The oldest surviving myth in this language has a story-within-a-story in which a burning star kills 74 family members of a giant blue snake with a human head. A satirical text in this language pities a weaver who can’t breathe and a builder with kidney disease to extol the life of officials. In a fragmentary text in this language, a man and his soul argue whether life or death is better, and then switch sides and make opposite arguments. In a myth in this language, the king’s death so shocks a man that he flees east, passes out, and then becomes a foreign military commander who defeats a Goliath-like enemy from Retjenu (“reh-cheh-NOO”). The story of Sinuhe (“see-NOO-hay”) was written in this language, as was a myth about a series of “Contendings” that includes a painted wooden, a breath-holding contest, and semen-infused lettuce. For 10 points, name this language whose writing system was invented by Thoth. ■END■
ANSWER: Egyptian [or r n km.t (“er en kemet”); accept Ancient Egyptian, Middle Egyptian, Archaic Egyptian, Old Egyptian, or Late Egyptian; prompt on demotic or hieratic or hieroglyphic; reject “Coptic”] (The oldest surviving myth is the “Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor.” The second line refers to the Satire of the Trades.)
<Mythology>
= Average correct buzz position