Love-Sickness in Song of Songs and Ancient Egyptian Love Songs

A Comparison Involving Conceptual Metaphors with a Side Glance at the Amnon-Tamar Narrative

Abstract

The love sickness is defined and its ambiguous use explained. In addition to the Song of Songs, the Amnon-Tamar narrative is included, as it can be used to illustrate another aspect of the love sickness. The essay is divided into three parts. First, direct and indirect references to lovesickness in Song of Songs are analysed. Second, poems on love sickness from ancient Egyptian love songs are compiled and categorised as psychosomatic, loss of control, unattainability, hunting/trapping and feigned sickness. Possible thematic or conceptual references to Song of Songs are included. Finally, conceptual metaphors that are used both in Song of Songs and in ancient Egyptian love songs are worked out, thus improving the awareness for the interpretation of the text.