true. When he suddenly thought that his wife and children were still waiting for him on the shore, he quickly collected the precious magic book and ordered the river to close. As soon as he said this, the river became as flat as a mirror as before, and the rolling river flooded the box. place.

"Servants, carry out my orders and send me back to where I came from!"

The sailors created by the prince worked tirelessly and day and night, and soon they were , the prince and the priest returned to Guftai City.

Since Prince Nefer left, Princess Hathor has been restless. She forgets to sleep and eat, and waits by the river day and night. Hunger, terror, and fatigue nearly turned her into a dead person.

When Princess Hathor saw Nefer returning in triumph, she was so happy that her heart almost jumped out of her chest. Neffel quickly came to his wife, put the magic book in her hands, and asked her to read it once.

When Princess Hathor finished reading the first page, her vision became infinitely wider. She saw everything in the world clearly, and she understood the language of all animals... When she finished reading the second page, She was also surprised to find that the sun rising in the east, the moon setting in the west, and the twinkling stars appeared in the sky at the same time. She also saw all the gods in the sky. The princess was very happy and asked her husband to collect the magical magic book. So Prince Nefer brought a brand new piece of papyrus and a glass of ale. He wrote all the spells in the magic book on the paper, and then soaked the paper in the ale. All the words on the paper fell off in the wine, and the paper became clean again. Neffel drank the ale in one gulp. In this way, Prince Neffel memorized all the spells in the magic book. This is a technique commonly used by great magicians.

After doing this, Prince Nefer led his wife and children to the temple of Isis and offered rich sacrifices to the goddess Isis and her son Horus.

The next day, just after dawn, they boarded the royal boat, raised the sail, and set off back to the north in high spirits.

At the same time, Thoth, the great god of wisdom, knew that someone had stolen his magic book. The God of Wisdom was furious and furious. He hurried to the Almighty God Ra, the father of the gods, and complained:

"Almighty Ra, Nefer Ka Ptah discovered my magic box and stole it. He took away the magic book that recorded my wisdom and wisdom. Also, he brutally killed the guardian of the magic box, the brave viper and his companions. Oh, great gods, this is what humble humans do. How dare they offend the holy gods! Go and punish the pharaoh's son. If we are not punished severely, we will encounter more troubles!"

The God of Ra said with a majestic expression:

"I already know all this, okay, let me do it according to your opinion, and do whatever you want with them!"

Princess Hathor's prophecy became a reality, Disasters and misfortunes come quickly. Thoth, the god of wisdom, received permission from the great god Ra, and he was determined to severely punish those who stole magic books!

The royal boat sailed on the Nile River day and night, not far from its destination.

At this time, the God of Wisdom quietly approached Yu Zhou. Suddenly, the wind stopped and the sail fell. The sky turned pitch black, and the ship stopped sailing. The skilled sailors rowed hard, but the ship remained motionless. Suddenly, there were deafening roars in the sky, and a majestic voice said:

"Despicable thief, never expect to return to your hometown alive!"

People on the boat Everyone was so frightened that their hearts were frozen with fear and fright. Prince Nefer and Princess Hathor were also too frightened to say a word. As soon as the terrible sound fell, a terrifying force came from nowhere, lifted the little prince Mirab and threw him into the river. The child screamed and soon sank to the depths of the sea, losing his life.

The sky is gradually getting brighter.

Princess Hathor beat her chest for losing her beloved son and passed out.

Prince Neffel hurriedly recited one spell after another. Finally, the body of the little prince floated to the water and was swept among the waves. The sailors quickly took the body aboard. Neffel put his son on the bed, called in a gentle voice, and recited the incantation to bring people back to life. Thus, the child can speak, but he is still dead. He told his father what happened there: The god Ra allowed the god of wisdom Thoth to severely punish those who stole the magic book; the god of wisdom had already begun his revenge! The child said:

"Father, please put the magic book back to its original place. In this way, you will only lose me; otherwise, you will also suffer disaster!"

After saying that, the little prince never spoke again.

Neffel issued an order to the sailors: Return to Guftai!

In Guftai, Prince Nefer made Mirab's body into an incense corpse, and held a grand funeral for Mirab in the name of the crown prince. After the funeral, Mifune set off again heading north.

This voyage is completely different from the last one. Last time, everyone was happy because they got the magic book; this time, the little prince Mirab died, and the boat became desolate, lonely, and lifeless. Word.

Princess Hathor's cheeks rolled with sad tears from time to time; Prince Neffel frowned and never touched the magic book; the sailors beat the river water desperately with their oars, all of them were silent, and no one had the intention to speak.

When the royal boat sailed to the place where Mirab fell into the water, Princess Hathor walked out of the cabin. She walked to the side of the ship and looked into the water. She wanted to see again the place where her son died.

Suddenly, the wind stopped again, the sails drooped, and the sky turned dark... Princess Hathor shouted loudly:

"Throw the magic book into the water quickly, Nana. Ful! Return the book to the owner before the God of Wisdom destroys us!”

However, Nefer did not listen to his wife’s advice. Book, it is better to die by yourself.

Only a few minutes later, people heard a splash, and Princess Hathor was also thrown into the water by an irresistible force. Princess Hathor, like her son, quickly sank into the river. end.

Neffel hurriedly chanted a spell, and Hathor's body surfaced. The sailors picked up the body of the hostess and placed her on the ship's plank. Nefer burst into tears, and sadly recited the resurrection spell to his beloved wife, so that the dead Hathor could speak.

"Put the magic book back where it belongs, otherwise you will also die!" his wife advised Nefer, and then she could never speak again.

Prince Nefer reluctantly issued an order to the sailors: Return to Guftai!

In Guftai, Prince Nefer made his wife's corpse into an incense corpse, and held a grand funeral for Princess Hathor in the name of the Pharaoh's heir. After the funeral, Mifune set out for the third time heading north.

Sorrow enveloped Yu Zhou, and Prince Neffel sat alone in the cabin sadly. He had lost his beloved wife and son. He was so sad that his heart was broken. However, he still did not want to abandon the magic book, and he was determined to use his magic to compete with the God of Wisdom.

What a miserable and tragic voyage this was. Mirab died and Hathor died, but the God of Wisdom will continue to take revenge.

As the boat sailed to the place where the little prince and princess fell into the water, Prince Neffel felt a huge force pulling him. He knew that no matter how hard he resisted, it would be in vain. So, he took out a piece of strong and fine-textured royal woven linen, made a belt with it, and tied the magic book to his chest. He was determined not to let the God of Wisdom get the magic book. Even if he died, the book would not be with him. Separate!

After doing this, when a huge invisible force pushed him hard, the prince subconsciously walked out of the cabin, then fell into the water and quickly sank to the bottom of the river. The sailors were running around in panic, shouting. However, they were unable to save the prince or recover his body.

Yuzhou finally returned to Memphis in the north.

Pharaoh personally led the civil and military ministers, dressed in mourning clothes, to greet the unfortunate ship.

When the royal boat anchored, a sailor screamed and pointed to the wooden handle of the rudder. Everyone looked there and saw the body of Prince Nefer leaning against the rudder. This magical magic book is firmly tied to his chest!

In this way, although Prince Neffel, who is highly skilled in magic, has no power to avoid the death of his soul, he can save his son, wife and his own body from death.

Numerous priests lifted up the body of Prince Nefer with great reverence. They spent seven days and seven nights mummifying his incense corpse, then wrapped it in white royal woven linen and put him there. Into the golden coffin.

The Pharaoh sadly held a grand funeral for Prince Nefer, and placed the golden coffin in a specially designed royal cemetery. He placed the magic book of Thoth, the god of wisdom, next to the coffin of his son Prince Nefer. On the marble bed stool, he can continue to read his favorite magic book!

(Compiled by Kang Manmin)

Notes:

Book of Life: According to ancient Egyptian mythology, after death, people will be punished by the funeral god Osiris, the Lord of the Dead. The heart was weighed by the tomb god Anubis, and then Thoth, the god of wisdom, recorded the judgment based on the weighing results. The book of life is composed of this record.

Appreciation

Thoth's form in ancient Egyptian mythology is usually an ibis head with a crescent moon above his head, or simply an ibis.

He often appears as this bird and sometimes as a dog-headed ape, so he may have been a combination of two gods in ancient times, one a bird and the other an ape.

Thoth held many important positions. According to ancient Egyptian mythology, Thoth was knowledgeable and wise, representing extraordinary abilities. The word "Thoth" means "three times great." He invented all the arts and sciences, including arithmetic, measurement, geometry, astronomy, divination, magic, medicine, surgery, wind and wind instruments, painting, and most importantly, writing. Because without written words, humans would have forgotten his teachings and would not have been able to benefit from his inventions. Thoth determined the solar terms of the year and established the calendar. He is also the god of justice. When the ungrateful Horus and Seth were summoned to the court of the gods, Thoth received the title of "the judge of both sides." His decision was impartial, and the inheritance of Osiris was returned to his son Horus. As the supervisor and recorder of the judgment of souls, Thoth holds a reed pen and papyrus to record the results of the judgment of each deceased person. Thoth was the keeper of sacred archives and the protector of history. He recorded the changes of dynasties in detail. When the queen became pregnant from intercourse with the Lord of Heaven, he wrote the future on the leaves of the sacred tree of Hermopolis. Pharaoh's name. According to the Hermepolis theologians, Thoth was the true Creator of the universe. They believed that Thoth accomplished the work of creation with his own voice. When he first awoke in primordial Chaos, he opened his lips and from his voice came four corporeal gods and four goddesses.

But even though Thoth had such magical power, he could not stop Prince Nefer from stealing the magic book he wrote. Since ancient times, human beings have never stopped exploring nature, yearning for light, and thinking about their own destiny. In order to bring fire to mankind, the Titan god Prometheus did not hesitate to steal fire from heaven, but paid the price of being locked in the Caucasus Mountains by Zeus and having his liver eaten by evil eagles every day; in order to explore the secrets of the passage of time and life, Kuafu, He did not hesitate to run for the day, and although he died of thirst in the end, he still threw out his cane and turned it into a forest of peach trees, hoping that others would continue his pursuit. In "The Revenge of Thoth, the God of Wisdom", the Egyptian prince Nefer overcomes all kinds of magic through arduous efforts and brings the magic book of Thoth, the god of wisdom, to the world from the bottom of the river near Thebes. Human beings have been trying to explore the secrets of the world they live in. However, in ancient times, compared with the mysterious nature, human beings were so small that they could not complete this task on their own, so they could only place their hope in God. On the body. In ancient Egypt, this god must have been Thoth, the god of wisdom. The description of the magic book in the story only mentions two pages, but these two pages are exactly what humans want to know most, one is the world around them, and the other is humans' own life and death. Therefore, when Prince Nefer and his wife turned the first page, they learned about the various creatures in the sky, underground, water, and air, and the underworld where people go after death; when they turned the second page, they saw When it comes to the movement of the sun, moon and stars.

However, in mythology, offending the authority of God will be punished by God. Because the prince stole the magic book of God Thoth, his family of three were successively taken away by God Thoth with an irresistible force. This also reveals from another aspect the twists and turns of ancient people in their pursuit of wisdom. Difficulty, the high price paid when exploring nature. However, the struggle between humans and gods was not completely failed, and God Thoth did not take back the magic book in the end, and it still remained in the world. This is not only an ending that leaves readers with hope, but also highlights the indomitable spirit and courage of mankind in the pursuit of wisdom.

(Liu Wei)