Crest of the Royal Family
Encyclopedia
, is a shōjo
manga
by Hosokawa Chieko. It has run in the monthly magazine Princess
since 1976. In 1991, it received the 36th Shogakukan Manga Award
for shōjo
. As of 2006, the collected volumes had sold 36 million copies in Japan
, making it the third best-selling shōjo manga ever.
The main character is Carol, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed American teenager from a wealthy family with an interest in Egyptology
studying in Cairo
. When her mentor discovers the tomb of a young pharaoh, a curse
is put on the excavation team and Carol. The curse sends her back in time to ancient Egypt
, where she becomes embroiled in the affairs of Egypt and other ancient countries such as Assyria
and Babylonia
. Carol meets Memphis, a handsome young pharaoh
whose tomb she excavated in modern times. Despite his headstrong, at first violent nature, they fall deeply in love. This angers Memphis's half-sister, the Priestess Isis, who has longed to marry him. Carol, due to her exotic looks and curious ability to tell the future, becomes a major player in ancient history
.
Egypt
Hittite
Assyria
Babylonia
Minoa
Libya
Nubia
Amazon
Media
Shojo
The term refers to manga marketed to a female audience roughly between the ages of 10-18. The name romanizes the Japanese 少女 , literally: "little female". Shōjo manga covers many subjects in a variety of narrative and graphic styles, from historical drama to science fiction — often with a strong...
manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
by Hosokawa Chieko. It has run in the monthly magazine Princess
Princess (magazine)
is a shōjo manga magazine published monthly on the 6th in Japan by Akita Shoten. It is aimed at teenage girls, and its main competitors are Lala, Bessatsu Margaret, and Betsucomi. Its sister publication is , which branched out from the Princess magazine in 1979...
since 1976. In 1991, it received the 36th Shogakukan Manga Award
Shogakukan Manga Award
The is one of Japan's major manga awards, sponsored by Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga since 1955 and features candidates from a number of publishers.The current award categories are:...
for shōjo
Shojo
The term refers to manga marketed to a female audience roughly between the ages of 10-18. The name romanizes the Japanese 少女 , literally: "little female". Shōjo manga covers many subjects in a variety of narrative and graphic styles, from historical drama to science fiction — often with a strong...
. As of 2006, the collected volumes had sold 36 million copies in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, making it the third best-selling shōjo manga ever.
The main character is Carol, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed American teenager from a wealthy family with an interest in Egyptology
Egyptology
Egyptology is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious practices in the AD 4th century. A practitioner of the discipline is an “Egyptologist”...
studying in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
. When her mentor discovers the tomb of a young pharaoh, a curse
Curse
A curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...
is put on the excavation team and Carol. The curse sends her back in time to ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
, where she becomes embroiled in the affairs of Egypt and other ancient countries such as Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
and Babylonia
Babylonia
Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia , with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as a major power when Hammurabi Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as...
. Carol meets Memphis, a handsome young pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
whose tomb she excavated in modern times. Despite his headstrong, at first violent nature, they fall deeply in love. This angers Memphis's half-sister, the Priestess Isis, who has longed to marry him. Carol, due to her exotic looks and curious ability to tell the future, becomes a major player in ancient history
Ancient history
Ancient history is the study of the written past from the beginning of recorded human history to the Early Middle Ages. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, with Cuneiform script, the oldest discovered form of coherent writing, from the protoliterate period around the 30th century BC...
.
Main Characters
- : the sixteen-year-old (but later turns seventeen in the manga) heroine of the story, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed American teenager who studies archaeology in Cairo. When she got cursed, she was sent back 3000 years ago and meets the cruel but handsome Pharaoh, Memphis. Due of her vast knowledge of ancient Egyptian history, Carol is able to help Egypt through difficulties and because of that, the people of Egypt hail her as the Daughter of the Nile, Guardian of Egypt. Carol also falls in love with and marries Memphis. Because of her beauty and intelligence, Carol is constantly surrounded by danger in the ancient world, since people either want to kill her or keep her for themselves.
- : the seventeen-year-old pharaoh of the ancient Egypt 3000 years ago. His name is based on the ancient capital of the Egyptian Empire, MemphisMemphis, EgyptMemphis was the ancient capital of Aneb-Hetch, the first nome of Lower Egypt. Its ruins are located near the town of Helwan, south of Cairo.According to legend related by Manetho, the city was founded by the pharaoh Menes around 3000 BC. Capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom, it remained an...
. At first, Memphis is shown as a cruel and spoilt Pharaoh, but later, we see his softer side as he develops feelings towards Carol. He is very stubborn and does not understand why Carol does not want to marry him at sixteen years of age nor does he understand that siblings in Carol's time do not marry each other and for that reason, argues with Carol about her relationship with her brother Ryan. - : the princess and High Priestess of ancient Egypt (she rules Lower Egypt) and elder sister of Memphis. She is loosely and madly in love with her brother and wants to kill Carol to take her place as Egyptian Queen (by her brother's side), believing that she will make Egypt stronger and more prosperous. Her name is based on the Egyptian goddess IsisIsisIsis or in original more likely Aset is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. She was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife as well as the matron of nature and magic...
. Isis hides her cruelty and hatred of Carol behind her beauty and is always plotting to kill Carol in numerous ways and always fails.
Modern Days
- : eldest brother of Carol. He cares about her very much. He is shown as a very clever young man as he manages his father's company.
- : second eldest brother of Carol.
- Mr. Lido: father of Carol. He died from being bitten by a cobra, which was controlled by Isis, because he broke into the Royal Grave.
- Mrs. Lido: mother of Carol. She loves her very much and has her best interests at heart.
- : the old, fat, funny nanny of Carol.
- Dr. Brown: grandpa of Jimmy, he wants to take Carol as his granddaughter-in-law. A brilliant archaeologist who found the tomb of Memphis with Carol and her friends.
- : nineteen years old. He is a childhood friend of Carol, he loves her very much and wants to marry her.
- : the young son of Mr. Rapman, the ArabianSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
millionaire. He took Carol as his wife in spite of her son with Memphis
EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
Empire
- : the deceased father of Memphis and Isis.
- : The Prime Minister of Egypt. He's bright, calm.
- : the lord of Egypt, he is loyal with Memphis. And he is in love with Isis.
- : Personal guard of Memphis and later Carol. Born into slavery, young Memphis took him into his service on a whim while raising hell outside of imperial palace.
- : the philogynist priest of Egypt. He harbors less than pure interest in Carol.
- : a servant of Carol. She is funny, loyal.
- : the fake prince of Egypt. He was , a prisoner under sentence of death. Using the items of a secret grave of a lost princess in the desert, he fakes the place of Royal Lost Child.
- : an ambitious woman who was sent to the Egypt palace by Kapta as a palace maid. She wants to conquer Memphis' love.
HittiteHittitesThe Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
Empire
- : a cruel king. He is philogynist.
- : the young, handsome crown prince of the Turkey (in present days). He distinguishes himself in the story as a valiant warrior, and at the same time, a wise, intelligent, cunning strategist of the Hittites army. Believing that Memphis killed his beloved younger sister, he decides to disguise himself as a Palestinian merchant and secretly enters Egypt. There he falls in love with Carol at first sight. Acutely conscious that Carol is the future queen of AKS, he kidnaps her as a revenge to the young Memphis, and subsequently declares war with Egypt, using Carol as the trump card of the Hittites. Carol's beauty, intelligence, kindness and most importantly, her bravery and undying determination to escape from him and return to Egypt only makes Ishmin love her more. His regard for Carol as a pawn for annexing Egypt is gradually supplanted by a desire to marry her and crown her as the future Queen of the Hittites. However, since Carol's destiny is tightly bounded with Memphis and Egypt, Ishmin is never able to capture her heart. Carol always succeeds in fleeing from him, no matter how difficult it is for her. Once when crossing a desert with Carol in his arms, a miracle happens: Carol's brother, Ryan, appears and hears Carol crying for his help. Seeing his sister with Ishmin, he draws a pistol and shoots at Ishmin. Ishfaq Minhaz falls from his horse in agony, and thus Carol is able to run away from the prince. Since then, Ishmin will have to suffer frequently from the pain caused by the two bullets in his shoulder, without knowing how to cure it. The weapon that injures him from such a long distance, he believes, must be that from a God who wants to save Carol. Now he wants Carol more than ever before, not only because of his love for her, but also he thinks only Carol can heal this wound. Besides Memphis, probably no one else in the story loves Carol as much as Ishmin does.
- : servant of Prince Ishmin who is sent to Egypt to protect Carol, and to bring Carol to Ishmin whenever possible.
AssyriaAssyriaAssyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
Empire
- : the emperor of Assyria. He is very sly and was known to use dirty tactics and lowly tricks. He is a pervert who longs for Carol, the Daughter of the Nile river, who was well known for her beauty, intelligence and her position as the future queen of Egypt. Aside from wanting Carol for her beauty and intelligence, he plans to use her to conquer Egypt.
- : a young merchant traveling everywhere. He is also a doctor. He used to help his uncle Carep kidnapping Carol from Hittite to Assyria.
- : an old greedy merchant.
BabyloniaBabyloniaBabylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia , with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as a major power when Hammurabi Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as...
Empire
- : the emperor of Babylonia. He proposed to Isis and made her his bride with the condition "Kill Carol".
MinoaMinoaMinoa is the name of several bronze-age settlements in the Aegean coasts, in Corfu and in Sicily. The original meaning of the word remains unknown, but it seems that there is a strong connection with the mythic king of Crete Minos, during the bronze-age Minoan civilization which flourished in Crete...
Empire
- : the king of Minoa. He has a weak health before Carol goes to Minoa and makes him heathier. Minos then falls in love with Carol. The name is based on the king of CreteCreteCrete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, king MinosMinosIn Greek mythology, Minos was a king of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. Every year he made King Aegeus pick seven men and seven women to go to Daedalus' creation, the labyrinth, to be eaten by The Minotaur. After his death, Minos became a judge of the dead in Hades. The Minoan civilization of Crete...
from Greek Mythology - : the prince of Minoa and elder brother of Minos. Because of his strange appearance, his mother hid him in a deep cave of the Empire. She usually visits him and tells him what happens in the Empire. His name and appearance are based on the Greek ox-like creature MinotaurMinotaurIn Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
us. - : the mother of king Minos. She is bright.
- : the general of Minoa. A powerful warrior.
LibyaLibyaLibya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
Empire
- : father of princess Cafra.
- : the princess of Libya. She fell for Memphis and set many traps to eliminate Carol. She is proud of her "dark-skinned and plump-faced" beauty.
NubiaNubiaNubia is a region along the Nile river, which is located in northern Sudan and southern Egypt.There were a number of small Nubian kingdoms throughout the Middle Ages, the last of which collapsed in 1504, when Nubia became divided between Egypt and the Sennar sultanate resulting in the Arabization...
Empire
- : the prince of the Empire. He was imprisoned by Memphis's soldier and punished heavily by Memphis by mistake.
AmazonAmazonsThe Amazons are a nation of all-female warriors in Greek mythology and Classical antiquity. Herodotus placed them in a region bordering Scythia in Sarmatia...
Empire
- : the beautiful queen of Amazon.
MediaMedesThe MedesThe Medes...
Empire
- : The Emperor of Empire. He hid his true identity to reconnoitre the Egypt palace's situation. He gave Carol a rare Chinese silk.