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I
A.XWW^
THE
GODS OF THE EGYPTIANS
lONDON PRINTED BY GILBEET AND EIVINGTON, LTD. E.C. ST. JOHN'S HOtrSE, CLEKKENWELL,
THE
GODS OF THE EGYPTIANS OR
STUDIES IN
EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY
BY E. A.
WALLIS BUDGE,
M.A., Litt.D., D.Litt., D.Lit.
KEEPER OF THE EGYPTIAN AND ASSYRIAN ANTIQUITIES IN
THE BRITISH MUSEUM
WITH
131
ILLUSTRATIONS
VOLUME
METHUEN & 36
L
CO. ESSEX STREET W.C.
LONDON 1904
I
DEDICATE THIS BOOK
ON
THE GODS AND MYTHOLOGY OF EGYPT BY PEKMISSION TO THE EIGHT HONOURABLE
THE EARL OF CROMER PRIVY COUNCILLOR,
G.C.B.,
G.C.M.G., K.C.S.L,
THE EEGENEEx\TOR OF EGYPT WITH SINCERE GRATITUDE AND RESPECT
CLE.
PREFACE
AMONG the various branches
of Egyptology which have been
^closely studied during the last twenty-five years, there are
none which are more interesting to inquire to understand fully, than the religion
tants of the Valley of the Nile.
into, or
more
difficult
and mythology of the inhabi-
When we
consider the
number
of works on these subjects which have been written and published,
both by expert Egyptologists and by competent exponents of the science of religion during that period, such a statement at first sight to be paradoxical, it
that some excuse
caustic question, "Is
religion
will
is,
for the philosopher
professor of Egyptology the
true that the
more the
and mythology are studied the
The question worker
it
appear
and many may think when reading
must certainly be made
who asked an eminent
may
however, thoroughly
less is
somewhat
subjects of Egyptian
known about them ?
justified,
"
and every honest
admit that there are at the present time
scores of
passages, even in such a comparatively well-known religious compilation as the
Booh of
scores of allusions
of a
the
Bead, which are inexplicable,
and
fundamentally important mythological
character of which the meanings are for this state of things are
still
The reasons
unknown.
many, and the chief of them may be
briefly recalled here.
The custom
of relying absolutely
upon the information about
the ancient Egyptian religion and mythology, which
Greek
historians,
is
reported by
was abandoned by Egyptologists long ago,
as soon as the native
for
Egyptian religious texts could be read,
it
PREFACE
viii
became evident that no Greek or Latin writer had any exact knowledge of these
first-hand
and that none of them
subjects,
succeeded wholly in reproducing accurately in their works the facts
concerning them which they derived from Egyptian books or from
Egyptian
This
priests.
is
hardly to be wondered
cultured Greek writers must have, and
mingled
with
and
pity,
contempt,
as
did,
and
at,
for
the
we know,
look
upon
the
ridicule,
animal cults of the Egyptians, and they had no sympathy with the
materialistic
customs
funeral
and
with the
and
beliefs
ceremonies,
more
still
materialistic
which have been, from time
immemorial, so dear to certain Hamitic peoples, and so greatly prized
by them.
The only
the educated Greek or
Roman
truly understood were those which
Aryan
characterized the various forms of polytheistic
and
and the
Egyptian religion which
beliefs of the
solar
;
religion,
namely, the
for the forms of the cults of the dead,
for all the religious ceremonies
and observances, which pre-
supposed a belief in the resurrection of the dead and in everlasting life,
and which had been in existence among the indigenous inhabi-
tants of north-east Africa from predynastic times, he
whatsoever.
The evidence on the subject now
had no regard
available indicates
that he was racially incapable of appreciating the importance of
such
beliefs to those
who
held them, and that although, as in the
case of the Ptolemies, he
was ready
purposes, to adopt them,
it
into his
life.
It is
was impossible
for
and even,
him
for state
to absorb
them
important to remember this fact when dealing
with the evidence of Greek and religion
to tolerate,
and mythology,
for
it
Roman
shows the
writers on the Egyptian futility of trying to
prove
an absolute identity in the indigenous religions of the Aryans and Egyptians.
Now, although a true decipherment hieratic
of the ancient Egyptian
and hieroglyphic texts has enabled us
to
draw our
in-
PREFACE
ix
formation on the religion and mythology of Egypt from native sources, scribes
we have
still
to contend against the ignorance of
and the mistakes of
careless copyists,
and
Egyptian
must never be
it
forgotten that the theologians at the court of the Pharaohs under the
XVIIIth and XlXth Dynasties were
just as ignorant of
connected with their religion and mythology as
In proof of
we
many
facts
ourselves are.
this it is sufficient to refer to the different explanations
of certain passages which are given along with the text in the
xviith Chapter of the Booh of the Dead, and to the childish
punning etymologies of the names of gods and of many mythological explanations
which are
set
down
in the texts inscribed
the walls of some chambers in the tomb of Seti
at Thebes,
I.
on the walls of the temple of Horus of Behutet at Edfu. satisfactory to be able to say that
and
trivial explanations
can
now be
many
It is
scribes of old
Recent researches have shown that the
royal scribes under the ISTew Empire
1700-700) were unable
(b.c.
to read correctly the hieratic characters
which formed the names of
some of the kings of the early Archaic Period, and little
and
of the absurd etymologies
which are products of the
corrected.
on
this being so,
surprise need be felt at the difficulties in religious texts
which are due to their ignorance or blunders. considerations, however, the
mythology themselves are
Apart from such
subjects of Egyptian religion
full of
unfortunately, not been lessened
inherent
difficulties,
by the manner
in
and
which have,
which some
Egyptologists have treated them.
The number B.C.
of the gods, even under the
IVth Dynasty, about
3600, was very great, and as time went on
greatly.
it
multiplied
The Pyramid Texts, which were written under the IVth,
Vth and YIth
Dynasties, supply the names of about two hundred
gods and mythological beings, but in according to the Theban Eecension
the Booh
(b.c.
of
the
Dead
1700-1200) over five
PREFACE
X
hundred gods are mentioned. all
If to these
be added the names of
the mythological beings which occur in the various Books of the
Underworld, we
number
shall find that the
recognized by the theologians of the
was about twelve hundred. from
all
certainly find that the
Egypt were
available for study,
With such a number
of gods to consider,
mind
it
was
of the Egyptian
dealing with them, and the texts prove that he found the
gods as
The
Thebes
names of hundreds of additional
impossible for confusion not to arise in the
when
Dynast}?- at
and mythological beings could be collected
local gods, goddesses,
from them.
XlXth
If all the religious texts of this period
the religious centres of
we should
who were
of the gods
difficult to
attributes of
the greater
group and
modern
classify as the
investigator.
hundreds of them were vague and shadowy, and
number
of
them were merely provincial gods,
to
whom
circumstances had given some transient importance, which resulted in their
names being recorded
Egypt found
of ancient
it
In
in writing.
fact,
the theologian
impossible to form a system of gods
which should be consistent in
all its parts,
and should assign to
earth gods, water gods, air gods, village gods, city gods, gods,
national gods, and
attributes
the
gods, the
which were their due in
modem
investigator
theologian, for he has
a rule, he
foreign
is
is
it.
nome
exact position and
From one
point of view
more fortunate than the Egyptian
more materials upon which
better equipped for his inquiry.
to work, and, as
The Egyptian knew
nothing about the study of comparative religion, and he was sadly
hampered by
Modern
his
own methods.
scientific
study of the Egyptian religion and myth-
ology
may
texts,
both hieratic and hieroglyphic, of the Heliopolitan, Theban,
be said to have begun with the publication in
full of
the
Dead (Per-em-hru), and
and Saite Recensions of the Book of
the
the cognate funeral texts, such as
"The Book
of
what
is
of
in the
PREFACE
xi
Underworld," "The Book of Breathings," "The Book of Transformations," the " Lamentations," and the " Festival Songs of Isis
and Nephthys," &c. scale a
The
up on a
to attempt to build
first
large
system of Egyptian theology and mythology from ancient
native works was the late De. Heineich Beugsch,
and published in
who
collected
his Religion unci Mythologie der alien
^gypter,
Leipzig, 1885-1888, a mass of facts of the greatest importance, and
a
summary
of the conclusions which he deduced from them.
the same year in which the
Maspero published
appeared, M. xii.,
p.
d'apres
123 les
a masterly
f.)
pyramides de
which
Heliopolitan,
contain
the
of
outline
and a
in
the
last
red ink.
oldest the
known Dead.
Recension,
In
1887,
Pyramid i.e.,
the
Signor
part of his Bizionario di Mitologia
in
In the
drawings of
criticized
many
of
them printed
in
1888 and 1889, M. Maspero, in two
Revue des Religions (La Mythologie
Egyptienne, tom. xviii., p. 253
great deal of
which he
dynastie, in
of gods, demons, spirits, etc., arranged alpha-
series of
admirable articles
and
FP
Religion Egyptienne
one of the most valuable contributions to the study
number
of a large
de la
et
La
mythology ever made, and which contains the names
of Egyptian
betically,
is
V
Booh of
Lanzone published the Bgizia, which
article, entitled
la
work
in the Revue des Religions (tom.
of the results of his study of the "
gave to the world some Texts,"
section of Dr. Brugsch's
first
In
f.,
and tom.
xix., p. 1
f.),
discussed
both the works of Beugsch and Lanzone, and shed a
new
light
upon the
To M. Maspero belongs
facts collected in both.
the
credit
of being
the
first
to
consider the Egyptian religion and mythology from the anthropological point of view,
and
all
the evidence on these subjects which
has since become available goes to prove the general correctness of the opinion which he stated some fifteen or sixteen years ago.
Beugsch,
it
must be admitted, regarded the
origin of Egyptian
PREFACE
xii
and philosophical standpoint,
religion from too lofty a metaphysical
and appealed
for
proofs
Egyptian texts
contentions to
of his
belonging to too late a period to be entirely free from the influence of
Greek culture and thought;
Egyptian
in
fact,
and
texts, ideas, doctrines,
he read into certain
beliefs
which the primitive
On
and indigenous Egyptians could never have possessed. seems to
me
that
underrated the character
of
the
other hand,
it
M. Maspero has spiritual
somewhat
conceptions
dynastic Egyptians, and that he has done so because,
wrote his great
article,
La
the
of
the
when he
Mythologie Egyjptienne, Egyptologists
had not thoroughly realized the distinction which
exists
between
the primitive or predynastic element in the Egyptian religion and
the Asiatic
This element was of
element.
a
solar
character
undoubtedly, and was introduced into Egypt by the " Followers of
who invaded
Horus," or the "Blacksmiths,"
the
country,
and
conquered the natives, and settling down there, built up the great dynastic civilization which the
correct
we
Egyptian.
This seems to be
diversity of
view of two such
call
explanation of the
eminent experts, and the opposite character of their conclusions appears to be due chiefly to the difference of the standpoints from
which they viewed the subject.
A ancient
prolonged study of the religious and mythological texts of
Egypt has convinced me
of the futility of attempting to
and
reconcile the conflicting beliefs
to
harmonize the contradictory
we regard
the
extension and principle."
It
statements which are found in them, so long as
Egyptian religion as "one in
must
first
this has
its
of all be resolved into its constituent elements,
been done,
it
and when
will probably be possible to classify,
and
arrange, and assign to their proper sources the various material
and
up
spiritual conceptions in their
and
beliefs
which the Egyptians heaped
minds and flung together
in their religious writings.
PREFACE It must,
xiii
moreover, be studied by the light which the science of
comparative religion has given us, and due regard must be paid
may be deduced
evidence on the subject that
to the important
from the remains and monuments of the Predynastic and Archaic Periods which have been unearthed during the last few years.
The primitive dwellers large
in
Egypt undoubtedly belonged
to a
and important section of the inhabitants of North-East
which
Africa, and possessed physical
and mental
were peculiar
In the earliest times they were
themselves.
to
and died
savages, and lived
world
religious belief of
;
characteristics
like savages in other parts
of the
any kind, in the modern sense of the
term, they had none, and they probably regarded the animate and
inanimate objects which they saw about them as akin to them-
At
selves.
a
much
they peopled the earth,
later period
and water with beings of various kinds, and they paid a
homage or worship
to certain stones, trees,
which they assumed that they
offerings
;
sort of
and living creatures, in
Some beings were held
lived.
be friendly and others unfriendly
sky,
air,
and
it
was thought that
gifts
to
or
would secure the continuance of the friendship of the
former and avert the hostility of the
Friendly beings
latter.
gradually became gods, and unfriendly ones were classed as devils,
and in the ceremonies which the Egyptian savage performed in their honour,
and
in the incantations
of Egypt, the forerunner of her religion, object interest
of the
recited, the
which he
had
its origin.
magic
The
chief
savage Egyptian was self-preservation, and
was the mainspring
of his actions, all of
undertaken with a view to material
becomes known to us in the
benefits.
late Neolithic
Period
which were
When we
he
is
proved by the
of food in the graves of the dead.
fact that
To prevent
first
find that
possessed a belief in an existence beyond the grave, and that of a material character
self-
it
he
was
he placed offerings
their return to this
PREFACE
xiv
world, and their consequent claim for food and other material things, the heads of the dead
and their
were often severed from their bodies,
feet cut off; thus the living
made themselves
the possession of their homes, and wives, and goods.
known
of the Egyptian religion and
but whatever they were,
them
all
was
it
is
its
secure in
Nothing
is
ceremonies at this period,
pretty certain that the object of
to secure for themselves after death a renewal of life
which should be
carnal delights and pleasures, and there
full of
is
no doubt that the ideas of a resurrection from the dead and immortality on these lines were firmly implanted in the native
mind long before the Dynasty Period began. The
of Osiris, the dead
cult
man
deified,
and the
earliest
forms of his worship, were, no doubt, wholly of African origin these
are
oldest elements
certainly the
in
the
religion
;
of the
Dynastic Period, and the most persistent, for Osiris maintained his position as the god
and judge of the dead from the Predynastic
The Followers
to the Ptolemaic Period.
them
solar religion with
into
of Horus,
Egypt from the
who brought
a
East, never succeeded
in dislodging Osiris from his exalted position,
and
his cult survived
undiminished notwithstanding the powerful influence which the priests of Pa,
Aten
respectively exercised throughout the country.
of Osiris fertile
and the worshippers of Amen, and the votaries of
was believed
to exist in a place
and well stocked with
were abundant
;
cattle,
where the
The heaven fields
were
and where meat and drink
the abodes of the blessed were thought to be
constructed after the model of the comfortable Egyptian homesteads
in
which they had lived during
Egyptian hoped to
On
live in
life,
and the ordinary
one of these with his wives and parents.
the other hand, the followers of Ra, the sun-god, believed in a
heaven of a more spiritual character, and their great hope was to
occupy a seat in the boat of the god, and, arrayed in
light, to travel
PREFACE
XV
They wished
whithersoever he went.
become bright and
to
shining spirits, and to live upon the celestial meat and drink upon
which he lived
The
as
;
materialistic
he was so they hoped to be in every respect.
heaven of
Osiris appealed to the masses in
and the heaven where Ra lived
to the priests of
Ea and
gods, and to royal and aristocratic families, and to the
the foreign section
of
the
community who
Egypt,
other solar
members
of
were of Eastern
origin.
The various waves
of religious thought and feeling, which
swept over Egypt during the
which are known Osiris,
to
five
thousand years of her history
did not seriously disturb the cult of
us,
for it held out to the people hopes of resurrection
and
immortality of a character which no other form of religion could give.
Secure in these hopes the people regarded the various
changes and developments of religious ideas in their country with equanimity, and modifications in the public worship of the gods,
provided that the religious feasts and processions were not interrupted,
moved them but
Kings and
little.
priests
from time
to
time made attempts to absorb the cult of Osiris into religious systems of a solar character, but they god, always triumphed, and at the before the religion of the
Man
failed,
last,
and
when
Osiris, the
man-
his cult disappeared
Christ, the Egyptians
who em-
braced Christianity found that the moral system of the old cult
and that
of the
new
religion
were
so similar,
resurrection and immortality in each so transferred
without
their
difficulty.
allegiance
from
Moreover,
straightway identified with
Osiris
Isis
much to
first
alike, that
Jesus
of
they
Nazareth
and the child Horus were
Maey the Virgin
the apocryphal literature of the
and the promises of
and her Son, and in
few centuries which followed
the evangelization of Egypt, several of the legends about
Isis
and
her sorrowful wanderings were made to centre round the Mother
PREFACE
xvi
Certain of the attributes of the sister goddesses of
of Cheist. Isis
also ascribed to her, and, like the goddess
were
she was declared to possess perpetual virginity.
Neith of Sais, Certain of the
Egyptian Christian Fathers gave to the Virgin the tokos," or
"Mother
of God," forgetting, apparently, that
exact translation of neter mut, of
^v\ a very ,
|
old and
no attem|)t has been made in
this
work
Egyptian religious
ence of ancient
Christianity, for such
it
was an
common
Interesting, however, as such an investigation
Isis.
"Theo-
title
would
to trace out the
beliefs
an undertaking would
title
be,
influ-
and mythology on fill
a comparatively
large volume.
From what
has been said in the preceding pages the plan
followed in the preparation of the present volumes will be evident.
In the opening chapter an attempt has been made to describe the religious beliefs of the primitive Egyptians,
their later ideas about the " gods "
and
to explain
how
and God grew up, and how they
influenced the religious writings and paintings of the Dynastic
The region which
Period.
" Underworld," and
and
its
Ra and
called
Heaven, or the
by chapters on the ancient myths
of
and the legend of the destruction of
Isis,
The hieroglyphic
mankind.
commonly
denizens are next considered at some length,
this section is followed
Ra, the legend of
is
texts of the
myths and legends are
given with interlinear transliteration and translation, so that the student
may
verify
my
statements for himself.
Of the minor gods
and demons, of which nothing but the names are known, are printed. possible,
The great gods
of
Egypt have been grouped
and they are discussed
religious centres to
lists
only
as far as
in connection with the various
which they belong,
e.g.,
Ptah,
Sekhet,
and
I-em-hetep with Memphis, Amen, Mut, and Khensu with Thebes,
and the " Great Company " of the gods with Heliopolis. generally, the first
volume of
this
work
Speaking
treats of the oldest
and
PREFACE
xvii
greatest gods and triads of gods of Egypt,
whom
gods of Heliopolis, among
are included Osiris
The hymns
of his funeral cycle.
and the second, of the
to the gods
and the
deities
have been freely
quoted, because they illustrate so clearly the views which the
Egyptians held concerning them, and the manner in which they In a chapter entitled "Miscellaneous
sought to praise them.
Gods"
will
be found several
months, winds, Dekans,
etc.,
of gods
lists
of the
which I have collected from Dr.
Brugsch's Thesaurus of astronomical and other texts facts
hours, days,
;
for the
main
given in these volumes the authorities, both ancient and
modern, will be found at the foot of the pages wherein they are first
mentioned.
Most of the portraits of the gods which appear in the coloured plates have been reproduced outlines of a few I
am
from papyri,
coffins, etc.,
but for the
indebted to Signor Lanzone's Dizionario
Mitologia Egizia, the value of which has been already mentioned. It has
been thought advisable to print the portraits of the gods
which are not taken from papyri upon a papyrus-coloured ground,
and to enclose each within a coloured border, better,
and the plan
is
consistent
for the
effect
is
with that followed by the
ancient Egyptian artists at aU periods.
My Gilbert
thanks are due
&
to
Reginald
Rivington, and to Mr. G. E.
his staff, for the care
Lake, Esq., of
Hay and
Messrs.
Mr. F. Rainer, of
and attention which they have taken in
printing this work.
E. London, September
5th, 1903.
A.
WALLIS BUDGE.
CONTENTS CHAP. I.
PAGE
The Gods of Egypt Appendix
:
1
—
Slayer and Eater of the Gods text with interlinear transliteration
Unas, the
Hieroglyphic AND translation II.
45
Conception of God and the
"Gods"
III.
Primitive Gods and Nome-Gods
IV.
The Companions of the Gods
V.
VI.
VII. VIII.
IX.
X. XI.
in
57 .
.
XV. XVI.
156 170
Hell and the Damned
263
The oldest Company of the Gods and the Creation
.
.
282
—
History of the Creation of the Gods and of the World Hieroglyphic text with interlinear transliteration and translation
308
Ea, the Sun-God, and his forms
322
The Myths of Ea The Legend of Ea and
.
Isis
— Hieroglyphic
The
and Maat and the
.359
....
—
Thoth,
t
text with inter-
Destruction op Mankind Hieroglyphic text interlinear transliteration and translation
372
with .
.
388
other Goddesses who were
associated with him
XIV.
.95
The Underworld
.
XIII.
.
....
Heaven
linear transliteration and translation XII.
.
.
400
Hathor and the Hathor-Goddesses
428
The Horus Gods
466
The Great Triad op Memphis, Ptah, Sekhet, and I-em-hetep
500
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FAQE 1.
Usertsen
2.
5.
The The The The
6.
A
3. 4.
II. receiving " life "
serekh of Barneses II.
26
serpent-headed leopard Setcha
59
eagle-headed lion Sefer
60
fabulous beast
60
Sak
61
fabulous leopard
61
18.
The The The The The The The The The The The The
19.
Sunrise
20.
35.
Book of the Underworld First Hour Book of the Underworld Second Hour Book of the Underworld Third Hour Book of the Underworld Fourth Hour Book of the Underworld Fifth Hour Book of the Underworld Sixth Hour Book of the Underworld Seventh Hour Book of the Underworld Eighth Hour Book of the Underworld Ninth Hour Book of the Underworld Tenth Hour Book of the Underworld Eleventh Hour The Oldest Company of the Gods The Cow-goddess Nut Thothmes IV. making offerings to the Sphinx Horus of Behutet armed with a bow and arrows and The double god Horus- Set
36.
Seker-Asar
37.
Ptolemy Euergetes and the Hennu-Boat Asar-Hapi (Serapis)
7.
8. 9.
10.
11. 12. 13.
14. 15. 16. 17.
21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.
27. 28.
29. 30. 31.
32. 33. 34.
38.
25
from the god Sept
animal Sha
Hour of the Night Second Hour of the Night Third Hour of the Night Fourth Hour of the Night Fifth Hour of the Night
179
god on the top
189
First
Eighth Hour
of the
of the
183
185
187
Steps
193
Night
Ninth Hour
of the
Night
Tenth Hour
of the
Night
Eleventh Hour
181
of the
195 197
Night
19^
...... —
gate of the Twelfth
Hour
of the
Night
— — — — — — — — — —
203 204
206 209 213 217, 219 221, 223 225, 227, 229
231, 233, 235, 236 237, 239, 240 243, 245
247, 249 251, 253
282
368 471 club
.
.
474 475
504
....
504 513
r
THE
GODS OF THE EOYPTIANS CHAPTER
I
THE GODS OF EGYPT
THE
Greek historian Herodotus affirms
^
were "beyond measure scrupulous in
" taining to religion," and he of the
observation
ance
of
was
to do
made
care which
ceremonies,
religious
that the Egyptians
matters apper-
all
this statement after personal
they displayed in the performthe
aim
and
object
of
which
honour to the gods, and of the obedience which they
showed to the behests of the priests who transmitted to them commands which they declared to be, and which were accepted as,
authentic revelations
manner
in
which
of the
will
this writer speaks it
of the is
gods.
clear
From
the
that he had no
doubt about what he was saying, and that he was recording a conviction which had become settled in his mind. conscious
the
that
Egyptians worshipped a large
He was
fully
number
of
animals, and birds, and reptiles, with a seriousness and earnestness
which must have
filled
the cultured Greek with astonishment, yet
he was not moved to give expression to words of scorn as was Juvenal,^ for Herodotus perceived that beneath the acts of apparently 64.
1
ii.
3
" Quis nescit, Volusi Bithynice, qualia
demens
" Aegyptus porfcenta colat ? crocodilon adorat " Pars liaec, ilia pavet saturam serpentibus ibin.
'
" Effigies sacri nitet aurea cercopitheci,
" Dimidio magicae resonant ubi Memnone chordae " Atque vetus Thebe centum jacet obruta portis. " lUic aeluros, bic piscem fluminis,
B
illic
ANTIQUITY OF RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES
2
and infatuated worship there existed a sincerity which
foolish
betokened a firm and implicit belief which merited the respect of thinking men.
It
would be wrong
to imagine that the Egyptians
were the only people of antiquity who were scrupulous beyond measure in religious matters,
for
we know
that the Babylonians,
both Sumerian and Semitic, were devoted worshippers of their
and that they possessed a very old and complicated system of religion but there is good reason for thinking that the Egyptians gods,
;
were more scrupulous than their neighbours in religious matters,
and that they always bore the character of being an extremely
The evidence
religious nation.
of the
monuments
of the Egyptians
proves that from the earliest to the latest period of their history the
observance of religious
festivals
and
performance of
the
religious duties in connexion Avith the worship of the gods absorbed
a very large part of the time and if
we
energies of the
nation,
and
take into consideration the funeral ceremonies and services
commemorative of the dead which were performed by them at the tombs, a casual visitor to Egypt who did not know how to look below the surface might be pardoned for declaring that the " Oppida tota canem venerantur, nemo Diaiiam. " Porruni et caepe nefas violare et frangere raorsu " "
Numina
Lanatis animalibus abstinet omnis
!
" Mensa, nefas
illic
fetum ingulare capellae
" Carnibus humanis vesci licet."
That in
the crocodile, ibis,
Egypt
is
:
sanctas gentes, quibus haec Bascuntur in liortis
true enough
dog-headed ape, and ;
fish of vai-ious
—
13.
kinds were venerated
they were not, however, venerated in dynastic times as
animals, but as the abodes of gods.
attributed to the leek
:
Satire, xv. 1
and onion,
In certain
localities
peculiar
was was an
sanctity
as Juvenal suggests, but neither vegetable
and there is no monumental evidence was practised, for it is now known that even the predynastic Egyptians did not eat the flesh of the dead and gnaw their Juvenal's statements ai'e only partly true, and bones, as was once rashly asserted. some of them are on a par with that of a learned Indian who visited England, and wrote a book on this country after his return to Bombay. Speaking of the religion of the English he declared that they were all idolaters, and to prove this assertion he gave a list of churches in which he had seen a figure of a lamb in the sculpture work over and about the altar, and in prominent places elsewhere in the churches. The Indian, like Juvenal, and Cicero also, seems not to have understood that many nations have regarded animals as symbols of gods and divine powers, and object of worship in the country generally
to
show that the eating
still
do
so.
of
human
flesh
;
DIVINE ORIGIN OF KINGS Egyptians were a nation of
men who were wholly
3
given up to the
worship of beasts and the cult of the dead. in a perfectly logical manner,
The Egyptians, however, acted
for they believed that they Avere a divine nation,
were
by
ruled
kings
and that they
who were themselves gods
incarnate
who did go about and up and down
their earliest kings, they asserted, were actually gods,
not disdain to live upon earth, and to
through
it,
and
to
Other ancient nations were
mingle with men.
content to believe that they had been brought into being by the
power of
their gods operating
upon matter, but the Egyptians
believed that they were the issue of the great
God who
created the
and that they were of directly divine origin. When the gods ceased to reign in their proper persons upon earth, they were succeeded by a series of demi-gods, who were in turn succeeded by the Manes, and these were duly followed by kings in whom was universe,
enshrined a divine nature with characteristic attributes.
When
the physical or natural body of a king died, the divine portion of his being,
i.e.,
the spiritual body, returned to
its
original abode
was duly worshipped by men upon earth as This happy result was partly brought a god and with the gods. about by the performance of certain ceremonies, which were at
with the gods, and
first
it
wholly magical, but later partly magical and partly religious,
and by the
recital
of appropriate
prescribed tone and manner, and
by the keeping
when
the tombs at stated seasons
words uttered in the duly the
of festivals at
appointed offerings were
made, and the prayers for the welfare of the dead were
From
said.
the earliest times the worship of the gods went hand in hand
with the deification of dead kings and other royal personages, and the worship
of departed monarchs
regarded as meritorious as the worship of the gods. point of view
Egypt was
as
much
may be From one
from some aspects
a land of gods as of men, and
moved naturally devoted a considerable portion of their time upon earth to the worship of divine beings and of their ancestors who had
the inhabitants of the country wherein the gods lived and
departed to the land of the gods. all
that
people,"
appertains
and
thereto,
in all ages they
the
In the matter of religion, and
Egyptians were a " peculiar
have exhibited a tenacity of
belief
NUMBER AND VAllIETY OF GODS
4
and a conservatism which distinguish them from
all
other
the
great nations of antiquity.
But the Egyptians were not only renowned to
variety as for the
and
reptiles
the
much
in all ages,
the
for
fishes,
but in addiAvell
of beings with which they peopled the heavens,
moon, the
the earth, the sky, the sun, the
air,
as
Animals, birds,
they adored the great powers of nature as
number
as a large
number
famous
of their gods.
were worshipped by them
these
tion to
they were
observances,
religious
for their devotion
and
stars,
In the earliest times the predynastic Egyptians, in
the water.
common with every
half-savage
believed that
peojile,
all
the
various operations of nature were the result of the actions of beings
which were
for the
most part unfriendly
man.
to
The inunda-
tion Avhich rose too high and flooded the primitive village, and
and destroyed their stock of grain, was regarded as the result of the working of an unfriendly and and when the river rose just high enough unseen power
drowned
their
cattle,
;
to irrigate the land whicli
that
friendly
a
power,
had been prepared, they either thought
was stronger than that whicli had kept the hostile power in check,
Avhicli
caused the destroying flood,
or that the spirit of the river was on that occasion pleased with
They believed
them.
the existence of spirits of the
in
air,
and
in spirits of mountain, and stream, and tree, and all these had to be propitiated with gifts, or cajoled and wheedled into bestowing their favour and protection upon their suppliants. It is
natural
very unfortunate that the animals, and
objects,
as
well
grouped together by
word
NETERU,
very early period in
the
powers
of
with
considerable
by " gods." their
There
between friendly gods and
all
little
hostile gods,
distinction
we
are
no doubt that at a
is
Egyptians
gods, just as they did
but either their poverty
of expression, or the inflexibility of their
it
inexactness,
predynastic history the
distinguished between great gods and
them from making a
were
nature,
of
the Egyptians and were described by the
which,
obliged to translate
as
spirits
tlie
language,
prevented
apparent in writing, and thus
happens that in dynastic times, when a
lofty conception of
monotheism prevailed among the priesthood, the
scribe
found
GOD AND ''GODS" AND ANGELS God and
himself obliged to call both
were supposed
same name,
to possess
i.e.,
the lowest of the beings that
some attribute of divinity by one and the Other nations of antiquity found a way
neter.
out of the difficulty of grouping
name by inventing
5
all classes
of divine beings
by one
of angels, to each of which
series of orders
they gave names and assigned various duties in connexion with
Thus
the service of the Deity.
God maketh
said that
Kur'an (Sura xxxv.)
in the
it
is
the angels His messengers and that they
are furnished with two, or three, or four pairs of wings, accord-
ing to their rank and importance
;
the archangel Gabriel
is
said
by Muhammad the Prophet with six hundred pairs of wings The duties of the angels, according to the Muhammadans, were of various kinds. Thus nineteen angels are
to have been seen !
appointed to take charge of hell apart to Ixix.)
:
(Sura Ixxiv.)
support God's throne on the several tear the
with violence, and their
fire
souls of the
Day
of
;
eight are set
Judgment (Sura
wicked from their bodies
several take the souls of the righteous from
with gentleness and kindness (Sura Ixxix.)
bodies
angels are ordered to accompany every
man on
;
two
earth, the one to
write do^vn his good actions and the other his evil deeds, and these will appear with
him
at the
before the Judg-e, and the against
him (Sura
1.).
Day
of
Judgment, the one to lead him
other to bear witness either for or
Muhammadan
theologians declare that the
angels are created of a simple substance of light, and that they are
endowed with
capable of
sin,
their species,
and anger
;
life,
and speech, and reason
;
they are
in-
they have no carnal desire, they do not propagate
and they are not moved by the passions of wrath Their meat is the their obedience is absolute.
celebrating of the glory of God, their drink
His holiness, their conversation their pleasure
is
His worship.
is
is
the proclaiming of
the commemorating of God, and
Curiously enough, some are said
Four of the angels are Archangels, Azrael, and Israfel, and they possess special
to have the form of animals. viz. Michael, Gabriel,
powers, and special duties are assigned to them. superior to
all
the
human
These four are
race, with the exception of the Prophets
and Apostles, but the angelic nature is held to be human nature because all the angels were commanded
inferior
to
to worship
MUHAMMADAN AND SYRIAN ANGELS
6
Adam
{Siira
might
be cited in proof that the
The above and many other
ii.).
characteristics
Muliammadans
angels of the
common with the inferior gods of the and though many of the conceptions of the Arabs on much
possess
in
Egyptians, this point
were undoubtedly borrowed from the Hebrews and their writings,
many must have descended
a great
to
them from
their
own
early
ancestors.
Muhammadan
Closely connected with these
much
theories,
though
the system of angels which was invented
by the In this we find the angels divided into nine classes and Syrians. The upper order is three orders, u|)per, middle, and lower. older,
is
composed of Cherabim, Seraphim, and Thrones the middle order and the lower order of Princiof Lords, Powers, and Rulers ;
;
Archangels,
palities,
The middle order
and Angels.
revelations from those above them,
receives
and the lower order are the
who wait upon created things. The highest and foremost among the angels is Gabriel, who is the mediator between God and His creation. The Archangels in this system are ministers
described as a " swift operative motion," which has dominion over
every living thing except
man
and the Angels are a motion
;
which has spiritual knowledge of everything that is on earth and The Syrians, like the Muliammadans, borrowed largely in heaven.^ from the
Hebrews, in Avhose theological system
Avritings of the
angels played a very prominent part.
the angels possess
much
in
In the Syrian system also
common with
the inferior gods of the
Egyptians.
The
inferior gods of the
from many
Egyptians were supposed to suffer
thought to grow old and to angels were held
and the same ideas about the
die,
by Muhammadans and Plebrews.
the former, the angels will perish
made
to pass
latter,
away
at the
Day
of Judgment.
created on the fifth day of creation,
the angels which were '^
when heaven,
one of the two great classes of angels,
See
1886, pp.
and they were even
of the defects of mortal beings,
my
created
edition of the Jiook of
9-n.
tlic
is
mortal
their abode,
is
iVccording to the
i.e., ;
According to
those which were
on the other hand,
on the second day of creation Bee, by
Solomon
of Al-Basra.
Oxford,
HEBREW ANGELS OR may
endure for ever, and these
be
^'GODS"
fitly
7
compared with
the
and unvarying powers of nature which were personified of the angels which perish, and worshipped by the Egyptians fire, some from water, and some from wind. spring from some unfailing
;
The angels are grouped into ten classes, i.e., the Erelim, the Ishim, the Bene Elohim, the Malachim, the Hashmahm, the Tarshishim, the Shishanira, the Cherubim, the Ophannim, and the Seraphim ^ ;
amono; these were
divided
the
all
ordering of the heavens and the their position
duties
earth,
A comparison
which describe these and
the
and they, according to
of the passages in Rabbinic literature similar
matters connected with the
Hebrew mythology with Egyptian
angels, spirits, etc., of ancient
texts shows that both the Egyptians
latter
with
and importance, became the interpreters of the Will
of the Deity.
ideas in
connected
common, and
all
the
and Jews possessed many
evidence goes to prove that the
borrowed from the former in the
earliest period.
In comparatively late historical times the Egyptians intro-
duced into their company of gods a few
deities
from Western
Asia, but these had no effect in modifying the general character either of their religion or of their worship.
parative Egyptian and Semitic mythology
The subject of comis one which has yet
worked thoroughly, not because it Avould supply us with the original forms of Egyptian myths and legends, but because it would show what modifications such things underwent when adopted by Semitic peoples, or at least by peoples who had Semitic blood in their veins. Some would compare Egyptian and Semitic mythologies on the ground that the Egyptians and Semites were kinsfolk, but it must be quite clearly understood that this is pure assumption, and is only based on the statements of those who declare that the Egyptian and Semitic to be
languages
are
akin.
Others
again
have sought to
the mythology of the Egyptians by appeals to
and
to illustrate
religious texts
Aryan mythology^
the meanings of important Egyptian words in
by means
of
Aryan
etymologies, but the results
are wholly unsatisfactory, and they only serve to 1
explain
See the chapter "
Was
die
menger, Entdechten Judenihums,
show the
Judeu von den guten Engeln lehren
vol.
ii.
p.
370
ff.
futility
" in Eisen-
THE OLDEST GODS OF EGYPT
8
of comparing the mythologies
of
two peoples of
different race
occupying quite different grades in the ladder of civilization. It cannot be too strongly insisted on that all the oldest gods of Egypt are of Egyptian origin, and that the fundamental religious beliefs of the Egyptians also are of
Egyptian
origin,
and that both the
gods and the beliefs date from predynastic times, and have nothing
whatever to do with the Semites or Aryans of history. Of the origin of the Egyptian of the Palaeolithic and early Neolithic Periods, we, of course,
know
nothing, but
it is
tolerably
certain that the Egyptian of the latter part of the Neolithic Period
was indigenous
to
of the great gods worshipped
number
were Avorshipped
The
North-East Africa, and that a very large
also
by
his
by the dynastic Egyptian
jDredecessor in predynastic
conquerors of the Egyptians of the
times.
Neolithic Period who,
with good reason, have been assumed to come from the East and to
have been more or
akin to the Proto- Semites, no doubt
less
brought about certain modifications in the worship of those they had vanquished, but
they could not
whom
have succeeded in
abolishing the various gods in animal and other forms which were
worshipped throughout the length and breadth of the country, for these continued to be venerated until the time of the Ptolemies.
We beliefs
have at present no means of knoAving how far the religious
of the
conquerors influenced the conquered peoples of
Egypt, but viewed in the light of well-ascertained facts tolerably certain that
it
seems
no great change took place in the views
which the indigenous peoples held concerning their gods as the result of the invasion of foreigners, and that if any foreign gods were introduced into the company of indigenous, predynastic gods, they were either quickly assimilated to or wholly absorbed by them. Speaking generally, the gods of the Egyptians remained unchanged throughout all the various periods of the history of Egypt, and the
minds of the people seem always to have had a tendency towards the maintenance of old forms of worship, and to the preservation of the ancient texts in which such forms were prescribed and old beliefs
The Egyptians never forgot the ancient
were enshrined.
gods of the country, and
which they displayed
in
it
is
typical of the spirit of conservatism
most things that even in the
Roman
Period pious folk
INDIGENOUS BELIEFS
9
among them were buried with
the same prayers
and with the same ceremonies that had been employed at the The burial of Egyptians nearly five thousand years before. Egyptian of the Roman Period,
Egyptian of the Early
like the
Empire, was content to think that his body would be received in
tomb by the jackal-headed Anubis that the organs of his corruptible body AYould be presided over and guarded by animal-
the
;
headed gods
that the reading of the pointer of the Great Scales,
;
wherein his heart was weighed, would be made known by an ape to the ibis-headed scribe of the gods,
whom we know by
the
name
and that the beatified dead would be introduced to the by a hawk-headed god called Horus, son of Isis, who in many respects was the counterpart of the god Heru-ur, the oldest of all the gods of Egypt, whose type and symbol was the hawk. of
Thoth
god
;
Osiris
From
first to last
the indigenous Egyptian paid
own
events which happened outside his
little
country,
heed to the
and neither
conquest nor invasion by foreign nations had any effect upon his personal belief.
He
continued to cultivate his land diligently,
he worshipped the gods of
his ancestors
blindly, like
them he
spared no pains in making preparations for the preservation of his mummified body, and the heaven which he hoped to attain was fashioned according to
old ideas
of a
fertile
stocked with cattle, where he would enjoy the parents,
and be able
adored upon earth.
homestead, well
company
to worship the local gods
The priestly and upper
whom
of his
he had
classes certainly held
views on these subjects which differed from those of the husband-
man, but
it
is
a significant fact that
it
was not the
religion
and
mythology of the dynastic Egyptian, but that of the indigenous, predynastic Egyptian, with his animal gods and fantastic and half-savage beliefs, which strongly coloured the religion of the
country in teristics all
all
periods of her history, and gave to her the charac-
which were regarded with astonishment and wonder by
who came in contact with the Egyptians. The predynastic Egyptians in the earliest stages
the peoples
existence, like
most savage and semi-savage peoples, believed that
the sea, the earth, the
with
spirits,
of their
some of
air,
and the sky were
whom
filled to
overflowing
were engaged in carrying on the works
BELIEF IN SPIRITS
10 of nature,
and others
in aiding or obstructing
man
in the course
was upon earth. Whatsoever happened attributed by them to the operations of a large number of spiritual beings, the life of whom was identical with the life of the great natural elements, and the existence of whom terminated with the destruction of the objects which they were supposed to animate. in nature
of his existence
Such
spirits,
mental eyes, were very real
although invisible to
creatures in their
minds, and
to
them they attributed
passions which belong to man, and
thought possible to endow
any object with a
spirit or soul,
natural and
artificial,
and
it
provided a name was given to
which we
who
were thought
it
The
objects,
both
consider to be inanimate were
regarded by the predynastic Egyptians as animate, and in respects they
was
drawing or figure until the object
animated was broken or destroyed.
it
spirit,
a representation, or model, or figure of
this spirit or soul lived in the
which
and powers
all his faculties
Everything in nature was inhabited by a
also.
the
all
to resemble
man
himself.
infested every part of the visible world
forms, and they differed from each other in
The
many spirits
were countless in respect
of
power;
the spirit that caused the Inundation of the Nile was greater than the one that lived in a canal, the spirit that made the sun to
more powerful than the one that governed the moon, and the spirit of a great tree was mightier than the one that animated an ear of corn or a blade of grass. The difference between the supposed powers of such spirits must have been shine was
distinguished at a very early period, and the half-savage inhabitants of
Egypt must
at the
same time have made a sharp
distinc-
tion between those whose operations Avere beneficial to them, and
upon them injury, loss, or death. It how they might imagine that certain great natural
those whose actions brought is
easy to see
were under the dominion of spirits who Avere capable of feeling wrath, or displeasure, and of making it manifest to man. Thus the spirit of the Nile would be regarded as beneficent and friendly when the waters of the river rose sufficiently during the objects
period of the Inundation to ensure an abundant crop throughout
was excessive, and they drowned the and washed away the houses of the people, whether made of
the land cattle
;
but when their
rise
ANIMALS AND REPTILES mud, or when they rose
wattles or
and famine, the and
An
ample
and caused want
insufficiently
be considered unfriendly
spirit of the Nile Avould
man.
evil to
and
11
Inundation was
sufficient
regarded as a sign that the spirit of the Nile was not displeased
with man, but a destructive flood was a sure token of displeasure.
The same
day in Egypt among the peasant-
feeling exists to this
me
farmers, for several natives told rise of the
Nile of the
XlXth
with them, and would not
added that in
all his life
in 1899, the year of the lowest
century,^ that " Allah
come
the water
let
"
;
was angry
and one
man
he had never before known Allah to be so
angry with them.
The spirits which were always hostile or unfriendly towards man, and were regarded by the Egyptians as evil spirits, were identified with certain animals and reptiles, and traditions of some of these seem
to
have been preserved until the
latest period of dynastic his-
Apep, the serpent- devil of mist, darkness, storm, and night, of whom more will be said later on, and his fiends, the " children of rebellion," were not the result of the imagination of the Egyptians tory.
from the period when
in historic times, but their existence dates
Egypt was overrun by mighty beasts, huge serpents, and noxious reptiles of all kinds. The great serpent of Egyptian mythology, which was indeed a formidable opponent of the Sun-god, had its prototype in some monster serpent on earth, of which tradition had preserved a record
;
and that
this is
no mere theory
is
proved by
the fact that the remains of a serpent, which must have been of
enormous
size,
which they
belonged was longer than the largest python known. ^ of
was
the
great
Apep were
serpent-devil
their master to the Sun-god,
terror
by the minds
liand, there 1
The
have recently been found in the FayyCim.
vertebrae are said to indicate that the creature to
of those
s|)irits
level of tlie
normal, and in December the level at
allies
man
to
as
and they were regarded with
who had evolved them.
were numbers of
In October, 1899, the
hostile
as
The
On
the other
whose actions were friendly
water of Lake Victoria was 2
Aswan was
5
ft.
8
ins.
ft.
below the
below the average of
previous years. " ''
"If the proportions
of this
snake were the same as in the existing Python
seboe it probably reached a length of thirty feet."
Geological Mag., vol.
viii.,
1901,
p,
438.
C.
W.
Andrews, D.Sc, in
HEAVEN AND HELL
12
and beneficial
on
to
man, and some of these were supposed
to do battle
his behalf against the evil spirits.
Thus
at a very early period the predynastic
Egyptian must
have conceived the existence of a great company of goodwill, or at
all
spirits
whose
events whose inaction, could only be obtained by
and of a second large company whose beneficent deeds to man he was wont to acknowledge and whose powerful help he Avas anxious to draw bribes,
i.e.,
offerings,
and cajolery and
flattery
;
who were supposed
towards himself; and of a third company
to be
occupied solely with making the sun, moon, and stars to shine, and the rivers and streams to flow, and the clouds to form and the rain to
fall,
and who, in
diligently the workings
small and great.
were ahvays engaged in carrying out
i'act,
The
and evolutions of spirits
to
whom
all
natural things, both
in predynastic times the
Egyptians ascribed a nature malicious or unfriendly towards man,
and who were regarded much goblins, hobgoblins,
gnomes,
as
modern nations have regarded
trolls, elves, etc.,
developed in dynastic
times into a corporate society, with aims, and intentions, and acts
wholly
evil,
and with a government which was devised by the
To
greatest and most evil of their number. time, were joined the spirits of evil
these, in process of
men and women, and
the
prototype of hell was formed by assuming the existence of a place
where
By
evil spirits
and their
still
more
evil chiefs lived together.
the same process of imagination beneficent and friendly spirits
were grouped together in one abode under the direction of rulers
who were
well disposed towards man, and this idea became the
nucleus of the later conception of the heaven to which the souls of
good men and women were supposed by the Egyptian to depart, after
he had developed
immortality.
The
sufficiently to
chiefs of the
conceive the doctrine of
company of
evil spirits
subsequently
became the powerful devils of historic times, and the rulers company of beneficent and good spirits became the gods the ;
of the third company,
i.e.,
of the spirits
the spirits of the powers of Nature,
became the great cosmic gods of the dynastic Egyptians. The cult of this last class of spirits, or gods, differed in many ways from that of the spirits or gods who were supposed to be concerned entirely with the welfare of man, and in dynastic times there are abundant
ANTIQUITV OF EGYPTIAN MAGIC proofs of this in religious texts
and compositions.
the Sun-god, under whatsoever
name he
the greatest wonder
he
is
is
is
13
In the hymns to
worshipped,
we
find that
expressed at his majesty and glory, and that
apostrophised in terms which show forth the awe and fear of
his devout
adorer.
described, the
is
and setting
is
unfailing regularity
mentioned, reference
moment
passes in a
His triumphant j)assage across the sky
made
is
of his
rising
to the vast distance over
of time, glory
is
which he duly ascribed to him for the
great works which he performs in nature, and full recognition
men and
given to him as the creator of
animals, of birds and
of trees and plants, of reptiles, and of all created things praise of the finite
being
god
is
full
and
who appears
sufficient,
to be
yet
overwhelmed
it
is
fish,
;
the
always that of a
is
at the thought of the
power and might of an apparently infinite being. The petitions lack the personal appeal which we find in the Egyptian's prayers to the man-god Osiris, and show that he regarded the two gods from entirely different points of view. It is impossible to say how early this distinction between the functions of the two gods was made, but
it
is
certain that
it
is
coeval with the beginnings of
dynastic history, and that
it was observed until very late times. The element of magic, which is the oldest and most persistent
characteristic of the worship
of the gods
and of the Egyptian
religion, generally belongs to the period before this distinction
arrived
at,
and
it is
from the time when
clear that it dates
thought that the good and evil
spirits
greatly different from himself, and
were beings who
who could be
was
man
Avere not
propitiated with
and controlled by means of words of power and by the performance of ceremonies, and moved to action by hymns and
gifts,
addresses.
This belief was present in the minds of the Egyptians
in all ages of their history, and
the
it
Muhammadan Egyptians and
exists in a modified
Sudani
men
true that they proclaim vehemently that there
form among
to this day. is
It is
no god but God,
Muhammad is His Prophet, and that God's power is and absolute, but they take care to guard the persons of themselves and their children from the Evil Eye and from the and that infinite
assaults of malicious
kinds as zealously
and
now
evil spirits,
by means
of amulets of all
as their ancestors did in the days before
EVII. SPIRITS
14 the existence of
men
God Who
is
One was
The caravan
conceived.
Eye
protect their camels from the Evil
of the spirits of the
by fastening bright-coloured beads between the eyes of their beasts, and by means of long fringes Avhich hang from their mahlufas, or saddles, and in spite of their firm belief in the infinite desert
power of God, they select an auspicious day on which to on a journey, and they never attempt to pass certain or ravines,
caves,
members
or
mountains, in the night
of the great family of the Jinn are to
as their equivalents
time.
them
set
out
isolated
All the
as real to-day
were to the ancient Egyptians, and, from the
descriptions of desert spirits
which are given by those who have
been fortunate enough to see them,
it
is
clear that traditions of
the form and appearance of ancient Egyptian fiends and evil
have been unconsciously j)reserved until the present day.
spirits
The modern
Egyptians
descriptions of
of certain
them by Arabic names, but
call
the
them agree well with those which might be made that appear in
genii
ancient Egyptian mytliological
works treating of the Underworld and
The peoples
its
who
of the Eastern Sudan,
have inherited many ideas and
beliefs
inhabitants. are also
Muhammadans,
from the ancient Egyptians,
wondered at when we remember that the Nubia from the beginning of the XVIIIth Dynasty civilization of to the end of the XXVIth, i.e., from about B.C. 1550 to about A B.C. 550, was nothing but a slavish copy of that of Egypt. stay of some months in the village at the foot of Jebel Barkal, which mai'ks the site of a part of the old Nubian city of Napata, convinced me of this fact, and visits to other places in the Eastern Sudan proved that these ideas and beliefs were widespread. The
and
hills
this is not to be
and deserts
spirits,
are, according to
native belief, peopled with
which are chiefly of a disposition unfriendly to man, and
they are supposed to have the power of entering both beings and animals almost at pleasure. unfruitful,
and
cattle fall sick
human
Palm-trees die or become
through the operations of
evil spirits,
and any misfortune which comes upon the community or upon the individual
they
is
referred to the
call tarahll,
on the
hill,
same cause.
The pyramids, which
are viewed witli almost childish fear
by the natives who, curiously enough, speak of the royal personages
MODERN SUDANI SUPERSTITIONS buried therein as illdhdt, or "gods," and none of them, possibly be avoided, will go
up
after
as they call the sandstone ridge
15 if it
can
into " the mountain,"
sundown
on which they are
Tombs
built.
and cemeteries are carefully avoided at night as a matter of course, but to approach the pyramids at night
which
is
sure to bring
spirits of the kings,
down upon
is
regarded as a wilful act
the visitor the wrath of the
who have by some means acquired
a divine
When I was opening one of 1897, Muhammad wad Ibrahim,
character in the eyes of the natives.
the pyramids at Jebel Barkal in
long as daylight lasted, but after this
workmen
work as had been done for two or
the shekh of the village, tried to keep the
three evenings, several of the wives of the
at
men appeared and
carried off their husbands, fearing they should either be bewitched,
or suffer some penalty for intrusion in that place at the time when, in popular opinion, the spirits of the dead
cool of the evening.
came
forth to enjoy the
The same idea prevailed further south among
who lived on the river near the pyramids of Bakrawiyeh, mark which the site of the royal necropolis of the ancient city of Berua, or Marua, i.e., Meroe. The local shekh was appointed to
the people
go with
me and
pyramids at
to help in taking
this place,
measurements
of
some of the
but when we were about half a mile from
them he dismounted, and said he could go no further because he was afraid of the spirits of the gods, illdhdt, who were buried there. After much persuasion he consented to accompany me, but nothing would iaduce him to let the donkeys go to the pyramids having hobbled them and tied them to a large stone he came on, but seated himself on the ground at the northern end of the main group of pyramids, and nothing would persuade him to move about among the ruins. The natives of Jebel Barkal viewed the work of excavation with great disfavour from the very first, and their hostile opinion was confirmed by the appearance at the pyramids of great numbers of wasps, which, they declared, were larger than any which they had seen before they were convinced that they were evil spirits who had taken the form of wasps, and that evil was coming upon their village. It was useless to explain to them that the wasps only came there to drink from the waterskins, which were kept full and hung there on pegs driven into the ;
;
MODERN SUDANI SUPERSTITIONS
16
masonry
for the use of the
workmen
;
and when a harmless snake,
about eight feet long, which had also crawled there to drink, was
one morning by the men, their fears of impending
killed
evil
were
confirmed, for they were certain that the spirit of a king had been
and they expected that vengeance would be taken upon
killed,
them by the divine spirits of his companions. About halfway up Jebel Barkal there lived four large hawks any person who ascended the mountain, but yet never came very near these were always regarded by the natives as the embodied spirits of the gods whose which always seemed
to be following
;
figures
still
remain sculptured and painted on the walls of the rock-
hewn sanctuary at the foot of the hill, and I never heard of any attempt being made to shoot or snare them by the people of the villages of Barkal, Shibba, or Marawi. The inhabitants could not know that the hawk was probably the first living creature which was worshipped
in the Nile Valley,
and therefore the respect which
they paid to the hawks must have been due to a tradition which
had been handed down
to
them
throuo;h countless o-enerations from
Their connecting the hawks with the figures of the
a past age.
gods sculptured in the sanctuary of
same
Amen-Ra
is
worthy of note,
seems to show that on such matters they thought along the
for it
lines as their ancestors.
Concerning amulets, the Sudani
man
is
as superstitious as
were his ancestors thousands of years ago, and he
still
believes that
stones of certain colours possess magical properties, especially
inscribed with certain symbols, of the
meaning of which, however,
he has no knowledge, but which are due, he spirits in
protect
them.
many
Women
when
says, to the presence of
and children, especially female children,
parts of their bodies with strings of beads
made
of
magical stones, and sometimes with plaques of metal or stone, which are cut into various shapes and ornamented with signs of magical
power
;
the positions of such plaques on the body are frequently
identical with those
whereon the dynastic Egyptians
laid amulets
we could learn from the Sudani folk the reasons which prompt them to make use of such things, we should probably on the dead, and,
if
find that the beliefs
The above
facts
which underlie the customs are
also identical.
concerning the Sudani belief in spirits might be
IDEAS ABOUT THE BEETLE
17
greatly multiplied, and they are not so remotely connected with the beliefs of the
dynastic,
and even predynastic, Egyptians,
appear to be the case at
amount of information of a
large
who
first sight,
similar kind awaits the investigator,
will devote the necessary time to living in
bank
In
some of the
out-of-
dAvell
on the
and of the Blue Mle. places in Southern Nubia and the Eastern
of the Nile
many
Sudan are
may
and the writer believes that a
the-way villages of the black (not negro) peoples who eastern
as
isolated
which men regard with reverence, but
trees
this
may
be the result of contact with the natives of Central Africa, where people pray to trees on certain occasions,^ believing that the spirits
which are supposed to dwell in them can bestowgifts upon those whom they regard with favour, and ensure safety both to themselves and their animals
animals,
e.g.,
when
travelling.
Still
further to the south certain
the cynocephalus ape, which plays such a prominent
part in dynastic Egyptian mythology, are supposed to be inhabited
by divine
and to possess extraordinary powers of intelligence
spirits
in consequence,
and the various kinds of scarabaei, or
thought to be animated by
spirits,
beetles, are
which the natives connect with
The dead bodies of these insects were, in former days, often eaten by women who wished to become mothers of large families, and to this day parts of them are cooked, and treated with oil, and made into medicines ^ for the cure of sore eyes, etc. The dynastic Egyptians believed that the scarab was connected the sun.
"
Under the wide-spreading branches of an enormous heglik-tree, and on a and sprinkled with fine sand, the Bedeyat beseech an unknown god to du^ect them in their undertakings and to protect them from 1
" spot beautifully clean "
" danger." 3
Slatin Pasha, Fire- and Sivord in the Sudan, London, 1896, p. 114*.
Ibrahim Rushdi, Clerk
January,
1895, that in
Benha, in Lower Egypt, told me in the beetles were boiled, and the grease
of Telegraphs at
many
districts
come off. The bodies are and then steeped in myrrh, and after this they are macerated in that liquid, and strained through muslin; the liquid which runs through is believed to cure the itching which is caused by a certain internal ailment. Some men drink a few drops of it in each cup of coffee, and women drink it to make them fat. The old women have a prescription for sore eyes, which is as Stick a splinter of wood through a series of beetles for twelve hours follows extracted from
them
;
as they are being boiled the shells
next roasted in olive
:
when
oil,
—
a child
is
about to be born
the last beetle, and dip
be done in the proper
C
it
in
way
;
Tcohl,
when
the child
is
and rub the eyes
born, pull the splinter out of of the child
with
the child will never suffer from sore eyes.
it.
If this
FORMS OF EVIL SPIRITS
18
with the Sun-god Ra, and in religious texts of
periods
all
it
is
said that the beetle occupied a place in the boat of this god.
We
have already seen that the dynastic Egyptians, and their
predecessors, conceived the existence
man, of
spirits beneficent
of spirits
towards man, and of
wholly occupied with carrying out
we must now
hostile
spirits
the various
towards
which were
operations
of
manner and The commonest form in which a was believed to make itself visible to man was that of some or bird, or fish, or reptile, and at a very early period
Nature, and
which
forms in
consider the
they became visible to man. spirit
beast,
adoration, in one form or another, of the so-called inferior animals
was well-nigh universal began animals,
At
in Egypt.
the time
as well as inanimate objects,
by the inhabitants
in attributing speech
to
Primitive
man saw
worship
removed from
nothing ridiculous
inanimate objects and animals, which
were supposed to think, and reason, and act contains
this
were not considered
of the Nile Valley to be greatly
themselves in intelligence.
and the religious
when
literature of
numerous proofs of
many
this
tablets found in the ruins of the
like
human
beings
;
of the most ancient nations
fact.
Among
the baked clay
Royal Library of Nineveh, which
contained copies of hundreds of documents preserved in the temples of the most
ancient
cities
of Babylonia,
were fragments of a
dialogue between a horse and an ox, which " Fable of the Horse and the Ox,"
dialogue
this (b.c.
did
^
and
it is
is
now known
as the
tolerably certain that
not originate in the reign of Ashur-bani-pal
668-626), although the tablet on which
not older than his time.
it
was written
Again, in the Creation
Legend the
dragon-monster Tiamat, the representative of the powers of
and darkness,
is
made
to conspire against the gods,
is
and
evil
to create
a serpent brood ^ in order to do effective battle with them
;
and
other instances might be quoted to show that the Babylonians and
Assyrians attributed to the animals reason, passions, and language.
1
See Guide
Bahylonum and Assyrian Antiquities, London, 1900, p. 48 Museum, Nineveh Gallery, Table-case C. For the cuneiform tablets in the British Maseum see Nineveh
to the
the fragments are exhibited in the Biitish ~
Galler p. 1
ff.
Ibid, p. 36. ,
Table-case A.
See also L.
W.
King, Seven Tablets of Creation,
vol.
i.,
TALKING ANIMALS, TREES, From
the Bible
we
ETC.
19
Hebrews held the same
learn that the
views as their kinsmen on this matter, and
Eve by his the Lord (G-enesis
serpent beguiled and seduced
we
are told that the
made her
speech, and
break the
command
she-ass of
Balaam remonstrated with her master and asked him
why
of
iii.
he had smitten her three times (Numbers
note in passing that this animal
and that the
We may
xxii. 28).
have been able to see the
said to
is
1 ff.)?
Angel of the Lord standing in the way, whilst her master could not, and we are forcibly reminded of the belief which was current
among Jews and Muliammadans
to the effect that dogs
howled
before a death because they were able to see the Angel of Death
going about on his mission, to say nothing of our
own
superstition
to the same effect, which, however, we seem to have derived not from the East, but from cognate northern European nations. We see also
from the Book of Judges
(ix.
8
ff.)
that speech and reason
were sometimes attributed to objects which we regard
we
for ''
over them
When
;
and they said unto the
which refused to leave this
olive tree,
Reign thou over
the olive tree refused, they went to the
same request, and when the on
as inanimate,
read that the trees " went forth on a time to anoint a king
its
fig tree refused,
fig tree
us."
with the
they went to the vine,
wine " which cheereth Grod and man
" ;
they applied to the bramble, which placed before them the
choice of coming and putting their trust in
burnt by the
which should come
fire
its
shadow, or of being
forth from out of
itself.
In
connexion with this idea may, perhaps, be mentioned the incident recorded in
and
Numbers
xxi. 17, wherein
we
are told that the princes
nobles digged a well " with their staves "
by the
direction of
the lawgiver, and that the Children of Israel sang this
"Spring up,
well;
Many
sing ye unto it."
might be quoted from Hebrew literature
to
song,
other examples
show that animals and
inanimate objects were on certain occasions regarded as beings which possessed thinking and reasoning powers similar to those of men.
Among
the Egyptians animals thought, and reasoned, and
spoke as a matter of course, and their literature
is full
of indica-
moved by motives and passions As a typical example may be similar to those of human beings. in the quoted the instance of the cow, Tale of the Two Brothers^
tions that they believed
them
to be
THE DOG-HEADED APE
20
who
tells
her herd that his elder brother
is
standing behind the
door of the byre with his dagger in his hand waiting to slay him the young
took to
man having
flight,
and
;
seen the feet of his brother under the door
so saved his
Here we have another proof
life.
that animals were sometimes credited with
superhuman intelligence and discernment, since but for the warning of the cow, who had perceived what her master had failed to notice, the herd would have been
slain as soon as
he entered the byre.
be noted the very important part which
is
Here, too, must
played in the Judgment
Scene in the Booh of the Dead by animals. In the Story of the also we Shijnvrech are told concerning a huge serpent thirty cubits long, with a beard
the unfortunate
two cubits long, which made a long speech
man who was wrecked on
to
the island wherein
it
lived.
In the pap3rri of the XVIIIth Dynasty we have representations of the weighing of the heart of the deceased in the Great
Company
Balance, which takes place in the presence of the Great of the gods,
that
who
must be
Thoth,
who
act as judges,
by
ratified
Osiris,
according to the report of the god
and secretary
acts as scribe
hoped that
and who pass the sentence of doom,
The Egyptian
to the gods.
would exactly counterbalance the
his heart
feather,
symbolic of Maat or the Law, and neither wished nor expected to outweigh
The
it,
for
he detested performing works of supererogation.
act of weighing
was
carefully
watched by Anubis the god of
the dead, whose duty was to cast to the Eater of the hearts which failed to balance the feather exactly
;
Dead
who was
the
and by the
guardian angel of the deceased, on behalf of the deceased a dog-headed ape,
it
;
and by
seated on the top of the pillar, and
who
supported himself upon the bracket on Avhich was balanced the
beam
of the Great Scales.
This ape was the associate and com-
panion of the god Thoth, and he was supposed to be skilled in the art of computation,
measurement of time
and in the science of numbers, and ;
his
duty at the weighing of the heart was
to scrutinize the pointer of the scales, and, having
the
beam
of the scales
the
in
was exactly
made sure
level, i.e., that the
that
heart and
the feather exactly counterbalanced each other, to report the fact to Thoth, so that he in turn might
make
his report to tlie gods
on
THE DOG-HEADED APE
21
The ape seated on the
the case under consideration.
Scales belongs to a species which
now
is
pillar of the
only found in the Sudan,
but which in late predynastic or in early dynastic times might
have been found
and even
clever,
modern times
in
by the
natives,
who
order,
and that
its
The dog-headed ape
over Egypt.
all
believe that
cunning
high esteem in which
it
is
regarded with
is
its
intelligence
very
is
much
respect
of the highest
is
far superior to that of
man
;
the
was held by the ancient Egyptians
is
proved by the fact that the god Thoth was held to be incarnate in him, and by the important functions which he performed in their
mythology. It
will
be
also
remeriibered
that
represents the sunrise in the Booh of the
or seven dog-headed apes
is
the vignette which
in
Dead
a
company
depicted in the act of adoring the god
of day, as he rises on the eastern horizon of heaven
on their hind
of six
;
they stand
and their forepaws are raised in adoration, and
legs
they are supposed to be singing hymns to the Sun-god.
In a
text which describes this scene these apes are said to be the spirits
dawn who sing hymns of praise to the Sun-god whilst he is rising, and who transform themselves into apes as soon as he has risen. It is a well known fact in natural history that the apes and of the
the monkeys in the forests of Africa and other countries chatter noisily at
dawn, and
it
is
clear that
it
was the matutinal
cries of
these animals which suggested their connection with the spirits of
the dawn.
It
dawn were
is
not stated in the text whether the spirits of the
created afresh each day or not, or whether the
monkeys
transformed themselves into spirits daily, and so were able to
We
greet the rising sun each morning. idea
the
ancient for
may, however, connect
concerning them with that which
Hebrew
description
^
met with in an Hebrew mythology,
is
of the angels of
one group of "angels of service" from the river of
supposed to be created daily in order to sing one
Almighty and then Passing
now to
to
come
hymn
were
to Grod
to an end.
the consideration of the worship of animals
the Egyptians of the predynastic and dynastic periods, 1
fire
Compare Eisenmenger,
op.
cit.,
vol.
yh'^y\
ii.,
p.
371.
n'vw noNi
'i''^<"1a3
n^n
injD
by
we have
J>^!2VT
>^DV b2
D-)^r\ ^2i6n
FEAR THE MOTIVE OF WORSHIP
22 to
endeavour to find the reasons which induced the early inhabi-
pay adoration to birds, beasts, fishes, and other creatures of the animal kingdom. A careful examination of the facts now available shows that in Egypt primitive man must have worshipped animals in the first instance because they possessed strength, and power, and cunning greater than his own, tants of the Nile Valley to
endowed with some quality which enabled The fundathem to do him bodily harm or to cause his death. mental motive in man for worshipping animals was probably fear. or because they were
When man
took up his abode in Egypt the physical conditions
first
must have resembled those of some parts of Central Africa at the present time, and the whole country was probably covered with forests and the ground obscured by dense under-
of the country
In the forests great numbers of elephants and other
growth.
must have
large beasts for
lived,
huge serpents of various
difi'erent kinds,
and the undergrowth formed a home and
for hosts of deadly reptiles of
filled
with great crocodiles similar
species
and the river was
in length and bulk to those which have been seen in recent years We have in the Blue Nile and in the rivers further to the south. no means of knowing at what period the elephant was exterminated
was probably long before dynastic times, because no place in Egyptian mythology. The ivory objects
in Egypt, but
he finds
it
which have been found in predynastic graves prove that this substance was prized by the primitive Egyptians, and that it was, comparatively, largely used by them for making personal orna-
and
ments
other
small
but whether
objects,
they imported
elephants' tusks from the Sudan, or obtained them from animals
which they hunted and said.
On
killed in
some part of Egypt cannot be
the top of one of the standards
predynastic vases
we
find the figure of
^
Avhich are painted on
an elephant, a
fact
which
seems to show that this animal was the symbol of the family of the
man
for
whom was made
the vase on which
country, or of the tutelary deity,
On
the other hand,
it
is
i.e.,
it
is
found, or of his
the god of his town or tribe.
cpite clear from several passages in the
texts with which the walls of the chambers and corridors of the
pyramid tombs of Unas and Teta, and other kings of the Early 1
See J. de Morgan, EtlmograpMe Prehistoriijne,
p. 93.
ANTIQUITY OF SERPENT WORSHIP
23
Empire at Sakkara are inscribed that Egypt was infested with venomous snakes and noxious reptiles of various kinds when the original forms of those passages were written, and that they were sufficiently formidable
and numerous
cause the living grave
to
Thus
anxiety about the safety of the bodies of their dead.
Vth Dynasty, we
text of Unas,^ a king of the short magical
formulae,
many
of which
serpents and fierce animals, and
find a series of
against
directed
are
in the
are couched in terms which
all
prove that they must have been composed long before they were inscribed on the walls inside this king's pyramid, and M. Maspero
undoubtedly correct in thinking that they must have presented In these formulae serious difficulties to the king's literaH. is
^'^^^^(j'^,
are mentioned the serpents Ufa,
Heka,
^
Akeneh, (]
UH
(]
(j
^
^ ^,
^
Hemth, fD allusion
8
Hekret,
Tcheser-tep,
made n
.
^
|^, Amen,
^ ^,
is
—
g
,
"^^
",
,
Setcheh,
Hau, FD
'^ v^ @ Mil [1
,
Senenahemthet, |
most "
the time
terrible
when
(]
(]
^(|(] [
^
^ lH,
\ Antaf,
^ ^UR ^ ^ lH,
Thethu,
^^"^
to a
At
(]
%, im
Nai,
[Tl
serpent,"
,
and
m^
aaa^
these formulae were composed
each of these serpents was probably the type of a class of venomous snakes, teristics
and their names no doubt described their physical characand their methods of attack.
The
abject fear
of the
Egyptians for the serpent seems to have been constant in
all
generations, and the texts of the latest as well as those of the earliest
period contain numerous prayers intended to deliver the deceased
from the " serpents which are
upon Long men and women, and consume their blood." after Egypt was cleared of snakes and when the country was in the condition in which Ave now know it, the tradition remained that a in the
Underworld, which
" the bodies of
1
^
Ed. Maspero,
1.
533
ff.
kv\ Dead, Chapter^iB.,
live
1.
4.
1
^ ^ I
/wwv\ /^''^ A/vwvN
Booh of
the
WORSHIP OF URAEUS AND VULTURE
24
mighty serpent, some thirty on the top of Bakhau, the Sunrise, and his
The worship
fl
cubits,
about
i.e.,
"(^ '\\
name was Ami-Hemf,
of the serpent in
fifty feet long, lived
^-= % ^^
Egypt
,
i.e.,
the Mountain of
"Dweller in his
of great antiquity,
is
and shrines to certain members of the species must have existed at a
very early date.
In predynastic times the uraeus was held in
great veneration, and the great centre of
which the Egyptians
Delta, at a place
uraeus was being worshipped chief object of adoration in
times called
dynastic
in
" Per-Uatchet," and the Greeks " Buto."
worship was in the
its
At
the period
when
the
in Lower Egypt, the vulture was the Upper Egypt, its principal sanctuary
being situated in the city which the Egyptians called " Nekhebet,"
and the Greeks "
The uraeus goddess was
Eileithyiaspolis."
called
"Uatchet," or " Uatchit," and
the vulture goddess "Nekhebet,"
or " Nekhebit," and the cities
which
the
A^^ere
centres of their
worship became so important, probably in consequence of this kings
when they wished
Egypt
to
give
to
we
customary
for
proclaim their sovereignty over
all
worship, that in the early dynastic period
themselves the
title
find
j^£,
it
which
may be
freely
rendered by " Lord of the shrines of the Vulture and Uraeus."
The
now famous plaque name and titles of Aha, a king who is often, but reason, assumed to be identical with Mena or
equivalents of these signs are found on the
inscribed with the
without sufficient Menes, and thus
clear that the cities of
it is
Nekhebet and Per-
Uatchet were important religious and administrative centres in predynastic times.
Other wild animals which were worshipped by the Egyptians about the same period were the called maftet
^ ^^
and the lynx, which they ^^^ ^^^ hijopopotamus, and the quadruped lion,
which became the symbol of the god Set among amphibious creatures the crocodile and the turtle were the most important. ;
Among
domestic animals the bull and the cow were the principal
objects
of worship, 1
and proof
is
forthcoming that
Hooli of the Dead, Chapter
cviii.,
1.
5.
they were
WORSHIP OF THE BULL
25
The great strength
regarded as deities in predynastic times.
of
the bull, and his almost irresistible attack in fighting and headlong rush, excited the fear and admiration of primitive
fecundating powers
made him
For thousands of years the
delighted to call themselves " mighty bull," and
the importance which they attached to this fact that
many
of
them inscribed
nizance, which displayed their
Usertsen
in fact, it
II.
his
at a very early period the type of
the generative principle in nature.
kings of Egypt
man, and
it
name
evinced by the
title is
upon
their
serehh, or
as the descendant of
receiving " life " from the god Sept. Behind inscribed with his Horus name.
formed their Horus name.
found sculptured upon some of the green
The
him
is
cog-
Horus
;
his serehh
figure of a bull is
slate objects
which date
from the predynastic period, and which have been erroneously called palettes,
which in
and a
later times
flint
model of the head and horns of the cow,
became the animal symbolic of the goddess
Hathor, was found in a predynastic grave in the British
Museum
;
all
these objects are
(Nos. 20,790, 20,792, and 32,124).
The
warrior kings of the XVIIIth and XlXth Dynasties were pleased
when
the court scribes related in commemorative inscriptions
how
WORSHIP OF THE BULL
26
lords raged
their
chariots
and
like
lions
crush
the
foolish
set out to
mounted their enemy who had the
as they
and roared
temerity to defy them, but they preferred to
be likened to the "mighty bull,"
who
trampled opposition beneath his hoofs, and gored and destroyed with his horns that
which
Out
his
had
hoofs
of the reverence
failed
to
annihilate.
which was paid
to the
grew the worship of two special bulls, Hap and Mer-ur, which names the Greeks modified into Apis and bull in predynastic times
1
^
1
Mnevis, the sacred animals of the ancient
^-^
Memphis and
cities of
The worship
of Apis
Heliopolis respectively. is
at least as old as the
beginning of the dynastic period, and we
know that the cult of this bull continued in Memphis until the close of the rule of the Ptolemies.
In some Avay the beliefs conconnected with
those
which the Egyptians held concerning
Osiris,
were
cerning Apis
the god and judge of the dead, Avho in
LJ
world," period
the
and
one
"Bull of the Under-
the
i.e., tfiTi
^
"^
called
Dead^ the "Bull of
the Booh of the
Amentet,"
is
"^ :
and
in the Ptolemaic
two gods were merged into formed the god Sarapis, to
whom
were ascribed the attributes of the Egyptian and Greek gods of the Under-
world. Serekh of Rameses II., on which is inscribed the Horns name of this king, i.e., Ka-
NEKHT MERI - MaaT. The canopy of the serekh is in the form of the sky F=^^, and from the standard on which it rests spring two human arms and hands. -
It
by
now seems
to be generally admitted
ethnologists that
there are three main
causes which have induced animals,
i.e.,
men
to worship
they have worshipped them
The right grasps a standard surmounted by the head of
as animals, or as the dwelling-places of gods,
the king, whicTi liore repre
or
sents the
' '
royal ka
:^j
as
representatives
of
tribal
and
Li) the left the symbol of Maat.
1
Chapter
i., 1.
4.
ancestors.
AND RAM OF MENDES
APIS BULL There
is
no reason whatsoever
for
doubting that in neolithic times
the primitive Egyptians worshipped animals
nothing more
them
etc., in
in their
mummify
to
minds
later,
and
was
it
which induced
this
the dead bodies of birds, and beasts, and lishes,
which they thought
certainly as old as the time
when
We
have been incarnate.
deities to
have no means of knowing exactly when is
animals and as
as
the belief that animals were the abodes of spirits or
;
grew up
deities
27
but
this belief arose,
it
the Apis Bull began to be
worshipped, and when the Egyptians began to keep the ram and other animals, and birds, and reptiles, and fishes in sanctuaries, and to worship
them
In connection with
as deities incarnate.
notice that, in the case of the Apis Bull
must
Ram
and the
Mendes, the god Apis did not take up his abode in every
bull,
that the soul of Osiris, which was supposed to dwell in the
Mendes, did not make his habitation in every ram. like the
Ram
of Mendes,
had
we
it
Ram
The Apis
of
and of
Bull,
be sought for diligently, and no
to
ram was made the object of veneration in the sanctuaries of Memphis or Mendes unless he possessed the characteristic marks by which the priests recognized him. The ordinary bulls and rams of bull or
the species to which the Apis Bull and the
were not regarded in the same light
Ram of Mendes belonged which by the
as the animals
marks upon them proclaimed themselves
to be the creatures to
which worship should be
offered,
been incarnate in them.
When the Apis Bull or the Ram of Mendes
and they were, of course, sacrificed in the performance of funeral ceremonies and killed and eaten as food by the people, even though somewhat of the deity may have died the deity
who had been
incarnate in
it
transferred himself to
another animal, and therefore did not leave the earth.
The question
as to
whether the Egyptians worshipped animals
as representations of tribal ancestors, or " totems,"
given
rise to
much
discussion,
and
this is
for the subject is one of difficulty.
We
standards which represent the nomes of figures of birds
but
it is
or not.
and animals,
e.g.,
is
one which has
not to be wondered
know
Egypt
that
many
at,
of the
are distinguished
the hawk, the bull, the hare,
by
etc.,
not clear whether these are intended to represent "totems" It is pretty certain that the
times was
nome-standard of dynastic
derived from the standards which
the
predynastic
NOME GODS
28 Egyptians
up
set
in their boats, or caused to be carried
in cere-
monial processions, or during the performance of public functions, and there is no reason for doubting that, substantially, the same
and
ideas
beliefs underlie the use of
The
both classes of standards.
animal or bird standing on the top of a nome-perch or standard
is
not intended for a fetish or a representation of a tribal ancestor,
but for a creature which was regarded as the deity under whose protection the people of a certain tract of territory were placed, and
we may assume
that within the limits of that territory
it
was un-
Thus in the Nome kind would be regarded
lawful to injure or kill such ahimal or bird.
of
the Black Bull a black bull of a certain
as
a sacred animal, and
would be offered
certain that in predynastic times worship
it is
god
to it as a
Nome of the Hare Nome of the Hawk the
similarly in the
;
the hare would be worshipped
;
hawk would be worshipped.
Outside these nomes, however, the
bull
and the hare and the hawk might and eaten
killed
for food,
and from
creatures of the Egyptians
common with ancestors,
the
totems,
and with the
on the lowest it
and in the
may or
be,
and probably were,
this point of
view the sacred
be thought to have something in deified
of
representatives
fetishes of the tribes of nations
which are
In connexion with this matter
levels of civilization.
customary to quote the statements of Greek and
is
writers,
many
because
it
of
whom
tribal
scoff at the religion
Roman
of the Egyptians
included the worship of animals, and charge the nation
with fatuity because the animals,
etc.,
which were worshipped and
all care in some places were killed and eaten in The evidence of such writers cannot be regarded as wholly
preserved Avith others.
trustworthy,
first,
because they did not take the trouble to under-
stand the views which the Egyptians held about sacred animals,
and secondly, because they were not in a position to obtain trustworthy information. In the passage from one of Juvenal's Satires already quoted, he declares that the Egyptians ate
and
it
is
possible that he believed
remains that there inscriptions to
is
what he wrote
;
human still
flesh,
the fact
not a particle of evidence in the Egyptian
show that they ever did
so,
and we have every
reason for believing that they were not cannibals.
His other statements about the religion of the Egyptians
are,
ANIMAL WORSHIP NOT TOTEMISM probably, as untrustworthy. religious literature
Tliere
not enough ancient Egyptian
is
extant to enable us to trace the history of
religion in all periods of dynastic history,
follow
it
29
still less
we
are
able to
back in the predynastic period, because of that time we
have no literature at
such monuments and texts as
all;
however, serve to show that the Egyptians
and nothing more, and
as animals,
but there
spirits or gods,
is
first
we
have,
worshipped animals
later as the habitations of divine
no reason
for thinking that the
animal
worship of the Egyptians was descended from a system of totems or fetishes, as Mr. J. F.
M'Lennan
believed.^
It has
been assumed
by some ethnologists that many primitive peoples have been accustomed to name individuals after animals, and that such animal names have in certain cases become tribe names. These may have become family surnames, and at length the myths may have gro^vn up about them in which it is declared that the families concerned were actually descended "
whence might
" from the
arise
many
animals in question as ancestors,
other legends of strange adventures
" and heroic deeds of ancestors, to be attributed to the quasi-human
" animals
whose names they bore
;
at
the
same time, popular
" mystification between the great ancestor and the creature whose "
name he
held and handed
" for the creature
theory of
may
itself,
down to
his race, might lead to veneration
and thence to
full
^
This
explain certain facts connected with the animal- worship
numbers of savage or half-savage
world,
animal- worship."
but
cannot,
it
in
tribes in
some parts of the
the writer's opinion,
be regarded as
affording an explanation of the animal-worship of the Egyptians.
In dynastic times kings were,
it is
true,
worshipped as gods, and
divine honours were paid to their statues, but the reason for this
was that the king was believed the oldest of
all
that to certain
to be of the seed of the
the gods of Egypt.
There
men who were famous
is
god Horus,
reason for believing
for their knowledo-e o or for
some great works which they had accomplished divine honours were paid, but neither these nor the kings were held to be gods who were worshipped throughout the land as were the well-
known
or natural gods of the country.
In short, the Avorship which
1
See the Fortnightly Beview, 1869-1870.
2
See Tylor, Primitive Culture,
vol.
ii.,
p.
236.
NOME STANDARDS
30
was paid to kings
after their death, or to ordinary
men, who were
was quite different from that paid to the gods of the country, whether they were in animal or human form or whether they represented the spirits which concerned themselves with the sometimes
deified,
welfare of
men
or those which occupied themselves with the direc-
tion of the operations of Nature.
We see, moreover, from the nome-standards
that several objects
besides animals were worshipped and regarded as gods, or that they, at all events, became the symbols of the deities which were wor-
In predynastic times
shipped in them.
we know that some standards
were surmounted by representations of two, three, four, or D£^}i^, rv/^-^-N-^^ another by two arrows (?) hills C:^, ^
rv-^'^-^
another by a
With
etc.
*Qr.
for the
correct
if
<^<, another by two arrows and a shield,
^^,
It is
is
^,
y^
,
probably to be compared the
and with the predynastic
^^
the
dynastic
not easy at present to find a dynastic equivalent
two arrows
f^^^
hills
fish,
the predynastic '^y^
dynastic sign sio-n
^
^
,
five
(?)
^,
^r
or to find the reason
why
the three
were connected Avith a god, but we shall probably be we connect the two arrows (?) with some aboriginal god
of war, and the three hills with the abode of some, at present,
The shield and the crossed arrows can, we think, be explained with more certainty. We know from the Nome-
unknown
god.
Lists that the fifth
Sapi by the
nome
Lower Egypt,
of
^
,
which was called
Egyptians and Saites by the Greeks, had for
capital the city Saut or Sais,
was the goddess Nit
and that the great deity of
or Neith.
The dynastic
its
this city
pictures
of this
goddess represent her in the form of a goddess who holds in her hands two arrows and a bow she sometimes wears upon her head ;
the crown of the north or
^,
two crossed arrows N
or >^^, which ;
is
the sign for her name,
in fact, such pictures prove
beyond a
doubt that Nit, the goddess of Sais, was the goddess of the chase par excellence. That this goddess was worshipped in the earliest dynastic period is certain, for we find that her name forms part of 1
vol.
i.,
See
my
p. 78.
" History of Egypt " {Egypt in the Predynastic and Archaic Periods),
THE GODDESS NIT the
name
of Nit-hetep,
who seems
who was probably
king Sma, and
have been the daughter of
to
the wife of Aha, and also part
That the dynastic sign
of that of the early dynastic king Mer-Nit.
^^
is
the equivalent of the predynastic sign
to doubt, and, as the former
known
is
picture
no reason
Sais,
we
are justified
predynastic equivalent was intended to be a
its
same
of the
^^ there is
to represent the crossed
arrows and shield of the hunting goddess of in believing that
31
objects,
and
be symbolic of the same
to
goddess.
We
have already mentioned the predynastic standard sur-
mounted by the
which was, undoubtedly,
figure of an elephant,
intended to represent a god, and thus
clear that both in pre-
it is
dynastic and dynastic times the Egyptians symbolized gods both
by means
of animals
and by objects connected with their worship
or with their supposed occupations.
have
for the
name
of
Matenu a
The
etc.
first,
,
for the
,
for the
nome
and fourth of
/^i
nome ,
we
of
Ten a
for the
nome
of Sesheshet a sistrum 1
this
,
group of examples are
which were connected with the worship of the gods
clearly objects
whom
third,
r
^
knife C
by a plumed disk
pair of horns surmounted of Uas, or Us, a sceptre
dynastic Nome-Lists
In
they symbolize, and the second
the headdress of the god of the period of the world's history
which led men
is
probably intended to be
nome which
it is
it
symbolizes.
At
this
impossible to fathom the reasons
to select such objects as the symbols of their gods,
and we can only accept the view that they were the product of
some indigenous, dominant people who succeeded their religious customs so strongly in all
political
commotions,
and
Egypt that they survived
changes,
and flourished in the country
until
in establishing
and
the
foreign
third
invasions,
century of our
era at least.
The
must have been very general in dynastic times the chief seat thereof was at Sais
cult of Nit, or Neith,
Egypt, although in the Delta,
in
and we know that devotees of the goddess lived
south as Nakada, a few miles to the north of Thebes, objects inscribed with the
name
as far
for several
of queen Nit-hetep have been found
THE GODDESS NIT
32
in a grave at that place.
nothing
known, but
is
it is
Of the early worship of the goddess most probable that she was adored as
a great hunting spirit as were adored spirits of like character
and shield indicate that she was a hunting
spirit in the
earliest
times, but a picture of the dynastic period represents her with
crocodiles^ sucking one at each breast,
It
two
and thus she appears
have had ascribed to her power over the
later times to
by-
The crossed arrows
primitive peoples in other parts of the world.
in
river.
has already been said that the primitive Egyptians, though
believing that their gods possessed powers superior to their own,
regarded them as beings
who were
who were moved
and to hate, and
and drink
human *'
like
to love
man
;
liable to
grow
old and die, and
to take pleasure in
meat
they were even supposed to intermarry with
beings and to have the power of begetting offspring like the
sons of God," as recorded in the
Book
of Genesis
(vi. 2, 4).
These
were common in all periods of Egyptian history, and it is clear that the Egyptians never wholly freed themselves from them there is, in fact, abundant proof that even in the times wdien ideas
monotheism had developed in a remarkable degree they clung to The religious texts them with a tenacity which is surprising. contain numerous references to them, and beliefs which were conceived by the Egyptians in their lowest states of civilization are
mingled with those which reveal the existence of high spiritual The great storehouse of religious thought is the Booh conceptions. of the Dead, and in one of the earliest Recensions of that remarkIn able work we may examine its various layers with good result. these are jDi'^served
many
passages which throw light upon the
views which were held concerning the gods, and the powers which they possessed, and the place where they dwelt in company Avith the beatified dead.
One
of the most instructive of these passages for our purpose
forms one of the texts which are inscribed on the walls and
pyramid tombs of Unas, a king of the Vth Dynasty, and of Teta, a king of the Vlth Dynasty. corridors of the chambers in the
1
—
In the text of Unas
nj„ ^.
(1.
>v'
G27) the crocodile-god Sebek
is
cahed the son of Neith
KING UNAS AS A GOD The paragraphs
we
as
deal,
made
pyramids,
in general of the great Heliopolitan Recension
should expect, with the offerings which were to be
stated
at
33
intervals
the
in
chapels attached to the
little
and many were devoted to the object of removing
enemies of every kind from the paths of the king in the Under-
world
;
others contain hymns, and short prayers for his welfare,
and magical formulae, and incantations. A few describe the great power which the beatified king enjoys in the world beyond the grave, and, of course, declare that the king
heaven
as
is
as great a lord in
The passage in question from the such interest and importance that it is
he was upon earth.
pyramid of Unas
is
of
^
given in the Appendix to this Chapter, with interlinear translation
and
transliteration,
and with the variant readings from the pyramid
of Teta, but the following general rendering of
down
" The sky poureth
useful.
its
contents
may
rain, the stars tremble, the
" bearers run about with hasty steps, the bones of
Aker
be
bow-
tremble,
" and those who are ministrants unto them betake themselves to " flight when they see Unas rising [in the heavens] like a god who
" liveth upon his fathers and feedeth upon his mothers.
Unas is mother knoweth not. The
" the lord of wisdom whose name his " noble estate of Unas is in heaven, and his strength in the horizon "
is
like
unto that of the god
" than his father
Tem
who gave him
his father, indeed,
birth.
he
stronger
is
The doubles (kau)
of
Unas
" are behind him, and those whom he hath conquered are beneath " his feet. His gods are upon him, his uraei are upon his brow, " his serpent-guide is before him, and his soul looketh upon the
"
spirit of flame
;
the powers of
paragraph we see that Unas
is
Unas protect him."
From
declared to be the son of Tem, and
made himself stronger than his father, and that when who lives upon his fathers and mothers, enters the sky
has
all
creation
is
smitten Avith terror.
stars shake in their places,
2^::^,
He
is
1
The
D
dissolves in rain, the
1.
quake, and
all
the lesser powers
whom
he has vanquished are
by Maspero, Les Inscriptions des Pyramides 496, and p. 134, 1. 319.
hieroglypliic texts are given p. 67,
as a god,
considered to have been a mighty
conqueror upon earth, for those
de Saqqarah, Paris, 1894,
The sky
the king,
and even the bones of the great double
lion-headed earth-god Aker, of heaven flee in fear.
this
KING UNAS AS A GOD
34 beneath his feet be taken
there
;
is
no reason why
and not
literally,
statement should not
this
mere pictures of
as referring to the
enemies which were sometimes painted on the cartonnage coverings of
mummies under
upon
the feet, and
upon the sandals
the outside of the feet of coffins.
An
of
ordinary
mummies, and
man
possessed
one ha or " double," but a king or a god was believed to possess many Icau or " doubles." Thus in one text ^ the god Ra is said to possess seven souls {hau)
were
and fourteen doubles
addressed to each soul
himself;
elsewhere^
1^ "^
Awwv
j
\
we AAAA/vv
and double of Ra
(Icau),
and prayers
as well as to the
god
are told that the fourteen Jcau of Ra,
O
j]
Avcrc oriveu to
him by Thoth.
Unas
appears in heaven with his " gods" upon him, the serpents are on his
brow, he
powers.
is
It is
really are, for
by a serpent-guide, and is endowed with his difficult to say what the " gods " here referred to led
unlikely that the allusion
it is
is
to the small figures
upon the bodies of the dead, and it seems that we are to understand that he, Unas, was accompanied by a number of divine beings Avho had laid their The uraei on his brow and his protecting strength upon him. of similar beings whose help he emblems serpent-guide were the
of gods which, in later times, were laid
—
had bespoken in other words, they represented which were made friendly towards man. The passage in the text of Unas continues,
spirits of serpents
"
Unas
is
the Bull
by his will, and which feedeth upon from every god, and he eateth being into which cometh that " of the provender of those who fill themselves with words of " power and come from the Lake of Flame. Unas is provided
^'
of heaven which overcometh
^'
" with power sufficient to resist his spirits (hJm), and he riseth [in " heaven] like a mighty god who is the lord of the seat of the
*'hand
(i.e.,
power) [of the gods].
towards Seb.
*'
back
"
whose name
is
" [gods].
is
Unas
He
Unas weigheth
taketh his seat and his his speech with the
god
hidden on the day of slaughtering the oldest is
the master of the offering and he tieth the
"knot, and provideth meals for himself; he eateth 1
Diimiclien, Tempelinscliriften, vol.
"
Lepsius, Denhmdler,
iii.,
Bl. 194.
i.,
pi. 29.
men and he
KING UNAS AS A GOD " livetli
upon
gods, he
" count of the
is
35
the lord of offerings, and he keepeth
The dead king is next likened to a young and vigorous bull which feeds upon what is produced by every god and upon those that come from the Fiery Lake to Here we have a survival of the old worship eat words of jDower. lists
of the same."
of the bull, which began in the earliest times in Egypt, and lasted
Roman
until the
His food
period.
every god, and when
is
we remember
that which
is
produced by
that the Egyptians believed
and inanimate, was the habitation of a spirit or god, it is easy to see that the allusion in these words is to the green herbage which the bull ordinarily eats, for from this point of view, every blade of grass was the abode of a god. In connexion with this may be quoted the words of Sankhonyathan, the Sanchoniatho of the Greeks, as given by Eusebius, who says, " But these first men consecrated the productions of the " earth, and judged them gods, and worshipped those things, upon
that every object, animate
" which " before
they themselves lived, and
them
Now
;
to these they
of Fire,
From Chapter
?
it is
made libations and sacrifices." Unas is also said to be those who or the city of She-Sasa, and who are of the Book of the Dead we learn that
cviii.
i.e.,
a district in heaven,
was one of the The deceased is
from the text of the Chapter that
clear
it
abodes wherein the beatified dead obtained food. to say, " I
made
have not lain down in death
" thee,^ and I have risen like a god. " and I have alighted like the
" the great
dew ....
" Sekhet-Sasa,
" Fire
made 1
1832,
"
i.e.,
I
hawk by
;
have stood over
have cackled like a goose, the divine clouds and
the Lake of Fire, Avhich
Towards the end of the Chapter
Eusebius, Praejp. Evan.,
I
have come from She-Sasa, which
I
of herbage or crops
\\\
lib.
\^ "^ i
,
c.
"^
,
is
(line
and
it
is
by in
in the Field of
10) mention
seems as
if
is
these
J
10 (in Cory, Ancient Fragments, London,
p. 5;.
^
LL\ ^
yUuh®
.
See
my
Chapters of Coming Forth by Day, Text,
p. 203. 3
all
^
She-Sasa Avas situated in Sekhet-Sasa,^
and
and
the food of this bull
came from the Lake these
their posterity,
all
He speaks to the
Thigh,
^^,in
heaven.
KING UNAS AS A GOD
36
grew
Field
the
in
of
or
Fire,
the neighbourhood
in
of
it,
must be these which are referred to as the provender of those who come from the Lake of Fire. We are next told that Unas hath power sufficient to oppose and
it
clear
is
that
or resist his spirits
it
(kJiu),
but
it
is
not certain whether these are
beings in the Underworld which are hostile
which belong is
to himself; in
Having
not clear.
to him, or
spirits
any case the meaning of the passage
risen in
heaven Unas takes
his seat
with his
back towards Seb, the great earth-god who was represented by the mythological goose which was supposed to have laid the great
In the latter part of the section of the text of Unas
cosmic egg.
quoted above
we have some remarkable
asserted first of all
whose name
is
ideas enunciated.
It is
that he " weigheth his speech Avith the god
hidden," which indicates that Unas was supposed
Bead we know
the Theban Recensions of the Book of the
expression " weighing of words,"
^
the " weighing of actions," and that tion of the deceased
which
weighed in the Great
Thoth on behalf of
From
and power with the god of judgment.
to be of equal rank
is
^^
:
pP
11
,
that the
means
also
applied to the examina-
it is
held on the day wherein his heart
Scales.
Osiris,
^
is
The examination was conducted by
but the words in the text of Unas show
that the dead king considers himself able to judge his
own
actions,
The god of the hidden name is said that Unas eats men and feeds
and to award himself happiness. probably
Osiris.
upon the
Finally
We
gods.
it is
have already referred to the passage in
Juvenal's Fifteenth Satire in which he declares that the Egyptians
human
ate
flesh,
and
inscriptions aiford
it
has been already said that the dynastic
no proof whatsoever that the Egyptians were
cannibals.
it is
The statement here that Unas ate men is definite enough, and not easy to give any other than a literal meaning to the words ;
we can
only assume then that this portion of the text has reference
some
to
acts of cannibalism of
from predynastic to
which a tradition had come down
dynastic
times.
We
gather
from
other
passages in the texts of Unas and Teta what manner of treatment '
See
my
Chaj)ters of Coming Forth
hi/
Day, Text,
p. 18,
1.
12
;
p. 19,
1.
5;
etc.
KING UNAS AS A GOD was meted out
to the
37
vanquished in battle by the
victors,
and
it
seems to tind a parallel in the atrocious acts which were, and in
some places
are, perpetrated
still
In predynastic times
Africa after a battle.
who
those
warriors,
Avere defeated in
and
all
by conquering
war was
women
the
fell
seized
tribes of Central
all
the property of
upon by the
into their hands,
successful
and at times
nameless abominations were committed upon the unfortunate male
The dead king
captives.
in
the texts
of
Unas and Teta
naturally, described as the lord of heaven and of all the beings
things which are therein
and
it is
said plainly of
" he carries off the *'
;
as such he
him
that he
women from
bull, which,
became the object
master of
is
^
Thus one
by the
early Egyptians, and he
may
the con-
is
exhorted to
Horus hath caused Thoth
to bring unto thee thine Horus) hath put thee behind him in order not do thee an injury, and that thou mayest make
" enemy, and he " that he
Upon
allowed to live terrible indignities were
perpetrated, and in the text of Teta the dead king rise up, " for
of his attributes
because of his fecundity and strength,
of worship
men who were
women,
the " fecundator, and that
exercised the rights of a victorious tribal chief.
quered
the
all
and
their husbands to whatsoever place
he pleaseth whensoever he pleaseth."
was that of the
is
is,
(i.e.,
upon him, so that when [thou] goest forth thou mayest "take thy place upon him, and he may not have union with " thy place
" thee."
^
It is possible
then that in predynastic times in addition
wanton destruction which the Egyptians brought about after a victorious fight with their enemies, and the slaughter, and rapine, and nameless abominations which followed, they sometimes imitated the example of wild and savage beasts and ate the foes they had to the
A/^AAA^ 1
line 629.
^ =^ (±1P] k i^^ Z (Si]
D^l
^ ^^
UNAS EATS THE GODS,
38
The accounts
conquered.
show
of the battles of dynastic times
that the Egyptians looted and destroyed the cities and to^vns of the
vanquished, and that they cut
down orchards and
gardens, and
all the flocks and herds which they could find and abundant proof that they mutilated the bodies of their
carried off
there
is
;
dead foes after a
fight,
but that they either ate them or behaved
towards them in a manner contrary to nature there
is
absolutely no
evidence to show.
We
have now to consider the remaining paragraphs of the
The gods upon whose bodies Unas fed were snared by Am-kehuu, and they were examined as to their fitness and condition by Tcheser-tep-f, a divine being who was in later times one of the Forty-Two Judges in the Hall of Maati, and is mentioned in the " Negative Confession " of the Booh of the Dead. The gods were next bound by Her-thertu, and the god Khensu cut their throats and took out their intestines a being called Shesemu acted as butcher and cut them up and cooked the Thereupon Unas ate them, pieces thereof in his fiery cauldrons. and in eating them he also ate their words of power and their spirits. The largest and finest of the gods he ate at daybreak, and extract from the text of Unas.
;
the smaller sized ones for meals at sunset, and the smallest for his
meals in the night
the bodies of in heaven,"
;
the old and worn-out gods he rejected entirely
The cauldrons in which the gods were cooked were heated by the " Great One
and used them up
who
as fuel in his furnace.
shot flame under those which contained the thighs
of the oldest of the gods
Unas
;
and the " Perer, who
cast also into cauldrons the thighs of their
is
in heaven," of
women.
Unas
is
then said to make a journey about every part of the double sky, or double heaven, f=^ to travel about,
two
at elm,
(1
,
i.e.,
the night sky and the day sky, and also
presumably from one end to the other, through the
ei^ii j
^
"^
'
,
of Egypt,
i.e.,
the
land which
between the mountains and the Nile on each side of the
river.
lies
As
a result of eating of the bodies of the gods Unas becomes the Great
Sekhem, the Sekhem of the Sekhemu he also becomes the Ashem of Ashem, the Great Ashem of the Ashemu. The power which ;
protects
Unas and which he
possesses
is
greater than that of
all
the
ABSORBS THEIR POWERS
39
sdfm in the heavens, and he becomes the eldest of all the firstborn gods and he goes before thousands and makes offerings to hundreds
power which has been given to him as the Great Sekhem makes him to become as the star Sahu, i.e., Orion, with the gods. " Unas can repeat his rising in the sky, for he is '' He taketh count of the the Seben crown as lord of the heavens. " knots (or, sinews) and of livers, and he hath taken possession of " the hearts of the gods. He hath eaten the Red Crown, he hath them]
[of
indeed, the
;
" eaten the
White Crown, and he feedeth upon fat entrails the made to him are those in whose hearts live words of " power. What the Red Crown emitteth that he hath eaten, and " he flourisheth the words of poAver are in his belly, and his sdfm " is not turned away from him. He hath eaten the knowledge of " every god, and his existence and the duration of his life are " eternal and everlasting in any sdhii which he is pleased to " make. Whatsoever he hateth he shall never do within the limits, ;
" offerino-s
;
Behold their soul, i.e., the "or, inside the borders of heaven. " soul of the gods, is in Unas, and their spirits are with him " his food
is
more abundant than that
"
is
"
Shadows are with
''
with, the doubly hidden
the flame of Unas.
of the gods, in whose bones
Behold their soul
is
with Unas, and their
their Forms, or Attributes.
Kha
gods
Unas
is
in,
or
a Sekhem, and having
(?) [as]
" performed [all] the ordinances of the (ceremony of) ploughing
" the seat of the heart of
Unas
shall be
among
the living upon this
" earth for ever and ever." last portion of the extract is of peculiar interest
The it
affords
some insight into the
about the constituent parts of
because
which the Egyptians held
beliefs
the economy
of the gods.
We
have
already seen that a />a, or soul, has been assigned to Unas, and hau, or " doubles," and hliu, or spirits, and a sdhii, and a sekhem ; the last
two words are
with approximate correctness by
The
soul
was
the
heart,
"power." and was
was able to consume was an integral part of a man, and was connected shadow, and came into being when he was born, and lived
the " double
in the
"spiritual body," and
intimately connected with
supposed to be gratified by
with his
but they are rendered
difficult to translate,
offerings,
which
it
"
tomb with the body
after death
;
the spirit was the seat of
ASHEM OF THE ASHEMU
UNAS, THE
40
the spiritual part of man, and gods and divine personages were
with
credited
the possession of
was the
spiritual body,
several
spirits
the
;
ethereal, intangible, transparent
lucent body, which was supposed, in dynastic times at to grow from the dead body, the form of which
seJihem
was the "power" which seems
to
it
.syTA^/,
or
and transall
events,
preserved
;
the
have animated the s^hu
and to have made it irresistible. From the extract given above from the text of Unas we learn that the gods were composed of all these various parts, and that in fact their economy resembled that
man in own image,
of
The
made their gods in their them superhuman powers. existence by means of a
other words, the Egyptians
;
only they attributed to
however,
gods,
preserved their
magical protection which they enjoyed, mehet,
by
hrl-au,
power
" ;
y
*j
$
which
°?
is
commonly
%\^
^
translated
,
and
also
"words of
the aim of every Egyptian was to obtain possession of
both the magical protection and the words of power, for they
thought that
if
they once were masters of these they would be able
to live like the gods.
that the only
way
In the
earliest times in
to obtain the strength
Egypt men thought
and immortality of the
gods was to eat the gods themselves, and so
we
read that Unas,
having eaten parts of the boiled bodies of the gods, " hath eaten " their words of
power (heJca), and swallowed their spirits {IcJm)." As a result of this he becomes the " Great Power," the " Power of Powers," i.e., the greatest Power in heaven. He becomes also the Ashem of Ashem, the great Ashem of the Ashemu, that is to say,
Ashem, and the greatest powers of the Ashemu beings are enshrined within him because he has within him the spirits and the words of power of the gods. But what is the meaning of Ashem ? In the text of Teta the word has for its determinative a hawk perched upon a standard,
the very essence of
^
_
,
which shows that
it
has some meaning connected with deity or
divinity, but it cannot be the
we
find it in the plural
name
form Ashemu,
of one divine being only, for
^^
^ ^ ^^^.
determinative, however, does not help us very much, for
it
The
proves
more than that some attribute of the Hawk-god Ileru was the hawk was undoubtedly the first ascribed to the Ashemu little
;
UNAS, THE
by the predynastic Egyptians, and
creature worshipped in consequence the
ASHEM OF THE ASHEMU
common
determinative of
all
41
^ became
words implying the
idea of deity or divinity, and of the proper names of the gods in a
very large number of passages in the hieroglyphic texts inscribed
on the walls of the chambers and corridors in the pyramids at
The common name
Sakkara. is
"neter,"
or
j,
|
Jj,
"god,"
for
we have
as
already seen,
with the plural "neteru,"
or
|,
|
|
or
i,
|
in ^
^^'
''
A-^ A-? ^^* ^^® fi^^ *^^*
times called "hawks,"
gods are called
^ ^^y^^V^^V even when
J
the female
,
" netert,"
^^==^ |
Dead^ the word Ashemu
^^1^ gods are some-
^^^6
is
^^ the Booh of
Pn PnPri-^
written
^^
¥\ ^^\^
be translated by " divine Ashemu," and as the
first
'?
wf
'
the
which may
determinative
is
a squatting hawk, we may assume that the word ashemu means " hawks." ^ If this assum^Dtion be correct, "Ashem of Ashem,
Ashemu," means " Hawk of Hawk, the Great the Hawks," and since the hawk was not only a god to
Great
Ashem
Hawk
of
of the
the predynastic Egyptians, but their oldest and greatest god, being
which is above, i.e., heaven, the passage Ashem, Ashem Great Ashem of the Ashemu,"' may very well be rendered " god of god, great god of the gods." Thus with the words of power and the spirits of the gods in him Unas becomes
in fact the spirit of that
"
of
the habitation of the power of God, and the firstborn of the gods.
He
is
now
able to go round about heaven at pleasure, and as the
Great Sekhem, or Power, his visible emblem
he
is
tion.
kings
is
Sail or Orion,
and
able to repeat his rising [daily] in heaven like this constellaIt is not
who had
Semitic people
improbable that the identification of Orion with eaten the gods filtered doAvn in tradition to the
who
lived in the Delta in dynastic times, and so
became the base of the legends about Orion which are found among the Arabs and Hebrews. 1
See the text of Unas, line 209
;
described as " male and female,"
|
/WW^A
my
in the text of Teta, line 197, the gods are
I
I
|
I
I
^\
_h!F^
°F=^
f
)
f'^'^Tj)
V\
_B^
Chapters of Coming Forth by Bay, Text, p. 128,
2
See
2
A variant form of the word is akhem %
Suppl., p. 279) renders
it
by "the symbol, or
SN^
visible
'
'=^
1.
-^
^
14,
^^^ Brugsch (Worterbuch,
form
of a god."
POWER OVER THE HEART
42
Modern travellers have put on record the fact that certain savage and semi-savage peoples were, even in recent times, in the habit of eating pieces of flesh of mighty wild animals or of strong men, and of drinking their blood with the view of absorbing their This idea nature, and life, and strength into their own bodies.^ also existed among the Egyptians, both predynastic and dynastic,
and we find an allusion to it in the extract from Unas under consideration, for he is said to take possession of the hearts of the gods, and to reckon up the thesu and heqesu, and to feed upon
The importance which the Egyptians attached to the possession of the physical heart, or of having power over it, is proved by many texts, and especially by several Chapters of the
fat S7nau.
of the Dead, wherein we find specially written for the protection
Boole
" hdtu
"
hearts,
may my
prayers which were
the
of
"may my
Chapter xxvi. the deceased prays,
"the house of
many
heart be to
me
hdti^ be to
Thus
heart.
me
in in
in the house of
Chapters xxvii., xxviii., and xxix. were written to
;
prevent the heart being carried away by those
and destroy them,
^5t^^
11
?
i
i
!!^
who
steal hearts
Chapter xxix. a
^^\ iV^i'
and was composed to prevent its death in the Underworld Chapters xxx.a and xxx.b were intended to prevent a man's heart from being driven away from him there, especially at the time of the Judgment, when it was weighed in the Great Scales. ;
and smau it is not easy to find From the connexion in which it occurs thesu must equivalents. mean either the vertebra or some internal organ of the body
For the words
thesu,
heqesu,
which resembles a tied or knotted cord, whilst of heqesu the In determinative proves that it also is an internal organ. Chapter xxx.a " heart "
{ah)
Homage
form of S
fl
^^ 1
2
!
to
the
deceased
Homage thee,
to
my
says,
thee, heseh,"
"
Homage
my which
hdti is
to
(pericardium
is
but curiously enough the determinative of In spite of this, however, it seems as a heart.
See Robertson Smith, The Beliglon of the Semites,
c=^ W
1^
^
the pericardium
(?).
In the ancient
p.
of the
hese/c,
if
the
295.
texts the hat, or hdti of a
'^^
was the seat
?)
probably a variant
heqes, J
my
thee,
words of power by means of which he maintained his
life.
god
THE HEART AND WORDS OF POWER
43
Mr. Frazer has quoted in his word actually means " liver." work^ instances which prove that savage tribes look upon the liver as the seat of the soul or life of man, and that portions of it are eaten by them with the view of acquiring the qualities of
The words of the text
the former possessor of the liver.
of
Unas
do not say definitely that the king ate the thesu and livers of the gods
who had been
killed for him, but
it
is
evident from the
On
context that they were supposed to form part of his food. other hand,
it is
" fat entrails,"
Li
^
,
JfJ
portions of
or those ft
said definitely that P
^
the
he did eat their smau saau, or
\^^
.
and their
them which were the
hearts,
-f
seats of the
^
,
hekau,
or words of magical power, which were the source of their
life.
Now internal
besides the spirits, and the words of power, and the
organs of the gods, Unas,
"knowledge,"
I
(I
^^m '^^
it
is
sda, of every god,
said,
hath eaten the
and the period of
his
merged into eternity and everlastingness, which he may pass in any way that pleaseth his spiritual body (sdh), and during this existence he has no need whatsoever to do anything which is distasteful to him. Moreover, the soul[s] and spirits of the gods are in and with Unas, and their souls, and their shadows, and their divine forms are with him. Thus we see that Unas has absorbed within his spiritual body all the life and power of the gods, and his portion is everlasting life, and he can do anything and everything he pleases. Here we should naturally expect the section to come to an end, but the last sentence goes on to say that Unas is with the double Kha god, who is invisible, or unknown, and that being a Power (sehhem) who hath performed [the ceremony] of ploughing, "the seat of the heart" of Unas shall " be among those who live upon this earth for ever and for ever."
life
and
his existence are
In this sentence we have an illustration of the difficulty of understanding and explaining the Egyptian religion and the doctrine
In the early portion of the passage from the text of
of the gods. 1
The Golden Bough,
2
The word here used
vol. is
ii.,
p.
db v/.
357 (2nd
edition).
THE DOUBLE LIFE OF UNAS
44
Unas already
translated and analyzed
we
king became the god of god, immortal and
power
in heaven, etc., but at the end of
the heart of Unas shall be for ever
of the
and
life
ever,
i.e.,
Unas
among
are told
how
invisible,
with supreme
the dead
we read that the seat of who live upon this earth
it
those
shall enjoy after death a continuation
which he began in
this
world
;
in fact, shall
double existence, the one heavenly and the other earthly.
have a
45
(
)
APPENDIX TO CHAPTER
UNAS, THE SLAYER
AND EATER OF THE GODS
m
^
D
^
496.
I
J\
kep
pet
dhi
sebii
nem
Poureth down water
heaven,
tremble
the stars,
go about
498. ^|i^^^
/I\ I
petchet
seta
the bow-bearers,
quake
Aker
qes
ker
the bones of Aker,
-
er
-
sen
those beneath
them AA/WNA
I
r\r\r\r\r\f\
499.
("
^[)p]
kenemu
em
1
f
k
neter
dnJch
em
rising
^i
~
[as] a soul
\-^l
ill-'
upon
a god [who] liveth
like
Unas
[when] they see
take to flight
f
usTieh
[and] feedeth
his fathers
500.
em
mut
upon The
1
p. 59)
;
-
f
Unas
his mothers.
text here given is
pa
Unas
neb
sabut
this [is] the lord of
from the Pyramid
of
Unas (Maspero,
the variants are from the Pyramid of Teta {Becueil, torn,
wisdom,
Becueil, torn,
v., p.
48,
1.
iv.,
319).
_s^ %
c^
c^
c:^
l\
SLAYER AND EATER OF THE GODS
46
501.
en
IcheifYi
milt
knoweth not
his
em
of
Unas c^
mother
his
-
f
sliepsu
ciiL
name.
Is the
noble rank ^^?c^
^^1 du
pet
heaven,
in
ren
f
^
D
feU'l Unas
-
is
502.
nser-f
em
Jchut
md
Tern
in
the horizon
like
Tern,
his strength
3
mes
au
dt-f
his father
he
;
U
'
ne^
503.
gj|] Unds
Are the doubles
of
Unas
useru
su
Tem) begot him
(i.e.,
Icau
die
-
[and]
eref
he became stronger than he.
"f ha -f behind him,
du
hemu
set-fi?)
the conquered [are]
I
retui-f
kher
beneath his two
em on
d])t -
feet.
f
his brow.
du neteru-f
tep-f
His gods are
on him.
du
dart
of
-
Unas
is
em
hdt-f
before him.
(m 3
Ci
*
u u u
t
His uraei are
Unds
semtu
The serpent guide
du
I
I
SLAYEK AND EATER OF THE GODS ^
D
[J %^!'T JM«M^ 111(111] ha
petret
Seeth
soul [his]
<^
fe
du useru
hliut
ent
hes
the spirit
of
fiame.
111
^
-f
Unds
protect him.
Unas
her meJcet
°()
pd
em
db-f
^
U
D
ka ha
pet
ra
en
with
his will,
506.
em
living
upon
neb
dm
em
QYQTj,
and eating
of
their belly
into being
with
words of power
from
this [is]
hhd
riseth
She
to
the lake of
dab
fill
Sdsd
en
Flame.
Jehu
provided with power against
Q
^\ (±m
er
apei'-d
meh
who come
their food
em
Unas
-
f
his spirits.
D
em like
ur
pu
a mighty one,
neb the lord
dmit
dst-d
in
the seat of the [of the gods].
hand
A
f J\
god
of
iu
sen
-
hehau
pd
Unas
,^emu
em
Unds
Unds
j
en neter
Jcheper
what coraeth
A^A/w\
A
"
khat-sen
het
the bull of heaven that thrusteth
this [is]
anJih
Unas
The powers of Unas
r
du
47
ft3
u
SLAYER AND EATER OF THE GODS
48
^p^^
[^^_
hems -f
sa
He
is
seated
d(|
Seh
Unas
pd
Seb.
Unas
this
^J
-f
dr
[with] his back
to
*
1^
utclid
mct-f
weigheth
(S||]
J^
his
508.
0.3
I
Amen
ren
with
1^
hru
pu
on day
this
-
csu
t
en
relches reiiiies
semsu
JJnds
1^['?0
of
slaughtering
the eldest [gods]
Unas
this [is]
^
D
I
f Hidden of Name
liend
word
AAAAAA
AAAAAA
''^^^
the lord
^
D
hetep
of the offering,
tes
dqa
an
tying
the knot,
making
dut
f
-
his meals
tchesef
Unas
pd
dm:
remth
dnkh
for himself.
Unas
this
eateth
men
[and] liveth
m
111 em
neteru
net
V a
annu
on the gods, the lord of the
offerings,
apt
Jihd
who examineth
the
lists
of
offerings.
ra
D
' -^ I
dV^
I
H
o
L
A ^o^o 1
D 1
V
SLAYER AND EATER OF THE GODS 1
5
\/
49
''^SX.'ASN.
i\
an
Am-hehuu
apt
dJchem
he who maketh to bow
Beliold,
sepeh
Am-kehuu
hath snared
them
foreheads,
i^n] V
Av^wtA
1
510.
^'
y)%:^
1
J\
AAA/V\A
*t«=fc
\
I
en
Unas
an
Tcfieser-tep-j Tcheser-tep-f
for
Unas.
Behold,
Tcheser-tep-f
^.e*—
T
I
khesef
[and] he hath driven them [to him].
A/VVW\
Her
an
sen
>
<^
f^Ar\/v^
I
nef
-
sen
-
>
"^
-
saa-nef-sen
hath known them
gas
-
nef
I
sen
hath bound them,
Her-thertu
Behold,
*t^—
_LE^
—21
thertu
AAAA/V\
an
Khensu
Behold,
Khensu
nehu
metes
tchat
the slaughterer of lords
-
/
sell
hath cut the throats of
them
dmt
en
Unas
she t -nef
for
Unas,
[and] he hath torn out
pu
apt [for]
he
is
habu
-n
'1
my
®
1
TMs
their belly.
ei'
khesef
sent
to
drive [them].
^ ^ ^ .
in
V VV
"
;
%=^
is
creature
is
I
1
mentioned in the Negative Confessioa
Chapters of Coming Forth hy Day, Text, p. 259,
1.
7
^ E
1J
see
41
a.
8 i?^-^
D
;
veJ
1
AAAAAA
sen
-
/
-
[whom] he
the messenger
what
hhat
wanting.
SLAYER AND EATER OF THE GODS
50
Y—Y 1
K^p
£L
an
Sliesemu
Behold, Shesemu
rehhes
-
AV\AAA
A^^VV\A
sen
f
hath cut them up
m
r^»
en
Unas
for
Unas,
nef
-
feses
he hath boiled
'(j^OO
o dlchet
dm
sen
em
them
in
-
pieces of
/
-
Jcetdt
his cauldrons
°1
+^
I^P
pa
dm
heJca -
du
uru
en
sen
-
Unas
blazing.
Unas
P
dam
sen
hath eaten their words of power.
this
meshert
Jehu
sen
-
[he] hath eaten
their spirits,
tuat
du her-dbu - sen
dshet-f
Their great ones are for his meal of the morning, their middle ones are
1-^ ^\m'i^
.^^ meshert
en
-
f
his sunset meal,
for
a[!!]^^
51^-1^ du
of the night,
1
du
IZSZI8 A^VVVV\
shereru-sen
their little ones are
A^\^V\
en
dsht-f his
for
meal
1^'P da
-
datu
se7i
their old ones (male)
-
sen
their old ones (female) are
i=s: A'^^vV>
AAVvAA
o o o
rin
luli 7
rm
m^{]
o
^
C)&b
SLAYER AND EATER OF THE GODS
51
^
"a'^ en
kapt
for
his furnace.
^-^z
an
dda
em
pet
Behold,
the great one
in
heaven
/
p"^a --
utu-nef
setchet
er
uhatu
hath shot
flame
against
the cauldrons
em
nu
khepeshu
semsu
du
sen
-
with the thighs of the eldest ones.
672,
Z77^<xs
of
Unas
shesert
hath
thro'svn [into]
^^^ 1^ ^^
A/V\A/V\
beneath them
Perer
dmu
-
-
pet
m
-Ro' o em
ketdt
^le/
P khert-sen
Perer-amu-pet
1 -
/n
^^0°
the cauldrons
retu
nu
the legs
of
^
AAAWN
D
nej nef
pet
c::i
hemt
-
sen
their women.
tehen leoen
ail
-
He hath gone round about
tem-thd
the double heaven, all of it,
D
du
perer
-
dfebu
Unas
pd
the two halves of Egypt.
Unas
this [isj
nef
he hath gone round about
^1
W
sekhem
ur
the sekhem
great,
fi<^«
sekhem the
sekhem
em
sekhemu
TJnds
of
the sekhemu.
Unas
D
^PkP^li AAA/WA
;ii
\n
SI
nr
515.
Jl
\-i*^
^2^
^
SLAYER AND EATER OF THE GODS
52
r ^^^
°^"
dshem
dshem
jyd
this [is] the
qemi
ur
asliemu
-
/
ashem, the ashem of the ashemu great. [What] he findeth
SurS
-I-
em
dm
uat
on
his
du
-f way
/
em
The protection of Unas
umu
em.
greedily.
it
sdhu
nebu
[that of] the sahu
all
hat
before
[is]
su
nef
he eateth
Unas
meket
V. -
Pk^¥ dmu
khut
JJnds
pd
in
the horizon.
Unas
this
semes is
the eldest
er
semsu
of
the old ones.
c=--j
du
He
perer
-
Jvhau
nef
hath gone round
du
uten
/www
(3(3(3
nef
shdut
-
he hath offered
thousands,
hundreds.
? dti
erta
-
Hath been given
nef to
d
him the hand
em
sehhem
ur
dn
as
the sekhem
great,
behold
D
r-vr-i
D
(1^^^^
/
SLAYER AND EATER OF THE GODS
^
nr \\\%.-(Em
on. 517.x
III
H
D
53
n;;>
Li
Sahii ]ahu
dr
neterii
Orion,
with
the gods.
du
^^^^^
^^^
II
-^^
i
en
7iem
u
i
i
TJnds
hJiatu
Hath repeated Unas
[his] rising
{sic)
u
^
em
jpet
in
heaven.
du
heseh
....
He
is
nef
-
He hath counted up
O
tesu
he hath eaten
•f\
du
of the gods.
nef
lord
du
livers.
r>
the hearts
-
as
A
Miut of the horizon.
thet
nef
S^o'
/VNAAAA
/l
dm
He hath
-
He hath taken possession of
518.(j^+-_
111 neteru
am
neh
heqesu
knots [and]
hdtu
du
em
the seben crown
laQC]
.
sehen
teshert
nef
-
eaten
the
Red Crown,
uatchetu
usheb
TJnds
em
the White Crown.
Feedeth
Unas
upon
smau
saau
hetepf
em-
dnkh
em
entrails
fat,
his offering
whereon
live
in [their] hearts
[is
hdtu
that]
AA/VW\
SLAYER AND EATER OF THE GODS
54
heJcau
-
du
dsth-f
se^i
Unas
words of power. Behold,
their
Unas
nesb
-
/
sebeshu
what
eateth
cast
is
out
U
1^ dmu [from]
Red Crown,
the
-^ em
dn
kz!
^\
ma-f
du
dm
[his] period of life
sdh
-
/
his sah.
U AA/VWV
•
turned back
-
eaten
A
o o
c
en
this
what
sen
words of power
±^l\
(3)
sahu
JJnds
the sahu
of
Unas
1 en
neter
neb
the intelligence
of
god
every,
[is] eternity,
])e7L
-
sda
nej
pd neheh
dhdu
in
is
em
hem
their
helm
H
He hath
from him.
em
not
his belly,
he flourisheth,
_^^^^
Jchat-f
are in
9
520.
du
uakhha -/
df
teshert
pd
tcher-f
his existence
is
everlastingness
merer -/
he
is
tchetta
pleased [to do]
dr
-
f
he doeth,
SLAYER AND EATER OF THE GODS mestchetch
-
an
f
[what] he hateth
not doeth he
neheh
tcJietta er
for ever
dr-nef
and
kJiu
Behold,
spirits their
er
AAWV\
I
qesu
-
I
sen
their bones,
.
(1= A/VVW\
em
[are] with
Unas,
more
ha
abundant
c±tp]
neteru
qerert
en
TJnds
The flame
of
Unas
J^^
yb
I
kher
ha-sen
behold,
their soul
(]=' AA/WV\
.^a
sen
dii
is
"I
with
em
TJnds
shadows
khd
kJia
1
dru
rising, rising,
hidden,
hidden,
a sekhem
having performed
I
'^
fl
dritu ....
'
AAAAAA
AAAAAA
\^\
'I
I
1
Q Q
enen
sekhem
111
in
[is]
their
dmen
-^
em
jTci^^
with these,
is
f
his food
523.
fgy] 1^ \\
^"^
_£lF^
[is]
khaibitu-sen
Unas,
-^Pt^V ]
I
TJnds
Unas
I
T
n
I
sek
-
^
/WWV\
-
kliet
—
v
Unas,
in
[is]
dmen
1
TJnds
^-Q,
their forms.
1
dmt
sen
-
of the horizon
in
dru
are with
khut
their soul
(l<:=^Vp^ 524.11^
md
\
-
the limits
TJnds
than [that of] the gods.
CCe
in
kher
sen
-
teller
ha
seJc
ever.
dm
55
the ordinances
/VAAAAA
<2>-
V\Qr-^^
SLAYER AND EATER OF THE GODS
56
ojp-
J^O
(SI
em
Tchebes
dst-db
Unas
of
ploughing,
525.^
the seat of the heart
of
Unas
em [is]
^ ^--^M
tv
k
r^
dnJchu
em
ta
pen
tchetta er
the living
on
earth
this
for ever
neheh
and
for ever.
among
57
(
)
CHAPTER
II
CONCEPTION OF GOD AND THE "GODS" texts in the p5rraniids of Unas and Teta and their T"^HE immediate successors prove that the religious literature of
the Egyptians contains a multitude of beliefs and opinions which
belong to
all
periods of their history, and represent different stages
Their ideas about the
in the development of their civilization.
various parts which constitute their material, and mental, and
have been conceived
spiritual existences cannot
all
at once,
but
it
very hard to say in respect of some of them which came first. We need not trouble about the order of the development of their is
ideas about the constituent parts of the gods, for in the earliest times, at least, the Egyptians only ascribed to
which they had already ascribed
them the
themselves;
to
attributes
once having
believed that they possessed doubles, shadows, souls, spirits, hearts, (i.e.,
the seats of the mental
life),
names, powers, and spiritual bodies,
they assigned the like to the gods.
But
if
the gods possessed
doubles, and shadows, and hearts, none of which, in the case of
man, can
exist without bodies, they too
must
possess bodies,
and
who could and make war, and
thus the Egyptians conceived the existence of gods eat,
and drink, and
grow
old,
and
die,
love,
and
and perish
hate,
and
fight,
as far as their bodies
were concerned.
although the texts show that in very early times they began to conceive monotheistic ideas, and to develop beliefs of a highly
And
Egyptians never succeeded in abandoning the crude opinion about the gods which their indigenous ancestors spiritual character, the
had formed long before the dynastic period of their history. It is, of course, impossible to assume that educated classes of Egypt held such opinions, notwithstanding the fact that religious texts which
BELIEFS IN IMMORTALITY
58
were written
and
for their benefit contain as great a
mixture of views
which were written
beliefs of all periods as those
humbler
for
folk.
The Book of
Dead
the
in all dynasties proves that the rich
and the poor, and the educated and the uneducated
prayed
alike
very Chapters in which they proclaimed
for funeral offerings in the
an existence in which material things were
their sure belief in
In the texts of the Early Empire the deceased
superfluities.
is
declared to be a god, or God, and the son of god, or God, and the oldest
god of
all,
Horus, gives him his eye, and he
God
throne by the side of
;
sits
on a great
same texts we read that he
yet in the
partakes of the figs and wine of the gods, that he drinks beer
which
lasts
for ever, that
he
thirsts not like the
God
Tefnut, and that the throne of
terminate
in
hoofs
like
those
ornamented with the faces of
made
is
of bulls,
gods Shu and
of iron, that
and that
its
its
legs
sides
are
The great god Horus gives
lions. ^
and yet there are in heaven enemies him his own " double who dare to oppose the deceased and although he is declared to be immortal, " all the gods give him of their food that he may not " (ka)^
;
" die," and he
down, clothed in white linen and wearing white
sits
with the gods by the lake in the Field of Peace, and
sandals,
partakes with them of the
wood
themselves live that he also
God he
is
and the goddess
God we
may
also the child of Sothis,
are
Isis
also
becomes
told
(or, tree)
of
life
Though he
live.
and the brother
his wife
;
though he
on which they is
the son of
of the is
Moon,
the son of
that his flesh and his bones have been
gathered together, that his material body has been reconstructed that his limbs perform all the functions of a healthy
he
lives as the
the
g:ods
;
and
;
as
gods live we see that from one point of view he and constituted
alike.
Instances
of
the mixture
of
with material ideas might be multiplied almost inde-
spiritual finitely,
are
body
and numbers of passages containing the most contradictory
statements might be adduced almost indefinitely to prove that the
beyond the grave, and about God and the gods were of a savage, childish, and inconsistent
ideas of the Egyptians about the world
1
The
passages from the
London, 1894, pp.
Ixxi.
ff.
Pyramid Texts are
collected in
my
Pajiyrzis of Ani,
COMPOSITE ANIMAL-GODS What, however, we have
character.
Egyptian religious texts
Egyptian in
to
in dealing with
that the innate conservatism of the
is
ages never permitted
all
remember
59
which had once found expression in
him
to relinquish
Avriting,
any
belief
and that the written
word was regarded by him as a sacred thing Avhich, whether he believed it not, must be copied and preserved with great care, and Thus if possible without any omission or addition whatsoever. religious ideas and beliefs which had been entirely forgotten by the people of Egypt generally were preserved and handed down for thousands of years by the scribes in the temples. The matter would have been simple enough if they had done this and nothing more, but unfortunately they incorporated
new
into
texts
and the various attempts which the harmonize
collections of old ones,
and
made
scribes
them resulted
in the confusion
of beliefs which in
to
the
priests
we now have
Egyptian religious works. Before
we
pass
the
to
consideration of the meaning of the old Egyptian
god and God,
name
for
"neter,"
i.e.,
mention must be made of a class
of
beings which were
supposed
to
partly animal and partly
Among
The serpent-lieaded leopard Setcha.
bodies
possess
the latter class
human, or were
may
of a composite character.
be mentioned the creature which has
the body of a leopard and the head and neck of a serpent, and was called " Setcha,"
M
;
•
J
and that which has the body of a
which grow a pair of wings, and the head of an called " Sefer,"
"';
I
lion,
eagle,
from
and
is
and that which has a body, the fore part
and the hind part that of a horse, and the head of a hawk, and an extended tail which terminates in a The name of this creature flower somewhat resembling the lotus. is Sak, —»— '^^ S and she is represented with a collar round her
being that of a
lion,
,
1
See Cliampollion, Monuments, torn,
3
Ibidf
iv.,
See also Newberry, Beni-Hasan,
Paris, 1845, pi. 382. ii.,
pi. iv.
COMPOSITE ANIMAL-GODS
60
neck, and with bars and
Among
stripes
on her body, which has eight
human, may be mentioned the leopard, with a human head and a pair of wings growing out of his back,^ and teats/
creatures, part animal part
human - headed
the
or
lion
The winged human
sphinx.
head which springs from the back of the leopard^ strongly reminds
one
modern
the
of
conventional representations of angels
in
religious
but as the name of lous creature
is
pictures, this fabu-
unknown,
it is
impossible even to guess at the The eagle-headed
reasons for which he was fur-
lion Sefer.
nished with a win2;ed
man's
In connexion with the composite animals enumerated above must be mentioned the "Devourer of Amenti," called "Am-mit, the Eater of the Dead," whose forequarters were those of a crocodile, and hindquarters those of a hippopotamus, and whose body was
head.
that of a lion,
=^
^^P at
Beni-hasan,
which the
in
figures of the Setcha, the Sefer,
and
Sak
the
depicted,
are
date from the Xllth Dynasty,
about
B.C.
no reason ceived
is
general appearance
it
much
1
See Rosellini, Monumcnti Chili,
"
Ihid., pi. xxiii.,
No.
6.
tail
long
before
that
Side by side with these
also
depicted
an animal
M^T
which has
Sha,
called
its
for supposing that
of
The fabulous beast Sak.
long square ears, and an extended
is
existence was not con-
their
time.
2500, and there
,
resembling an arrow, and in
resembles the animal of the god Set. pi. xxiii., '^
No.
4.
See Lepsius, Denkmdler,
iii.,
pi.
131.
COMPOSITE ANIMAL-GODS Two
61
explanations of the existence of such composite creatures
may
be given. They may be due either to the imagination of the Egyptians, which conceived of the existence of quadrupeds wherein were united the of
one
and
the
strength
animal
wisdom or cunning of
the
another,
e.g.,
Setcha which
united within
itself
the strength of the
leopard
with
the
cunnino; of the serpent, and the less
A
fabulous leopard.
name-
leopard with a man's winged head, or to the ignorance of
the ancients of natural history.
The human head on an animal
represented the intelligence of a man, and the wings the swift flight of the bird,
and the body of the leopard the strength and
the lithe motions of that animal.
such creatures the imagination fabrication
of fabulous monsters
In conceiving the existence of
may have been by legends or
assisted
in its
stories of pre-
dynastic animals which were current in certain parts of
Egypt
during the dynastic period. Thus, as we have said before, the monster serpents of Egyptian mythology have their pro-
totypes in the huge serpents
which lived in the country in primeval times, and there
no doubt originally,
that
Apep
is
was,
nothing more than
a huge serpent which lived in some mountain on the western bank of the Nile. On the other hand,
The animal Sha.
it is
possible that
the
Egyptians really believed in the existence of composite animals,
and that they never understood the impossibility of the head and neck of a serpent growing out of the body of a
lion, or
the head
COMPOSITE ANIMAL-GODS
62 of a
hawk out
of the
body
human head with
of a lion, or a
the
wings of a bird out of the body of a leopard. They were keen enough observers of the animals with which they came in contact
and their representations of them are wonderful accurate delineation of their forms and characteristics
for the
daily,
but of
;
animals which they had never seen, and could only
know from
the reports of travellers and others, naturally they could not give accurate representations.
Man
in all ages seems prone to believe
in the existence of composite animals and monsters, and the most cultured of the most ancient nations, e.g., the Egyptians and the
Babylonians,
form no exception to the
rule.
The early
seal-
cylinders of the Babylonians reveal their belief in the existence of
many
a fabulous and mythical animal, aud the boundary stones,
or landmarks, of a later period prove that composite animals were
supposed to watch over the boundaries of kingdoms and
estates,
which they preserved from invasion, and the winged man-headed bulls, which the Assyrians set up in the gates and doorways of their palaces to "protect the
made
footsteps of the kings Avho
them," indicate clearly that they duly followed the examples set
them by
their
kinsmen, the Babylonians.
From
the Assyrians
Ezekiel probably borrowed the ideas which he developed in his description in the first chapter of his book of the four-faced
Later, even the classical writers appeared
four-winged animals. to see
of
no absurdity in solemnly describing animals, the existence
which was impossible, and
HorapoUo,
i.
declaring that they possessed
in
powers which were contrary to
experience and knowledge.
all
10, gravely states that the scarabaeus represents an
only begotten, because the scarabaeus
being unconceived by a female, ^wov^ vTTo ^T^Xetas this
and
statement
jxr]
is
a creature self-produced,
^jiovoyeve
Kvo(^opovixevov
;
ff.),
etc.
iart to
and in one form or another
given by ^Elian (De.
Aristotle {Hist. An., iv. 7),
{Nat. Hist., xi. 20
is
Nat. Animal.,
iv.
49),
Porphyry {De Ahstlnentia, iv. 9), Pliny Of the man-headed lion at Gizeh, i.e.,
the Sphinx, Pliny, Diodorus,
Strabo, and other ancient writers
have given long descriptions, and
all
of
them seem
to take for
granted the existence of such a creature.
The second explanation, which
declares that composite animals
THE WORD NETER
63
who have no knowledge, common facts of natural
are the result of the imagination of peoples
or at
events a defective one, of the
all
history
not satisfactory, for the simple reason that composite
is
human
animals which are jDartly animal and partly
and
characteristics
and
as such they belong to a certain period
ment
form the
logical link
between animals and man,
and stage of develop-
in the history of every primitive people.
moment we
shall see that
many
powers
in their
we
If
think for a
Egypt are
of the gods of
closely
connected with this stage of development, and that comparatively
few
them
of
Avere
The Egyptians clung
ever
represented wholly in
man's
form.
to their representations of gods in animal
forms with great tenacity, and even in times when
it
is
certain
they cannot have believed in their existence they continued to
have them sculptured and |)ainted upon the walls of their temples curiously enough, they do not seem to have been sensible of the
which their conservatism brought down upon them from
ridicule
strangers.
We
common word
have already said above that the
given by
the Egyptians to God, and god, and spirits of every kind, and
beings of all sorts, and kinds, and forms, which were supposed to possess
any superhuman or supernatural power, was neter,
and the hieroglyph which
word and
also as
"god," and
or
^^^,
"]
|,
or
"goddess"
is
is
or
^^l],
|
'^Cl
^
full, e.g.,
Thus we have
.
\>
v wj
or
|
"gods;" the '
|
Jj
plural
is
^^^ common word
•
netert, which can be written T'^, or 1 ^=>,
^=>; sometimes the determinative of the word
or
,
used both as the determinative of this
an ideograph
sometimes written out in for
is
^
is
a
woman,
I
J)
,
and at other times a serpent,
"1
^=>
The
plural
is
^^^® ^ow to cousidcr what object
is
e.g.
.
J)^
NETERiT, I
^^ ^4 ^ B\
'•
^®
supposed to be represented by
,
and what the word neter means.
|
In Bunsen's Egypt's Place described
(i.,
as a hatchet; in
Nos. 556, 557, 623) the late Dr. Birch
1872 Dr. Brugsch placed ^ T among
I
"objets tranchants, armes," in his classified 1
list
of hieroglyphic
Index des MeroglyjpJies pTionetiques, No. 39 i.
THE AXE A SYMBOL OF GOD
64
two greatest masters of Egyptology considered l to be either a weapon or a cutting tool, and, in fact, assumed that the hieroglyphic represented an axe-head let into characters
;
thus
it is
clear that the
From
and fastened in a long wooden handle. the hieroglyphics are coloured
the texts wherein
tolerably clear that the axe-head
it is
by means of thongs of leather. The made of stone, or flint or chert, and later of earliest axe-heads were metal, and it is certain that when copper, bronze, and iron took the place of stone or flint, the method by which the head was fastened was fastened
to its handle
was considerably modified. Recently an attempt has resembled in outline " a roll of been made to show that the axe, " yellow cloth, the loAver part bound or laced over, the upper part to the handle
,
|
" appearing as a flap at the top probably for unwinding. It is " possible, indeed, that the present object represents a fetish, e.g., ''
a bone carefully
" alone."
But
-^
it
wound round with
cloth
and not the cloth
need hardly be said that no evidence for the
Whether the hierowas copied from something which was a roll of cloth or
correctness of these views
glyphic
is
forthcoming.
I
a fetish matters
little,
for the only rational determination of the
made by Drs. Birch and represented by is, in the
that which has already been
character
is
Brugsch,
and the object which
writer's opinion,
Mr. Legge
is
|
an axe and nothing has
emblem
presence of the axe as an
number
a
collected^
else,
of
examples of the
of divinity on the megaliths of
Brittany and in the prehistoric remains of the funeral caves of the
Marne, of Scandinavia, and of America, and, what
is
very
much
to
the point, he refers to an agate cylinder which was published by the late Adrien de Longperier, wherein priest
in Chaldaean
upright upon an
garb
altar.
ofl'ering
is
sacrifice
a representation of a to
an axe standing
Mr. Legge points out "that the axe
"appears on these monuments not
as
the representation of an
" object in daily use, but for religious or magical purposes," and goes on to say that this
is
proved by "the
fact that it is often
" found as a pendant and of such materials as gold, lead, and even
"amber; while that
it
" fastenings of the earlier 1
is
often represented with the peculiar
flint
Griffith, Hieroglyphs, p. 46.
weapon shows that 2
its
symbolic use
Proc, Soc. Bihl. Arch., 1899, p. 310.
THE AXE A SYMBOL OF GOD
65
"goes back to the neolithic and perhaps the palaeoHthic age." He is undoubtedly correct in thinking that the use of the stone axe precedes that of the
flint
arrow-head or
flint knife,
could be adduced in support of this view.
end of a
formed an
stick
weapon known
earliest
man found
and many
The stone
facts
tied to the
which was probably the
effective club,
to the predynastic Egyptians,
and subse-
weapon could be made more effective still and by rubbing down one end of it The earliest axe-head had a cutting edge to form a cutting edge. at each end, and was tied by leather thongs to the end of a stick by the middle, thus becoming a double axe examples of such a weapon appear to be given on the green slate object of the archaic quently
that this
by making the stone
flat
;
period which
is
Museum^
preserved in the British
20,792), where, however, the
forked wooden handles.
axe-heads
(Nos. 20,790,
appear to be fixed in
next form the axe-head has only one cutting edge, and the back of it is shaped for fastening to In
its
When we
a handle by means of leather thongs.
importance that the axe, whether as a weapon or primitive man,
we need not wonder
that
it
consider the tool,
became
to
was to
him
first
the symbol of physical force, or strength, and then of divinity or
By means
of the axe the predynastic Egyptians cut and slaughtered animals, in other words, the weapon
dominion.
down
trees
was mightier than the spirits or gods who dwelt in the trees and the animals, and as such became to them at a very early period an object of reverence and devotion. But besides this the axe must have been used in sacrificial ceremonies, wherein it would necessarily acquire great importance, and
the symbol of the ceremonies themselves.
head
as given
would
easily pass into
The shape
by the common hieroglyphic |
of the axe-
suggests that the
head was made of metal when the Egyptians first began to use the character as the symbol of divinity, and it is clear that this change in the material of which the axe -head was made would make the
weapon more Taking an axe, ^
A^e
See
F
my
effective than ever.
for granted, then, that the hieroglyphic
may
be sure that
History of Egypt,
vol.
it
ii.,
was used p. 10,
as a
where
it is
T
represents
symbol of power and figured and described.
THE WORD NETER
66
by the predynastic Egyptians long before the period when they were able to write, but we have no means of knowing what
divinity
they called the character or the axe before that period. dynastic times they certainly called
another difficulty presents
itself to
it
us
neter
as
when we
we have
In
seen, but
word the word it
try to find a
that will express the meaning Avhich they attached to
;
most important to obtain some idea of this meaning, for at the hase of it lies, no doubt, the Egyptian conception of divinity or is
The word neter has been discussed by many Egyptologists,
God.
but their conclusions as to
its
signification
are
not
identical.
M. Pierret thought in 1879 that the true meaning of the word is " renewal, because in the mythological conception, the god assures
by the renewal of himself in engender" ing himself perpetually." In the same year, in one of the Hibbert Lectures, Renouf declared that he was " able to affirm ^'himself everlasting youth
^
^'
with certainty that in this jDarticular case
we can
accurately
"determine the primitive notion attached to the word," i.e., to NUTAR (neter). Accordiug to him, " none of the explanations "hitherto given of
it
can be considered satisfactory," but he
thought that the explanation which he was about to propose would *' be generally accepted by scholars," because it was " arrived at as " the result of a special study of all the published passages in which ^'
the word occurs."
^
Closely allied to
nutar (neter)
word nutra (netra), and the meaning of both was
said
is
by Renouf
to be found in the Coptic rtoJUtTe or rfOJUi+, which, as
see from the passages quoted
rendered by the Greek words
by Tatham tcr^^vg,
another
we may
in his Lexicon (p. 310),
7rapdKkiqcn<^,
and
is
TrapaKaXelv.
The primary meaning of the word rfOJUi+ appears to be " strong," and having assumed that neter was equivalent in meaning to this word, Renouf stated boldly that neter signified "mighty," " might," " strong," and argued that it meant Power, " which is We may note in passing *'also the meaning of the Hebrew El." 1
*'
"
Le mot par
propre,
'
lequel
on rendait
I'idce
renouvellement,' parce que
de Dieu
|
^
i
nuter, signifie
dans la conception mythologique,
le
au
dieu
s'assure une eternelle jeunesse par le renouvellement de lui-meme, en s'engendrant " lui-meme perpctuellement." Essai sur la Mijthologie lEgypticnne, Pai'is, 1879, p. S.
•'
~
ReUgioji of Ancient Egypt, p. 93.
THE WORD NETER
67
meaning of "El," the Hebrew name for God, is unknown, and that the word itself is probably the name of an that the exact
ancient Semitic deity.
The passages which were quoted to prove that neter meant " strong, strength, power," and the like could, as M. Maspero has M. Maspero combats rightly the said,^ be explained differently. attempt to make "strong" the meaning of neter (masc), or NETERiT (fem.), in these words " In the expressions a town " neterit,' an arm neteri,' .... is it certain that a strong city,' '
:
'
'
"
^
"
among
a strong arm,' gives us the primitive sense of neter ourselves one
" poetry,' "
woman
'
says
divine music,'
the divine taste of a peach,' [the word] divine
'
'
"
'
the divine beauty of a
meant
'
it
would be a
exquisite
because
'
the phrases which I have imagined one could apply
exquisite music,'
" taste of a peach,'
" in
Egyptian
" neteri " in
'
is
'
'
'
'
a piece of exquisite poetry,'
a town
netevit
'
a
is
[the word]
as is
any more necessary
'
'
divine
divine
meaning strong of '
'
" original meaning."
it
as
the exquisite
Similarly
an arm town employed metaphorically divine
'
it
'
;
'
in French, without its
word] neteri the
to attribute to [the
the primitive
'
'
is
"primitive meaning of 'strong,' than " word]
'
the exquisite beauty of a woman.'
a divine arm,' and neteri
Egyptian
" being
"
When
?
a piece of divine
a hyperbole, but
is
" mistake to declare that it originally
" in
'
'
is
meaning
neteri, if it exists, is
to attribute to [the
of
'
exquisite.'
The
a derived and not an
^
The view taken about the meaning of neter by the late Dr. Brugsch was entirely different, for he thought that the fundamental meaning of the word was " the operative power which " created and produced things by periodical recurrence, and gave " them new life and restored to them the freshness of youth (die " thatige Kraft, welche in periodischer Wiederkehr die Dinge " erzeugt und erschafft, ihnen neues Leben verleiht und die " Jugendfrische zuriickgiebt." ^ The first part of the work from which these words are quoted appeared in 1885, but that Dr.
Brugsch held much the same views 1
Etudes de Mythologie
2
Maspero, op.
cit.,
et
six years later
d'Archeologie Sgyptiennes, torn,
p. 215.
^
ii.,
is
evident
p. 215.
Eeligion und Mythologie, p. 93.
THE WORD NETER
68
from the following extract from his volume entitled Die Aegyptologie (p.
166),
which appeared
in 1891.
Referring to Renonf's
contention that neter has a meaning equivalent to the Greek Bvpafxt^,
he says, " Es liegt auf der Hand, dass der Gottesname in
Sinne von Starker, Miichtiger, vieles fur sich hat,
*•
" als selbst leblose Gegenstande, wie
z.
um
mehr
so
B. ein Baustein, adjek-
" tivisch als nutri d. h. stark, miichtig, nicht selten bezeichnet " werden. Aber so vieles diese ErklUrung fiir sich zu haben " schient,
wenig stimmt
zu der Thatsache, dass in den (XVIII Dynastie) das Wort nutr als " ein Synonym fiir die Vorstellung der Verjungung oder Erneue" rung auftritt. Es diente zum Ausdruck der periodisch wieder" kehrenden Jugendfrische nach Alter und Tod, so dass selbst dem " Menschen in den altesten Sarginschriften zugerufen wird, er sei so
sie
" Texten aus der besten Zeit
" fortan in einen Gott d. h. in ein
" umgewandelt.
Wesen mit jugendlicher
Ich lasse es dahin gestellt sein, nach welcher
" Richtung hin die aufgeworfene Streitfrage zu " oder der
anderen AufFassung
" sei nur betont, dass das " GottesbegrifF der alten "
Frische
Wort
entschieden |
Aegypter in
Gunsten der einen
werden wird
;
hier
nuh\ nute, den eigentlichen sich schliesst
ganz besonderen Aufmerksamkeit werth
und daher einen
ist."
In this passage Dr. Brugsch substantially agrees with Pierrot's
views quoted above, but he appears to have withdrawn from the position which he took
up
he asserted that the essential that of the Greek
<^vcrt?
und Mythologie, wherein meanins; of neter was identical with
in his Religion
and the Latin " natura."
^
It
need hardly
be said that there are no good grounds for such an assertion, and difficult to see
it is
to
how
the eminent Egyptologist could attempt
compare the conceptions of God formed by a
half-civilized
African people with those of such cultured nations as the Greeks
and the Romans.
The is
solution of the difficulty of finding a
not brought any nearer
when we
meaning
for
neter
consider the vioAvs of such
distinguished Egyptologists as E. de Rouge, Lieblein, and Maspero. 1
"
Der
(p. 93.)
dieses Wortes deckt sich dalier vollstiiudig mit der urBedeutung des griechisclien physis und des lateinisclien natura."
lubegi'iff
" spriinglichen
THE WORD NETER The
'^
commenting on the passage
of these ia
first
69
|
^-3
rjj |
^
(variant
(jQ
|
-
'^^^
y ^^
i
)
which he translates " Dieu
?
" devenant dieu (en) s'engendrant lui-meme," says in his excellent
Ghrestomathie Egijjptienne (iii. p. 24), " One knows not exactly the " meaning of the verb miter, which forms the radical of the word " nuter, god.' It is an idea analagous to to become,' or renew '
'
" oneself,' for
nuteri
is
applied to
'
the resuscitated soul which
" clothes itself in its immortal form."
Thus we find that one of the greatest Egyptologists thinks that the exact meaning of neter is unknown, but he suggests that it may have a signification not Prof. Lieblein goes a step unlike that proposed by Pierret. further than E. de Rouge, for he to
show the
known
first
origin of the idea of God
historically.
" Europeans,
"
what do
When
we,
now
"
must
the
word
in Latin
also in Sanskrit
" signification.
That
for
is
and the northern
and northern language
tivi,
tivar
signifies
is
as
;
God
it
from the beginning have had the same to
say,
the Arians, or Indo-Europeans,
"
when they
"
if
this
word, as early as
lived together in their original home.
still
Indo-
take the
instance,
must have combined the idea of God with
word
impossible
is
among any people hitherto
"
the
it
The Sanskrit word deva
Ave find there ?
" identical with the Latin deus,
"
of opinion that
is
Because,
home had had another more
in their pre-historic
" primitive signification, the wonder Avould have happened, that " the
word had
accidentally gone through the
" of signification with " this
is
" tion of
God
"
in the original
word must have had the
Indo-European language.
As
and presume
that, in this
language
significa-
One could also, it
was
word derived from others, and consequently originated from a
still
earlier pre-historic language.
All things considered
" possible, even probable, that the idea of " in
same development
these people after their separation.
quite improbable, the
" go even farther " a
all
an
earlier period of languages,
" future will
it
is
God has developed
itself
than the Indo-European.
The The
perhaps be able to supply evidence for
this.
" science of languages has been able partly to reconstruct an Indo''
European
pre-historic
language.
It
might
be able also to
" reconstruct a pre-historic Semitic, and a pre-historic Hamitic,
THE WORD NETER
70
" and of these three pre-historic languages, whose " nexion
" gradually,
only guesses,
not
it
it
we
will,
trust in time, be able to extract a
" earlier pre-historic language,
still
which according to analogy might
When we
" be called Noahitic,
con-
original
but even commences to prove
have come so
far,
we
most
shall
" likely in this pre-historic language, also find words expressing " the idea of God.
" has not " It
may
come
But
so
is
even
jDOssible that the
God
idea of
into existence in this pre-historic language either.
be that the
first
" should be ascribed to ''
it
dawning of the
still
deeply buried that
idea,
and the word God
earlier languages, to layers of languages
it
even to excavate
will be impossible
" them. Between the time of inhabiting ca^es in the quaternian " period, and the historical kingdoms, there is such a long space of " time, that
it
difficult to entertain the idea, that it
is
was quite
" devoid of any conception of divinity, so that this should " have sprung
up
in the historical time.
In any case
" be able to prove historically where and " arose,
who
are the
when
we
first
shall not
the question
first
superhuman powers whose activity we see life. Although the Egyptians are
and in human
" daily in nature
" the earliest civilized people
known
in history,
and just therefore
" especially important for the science of religion, yet
it
is
even
" there impossible to point out the origin of the conception of the
" deity. " "
"
monuments of Egypt bring before us the gods of nature chiefly, and among these especially the sun. They mention, however, already early (in the IVth and Vth Dynasties) now and then the great power, or the great God, it The
oldest
" being uncertain whether this refers to the sun, or another god of " nature, or
if it
was a general appellation of the vague idea of a
" supernatural power, possibly inherited
by the Egyptians. It is God indicated on the monuments, from the the IVth Dynasty, and later on, who has given occasion to the false belief that the oldest religion of the Egyptians was pure
" probably this great " "
" monotheism.
But
firstly, it
must he observed, that he
is
not
" mentioned alone but alongside of the other gods, secondly, that " he
is
merely called
'
The great God,' being otherwise without God of whom nothing else is
" distinguishing appellations, and a
" mentioned, has, so to speak, to use Hegel's language, merely an
THE WORD NETER " abstract
that
existence,
by
71
examination dissolves into
closer
" nothing." It
necessary to quote Professor Lieblein's opinion at length
is
because he was one of the connection with
its
God in evolved by Aryan
the earliest idea of
first to discuss
alleged similarity to that
however, he were to rewrite the passage given above in the light of modern research he Avould, we think, modify many of nations
if,
;
his conclusions.
For our present purpose
that he believes
it
is
it
among
which we need quote
that of M. Maspero,
tion it
if
is
the Egyptians.
The
last
who not
opinion
only says
the
unkno^v^l.
is
In other words,
has the meaning of god, but
it
teaches us nothing as to the primitive value of this word.
must be
note
word netee or netri really has the meaning of it is a derived and not an original meaning, and he declare that the word is so old that its earliest significa-
boldly that
prefers to
sufficient to
impossible to point out the origin of the
conception of the deity
" strong "
is
he
careful,
says, not to let it suggest the
modern
We
religious
or philosophical definitions of god which are current to-day, for an
Egyptian god
is
a being
who
is
born and
imperfect, and corporeal, and
finite,
and
virtues,
vices. ^
is
This statement
dies, like
endowed with
is,
man, and passions,
and
of course, true as regards
the gods of the Egyptians at several periods of their history, but
must be
distinctly understood,
and
is
it
cannot be too plainly stated,
it
that side by side with such conceptions there existed, at least
among far
the educated Egyptians, ideas of monotheism which are not
removed from those of modern
From what the view that
nations.
we see that some scholars take the word neter may mean "renewal," or "strength," has been said above
or " strong," or " to become," or
and that others think
its
some idea which suggests "renewal," original meaning is not only unknown,
But although we may not be able to discover the exact meaning which the word had in j)redynastic times, we may gain some idea of the meaning which was attached to it in the dynastic period by an examination of a few passages from the hymns and Chapters which are found in the but that
it is
impossible to find
1
Egyptian Beligion, by
"
La
it
out.
J. Lieblein, Leipzig,
Mytliologie jSgyptienne (iStudes
cle
1884.
Mythologie, torn,
ii.,
p. 215).
THE WORD NETER
72
In the text of Pepi
various versions of the Book of the Bead. (line
— 191) we have the words :
He
"
Behold thy son Horus, to
1.
whom
hath not placed this Pepi at the
^'
thou hast given birth.
'^'
head of the dead, but he hath
him among the gods
set
neteru,'*
U
^^_ 1
% ^^mi'^^V*
must be an
adjective,
^^^
^^^® neteru,
"1
<^ "^
»
and we are clearly intended to understand
that the gods referred to are those which have the attribute of
<^ "vN
neteru; since the "gods neteru," |
dead"
opposition to "the
gods as " living,"
i.e.,
?ie^er,
we read
is
Unas
(line
souls
which possess the quality of
to the
569)
Vth and Vlth
if
we
to possess the quality of
the quality of neter
J
the XVIIIth and XlXth,
etc.,
we
(1
are to regard the life.
^^z:::^
mentioned
;
In the text of
^^
and
<=:>,
nete7\
i.e.,
a
|
in the text of
^^,<^,^^,
of Ijaui netrui,
Dynasties.
are mentioned in
,
|
|
seems as
it
the same king (line 419) a bdk
hawk having
|
or the two
These examples belong
Passing to later dynasties,
i.e.,
find the following examples of
the use of the words neter and netri
—
O i-i±^i^^^ioi TrZ-i\n\^' \\
hun
netri
aa
Boy
netri.
h-eir
I
am
til
em
devoted in
er
se-mes
su tchesef
of eternity, begetting and giving birth to himself.
^ w ta-d
utet
Iwli
I
111
dh-d
dti
halcai
my heart
Avithout
feigning
netri
thou
neteru
more than
the gods.
my
1
See
2
lUd.,
Chapters of Coming Forth
p. 43,
1.
4.
J>y
Day, Text,
p. 11,
w
1.
10.
netri
THE WORD NETER
73
AAAA/V\
<j
I I
tchel
-
tu
pen
re
4.
>
I
I
mahu
en
netrdt
a crown
of
netrdt.
her
Shall be said this chapter over
*~
"^
I
1 neter I
have become
dit
-
d
n
hlid
-
^i
^
hud
em
have risen up
I
in
J^
1 &(i^
w Tze^rz
hawk
the form of a
^^ei^W.
AA/VW\
1
AAA/VV\
«& I
neter.
e
^\
6.
hid
-
Hefe?' -
^t<(i
have become pure,
I
hud
have become
hud
hJiu
I
7ieter,
have become a spirit (hhu),
user
hud
-
become
I have
ha
strong,
I
hud
-
have become a soul
unen-f
neter
md
neteru
His being
neter
with
the gods
(or,
he
em
(&«).
Neter -hhertet
in the Neter-khertet.
shall be)
^6 1 du
He
-
netrd
/
shall
my
1
See
2
I6icZ., p.
=
J6«VZ., p.
netrd
his
body
Chapters of Coming Forth by 154,
417,
1. 1.
6.
12.
temtu
hhat-f
3
IZ/iVI.,
all.
JDaij, p.
p. 168, 6
1.
80,
1.
10.
3.
jjj^,^ p^ 419^
lud.,
^ i,
7,
p.
174,
1.
15.
THE WORD NETER
74
'•1 h
em
^;er
Sehut
thy soul
in
the house of
Sebut.
ha
netri
u
They make
neter
-
^^{L
''
netri
/
-
He makes
})a
h
-
thy soul
neter
l^fl
s-^
neter
netri
Icheper tchesef
God
netri,
self-produced,
'1-11
Kow,
in the above examples
words " strong netri, give
"
or " strength,"
md
neteru
like
the gods.
03
it is
when
paut
primeval matter. easy to see that although the applied to translate neter or
a tolerably suitable sense in some of them,
it
is
where the deceased
is
made
out of place in others,
e.g.,
in No. 6,
say that he has acquired the quality of neter, and a
and
soul,
is,
moreover, strong;
this passage is user,
From
neter.
and
it
spirit,
quite
word rendered "strong"
the
to
and a in
expresses an entirely different idea from
the fact that neter
is
mentioned in No.
1 in
connection
with eternal existence, and self-begetting, and self-production, and in No. 11 with self-production
and primeval matter,
it
is
almost
impossible not to think that the word has a meaning which closely allied to the ideas of " self-existence,"
" renew
life
is
and the power to
indefinitely," and " self-production."
In other words,
mean a being who has the power to generate life, and to maintain it when generated. It is useless to attempt to explain the word by Coptic etymologies, for it has passed over directly
neter appears to
under the forms nouti rfovi", ^^^ noute consonant, r, having disappeared through phonetic
into the Coptic language
rfOYTe, the
last
decay, and the translators of the Holy Scriptures from that language
used
new
it
to express the
light
is
my
words " God
"
and " Lord."
Meanwhile, until
thrown upon the subject by the discovery of Chapters of Covniuj Forth
1
See
2
Ibid, p. 511,
1.
13.
hij
Day, Text, '
^
p.
509,
1.
13.
Ibid, p. 49,
1.
1.
inscrip-
THE PRIMITIVE GOD
75
any which we now have, we must be content to accept the approximate meaning of neter suggested above. The worship of the gods (neterii), which began far awayback in predynastic times, continued through the archaic and tions older than
dynastic periods, and
our era
it is
;
LVth or Vth century of respect of some of them the
lasted until the
tolerably certain that in
ideas of the Egyptians never changed, but, as regards others, their
views did not remain as constant as some writers would have us imagine.
had
its
In the earliest days every village community in Egypt
who
local god,
community
to
shared the good or evil fortune of the
which he belonged.
His emblem or symbol was
carried out to war, and was, of course, present at
gatherings
when matters connected with
A
were discussed. its
special habitation
upkeep was provided
for out of
aU great public
the welfare of his devotees
was
set apart for him,
common
funds.
As
and
the riches
of the people of the \allage increased, the rank and dignity of their
god kept pace with them, but his revenues suffered in times of scarcity, and defeat, and war his emblem might even be carried ;
off into captivity
which dwelt in
and burnt, or smashed, when, of course, the his
symbol was
such early gods was legion, for several gods, each of attribute.
When
a
large communities possessed
which was famed
man
left
The number of
also destroyed.
many
one
spirit
locally for
villao;e
and
some particular
settled in another
he took his god or gods with him, but he would be obliged to
acknowledge the god of the village or city in which he had made his
new abode, and and of
its
to contribute towards the
small compound.
The reduction
Egypt began when man
first
maintenance of his house
in the
number
of the gods
realized that certain gods
were
mightier than others, for he ceased gradually to worship those
who
had, in his opinion, failed to justify his belief in them, and
transferred his allegiance to the gods
the most help.
who were
able to give
him
In process of time the god or goddess of a certain
town would obtain a fame and reputation for power which would outrival those of the deities of the neighbouring cities, and the growth of the worship of such god or goddess would be accompanied by a corresponding decline in that of the gods in the towns round about. The gods, in the first instance, grew by village
or
SELECTION OF GODS
76
a process of selection out of the spirits
towards
man and were
who were
well disposed
helpful to him, and the ''great gods
"
of the
Egyptians were evolved, practically, in a somewhat similar manner. It is at present hopeless to attempt to enumerate all the gods
who
were, from
first to last,
worshijDped by the Egyptians, for
it
will not be possible to do this until every text extant has been
Meanwhile an examination of the
published.
religious literature
known
to us proves that a
Egyptian
earliest
number
who
of gods
were of some importance in the polytheistic system of the Early
Empire dropped out from Empire, and thus collect the
names
it
is
very doubtful
make
a
of
list
if Ave
shall ever
be able to
who have been worshipped Archaic and Roman periods,
of all the gods
Valley of the Nile between the to
the predynastic gods
all
New
long before the period of the
it
Future discoveries in Egypt
may
is
in the
whilst
manifestly impossible.
produce texts that will
tell
us which were the favourite gods in the archaic period and give us
some idea
as to the pronunciation of their names, for
we have
reason to think that during the greater part of that period the If ever such texts are
Egyptians were able to write. light
we
probably find that the gods
shall
who were
brought to Avorshipped
during the archaic period Avere those Avho Avere popular in the predynastic period, just as we find that the gods of the Egyptians of the Middle
New
and
Empires were
and purposes
to all intents
the same as those of the Egyptians of the Early Empire. generally,
it
may
be said that the Egyptians of the greater part of
the dynastic period of their history invented that they were
Speaking
feAv
ncAv gods, and
Avell content to Avorship such deities as Avere
to their ancestors
;
Ave
know
known
that they admitted, at times, foreign
gods into the assembly of the old Egyptian gods, but the religious texts prove that they Avere never alloAved to usurp the functions of
the indigenous gods.
them a
certain
amount
Political
and other reasons might secure
of recognition in the country generally,
for
and
the people of the cities Avhere their emblems and statues found resting-places treated
marked a
them
characteristic of
Avith the
many
easy toleration Avhich
countries in the East
;
is
so
but as soon
as such reasons disajDpeared the foreign gods Avere quietly ignored,
and
in a short time their Avorship Avas forgotten.
This statement
is
GODS OF THE EARLIEST DYNASTIES not intended to apply to the gods
Egypt
city or district of
into
who
77
Avere introduced
from one
we know
that the
another, for
Egyptian priesthood and people of a given city were ready to show hospitality to almost any god of any town, or city, or district, provided that he belonged to the same comjniny as that of which the chief local
We
god was a member.
have, unfortunately, no long connected religious texts in
the forms in which they must have existed under the dynasties,
four
first
and we cannot therefore say what gods were worshipped There
during that period.
as has
is,
been shown elsewhere,^ good
reason for believing that some parts of the Booh of the
Dead were
revised or edited during the early part of the period of the 1st
Dynasty, and
if this
be so we
may assume
that the religious system
of the Egyptians as revealed in the texts of a
much later time
closely
resembled that which was in existence in the later part of the archaic period,
i.e.,
during the
first
Under the Vth
three dynasties.
and VI th Dynasties we touch firmer ground, and we find abundant, though not complete, materials
and their attributes
Egypt
for the study of the gods of
which were pyramid tombs of Unas, Teta, Pejoi I., Mer-enRa-Mehti-em-sa-f, and Pepi II. An examination of these texts in the lengthy hieroglyphic texts
inscribed inside the
reveals the existence of an established theological system in Egypt,
and we find that even
more or
less,
at that time the literature in
which
it
thought and expressions of belief which belonged to periods of which
was,
expounded, contained innumerable layers of religious
must have been separated by long
gods are mentioned in such a
way
as to
intervals of time.
many The
prove that the writers of
the texts, or at least the copyists, assumed that the reader would
be well acquainted with the subject matter of the compositions, and
from
first to last
them.
The
of the gods as gods
neither explanation nor gloss
to be
is
found in
texts are, of course, sepulchral, and the greater
number
mentioned in them are referred to in their characters
who
deal with the souls of the dead in the world
beyond
the grave.
The Sun-god Ra and the gods of
his cycle,
and judge of the dead, and the gods of 1
and
Osiris,
his cycle,
See iny Boole of the Dead, London, 1901, vol.
i.,
the god
have definite
p. xxxiii.
GODS OF THE ARCHAIC PERIOD
78 positions
and duties assigned
to them,
and
it is
very clear that both
the texts which describe these and the ceremonies which were
performed in connection with the words recited by the priests were, even under the Vth Dynasty, extremely ancient. Moreover, it is certain that the religious texts in use for fimeral purposes
under
that dynasty are substantially those which were compiled several
We may note
centuries before.
were edited by the
priests of
in passing that the funeral books
Annu
or
Ann,
i.e.,
Heliopolis,
a result they exhibit traces of the influence of the
opinions of the great priestly college of that city the views and beliefs which
may
;
and
as
theological
but at bottom
be deduced from them, and the
fundamental conceptions to which they give expression are the products of the minds of the predynastic, indigenous Egyptians.
To the return
later,
who
are
Among
Texts at Sakkara.
made known
°
Ptah (Teta 88)
to us
the great gods
worshipped in the early archaic period
by the Pyramid
who were
may be mentioned
certainly :
^em,^ or Horus (Mer-en-Ra 454)
|
/WVW\
J
(Unas 199)
Kheper
(Unas 444)
^z^
j
Net, or Neith (Unas 67)
Ra
shall
and we may therefore pass on to the enumeration of
the principal gods
Nu
we
consideration of the Heliopolitan religious system
g
Kheprer) (PepiII.S56) -crib's
O
{passim)
Khnemu
(Unas 556)
Sebek (Unas 565)
Het-Heru (Hathor)
9^
[1
J
Of these gods Heru, or Horus, was the hawk-god, i.e., the Kheper was spirit and personification of the "height" of heaven ;
Khnemu
and Sel^ek the crocodilegod Net or Neith was originally a wood-spirit, Ra and Ptah were two forms of the Sun-god, and Nu Avas the watery mass of heaven
the beetle-god
;
the ram-god
;
;
1
Or,
2
Or,
3
Or,
OO
(Unas, 399), or
^
^ ^^
^^^
^
(Teta, 78).
(Unas, 272).
Heru-ur, " Horus the elder " (Unas, 358).
GODS OF THE PYRAMID TEXTS in Avhicli
he
With Ra and Kheper the
lived.
79
priests of Heliopolis
associated the form of the in their city,
Ra-Tem ^^^P^^^'^ (line
Sun-god which was specially worshipped and thus we have mentioned the compound gods
©^
^S^^
626) Sebek
called
(Unas
224,
(^^Pi
II-
^
texts be correct the
^ m ^^ ^ S
'
must be
it ^^'
Tem-
and
458),
In the text of Unas
^^2).
J "J^ -<s>- ^ [v^
"lord of Barn,"
and in any case
spelt,
Mer-en-Ra
styled " son of Net,"
is
XVIIIth Dynasty
J
216,
^ "V^, and he
is
also
565); but
if
the
(line
name
of this place
is
mis-
Bakhau,
identical Avith the
^^C)untain of the Sunrise of Chapter cviii.
Booh of the Dead. The following is a principal gods mentioned in the Pyramid Texts of the
of the other
list
:
Ahu
(Pepi
II.
850) r^^^-^
Ana (Unas t\
1
Anpu Aker (Unas 498,
614, Teta 309)
Api (Unas 487)
I]
V
Ap-uat (Unas 187)
Amen
D
f^
^
An-mut-f (Pepi
772)
11.
651)
I.
^ Akhet-nen-tha (Teta 307)
(Unas 557)
^
/WV\AA
^
/wwv^
t\
iii)f
Ament (Unas
j^
(j
(Unas 71, 207, 219)
An-tcher-f (Pepi
.
H
272, 275)
mn 1
"\
n 1
557) Asar, Osiris (passim)
Am-henth-f (Pepi
I.
A
666) Ast, Isis (Unas 181)
Am-sepa-f (Pepi
I.
Asken (Pepi
666)
or
Pepi
Ahu
II.,
1.
1324)
t\
^
Min (Unas 377)
Amset (Teta 1
II.
A
xiter-asfet (Pepi II. 980)
S'ttttS
Amsu
f\
"^
60, 197)
h
|\
Ankh
appears to be identical with ^=^1320.
,
(Pepi
who
is
I.
672)
Amsu
or
f Min
-aofc-
;
see
GODS OF THE PYRAMID TEXTS
80
I-en-lier-pes
^^.
(Unas 392) variants
Ualm
(Teta 333)
Ur-sheps-f (Pepi
are
^^^^ Vi>
f{lfW I.
671)
^
Ment (Pepi
'^
°
11.
Mentef (Pepi
'
=
849)
II.
Urt-hekau (Unas 269)
(1
\
1228)
V
Urt (Unas 272)
The
"
Menth (Mer-en-Ra 784)
Meht-urt (Unas 427, 623)
^
Usert (Unas 229)
Uthes (Pepi
II.
"]
P
"T Meht-urt (Unas 427, 623)
976)
cxzzx:
fwv\/V\ "^^^^^^^ _JX_~^
A.AAAAA /VW\AA
Ba (Mer-en-Ra
784)
o^
^J
Baba (Unas 532)
J
Babi (Unas 644, 647)
J^ J
Baabu
(Pepi
I.
568)
L
569)
I.
645)
Em-khent-maati (Pepi
I.
645)
1
(]()
J "^f) J^
Babua (Pepi I. 604) J Bastet (Pepi
Em-khent-maati (Pepi
"^ J^(]'
^
-C2>-
^^
Meskha (Unas 567) | ^ Meskhaat (Pepi I. 671)
JP"^^"'
Ba-ashem-f (Mer-en-Ra 784) Metchetat (Pepi
11.
956)
D
Pent (Unas 280)
AA/\AAA
Nau (Unas
Pesetchet (Unas 417) I
II
III
^^-^
557)
(]
f^ J ^ >^-J
Nubt (Unas 479)
-^^
Maat-Khnemu(PepiI.445) ^ Q
Nebt-het (Unas 220)
Maat (Unas 220)
Nefer-Tem (Unas 395)
1
This god
is
^
said to have a " red ear "
^"^ ^.
~
Var.
^
^
J
p
^
clinic
GODS OF THE PYRAMID TEXTS Enen (Unas 557)) Enenet (Unas 240))
Hem
-j--j-
;].1|,
<0
1
C
81 "
(Pepi
Hemen
I.
(Pepi
\a^
641)
H. 850)
'^^^
§
/N AA/WV\
XJo
Xekhben (Unas 459)
^
Hen-pesetchti (Teta 309)
Nehebkau (Unas 559)
Hent (Unas 417)
Neht (Unas 601)
Hunt
(Teta 357)
Heru
(passim)
^
^ ^
Nekhebet (Mer-en-Ra 762)
|
+
^
^
^^
A/V>
Nesert (Unas 269)
Heru-aah (Teta 365)
—
M
'—
Neti (Unas 279)
cr^lf^
Netetthab (Unas 598)
^ ^
^^
^
'
|fl
Heru-am-henu (Unas 211)
'O'
Renenut (Unas 441)
Heru-khent-peru (Unas 202)
Rurutha (Pepi H. 976, 979)
H eru-kliesbetcb-maat i(Unas3 69)
Hepath (Pepi
I.
636)
Hem-khuttha (Unas 471)
Henena (Pepi
I.
636)
Hetchhetch (Pepi
I.
^m n
ral|.;^(ji
173)
Hem-Tat (Unas
(Unas 439)
Hep (Unas
Hep
^
^ -^
187)
Hep-ur (Unas 481)
| ^
^P/\^
Heru-tesher-maati (Unas 369)
Hettenuut (Teta, 332)
Hu
Heru-Sept (Unas 465)
^
218)
Heru-khart (Teta 301) Hra-f-ha-f (Pepi
I.)
°
(Teta 60, 197)
Her-hepes (Unas 226) Id
—> § —°*
"^
<
A.
GODS OF THE PYRAMID TEXTS
82
Hesat (Pepi
Sma-ur (Unas 280)
976)
II.
Hesmennu (Mer-en-Ra
670)
Smentet (Teta 355)
Sunth (Pepi
854)
II.
Het-Hert (Unas 575) Seref-ur (Teta 309)
Heka
(Pepi
I.
U
583)
Serqet (Pepi
Heqet (Pepi
I.
—
p^
647)
I.
A
570)
Khaata (Unas 536)
^
Serqet-lietu (Teta 207)
Q
n
m
'^^
^
A ^
^
®J
Khebetch (Unas 434)
Khent-Amenti (Unas 201)
^ o<&=
Sehepu (Pepi
685)
I.
Sekhemf (Pepi
II.
^^ ^
978)
Khent-maati (Unas 218) Sekhen-ta-en-ur (Unas 281)
Khnemu
(Unas 556, Pepi
455)
I.
Sekhet (Unas 390)
Khensu (Unas 510)
® -^^%
Sashsa (Pepi
II.
p
975)
ll
A/WV\A
Khensu-Sept (Unas 588)
Saa (Unas 439) Sathet (Pepi
I.
[1 (1
297)
^ "^ k [1
(]
^^^ "^ J
Seb (Unas 234) Sephu-urt (Pepi
II.
Seker (Pepi
Seksen (Pepi
I.
Sethasetha (Pepi
2
He
Aft
3
Pepi
is identified
Var.
I.
265)
976)
Sept (Unas 219)
Var.
650)
Set (Unas 6)
Seththa (Pepi
1
641)
I.
with rlU
[l^^PcO^.
I.,
Ij
I.
259)
Shu (Unas 185) 352.
° ^=^
%
I
^
in Pepi II., 1320.
GODS OF THE PYRAMID TEXTS Shesmu (Unas 511)
rxn
Tem-kheprer (Pepi r-^r-i
Sheskhentet (Unas 390)
Kenur (Pepi
83
II.
662)
^ D
Tatet (Unas 67) 979)
II.
Tuamutef (Teta
60)
Tenanu (Pepi
269)
^
Kasut (Pepi
975)
11.
Qebhsennuf (Teta 60) Tait (Teta 376)
1 1||
k^
I.
^v^AAAA
q
Tenten (Unas 280) A^\AAA A/VWVV
Telmti (Unas 228)
^
Teba (Unas 428)
-^ ^
Tchent (Mer-en-Ra 773)
J^^
Tchenteru (Teta 198) Tefen (Unas 453) AAAA/V\ A/V\^AA
Tefnut (Unas 453)
Tchenttchenter (Pepi
301)
^
Tern (Unas 207)
Besides
I.
the
gods
above
mentioned
are
(Unas 408)
messenger) of the two gods," y{
;
" angel
the
(or
and the "
Ashem
(Teta
351).
| |
that
dwelleth
Allusions are
within
made
Aru,"
^ ^
[^£^^
to the following important stars /WV\/iA
Nekhekh (Teta Septet
Sah
^^^
218),
(Teta 349), (Teta 349),
f1
Sehut (Pepi
11.
^ ^ ^
857),
enumerated there existed certain
The Utennu (Pepi
,
the
i.e.,
Dog
Star.
Orion.
in addition to the gods alreadyclasses of beings to :
—
II. 951),
i.e.,
|^
attributed the nature of the gods, e.g. II. 951),
^,
/\
[1|^.
The Pyramid Texts show that
The Afu (Pepi
^
D
P
AAAAAA
ODD
whom
were
OTHER DIVINE BEINGS
84
The Urshu of Pe (Pepi The Urshu
of
beings,
^ oa ^ oo [S
II. 849),
211), | /ww^ ^^^^
superior and
^^^
P
849),
Nekhen (Pepi
The Henmemet (Unas The Set
11.
'^
The Shemsu Heru (Pepi
tk I.
p
m
^^"^
•
'
(Pepi
inferior,
II.
951),
/I\
166),
^
^^
Of the functions of the Afu and Utennu nothing whatever is known. The Urshu, i.e., the Watchers, of Pe and Nekhen may have been groups of Avell-known gods, who Avere supposed to " watch over
hand, they souls of
"
and specially protect these
may
cities
;
but, on the other
only have been the messengers, or angels, of the
Pe and Nekhen.
class of divine beings
The Henmemet beings
whom we
about
are likewise a
have no exact information.
In certain texts they are mentioned in connection with gods and
men
in
such a manner that
they are
supposed
" unborn generations," but this rendering will not suit
to
many
passages in which the Avord occurs, and in those in which to do so
many
just as well.
other hypothetical meanings would
The passage
fit
represent
it
of the
seems
the context
which the Set beings are referred to
in
when the god Set was regarded as a beneficent being and a god who was, with Horus, a friend and helper of the dead. The text quoted above shows that, like Horus, Set was supposed to be the head of a company of divine beings with must belong
to the period
attributes and characteristics similar to those of himself, and that
company was divided
two classes, the upper and the lower, or perhaps even the celestial and the terrestrial. Last must be mentioned the Shemsu Heru, or the "Followers of Horus," to
this
whom many
references
into
made
are
in
funeral
literature
;
their
primary duties were to minister to the god Horus, son of Isis, but they were also supposed to help him in the performance of the duties which he undertook for the benefit of the dead. religious literature of the Early
the "Mesniu,
'
1
.^^
^
^f
'
>
In the
Empire they occupy the place of
^f
Horus of Behutet, the modern
Edfu,
i.e.,
to have
THE GOD OF FOUR FACES
85
who
are supposed
the workers in metal, or blacksmiths,
god into Egypt, and to have assisted him establishing his supremacy at Behutet, or Edfu.
accompanied
this
by their weapons in The exploits of this god will be described treating of Horus generally. In the text of Pepi
I.
(line
who
on in the section
419) Ave have a reference to a god
with four faces in the following words "
later
:
— " Homage to thee,
hast four faces which rest and look in turn
" Kenset,^
" Pepi thy
and who bringest storm
two
fingers
thou
upon what
is
Grant thou unto
!
which thou hast given
in
this
to the goddess Nefert,
" the daughter of the great god, as messenger fs] from heaven to " earth
when
make
the gods
Thou
their appearance in heaven.
" art
endowed with a soul, and thou dost rise [like the sun] in thy boat of seven hundred and seventy cubits.^ Thou hast carried in " thy boat the gods of Pe, and thou hast made content the gods of ''
" the East.
Carry thou Pepi
''boat, for this
this
Pepi with thee in the cabin of thy
the son of the Scarab which
is
is
born in
" Hetepet beneath the hair of the city of lusaas the northern,
"he
is
the offspring of Seb.
It is
and
he who was between the legs of
" Khent-maati on the night wherein he guarded (?) bread, and on " the night wherein he fashioned the heads of arrows. Thou hast " taken thy spear which " thrusteth
down
is
dear to thee, thy pointed weapon which
river banks, with a double point like the darts of
" Ra, and a double haft like the claws of the goddess Maftet."
Throughout the Pyramid Texts frequent mention is made of one group, or of two or three groups, of nine gods. Thus in Unas (line 179)
we read
gods," |p
=?^
of
*'
^
bowing low
to the
mniiTi'
that the king's bread consists of "the
IJ 1
~ ~ U
3
^-^
AAA/W\
—H— ^^
ground before the nine
^^^ ^^
^^^^
^^^
^'^ ^^^
**-*^^
word^ of Seb which cometh
•
P^-^"^
tchet
means
literally "
"matter," like the Hebrew
1^1.
word," but
it
often
is
used to express " thing,"
PAUT OR SUBSTANCE OF THE GODS
86
forth from the
mouth of the nine male
''^^^"^
A.WWV I
I
is
I
said in line
by the nine and in
we
II
I
M
by
is
1]
-\ h^J 1^^11111111,;
said to be the "chief of the nine gods,"
From
company
^^^^
'
several passages
of nine gods
^ '^
i
" ^^^®
^^^®
"the gods,"
side with
imnni
I
was
Unas 251)
(e.g.,
called the " Great,"
^"^' ^^^ ^^^* another company was called the "Little,"
TmniTI ^^ of side
.> ]
M MT
ll 11
learn that one
Tnmi
'^^^
JN^^^^v-
1
592 Ra
O ?
n '^^i^
^^ J rm "^^ Seshaa,
o^^ " 382 to have been begotten by Seb and brought forth j]
gods,"
line
gods," ^°^ ^^w^
»^^^ ^^ Horns
i„
"
are
spoken
p— IH 0^^
V
whether
is
^^^^^ ^'^^^' ^^^^*
this
group
to
be connected with the Great or Little company of gods cannot be
A
double group of nine gods is frequently referred to, e.g., in Teta, line 67, where it is said, " The eighteen gods cense Teta, said.
and
'
his .noutl.
is
v:>
and
two
;
J
P-e," ^ in
^^ ^^^^1^^^=]=1^=]^=]=]=]^T (fi]
Pepi
line 273,
I.,
where we read that the
Meri-Ra are the eighteen gods/'
lips of
mmnmmiin
'
cs::;
I
f ©
nn
n
^^^ again in Kne 407, Avhere Pepi
said to be " with the eighteen gods in
" fashioner of the eighteen gods," |
"^
K
I. is
Qebhu," and to be the
11111111111111lil1
kdil^(EEI°^1-^±111111111111111111. We may
jDerhaps
assume that the eighteen gods include the Great
and the Little companies of the gods, but, on the other hand, as
"male and female gods" of the eighteen gods
are mentioned"-^ in the text of Teta, nine
may
be feminine counterparts of the other
But the texts that there was a show of Teta (line 307) and Pepi I. (line 218) third company of nine gods recognized by the priests of Helio-
nine,
1
who must
Variant
1
therefore be held to be masculine.
0^0^; I
ve_i J
Teta,
/vwwN
253.
1.
1
I
I
J^ (=2)
_Hi^
->
^ ^
'
COMPANIES OF THE GODS polisj
and
find
Ave
companies
three
all
87
represented
thus
minniimnnnnimn"
The Egyptian word here rendered pautj which
may
A^
be written either D
meaning usually attached
to
it
company " v^
1^
or
has been " nine."
pauti or
is
®, and
the
found in
It is
texts subsequent to the period of the pyramids at Sakkara thus
written:
— ^^
'
yj^f^
double company of the gods pautti, or
we may have
paut neteru Little
netcheset,
company
neteru,
i^*^^*^
|
'^
jpciut
of the gods"; the
|
^ i.e.,
is
expressed by
^
^„
\\\
...T
A^ '^^ vi> ^ 7^^ X r^ ^^ ^^, paut neteru dat
"the Great company of gods and the
The
of the gods."
represented by nine axes,
ll
|
fact that a
]|
]
|
||j
company
of gods is
^^s led to the
common
company of the gods contained nine gods, and reason the word p)C(ut has been explained to mean " nine."
belief that a this is
for
It
quite true that the Egyptians frequently assigned nine gods to
the paut, as especially
we may
from
line
Unas may
this
company
see
283,
rule
of the gods,"
M Mil Mr
from such passages
where
the nine,
A ^^^
But the
last
(]
it
said,
is
and that he
^
zl
T f
^
[]
Unas 235/ and
as
" Grant thou
may °
f]]
complete the
"""§'4^ "
quoted passage proves that
the gods might contain more than nine divine beings, for that
if
to in
that
a.
paut of
it is
clear
the intent of the prayer was carried out the jxtut referred it
would contain
ten,
king Unas being added to the nine
gods.
Again, in a litany to the gods of the Great company given
in the
Unas text
(line
240
Shu, Tefnutr-Seb, Nut, i.e.,
ff.)
Isis,
we Set,
see that the paiit contains
ten gods, without counting the deceased,
added to the number of the gods. (line
^^
who wished
to
be
In the text of Mer-en-Ra
205) the paut contains nine gods,^ and
<2>-
Tem,
Nephthys, Thoth, and Horus,
it
is
described as the
COMPANIES OF THE GODS
88 " Great
Pepi
which
jja?<^
in
Annu"
(Heliopolis), whilst in the text of
669) the same ]jaut
(line
11.
is
said to contain Tern, Shu,
is
Khent-maati, and Uatchet,
i.e.,
Ra,
Set, Horus,
Tefnut, Seb, Nut, Osiris, Osiris-Khent-Amenti,
Similarly the gods of
tivelve gods.
the Little paut are more than nine in number, and in Unas (line
253
f.)
|l-|j-
|£,
they are thus enumerated
J
^
dweller in the
the
,
dweller in
I
A^
,
palace,
of the South,
the dweller in Orion,
the
,
-^^
X
,
the
the
d,
^ ^^^ 5^ ©> dweller in Unnu of
Little
j;(X?t^
ttie
the
contained eleven gods, not counting the
deceased
who
the
contained at times more than nine gods
2^cint
^
"
:
The number nine was the
" but each of the nine gods, especially the " be developed."
Theban
head of
it
The
desired to be added to their number.
by M. Maspero
Thus
if it
was desired
first
to
is
fact that
thus explained
original
and the
number,
last,
add the god
could
Amen
of
triad to the jjaut of Heliopolis, he could be set at the
Temu, the legitimate
either in the place of
pant, or side
by
side
count as one god.
himself in the
p)OAit
and Mut would together only
any one or
all
who
could be included with that god
of Heliopolis,
and yet the number of that paut
to be increased only
by
one.
In other words, the
admission of one god into a paut brought Avith the gods
of the gods
Amen
belonged to the shrine of
was supposed
Amen
Similarly,
chief of the
Mut, the consort of Amen, might
with him.
be included in the paut, but
all
Lj
^"^.
Thus the
the
dweller in Het-
^^^^
divine
Annu,
in Het-ur-ka,
^, the dweller
Unnu
the dweller in
|
dweller in Hetch-pafir, dweller in Tep,
,
^°^7
the dweller in Antchet,
Serqet,
North,
— Rat,
:
who were
in
it
the admission of
any way connected with him, but
their
names were never included among those of the original members of it. This explanation is very good as far as it goes, but it must not be taken as a proof that the Egyptians argued in this manner, or that they argued at
The nine axes
all
about
'l'1'l'l'l'l^'l'l
1
La
it.
^'^^^>
beyond doubt, intended
Myihologie ^gypticnne,
p.
245.
to re-
SUBSTANCE OF THE GODS present nine gods,
a triad of triads, but the signs
i.e.,
neteru, must be translated not rendered tliem,^ but the " stuff of the nine gods,"
IH'I^^II'I
" N^eunheit,"
];)aut
i.e.,
or matter out of which the nine gods were made.
^
/5^ \\
^ ,
.
name given
Brugsch
as
the substance
Tlie
word paut,
" douo;h cake," or cake of bread which
means
formed part of the offerings made to the dead the
89
to the plastic substance out of
the gods were formed, and later,
when
similarly paut
;
is
which the earth and
applied to divine beings or
means the aggregation or entirety of such beings or things. Thus in the PajDyrus of Ani (sheet i., line 6) the god Tatunen is declared to be " one, the maker of mankind, and of the " material of the gods of the South and the North, the West and "the East."^ But there was a primeval matter out of which heaven was made, and also a [primeval] matter out of which the things,
it
earth was made, and hence Khepera, the great creator of things,
is
possess a
said in Chapter xvii. (line 116) of the
body^ which
is
formed of both
Book of
classes of
all
Dead
the
to
matter (pant).
And
again in Chapter Ixxxv. (line 8) the deceased, wishing to identify himself with this divine substance, says, " I am the eldest " son of the divine pautti, that is to say, the soul of the souls of the " gods of everlasting, and
" eternal, and I " ness."
who ''
I
is
am
my body is everlasting, and my creations are
the lord of years, and the prince of everlasting-
In the words which are put into the mouth of Khepera,
made
to describe his creation of the world, the
produced myself from the [primeval] matter [which]
1
"
Der kosmogonisclie Lehre von
god I
says,
made,"
der Ogdoas, deren aelteste Spuren sich bis
" zu den Pyramidentexten verfolgen lassen, scUoss sick die Doctrin
'
der Neunheit
C3
" (Enneas) oder der " Theile
und
Kriifte,
]
an.
Sie umfasste die genetiscbe Entstehiing der
welche die zukiinftige
" dessen Seele davon Besitz
nabm,
um
Wohnung
der den Leib Gottes bildeten,
alles niit ihr
zu erfullen."
Aegyptologie,
p. 170.
ir
S^ _ii
v^-B^Jr
neun
^j
1
^
Mix
THREE COMPANIES OF THE GODS www r^ ^^ P the only
90 -<9
^
-«
p>
-fl
^_k
ft
6?\
/w^AA^
I
^m^^^l
1^
I
^ I
''
mean-
tliis is
iDg which can be extracted from the Egyptian words, and the context, which the reader will find given in the section on the Creation, proves that
which
is
added in brackets,
pautti
is
accompanied by
the
^
^e^;,
^^^ "
I
"first," in
i.e.,
first
point of time,
matter," that
existed before
anything
From
else.
that the meaning " Neunheit
"
the above facts
must not be given
it is
to the
now
seen that, so far back as the
clear
Egyptian
Vth Dynasty, the
priests of Heliopolis conceived the existence of three ;
and " first
to say,
ipaui.
We have gods
is
matter which was created, and the matter which
earliest
word
is
^^ "^ ^ ^ ^ e ^
compare
The word " primeval," suggested by the texts wherein
the correct one.
it is
the
companies of
two they distinguished by the appellations " Great but to the third they gave no name. The gods of the
first
Little,"
or " Great "
company
are well known, and their
1
Tem, the form of the Sun-god which was worshipped
2.
Shu.
3.
Tefnut.
4.
Seb.
5.
Nut.
6.
Osiris.
names are
:
at Heliopolis.
7. Isis.
8. Set.
Nephthys. Sometimes this company is formed by the addition Horus and the omission of Tem. The names of gods of the second or " Little " company appear to be given in the text of Unas, line 253 where we have enumerated 2. Am-Annu. 1. Rat. 3. Am-Antchet. 4. Am-Het-Serqet-ka-hetepet. 5. Am-Neter-liet. 6. Am-Hetch-paar. 7. Am-Sali. 9. Am-Het-ur8. Am-Tep. 9.
of
fi".,
Ra.
10.
:
Am-TJnnu-resu.
11.
—
Am-Unnu-meht.
must, how-
It
ever, be noted that
whereas in the text the address to the Great company of the gods as a whole follows the separate addresses to each, the address to the Little
company precedes the separate
addresses to each
no reason for doubting that the
;
still
there
is
second group of names given above are really those of the Little
company of the gods. The names of the gods of the third company are unknown, and the texts are silent as to the functions which the company was supposed to perform the Great and Little companies ;
of the gods are frequently referred to in texts of all periods, but 1
See Archaeologia, vol.
2
See
my
Chajiters of
Hi., p.
557.
Coming Forth by Day, Text,
p. 348,
1.
15.
THREE COMPANIES OF THE GODS the
company
third
Pepi
Thus
rarely mentioned.
is
91
in the text of
is said to sit on an iron throne and to weigh words at the head of the Great company of gods in Annu the two companies of the gods lift up the head of Pepi (line 97), and he
I.
(Hne 43), the king
;
takes the crown in the presence of the Great
he
sits at
(line
company
(line 117)
the head of the two companies (line 167), and in their boat
169)
and he stands between the two companies
;
(line 186).
company of gods was a macrocosm of a primitive kind, and the Little company a microcosm this view is very probably correct, and is supported by passages like the following " The son of his father is come with " the company of the gods of heaven, the son of his father is " come with the company of the gods of earth." It has already
been suggested
;
:
^
that the Great
—
.
.
.
^^ Z ^ 111111111 IT ^ fl^fll^lZ^ 111111111 tlT-'
IkI
^1
From numerous
passages in texts of
all
periods
that the Egyptians believed that heaven was in duplicate of earth, and, as
it
many
it
is
clear
respects a
was supposed to contain a
celestial
and sacred cities which were counterparts of those on the earth and which were called by similar names, it is only reasonable to assign to it a company of gods who were the counterparts of Nile,
And
those on earth. earth, so also
when
3
i
^
tuat, /wwvv
®
.
Jj
i,
or
^%. ^^wj
This being
so,
'»
o^'
neteru
we may assume
that
the writers of the Pyramid Texts mentioned three companies
of the gods, to
were gods of heaven and gods of
were there gods of the Tuat, or Underworld, who
were either called en tuat, "I^T
as there
the
111111111111111111111111111,
company
of
gods
the
of
heaven,
the
they referred
company
of
company of the gods of the Underworld, meaning thereby what the writer of the XXIIIrd Chapter of the Booh of the Bead meant when he spoke of "the the gods of earth, and the
^
Maspero,
3
Pepi
La
I., 11.
Mythologie Mgyptienne,
298-300.
p.
244.
THREE COMPANIES OF THE GODS
92
"company the
gods,"
the
of all
®
^^
Pyramid Texts, however, and
Book of
Dead which
the
^^ '^^
^^
^^
j-
in the later Recensions of the
upon them, the pautti
are based
-A 111111' --
111111111111111111'
(]()
j
neteru,
-*-^i-^
*°
-
present the Great and Little companies of the gods, and these only the
members
of each
but
periods,
different
own
their
the
Long
paratively simple.
Egypt
the gods of
company varied principle
in different cities
of such
variation
is
com-
before the priests of Heliopolis grouped
into companies certain very ancient cities
whom
special gods
;
and in
had
they probably inherited from their
Thus the goddess the goddess of Per-Uatchet was of Sai's was Nit, or Net, or Neith the goddess of Uatchet the goddess of Dendera was Hathor Nekheb was Nekhebet the god of Edfii was Horus the god of and so on. When the priests of these and Heliopolis was Tem
predecessors,
i.e.,
the predynastic Egyptians. ;
;
;
;
;
;
some reason, they were obliged to accept the theological system formulated by the priests of Heliopolis and its Great company of gods, they did so readily enough, but they always made the great local god or goddess the head or other cities found
chief,
p
At
W
,
that, for
of the company.
Heliopolis,
priests joined their
where the chief god
Tem-Ra
to Ra,
god was
and addressed
and hymns Horus of Behutet was either made to
local
or Rii-Tem.
many
At Edfu
etc.
It
substitute the Heliopolitan
Tem, the
the great local god
Tem, or was one form or another. The
to take the place of
added to the Heliopolitan company in same thing happened in the case of goddesses Nekhebet, Hathor,
called
of their prayers
was found
like Neith, Uatchet,
to be hopeless to attempt to
company of gods
for
Neith in the city
of Sais, because there the worship of that goddess was extremely ancient and was very important.
The
fact that her
name forms a
component part of royal names very early in the 1st Dynasty proves that her worship dates from the first half of the archaic period, and that
it
is
But when
much
older than the theological system of Heliopolis.
the priests of
Sa'is
adopted that system they associated
her with the head of the company of the gods, and gave her
THE COMPANIES OF THE GODS and ascribed to her proper
suitable titles
93
attributes, in accordance
with her sex, which would make her a feminine counterpart to the
The god Tern was the Father-god, and the lord of heaven, and the begetter of the gods, therefore Neith became " the " great lady, the mother-goddess, the lady of heaven, and queen of god Tern.
''
^ ^^
the gods,"
"mother
1
is
I
^
we
forth
primeval time herself,
in
called
to Neith, to
Ra,
having
never
^ 5^(11|I|M-^ M ^ -^ W
"created,"^
is
declared to have been
same attribute ascribed
"the great lady, who gave birth
said to be
" brought
find the
Elsewhere^ she
^"j"]-
Tem was
of the gods," and just as
self-produced, so
she
^=^
fH
and
who been ^'^^
id I''
same thing happened at the cities of Per-Uatchet in the Delta and Nekhebet in Upper Egypt, for at one place Uatchet, the ancient and local goddess, became the head of the company of gods, and the goddess Nekhebet
the other.
at
It is interesting to
note
that the priests of Heliopolis themselves included Uatchet in their
Great company of the gods, as
Pepi
11.,^
where we
we may
the welfare of his pyramid " to the great i.e.,
see
from the text of
find that the deceased king prays concerning
Tem, Shu, Tefnut, Seb, Nut,
j;(X?i!^
Set,
Osiris,
Annu," Nephthys, Khent-
of gods in
Maati, and Uatchet.
The goddess Hathor there as was Neith at
Dendera was treated by the
at
priests
for every conceivable attribute
Sa'is,
was
ascribed to her, and her devotees declared that she was the mother of the gods, and the creator of the heavens
everything which
were made
to
is
assume
in them. all
In
fact,
and the
earth,
and of
both Neith and Hathor
the powers of the god Tem, and indeed of
every solar god.
The general evidence derived from a study periods shows that the chief local gods of their exalted positions in the to their belief in
3
cities
never
lost
minds of the inhabitants, who clung
them with a consistency and conservatism which
are truly Egyptian.
1
many
of texts of all
In
fact,
the god of a nome, or the god of the
D. Mallet, Le Culte de Neit a Sais, Paris, 1888, p. 47. 3 See 11. 669 S. Ibid., p. 146.
LOCAL GODS
94 capital city of a
nome, when once firmly established, seems to have
maintained his influence in
though
his shrine
may have
all
periods of Egyptian history, and
fallen into oblivion as the result of
wars or invasions, and his worship have been suspended from time to time, the people of his city always took the earliest opportunity
of rebuilding his sanctuary
and establishing
prosperity returned to the country.
his priests as soon as
(
95
)
CHAPTER
AND NOME-GODS
PRIMITIVE GODS
DURING- the predynastic
III
period in Egypt every village and
town or settlement possessed its god, whose worship and the glory of whose shrine increased or declined according to the increase or decrease of the prosperity of the community in which he lived. When the country was divided into sections which the Egyptians called hespu,
group of
allied gods,
of each nome,
and
gods of the nome
nomes.
In this
fi
1
n
^
|^
,
or " nomes," a certain god, or
became the representative, or representatives,
so obtained the pre-eminence over all the other ;
way
and sometimes one god would represent two the whole country of Egypt, from the Medi-
terranean Sea to Elephantine, was divided
became customary
in each
nome
the " Great God," or " God,"
and
among
to regard the to
the gods, and
it
god of that nome
as
endow him with
all
the powers
and attributes possible. We have, unfortunately, no means of knowing when the country was first split up into nomes, but the division must have taken place at a very early period, and the gods who were chosen to represent the nomes were undoubtedly those who had been worshipped in the large towns or settlements during
Thus in the earliest dynastic times of which we have inscriptions of any length we find that Neith was the chief deity of Sais, Osiris of Busiris, Thoth of Hermopolis, Uatchet of Per-Uatchet, Ptah of Memphis, Sebek of Crocodilopolis, Amen of Thebes, Nekhebet of Nekheb, and Khnemu of Elephantine. The number of the nomes seems to have been different in different the predynastic period.
periods, so it
is
not possible to say with certainty
early nome-gods were in number.
number
of
nomes
The Egyptian
as forty-two or forty-four,
but the
how many lists
the
give the
classical writers,
NOME-GODS
96
Strabo, Diodorus, and Pliny, do not agree in their statements on
Strabo says ^ that the Labyrinth contained twenty-
the subject.
seven chambers, and
if
nome the nomes ten in Upper Egypt,
each one represented a
must have been twenty-seven in number, i.e., On the other ten in Lower Egypt, and seven in the Heptanomis. hand, Herodotus says ^ that the Labyrinth contained twelve halls. Pliny (Bk. v., chap. 9) enumerates the nomes as follows: Ombites, Apollopolites, Hermonthites, Thinites, Phaturites, CoptiteSjTentyrites, Diopolites, Antaeopolites, Aphroditopolites, Lycopothe Arabian
Pharbaethites, Bubastites, Sethroites, Tanites,
lites,
nome, the Hammonian nome, Oxyrynchites, Leontopolites, Athribites, Cynopolites, Hermopolites, Xoites, Mendesium, Sebennytes, Cabasites, Latopolites, Heliopolites, Prosopites, Panopolites, Busirites,
Onuphites, Saites, Ptenethu, Phthemphu, Naucratites, Mete-
lites,
Grynaeopolites, Menelaites, Maraeotis, Heracleopolites, Arsino-
Memphites, and the two nomes of Oasites.
ites, (i.
(ii.
54) gives the
164)
districts
^
number
of the
nomes
Diodorus Siculus
as thirty-six
;
Herodotus
^
us that the country of Egypt was divided into
tells
or nomes, but he does not say
how many
of
them there nomes when
show that the number of the country was first divided was smaller than in later times, and we may assume that it was the nomes of the Delta which increased The following is a in number rather than those of Upper Egypt. list of the nomes of Egypt according to inscriptions at EdfCi and elsewhere, together with their capitals and the gods who were
were.
These
facts serve to
worshipped in them
:
UPPER EGYPT.
L
God.
Capital.
Nome.
Ta-khent
^
Abu
?
OJ
c=£^
Khnemu Q
%J
(Elephantine) 2.
Thes-
Hertu
J^® mp
1
xvii.
^
Tryv Sf x^^P°^^ uTrao-av
^
Kara
1.
§
Teb
"^^
Heru-Behutet
^ J©
(ApollinopolisMagna) 2
37. ei's
ii.
§
148.
£t ^at rpiaKOVTa
-yap 8r; voyuovs AlyvTTTOs
jxeprj SteXojv,
airaaa SiapaLprjTai.
a KaXovaiv AiyvVrtoi
vo/xovs.
NOME-GODS Nome.
God.
Capital.
M
Ten
3.
97
Nekhebet:|.oJ;^
Nekheb:].0j; (Eileithyia)
Senit
4.
Uast
5.
Herui
^'^^^^
w ^
©
(Esneh)
Uast f " (Thebes)
f
-T
i""*^
Amen-Ra
h
Amsu, Min
o
or
^oa^
Khem
T
(Coptos)
Ta-en-
Aa-ta
6.
nr
=??^
=^??=
Lv^
tarert
<=>
3s^~©
I
no
Het-Heru {i.e.,Hathor)
-q
lilno q
(Denderah)
Seshesh
7.
^^^
^Xrittth
(Diospolis Parva)
Abt TV
8.
Qn^l
Het-Heru
An-Heij£^i|
AbtufJ'^' (Abydos) Thenit
Amsu Min
9.
or IvHEM
10a.
J^ -"^ Apu ^
(1
1
aaaaaa ]
D
^
(This)
Amsu, Min
^©
Tebut g^gl
Uatchet Vp:,
or
Khem
Ji (Panopolis)
Het-Heru
[
^ r
n^o
(Aphroditopolis)
10b.
Tu-qat
Neteeui JI
.
T^
Heru
(Horus)
(Antaeopolis)
Set
11.
Shashetep
?
Khnemu
5
(Hypsele) ^
Var.
^ o^^^ ©
tfS)
Ah-tut, •
i.e.,
'
Dum.icheii, Geschichte, p. 143.
"the
of the city •'
mountain
of the heart's desire";
see
NOME-GODS
98 Nome.
12
T„.^
God
Capital.
^
©O
Nut-en-
-^
K
Hem
^
(Antaeopolis)
Saiut 13.
Vji
Atee-
__1^1K
QAtk-
V-JI
Ap-uat
(Lycopolis)
?fFFF
15.
.^. Un ^^^p
'
Khemennu
'
'
£ MM©
Tehuti (Thoth)
'
•
^
^
(Hermopolis) 16.
MehMAHETCH 42^
j^
Hebenuuno A^^
Heru
^ -He
'
(Hipponon)
TOTF
/\^/v^\
17.
Kasa
Anpu ^;^
Anpu
^5^^® '
n
i
l)
(Cynopolis)
18.
Sep
^ ^^ .
19-
«^t-^'it«'iQni Jl®
'^°P"
i
(Alabastronpolis)
Per-Matchet
n.
T^^©
UabIJI
^^*^
(Oxyrynchus) 20.
Atee-
i)ff^
Henensu
1
^=
^ ™|](1^
Her-shefi
(Herakleopolis Magna) '21 A. Atef-
2lB. Ta-she
V^ 0.=^
PEHU
^7f~
^=^" "
Ermen r.rmen-
<^
hert r^^^
Shet
.-r-.^.
^© ^
^^Z
Khnemu fj u Sebek
^
Ji)%
^=^ fl
]|
(Crocodilopolis) 22.
Maten
^
Tep-ahet
^^Z
'.Hill
(Apliroditopolis)
Het-Hert [j
^^|
NOME-GODS
99
LOWER EGYPT. Nome.
1
Aneb
.
Khensu^
Men-
^ ^
HETCH
2.
God.
Capital.
^"
neiert
i"^^^^
t H-=--
^
a/wwv
o
<=>
©
•
-^^
A iii
(Memphis) Sek'hemt
"T
^
|\
Hem-ur '^
^
(Letopolis)
^^
(Apis)
Sapi-res <^^l3i^
4.
Tclieqa
Sebek,
_
1
Isis,
Amen
TFfFF
Sap-meh
5.
^¥
Saut
1^ %. ^ Z
™e
Kaset
6.
^'^t (Neith)
^
(Sais)
'^S
Khasut T
%@
P
Amen-Ra
^vw^ []
(aois) .
<'>
neiert
TTTTT
...xiBT^^^
8.
^ w
56 o
^ ©
^^"
Theket
Temu
"
Osiris
J|
(Succoth)
cnn
Per-
Atem
n
^ ^
1
(Pitliom)
Ati^
9.
Per.Asar^JI;^
^
'
Perhaps a variant
). 17 1868, p.
;
(Busiris)
is
D and Diimiclien,
^= ^= Q1
'^^^
^
^
Kalendariiischriftea, 1186, 106'cZ
^^® ^^®^^^''' ^^^'
^''''•
NOME-GODS
100 Nome.
Ka-qem^^
10.
Ka-heseb
11.
^ S^ ^
•
Khent-abt
^^
Horns
^O ©
y[l5^^
Hebes-ka
^^^^
j^
I
(Cabasus)
A.-he.J^|
^,^^,^^^^^^^.^«. (Sebennytus)
Heq-at Jj_
14.
lt^:
(Athribis)
^ ^
13.
U
her-ab
Theb.^^
12.
God.
Capital.
Annu
Ra
g
|l
(Heliopolis,
Tehaln^-^^
((IhT
o
On) Hi
Hern
(Tanis)
^ ^
Tehut
15.
Kha(?)
16.
Per-ba-neb-Tettn
^
(Mendes) ^
.
1^
^
J__.
Uyh
r-^
^
SeptA^ ™^
20.
1
The
Per-Bast
at the
fl
.wwva ^
^
"
Amen-Raft 1
Bast
""Y^^^©
Per-Uatcliet'=Y^|^|
™
O
I
^^
i)
Uatcliet|^|
(Bnto)
Qesem _6_ |x^
©
(Goshen
end of
•"
(Bubastis)
authorities to be consulted
(see the list
*
(Diospolis)
^^ Am-pehu
= S©
Tattu,or.^^^fl
Pa-khen-en-iVmen
|^ MT
Am-khent
19.
^
Ba-neb-
"^^^-^^1
2
TT
18.
Telmti (Thoth)
(Hermopolis)
^
SamBEHUTET
17.
"^^
Per-Tehuti
vol.
iii.)
Sept^J^I^' ?)
on the nomes of Egypt are Brugsch, ;
Diimichen, Geographic des
Meyer, GescUclite des alien Aegyptens), Berlin, 1887 Ancienne de la Basse-lSgypte, Paris, 1891.
;
and
J.
alt en
Diet. Gcog.
Aegyptens (in
de Rouge,
Gtograpliie
NOME-GODS
101
Thus every nome of Egypt possessed a representative god whose temple was situated in the capital city of the nome, and attached to the service of each nome-god was a body of priests who divided
among themselves
the various duties connected with the
service of the gods, the maintenance of the buildings of the temple,
the multiplying of copies of religious works, and the religious
In Upper Egypt, where the care of
education of the community.
the dead seems to have been the principal duty of the living, the
lower orders of the priesthood probably carried on a lucrative business in
mummifying
the
and in conducting
amulets,
dead,
and in funeral papyri and
funerals.
The
high-priest
of each
great city, and sometimes even the high-priestess, bore a special title. In Thebes the high-priest was called " first servant of the " god Ra in Thebes "; Heliopolis the title of the high-priest was
Mn
"Great one of ''
Ra-Atem"
Memphis, "Great chief him of the Southern Wall, and Setem of the god of the Beautiful Face (i.e., Ptah) " ^ in Sais, visions of
hammer
" of the
;^ in
in the temple of
;
" governor of the double temple
Memphis bore the
"
^ ;
and similarly the high-priestess
of " Nefer-tutu "
in Sekhem the " the of high-priestess was Divine mother";^ in Sai's, " Urt," "great one";'' in Mendes, " Utcha-ba-f " ^ and so on. of
title
^
;
;
priests
great god
of every
were
divided
into
classes,
title i.e.,
The among
which may be mentioned " those who ministered at certain hours,"
-^W
™^
lathers,
Ml
;
" the servants of the gods,"
^f
'
5
the
" libationers,
"]
f
/"^
^
;
the " holy
j
aaaa/v.
^
\
.
The
accounts of the temple were kept by the "scribe of the temple,"
1.
^
'Of
^ 1
NOME-GODS
102
,
1
and, in large temples, one or
is
how many
impossible to say
any given nome-god
;
it
scribes kept a
and of the property of the god.^
register of gifts to the temple It
more
priests of all classes ministered to
seems that the highest permanent priestly
at all times and in all cities very few in number, and " The priests of of the god " were very many. servants that the officials
were
each nome-god were subject to no external authority, and the highpriest of a great
to that of the
nome
nomarch
possessed a power which was hardly inferior himself.
The worship of each nome-god contained elements peculiar to itself,
and the
beliefs
which centred
him represented
in
the
all
ancient and indigenous views of the inhabitants of the nome, and these were carefully observed and cultivated from the earliest to
the latest times.
above that
We may
see
from the
many nomes worshipped
list
of
nome-gods given
the same god,
e.g.,
Horus was
worshipped in three nomes of UpjDer Egypt and two nomes of
Lower Egypt, whilst one nome worshipped him under the special form of Horus of Behutet; three nomes of Upper Egypt worshipped Khnemu, two worshipped Amsu (or Min or Khem ?), two worshipped An]Du, and Hathor was worshipped in five nomes in Upper Egypt and one in Lower Egypt. The cults of the ram-headed god Khnemu Nekhebet at Eileithyia, of the of Ta-she (Fayyum), of the dog-
at Elephantine, of the vulture goddess
crocodile
god Sebek in the
headed god
Anpu
district
at Cynopolis
and Alabastronpolis, of the ibis-god
Horus the elder (Heru-ur) at Letopolis, and of Uatchet at Buto (Per-Uatchet), were extremely ancient, and with them are probably to be grouped in point of antiquity the cults of the wolf(?) -headed god Ap-uat, the lioness goddess Sekhet, The animal which the cat-headed goddess Bast, and the god Set.
Thotli at Hermopolis, of
was the type and symbol of this it cannot have been the identified ;
is
ass as
hardly likely to have been the camel
can only tentatively assume that
which became extinct
at a
it
god has not
last
;
as yet
been
was once thought, and at 2Dresent, therefore,
belonged to some
very early period.
class of
The
it
we
animal
cults of the
various forms of the sky-god Horus, and of the Sun-god, and of the 1
For
otlier temj-tle officials see
Brugsch,
Aegiji)tolo<jie, p.
218.
OSIRIS all.
The goddess Neith, whose
shield,
appears to have been of
goddess Hathor, are the oldest of
symbols were two arrows and a
Libyan
origin, but, as has
103
already been shown, the attributes of
Egypt were ascribed to her in early dynastic times. The origin of the god Osiris is obscure, but it is difficult, when all the statements made concerning him in some of the
oldest indigenous gods of
the relio;ious texts are taken into consideration, not to think that the original seat of his worship was in the Delta.
Early in the
dynastic period his most important shrine was at Abydos, which
became the centre
of his cult
and the sacred
worshippers flocked for countless generations.
city to
which his
In spite of
this,
however, the nome-lists show that the nome-god was An- Her, or
Anhur, and notwithstanding the
honour in which
special
was held throughout Egypt, i^n-Her was always regarded
Osiris as the
god of the nome Abt and of its capital of the same name. The Elysian Fields, i.e., the Sekhet-hetepet, were situated in the Delta where the country was fertile, and where the land was traversed by canals and streams of water running in all directions; moreover, the "House of Osiris" jpar excellence official
rlJl
\
S
of the god
Psr-Asar
^
= Busiris
J
was in the Delta, and the shrine
who was worshipped
in the
form of a ram which
was said to contain the soul of Osiris, was also in the Delta. Everywhere in the texts Osiris is called the " lord of Abydos," and generally this title is followed by another, i.e., " lord of Tattu." Now Tattu is the city, and " The Ram, lord of Tattu," ^"^i^^ " y> yj ^3:7
was nf ^ Ba-neb- Tattu, ... [All &
corrupted into " Mendes
7
its
god. o
The name Tattu ... was
"
by the Greeks, and in this city the great local god was worshipped under the form of a ram, which is now commonly known as the " Mendesian Ram." The frequent use of the title "lord of Tattu" suggests that the worship of Osiris was grafted on to or was made to absorb that of the local ram-god, and that in consequence Osiris became the lord of the city in his stead. It may be urged that Tattu was merely the seat of the shrine of the god Osiris in the northern kingdom, just as Abydos was his 1
city
is,
The words Ba-neb- Tattu usually follow here, "House of Osiris, the Ram, lord of Tattu."
therefore the full
name
of
the
AMEN AND ATEN
104
sanctuary in the southern kingdom, but this explanation of the use of the title
is
insufficient.
as the titles " lord of
It
may
further be urged that, inasmuch
Abydos," " lord of Tattu," occur in connection
with others which have reference to Osiris in his capacity as governor of the Underworld, the Abydos and Tattu here mentioned are mythological cities and not cities this be so it matters little, for
their mythological or
earthly
cities,
upon
we know that
heavenly
cities
But even
earth.
if
the Egyptians fashioned
after the
manner
and that their conceptions of things
of their
spiritual
were
based upon things material.
Returning for a moment to the adoption of gods, that from
first
to last the peoj^le of one
nome were
to offer hospitality to the gods of another,
who had come to a new god, or a new group
strangers
settle
and
among them.
Ave
may
generally ready
also to the
At
note
gods of
times, however,
was forced upon the inhabitants of one or more nomes, and even upon a whole j)rovince, as the result of conquest, or by the wish of the king, or by the supremacy of the priesthood of a given city. at Heliopolis succeeded in
of gods,
Thus the priesthood of Ra or Ra-Tem making their theological system para-
mount in the country, and the whole of the religious philosophy of Until the Theban Boohs of the Dead is based upon their teaching. the conquest of the Hyksos by the Theban princes the god Amen was a nome-god of no great importance, but when they became kings of the south and north, he immediately became the king of all
the gods of the south and the north, and the titles and powers
and attributes of the great gods of the country were ascribed to him by his priests. As the prince of Thebes Avas greater than any and every prince in the other nomes of Egypt, so the Theban nomegod Avas greater than any and every other god of Egypt. The extraordinary dislike Avhich Amen-hetep IV. exhibited towards this god, and the foolish attempt Avhich he made to substitute for his worship that of Aten, or the Disk, furnishes us Avith an example of the imposition of a god
attempt
Avas successful for
upon a priesthood and province the a time over a limited area, but it had no ;
chance of permanent success because the fundamental ideas of the worship of the god as Amen-hetep interpreted them Avere foreign to the religious conceptions of the Egyjotians generally.
RA AND AMEN From what
lias
been said above
it
will
105 be easy to imagine
Egypt must have presented to a who went there and found the country split up into a
the remarkable spectacle which foreigner series of
to
nomes, each possessing
by a body of
priests
its
great god,
who was
ministered
and servants who were amenable to no general
who performed his worship when and as they jDleased, and who claimed for him powers, and rights, and privileges without fear of opposition. The stranger would find that each college of priests in each nome asserted that its god authority outside the nome, and
was the father of all the other gods, and the creator of the heavens and the earth, and that, generally speaking, the priests of one nome-god and his divine companions were content to allow their neighbours in other nomes to declare anything they pleased about As far as can be their nome-gods and their divine companions. gathered from the religious texts, it seems that the priests of one company of gods never attempted to suppress the gods of another company if the fortune of war gave them paramount power in the nome wherein they were worshipped. Thus when the priests of Ra attained to the great power which they enjoyed at Heliopolis under the Vth and Vlth Dynasties they did not suppress the
local
god Tem, but they associated their god with him, and produced the compound god Ra-Tem. Similarly, at a later period, when Amen, as the nome-god of the victorious princes and kings of Thebes, was declared to be the greatest of the gods of Egypt, his priests did not declare that the other gods of
Egypt were not gods and try
suppress them, but they asserted that
all
to
the powers of the other
gods were assimilated in him, and that he was in consequence the greatest of the gods. his
In the texts of Unas and the kings
who were
immediate successors we read of the Great and Little companies
of the gods, but
we
also find
mention of the company of gods of
company of gods of Tem the j)riests of Heliopolis claimed supremacy among the gods for Ra, but they took care to include as far as possible the name of every god and goddess to whom worship had been paid in past generations. The
Horus and
of the double
;
^
°^^^imiinixkmmiimninni Unas,
11.
443, 444.
GODS OF HELIOPOLIS
106
same characteristic
we
hood, and
Booh of
hymns
is
observable in the texts of the Theban priest-
find that their
Dead where,
the
god
manifestly, he
in the chapters of that
one form or another, or to address :—
the following
"0
Osiris,
"
Hathor
work
had
little
Tem,
The
claim to be.
are addressed either to Ra, in
Shu,
Tefnet,
Nut,
Seb,
Heru-khuti (Harmachis),
Nephthys,
Menthu, the lord of
Khepera,
of the Great House,
into the
but in Chapter clxxi. we find
Osiris,
''
Set,
Isis,
Amen was even introduced
Amen, the lord of the thrones of the two lands, gods Little company of the gods, company of the gods, Sebek of the two Meht, "and goddesses who dwell in Nu, " Sebek in all thy manifold names in thine every j^lace wherein thy ''
Thebes,
" Great
"
Ka
(i.e.,
" north,
double) hath delight,
ye
who
" grant ye the
gods of the
gods of the south, ye
are in heaven,
who
upon the
are
garment of purity unto the perfect
spirit of
earth,
iVmen-
The greater number of the gods Avhose names are given Pyramid Texts are also mentioned in the religious literature, especially in the Booh of the Dead of later periods, and if we possessed copies of all the religious works of the New Empire we should probably discover that the names of all the gods, Avith perhaps the exception of Set, worshipped under the Early Empire were pre" hetep."
^
in the
served in them.
The Egyptians,
certainly in dynastic times, rarely
abandoned a god, and, speaking generally, little
it
remarkable
is
how
the character and attributes of the gods vary in the period
between the IVth and the
XXVIth
Dynasties.
The obstinate
conservatism of the Egyptians, which seems to have been inherited in an almost unaltered state
by their descendants the Copts, induced
many much by
the writers of religious texts to introduce into their works as of the gods as possible, and they were
motives of priestly policy
and by
moved
to do this as
self-interest as
by
feelings of
reverence for the gods of Egy23t.
In the Pyramid Texts the predominant gods are those of the
company
of Heliopolis, but
of remote towns and cities
one and kings in 1
we
nevertheless find that
had duties assigned
to them,
the gods
and that
them were supposed to minister to the deceased The reason of this is not far to seek. the Underworld. all
See
of
my
Chaj^fers of
Coming Forth by Day
(Trtinslation), p. 315.
HEAVEN
SUBDIVISIONS OF
107
The heaven which the Egyptian conceived in his mind closely resembled Egypt in respect of its sub-divisions, and its various cities and districts were ruled by gods whom it was necessary to propitiate, and whose friendship must be gained at any cost. A man hoped that in the next life he would be able to wander about through the length and breadth of heaven, and the only
at will
way
obtain this privilege was to secure the goodwill of the
to
gods of the four quarters of the sky by the recital of prayers of
and by the performance of certain ceremonies,
various kinds,
which were always of a more or
To be
magical character.
less
able to pass at pleasure along the eastern Delta of heaven and
without opposition presupposed the favour of Sept and
and
have power to drink of the waters of the
to
Temu
celestial Nile
presupposed the favour of the god Khnemu, the lord of the Island of Elephantine, close to which were situated, according to tian belief, the sources
of the
The
Nile.
texts of all periods
exhibit an almost childish anxiety to prove that
Egypt
is
every god of
interested in the welfare of the beings in the
who were once mortal men, and
it
Egyp-
was a common
Underworld
belief also in all
periods that the mere asserting in writing that the gods would
minister to the deceased would produce the assistance desired.
enjoy the power to enter into certain
was obliged
to
know
worshipped in them.
cities in
To
heaven the deceased
the various gods or
" Souls "
Thus the Souls
West were Tem, and
of the
who were
Sebek, the lord of the Mountain of Sunrise,
lady of the Evening
;
^
and Hathor, the the Souls of the East were Heru-khuti
(Harmachis), the Calf of the goddess Khera, and the Morning Star
;
H api
the
" "^
;
Souls
and Qebhsennuf Tefnet Sa,
and
of the
;
^
the
Pe were Horus, Mestha, and Nekhen were Horus, Tuamutef,
city of
the Souls of the city of
of Heliopolis were Ra,
Souls
Shu, and
and the Souls of the city of Hermopolis were Thoth,
'"
Similarly every great heavenly city was held to
Tem.*'
contain a
company
to enjoy the in the body,
it
1
Booh of
the
*
Ibid.,
of gods, and the beatified soul
duty of paying
made cxiii.
when
offerings to their earthly counterparts.
Dead, Chap,
Chap,
was thought
visits to their shrines just as,
cviii. ^
Ibid.,
^
IMd,^ Chap. cix.
Chap. cxv.
^
s
J^^V?.,
Chap.
Ibid., Chap. cxvi.
cxii.
DEIFICATION OF THE DEAD
108
In the observations already made concerning the difficulty of
meaning
assigning an exact
^
|,
we have
word
to the
God and
for
" god," neter,
seen that in dynastic times the chief attribute
which was assigned to a god was the power to renew indefinitely,
and
to live for ever,
his life
and the text of Unas has shown
us that in very early times the Egyptian thought he could obtain
power by eating his god or gods. Closely connected with this belief is another which finds expression in the Pyramid Texts, and also in the later Recensions of the Booh of the Dead which are based upon them. In many passages scattered throughout the this
religious texts of all periods
we
find
it
stated that the deceased
has acquired the powers of such and such a god, and that as a
become the counterpart or fellow of several gods, and
result he has
that he takes his place
among
company
the
persons of several of their number.
makes every member
A
still
of gods in the proper
further development
body of the deceased to be, first, under the protection of a god, and secondly, to become that same member of the god its protector hence his whole body becomes the "double company of the gods," and the "two great of the idea
of the
;
" gods watch, each in his place, and they find " the double
company
" chief like a chief,
him
"offerings to
the
company
of the gods,
See Pepi
'^k
in the
form of
words of every
and they bow down before him, and they make is
made
company
of the gods."
in the texts to stand
up
More-
^
at the
head of
of the gods as Seb, the " erpa," or hereditary chief,
and
as Osiris, the governor of the divine powers,
as Horus, the lord of
1
of the gods weighing the
as to the double
over, the deceased
him
I.,
[>-
11.
men and
317, 318.
^^
of gods.^
H
)
"11
and
His bones are the gods
^-^
'^ %\
^
"""^^ fl
/www
k innnmminii' t's ii
niiniiiinnnii.
^-ininmwiP2inj-qpi^ ^ip^ -^niT =
p«Fi-.i-i«6.
THE DEAD
IJEIFICATION OF and goddesses of heaven
109
his right side belongs to Horus,
^ ;
he becomes the actual son of Tern, or Tem-Ra,
his left side to Set;
and Shu, Tefnet, Seb, and Nut, and he
is
the brother of
Nephthys, Set, and Thoth, and the father of Horus.^
Horus taketh
upon him Bull
the
and
Isis,
The god
own Eye and giveth it to him,^ and he bestoweth own ha or double,^ and never leaveth him, and the JSTine ^ maketh wide his dominions among
his
his
of
the gods.
The oldest copy of the prayer for the deification of the members of the body is found in the text of Pepi I. (line 565 ff.), and as it is very important from several points of view a version of it is here given — " The head of this Ra-meri is in the form of [that of] the hawk he cometh forth and raiseth himself up in :
;
Goose
;
^
The skull,
heaven.
is
and raiseth himself up face of Ap-uat,
up
in heaven. ?)
the
of this Pepi
....
^"^^^
is
that of the divine
I
^^^
;
Nu
The
he cometh forth
;
Pepi
this
the
is
he cometh forth and raiseth
The two eyes
at the
of
The face of
in heaven.
of Ra-meri are the great
head of the Souls of
and raiseth himself up
Khens-ur,
is
,
\/ £^ ^^ £^ v^
goddess (Hathor forth
@
he cometh forth and raiseth himself up in heaven.
[hair] of this Pepi
himself
v^
in heaven.
Annu
;
he cometh
The mouth of
this
Pepi
he cometh forth and raiseth himself up
;
The tongue of this Pepi is the steering-pole (?) of the boat of Maat he cometh forth and raiseth himself up in heaven. The teeth of this Pepi are the Souls [of Annu] he cometh forth and raiseth himself up in heaven. The lips of this Pepi are the he cometh forth and raiseth himself up in heaven.
in heaven.
;
;
.
1
3
4
1.
265. 5
.
.
.
See Teta,
^5P ^.
;
1.
209.
-^^^ .
Unas
— crm]^_ a:^p— 3
See
A
n
{Becueil), torn,
rCTnl
iii
,
pp. 209-211.
p'p=i->-«'-
DEIFICATION OF THE DEAD
110
The CHIN
of this Pepi
is
Khert-Khent-Sekhem,
Cometh forth and raiseth himself up this
Pepi
[the Bull]
is
up
raiseth himself
Pepi are Set
;
The [breast] forth
Sma,
^
1
r|Tj|
^ ^
;
\q cometh forth and
.
The shoulders and arms of
in heaven.
he
The backbone of
in heaven. ^Sv
^
this
he cometh forth and raiseth himself up in heaven. of this Pepi
is
^^
Baabu, J
and raiseth himself up in heaven.
^^®
cometh
The heart
of this
fl
J
y
5
he cometh forth and raiseth himself up The belly of this Ra-meri is Xut he cometh forth and raiseth himself up in heaven. The [loins of this Pepi are] the Great and Little companies of the gods he cometh forth and raiseth himself up in heaven. The BACK of this Pepi is Heqet he cometh forth and raiseth
Ra-meri
is
Bastefc
;
in heaven.
;
;
himself up in heaven.
The buttocks, ® D
^"^^^ 'C? '3''
of this
Ra-meri are
Semket and Mat boats he cometh forth and raiseth himself up in heaven. The phallus of this Pepi is Hap ^ he cometh forth and raiseth himself up in heaven. The two thighs^ of Ra-meri are Nit and Serqet he cometh forth and raiseth himself up in heaven. The two legs * of this Ra-meri are the twin soulthe
^
;
;
;
gods at the head of Sekhet-tcher himself up in heaven.
The
^
;
he cometh forth and raiseth
soles of the
meri are the double Maati boat
two eeet ^ of
this
Ra-
he cometh forth and raiseth The heels (?), "^ ^, of this Pepi are the he cometh forth and raiseth himself up in ;
himself up in heaven. Souls
of
Annu
;
heaven."
In the XVIIIth Dynasty versions of Avritten in
papyri containing the
this interesting text
were
of the Dead, and of these the following exhibit variant readings which appear to indicate
changes of
TJooJo
belief.
D
AAAAAA
A,WVNA
minim
XA
^
o
5
(i
DEIFICATION OF THE DEAD From the Papyrus of
Fkom the Papyrus of Nu. (Brit.
Mus., No. 10,477, sheet
111
(Brit. Mus.,
6.)
Ani.
No. 10,470, sheet 32.)
"The hair of Osiris Ani is the My hair is the hair of Nu. " hair of JSTu. My face is the face of the Disk. " My eyes are the eyes of Hathor. " The face of Osiris Ani is the " My ears are the ears of Ap-uat. " face of Ra. " My nose is the nose of Khenti- " The eyes of Osiris Ani are the
"
"
" khas.
*'My
lips are the lips of
"My
teeth ''
"
" eyes of Hathor.
My
the
are
neck
My
Anpu.
teeth
"My
backbone
is
Sai's.
My
phallus
My
"
My
My
"
My
"
back are the
My
Eye
"
My
"
[My
fingers]
and
my
" are the fino-ers
leg-bones
and
no member of
The
The
"The "
leo;-
my
the
of
Ani
Osiris
Lady
of Sais.
Ani
of Osiris
is
Ani
chest of Osiris
the
of
is
the
Lords
of
flesh of Osiris
Ani
is
the
" flesh of Aa-shefit.
reins
and back of
Ani
are
the
reins
Osiris
and
" back of Sekhet.
" bones of the Living Gods. is
is
" Kher-Aha. "
feet are the feet of Ptali.
"There
The fore-arms
" chest
hips and legs are the hips
"
is
" the backbone of Set.
of Horus.
" and legs of Nut.
Ani
of Osiris
"The backbone
and back of Sekhet.
buttocks are the buttocks
Ani
of Osiris
" are the fore-arms of the
the chest of Aa-
and
" of the "
The throat
"
belly " belly
Ani are
of Osiris
" throat of Mert.
" sheht. "
the
" the shoulder of Uatchet. "
is
is
Isis.
The shoulder
reins are the reins of the
chest
Ani
" the hands of Ba-neb-Tattu.
the phallus of
" Lords of Kher-aha.
are the
Ani are the
of Osiris
The hands
the backbone
" Osiris.
Ani
Anpu.
" neck of "
" is
are the
"teeth of Serqet.
fore-arms
Lady of
Ani
teeth of Osiris
"The neck
" of Suti.
"
" lips of
hands are the hands of
" of Neith, the
lips of Osiris
"The
Isis.
My fore-arms are the
"
The
the neck of the
is
ears of Osiris
" ears of Ap-uat.
"
" Ba-neb-Tattu.
"
The
of
Serqet.
" divine goddess "
"
"
The buttocks
of Osiris
Ani are
DEIFICATION OF THE DEAD
112
body which
member
of a
"the buttocks of the Eye
the
not
is
" of Horus.
The
god.
god Thoth shieldeth
my "The
body wholly, and Ra day by day."
am
I
is
" the phallus of Osiris.
"
^
Ani
phallus of Osiris
The
legs of Osiris
Ani
are the
" legs of Nut. "
The
Ani are the
feet of Osiris
" feet of Ptah.
"The
Ani
fino:ers of Osiris
are
" the fingers of Orion.
"
The leg-bones
of
Osiris
Ani
" are the leg-bones of the " Living Uraei."
The text which follows that describing the deification of the members in the inscription of Pepi I.^ is perhaps of even greater interest, for it declares that
" This Pepi
" himself
up
is
god, the son of god
;
is
who cometh
Ra hath conceived
" raiseth himself up to heaven. "
who cometh forth and " word of power which
who loveth heaven. Ra hath
the son of Ra,
forth and raiseth himself up to
" sent forth this Ra-meri, " to heaven.
he cometh forth and raiseth
;
This Ra-meri
to heaven.
"him he cometh
:
forth
and raiseth himself up
this Pepi, who cometh Ra hath given birth to
raiseth himself up to heaven. is
in the
forth
and
this Pepi,
This
[is]
the
body of Ra-meri, and he cometh
"forth and raiseth himself up to heaven.
This Ra-meri
is
the
" Great " are
Power among the great company of sovereign chiefs who in Annu, and he cometh forth and raiseth himself up to
"heaven."
shown that the Great company of the Gods of Heliopolis contained nine or more gods, and that whenever these Avere adopted by other cities and towns In the previous pages
the attributes of
tlie
my
has been
chief of the Heliopolitan gods
to the local nome-god,
in each other.
it
and the
identities of
were transferred
both gods were merged
It will,
however, be evident at a glance that there
CJiaj)ter$
of Coming Forth
^
See
2
Line 574,
hi/
Daij (Translation), p. 94.
THE GODS OF HERMOPOLIS were very few state the
localities
which could afford
113
to maintain in a proper
worship of nine or more great gods in addition to that of
the nome-god, and as a matter of fact
we
find that very few even
of the great towns and cities adopted all the gods of the companies of Heliopolis, and that very few possessed companies of gods which
many members
contained as
The
as nine.
city
of
Khemennu
(Hermopolis) was famous as the sanctuary of the company of Eight Gods, indeed the
name "Khemennu,"
The names
Eight Gods."
5, means
of these gods Avere
:
—
''the city of the
Nu,
1.
AAAAAA
2-N-.°^=:i. 3.H.,.,||^|. ,.m,..,ii^ii. 5.
Kekdi,
^W^-T"^-
^
Kereh,
I
.^^s.
3
8.
.
6.
Kekuit,
Kerehet,
^
^W^-j^'^. 2~~^
|
J)
?
^^^1
7.
with their
leader Tehuti, or Thoth, they formed one of the oldest of the
companies of gods in
all
Egypt.
The names
of the
members
of the
pant, or company, of Hermopolis as here given are taken from the texts inscribed on the walls of the temple which Darius 11. built at
Hebet
in the Oasis of
building, but there
is
Kharga/ and which
is
a comparatively late
reason for believing that they are copied from
very ancient documents, and that taken together this group of gods represents the oldest form of the Hermopolitan jj«2iL
the gods
Amen
and Ament are made
In some
to take the places of
lists
Nu
of
and
by Nenu and ISTenut; in others Amen and Anient are substituted for Kereh and Kerehet.^ Throughout Egypt generally the company of gods of a to"\vn or city were three in number, and they were formed by the local deity and two gods who were associated with him, and who shared with him, but in a very much less degree, the honour and reverence which were paid to him. Speaking generally, two of such triad members a were gods, one old and one young, and the third was a goddess, who Avas, naturally, the wife, or female counterpart, of the older god. The younger god was the son of the older god and goddess, and he was supposed to possess all the Nut, and those of Kereh and Kerehet are
filled
1
See Brngsch, Beise nach der grossen Oase el-Khargeh, Leipzig, 1878,
2
For the
lists of
see Bragsch, Beligionimd Mythologie, p. 127. I
pi.
the ])ciiit of Thoth at Edfii, Dendera, Karnak, Philae,
14. etc.,
THE CONCEPTION OF THE TRIAD
114
and powers which belonged to his father. The head of the triad was sometimes Ra, and sometimes a god of comparatively limited reputation, to whom were ascribed the power and attributes
might of the great Sun-god, which
The feminine counterpart
had absorbed.
local goddess of little or
was usually a
assumed that he
his devotees
or wife of the chief god
no importance
;
on the other
hand, her son by the chief god was nearly as important as his father, because it was assumed that he would succeed to his rank and throne
The conception of
older god had passed away.
when the
the triad or trinity
is,
in Egypt, probably as old as the belief in
seems to be based upon the anthropomorphic The views which were current in the earliest times about them. Egyptian provided the god with a wife, just as he took care to
the gods, and
it
provide himself with one, in order that he might have a son to succeed him, and he assumed that the god would have as issue a
he himself wished and expected to have a son. In later times, the group of nine gods took the place of the triad, but we are not justified in assuming that the ennead was a simple son, even as
development of the triad. The triad contains two gods and one goddess, but the ennead contains five gods and four goddesses, The being made up of four pairs of deities, and one supreme god. ennead
is,
however, often regarded as a triad of
three enneads of Heliopolis,
of triads are
^ c^ Sebek
III
[l
:
much
(|(|
^
J ^,
^'^"^'^
Amen-R. ()
P
Isis jj
and Amen ^ ^,
p. 270).
of the ennead triad.^
^?^
,
M ^'
^ ^ ^ ^; " D
^;
(]
at
'"^^ I-^^"l^^t^P
and Horus
P^^,
exactly opposite view
is
J^,
^^*"^®^^^* a* Tcheqa,
Memphis,
Ptali
^^''^''^
5
j ^,
'O'o^'
is
Examples
k:^ ^ -^* Mut ^ ^ ^^nd Khensu^^j ^ ^
t ^^^ 5'
Nephthys, and Anubis
An
than that of the
and Heru-pa-khart
triads like Osiris, Isis,
^
The conception
—At Mendes, Ba-neb-Tattu "^ ^:z^ |l,
I
later
and the
111111111111111111111111111
as a triad of a triad of triads.
probably very
triads,
^^jj ^ ^?
IT^S^
;
and
^^^
^®*'
^^^^^"^
taken by M. Maspero (La Mythologie
^^°^"
:Egy])tienne,
POLYTHEISM AND MONOTHEISM
115
The members of many triads in Egypt varied at different times and in different places, but variations were caused chiefly by assimilating local gods and goddesses with the well-known members of the companies of the shipped in several places in Egypt.
gods of Heliopolis.
The
facts
recorded in the preceding pages show that the great
gods of the dynastic period in Egypt were selected from a large
number
who were
of local gods,
from among the
in turn chosen
representatives of the gods of the desert, and mountain, and earth,
and
and
water,
and sky, who had been worshipped in Thus in the great company of the gods of
air,
predynastic times.
we have Shu,
Heliopolis
god of Sebennytus
Mendes
;
Isis,
lady of Pe,"
|
;
a form of An-her
Osiris,
a form of the If]
^ L,^^^^
of a district in the fifteenth
,
hi^^=^J|> the local
the local god both of Busiris still
more
^ "p,
i.e.,
nome
Lower Egypt
of
and
ancient goddess " Uatchit,
Buto
;
Tefnet, the goddess ;
etc.
The gods
of the later jDredynastic period were, of course, developed out of
the multitude of spirits, good and bad, in
Egyptians believed, and
it
is
whom
the most primitive
clear that in general characteristics
the gods of the dynastic period were identical with those of the
predynastic period, and that the Egyptians rarely abandoned any
god whose for
him
priests in the earliest times
a recognized position.
had succeeded in establishing
The form
of the worship of the
gods must have changed greatly, but this was due rather to the increase in the general prosperity of the
fundamental change in the views and their gods
larger
;
country than to any
beliefs of the
Egyptians as to
the houses of the gods, or temples, became larger and
and more magnificent
as increased
wealth flowed into the
country as the result of foreign conquest, but the gods remained the same, and the processions and ceremonies, though
New
under the
nificent
early period.
But
if
will be seen that the
number
Empire, preserved the essentials of the
we examine
the religious texts carefully
it
Egyptians were always trying to reduce the
of their gods, or, in other words,
from polytheism to monotheism. classes
more mag-
must have held
were always advancing
The priesthood and the educated
religious views
identical with those of the peasant
which were not absolutely
who
cultivated the fields, but
ABSORPTION OF ANCIENT GODS
116
such, I believe,
were concerned chiefly with the popular forms of
worship of the gods and with conceptions as to their nature.
The
uneducated people of the country clung with great tenacity to the ordinary methods of celebrating their worship, principally because the frequent festivals and the imposing ceremonies, which formed a large and imjDortant part of
general well-being
;
it,
were regarded
the priests and
as essential for their
the educated, on the
other
hand, clung to them because their influence was not sufficiently
powerful to establish a
j^ojiular
form of religion and worship which
would be consistent with their own private views. Every change which can be traced in the
religion
of the
country proves that the priesthoods of the various great religious centres
absorbed into the
new systems whenever them
ancient gods and the ancient beliefs in
period of the highest culture in Egyj^t
we
;
possible the
hence during the
find ideas of the grossest
kind jostling ideas which were the product of great intellectuality
and much thinking.
Expressions which are the result of a series
of beliefs in tree gods, desert gods, water gods, earth gods, and gods
with human passions, abound, and
it is
drawn down the Hebrews, the Greeks, and these which have
upon the Egyptians the contempt of the Romans, and even of modern skilled investigators of Egyptian It has not been sufiiciently realized that religion and mythology. the polytheism of the Egyptians had aspects which Avere peculiar to itself,
of this
and the same may be said of one jDhase of the beliefs people which appears to be, and which, the Avriter thinks,
undoubtedly
is,
monotheistic.
When
the
j^i'iests
of Heliopolis
formulated their system of theogony they asserted that the god
produced the two gods that issued from himself, i.e., Shu and Tefnut, by masturbation,^ and there is little doubt that in making
Tem
this declaration
they were repeating what the half savage and
primitive Egyptians
may
really have believed; but
Q
1 11.
465, 466
P^
AA/Vv'^
^2i
it
AAA/V\A
would be
NOTION OF DIVINE UNITY utterly
wrong to
117
declare that the priests themselves believed these
a statement represented the views of any
things, or that such
educated person in Egypt on the subject of the origin of the gods. In Chapter xvii. of the Booh of the Deacl'^
which took place between Horus and
fight
who
an allusion to the
is
but no Egyptian
Set,
accepted the refined beliefs which are found even in the same
chapter could have regarded this allusion as anything more than the record of an act of savagery which had crept into religious texts at a time
when
acts of the
kind were common.
The same might be said of dozens of expressions and allusions which are scattered throughout the texts of all periods, and no just investigator
will
judge the Egyptians,
and their
religion,
by the phases of thought and expressions which reflect the manners and customs and ideas of the primitive dwellers in the Valley of the Nile. But yet it is precisely by such things that the Egyi^tian religion is judged by many modern writers. The eminent Egyptologist, M. Maspero, says that before he began to decipher Egyptian texts for himself, and so long as he was content and their
beliefs
to reproduce the teaching of the great masters of the science of
Egyptology, he believed that the Egyptians had in the earliest times arrived at the notion of divine unity, and that they had fashioned an entire system of religion and of symbolic mythology
with an incomparable surety of hand. to study the religious texts
the profound
wisdom
When, however, he began
he found that they did not breathe out
had found.
Avhich others
^'
"no one will accuse me of wishing to belittle more I familiarize myself with them, the more
says,
" the
Certainly," he
the Egyptians I
;
am persuaded
" that they were one of the great nations of the
human
" one
but at the same
of the most
original
and most
creative,
" time that they always remained half savage."
^
race,
and
In other words,
X
PnT^I^"^^^^" ^J-^^ "
"
j'ai
•'
J'ai era,
au debout de
ma
soutenii pendant longtemps,
carriere,
il
"^ J
(11.67,68).
y a bientot viugt-cinq ans de cela, et Brugsch, que les Egyptians etaient
comme M.
" parvenus, des lear enfance, a la notion de I'unite divine et qu'ils en avaient tire " un systems entier de religion et de mytbologie symbolique, agence d'un bout a
NOTION OF DIVINE UNITY
118
the Egyptians, according to M. Maspero, never attained to the idea of the unity of God, and Avere at the best of times nothing but a
half savage nation.
It
easy to bring a charge of being half
is
savafje ao;ainst a ffreat nation,
founded, and
this case the charo-e
in the writer's opinion,
is,
discovery which
but in
made
is
in
Egypt
ill-
by every more we learn of the
contradicted
for the
;
is
their civilization to
more complete and far-reaching we find have been. The evidence of the monuments of
the Egyptians
however, be sufficient to exhibit the character
ancient Egyptians the
will,
of this civilization in
savage
" is at
true light, and, as the expression " half
its
best very vague,
and must vary
him who uses
to the standpoint of
it,
we
in
meaning according
pass on to consider the
question whether the Egyptians attained to a conception of the
unity of
God
or whether they did not.
.We have seen
M. Maspero believes that they did not, but on the other hand some of the greatest Egytologists that have that
He
ever lived thought that they did. possessed the greater
most savage of the
number
of their
tribes of the
thinks that the Egyptians
myths
Old and
common with
in
New
the
Worlds, that their
practices preserved the stamp of primitive barbarism, that their
same mixture of grossness and refinement
religion exhibits the
which
found in their arts and
crafts, that it Avas cast in a mould by barbarians, and that from them it received an impression so deep that a hundred generations have not been able to eftace it, is
nor even to smooth
its
roughnesses or to soften
its outlines.^
No
" I'autre avec une siirete de
" essaye par "
Ji
reproduire
" de "
les
main incomparable. C'ctait le temps ou je n'avais pas dcchiffrement des textes religieux et ou je me bornais I'enseignement de nos grands maitres. Quand j'ai ete contraint
moi-meme
aborder,
le
j'ai
du m'avoiier
<\
moi-mume
qu'ils
ne respiraient point
sagesse profonde que d'autres y avaient sentie. Certes on ne m'accusera pas " de vouloir deprecier les Egyptiens plus je me familiarise avec eux, et plus je me " persuade qu'ils ont etc un des grands peuples de I'humanite, I'un des plus originaux cefcte
:
" et des plus croateurs, mais aussi qu'ils sont toujours demeures des demi-barbares." L(i MytholcKjie, p.
"
En
277.
en science, en industrie, ils ont beaucoup invente, beaucoup " produit, beaucoup promis surtout leur religion presente le meme melange de " grossicrete et de raffincment qu'on retrouve dans tout le reste. La plupart de 1
art,
;
" ses mythes lui sont "
Nouveau-Monde
;
communs
avec les tribus les plus sauvages de I'Aucien et du
ses pratiques
gardent
le
cachet de la barbarie primitive, et je
"crois que les sacrifices humains n'en avaient pas diaparu dans certaines circon-
EGYPTIAN MONOTHEISM
119
one will attempt to deny that traces of half savage ideas and
customs are to be found in Egyptian religious literature, but the real question is
whether such traces render
it
impossible for the
Egyptians ever to have attained to the concejDtion of monotheism,
whether the existence of such half savage ideas and customs
is
Every one who is familiar with the literatures of oriental religions knows that the sublime and the ridiculous, spiritual ideas and material views, intellectuality and grossness, and belief and superstition, occur frequently in close juxtaposition, and illustrations of these statements may be found in the writings of the Arabs, and even in certain parts of the Hebrew Scriptures. Yet no one will deny that the Arabs as a incompatible with
it
or not.
people have been monotheists since the time of
Muhammad
the
Prophet, and no one will refuse to admit that the Hebrews, after a certain date in their history, became monotheists and have
remained
The
so.
literatures of both the
Hebrews and the Arabs
are full of extravagances of every kind, but no competent person
has denied to these nations the right to be called monotheistic, and
no one
modern research will attempt to judge them expressions and materialistic thoughts which are
in the light of
by the
coarsest
found in their Scriptures.
Hebrew
find either in
and
philosophical
On
the other hand, no one expects to
or in Arabic literature the lofty spiritual
modern highly educated monotheism, and the same is,
conceptions which
thinkers associate with the idea of
of course, to be said for the literature of the Egyptians
;
but
it
is
show that the idea of monotheism which existed in Egypt at a very early period is at least of the same character as that which grew up among both Hebrews and Arabs many
not
difficult to
centuries later.
To prove extracts
this statement recourse
from religious
^
following':
— To
texts,
the dead king
must be had
and among such
Unas
it
is
said,
may
to a
number of
be quoted the
"Thou
existest at
" stances, meme sous les grands Pharaons tliebains. Elle a ete jetee au moule " par des Barbares, et elle a regu d'eus une empreinte si forte que cent generations " n'ont pu, je ne dirai pas I'effacer, mais en amollir les asperites et en adoucir les
"contours." ^
See
tlie
La
Mythologie, p. 277.
group given in
my
Papyrus of Ant, London, 1895,
p. Ixxxiii.
ff.
EGYPTIAN MONOTHEISM
120
^^ ^^=^
" the side of God,"
"
He
t\
weighetli words, and behold,
king /wwNA n
''
said,
it
is
1
^ww^
r^
(j
God hath to
|;
J
Pepi
S P ^=
<=>
and "
; I
^'
^
before the gods,"
called I. it is
I
D ^_^
[]
Teta
"Thou
said,
^
<2>-
Thy mother Nut hath
his
(in
it
is
said,
the words,"
name,
etc.),"
hast received the
become great therewith ]
__^
set thee to
^^^
1
1^ <^
be as God to thine
I
enemy
in
thy name of God," A
'\\
aaaa/v^
"This Pepi
said,
<=>
1
1
^^
is,
Hi.
It
"^
^
^^
V\
and of the same king
;
ww\^
*Vi
(J
of Teta
;
God hearkeneth unto
" attribute (or, form) of God, thou hast ''
1
j
therefore, God, the son of God," [gi]^]
may be argued
that
it
"1
is
D^
we should render neter, T
,
by "a god" or "the god," but this would make nonsense of the passages in most cases. There is no point in in these passages
telling a
i.e.,
"by the words when he
dead king that he will
that " a god " will listen to his
live
side of a god," or is
weighing words,
giving judgment upon matters in the next world
writer said and
Unas
what he meant
will live with the
his readers to
Avhat the
understand was that
God, or God, and that he will have such an
exalted position there that he will be appointed judge, an
;
by God
to act as
which belonged to God himself, and that God will his rulings. The above passages are taken from texts of the Vth and Vlth Dynasties, but they are only copies of listen to,
offic^e
i.e.,
obey
older documents, for there are good reasons for thinking that even
back as the time when they Avere made, about B.C. 3300, the had already been revised two or three times, and changes and additions made in them as the result of modified beliefs and so far
texts
ideas.
The value of such passages, however, consists in the fact that they prove conclusively that so far back as B.C. 3300 some one god had become
so great
in
the
mind
of the Egyptians that
he stood out from among the "gods," 111 i, and was different from the First, Second, and Third companies of the gods,
GOD
OSIRIS AS
immimninninnmimay god
be urged
is
Osiris or the
that the neter,
a position in
is
whic.
either the
must be admitted that the mind of the Egyptian that of any of the " gods."
so
theologian which was far superior to
On
view
Anoti...
here referred to
|,
god Ra, but even
Ra occupied
Osiris or
121
it
must be pointed out that the Pyramid we are told what great things Ra will do for the deceased in the next world, and the honour which he will ^Day to him, and we must therefore conclude that the God referred to in the passages which we have quoted is not Ra, although he may be Osiris. But if we arrive at this conclusion we must admit that ia the relatively remote period about B.C. 3300 Osiris was considered to be such a great god, and to the other hand,
Texts are
it
passages in which
full of
occupy such an exalted position at the head of the " gods," that
We
have
implied that Osiris was the judge of those
who
he could be spoken of and referred to simply as " God." already seen
it
were in the Underworld, and we know from the text of Unas (line 494) that he sat on a throne in heaven ^ as the king is said ;
to have
" god, and the messenger (or, angel) of
become
(line 175),
God "
^
and to " enter into the place which was more holy than
any other place "
(line 178), it is perfectly clear that the
^
God
of "
the Pyramid Texts was an entirely different being from the " gods and the " companies of the gods." The deceased is actually called " Osiris Pepi," if
Osiris be
^
^
'
he
is
said to
have become an angel of God,
God and judge, he must have of the God of the Hebrews, who is
the gods,"
„
as
that
position to that
among
and
ra^
said to
"judge
and must have been ministered to by "gods'
csz: n
I
Psalm
^
held a similar
J
<^jj (gjj]-
Ixxxii. 1, IDJ3^>
Pepi
I.,
1.60.
WJlbii 21^3..
CONCEPTION OF GOD
122
of a rank inferior to his
God
of the
dead, but
Pyramid Texts was is
it
referred to
We may Osiris, the
assume, then, that the
god and judge of the
God which
clear that the only aspects of the
are
are those which he bears as the god and judge of
We
the dead.
o-s\ti.
have, unfortunately, no means
he was described by his of Heliopolis,
earliest
of
worshippers,
him
when they absorbed
knowing how
for
their
into
the
priests
theological
system, took care to give him only such characteristics as suited
own
their
views
;
they have, however, shown us that he was
the judge of the dead, and that he occuj^ied a unique position
among the the God of
and enjoyed some of the powers possessed by the nations which are on all hands admitted to be
gods,
monotheistic.
of
But Ave may obtain further information about the conception God among the Egyptians by an examination of certain passages
famous Precepts of Kaqemna and the Precepts of PtahThe first of these works was composed ia the reign of hetep. Seneferu, a king of the IVth Dynasty, and the second in the reign
in the
Vth Dynasty, but we only know them from
of Assa, a king of the
the
copies
contained in the papyrus which was given to the
Bibliotheque Royale in Paris by E. Prisse d'Avennes in 1847.^
This document was probably written about the period of the
XVIIth Dynasty, and may,
of course, contain readings and addi-
tions reflecting the opinions of the Egyptians
morals which were then current
;
on religion and
but the foundations of both
works belong to an earlier time, though whether that time fell under the Xllth Dynasty, as some think, or under the IVth and
Vth Dynasties
works themselves
as the
our present purpose.
In both
sets of
declare, matters little for
Precepts
we have
a series of
moral aphorisms similar to those with which we are familiar in the
Book
of
Wisdom, and
and they are given
Ecclesiasticus,
as the
and the Book of Proverbs,
outcome of the experience of men of the
work of Kaqemna nor that of Ptah-lietep can be said to have been drawn up from a religious point of view, and neither author supports his advice by appeals to religious
world
1
1847,
;
neither the
See Facsimile folio.
tViin
papyrus
^gyptien en airacUres
hieraiiques,
Paris,
CONCEPTION OF GOD
123
In these works we find the following admonitions and
authority. reflections
:
1''
1.
an " i.e.,
Not
rehlientu
Miepert
drit
neter
known
the things
which maketh
Grod,"
[are]
come
the things which will
known, that
is
to say, God's
to pass
ways are inscrutable.
/I\
2. I
dm
du
1
I
I
Jcher
tail
The eating i.e.,
by God's agency cannot be
of bread
according to
is
sehher
neter
the plan of
God,
a man's food comes to him through the providence of God.
'I dm Thou
h
-
shalt not
4.
her
em
put
terror
into
reth
men and women
neter
Jihesef is
dri
opposed [thereto]
God.
HP dr If
seka
-
nek
thou hast land ploughing
ter
em
labour
in
td
selchet
set
the field (which) hath given
for
1' neter
God. "•^
.
The author
Ptah-hetep.
of
this
observation
was Kaqemna
;
the other ones are by
CONCEPTION OF GOD
124
A 5.
un
dr
em
nek
-
smam
dri
perfect
h
-
f^a
make thou
[thy] son
neter
God.
to be pleasing unto
I
man
a
If thou wouldst be
eih
dqer
sa
A
^ d1 dqu
sehet&p
em
h
-
by
thy dependants
Satisfy
Ihepert-neh
thy actions
;
l-Jiejyert
it
should be done
1 neter
//esesu
(5??.
by him that
is
favoured by God.
D
1'
7.
mertu
What
is
neter
loved
of
God
is
setem
an setem
obedience
disobedience
1' en mestetu
neter
hateth
God.
=^
And
mdk
sa
Verily
a son
finally
nefer
good
[is]
1'
A
en
of
neter
tat a
the gifts
of God.
from the Prisse Papyrus may be quoted the exhortabecome great, and
tation, " If having been of no account, thou hast
"
if,
having been poor, thou hast become
rich,
when thou
art
IDEA OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE " governor of the
city
be not hard-hearted on account of thy
" advancement, because thou hast [only]
become
mer
se'ptu
neter
" the guardian
of the provisions
of God."
From
this
125
group of extracts we learn that the ways of the god
referred to in the " Precepts " were inscrutable, that
it
was he who
was supposed to give a man children, and property, and food, that he was ojDposed to any man tyrannizing over his fellow creatures that he loved to be obeyed and hated disobedience, i.e., those who would not hearken unto him that the perfect man was he who ;
God expected the do good to those who were
brought up his son in ways pleasing to God
man who had been
favoured by him to
dependent upon him
;
;
that
and the writer of the " Precepts " urged the
governor of a city to remember that he was only the guardian of goods and provisions which belonged to God. it is
clear that the allusion
is
to
In
all
these extracts
some great and j)owerful being who
rules
and governs the world and provides according to
those
who
are in
neter,
si'hlier
i.e.,
it.
In the second extract
the seJcher of God.
his will for
we have
The word
sehlier
the words 1
many meanings, among them being " thought, plan, scheme, design," and the like, and when Ptah-hetep said eating of bread
is
)
,
has
intention,
that " the
according to the seJcher of God," there
doubt that he intended his readers to understand that a
is
no
man
obtained bread, or food, to eat according to the plan or design
which God had made, or decreed beforehand.
would very well represent the words dence
;
A rendering which
sehlier neter is "
Divine provi-
" but they do not justify the translation " fate "
which has
been proposed for them.
Now we know
that both the writers
lived in the neighbourhood of vSakkara,
and
if
Kaqemna and Ptah-hetep
Memphis, because their tombs are at
they lived at Memphis their great local god would
be Ptah of the Beautiful Face, or Ptali of the White Wall, whose
PRECEPTS OF KHENSU-HETEP
126
feminine counterpart was Sekliet and whose son was I-em-hetep.
But
group of extracts just given there
in the
of these gods,
and the God referred
is
no mention of any
to cannot be
Osiris,
first,
because the texts are not funereal, and secondly, because the attributes ascribed to this
from
God
God whose
we know
are not of those which
Who
later texts belonged to the god of the dead.
then
is
the
and providence, and government of the world are here proclaimed ? The answer to this question is that the God referred to is God, Whose power men of the stamp of Ptah-hetep j)ower,
Whose
discerned even at the remote period in which he lived, and attributes they clearly distinguished
;
He was
in their opinion too
great to be called anything else but God, and though, no doubt,
they offered sacrifices to the gods in the temple at Memphis, after
manner
the
of their countrymen,
entirely different
Passing
now
Being from those
they
to the period of the
consider a few extracts from the famous
the
"Maxims
knew
that
God was an
" gods."
New Empire we
have to
work commonly known
of Ani," or the "Precepts of Khensu-hetep,"
as
which
by E. de Rouge in 1861, and was published in full fifteen years later by Chabas.^ The text ^ is written upon a papyrus which was found in a box lying upon the floor of the tomb of a Christian monk at Der al-Medinet, and from considerations of palaeography it must probably be assigned to the period of the was
first
described^
XXIInd Dynasty, but the deal older, and it may well following extracts will of the author of the "
1
See
must be a great date from the XVIIIth Dynasty. The illustrate the conception of God in the mind original composition
Maxims "
1^
-
jpa
neter
en
The
God
Moniteur,
15
is
Aout,
:
p:^^^ saaud
making great
for
1861
;
and Comptes Eendus,
ren his
Paris,
-
f
name.
1871,
pp.
340-350. 2
See L':Egyptolo(jie, Chalons-sur-Saone and Paris, 4to, 1876-1878.
3
A
£oulaq.
facsimile
was published by Mariette
in
Papyrus ^gyptiens du Musee de
PRECEPTS OF KHENSU-HETEP
VD
1
or, the
pa
netei
The
God
God
is
127
J)
pa
ma a
the
right.
dput [is]
the judge of
the judge, the righteous one,
passes sentence according to
what
straight,
is
i.e.,
the judge
mad,
who
the law
i.e.,
the canon.
3.
1 du
'J
tdii
Giveth
4.
neter-hu
unu
thy God
the means of subsistence.
" I have given thee thy mother," the writer says to his son,
and she carried thee even heavy burden
herself a
When for
at length
and took upon and did not lean upon me. having been carried by her
as she carried thee,
for thy sake,
thou wast born after
months, she laid herself under thy yoke, and she nourished
thee for three years, and was never weary of thee. -^
.
.
.
When
thou wast sent to school to be taught, she came every day
without
fail
to thy master [bringing] bread
from her house.
Now
thou hast become a
and beer
man and
[for thee]
hast married
a wife and hast a house, set thine eye upon thy child, and bring
him up lest
as
she
thy mother brought thee up.
lift
^
(3
1 ddui-set
"her hands
Wrong
not thy mother
up
en
pa
to
the
neter
u
^ setemu
emtuf
sebhu-set
God [and] he hearken unto her prayers "
[and punish thee].
I
amma Let [a man]
^
1
sic
en
pa
neter
give himself
to
the
God,
Literally, " lier breasts
were in thy mouth for three years."
PRECEPTS OF KHENSU-HETEP
128
^ O
I saim
-
sn
Jc
1
em-ment
en
pa
neter
daily
for
the
God,
" keep thou thyself
w
au
ond-qeti ma-qeii
va iki
haru
being like
the
day (to-day?)."
tuaiiu tuami '
(3
"
to-morrow
(?)
o
ra
AAAAA^ I
I
Ichennu
en
neter
The sanctuary
of
God
pu
hetu-tuf its
abomination
is
sehebii
much
speaking.
-^
em
senemehii-neh
Make thou thy prayers with a heart
"
du
mert
ah
of love
l2i'
1
metet
f
-
the petitions
all
I
^
(^
A/VV\Aft
fll
dmeiinu
??,eZ>^
" of
which
^ ¥^^-
are in secret.
He
^'
^
V^ \\\V'^^'"'^
d
tcJieteiu-h
will
1
I
(^
I
thy
perform
affairs,
(3
I
v\
/WVNAA
v\
seslieiyn-\_f'\
e utemm-tuh
he will accept
thine offerings.
-21
'
e sau-tu
" In making offerings to
thy God
Jd _m Jf^ betau-tuf
things which he
abominateth.
^i—a L'
1 neter-lcu
" the
kheru-fuk
^ I
I
iitennii
lifX
,
dri-f
he will hear what thou say est,
T
,
AA/VW\ U
setemu-f "
,
er
guard thou thyself against
O a
<>
.^^ ennii
maat-h
observe [with] thine eye
er
PRECEPTS OF KHENSU-HETEP A
c^
129
(^ AAAAA^
£S
'paif
selilieru
plans.
"his
N\r\fsi\r\
qenteb
senenti-tu
Devote
thyself
to the adoration
a
[^
lit
1 ren
6771
"of
-
su
f
name.
his
he
It is
W^\\\
AAA/W\
tat
who
giveth
hell
souls
to millions
^^1
fi
^ w pa
aaru
sdaud
"of
forms,
and [he] magnifieth
p:^^^
I
i
—
ar
7iefer
Now
the god
f
" magnifieth him.
enti
whosoever
\>
I
ta
AA^AAA
pen
en
of this earth
is
^
O pa
I
haiu
en
^daua
\\
emtuh
Shim btiuu
her
" the god Shu,
hliid
du
he who is over the horizons.
mdtui
naif
His similitudes
^^ A
" [are]
upon
a
ta
tdtd-thd laia-itia
senterd sentera
em
earth,
are given [to them]
offerings of incense
with
her tep
V^s,,,
^o
Icai-set
em-ment.
" their food offerings
daily."
The group
of passages given above supplies a
new
set
of
by the Egyptians to God, and they show that they believed this Being to be one who judged according to right, who was jealous for the honour of his name, who received prayers K attributes ascribed
CONCEPTION OF GOD AND THE GODS
130
and
and who granted to the suppliant
offerings,
all his petitions,
and performed all his desires, when such petitions were made to him in secret and with a " loving heart." The seventh extract is peculiarly instructive, for in it we have a sharp distinction drawn between
The worshipper
identiiied with the Sun-god.
to consider His plans, or designs,
upon
who
the solar god Shu,
God and
this
^^ \
fl
is
of
clearly,
here,
God
exhorted
is
which are manifest
'
\^
pay good heed to the manner in which he makes Him, and to dedicate himself to the adoration of His
earth, to
oiferings to
name, for
it is
He
Avho giveth souls,
to millions of beings,
i.e., life,
On
the other hand, the and those who exalt Him He will exalt. similitudes of the god Shu, the lord of the horizons, i.e., the skies of the South and the North, the East and the West, and the god
upon the
of this earth, are
and meat are made
There
daily.
the lofty conception of what
upon the
fact that
many
and
earth,
is
them
to
no need here
is
meet
offerings of incense
for the
to dwell
worship of God
upon ;
nor
of the phrases in the extract are identical
and almost in words, with passages in the Hebrew Scriptures, for they Avill be familiar to all, and extracts like the " Consider the wondrous following will occur to every reader
in meaning,
:
works of God
honour" Q
^
(1
n i__fl ^
H
"
(Job xxxvii. 14)
Samuel .^
ii.
30), etc.
difficult
to
—
them that honour me I will The word rendered "similitudes,"
;
"
explain in detail though
its
general
meaning is clear enough, and we must understand by it " things which are in the likeness [of Shu] " these can, apparently, only refer to the gods to whom incense and offerings were brought ;
daily.
The great importance of
consists in the fact that
.the
second
group of extracts
they emphasize and develop the difference
between the Egyptian conception of God and the gods. The author of the "Maxims," like Kaqemna and Ptah-hetep, set out to write a
mould
book of moral precepts by which he intended
his course of life
and to be guided.
funereal character, therefore the
cannot be writer
is
of moral
God who
is
This work
his son to
is
not of a
referred to throughout
and the context proves beyond all doubt that the alluding to the same Being as were the earlier writers Osiris,
aphorisms already mentioned.
In
the
case
of
the
ONENESS OF THE GODS " Maxims," qualified
however, the word for God, neter
by the emphatic
But
article
we must
J|,
in all the passages quoted above there
no other
is
"1
is
usually
no
distinct
A^ ^^,
pa
God alluded to therein God besides Him, although
statement that the there
131
is
God
is
alone,
and that
this is clearly implied
;
therefore turn to another class of texts in which the
attribute of oneness or unity
more "great The god Ta-tunen is called, " One, maker of mortals, and of the company of the gods " the " god Ea-Tem is called, lord of heaven, lord of earth, maker of " beings celestial and of beings terrestrial, God One, who came " into being in primeval time, maker of the world, creator of " rational beings, maker of Nu (the sky), creator of the Nile, " maker of whatsoever is in the waters, and giver of life to the " same, knitter together of the mountains, making to come into " being men and women, and beasts and cattle, and creator of the "heavens and the earth" ;^ the great Khu (Spirit) whom Tem and
gods,"
see
how
it
is
ascribed to one or
applied.
is
^
;
created
described as the "only
is
One"
be "lord of the gods, god
One
;*
in
Nu"
^ ;
Osiris is said to
and in a remarkable passage,
which the whole of the attributes of the Sun-a-od Ra have been Amen-Ra, we have the following statement wherein this god is said to be " the holy (or, venerable) Soul which came in
transferred to
-
1
-,-r I
A\
^% W
of Ani, sheet
If
_Zi.
1,
AAA/VV\ AAAA/V^
line 6.
^
n
H
®
I
AAftAAA
\\
/VWWK
I
j"lll'nil
5
ff
3
JBook of the .Dead, Chap. Ixxviii. 16.
*
Ibid.,
Chap,
clxxiii.
Pfli I
/VVVV^A
1, line
I
iiiiitnii
I
Papyrus of Hunefer, sheet
I
/wwv\
(9
ONENESS OF THE GODS
132
into being aforetime, the great
'
'
god who liveth
in (or by)
(i.e.,
^W pautti
D
P^
fepi
7U£S
G pautti
the two companies of gods,
primeval [which] gave
the paut
birth to
I
1 came
^
nete7
Icheper
"
Maat
unfailing and unvarying order and regularity),
into being
dm
7ieb
a
ud
f
through him,
every
ofod
-
I
a
w
uoui
one alone,
n
am " he
shad
linen
f
made what
when
exists
em
ta
the earth began
sep tepi
primeval time,
in
^^
\
(2
^fl
viesi
aslit
hlieperiu
an
of births,
manifold
of forms,
not
sheta.u
" hidden
im bes
-
rekhtu is
known
f ^
"his growth."
The text goes on " Power), the
to say that
god who
is
Amen-Ra,
beloved, and
is is
the "holy
Sekhem
(i.e.,
and mighty in
terrible
"his risings, lord of space, the Power, Khepera, the creator of " every evolution (or, thing) which belongeth to
" except
whom
beginning none other existed."
at the
we have Ta-tunen, Ra-Tem, and One," neter
iid,
"1
Jj
i
,
the god Osiris
and in the
Amen-Ra.
If
See Maspero,
we
consider for a
Mem. Miss.
Arch., torn
i
moment we i.,
p.
594.
existence,^
Here then "
God
we have
the
all called
extract
last
remarkable expression " God One alone," to
his
^T
3, applied
shall see that the
ONENESS OF THE GODS
133
gods Tern and Khepera are only forms of the Sun-god Ra, and as
Tatunen was concerned in the production of the Sun-god he a solar god i.e.,
at the time
;
when
also
is
the above extracts were written,
under the XVIIIth Dynasty, we have abundant proof that the
Egyptians were continually adding to the attributes which they
and that such attributes were those which " The word " One belonged to some form of Ra or to Ra himself. then is applied in these cases to Ra, and to the forms of Ra, and ascribed to
to a
Osiris,
god who had come
solar god,
and
it
will be
to be regarded in
one aspect at least as a
found on examination of the texts that
whenever a god or goddess is described as " One " it is because that deity has been endowed by the writer, whether rightly or wrongly
is
another matter, with some of the attributes of Ra.
It is easy to see
from the hieroglyphic extract given above
god there described are attributed many of the creative which we assign to Grod Almighty. Thus he is said to
that to the qualities
who gave birth to we must understand
be the primeval Paut or divine substance
the
two companies of the gods
the
(in this case
and the company of the gods of earth, and not the Great and Little Companies of the gods of Heliopolis), and every god came into being by him or through him. Here it is quite clear that "every god " means only every inferior
company
being
of the gods of heaven
who
possessed something of the quality of a neter or " god,"
and every being who ministered to the great Paut, and who in the Hebrew Scriptures would be grouped under the name " Elohlm,"
among the " angels," and in Arabic literature among the good Jinn. The text goes on to say not only in primeval times, i.e., "in the beginning," he created whatever exists upon the D\l'72;J,
or
earth, but also that in primeval time
him.
This
is
no other being existed with
a definite statement of the unity or oneness of
God
which cannot be gainsaid, and it Avas this attribute of unity or oneness which the priests of various cities ascribed to their local god whenever they could. We have no means of saying whether this idea of oneness or unity was first applied to Ra or to some
more ancient god such quite certain that
Egypt
it
as Horus,
but
it
is,
in the writer's opinion,
existed in the minds of the educated classes of
in the earliest times,
and that in
all
periods
it
was the
THE GREAT SELF-CREATED GOD
134
But the text goes on
to
say that the great Paut who created the companies of the gods
is
central point of their conceptions of God.
and manifold of forms," and that " his growth This is only another way of saying (or development) is unknown." that the manner in which the beings and things produced by the " hidden of births
Paut came into being
is
We may here
forms.
Booh of
of the
Dead
the
unknown, and that he appears under many XVIIth Chapter
refer to the passage in the (line 9),
wherein
it is
said
:
ODD
1 nuk " I
^
da
neter
am
D AAAAAA
hheper tchesef
Nu
self-created,
Nu,
the great god
that
m
© qemam " who made
em
renu his
paid
/
names
the
company
neteru of the gods
neter
as
Sfod."
Concerning
this
being the question
and the following answer
is
given
is
asked, "
is
qemam who created
Ra
U kheper " and these
then
this ?
is
"
d—M
renu
en
at
names
for
his
-
em
into being
in the
form of
f
members
m
D
eneii
came
Who
:
AAAAV\
Bd pu " It
to say,
is
neteru the gods
w
ami "
who
On
Rd
hhet
are in the following
of Ra."
the creative power of the great Paut special emphasis
the extract on p. 132,
for, after
is
laid in
declaring that he created in the begin-
HENOTHETSM ning whatsoever that had
exists, the text
135
adds that he created everything
to do with his own coming into being
from the Booh of
the
Dead
it
;
and
in the passages
taught, according to one dogma,
is
names of the great, self-produced god Nu became the company of gods under the form of God, and according to another that the gods who were in the train of Ra were the members or limbs of Ra, and that these limbs were, in turn, the names of Ra. that the
The
last text
quoted
is
of considerable importance, for
direct proof that the attributes of the
Ra was
Ra, and that
Amen, who was
means that to
were transferred to
Nu, and the
how the attributes of Ra were
originally only the local
of the fusion of the
many
Nu
identified absolutely with
text but one quoted shows to
god
two gods
into
gives us a
it
last
transferred
god of Thebes, by
Amen-Ra.
We know
gods were ascribed the attributes of Ra, and that
solar gods were, in the dynastic period at
least,
all
held to be forms of
him if we could identify them all we should be able to reduce the number of Egyptian gods considerably. The attribute or quality of oneness or unity, which is ascribed first to the great God who was the creator of the heavens and the earth and all therein, and secondly to the Sun-god who was regarded as the visible type and symbol of God and his various ;
forms, and thirdly, at a later period to the
god
termed "henotheism" by many writers who
was a "phase monotheism. Miiller
of religious
asserted
thought"^ which was
has been that
difi'erent
According to the late Right Honourable Prof.
we have become acquainted with
this
"when
it
from
Max
phase of religious
thought " for the first time through the Veda," say that
Osiris,
and he goes on to
these individual gods are invoked they are not
conceived as limited by the power of others, as superior or
Each god
inferior in rank.
good as
all
the gods.
He
is
as supreme and absolute, in
is
to the
felt at
mind
of the suppliant as
the time as a real divinity,
spite of the necessary limitations
which, to our mind, a plurality of gods must entail on every single god.
All the rest disappear from the vision of the poet,
and he only who
is
to fulfil their desires stands in full light
before the eyes of the worshippers." ^
Max
It is quite true that the
Miiller, Hibhert Lectures, p. 285.
HENOTHEISM
136
Egyptian religion passed through a phase which has been identified but, assuming for a
as henotheism,
moment
we should be
that
correct in calling that phase henotheism, the Egyptian religious texts prove that
was
it
" not the
Max
henotheism of
Miiller or of
" Hartmann, or of Asmus, but a practical henotheism, i.e., the " adoration of one God above all others as the specific tribal god or " as the lord over a particular people, a national or relative ''
monotheism,
^'
absolute sovereign
^'
monotheism
^'
to
^'
godhead, are
like that of the ancient Israelites, the
is
who
worship of an This practical
exacts passive obedience.
totally different from the theoretical monotheism,
which the Aryans, with their monistic speculative idea of the
much
nearer."
These words by the applied
by him
to the
^
late Professor Tiele here
Egyptian
religion,
quoted were not
but they so well express
the present writer's views about the monotheism of the Egyptians that they are
adopted for that purpose.
Professor Tiele was,
undoubtedly, the greatest authority on comparative religion of his day, and although he was not an Egyptologist at
first
hand, he
had discussed Egyptian religious texts with great experts
like
Chabas, Birch, de Rouge, and others, to such good purpose that his opinion
on the subject
is
of peculiar value.
According to him
the Egyptian religion presents two apparently contradictory and irreconcilable
of
God
phenomena
united
the
to
different divinities
;
and
:
— A lively sentiment of the spirituality 1.
coarsest 2.
A
materialistic
representations
of
sentiment, not less lively, of the
unity of God, united to an extremely great multiplicity of divine
The
persons.^
best educated
priests,
he thinks, who were the
most vigorous promoters of religious progress,
Avere
as
much
attached to forms and traditional symbols as the people themselves,
and they were most unwilling to give up any part of them. symbolism, being misunderstood by the ignorant serious errors,
folk,
The
produced
and the forms under which the Egyptians repre-
sented their gods, and which are repellent to our refined taste,
answered in their minds to the idea of divinity which was purer
and more
spiritual than the noble
and beautiful forms of the gods of
^
C. P. Tiele, in Encyclopaedia Britannica, vol. xx., p. 367.
2
Histoire Comparee des Anciennes Religions, Paris, 1882.
POLYTHEISM AND MONOTHEISM Hellas.
The ignorant
no repugnance
felt
to
137
monstrous representa-
tions because they appeared as representations having a profound
and mysterious meaning
the learned understood the meanings of
;
the symbols, and paid their adoration through
them
to the truth
In other words, the uneducated
of which they were the coverings.
loved a plurality of gods, while the priests and educated classes
could read and understand books adopted the idea of One
who
God, the creator of
all
the beings in heaven and on earth who, for
want of a better word, were called " gods." The priests and theologians saw nothing incompatible in believing that God was One, and that he existed under innumerable forms. We may note the existence of the same view in the Hebrew Scriptures where, in spite of the commandments, " Thou " shalt have
no other
o-ods before
Thou
me.
shalt not
make unto
" thee any graven image, or any likeness [of anything] that " in heaven above, " them, nor serve felt
.... Thou them
.
."
.
.
shalt
not
bow down
(Exodus xx.
no scruple in representing God
[is]
thyself to
3-5), the
Israelites
in the midst of His sons,
and
for a very long time they continued to adore a number of divine beings side by side with Yahweh.^ Thus in Joshua xxii. 22, we read, " The Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods, he knoweth and " Israel shall know; " in Exodus xxii. 28 is given the commandment, " " Thou shalt not revile the gods nor curse the ruler of thy people ;
in
Psalm cxxxvi.
2, Israel
is
exhorted to " give thanks unto the
" the " sons of
God " we know from Genesis vi. 2 Job ii. 1 xxxviii. 7;^ and that "gods" in some passages mean nothing but beings possessing some characteristic of God is clear from 1 Samuel xxviii. 13, wherein we read that the witch of Endor told Saul that she " saw gods ascending out of the earth." The allusion in this last passage is clearly to some kind of Returning for a moment to the supernatural being or beings. views of Professor Tiele, we admit that, judging from certain "
God
of gods
;
;
;
texts in
of the Dynastic Period, he
Egypt monotheism
anterior
is
asserting that
justified in
is
to
polytheism;
but judging
from the evidence of the recently discovered monuments of the ^
2
Tiele, Hist.
Comjmree, p. 138.
C£. also Dent. x. 17
;
Psalms
xiv. 3
;
Ixxxii. 1, 6;
Job
i.
6.
EGYPTIAN MONOTHEISM
138
we must admit
predynastic and archaic periods,
On
appears to be older than monotheism.
that polytheism
the other hand, the
Kaqemna and
monotheistic ideas which appear in the works of
Ptah-hetep were certainly not
which they
lived,
originated
at
and there
much
a
belonging to the
first
is
certainty as
works we created
it
God is
is
date.
earlier
compositions
literary
If
three dynasties are ever brought to light
from the tombs of Egypt, we the oneness of
during the jDeriod in
invented
every reason for believing that they
shall
probably find that the idea of
expressed with just as
much and
under the following dynasties,
shall also find
force
and
in the
same
mention of the various gods who were
by the great God who was proclaimed
be One, and
to
expected to be worshipped Avith obedience.
The
opinion of Professor Tiele on the Egyptian religion
final
was that from the beginning
it
was
developed in two opposite directions
were multiplied by the addition of
Egyptian drew nearer and nearer
We may now
;
but that
polytheistic,
in the one direction gods
and
local gods,
in the other the
to monotheism.^
consider the opinions of some of the greatest
Egyptologists on the monotheism of the Egyptians. the Bevue Arclieologique (1860, *'
unity of a supreme and
" almightiness,
p.
73) E. de
self-existent
being,
and of
"to the supreme God; the immortality of the
dogma "
Een
of punishments and rewards
;
Writing in
Rouge his
and eternal reproduction thereby
" attributing of the creation of the world
" the
it
"The
says,
eternity,
his
God
the
as
;
all
living beings
soul,
completed by
such
the sublime
is
monotheisme onderstelt een graad van ontwikkeling " en een vordering- in liet wijsgeerig nadenken, die bij een nog barbaarscli volk " niet denkbaar zijn. Ook de egyptische godsdienst is van animisnie en magisch '• polydaemonisme uitgegaan en zoo eerst tot poljtheisme opgeklommen. Dit " polytliei'sme ontwikkelt zicli dan in twee gelieel tegen o vergestelde richtingen. " Aan den eenen kant wordt de godenwereld, door bijeenvoeging van plaatselijke " godsdiensten een gevolg van de ondervverping der verschillende gewesten met " hun godsdienstige middelpunten aan liet gezag van een koning, en door over" neming van vreemde godlieden, steeds rijker. Aan den anderen kant nadert " men het monotheisme meer en meer, zonder het ooithelder en ondubbelzinnig nit ^
Yoorliistorisch.
,
De geleerden traclitten beide mit elkander overeen te breugen, onder " anderen door de vele goden voor te stellen als de openbaringen van den eenen»
" te spreken.
"ongesehapen,
verborgen
God,
zijn
leben,
Geschiedenis van den Godsdienst in de Oudheid,
door
hem
zelnengeschapen."
Amsterdam, 1893,
p. 25.
See
EGYPTIAN MONOTHEISM
139
" and persistent base which, notwithstanding all deviations and " mythological embellishments, " ancient Egyptians a
" of antiquity."
^
must secure
all
for the beliefs of the
most honourable place among the religions
In an article on the " Religion of the Ancient
Egyptians," written nine years later as a result of a close study of
many
of the great religious texts, he asserted that
more than
five
thousand years before there existed in the Valley of the Nile the
hymn
to the unity of
God with
whom
God, and the belief in the unity of a supreme
the attributes of Creator of men, and Legislator of man,
he has endowed with an immortal
In his description
soul.
monuments at the Egyptian Museum at Biilak in Cairo, Mariette Bey said, " At the head of the Egyptian pantheon " soars a God who is one, immortal, uncreated, invisible and hidden
of the principal
''
in the inaccessible depths of his essence
" heavens
and of the earth
;
;
" and nothing has been made without him "
is
he
is
;
such
reserved for the initiated of the sanctuary."
was held by Chabas,^ who "
all things,
"
is
who
the creator of the
he has made everything which exists
said, "
^
is
A
the
God who
similar
view
The One God, who existed before
represents the pure and abstract idea of divinity,
not clearly specialized by [any] one single personage of the vast
" Egyptian pantheon.
Neither
nor Seb, nor Thoth, nor Ra,
Ptali,
^ " L'unite d'un etre suprerae existant par lui-meme, son eternite, sa toute" puissance et la generation eternelle en Dien la creation du monde et de tons ;
" les etres vivants attribuee a ce Dien
supreme
rimmortalite de ITime, completee " par le dogme des peines et des recompenses tel est le fond sublime et persistant " qui, malgre toutes les deviations et toutes les broderies mytbologiqnes, doit " assurer aux croyances des anciens Egyptiens un rang tres honorable parmi les ;
;
" religions de I'antiquite."
" II y a plus de 5000 ans qu'a commence, dans
"la vallee du l^i\, Vliymne a VTJnite de Dieu et a V Immortalite de Vdme; et nous " voyons dans les derniers temps I'Egypte arrivee au Polytlieisme le plus effrene. " La croyance d V Unite du Dieu supreme, a ses attributs de Createur et de Legislateur " de Vhomme, qu'il a doue d'une dme immortelle ; voila les notions primitives " encliassees comme des diamants indestructibles au milieu des superfetations mytho" logiques accumulees par les siecles qui ont passe sur cette vieille civilisation."
Annules de Philosophie Chretienne, Paris, 1869, p. 336. 2 " iVu sommet du pantheon Egyptien plane un Dieu unique, immortel, incree, " invisible et cacbe dans les profondeurs inaccessibles de son essence il est le " createur du ciel et de la terre il a fait tout ce qui existe, et rien n'a ete fait sans " lui Mariette, Notice, Cairo, c'est le Dieu reserve ;i I'initie du sanctuaire." ;
;
;
1876, ^
p. 17.
Ccdendriev des jours fastes
et nefastes, p.
107.
EGYPTIAN MONOTHEISM
140 ''
nor
Osiris,
" times
nor any other god
a personification of
is
him
at all
but of these sometimes one and at other times another is "invoked in terms which assimilate these intimately with the ;
"
supreme type; the innumerable gods of Egypt are only attributes " and different aspects of this unique type."
M.
Pierret, in discussing the matter, holds the
view that the
God who was One, and eternal. At the
texts prove that the Egyptians believed in a
and was without a second, and
Avas infinite
very time, however, when the scribes were writing upon papyrus or cutting
the artists
upon stone the inscriptions Avhich affirmed this belief, were making sculptures of the gods with heads of hawks,
or rams, or crocodiles, or goddesses with the heads of lionesses,
Nevertheless the
cats, or coAvs.
One God, who
is
without a second,
One even among the company of the gods, for he has numerous names and forms, and he appears under sacred and mysterious
is
forms in the temples, that
is
to say
under the figures
^
which were
painted on the walls, and in the statues of the gods which were
The greatest supporter of the doctrine of ancient Egyptian monotheism was the late Dr. Brugsch, who assigned to the word for God, neter T Jj, the highly philosophical Accepting the view, meaning which has been quoted above.
set
up
in the temples.
which the Egyptians themselves
names
of the various
held,
that the gods were only
attributes of the
One God, he searched
through the religious literature and collected from the hymns, prayers,
etc.,
which were
addressed to the various
gods
and
number of epithets and attributes ^ These which were bestowed upon them by their worshippers. and arranged grouped extracts he classified, and when they were they formed a description of God such as it would be difficult to It has been find a parallel for outside the Holy Scriptures. goddesses in various periods, a
contended that as these scattered epithets are never found together the ancient Egyptians had no conception of a God who was One,
and was self-produced, and had existed, and would exist, always, and was hidden and unknown of form and name, and was the Creator of heaven and the gods, and earth, and man, and all '
~
Pierret,
They
Le
Pdiithi'on l^]gy2)tien, Paris, 1881.
will be
found in Brugsch, Religion
uiid MytJiologie, p.
96
ff.
EGYPTIAN MONOTHEISM and was
141
same time merciful, and compassionate, and loving, and the protector of the weak against the strong, and the re warder and protector of those who served him. things,
But
at the
contention
this
not well founded, because, although
is
these attributes were ascribed to a miscellaneous
we must remember
that they
number
of deities,
would not have been thus associated
unless the writers recognized such gods as phases or aspects of the
The
Great God.
fact
remains that such attributes were ascribed to
gods who were created by God, and that the Egyptians arrived at such ideas as those described above
a lasting proof of the exalted
is
character of their religion and of their conception of monotheism.
The main point
to
keep in view
that the gods of
is
Egypt were
regarded by the Egyptians generally as inferior beings to the great
God who made them, and that they were not held to be equal to him in all respects. Further, we must repeat that the God referred to in the
moral precepts of the Early Empire holds a position
similar to that held
among
by Yahweh among the Hebrews and
the Arabs, and that the gods and
goddesses
A-llah
who were
ministers of his will and pleasure find their counterparts in the angels,
of
and archangels, and
whom
proof
of
Hebrew and Arabic
the
God rfl
where
vi. 4,
(literally, gods), is I
^,
both good and bad,
literatures are full.
can be given than the well-known
this
Deuteronomy "
spirits of all kinds,
"One God,"
it is said,
" Hear,
YahAveh One,"
^
Israel,
No
passage
in
Yahweh our
and the Egyptian
as far as the application
surer
nete7-
ud
and meaning of ud
I
is
concerned,
is
Hebrew word "rnxV words, " Yahweh our
identical with that of the
in the
IT
text quoted.
We may
note, too, the
which show that Yahweh was
identified with the gods, wrib^^
when
Elohtm had come
of the
Hebrew religion it is, however, Deuteronomy was written the word great God of the Hebrews, although
polytheistic period of the ancient possible that
,
gods,"
;
the verse in
to
mean
the
had meant a collection of sacred or divine beings. In the Kur'an, Sura cxii., the God of the Arabs is declared to be One, and from the commentaries on the Sura we know that this originally
it
declaration was revealed to 1
Muhammad
Compare
St.
Mark
in answer to the people of
xii.
29.
EGYPTIAN MONOTHEISM
142
who asked him concerning the distinguishing attributes God he invited them to worship. If we had all the litera-
the Kuresh, of the
ture of the early Hebrews, and of the Arabs at the period of the
propaganda of
Muhammad we
should probably find that
many
and Arabia were called One, but that only the God who had the moral aspects which were attributed to the great God of the Egyptians by the philosophers of the Early local gods in Palestine
Empire succeeded in retaining it permanently. The religion of the Egyptians has, however, always been regarded from two distinct and opposite points of view a number of scholars, among whom may be mentioned Champollion-Figeac, ;
de Rouge, Chabas, Mariette, Deveria, Birch, and Brugsch, have considered it to have been monotheistic, but others have declared
was polytheistic this result is due probably Speaking of the difference of to the way in which it is regarded. opinion which existed on the subject between the late Dr. Brugsch and himself, M. Maspero says that he and Brugsch considered the
unhesitatingly that
it
;
Egyptian religion in two
different Avays.
Time, he says, which has
done so much harm to other nations, has shown to the Egyptians.
It has
itself
favourable
spared their tombs, their temples, their
and the thousand small objects which were the pride of their domestic life, and it has led us in such a way that we judge them by the most beautiful and the prettiest of the things which statues,
they made, and has at length caused us to place their civilization
on the same footing
as that of the
Romans
or the Greeks.
But
if
be looked at more nearly the point of view changes to speak quite shortly, Thothmes III. and Rameses 11. resemble Mtesa of
it
;
Central Africa more closely than they do Alexander or Caesar. It is not their fault,
was too ness.
early,
In
art,
but they arrived too soon in a period which
and they must bear the penalty of their precociousin science, in trade, they have invented much and
produced much, and have, above
all,
promised much
;
their religion
presents the same mixture of coarseness and refinement which
found in
all else.
most savage
Most of
tribes of the
its
myths
Old and the
it
holds in
common with
New Worlds.
is
the
The Egyptian
possessed the spirit of the metaphysician, a fact which he proved
when
Christianity furnished
him with a
subject worthy of his
EGYPTIAN MONOTHEISM
143
But, M. Maspero asks, what kind of metaphysics
subtle powers.
could proceed from so naive a conception of the universe and of
He
must be true, at least in the main, because Brugsch depicted the Egyptian world in a manner very similar to his own, and deeming it true he cannot things which he has revealed?
thinks
it
any longer admit the notion of the Egyptian Deity and his unity which several scholars have adopted. He takes the Egyptian religion for what it shows that it is, viz., a polytheism Avith its contradictions, and its repetitions, with its dogmas indecent sometimes, cruel sometimes, and ridiculous sometimes, according to
modern
ideas,
and with
its
families of half-human gods
which the
worshipper cherished the more or understood the better the more closely
they resembled
The opinion thus expressed,
himself.^
though unfavourable to the character of the Egyptian, and directly opposed to the views of some of the greatest Egyptologists of the last century, is evidently honest, is
and coming from such a quarter
entitled to the greatest respect
has judged the Egyptians of
;
but
it
seems that M. Maspero
periods according to the standard
all
of religion which was in vogue in
Egypt
in predynastic times,
when the primitive Egyptians were, no doubt, half savage. The Egyptians, being fundamentally an African possessed
all
people,
the virtues and vices which characterized the IS'orth
African races generally, and
it is
not to be held for a
moment
that
any African people could ever become metaphysicians in the modern sense of the word. In the first place, no African language suitable for giving expression to theological
and philosophical and even an Egyptian priest of the highest intellectual attainments would have been unable to render a treatise of Aristotle into language which his brother priests without teaching
is
speculations,
The mere construction of the language would
could understand.
make such
a thing an impossibility, to say nothing of the ideas of
the great Greek philosopher, which belong to a domain of thought
and culture wholly foreign to the Egyptian. the Christian metaphysics of the Egyptian
everyone knows the Copts,
who
who
allusion
to
understandable, as
has taken the trouble to read the literature of
transferred ^
is
The
much
La Mythologie
of the base and degraded Egyptian
^gyptienne, p. 278.
EGYPTIAN MONOTHEISM
144
mythology which was current during the first few centuries of the Christian era into their newly acquired belief in Jesus Christ.
The lives of the Coptic martyrs show the use which the Egyptian made of his metaphysical spirit, and the history of the early Church in Egypt illustrates what happened when he tried to apply it
common theological terms in Greek we may note that in order to express
to the consideration of the
and in Latin.
Incidentally
Deity and the
the various ideas connected with the Christian
Persons of the Trinity he was obliged to take over the actual
Greek words into his language, which was poor in abstract ideas. In the picture which M. Maspero has given of the Egyptian's conception of the universe and of the origin of gods and things he
has only dwelt upon the mythological side of the question, and has
upon which other Egyptologists have moreover, no based their views about Egyptian monotheism allowance appears to have been made for the peculiar religious and mental characteristics of the race. But when all is said against the Egyptian religion which can be said, the fact remains that the religion itself which has cruel, ridiculous, and it is not
not set forth
all
the passages
;
indecent dogmas, but the myths wherewith generations of foolish priests obscured the
pure
beliefs in
monotheism and immortality
which seem to have existed in Egypt from the earliest times. If modern oriental religions were judged in the adverse manner in which the religion of ancient Egypt has been judged, none would escape similar condemnation the same thing may be said of some ;
of the religions of the
The
Western nations.
superstitions
which
exist
among many Eastern
nations
professing monotheism and even Christianity are as gross as those
found among so-called Pagan nations as examples may be quoted the Christians of St. John in Southern Mesopotamia, and many of ;
the Arabic-speaking peoples of the Eastern Sudan, yet
former no one attempts to
deny the
existence
of
among
the
a sort
of
though he would indeed be bold who would dare to with the Christianity of such men as Canon Liddon or
Christianity,
compare
it
Cardinal
Newman
Eastern Sudan
is
;
similarly, the
monotheism of the peoples of the
universally admitted, but
it
does not prevent their
indulging in the coarsest and most fantastic beliefs and practices,
EGYPTIAN MONOTHEISM many
of which, however,
them from
their
145
must be admitted have descended
it
pagan ancestors.
Fortunately,
to
however, the
monotheistic character of the Egyptian religion rests on too firm a
and
foundation to be easily overthrown,
notwithstanding
the
elaborate system of symbolic ceremonials which
was so prominent a feature of Egyptian worship, Egyptian monotheism always maintained its place in the minds of those who were sufficiently educated to understand the ideas which the symbols thereof represented.
The Egyptian never confounded God with the gods, and it would seem that he even discriminated between God and " the god of the " city," for in the Negative Confession (No. 38) the deceased says,
"
Utu-rekhit,
who comest
forth
from thy house,
I
have not cursed
God " and in No. 42 he says, " Hail, An-a-f, who comest forth "from Aukert (the Underworld), I have not thought scorn of (or, " belittled) the god who is in my city." Whence came the Egyptian conception of monotheism, or when it first sprang up, cannot be
"
;
said,
of
but in
Egypt
its
at least,
monotheistic idea or period.
It
form
oldest
and
it
it is
may
coeval with the dynastic civilization
well date from far earlier times.
The
not the peculiar attribute of any one people
is
may seem
unnecessary to discuss Egyptian mono-
theism at such length, but the matter
is
one of great interest and
importance because the literature of Egypt proves
it
to
have been
more than three thousand five hundred years before Christ in fact, Egyptian monotheism is the oldest form of monotheism known to us. It is easy enough to understand how anxious the priesthoods of the various cities would in existence in that country for ;
who worshipped the local gods that this being who united in himself the attributes of
be to persuade the people or that god was the
the original god of the city with those of the great cosmic god with physical aspects
who
created the heavens and the earth, and with
those of the ethical god lietep,
who was proclaimed by Kaqemna,
Ptah-
Ani, and other writers of moral precepts.
was the god Horus who was chosen in this manner, for under the form of a hawk he appears to have been the first god who was worshipped throughout the country generally, and the numerous forms of this god, and the fact that his attributes In the
were
earliest times it
at a later period ascribed to
L
Horus the son
of
Isis,
attest the
HORUS AND RA
146
antiquity and importance of his cult.
The next god chosen to
represent the great ethical God of the Egyptians was not a personification of the
sky as was Horus, but the Sun-god
Ril,
on
whom
was bestowed every epithet of power and might which was known to the Egyptians, as well as the epithets and forms of the god Horus. But although his worship was common throughout Egypt, and
his sanctuaries
in the land, there
merged
were for many centuries the most important is
abundant proof that the Egyptians never
their conceptions of their great ethical
God
in their concep-
tions of Ra.
There seem to be traces of a belief that Ra as the spirit or god of the sun may have been a form or representative of him, but they are not very definite, and the worship of Ra's visible symbol, the sun, as the source of heat and light, and therefore of
the Egyptians recognized at an early period
any abstract conception of Hapi, the Nile-god,
we
find
life
— as
—was commoner than
his nature or existence.
hymn
In a
to
a remarkable passage in which some
God are ascribed to the power which causes the Inundation and who is addressed under the names of the gods Ptah and Khnemu. To this Being it is said by the author of of the chief attributes of
the hymn,
"would
''
If
upon
fall
their faces
context shows that the author the local
m
thou wert overcome in heaven the gods,
and mankind would first
j)erish."
The
pays a tribute of reverence to styles the " lord of fish,"
god of Memphis, Ptah, Avhom he
and the " creator of wheat and barley," and of whom he says with reference to the well-known attribute of Ptah as the great artificer, " inactivity
god
is
the abomination of his fingers,"
hate idleness.
He
i.e.,
then goes on to mention
the fingers of the
Khnemu,
the local
god of the First Cataract, wherein the sources of the Nile were at one time believed to be situated, and styles him " the bringer of " food and provisions, the creator of all good things, the lord of all " choice and pleasant meats, " use of the cattle,
who
filleth
" [corn] in the granaries, " "
who maketh
the herb to
grow
for the
the storehouses and heapeth
who payeth heed
to
up high the poor and needy,
who maketh to grow crops which are sufficient for the desires of all men and yet is not diminished thereby, and whose strength is
" a shield."
Now
the author of the
hymn
goes on to declare that
THE ATTRIBUTES OF HAPI
147
the true Ha]3i, or god of the Nile, " cannot be figured in stone, he
not to be seen in the images on which are set the crowns of the
is
south and the north with their uraei, offerings cannot be
made
to
him, he cannot be brought forth from his secret places, his dwelling-place shrines
not to be found out, he
is
which are inscribed with
is
texts,
not to be found in the there
is
no habitation
is sufficiently large for him to dwell in, and the heart [of man] is unable to depict him." ^ The being here referred to is a physical and not an ethical
which
god, and the simplest and, from this point of view, most natural
explanation of these remarkable statements
is
that they are intended
to describe the inaccessibility both of the Nile-god
The
fact,
and of
his shrine.
however, remains that the declaration of the almighty
strength and inscrutability, and invisibility, and the impossibility of a description of the
made by man
power which moves the Nile-god being
in writing, or in drawing, or in sculpture, proves the
existence in the minds of the Egyptian writers of a lofty conception of the attributes of God.
But
side
by
side with the
fundamental ideas of Horus and Ra
and the conceptions which were gods, there
existed in the
at the root of the worship of these
minds of the Egyptians a firm and
continuous belief in the god
Osiris,
Egyptian religion which was quite
About
any other god.
who held distinct
a position in the
from that held by
his origin nothing can be said,
but there
no reason for doubting that he was a god of the indigenous
is
inhabitants of Egypt, and that his worship was firmly established in the country before the dynastic earliest times associated
He was
period.
from the
with the doctrine of immortality, and was,
the writer believes, the symbol of monotheism in Egypt.
It is
impossible to say, or even to suggest, what was the original form of his worship, but
we know
that in the archaic period one great
centre of his cult was at Abydos, and from the fact that he was
included in the ixLut^ or company of gods of Heliopolis,
we may
conclude that he was a very important god of Tattu, or of Busiris, in the Delta,
and that
peoples thereof. ^
A
transcript of
his sanctuary
was much
Under the Vth Dynasty, tMs text
will be
found in
my
as
visited
we have
by the already
First Steps in Egyptian, p. 208.
seen,
LORD OF TATTU
OSIRIS,
148
he was regarded as the judge of the dead, and
he was also the god of the dead par excellence noted that the priests of
Ra formed
;
clear that
it is
but
must be
it
predominant
at that time the
priesthood of Egypt, and therefore care was taken to assign to
Ra
Osiris a position inferior to that of
Dynasty of kings came
Ra was
to
It
Dynasty, and
cult of the
god until the period of the XVIIIth
XVIIIth Dynasty nearly
Sun-god Ra were transferred to
Osiris,
joined to that of Osiris, just as in
much
Tem and
Thus
"horizon, for I
am
quite early in the
am
" I
"
mean
" Osiris
earlier times
it
is
was joined
Chapter cxxx. of the Booh of the shall not be turned back in the
XVIIIth Dynasty
110
(1.
the deceased
ff.)
when he goeth
''
It
is
to be
made
the Twin-gods,
in
this the question follows, "
which we have the answer,
to
a proof that
is
was considered
Osiris
the God-Soul which dwelleth
On ? "
and the name of Ra
Ra-Osiris," and this passage
In Chapter xvii.
a solar god. to say,
in
deceased says, " I
the
the attributes of the
all
Heru-khuti to indicate the compound gods Ra-Tem
and Ra-Heru-khuti. ^
between the Vlth and
will be sufficient to say that
it
the end of the
Dead
grew and
unnecessary to trace here step by step the
is
growth of the
the Vlth
an end the power of the priesthood of
greatly diminished, and the worship of Osiris
prospered.
to
When
in heaven.
What
does this
hath reference to
and findeth there the soul of Ra there one god embraceth the other, and the divine Souls " spring into being within the Twin-gods." These lines of text are into Tattu
^
'•
;
illustrated
by a very
(see sheets 7-10),
interesting vignette in the
Papyrus of Ani
wherein we see a pylon-shaped building between
the double ^ ft which represents Tattu, and upon it stand the god Ra, in the form of a hawk with a solar disk upon his head, and ,
form of a human-headed hawk, wearing the White
Osiris in the
Crown.
The two gods
face each other in Tattu, and, according to
the text, were absorbed or merged each in the other
obtained the attributes and
was supposed
at
characteristics of the
the same time to retain
all
;
his
own
attributes. ^
Papyrus of Nu, Chap, cxxx.,
-
Either Mendes in the Delta, or the heavenly Mendes.
1.
thus Osiris
Snn-god Ra, but
18.
peculiar
IDENTITY OF OSIRIS AND RA The view here given
is
that which Avas favoured
of Thebes who, however, only reproduced
borrowed
from
currency in
among
the
the
theological
Heliopolis,
to Osiris,
dedicated
which
is
to
the old solar gods, and
and
the
Osiris.
having
South,
A
gained spread
it
very important
god assimilated
this
how he became
said to live in Mendes, he
Ra.
to himself
His holy double {^ ka)
was the god who dwelt
Horus), the lord of Qerert
(i.e.,
priests
certainly as old as the period of the
XVIIIth Dynasty, shows us how was
of
colleges
by the
that which they had
the people to such an extent that almost every great city
possessed a sanctuary
hymn
of
priests
149
Sekhem
in
the Underworld), the holy
(i.e.,
one in Memphis, the lord of the temple of Hermopolis, the local gods of which were Thoth and his declared to be the " soul of A„^^^
^5 °^
-il
2^^=:^
Ra " and
who dared
the earth with his
own
and feathered
and
to
him belonged by
and divine body in heaven.
to vanquish the traditional fiend
hands, and fish,
right
its
winds, and
its
stablisher
He made vegetation,
and other quadrupeds, and
and
cattle
the
mountains and the desert land
The lands
throughout the world.
him upon
spirit
madt, throus-hout the world.
of rio:ht and truth,
was
the very body of this god,
wage war against Ra, and he was the
to
fowl,
or company, and he
His essence was that of the primeval
.
god Nu, and he was the great He was supposed to iight and Seba,
j^ciut,
his throne like his father
Egypt rejoiced^ to crown The Great and the Little Ra. of
Companies of the gods loved him, he was the leader of every god,
and the brother of the identity of
Ra and
Finally, as a proof of the absolute
stars.
Osiris
may
be quoted the opening lines of
—
" Homage Chapter clxxxi. of the Booh of the Dead, which read " to thee, governor of Amentet, Un-nefer, the lord of Ta-tchesert, " Verily I come to see thee and to thou who risest like Ra :
!
" rejoice at thy beauties.
"rays; his crown
is
His disk
is
thy disk
thy crown; his majesty
;
is
his rays are
thy
thy majesty;. his
" risings are thy risings : his beauty is thy beauty the awe which " is his is the awe which is thine his odour is thy odour his hall ;
;
;
^
See
tlie
text,
Egyptian, p. 179
ff.
with a transliteration and translation, in
my
First Steps in
"
is
thy hall
" heir "
is
AND IMMORTALITY
OSIRIS
150
is
;
his seat
thy heir
his
;
thy command
" thy things
;
his
is
;
his throne is
mystery
knowledge
is
is
thy mystery
thy knowledge
" majesty are thy attributes of majesty " thy magical powers " not vanquished ''
by
by thine enemies
;
;
thy ^throne
ornaments are thy omaments
his
;
thy seat
;
his
;
;
;
his
his
no
and thou
evil thing befell
his
command
things are
his attributes of
magical powers are
he died not and thou shalt not die
his enemies
;
shalt not be
;
he was
vanquished
him, and no evil thing
" shall befall thee for ever and for ever."
In such terms did the Egyptians extol the greatness and
power of Osiris, but they make no mention of the aspect of the god which endeared him to countless generations of Egyptians. From hundreds of funeral and other texts we learn that Osiris was held to be partly divine and partly human, that is to say, unlike any other Egyptian god he possessed two natures, and two bodies, the one divine and the other human, and two doubles, the one divine and the other human, and two souls, the one divine and the other human, and two spirits, the one divine and the other human. The human body, according to the Egyptian tradition recorded by Plutarch,^ once lived upon earth and was put to death in a cruel manner, and was mutilated by his brother but his feminine counterpart, Isis, succeeded in obtaining from Thoth the knowledge of certain words and ceremonies, and having learnt from him the proper manner of reciting these words, and how to perform these ceremonies, by means of them she raised up to life the dead body of Osiris. The god Thoth was the personification of the intelligence of the whole company of the gods, and thus the words Avhich he taught Isis were divine, and they were, presumably, names by the utterance of which the gods themselves maintained their existence. Now when Osiris had been raised from the dead he did not continue his life upon earth, but passed into the region of the Underworld, where he became the judge and god of the dead and, as we have seen, was made the possessor of all the attributes of the Sungod Ra and of the great One God. But, the Egyptians in the early ages thought. Since Osiris was raised to life by the words and ceremonies which Thoth taught Isis, and since Osiris has gained ;
^
De
Iside et Osiride, ed. Didot (Scripta Moralia,
t. iii.,
pp. 429-469), §
xii. fE.
OSmiS AND IMMORTALITY
151
immortality by means of them, these same words and ceremonies us to
will raise
and give us immortality
life
number
therefore invented a
led the people to believe
performed
of magical ceremonies,
which they
were identical with those which
Isis
had
bidding of Thoth, and they strung together
the
at
Their priests
also.
magical words which they declared to be those which had raised Osiris
to
and the words were recited and the ceremonies
life,
performed by priests who appear to have dressed themselves in such a
way
as to resemble the divine beings
with the resurrection of
At
who were concerned
Osiris.
a later period, however, the Egyptians put their trust in
Osiris himself,
and addressed their prayers directly to him
Being, partly divine and partly human,
who had
as the
raised himself
from the dead without having seen corruption, and who had bestowed upon his own earthly body, by means of his divine nature, the gift of an everlasting
life
which
it
enjoyed in an incor" loved life
The Egyptians
ruptible and glorified form in heaven.
" and hated death," and they worshipped Osiris as the Great
who not
—which
after
was supposed
god
characteristic of a live
—but
to be the
What
man
;
had
Osiris
hence Thothmes
address the god in these words, "
Homage
power to
effected
made
III. is
my
to thee,
thou hast thy being with thy members.
Osiris,
life
chief distinguishing
also of giving mortals the
death in this world.
himself he could efiect for " father
own
only possessed the power of maintaining his
indefinitely
God
for
to
divine
Thou
" didst not decay, thou didst not turn into worms, thou didst not " rot away, thou didst
not become corruption, thou didst not
" putrefy.
not decay,
" putrefy. " I shall
"
it
... ...
I
shall
I shall
wake up
have
in joeace.
every
man
could rise
Osiris possessed,
i.e.,
.
and nature.
rot,
I
shall not
.
.
nor be destroyed
off this earth."
body of from the dead also, but man lacked what the divine body, soul, spirit, and nature, of Osiris rose from the dead, the
which had brought about the resurrection of spirit,
not
shall
my being, I shall live, I shall germinate, My body shall be stablished, and
shall neither fall into ruin
Because the human body
I
his
human
body, soul,
In the earliest times of the worship of the ^
Booh of
the
Dead, Cliap.
cliv.
OSIRIS
152
god the Egyptians,
as
AND IMMORTALITY
we have
seen, invented magical
ceremonies with the object of supplying the
power necessary
to raise itself
words and
human body with
from the dead, but
as time
the
went on
they realized that both words and ceremonies were incapable of giving eternal
to the dead,
life
and that only
Osiris himself could
give them that which they so earnestly desired,
i.e.,
everlasting
by supplying to their dead earthly bodies the power to rise power which he himself possessed. Beyond all doubt the Egyptians realized that Osiris was the only God who could make them to inherit life everlasting, and that he alone had the power of making " men and women to be born again." ^
life,
again, a
We who
have already seen how the attributes of the great God
created
things were ascribed to him, and
all
we now
see that
he was regarded as the god who had the power to vanquish death
by
up the bodies of the dead in glorified forms, and to reunite to them their souls and their spirits, and to give them eternal life in his dominions. These things were declared of no other god, and no other god united in his person the attributes of an ethical god, and an almighty, creative god, and a god who was The conception of Osiris included the the vivifier of the dead. conceptions of every other god, but the conception of no other god raising
included that of Osiris during the period of the highest thought
The Sun-god Ra, was called " One," a few other gods who were made to usurp his attributes were also each called " One " this in the earliest times was natural enough, and
civilization
of Egypt.
;
because the Egyptians were only acquainted with one Sun, and
whether the physical body of the sun
which moved matters
little,
it
or that
for "
One
as a
symbol of the power
power itself is referred to in the hymns " was a suitable epithet both for the sun
and its god. In connexion with this matter it is important to remember the unique position which Osiris occupies in the Booh In the texts of the of the Dead and in funeral texts generally. Vth Dynasty we find that Osiris was believed " to weigh words," i.e.,
1.
15.
to inquire into the various
words and deeds of the
lives of
OSIRIS men when
AND IMMORTALITY
153
their souls left their bodies, in order that he
might
reward them according to their merits. In later times this idea was illustrated by the vignette in
which the heart of the deceased was seen being weighed in the Great Scales against the symbol of Maat, or the Law and right and truth
;
at a
still
when
later period,
the heart was the symbol
became associated with the examination of the words and deeds of the dead which took place in the of the conscience, this scene
In the large scenes of the weighing of the heart
Hall of Maati.
Booh of the Dead of the XVIIIth and XlXth Dynasties, and which were accompanied by suitable hymns and texts, the ceremony takes place in the presence of the gods of the Great and Little companies, but in the which were prefixed
to the finest papyri of the
Hall of Maati the Forty-Two Assessors
In both
gods. it
was
to
him
cases,
that
are
however, the great judge of
all
for
the
all is Osiris,
and
substituted
Why
Egyptians returned after death.
Assessors were forty-two in
number cannot be
said,
but
probable, as has been before suggested, that each of
it is
the
very
them repre-
Egypt in the earliest dynastic times, and that the Hall of Maati thus became a meeting place for the Assessors of It is, the whole country when Osiris sat to judge the dead.
sented a district in
moreover, impossible to say
why
certain assessors were supposed
to hear confessions about the non-committal of certain sins,
and we
have no knowledge of the circumstances which gave rise to their Some selection and to their admission into the Hall of Judgment. of
them appear
to
have been originally the gods of
cities,
and
others gods of nomes, but, on the other hand, a few of them are
were apparently
hostile to the
deities
who, in the
dead.
Failing full information on the subject, the chief interest
which attaches they
sit,
earliest times,
to the Assessors
and the Hall of Maati, in which
consists in the fact that the vignette proves
pletely Osiris
had gained the ascendancy over
all
how com-
the gods of
Egypt. In the preceding pages an attempt has been made to trace the
development of the conception of a supreme being in Egypt, from when Osiris became endowed with
the earliest times to the period
many
of the attributes
now
ascribed to
God Almighty.
There
is
DEVELOPMENT OF MONOTHEISM
154
no doubt that in predynastic times the Egyptians worshipped
and stones, and animals, and plants, and
stocks,
trees,
and that
they only arrived at the idea of gods which were partly animal and partly
man
end of a long period of what
at the
times " gross idolatry."
From
advanced to the idea of a man-god, and
finally
minds
their first
gain any
knowledge of them we find that as a people they had put
definite
the worship of stocks and stones, and most of the things
which that worship
implies, but that certain animals
sacred in certain
cities,
to savage habits
and
went
modem
called in
When we
developed the conception of monotheism.
away
is
the idea of animal-man gods they
on,
many
were held to be
and that the literature contained allusions
practices, as
we have
already seen.
As time
changes took place in the minds of the Egyptians
concerning their gods,
but
little
was made
variation
worship and ceremonial in the temples
;
in
their
in other words, the spirit
of the religion changed whilst the observance of the letter remained
unchanged.
Thus the forms
of worship and the literature pre-
served a great deal which no one believed in except the commonest folk,
and in
this
way
preserved and handed
traces of the lowest forms of religion
down
to posterity.
The Egyptians,
were after
the period of the IVth Dynasty, were the victims of conservatism
and conventionality, and, we might almost add, of the priesthoods but for these powerful and wealthy of Heliopolis and Thebes ;
Egypt would have been very difi'erent. The conception of monotheism, which is so clearly expressed in the moral precepts of the Early Empire, would have developed rapidly, and in its growth it would have obliterated the remains of the old and obsolete faiths which had crystallized, and which existed in layers side by side with the higher doctrine. But the decay which set in after the IVth Dynasty, and which confraternities the history of the religion of
stifled
the development of painting and sculpture, also attacked
the religion of the country, and the noble conception of monotheism, with
its
cult of the unseen,
was unable
to
compete with the
worship of symbols, which could be seen and handled, until the time when Osiris was recognized as the One God, giver of eternal
who was
also the
The Egyptians were unlike other religion and their gods were unlike the
nations,
life.
and similarly their
religion
EGYPTIAN RELIGION and the gods
155
must not be judged by the standard of any one foreign nation belonging to any one period, so their religion and their gods must not be judged by the standard of the religion and gods of any later civilized nation. We can only
of other nations
know what
;
and
as they
the Egyptians thought and believed by reading
and studying the texts which they wrote, and a
final
opinion on
their beliefs cannot be obtained until all their religious literature
has been published is
clear enough,
practical
;
the general outline, however, of their religion
and
it
shows us that they possessed a good,
form of monotheism and a belief in immortality which
were already extremely ancient
Pyramids were
built.*
even
in
the
days
when
the
156
(
)
CHAPTER
IV
THE COMPANIONS OF THE GODS
IN
HEAVEN
the preceding chapters, Avhich are devoted to the considera-
IN
God and the gods, no made of the habitation of these divine beings or of their companions. The texts of all periods are silent as to the exact tion of general questions concerning
mention
is
position of heaven, but it
it is
certain that the Egyptians assigned to
a place above the sky, and that they called
distinguish between the meanings oi ijet
it 2^ei
note that two skies are mentioned in the texts,
and
,
sky represents a
we may assume
slab,
i.e.,
,
for
also
the day
heaven and
that the primitive Egyptians believed that each (i.e.,
two mountains)
;
out
mountain came the sun every morning, and into the other
The mountain
he entered every night.
Bakhau, «===^ c^Cb:0.
ODD
for the
each end of which rests on a support, and
end of heaven rested upon a support of one
,
We may
The hieroglyphic
the night sky.
we must
;
and nut
^
former means " heaven," and the latter " sky."
sky,
^__^
J ^^^ '^^
o-=» v\
,
of Sunrise
was
called
and the mountain of Sunset Manu,
was divided into two In the earliest times the sky ^
parts only, the East and the West, but later another division
made, and heaven was
split
up
placed under the care of a god.
into
The
four parts, latter
was
and each was
division
was made
long before the Pyramid Texts were written, for in them
it
is
always assumed that the flat slab of iron which formed the sky, and therefore the floor of the abode of the gods, was rectangular,
and that each corner of
it
rested
upon a
very ancient view concerning the sky
is
pillar, |
.
That
this is a
proved by the hieroglyphic
THE FOUR PILLARS OF HEAVEN which
'jjjy',
is
used in texts to determine words for rain, storm, and
we have
the like; here
by the four
pierced
157
a picture of the sky falling and being
pillars of
heaven.
a later period, the four quarters of heaven were believed
At
under the direction of four gods, and the four pillars of the sky were poetically described as the four sceptres which they held to be
Thus
in their hands.
in the text of Teta
" Teta goeth towards "
who stand with
" of Teta to Ra, " horizons."
it is
said, "
As
name name to Horus of the two allusion is made to the lifting up of
the sceptres of heaven, and they repeat the
and they take up
his
heaven upon its four pillars, e.g., ^ -^
and in one place the four
^ ^_^
pillars are said to
^
four heavens rest, IT||
the
233)
them they bring unto him the four gods
In several texts ^
^
(1.
^^;
-^
^ SH^IlII "**"
<^
'
support that on which
at a comparatively late
period the idea arose that the sky needed support in the middle as well as at the corners, and the god called Hell,
MM-
who
acted as the prop was
According to one myth which represented the
heavens in the form of the head of a man, and which made the sun
and the moon
to be his eyes, the supports of
formed of
to be
his long flowing hair,
heaven were supposed and thus we have in the text
Unas (1. 473) an allusion to the " four elder spirits who dwell " in the locks of hair of Horus, who stand in the eastern part of of
" heaven grasping their sceptres." sceptres the four pillars of heaven,
/^wvv\ /wwv\ AA/ww
^m^m -
V
.y\
I
JJ
F=^'J^f'
See Brugsch, Worterbuch,
I
I
I
'—^
The gods Avho grasped
^
A^A/V\^
>.
^
— ^—
p,
1351.
as
which eventually became the
II
1
1
Clj]
I
_ti
I
I
I
U
-U.
^ il^-^JL
THE FOLLOAVERS OF HORUS
158
four cardinal points, were Amset, point,
mutef, jy
y
^^^ U^, god of the southern
Hap, | D A'^='^=» the god of the northern point, Tua>ic
^\
y 2^.=^,
II
n
'^
the
,
god of the eastern
and Qebhsennuf,
point,
These four gods played
the god of the western point.
a prominent part in connexion with the deceased in the Pyramid Texts, where they are called the " children of Horus,"
for at
^
one
time they are called upon to bring him the boat of the Eye of
Tem,
^. ^^, which
on the Lake of Kha, and at another
is
they are exhorted to protect his amulets,
I
—
'^ J>
.
=im-'
I. 1.
which are assigned
duties
by
their magical
^ and finally the deceased
one of these four gods (Pepi
The
life
to
672),
them
is
^^ ^
power and
said to
1
1
1
°
become
^ 111
'
gods in the Book
as funereal
Dead will be described later on. Chief among the dwellers in heaven was the god Ra, who is to sit upon an iron throne [the sides of which were orna-
of the
said
mented] with the of bulls.^
gods
faces of lions
Round about
who were
which resembled the hoofs
feet
Ra, whether walking or sitting, were the
" in his train,"
inhabitants of heaven.
and
Next
and these formed the nucleus of the
came
to these
certain companies of
the gods, and as the whole universe was divided into three portions,
namely, heaven, earth, and the Tuat, or Underworld, and each portion had for
them
its
own
in the
gods,
we may assume
heaven of the Egyptians.
contained several classes of beings,
may
first
But
this
was reserved heaven also
and foremost among
whom
be mentioned the Shesu-Heru, or Shemsu-Heru, a name
whicli appears in the
(Pepi L,
They
that a place
Pyramid Texts under the form
fl
^^ -% -%•
%
_
166), and may be translated "Followers of Horus."
1.
are, in fact, beings
who
followed Horus, the son of
Isis,
in
heaven, where they waited upon him, and performed his behests,
|||o^=^, Pepi 2
Pepi
I.,
1.
444.
I.,
1.593. 3
lud,^
11.
309, 310.
THE ASHEMU AND HENMEMET
They occupied
and when necessary defended and protected him. a position of great importance
mentioned in such a way to the gods
thus Pepi
;
among
159
the celestial hosts, and are
as to suggest that^they were almost equal
I.
(1.
166)
is
said to " pacify them," but
on
washed him, and who recited on the other hand it was they who " his behalf the Chapter of those who come forth, and [the Chapter "
" of those who] rise up."
^ class of beings whose characteristics are
^v V 'A'^'^'
i-Tv-i
who
not known, and
Next may be mentioned the Ashemu,
^
in the text of Teta
connexion with the sehliemu.
mean
to
The word
the " form in which a god
another and an older meaning.
(1.
is
327) are referred to in
dsliem
is
but
visible,"
The Henmemet,
usually supposed it
^
\
or HAMEMET, appear to have been a class of beings
must have
^^
who
^v"^ m?^
were
either
had already been, human beings, but the Egyptians themselves seem to have had no very clear idea about their attributes, and the passages in the Theban Booh of the Dead in to become, or
which they are mentioned have been understood
by
different scholars.
In a
hymn
it is
said of Ra, "
when he
"rational beings) live, and the hamemet, "
him
"
Kher-aha "
the
ways
in different
"
:
Osiris ;
is
ffl
^
^
called "fiord of] the hamemet,
and the deceased says
And
Dead, "
riseth the rehliit
me
do
shall
in
Chapter
Jj
i,
exult in "^
m 1\ 1\ xlii.
(i.e.,
of the
,
Booh of
hurt neither men, nor gods, | I
"nor
spirits,
^^ —^
'^^
" nor the pdt,
-^
"the hamemet." "
pany
" with
^
p.
J)
may
me
it
"
;
Compare Teta,
2
See the
1.
^
and
tlie
''
^
nor the dead (or damned), ' o V\ ^
^^^ ^^® rehhit
(i.e.,
I
r
%\'
rational beings), nor
Elsewhere the deceased prays "that the com-
of the gods
2
205.
a
i,
in
variant
hold their peace whilst the hamemet talk
seems from a passage in an inscription of
i
'v^
i
'
Yr^
I2, — "W^ —
y
95. list
of passages given in
my
Vocabulary to the Booh of
the
Dead,
THE AFAU, UTENNU, AND SETU
160
Hatshepset
had come
^
mean
to
men and women,
a class of
determined by the signs
human
word
as if in the latter part of the dynastic period the
^ 3, which
especially as
usually indicate a
it is
number
of
Thus Rameses III. speaks of " all the gods and " goddesses of the South and the North, and all men, and all the finally, that the pat, and all the rekhit, and all the hamemet" hamemet were believed to live upon grain is proved by the passage in a hymn to Amen-Ra wherein this god is said to be the " maker " of the green herb which giveth life to the beasts and cattle, and beings.
'^
;
*'
of the ^ plant of
life,
_
^1 vww^ i^
^il
#
1
I
I
of the
,
characteristics of the classes of beings called
and Utennu, of Pepi IL of the
two
v\
av^^aa
^^^, who
we know ^ H
Set beings, the
"
how
" having
8(1^=^^
thy divine hawk,
come
,
forth into heaven,
into
The
these beings are mentioned
mighty heaven, stretch out thy hand is
^^^
are mentioned in the text
great heaven, stretch out thy hand to
"Pepi
^^
Aea,
^^^, who were, however, divided Upper and the Lower, ^ % ^ Y^.
following extract will show "
Of the
^
nothing, and the same must be said
951),
(1.
classes,
Vi.
hamemeV
I
to
:
Pepi Nefer-ka-Ra
Pepi Nefer-ka-Ra, for
1 TT*
^^V^
^^^*^
come
and he hath penetrated Qebhu
" Pepi hath paid
homage to his father, and he riseth like Horus. " Pepi hath come to the place where he is, and he (his father) " granteth to him to rise like the sun, and he stablisheth for him his ^^^^
^^^ when Pepi cometh forth
"
two divine
''
with him, great like Horus, son of Nut, and like the child with
utchats,
T
^S^S?
" the lock of hair
(i.e., Harpocrates), and smiting the crowns, and " giving orders to the gods Utennu, the Aea gods follow Pepi, and " those who are in the heavens and on the earth come to him pay-
" ing homage, together with the two uraei guides, "
and the
jackals,
and the
spirits,
'
U
^
'='
i^
AA/V\AA
jCtj
n
1^1
AAAAAA
--
I
r>^\
1
I
|
l l
ll l lll
H
^ w^N
|
^
I
I
I
O
j^
ODD
|— '-I
,
/>A/vw
>
and the Set beings, both the
AJkt-lkk-^li^Tr::-! ^ w /wvws
le,,
2
E(J,
Grebaut, section
vi.
£5^
%5
THE WATCHERS OF PE AND NEKHEN ''
Upper and the Lower."
have been of
It is possible that the
Set beings may-
who was the brother and but who in later times lost
nature to the god Set,
like
Horns in the earliest times, position as a god and became the type and symbol
associate of his
161
of all evil.
In addition to these the text of Pepi 11. (line 849) mentions the " Watchers of the city of Pe," and the " Watchers of the city of
^^ C3a R ^
Nekhen,"
may assume
of gods
interests in heaven.
of the Dead
and such
c^iz:
fi
^
o
®
©, from which we
that certain cities were supposed to enjoy the protec-
number
tion of a
© ^^
D
We
whose duty
know from
it
was
to look after their
several passages in the
Booh
that groups of gods were called the " souls " of such
cities,
and
it is
clear
from the inscriptions that each city
and town possessed a soul which had,
like the soul of a
man
after
Thus on a wall in the temple Avhich Cleopatra VII. built at Erment (now destroyed), was a scene in Avhich the great queen was depicted in the act of The goddess Neith holds up giving birth to her son Caesarion. death, the
power
to
wander about
at will.
the queen's arms, and the midwife Netchemtchemt, | f
^
the boy in the presence of several gods and goddesses.
upper part of the
relief
were two groups of souls of
the right hand and seven on the
been present at the birth of the
Among
their protection.
I
g
child,
receives
?
Now in
cities,
who were supposed
and to
Each
has on
its
soul
is
in the
the
seven on to
have
have taken him under
the cities represented are Thebes, Ant,
Het, ra@, Qeset, Unt, xlhet, Hetep, Uauaa, -^j^|
,
etc.^
left,
III
^
,
form of a human-headed hawk, and each
head horns and a
disk,
X^,
in the front of Avhich
is
a
uraeus.
Want of space does not allow of the mention of many obscure beings who are called gods, and who are practically innumerable, and we therefore pass on
to refer to the spirits
and
souls, etc., of
men and women who
once lived upon this earth. To these, as well as to the divine beings, was given the name " living the righteous
ones,"
¥¥? ^, as may be seen from the passage in Unas (line 206),
which reads, " Hail, Unas, behold thou hast not departed dead 1
M
See Lepsius, DenJcmdIer,
iv. pi.
60.
THE LIVING ONES
162 " ("^^^o
^1
gone to but as one living ("T J) thou hast " take thy seat upon the throne of Osiris. Thy sceptre ah " (^
fl
J
(|\
"^
^^
Y)
^^y hand, and thou givest commands unto the
"living ones; thy sceptre mehes ^^
Nehehet
^/^vaaaO
jL=.j
\^^^^^^y\)y ^^^ ^hy
are in thy hands, and thou givest thine
" orders to those whose habitations are hidden." is
in heaven the seat of his heart
is
declared to
" living ones on this earth for ever," ^^^
We
have in
ceived
it
sceptre
this latter passage a
possible for a
man
When
king Teta
"be among the
TTi V ^v "^^^
'"'
2!
proof that the Egyptians con-
to attain to all the attributes of a
divine being, or, let us say, of an angel, and at the same time to
enjoy an existence upon earth as well as in heaven.
This idea
probably arose because they wished to provide a future for the
dead body just as they provided a habitation in heaven for the spirits
and souls of the righteous.
Heaven and earth were comple-
ments each of the other, the gods of heaven were the complements of the
gods of earth, and vice versa, and the existence of the
and mental attributes of man with the gods in heaven was a complement of his continued life after death in some region spiritual
The Pyramid Texts show that the opinion of the Egyptians about the number and functions of the constituent parts of his economy, both physical and spiritual, changed as time went on and as they ascended the various grades which led up to the
on
this earth.
high platform of their rather changes,
made
civilization, itself
and the result of the change, or
manifest in their religious compositions.
In the early predynastic period they thought that the death was a mere continuation of the
life
in this world,
after
life
and when
they had placed some food in or on the graves of their dead they
were
satisfied.
But they knew
that the body of a
man
in the
new
life
could
cinn^ ¥"?"?-, Pepil.,
11.
545, 54G.
D
THE
AND SOULS OF THE DEAD
SPIRITS
not be like that which he possessed on earth, although
163
form
its
and they therefore assumed the existence of another body. In his dreams the Egyptian saw a figure of himself or a duplicate, engaged in various occupations, and to this figure it was born with a man, it remained he gave the name ha,
might be
similar,
^
;
within him, usually inoperative, and survived
never
him
at death.
the body in the grave or tomb, and the offerings which
left
were made in the
tombs in
halls of the
all
periods were intended
Nevertheless the ha of Horus, J=^
to maintain its existence.
and
Teta
is
in heaven (Teta, line 88),
is
adjured to bring that which the king might eat with
the hau of
hau of
"
men and
" lords of
also the ha of
(line 94), it
;
^
,
which
and
as
gods lived in heaven so there lived there also the of the city of Pe,
e.g.,
cities,
and the
It
vi^Jz^J:^
(Teta, line 88),
hau praised Ra both in the dominions of Horus
and in the dominions of Set." "^
" chief of the doubles,"
King Unas
^
^^
,
and he
is
is
declared to be the
said to
''
gather together
Men and
"hearts for the great wise chief" (Unas, line 395). alike possessed shadows,
and they
after the death of the bodies to
also
gods
had an existence in heaven
When Unas
which they belonged.
had eaten the bodies of the gods, and had absorbed all their souls and spirits, it is said that the " flame of Unas is in their bones, for "their soul is with Unas, and their shadows are with their forms" (Unas, line 523, Teta, line 330). The souls and the spirits of men had their abode in heaven with the gods, and the religious texts of all
periods are so full of allusions to this fact that
quote examples;
the soul, ha, '^^,
is
Related
intimately to
functions, so far as
we can
word which has been " vital force
[1
^ l\
"
and
;
SI o
n
the
discover,
body,
was the
spirit, hhic,
'^^j
but with
undefined
sehJiem,
,
I
^
^,^^
9,s
9
Yj ^
translated "power," and "form," and even
finally the glorified body, to
'^
unnecessary to
usually depicted in the
form of a hawk with a human head, and the heron.
it is
Teta,
1.
192.
which had been
THE SAHU OR SPIRITUAL BODY
164
united the soul, and
had
its
was
called sdim, u
and power, and name of the deceased, This new body of the deceased in heaven
spirit,
abode in heaven. a
| v^
g and may ,
be termed the spiritual body
;
it
for all practical purposes
grew out of the dead body and
was called into existence by the ceremonies which were performed,
and the AYords which were recited by the priests on the day when the mummified body was laid in the tomb. Thus we see that the denizens of heaven consisted of the and of Great, and the Little, and the other companies of the gods ;
a large
number
of beings,
who may
for convenience be called the
who
"inferior gods," and of several orders of beings
some
characteristic
they were divine powers, hearts, this earth.
;
and
which caused the Egyptians
assume that
to
and of the shadows, doubles,
possessed
souls,
spirits,
who had lived upon the Bead (line 21) is a
spiritual bodies of those
In Chapter
Ixiv. of the Boole of
curious statement to the effect that the " spirits are four million,
"six hundred and one thousand, two hundred," ''^^ ^r
D
^ ^^
T ^
,
in
be an enumeration of the once inhabited
human
spirits of
^
'
this is intended to
heaven, or of the spirits which
Of the occupations known, but to some of them was
bodies, cannot be said.
of the denizens of heaven
assigned
number, but Avhether
® y
little is
the task of directing the affairs of this world, others
directed the operations of the celestial
bodies,
and others were
attached to the trains of the great gods, and accompanied them in their
triumphant courses through the heavens.
praises to
Ra
All these sang
as the king and chief of the gods, and they sang
him describing his greatness and glory just as men sang songs of joy to the sun when he rose and set. The gods nourished themselves with celestial food which was supplied to them by the Eye of Horus, that is to say, they supported their existence on the rays of light which fell from the sun which lit up heaven, and they became beings whose bodies were Avholly of light. According to one myth the gods themselves lived upon a " wood, or plant of
hymns
life,"
to
AA/w^^ -Y-
(I'epi I., line 4o0),
which seems
to
have grown
near the great lake in Sekhet-hetep, round which they were wont
THE ABODE OF THE BLESSED
165
group of views which held that
to sit/ but this idea belongs to the
the beatified dead lived in a beautiful, fertile region, where white
wheat and red barley grew luxuriantly to a great height, and where canals were numerous and full of water, and where material enjoyments of every kind could be found. In other places we read of "bread of eternity," and "beer of eternity," i.e., bread and beer
which was supposed never
we
also
to
grow
stale or to
have mention of a heavenly
heavenly vine (u
fig-tree
spoiled,^
(^^^^ '^.
^^® fruit of which
W^)?
The bread upon which the
beatified.
become
is
J I),
and
and a
eaten by the
blessed fed themselves
was
that bread which the Eye of Horus shed upon the branches of the
'=^^=^
olive-tree,
^"^'^'^
Finally, the blessed
71)V
(Unas, line 200).
were arrayed in apparel similar to that which
was worn by the gods, but they also had white linen garments on their bodies, and white sandals on their feet. All these details show the simple character of the heaven which the primitive Egyptian imagined, and prove that it was at first
intended to be nothing but the celestial complement of a
farm or
terrestrial
and an
estate.
olive tree, for
He wished
barley Avherewith to brew beer
he also
;
His
garments and white sandals. to be intersected
for a vine,
and a
fig-tree,
wheat wherewith to make bread, and celestial
desired
for
clean white
homestead he expected
with numerous canals, which would do away with
the necessity of laboriously drawing water from the celestial Nile
by means
of
shaduf ; the
some mechanical contrivance similar tillage
to the
modern
would, of course, be provided for in the next
world by the gods, who would take care that the crops did not This simple material
fail.
3
Teta,
1.
288, Pepi
I., 1.
heaven
442 and
1.
390.
is
very different from the
THE ABODE OF THE BLESSED
166
Muhammadan
heaven of the Hebrew and
and sensuous joys of every kind, and drinks,
and
We know
delights.
writers, with its sensual
luxurious meats, and
its
from one or two passages in the
Pyramid Texts that there were women
heaven just as there
in
were goddesses, but they are not spoken of as are the Hur al-hiyun (houris),
women
the
i.e.,
who
large whites,
are mentioned in Arabic descriptions of Paradise,
and they are not made
As
with large, black pupils of the eye set in
to be one of the chief attractions of heaven.
be seen, the heaven of the Egyptians had no musical
far as can
instrument in
and the only sounds heard in
it,
it
must have
been the songs of the ministering gods and of the beatified when
What
they hymned the Great God.
the Egyj^tian gentleman
on his own land in places remote from towns
lives
Egyptian gentleman everywhere was then
;
is
who
now, the
he loved to wash and
anoint himself, and having put on clean linen to
sit
in the sun in
the morning, and to bear himself with dignity, and to be treated
with respect by his neighbours and corn,
and wine, and
slaves to minister to his
moved about from
He
inferiors.
loved to have
abundance, and a sufS.cient number of
oil in
wants and to maintain his dignity when he
He honoured
to villaoje.
villaofe
his mother,
and usually married a very limited number of wives, among
whom
or half-sister, or cousin, and he took
great
might be a
sister,
interest in his
the families of
nothing
is
said
Awwv^
in the
their husbands, v_7 v-? vl7 ^^^
wheresoever he pleaseth, whensoever he pleaseth.
other hand, her,
;
women from
said to carry off 1
we note
Pyramid Texts that the deceased kings are never mentioned, and that about their wives, although Unas (lines Q)2S, 629) is
male offspring
Isis
is
said to
come
to king Teta,
and the goddess having conceived
birth to
H
Horus
^
,
Sept,^
Teta,
1.
276.
and
like
in another passage
who
..
On
n
pg the
unites with
the star Sept gives
Unas
is
said to have
THE ABODE OF THE BLESSED become the husband of the goddess Mauit, and woman who brought bread to him.^
But
these beings were, after
all,
also of the
The
by
woman, and the
a literal interpretation of the text there-
fore
disappears.
was
as simple as their life
to enjoy a state
young
only the celestial waters
described under the forms of a goddess and a sensual idea conveyed
167
life
of the primitive Egyptians in heaven
upon earth, and their chief Avish was of comfortable and dignified peace, without war
and without tumult or
We
strife.
hear nothing of a heaven with
a floor of white flour or musk, with pearls for stones, and trees
with trunks of gold, and houses covered with gold and rivers of milk,
silver,
and
and honey, and wine, and innumerable maidens
with bodies made of pure musk, Avho hollow pearls and are free from
live in pavilions
defects of their sex.
all
made
of
The idea
means to be employed for reaching the heaven of the Egyptians was as primitive as that of the heaven itself, for the Egyptians thought that they could climb on to the iron floor of heaven by going to the mountains, the tops of which it touched At a later period it was thought that a ladder in some places. of the
was necessary, certainly for those who did not mountains whose tops touched heaven's floor, and
live
in
near the
many tombs
models of ladders were placed so that the deceased might use of them at the proper time. to
The god
Osiris
even was believed
have needed a ladder, and to have been helped to ascend
Ra and Horus,
or
by Horus and
Set.
The idea
in the
for
when
r=^
rO
%
"^
,
Unas,
1.
181.
P
by the
tombs ceased, they drew
AAAAAA
(SI ^ A
it
of the need of a
ladder was deeply seated in the Egyptian mind,
custom of placing models of ladders
make
^ (SI ^
P
J^
THE SEKHET-HETEP
168 pictures of
them
The model
placed in tombs/
could be
made
Book of
in the papyri of the
of the ladder,
it,
y 'vv
B
Avere
inaqet,
,
wished by reciting certain
as long as the deceased
words of power over
Dead which
the
and by similar means the picture of the
ladders given in the papyri could be turned into real ladders.
The above mentioned facts will show that in his conception of heaven the Egyptian never succeeded in freeing himself wholly from material ideas and the wish to make sure of eternal life and happiness by means of his own acts. In the latter part of the dynastic period the conception of heaven became
and
we may judge by
at length, if
after death
upon
was regarded
Thus the
earth.
declares that the text
as nothing
prevailed,
and the
which follows
man
life
but a continuation of the
of Chapter ex. of the Boole of the
title
" doing everything even as a
man
will give a
:
— " May
Dead
As a
result
become a
I
life
the power of
doeth upon earth."
of this view the deceased prays thus " (spirit) therein,
material,
the texts, the belief in the
body
resurrection of the actual physical
more
Ichu
may I may I plough therein, may I " reap therein, may I make love therein, may " my words be mighty therein, may I never be in a state of " servitude therein, but may I be in authority therein." He also wishes ttat he may have with him in Sekhet-hetep his father and i.e.,
in the Sekhet-hetep or Elysian Fields,
may I drink therein, may I fight
" eat therein,
therein,
mother, and presumably his wife and children, and also or gods of his city, but in these materialistic passages
mention of
his desire to
we
tlie
god no
find
worship and praise the gods of heaven,
or even the Great God who
is
said to
'^grow" therein.
another place in the same chapter he says, " " entered into thee, I have eaten
my
Thus
in
ITakh, I have
bread, I have gotten
the
" mastery over choice pieces of the flesh of oxen and of feathered " fowl, and
the
birds of
Shu have been given
" plunged into the lakes of Tchesert " departed " I
from me.
upon the ^
;
best of them.
I
to me.
behold me, for
The Great God groweth
have found [food therein]
" I feed
;
I
all filth
therein,
have hath
and behold,
have snared feathered fowl and
...
I
have seen the
See the Papyrus of Ani^ 2nd edition,
pi.
22.
Osiris
[my
THE SEKHET-HETEP " father], and I have gazed '•
love."
upon
my
169
mother, and I have made
In every division of the Elysian Fields the deceased, in
the later period of dynastic history, found some fresh material pleasure, but, in spite of all
its
inconsistencies
and
his materialism,
the heaven of the Egyptians was better and purer than that of
many more modern gence and better
nations which are credited with higher
civilization.
intelli-
170
(
)
CHAPTER V
THE UNDERWORLD the chapters on
IN that
God and
the gods
it
the Egyptians in the earliest times believed that the
gods were moved by the same passions as died like
has already been said
men
;
later,
men and grew
however, they believed that
it
old
and
was only the
bodies of the gods which died, and they therefore provided in their religious system a place for the souls of dead gods, just as
they provided a place for the souls of dead writers of the relio:ious texts were not position of this place, but from first to
conceptions entertained about
This word
is
distinctly understood that the it
last,
''
The
the exact
all ao-reed as to
whatever might be the
Avas called
it, it
commonly rendered
men and women.
Tuat,
underworld," but
i<:
^^
it
•
must be
Egyptian word does not imply that
was situated under our world, and that
adopted because the exact signification
this
of
rendering
is
only
name Tuat
the
is
unknown. The word is a very old one, and expresses a conception which was originated by the primitive Egyptians, and was probably unknown to their later descendants, who used the word without troubling to define is
its
"
To render Tuat by " hell conveys to modern peoples ideas
exact meaning.
also incorrect, because " hell "
Avhich Avere foreign to the Egyptians of most schools of religious
thought.
Whatever may be the moral
ideas of the
of punishment for the wicked in later times,
outset
it
was regarded
god Ra passed
after
as the place his
setting
it is
Tuat
as a place
clear that at the
through which the dead Sunor death each evening on his
journey to that portion of the sky in which he rose anew each
morning.
In the
XlXth Dynasty we know
that the Tuat
believed to be situated not below our earth, but
was
away beyond the
THE TUAT
171
and certainly near the heaven wherein was the realm of Osiris who, according to many
earth, probably in the sky,
the gods dwelt
;
it
judged the dead there, and reigned over the gods of the
texts,
dead as well as over the dead themselves.
The Tuat was separated from this world by a chain or range of mountains, and consisted of a great valley, which was shut in closely on each side by mountains; the mountains on one side divided the valley from this earth, and those on the other divided
it
We may
from heaven.
note in passing
that the
Hebrews separated the blessed from the damned by a wall,^ and that Lazarus was separated from Dives in hell by a " great gulf," ^ and that the Muhammadans divide heaven from hell by the mountain i\-l-A'raf, «-j>1^c-^l,^ which, however, cannot be of any great breadth because those who stand upon it are supposed to be able to hold converse both with the blessed and the damned. is
pretty certain that both Hebrews and
Muhammadans borrowed
between heaven and
their ideas of the partition
It
hell
from the
Egyptian Tuat, but there
is
no authority
Muhammadan view
is
a sort of limbo or purgatory for
that
it
in the texts for the
who are too o-ood for earth but not o-ood enouoj'h Those who stand on Al-A'raf are said to be angels in
for heaven.
those
men,
23atriarchs, prophets,
and
saints,
on earth were exactly counterbalanced by their
who
therefore merit neither heaven nor hell.
Tuat runs a
of the
Egypt and
river,
which
is
evil deeds,
number
the counterpart of the Nile in
of monstrous beasts,
fiends of every imaginable kind
numbers
of evil spirits
and
Through the valley
of the celestial Nile in heaven, and on each
this river lived a vast
large
the form of
and those whose good deeds
and
size,
which were
and
bank of
devils,
and
and among them were
hostile to
any being that
invaded the valley.
On
the
sarcophagus of Seti
Creation, which
Tuat
^
See Eiseumenger, "
St.
p. 204,
in such a Avay that his toes
Judenthum, -
reproduced on
is
a representation of the
and from
likened to the body of Osiris, which
is
a hoop
is
I.
torn,
Luke
ii.,
p.
322
xvi. 26.
Was
die
is
it
see that the
bent round like
touch the back of his head,
Juden von der Hollen
lelireii "
if.
^
we
See Kur'an, Siu'a
vii.
(Entdecktes
THE TUAT AND AMENTET
172
On
the top of his head stands the goddess Nut,
both hands the disk of the sun. that Osiris is
is
From
this
who
supports with
we may conchide both
the personification of the Tuat, and that the Tuat
a narrow circular valley Avhich begins where the sun sets in the
west,
and ends where he
rises in the east.
The Tuat was a terrible with which it was filled,
by reason of the monsters and devils and its horrors Avere increased by the entire absence of light from it, and the l3eings therein groped about in the darkness of deep night. That the Tuat should be a place of blackness and gloom place
is
when once we have
quite natural
realized that
of the dead sun between the sunset of one
The
the following day.
it
day and the sunrise of
ideas about this region,
reproduced in papyri of the
New
was the path
which we find
Empire, belong to different
and we can see that the Theban wi'iters who described it and drew pictures of the beings which lived in it, collected a mass of legends and myths from every great religious centre of Egypt, periods,
wishing to make them
all
form part of their doctrine concerning
As
the great god of Thebes, Amen-Rri.
the j)riests of Heliopolis
succeeded in promulgating their theological system throughout the length and breadth of Egypt by identifying the older gods with their gods,
and by proving that their views included those of
the priesthoods of the great
of Egypt,
cities
so the
all
priests of
Thebes endeavoured to convince the priests of other great
cities
and greatness of their God Amen-Ra, and probably succeeded in so doing. The Theban writers and scribes of the
knew
superiority
perfectly well
possessed
its
that
OAvn underworld just as
of gods, and that each underworld
name
;
they, therefore,
worlds and
all
and they gave underworlds.
every
originally
made
possessed
it
its
great city
or
own company
was designated by a
the Tuat to include
the various gods Avith it
nome
whom
all
special
these under-
they Avere peopled,
the most important of the names of the local
The
best knoAvn of these Avas Amentet,
ft'^
"^^
i-e.,
the " hidden place," Avhich appears to have been originally the place where An-her, the local god of Abydos, ruled as god of the
dead, under the Avho
is
title
of " Khenti Amentet," that
the chief of the unseen land."
An-her Avas eclipsed by the neAv-comer
When
is
to say, " he
the importance of
Osiris, the title of the
former
THE TUAT AND
ITS
INHAIUTANTS
173
was assigned to Osiris, who, henceforth, was always called " Khenti Amentet." But this usurpation of An-her's title as god of the dead by Osiris must have taken place in very early times, for Amentet was a common name for the underworld throughout Egypt, and
found in texts of
is
Vth and Vlth
all periods,
even in those of the
Dynasties.
Yet long before even
this
remote period the priesthoods of
must have developed the idea that the life of a man resembled the course of the sun during the day, and that the sun, howsetting was to the sun Avhat death was to a man ever, reappeared each morning in apparently a neAV body, and as certain
nomes or
cities
;
man
wished to live again in a renewed, or new, body, the Egyptian
theologians set to
work
to
souls of the blessed dead,
form a system of theology in which the
i.e.,
who had been buried with all religion of the period, were made
those
the ceremonies prescribed by the
accompany the sun in his boat as he passed through the portion As the sun passed of the Tuat which had been assigned to them. through the Tuat large numbers of souls made their way into his boat, and although it was only the dead sun that was their guide and protector, and his passage was through the realms of the dead which were under the sovereignty of Osiris, the god of the dead, they were brought forth at length to renewed life and light as soon as the boat passed out from the eastern end of the Tuat into
to
the
day.
This view was a very popular and widespread one,
made Ra and
work together, each after his own method, to secure eternal life and happiness for the souls of the dead. As soon as the priests had made up their minds that the Tuat existed, they began to people it with imaginary beings especially as
it
which were supposed
Osiris
to be hostile to the souls of the dead,
and
to
invent descriptions of the various regions into which they declared it
was divided
;
such descriptions were at length committed to
writing, at first in a very simple form, and after the
manner
of
every group of texts Avhich were composed for the benefit of the dead, but finally they became
made
more
elaborate,
to represent pictorially the creatures
the Tuat.
In
contain such
fact, it
was intended
and attempts Avere
which were found
to compile a
in
book which should
accurate descriptions of the Tuat, and
such
true
THE SHAT AM TUAT
174
would have
meet there, together with lists of their names, that when a soul was once provided with a copy of it he would find it impossible to lose his way, or to be overcome by any monster which attempted to bar pictures of the foes which the dead soul
his
way
to
or to prevent his access to the boat of Ra. called "
Coming
Fortli
supplied the soul with a great
many
The great work which the Egyptians ra Ik o
by Day,"
<=:> ^^^^
v\
,
words of power, and prayers, and incantations, as well as hymns, but even in the Early Empire, about B.C. 3500, many of its doctrines were antiquated, and the priests found
add new chapters and
it
necessary to
modify old ones in order to make
to
it
a
work suitable for the requirements of newer generations of men. Owing to the extreme antiquity of the " Book of Coming Forth by Day," the views expressed in many of its chapters were contrary to those held by Theban priests of the New Empire, about B.C. 1050, and as a result, whilst preserving, and holding in great reverence this work which they had borrowed from the ancient priesthood of Heliopolis, they compiled two works, which may be called "The Book of that which is in the Tuat," and the " Book of the Pylons." In the first of these, the Shat am Tuat," funeral
*^^^ ]
_ _
1\
u^
'^
^
were o:athered too:ether
all
the views held
by the Heliopolitan priesthood on the life of man's soul after death, and though it contained all the doctrines as to the supremacy of Ra, their great Sun-god, these were so skilfully manipulated by the Theban priests, that the compilation actually became a work which magnified the grade and influence of Amen-Ra, the great god of Thebes, and raised him to the position which the Thebans claimed for him, namely, "king of the gods, and lord of the thrones of the two lands." The thrones here referred to are not those of kings, but the shrines of
each side of the river Nile.
all
the gods on all the land on
In the Heliopolitan system of theology
the god Osiris held a comparatively subordinate position in the "pauti
or
company
of the gods, and
the gods of the dead "
Book of
that which
was
in fact only the greatest of
who were worshipped
is
subordinate to Ra, and
in the his
Underworld
underworld
is
"
in the Delta
;
in the
he also holds a position
made
to be a portion of
THE BOOK OF THE PYLONS the Tuat through which the dead sun passed nightly.
EN Sbau,
"^"^^
^^^^
-^^wv.
n
^
1)
Pylons," the greatest god of
work
is
'^
% "^^
all is
or "
In the Shat
Book of the
the god Osiris, and the whole
devoted to a description of the various sections of the
region over which he presides, and it
'--',
175
whereby the
souls of the dead
is
may
intended to form a guide to
be enabled to make their
way through it successfully and in comfort. The Shat am Tuat and the Shat en sbau were, in fact, the outcome of two distinct most primitive form, was the older of the two, and described the life of man after death more schools of theology
;
the latter, in
as a continuation of his existence
new life,
while the former
with the Sun-god.
made
The
its
on
this earth
the future
latter
life
than as an entirely
to be passed entirely
maintained the views about the
Elysian Fields and their material delights, which found utterance in the " Book of Coming Forth by Day," and was to all intents
and purposes an amplification it
also contained doctrines
of,
and a companion volume to
which were inserted in
it
it,
but
with the view
harmonize with the theories in the former which The Theban priests had related to the absolute supremacy of Ra. of
making
it
no wish, when once they had established the mastery of Amen-Ra, but to bring
all
the doctrines of the various schools of religious
thought into harmony with their own, for such a course could do nothing but contribute to the material prosperity of the great
brotherhood of Amen-Ra.
They were
tolerably
sure
of
the
offerings of the faithful of Thebes, but they were anxious to
obtain a share of those of the devotees of Osiris
who
Abydos, which was, rightly or wrongly, celebrated
flocked to
as the burial-
The history of Egypt shows that the fight between the kings of the South and the kings of the North for the supremacy of the whole country was always going on, but as the fortunes of war had given victory to the kings of the South, who were the lords of all Egypt under the New Empire, the priests of the god of these kings determined that Amen-Ra should be the king of the gods. Religious ambition was helped by the success of the great warrior kings of the XVIIIth Dynasty, and thus Amen-Ra became the overlord of Osiris.
place of the god.
THE UNDERWORLD
DIVISIONS OF
176
Both the " Book of that which "
of the Pylons " divide the
Book
Tuat
"
Underworld
in the
is
and the
into twelve parts, each of
which corresponds to one of the hours of the night, and the divisions are called " Hall,"
^'
"^
Field,"
selcliet,
,
LjJjQ
arret, or " Circle,"
^^ ^_^
or " City,"
^^ ^^
nut, or
,
In Chapter
qerert.
Book of the Dead, according to the Papyrus of Nu (Brit. Mus.,No. 10,477), the Arrets are seven in number, and each is guarded by a doorkeeper, a watcher, and a herald with the cxliv. of the
following names
Arret
2.
Areet
II.
Semetu,
Sabes,
III.
1.
2.
'^ ^ ^ ^ J
P
Tun.pehti,^
1.
3.
Arret
Sekhet-hra-ilsht-aru,
1.
I.
:
Ptes
-
^f
Seqet-hm.p ^
<=
^
ab,
<:=^
"^
^
AA/WV\ I
W
:^
#
J
^ 3.
.
^-
•
P J
Uaau,
^
Khesef-hra-ash-kheru,
1.
2.
A
Am-huat-ent-peh-fi J
2.
|.
JP-
Res-hra,
Arret IV.
^
^
Hu-kheru, rn
3.
•
U=/l
^ ^^
^eteqa - hra
-
%^ ^A
j
.
khesef - atu,
^ A Arret V.
Ankh
1.
Ashebii,
em
-
fentu.
rm J ^
1.
Aken-tau-k-ha-kheru,
An-her,
w
I
.
^
I s
3.
Jf
ra
Metes-lira-ari-she,
2.
I
D 1
2.
OOL I
Teb - her - kehaat, -=^
3.
.
/www v\
f
O
ra
Arret VI.
-
"'^^
THE UNDERWORLD
DIVISIONS OF Arret VII.
'^^
Metes-sen,
1.
Aa-kheru,
2. 1
177
1
Khesef-hra-khemiu
3.
In Chapter cxlv. of the Book of the Dead according to the Theban and Saite Recensions the domain of Osiris, i.e., SekhetAarrn,
I'M
Sekhet-Aanre,
or
V
I
.V
I
I
oUt ^U, contains Twenty-one pylons, each of which
has a name, generally a very long one, and each of which
guarded by a god.
The names
of these pylons are:
n|_^J|. 4.
Nekau,
6.
Semamti,
3.
—
Neri,
1.
^^
Ertat-Sebanqa,
^ v^^wl-
TV
of the gods
'^ ^=^ J-
(|fl
[1^'^^^J^.
the 2.
7.
ten
Mes-Peh,
^
Akenti,
l^i-
AAA/V\A
8.
.
^ w
TCHESEF,
9.
first
^
Henti-requ,
^-
TCHET-F
who guard
is
Khu-
Sekhen-ur,
These names are taken from the Papyrus of
Nu
quoted (sheet
already
but
25),
the Turin Papyrus, which was edited
the
come from
following
by Lepsius
so far
back as
1842, and they illustrate the changes which have taken place in the names. 3.
Beq,
1.
^
J
II
Nerau, .
4.
""^[l^^N J.
Hu-tepa,
HEN-ER-REQAr, 7.
(9
h^
The names Sa'ite
8.
=.
^
1
e
'^
10.
5.
.
Samti,
6.
Netchses,
^'^^ .
Mes-Ptah,
^ ^^
A
Am-Nit,
TCHET-F,
f
2.
9.
Erta-
w Khau-
^^
Sekhen-ur,
I
of all the pylons are given in both the
Theban and
names of the gods who guard pylons neither. The domain of Osiris, or SekhetChapters cxlix. and cl., divided into fifteen
Recensions,^ but the
XL — XXI.
are given in
Aarru, was, according to
Aats, which are thus enumerated ^
See
my
:
Aat
Chapters of Coming Forth by
(
Day
)
I.
Sekhet Aarru
(Text), p.
334 S.
;
DIVISIONS OF SEKHET-AARRU
178
^^
A
.
"^
Asset,
god in
^
i
^^
it
-^^
A
::
Kher-aha, the
<*^
^/
*^^^ spirits,"
I
*^®
Aat
•
t
—
VIII.
"^^
1
^^^;
Aat
.
n
Ha-sert,
^^' ^'^^'
.
^^^ |
^
the god in
;
Aat
^^^
;
^®
in
*^^® Sot^
'^*
it
live
upon
Sept,
Hetemet-baiu,
is
V*
'wvw.
it is
Hap,
;
the god in
^^t \
~^
^^
Maa-thet-f,
XII.
^J
^ '^ ^^ ^ ^
" Beautiful Amentet, \ ^^^^ and ale. cakes
Aat XV. Amentet-nefert, wherein the gods
is
Atru-she- en-nesert-f-em-shet,
XIII.
^^
it
'
the god in
the god in
the
Apt-ent-qahu, ^_
XI. Apt-net,
^
it
-^^t VI.
[TI^-AP^^©;
^^IP^^^©,"^, ^-
J^ Q^ "^
Nile.
I'^^^P^'
^^'^ ^^' " ^^^ ^^^ ^^
i
P^^^^^-^^IY^,^-
X. Unt,
Aa-sekhemu,
is
i.e.,
^^^
•
Aat
•
Aat
Tu-qa-aat,
V. Ammehet,
Fa-jDet,
is
it
Apt-ent-khet, %J III.
-^^t VII.
()PP@-
A^P^. n
Aat
.
I
"
Sekher-remu,
called
is
Q
^
"^ '^
I
II.
^ ~^ "^
god was Fa-akli, k^^ V^
its
^
Aat
was Ra-Heru-khuti.
its ffod
•
T ,"
In connexion with these various divisions of the realm of
Book
Osiris here will follow naturally a brief description of the
OF Pylons.
An
excellent copy of
its text,
with
be found on the famous alabaster sarcophagus preserved in Sir John Soane's
Museum
illustrations, is to ^
of Seti
in Lincoln's
I.,
now
Inn Fields,
and variants of several of the passages are given on the walls of the tombs of several kings of the XXth Dynasty, Avho were buried Curiously in the Valley of the Tombs of the Kings at Thebes. enough, the work, as M. Jequier has remarked,^ seems never to
have become popular, and copies of
it
are only found in royal
tombs
it
represents an attempt on
1
;
it is
generally admitted that
See Bonomi and Shai'pe, The alabaster Sarcopliagus of Oimenepldah
of Egypt, London, 1864. 3 Le Livre de ce qu'il y a dans VHades, Paris, 1894,
p. 13.
I.,
King
DIVISIONS OF
THE TUAT
179
the part of the Theban priests to adjust the cult of
and
be so there
Ra
to that of
wonder at if it failed. According to the Book of Pylons the Tuat is a long, narrow valley, with sandy slopes, and is divided into two equal strips by the river on which the boat of the sun sails it is made to contain Osiris,
if this
little to
is
;
1^1-^
M^^MU^Uli The
First
Hour
of the Night.
twelve nomes or divisions, which correspond to the twelve hours of the night.
In the First Division,
Mountain of the West, its
lowest part
to the Tuat.
i^^,
i.e.,
the First Hour,
we have
the
divided into two portions, and along
a path which forms the entrance from this world On the right-hand side is a jackal-headed standard, is
FIRST DIVISION OF THE THAT
180 "^
and on the
,
a ram-headed standard, V
left
adored by the god of the mountain, Set,
On
the
right
mountain, and on the
left
the
Tuat,
j
I
I
c=^i: '^g\
J|
see in
^
I
'=^
(1
bows
in folds,
which holds
of the boat stands the
god
gods of the
Set-Amentet,
of
the boat of the sun, and
is
the disk
;
mouth.
and in the
Sa, ^mi,
The
we
by a
encircled
is
tail in its
its
god of magical words.
the
twelve
twelve gods
In the centre
^/w^A^.
,
the
is
and the god of the
'=^
are
a disk containing a beetle
it
huge serpent
m,
.
^ach of these
f
In the
Heka,
stern,
having moved on,
boat,
approaches a pylon Avith closed doors, guarded by a huge serpent
which stands on his
tail
^^
and bears the name Saa-Set,
\\
This pylon forms the entrance to the Second Division, or Second
Hour, and when the god has passed through
—^
"their Set,
i
,
forms, which represent those
O^
"^"^ g^jjj ^i;^Q
Apep,
^iM^.
who praised Ra- upon earth,
his
hand a
°^
Mehen,
the boat >ic
^^
iStafF.
I
In the centre
he
is
I
,
and
Ba
is
the
leaning on a
left
^^O,
aqet,
/^, (2) four dead
n
—
**
"'''^^
)
ao;ainst the arch-
ram-headed, and holds in
tail
its
beings
serpent
him
before
of the
Tuat,
called Nepmeli,
Khnemu, and
^
£
hand of the divine boat
staff,
^^
protected by the
is
met by the seven gods Horus, Ua-ab,
(?),
i<:
the boat of the sun, in
is
along by four
and by six gods of the
On
;
The shrine
being towed
^, ,
power
and a serpent stands upright on
,
is
VN cr^] J|
Nenha, n
sceptre.
human
"Tk
•
which the god stands in a shrine
dwell in
the right are twenty-four
directed their words of
'^"^
fiend
On
cry out."^
who
" those
it
ai'e
men
:
,
,
Setchet,
and a god with a
—
(1)
The god Tem,
lying on their backs,
and twenty men standing with their arms tied together behind These last are, according to M. Lefebure's rendering^ their backs. of the text, " the criminals in Ra's great hall (the world), those "
who have
insulted
Ra on
the earth, those
1
Bonomi and
2
See Becords of
Sliarpe, op.
cit.,
who have cursed
pU. 5 and
the Past, vol. x., p.
85
4.
ff.
that
THIRD DIVISION OF THE TUAT
182 " whicli
Egg, those who have frustrated
in the
is
"have uttered blasphemies against Khuti." god now approaches resembles
opening
all
quite
is
who
The pylon which the
from the
different
but
first,
it
the others which have to be passed through.
The by some advanced work, and
protected like a fortress
is
justice, those
through the wall is an entrance to a corridor which runs between two walls crowned with a series of spear heads. This corridor bends at right angles, and in each angle is a uraeus, from the
mouth
of which drop balls of fire that
at each is
end of the corridor
is
which guards
The entrance
mummied ffods, »
^ ^
^ the
who
form,
1
1
1
and the other, called
-^-^(11, and the name
of the
snake
pylon
is
represent
Aqebi, 'k\ ^
its tail is
also
protected
the " Second
J
by nine
flfl
^m
'
gods, in
Company
of the
"
y
III
opened towards the Third Division
is
OF THE TuAT, or the Third Hour.
UAUAu setet-sen-Ra, right
^^-=-,
I
one
itself is
and stands upon
to
§
mummy,
it
The pylon
^^ The door of the pylon
'
^
'
^
I
it
V^
^ J ™ ^ ZI-
Sekhabsenfunen, Septet-uauau,
a god in the form of a
&i
called Am-aua-qah-f,
the whole length of
fill
n
^
°
The gate
X^jQ n
n^ |1
I
is
Septet
called
^wCvAA
%^
the
Qji
hand of the boat of the god are twelve holy gods of the Tuat,
each in his shrine, with the doors open, and twelve gods of the lakes of fire
;
a huge snake
lies
along the tops of
and before each god of the basins of left hand are: 1. The god Tem
—
who
nine gods
things,
^37 v\
through
;
are called
I
^
"^
2.
the " chiefs
'
c^
fire is
•
all
the shrines,
an ear of corn.
the serpent xipep
who
The boat
On
the
o.
the
;
drive back Apepi,"
of the
sun
is
towed
by eight gods of the Tuat, and the middle of which terminates in the head of a bull. This pole is supported by eight gods in mummied form, and upon it are seated seven gods in front and behind these stands a bull, and at the end of the division stand four shrouded mummy forms. The gods who are the rope
this division is
fastened to a long pole or beam, each end of
;
FOURTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT
184
hand of the boat of the sun, and are under the direction of Tern, form two companies, whose special duty it was to carryout the commands of this god in respect of the slaughter of the This monster was first of all to be enchanted arch-fiend Apepi. by the incantations which were recited over him, and then his on the
left
head was to be cut
As
joints.
and his body to be hacked in pieces at the
off,
the god passes out of the Third Division and the door
beings
closes, all the
who
are fated to remain in
it
lift
up
their
is
called
voices and weep.
The pylon
"i^
—^H— c=3
Nebt-s-tchefau, '
guards in
Foukth Division
of the
r
and stands upon
it
mummied
forms
who
its
tail is
^^
^. nK^
•
On
.
J Nv
^^^ S^^^
ISFenuerbesta,
company
,
The nine gods
respectively.
,
the wall are the " the third
3
^^
Tchetbi,
stand one at the beginning and one at the
end of the corridor are called Seta-ta,
Fouhth Hour
and the name of the serpent which ^
,
i
I
or
and
Avho guard
of the great god,"
^ in
i
the right side of the boat of the god are
I
who
twelve gods,
^
are described as the "bringers of their doubles,"
AA.WW Lj
V
1
A^A^AA
^
and twelve jackal-headed
walking on the Lake of
Lake
of uraei
comfort, and
;
^
and ten
these
all
and
i\
V^
fire for
(/A
T
i
^^ is
^
J\ <=^
who
rise
are
out of the
The
uraei, Avho are called ^^^^ oi'clered
®
to preserve
in'
use against the enemies of Ra, and they
answer the god, saying, " Come to
__a ^_^ the god
uraei,
who
Sun-god addresses words of
the
they respond suitably.
" those Avho live," their flames
to
Life,^
figures,
4-
T^
'
Horus the Aged, who
us,
^^
unite thyself to Tanen,"
^^^®
^^^^ ^^^^
follows eleven
^^ *^® ^*^^* ^^
human forms
as
A/W\AA
they march behind the uraeus called Flame,
^, to a shrine in
wearing the crown of the South, stands upon Behind Osiris are the twelve gods, ''who are behind
which the god a serpent.
^^
Osiris,
the shrine," and four gods,
who
preside over pits in the earth,
and the "prince of destruction," who holds a sceptre in
his left
^^^mmmmmmmmmmm
186
FIFTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT
hand and
¥
In the middle
in his right.
the boat of the sun
is
being towed along the river of the Tuat by four gods as usual, and it is
made
to
approach a long low sepulchral building in which are
mummied god
nine chapels, each containing a
back
111
their caves,"
end of
who
who
these are called " the gods
;
"^
s..^
this building are
i
I
-||-
lying
%
"^ \,
'
^ '^^,
two groups, each containing
are the personifications of the twelve hours
between them
At
the
women, the Tuat
six
in
the serpent Herert, | <=>, with multitudinous
is
and windings, and he
coils
on his
flat
are in the train of Osiris in
ones to devour the hours. addresses the beings their supply of food,
who
said to give birth to twelve
is
young
In this division, as in the others,
Ra
and makes arrangements
for
are in
it,
and reminds them of their duties to him their
creator.
The pylon of the Fifth Division or Fifth Hour Arit,
(1
•<2>-
(1(1
of Teka-hra,
corridor
hand
right
"^
;
and the serpent who guards the jackal-headed '^i^
V:^
,
and he
represent the fourth
;
2.
mummy
company
god are
:
—
1.
Twelve bearers of cord,
Four gods
called
name
one end of the
at
the
at
bears the
it
other
Tekemi,
is
mummied
front of the wall are nine gods in
of the boat of the
Tuat
in the
,
Along the
.
who
forms
i^a
•
Aau,
is
j\
^
is
On
of the gods.
the
The twelve worshippers
^ %^
O
i
%
§
^
;
These beings are said to be and 3. those who knew Ra upon earth, and who made offerings to him,
and
Avith sceptres.
in return for this
Ra awarded them meat and
drink in the
most holy place in Amentet, and said to them, "I am satisfied " with what you did for me, whether I was shining in the Eastern " heaven, or whether I
Therefore they feed upon the food which
made
M
was in the temple,
Ra
eats,
"^ ,
and
of
my eye."
offerings are
them upon earth on account of the praise which they The beings who carry the cords are to Ra in Amenti.
to
ascribe
supposed to measure the "
fields of
the spirits," "^^ |
"^ i
'wwva
and their cords are supposed to represent the cord of law,
"^j, i.e.,
iM-^i^^S^ite^Ui^
» i » ia»eta »
g»-MM
<^
•^=:!
iin>c
•e=: iin>o
anx)
in>o
^
i^ S2 liil
FIFTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT
188
the measuring cord by which law and justice
and " Ra says u ^
AAA/w.
O ^^
AAAAA^ '^^-wv I
I
i
them, Their law
to
-
I
a
"
of the boat of the sun are: stick;
—
Aamu,
tians, four are
^\
^
"v^
^
M 1 r^y^]
/
Qu
.
thc
Icft
side
Horus the Elder leaning upon a
1.
whom
Sixteen men, four of
2.
(s
g A
O
^'^^^
represented,
cord in Amentet,"
the
is
are
',
i.e.,
'/\
four are Negroes,
,
i
^^ ^ Jj
are
§
Egyp'
_v
'
^
|
and four are Libyans, bear
A7ho [1
,
ladders
Land,
^
" tears
from
created
^
"V
'
°
f
^°
and
;
4.
describes as being in
—
said
Ament.
^
^
my
name
—
^
r^^v~i
^,
Eye,"
of
men,'
'
it
is
I
redeems their *
those
o'od,
^
Eight
of men,
the
"Ye
Red
are the
^111
^m
" _
VQi
by the
"those
called
To these four classes the Tuat of Egypt and
I
'
^^
•
fhen
tells
the
Aamu,
and the Negroes and the Libyans that he has
,
them, and that
addresses
^
and who are holding a long serpent
whom Horus
k(c)
Twelve men,
^-
''
Ament,
in
(?)
divine sovereign chiefs in
" in your
V
|
souls,
it
^ A
'j'
c^
who hold
Y ^
the goddess Sekhet,
is
the
<^^:
ladder
'"''"^
(?),
and bids them take
measurements of the souls that are appointed
and destroy the souls that have
^^^^
Finally, the srod
.
i
Jl'
to be destroyed
destruction,
for ;
in the
hands
was the power of determining the length of the by souls in Amentet, and it is undoubtedly passages like these which have given rise to the idea of these beings
period which had to be passed
that the Egyptians believed in purgatory.
Division the boat of the sun
belonging to
it
is
In the centre of this
being drawn along by four gods
Before these are nine gods with pro-
as before.
jecting elbows and covered shoulders called " holders of Ennutchi,"
<^ ^^1 ^lo^'^ljjj i>_;
they are joined together by a
rope
men who
;
these gods
"souls of the
follow tAvelve
men who
are in
beings proceed towards a god Her-qenbet-f, f=^
'^
"^
l_
I
the Tuat," and
who
'^-=—
11
/www
are described
•
holds a sceptre, and
The duty
as
the
both groups of
of this
is
called
god was to
SIXTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT them
i4ghteous and put
call the souls of the
189
in their dwellings,
Ra, addresses the by the corner of those who gods who tow his boat along, and bids them to pull with vigour, and to be strong of arm and firm of limb, and swift of foot, and bold of soul to make a prosperous way for him to the hidden ^ |~^^ ISText he addresses the figures with draped circles,
lived near him.
•
i
i
.
who bear the serpent Ennutchi, ^ and bids them to draw him along and then praises those who have spoken truth,
shoulders
;
c^>(
upon
magnified
forms
the
^\\
them cakes
and
I,
1
wind
for their souls,
green herbs from
uostrils,
decrees
for
I
(S
I
I
I
God,
of
have
and
earth,
I
I
I
for their
Sekhet-Aaru,
and a place among the gods of right and
S^
truth,
of
"^
Jj
,
in the corner of the abode
the companions of the god
Ra where
The doctrine here that of Osiris, and
pass sentences of doom.
preached there
essentially
is
no wonder that the Book of Pylons
is
was not popular with the priests of Amen. The name of the pylon of the Sixth Division or the Sixth Hour is Nebt-aha, ^
^
?
,
the guardian at the entrance to
the corridor heart,"
is
and he who " Secret
guarded forms,
by
who
" goddesses
"Right of
Maa-ab, is
who
gods
called
end
Sheta-ab,
is
The
Heart."
twelve are
at the
in
" the
wall
is
mummied gods
are in this Pylon,"
and | |
©
Behind the wall
has upon ^
that
it
a
The scene
it is
row
is
|
a chamber, the wall of which
of spear heads, and inside
of the Sixth Division is so mutilated
not reproduced here.
we
see the
god
on the sarcophagus
Osiris
of Seti
I.
SIXTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT
190
upon the top of a flight of nine steps, on each thus the whole company of the gods of stands a god seated
;
here represented.
hands the sceptre,
his
wears a double crown, Vi
Osiris
mummied and who may be stands a
j,
and the emblem of
who forms
figure
of
which
Osiris are
and holds in
,
Before him
"life."
the pillar of a pair of scales,
regarded as the personification of the Great
Balance with which we are familiar in the Judgment Scene as depicted in papyri. In the pan of the scales is the bird of evil, ^^ .
Near the
scales
a boat in which are an ape and a pig
is
urging the pig along with a
is
stick.
;
the ape
In the upper part of the
scene are the heads of four oryxes and a figure of the god Anubis.
The
which accompany
difficult texts
this scene tell us that
the
" enemies of Osiris are beneath his feet, the gods and the spirits " are before " enemies,
him
he
;
is
the foe of the damned, he repulses the
and he destroys them, and
their
eftects
slaughter.
"
The bearer of the hatchet, and the supporter of the scales " protect him who is in Amenti, who resteth in the Tuat, and who " passeth through darkness and shadow. Above is Joy, and below " are Right
and Truth
(
.
The god
resteth
and giveth forth
J
"the light of Maat which he hath made."
hand over the pig
said to
says,
"
" [remember] that
it
and Anubis
ye is
to
punishment
who
The ape "
when
in the boat
is
the god riseth,"
bring words true or
false to
Thoth who weigheth them."
me
Concerning
we read, " When the weighing of words taketh place he " smiteth evil he hath a right heart, and he holdeth the words in " the Scales in the holy place wherein the trial of the secret things Osiris
;
" of the secrets of the spirits taketh place. "
who hath made
which its
all
the beings
who
It
is
the god
are in the Tuat."
relates to the four inverted heads of oryxes
meaning, but
it
says that their dwelling-place
is
is
who
riseth
The text not clear in
the Amehet,
a district in the Elysian Fields, and that they hide or protect
We
must note in passing the position of the Sixth Division of the Tuat. Assuming that the Tuat was regarded as
the
spirits.
a nearly circular valley which curved round from the West, where the sun
set, to
the North, and curved round from the North to the
East, where the sun rose,
it
follows if all the twelve divisions of
SEVENTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT
191
the Tuat be equal in length, that the Sixth Division Avould be very-
near the most northerly part of the Tuat.
where
it
was intended to
be, for the
And
this is exactly
most northerly part of the
Tuat would include the greater pai't of the Delta, where the principal shrines of Osiris, i.e., Mendes and Busiris, were situated,
and
was ouly right to make the position of the kingdom of on earth to correspond with that of his domain in the Tuat.
it
Osiris
Unlike the other divisions of the Tuat, the Sixth Division contains
no representation of the god Ra, and the texts belonging to it do not even mention his name the Book of Pylons made Osiris ;
absolutely supreme in his
own
dominions, and the exclusion of
Ril,
Amen-Ra, from them was clearly the cause which made the work unpopular with all the worshippers of the great god of The position of Osiris on the top of a flight of steps Thebes. explains the allusions to the "god who is on his staircase" in the Book of the Dead, and it proves that it is this god who is represented on the wooden plaque of Semti,^ and before whom the king is dancing. The Sun-god Ra, having arrived at the north of the Tuat, must now make his way towards the or
East.
The serpent who guards the pylon of the Seventh Division Seventh Hour ^
or the
is
Akhan-maati, ^-=.
called
guardian at the end of the corridor
is
called Shepi,
but the mutilated state of the scene renders the
name
corridor.
On
111
mil
A
is
Men-sheta,
number
of
mummied
:
_
rt
t
I
2.
to
centre
is
—
;
1
.
A
made
number
to resemble a
god bending over a
staff
1
•
,
" Stablisher of
what
is
secret."
who are commanded
forms extended on couches,
These beings are
uncover themselves and to drive away darkness.
In the
the boat of the Sun-god being towed along, presumably
^
See British Museum, No. 32,650.
^
The scene
Seti I. that
usually
is
described as the " mighty spirits."
by Ra
"^^
(1(1
impossible to give
the right side of the boat of the god are a
serpent, and on the left side are
name
it
|-,
and the
of the pylon or of the guardian of the entrance to the
of beings bearing a rope, which
his
,
it is
of the
Seventh Division
not reproduced here.
is
so mutilated
on the sarcophagus
of
EIGHTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT
192
by four gods of the Tuat as before. Marching in front of those Avho tow the boat are twelve gods with sceptres, and four
mummied of the
cry out to the inhabitants of this Division
weigh words and
to praise Ra, for he will
Tuat
The pylon
of the
Bekhkhi,
called
guardian,
j
J
Eighth Division or the Eighth Hour
(1 (1
1
cnn
1
Set- bra,
is
at its
end
guardian of
*^^
^ llTUHtJ
2:ods in
mummied
the god are
:
^
Hept-ta, |
is
—
forms,
^
who
" the souls of Ta-neserser," , I
"b '^^^
^
1
'^i^
1
c^
h
AAAAAA
—*—
The wall
.
On
.
Twelve beings
1.
as the " sovereign chiefs
-^
1
is
and the name of the snake-god,
,
"^5
^""^^
will destroy
enemy.
their
its
who
forms
the
and the guardian protected by nine
is
riorht side of
human
in
the
form,
who
the boat of
are described
give bread, Maat, and green herbs to
a
A H
—
\j
d
^^^'^^
i
-Oi
^^—
^
^
"^
/^
2.
\\.
'
Nine
souls, in the
form of
bearded human-headed hawks, with their hands raised in adoration
;
these are the " souls of Ta-neserser," which are fed with
command
bread and green herbs by the left
hand
side of the boat of
Ra
are
:
—
1.
god Ra.
of the
On
Horus leaning on a
the
staff.
Twelve men, who represent the enemies of Osiris that have been burnt in the fire, with their arms tied together behind their Opposite the first backs, each group of four in a different way.
2.
of these
is
a huge serpent called Kheti,
a stream of fire into his face
;
^®
|1
,
which belches forth
on the back of the serpent stand
The twelve beings has been inflicted by Horus at seven gods.
are those on
the
whom
command
punishment
of Ra,
who
has
decreed the death both of their bodies and of their souls because
whose mysteries they despised, and whose image they tore from the sanctuary. The serpent Kheti, which is commanded by Horus to consume the foes of his father Osiris, is adjured to burn up both the souls and the bodies 1. The of these wicked ones. In the centre of this division are:
of
what they did against
Osiris,
—
2.
"The
rectangular lake in
which
boat of the sun being towed by four gods as before. dweller in
Nu"
leaning on a
staff.
3.
A
NINTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT
194
are sixteen men, four of ()
D
^
(](j
1
,
four swim,
whom
f^ J
bathe,
^"
()(]
["Q
V
QQ
r-.
^ "^
and four dive,
,
^°^^' float,
''
|
^.T".-
The gods who tow the boat say, Let there be praise to the soul of " Ra in heaven, and adoration to his body upon earth for heaven " is made new by his soul, and earth is made new by his body. " Hail We open for thee heaven, we make straight for thee the ;
!
"
ways of Akert.
Ra, upon thy hidden things
Rest thyself,
He who
" the hidden ones are adored in thy forms."
Nu
The pylon Aat-shefsheft,
Ab-ta, [1
who
also addresses those
X
nine
;
are in the lake.
Ninth Division
o
^^^^
AAAAAA
of the
''^-=—
"
:
The wall
.
forms,
the boat of the Sun-god are
it
is
—
^
in
1.
Four gods
^
On
.
guarded by
is
the right hand side of of the South,
man who
is
called " the master of the front,"
between the man and these four gods
is
i y?
'
|
each wearing the white crown, and grasping a rope which held by a
called
is
and the guardians of the corridor are Anhefta,
mummied
o-ods in
Ninth Hour,
or
serpent which guards
the
;
and Ermen-ta,
,
dwelleth in
is
also
v=
a pillar surmounted by a
bearded head, with a white cro^\^l on it, which is being raised by means of the rope. 2. A hawk-headed sphinx with the white crown on his head, and a bearded head, with a white crown on it, resting on his hind quarters.
which
figure 3.
is
Four gods
Standing on his back
of the North,
i
|
also held
is
by a man who
man and
;
pillar,
which
Apu,
is
being raised by means of the rope.
^g^^ J
\\
Set.
is
called "the
these four gods
surmounted by a bearded head with a red crown on
J
holding the serpent Shemti,
heads at each end of his body. Bath,
human
^\_^ each wearing the red crown,
master of the back," f=^ ..^ between the a
a
surmounted by the heads of Horus and
and grasping a rope which
is
is
s=r=>
,
5.
4.
ciszi
A
personage called
^^^,
which has four
A personage holding the
with a head at each end of his body
stands a serpent which
is
called Tepi,
^
flfl
?
it,
;
and which
on is
serpent
his
back
provided
^<
^^^
be
rr--'^ ^mmmmuimmmmu
mmmmmmam
TENTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT
196 at each
end of his body with four human heads, breasts, and arms,
and four pairs of human legs. 6. Two men holding a rope (?). Sixteen human On the left hand of the boat of the god are forms Avhich represent the (a) souls of Amentet, (h) the followers of :
Thoth,
—
the followers of Horus, (d) the followers of Osiris
(c)
the
;
first four have the heads of men, the second four the heads of ibises, the third four the heads of hawks, and the fourth four the heads of rams. These sixteen beings draw a rope to which is
attached a double serpent with four heads, two at each end of
body, and one pair of legs at each end which support the
his
The serpent
larger serpent. of his folds
other end of the h
^
^k. ^Q
the god
^ ^^
human
the
forms called Akhmiu,
Before him march
being towed along as before.
is
At
centre of this Division the boat of
^^^ ^^^^
•
^^d on one
2^ ^
Heru-tuati,
rope are eight v^
^ UO?
called Khepri,
hawk
perched the
is
is
:
women, each holding a rope (?) and 2. Three men holding a ro^DC which is thrown over the head and held in the hands by a prostrate man Avho has the 1.
Six
forms, four apes, and four
human ;
ears of
an
ass,
and who
is
called Aai,
holds a pike which he
man body.
man
In front of the
Shesshes,
r-vri
work magic
fl
for
r^\-i
:
—
1
" Ass."
Each
The
2.
in a serpent's head, called
the arch-fiend Apep, and they bid
to the place of slaughter that he
" slaughterino-
i.e.,
The beings here described are those who
.
Ra on
,
The serpent Apep, and
1.
which terminates
crocodile, with a tail
"^ M
about to drive into the prostrate
is
are
(j
are
places
may
be slain
against thee,
and
;
him come
they say, " the
the Aai gods are
"agai„stthee,"^^^^f,;,^|[l^U.q^(l_yj^. The three beings with pikes drive destroy utterly the serpent Sesi,
"^
hold of the rope of Ai,
^1^1
their ||
U
(1
weapons into Apep, and
Hm^
;
and they keep
serpent rise 9^' ^"^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^ *^^^*
up towards the boat of the god. The pylon of the Tentpi Division or the Tenth Hour
^ Tcheserit, \=^ ^
v\ mn^
;
(1(1
;
the
fast
serpent-god
who guards
it
called
is
is
Sethu,
and the guardians of the corridor are Nemi,
(
•^
t^^
^— •I
<»nutwt»ww>|mtiimmi
j
<^=;i
tt»tuiitutu>iut»mumnu>m
TiiinnRyimr .?»--
^
TENTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT
198
and
^~^
Kefi,
The wall
.
l\ [I
is
hand of the boat of the god are: 2. Four holding a knife and a rope (?). right
but each having four serpents' heads
^
H
^^^ Hentiu, |
'
"whose
serpent Apep,
held by a chain which
/wSa
:
On
il.
^
^
:
flu
,
are:
^ ^^,
—
3.
(1 ,
may
1
1-
jv
111 '^'^•
The beings on this destroying Apep and the foes of
in
On
the
left
hand
The twelve Akhmu-seku gods,
1.
Ka-Ament,
"god
standard,
of
If
,
Before
and
Bant,
J
Renen-sebu,
a
^
1
'wwv,
/wwvv
^
(Syria),
i
Seshsha,
^
^
:
.
4.
An
5.
.
|
^^. it
%
^ ^^
n
_
sceptres.
A
6.
god with a
o-od the middle of this division the boat of the ft'
gods.
fl
A
with a star over his head, described as
^-^{t,
Rethenu"
when
side of the boat
Twelve women, who represent the
2.
LJ
(utchat) on a standard,
by four
stretched out
not attack the boat of the sun
Four gods with
monkey on a the
is
and Qebhsennuf,
,
1"^^ fi
"hidden body,"
called the
'"
hours.
»-
,
Tuamutef,
^~^, holding paddles.
^
The
Behind the hand, and growing out
comes to a narrow passage.
I
'
3.
—
Seb,
{a)
the sun-god so that they
Ra
respectively.
grasped by four beings, Stefiu, «=^
is
Tuat are engaged
side of the
of
,
Antiu,
called
stands Khenti-Amenti, or Osiris.
At the end
it
are
/
Hapi,
^p,
beings, similarly armed,
the chain, near Apep's head,
—
beings, each
"^^ J who grasps a small chain to (b) Mest, attached the serpent Uamemti, X]
of the chain are is
Four
1.
the
goeth round about in the Tuat,"
voice
the scorpion-goddess Serqet.
which
—
these
;
(111
and twelve gods, and a mighty hand [1
On
guarded by sixteen uraei.
are:
—
1.
The
star
is
sceptre.
eye
Along
towed as usual
god Unti,
^^ AA^/WN
2.
Four
Horus.
Sekhet, Abesh, ^
deities, 3.
a
J
cisz],
Serq,
,
and
Three star gods, who tow a small boat in which are
the " face of the disk,"
uraeus called called Besi,
—
J
Semi, I
[In,
y ^^ {\
^"s^^iOO,
,
and a uraeus.
standing upon
its
4. tail.
A 5.
winged
A
god
pouring flame upon a standard surmounted
1
i
^ ^ i^sc
)^ P^
^ S •^^i .^:ii
«
,^fc^';:
^tui»imi»uummm»ut: Ni^ -•^c
at
ELEVENTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT
200
by the head
^
l\l\,
horned animal.
of a
with a bearded god in
each side of
who
adoration,
body.
its
serpent caled Ankhi,
mummied form growing
Four women, with hands
7.
"the adorers,"
called
are
A
6.
[^:£i
(1 (1
out from raised
c=S=,
8.
.
in
The
double god Horus-Set, with two heads and two pairs of arms and
hands on one body, standing upon a platform which
bows
;
rests
on two
from each end of the platform spring three uraei.
All
Ra to conmake his way
these beings are supposed to be employed in helping
tinue his course through the Tenth Division, and to to the region of the sunrise
of the
personifications
it
;
evident that most of them are
is
which herald the approach of the
stars
da^yn.
The pylon is
of the
called Shetat-besu,
guards
it
is
Eleventh Division
^ J
^
called xVm-net-f,
ij
1
and the serpent which
,
_^
^
-^
^^^
of the corridor are Metes,
i
,
Eleventh Hour
or the
(^
UHt the guardians and Shetau, ^^^ %^ Before "^-^^
;
.
the wall are two large scejDtres surmounted by the white crown
one of these
On
^
called Sar,
is
,
the right hand of the boat of
"bearers of
light,"
^
right hands.
2.
Ra
'V^ "^
Iji
Four gods,
y^i
and Tent,
%
4.
.
'ww^^^
Sept, and " he
—
is
Four
1.
'
3.
^"^^^^^^o
Four gods
5.
Four
gods,
in his double boat,"
[1
fj,
gods, called
^^^^^
'
The gods Ba, ^, Khnemu,
ram-headed.
who
are:
"
^^
^ ^
called "bearers of stars,"
holding stars in their right hands.
^^ M
and the other Horus.
Osiris,
i.e.,
who go
Tenter,
^
*^^®i^
^
''
out,"
"^^ ,
Horus, Horus-Sept, - -
\\
^^^^
^<— hawk,
headed. 6. Eight women, the Hours, seated on coiled up serpents and each holding a star in her hand these are the " protecting ;
hours,"
^mTo'^^.
7.
The god Sebek-Ra, crocodile-headed.
All these are personifications of stars which bear along the boat of
Ra towards
the day-break, for they wish to see
more on the bosom
of Nut,
;
it
floating once
and when "the arms of the
ELEVENTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT Nu
" sky-god ''
receive
Ra they
they carry, and go to
shout praises with the stars which
we may
at sunrise
"
7,
note
When
—
Four
1.
croAvns.
the morning stars sang together, and
On
h -^n^
'
•
Qfl
crowns.
^our
3-
'
J
Four
4.
/www
gods
^
—21
<^
I
I
" wallers,"
i.e.,
^= %
wearing red
,
1
Renniu,
called
Ra
7, wearing white
i
u
the
all
of the boat of
left
Akebiu,
called
Khnemiu,
beings,
bearded
the
s=i v>
beings, Setheniu-tep,
Four bearded gods
2.
Job
similarity to that expressed in
its
"sons of God shouted for joy." are:
heaven in the bosom
in the heights of
In connexion with the idea of the stars praising Ra
of Nut."^
xxxviii.
him
201
^AAAAA AAAAAA
v
(1 I
I
'
—11
•
I
Twelve goddesses, the female counterparts of the first three groups of gods. 6. Four gods, with bowed bodies, and 7. The 5.
goddess Mati,
cat-headed
x U
xv
These beings were supposed to
'
place white crowns on the heads of the gods in the train of Ra,
and though their souls rose up, they were never able to leave this Their duty was to Division of the Tuat or pass out of the pylon.
weep
Ra had
for Osiris after
passed out of Ament,^ and to be with
him, as far as their souls were concerned, but their bodies had to stay in their places it
they also had to raise up Maat and to stablish
;
in the shrine of Ra.^
It
was they who " fixed the period of the
who were
" years which those
decreed for the Tuat should pass
" there, and the period of those who were to live in heaven " * but they " tore their hair in grief before the great god in Amentet, ;
" for although they drove
n
—— ^ ^
1
I
I
'WV n ^^ ^
H
A
l\
cit., pi.
^
V
-I
r-
2
"Q"
^^"-^^
Sharpe, op.
—
\
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^
^.-^.
^
H—
I
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n V
^—
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n
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—
^ '
/
111
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H
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^-^
—— »
,
^ ^
/
/Ci
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-^
ft
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1
^"•'''^
4
>X-
,
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^-^ I
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,
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4
H
'
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tk
^
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.
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g
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Bonomi and
10.
TT\
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away Set from the pylon they themselves
JI
1
I
I
ELEVENTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT
202
" were not allowed to enter into the heights of heaven." centre of this division
by four
of
whom
nine gods, each of
holds a
knife, ^=^~, in
"^^
:
—
along
A group
1.
'^"^^.
They
chains which are called the "gods
Four
4.
The god
5.
The goddess
apes,
aaaaaa
(l
^
Jj
i
Amenti,
of
^
annihilate Apep,"
The serpent Apep chained
2.
3.
who
who produce
of
the right hand, and
in the left; the first four are jackal-headed.
[,
are described as the " nine gods /wwv^ n
Ra being drawn
the boat of
Preceding these are
gods as usual.
its
a sceptre,
we have
In the
^
to the earth
winds,"
|Tj
1
1
1
by
-^C-^
i
^
i
five
JJ
i.
each holding before him a large hand.
,
wearing the crown of the South.
ft,
"^
of the North, Herit
crown of the North.
^.(-^
(?),
(Ifl
The god Sebekhti,
6.
gods of the Tuat say, " [This
I
wearing the
r
"^
J^
These
.
Ament, and the " place for rest in the two divisions of Nu, and [the god] maketh " his transformations in the hands of Nu. This god doth not enter " heaven *'
(
^)
,
is]
the exit from
but he openeth the Tuat upwards in his trans-
What openeth
formations [which take place] in Nu.
" into heaven are the
He
i ^il
i»
'
Those who are in
.
which
existeth in the darkness
and Ra cometh forth
|!|,
'
)f
III
two hands of the god whose name
[in]
it
the Tuat is
hidden.
a solid thing,
is
from the night,
this ^portion take their knives in
" their hands, and grasp their weapons, and smite Apep, and effect
"his slaughter, and smash his joints which are in heaven. The " chains of this fiend are in the hands of the children of Horus, " they
advance to the god with their
" god counteth his
" [arms] to the " in this scene
Eye is
gods " acclaim
members
fetters in their fingers.
hidden one hath opened his
after the
Worm
The
of Horus.
by the children
fettered
(|
^m^
i^'j
of Horus."
I
I
I
<=>
I
who
is
The other
Ka in the Eastern horizon of heaven, and the four aZ^ C:^
A
The
I
I
I
I
-J
I
I
I
^ U [Zm
t
I
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I
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I
^
a
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A
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TWELFTH " apes guide liim " two on the
left,
DIVISION OF THE TUAT
who
203
created them, two on the right hand, and
to the double dtert (u
<^ nru nr^)
of this god."
The pylon of the Twelfth Division or Twelfth Hour called Tesert-baiu,
god
is
^'^">
'^m'>
" I^sd-Souls," and
serpent
the two guardians of the corridor are Pai,
Sebi
In front of the wall are two
and Akhekhi, each of which
poles,
its
is
surmounted
is
by a bearded head on one head is the disk of the god Tem, and on the other the beetle of the god Khepera, i.e., two forms of the Sun-god. Close " to the pylon Red-Souls " was the pylon of the serpent god Reri, ;
each
11(|,
guarded by the two uraei of Nephthys, one on each
Ra had
was
which
of
side
Isis
side.
and
When
passed through these doors he
emerged triumphantly from the Tuat,
and
his boat floated
Nu,
i.e.,
which
on the waters of In the scene in
in the sky.
this is depicted
we
see the boat
containing the beetle of Khepera and the disk of Ra, with the five gods Seb,
Hek
Shu,
(for
Heka), Hu, and Sa, and
the two goddesses
Isis
and Nephthys,
The god Nu,
and three gods of pylons. ,
his
is
seen holding
hands, which " come forth from
the water,
A little
and bear up
distance
formed by
way
up the boat with
Osiris,
this
god."
away from the boat is a sort of island which is the body of the god being bent round in such a
as to cause the tips of his toes to touch the
the text says that
border of the Tuat.
it
is
On
Osiris himself
back of
who forms
his
head
the encircling
the head of the god stands the goddess
BOOK OF THE UNDERWORLD
204 Nut,
,
with arms outstretched ready to receive
E,a.
Thus the
god reaches the end of the Tuat and passes by an opening through its
border, which
spots.
We
is
painted black, dotted everywhere Avith red
have seen that
Ra was omnipotent
in all divisions of
the underworld, except one, which was sacred to Osiris neitlier Efi
authorities for the text
See Sharpe, Egyptian
Pierret, Eecueil, torn,
Birch, Papyrus of Cairo, 1878.
v.,
consideration of the contents of
Underworld." The work are numerous/ both which have come down to us it is
and
and from the copies of 1
in this
nor his name appears.
We may now pass on to the "Book of that which is
the
;
in
the
viijnettes of this
Iii^criidioiis, 1st series, pll.
pp. 103
if;
28-32
;
2nd
series,
pU. 1-21
Lanzono, Domicile des Esprits, Paris, 1879;
NasMem, London, 1863
;
Mariette, Papi/rns ^gyptiens, torn,
ii.,
HOUR OF THE NIGHT
FIRST
205
book was one of considerable leno;th. But Ions; before the end of the XXIst Dynasty (about B.C. 1100) the Egyptians found it impossible to obtain or to pay for complete copies with all the vignettes, and a shortened form of it consethat
clear
the
quently came into general use.
This shortened form, which
is
"
by M. Maspero, and a ''Resume" by M. Lefebure, was supposed to contain all that was absolutely necessary for the dead, and it became very popular throughout Egypt. In the tomb of Seti I.-^ we find a copy of the full text, with vignettes, of the first eleven hours, and also a copy of the " Abridgment." The space at our disposal will not admit of a detailed description of the longer work, and therefore a notice of the "Abridgment" only is given here. The complete work is entitled, " The beginning " of the horn of the West, the remote boundary of thick darkness," an " Abrege
called
^MTf^^^-^^-I^T,West"
The "horn of
means the most westerly point where the sun
the
kehu saimi,
i.e.,
the extreme end of the Tuat, which wall, dotted
sets,
and
" thick darkness," or " solid darkness," refers to
everywhere with red
is
painted to resemble a black
and which contains an
spots,
opening through which the boat of Ra emerges every morning.
The
A
work
shorter
.Jl
U
7TH
U
"Abridgment
entitled
/ww^ _a of the night is called
is
(1(1
this
book,"
Ushemet hatu khefti
Crusher of the forehead of the enemies of Ra," and the
place through which the god passes in
<=>
of
ci:^>
I
The EiRST Hour Ra,'^ i.e., "
is
,
i.e.,
it
is
described as an mi'it,
a hall, or a sort of ante-chamber of the Tuat.
when Ra
quite unlike any part of the Tuat, for
is
It
in this hall he
See " Le Tombeau de Seti I"'," in Memoires de la Miss. Arch. Franqaise, 1886 First Hour, part iv., pll. 24-26 Second Hour, part iv., pll 29-32 Third Hour, part iv., pll. 32-35 Fourth Hour, part i., pll. 23-25 Fifth Hour, part i., pll, 26-29 Sixth Hour, part iv. pll. 39-42 Seventh Hour, part iv., pll. 43-46 1
Paris,
:
;
;
;
;
;
;
,
;
Eighth Hour, part iv., pll. 47-49 Ninth Hour, part ii., pll. 15-18; Tenth Hour, part ii., pll. 19-22 Eleventh Hour, part ii., pll. 23-26 and see Maspero, Les ;
;
;
Hypogees Boy mix de Thebes, 3
p. 29.
See the edition of the hieroglyphic
Jequier, op.
cit.,
pp. 37 @x
with a French translation, by
text,
ff.
^
_S)
1
®
^
/^
'
<==
BOOK OF THE UNDERWORLD
206
has not yet arrived in that dismal valley.
But even when here
an entirely different being from what he was in the day-time, for instead of being the sun of day, he is the sun of night, i.e., a
he
is
dead god, in fact a mere dead body Avhich " Flesh,"
by a
and
is
solar disk.
Tuat
,
sailed over the
the ways," S a, fi
v\
ooo^
i-e.,
ram surmounted
First
Hour
of the Night.
but at night he made his journey along the river of the
,
the
^ 1
^ <^4tl5
,
in fact, in the
sky from noon
to sunset.
same boat
Af
are AjD-uat,
-^
,
double of Shu,
\_j
n
,
of I,
,
,
the captain
in
In the boat
\/ ^^, "The Opener ISTehes, .•^m ^\ Heru-Hekenu, ^^ R |—
with the dead Sun-god
Hu,
1]
In the day time he travelled in the Atet boat,
in the Sektet boat,
which he
called Af,
represented with the head of a
The
^nJ
is
of the
boat,
FIRST <=>%,U], and the celestial
HOUR OF THE NIGHT
"kdy
^ ^^.
of the boat,"
207
The last-named
personage changed every hour, for she represented the
who was supposed to be the appointed guide of the god through one portion of the Tuat only knowing the way through her own district, she was able to instruct the goddess of one hour
local
;
how and where
captain of the boat
to sail over difficult reaches of
the river.
The
dwellers
in
the
First
Hour
of the night appear to have been the apes who opened the doors of the drrit to the god, and the beings who were necessary for the singing of songs of praise to Ra, and for piloting his boat through this hall to the
number of celestial beings who but who are otherwise unknown, and
Tuat, and a large the text,
dead who had passed from the earth to
who were
are mentioned in the souls of the
this intermediate place
and
waiting for the opportunity of entering into the boat
of Ra, wherein they
would
last-named were here cannot be said, but souls belonged to
Why
fain continue their journey. it is
men and women who, when
were unable to avail themselves of
all
the
probable that such living
upon
earth,
the costly and complicated
ceremonies prescribed by the priests, and the numerous amulets which were thought to be necessary for the welfare of the soul in the Tuat.
"god
The
descriptive text of the First
entereth from the
Hour
reads
:
— " This
earth into the drrit of the horizon of
"the West, and he must travel one hundred and twenty dtru " (J\
^^ "^ c=z)
" of the Tuat.
)
Net-Ra
in this drrit before he arriveth at the gods is the name of this first jj ^ ill/ O Ra giveth fields to the gods who are in his
^-^^ -_fl
\
" country of the Tuat.
AA^yv\A
)
I
" following,
and he beginneth to pass decrees and to give commands " concerning the things which are done in the Tuat by the gods of " this country. Whosoever shall do these things according to this " similitude of the hidden things of the Tuat, and shall recognize " that they are similitudes of the great god himself, shall find them " of benefit to " great Tuat."
shows that is
it
him on the The fact
earth,
and they
was regarded almost
definitely stated that it
shall
that this region
is
is
do him good in the called
" country
as a part of this world,
120 dtru in length; now, the
and
it
dtric is
BOOK OF THE UNDERWORLD
208
Greek
said to be the equivalent of the
ct)(oivo%,
about an
i.e.,
English furlong, and thus the region of the sunset traversed by
Ra
in his first
hour would be
fifteen miles in length.
It is probable,
however, that 120 dtru were intended to be a greater distance
Ra
than fifteen miles, for the second hour brought
domain
into the
more than fifteen miles from Thebes. Second Hour is Shesat maket neb-s, i.e., The name The country She who knoweth how to protect her lord."
of Osiris, which
is
of the
"
^
through
passed
called
is
^^^
Ur-nes,
—*—
,
Avhich the
Birch compared with, and believed to be equivalent ovpav6<;
;
this
to,
late
the Greek
name, however, seems to be that of the Nile
second region of the Tuat, and in any case
in the
not applied to any
it is
The
other division or hour except by accident.^
Dr.
descriptive text
"This great god next arriveth in Ur-nes, which is three hundred and nine dtru in length, and one hundred and twenty
says, '
'
dtru in width
'
miles).
'
of the Tuat,'
(i.e.,
The name
'^^
this division
of the gods i
i<:
measures about 50 miles by 15
who
*^
Ji
i
are in this country ,
This great god will give to him
name
'
the situation of which
'
stand up with the gods who stand up, and he
'
this great god.
'
shall see the tresses of the
'
shall
'
and
'
he
be with them.
He
shall be in the
make
shall
gods
his
country of Ur-nes
who wear long
shall eat
'
and there
'
(
^ v\
J
[1
be given to him of the
r^)."
of these Souls of the
will be
it
know what words
Tuat and make
(%
first
^^T 3),
I]
'^v UnS
to
fold
by the gods
See Jequier, op.
after
,
p. 49,
note
2.
death; if
they
to the great god.
>k cit.
pictures
them upon
extremely useful to them in the Tuat are addressed
),
things of Tatuba
ofterings
therefrom a million
^ 2
flowing hair, he
The text adds that those who draw
earth will gain benefit
moreover,
the Tuat, he
unoccupied land hath been made,
bread in the Boat of the Earth
shall
;
^^ "^ ^
a
(
fields,
he shall
shall follow after
way through
trample upon the Eater of the Ass
after the division of the
Souls
'
and he who knoweth their
'
shall
is
BOOK OF THE UNDERWORT.D
210
The gods with long flowing hair are the four children of Horus, Mestha, Hapi, Tuamutef and Qebhsennuf, each of whom wore a lock or tress of hair, which became a pillar-sceptre, and supported one of the four corners of heaven these four gods became at a later period the gods of the cardinal points and the lords of the four quarters of heaven. The Eater of the Ass is, of course, the ;
great serpent of darkness, probably Apepi, and the Ass
whom
of the Sun-god, between
is
a form
and the serpent was continual war
;
the Ass was connected with the Sun-god by reason of his great
According to M. Maspero,^ the Boat of the Earth a name given to the Boat of Ra when it reaches the earth
virile is
powers.
Tatuba was probably an earth god.
Second Hour shows that the boat of Ra was preceded by four boats. The first of these had a human head on each end, and on its side were the picture of ^^ *^® ^^^* rests the moon on heaven, f=^, and the Utchat, '^Jgod who sets up the feather of the it is a pedestal, and behind Maat. This is the boat of Osiris as the Moon, who is one of
The
illustrated version of the
The second boat has a ]mman head
the Souls of the Tuat.
mounted by the plumes
of x\men,
on each end, and in
,
[jl
huge sistrum, the emblem of Hathor In the bows
ooddess.
Hathor,
who
is
S.
This
is
the boat of
a
it is
it
a
is
Isis as
The third boat has the bows, and the red crown at the stern in
one of the Souls of the Tuat.
the white crown at it,
a beetle,
is
on each side of
;
sur-
;
between the two standards, which are the symbols of the gods
Anpu
(Anubis) and Apuat,
is
a huge
which spring a human head and the
out of the back of
lizard,'
Avhite crown.
who
boat of the god
who opens
of the Tuat.
The fourth boat has a uraeus
the ways, and
a kneeling
stern.
In the centre
on each
side of her stands a
the boat
is
is
a plant, or shrub.
woman This
woman
is
the
one of the Souls
is
at
the bows and
arms,
Avithout
also armless
is
This
;
at each
the boat of Nepr,
and
end of | J]
the god of grain and of vegetation, and a form of Osiris, and he also one
of the Souls of the Tuat.
^
Les llypogecs,
The p. 46.
"^ods
C)^
who
is
minister to
SECOND HOUR OF THE NIGHT Second Hour are
Osiris in the
—
:
Afu
^
(^
fj
\\
on 11
his
^^^
^ ^ ^^ jr''
^^
faces, 2^-=^
Met-en-Asar,
11
a^^na
J]
^-^^,
^ ^
a
Jl
Y
Nepr,
Set,
^
Nehr,
/ww^
(1
aaaaaa
J
D
'^^^
Hen-Heru,
°
On
.
(1
^.
"^ %
^ iT5=^
j^ ^'"xx
h ;^^^,
Ol],
,
,
and
Fa-trau,
T
^^f'=^,
and
,
(1
Y^ T
jj
^
(](]
faces,
^\
a,
—*— Ab,
%\
Amu-aa,
,
Anubis, Osiris-
df)?
i.e.,
yi\!\, Renpti, ^^^
I
Hatchetchu,
?
u
"^
<=^
J
—«— "^^
J
Hetch-a,
^^ Qn
Makhi,
^
the other side of the boat of
^—
«
jj
come seven
these
/vaaaaa rv^-vn
(I
Horus of the two
Hun,
the god
A^^AA^
Sekhet of Thebes,
^^@, ^.
III'
^^""^^
wwv. o
fl
Amam-mitu,
Ar-ast-neter,
,
2^.^=^
/i
Besabes-uaa,
, f ]\
Tepu,
~^^|^|j,
Afau,
,
two
and a lion-headed
all
Ament-nefert,
,
Heru-khabit,
r=vi
Unnefer, Khui,
Vi.
I,
Nepen,
,
-^1
|T|
/I
/wwvs
,
Ketuit-ten-ba,
1
Osiris,
Behind
.
i
^^^^j,
god are Nebui,
the
^^^^^
and Aana,
\
term of
^^
'^^::^
j^^^, Her-tuaiu,
Nit-tep- Ament, >/
a^^wna
J
the
,
goddesses, Mest-tcheses,
/=:
^^
Horus-Set, Mest-en-Asar, ^^^
,
ffoddess Sesenet-khu,
Amet-tcheru,
^
Seben-hesq-khaibit,
,
^^
of the
I
the two ape-gods Benth,
with two
aaa/wv
Kherp "v..>,., V-- - khefti, ---r - hu
y
>ic
Khnemu
^
his stairs, .'^
% ^^
n ^^^-^
stairs,
^^5^
«
Thoth on
,
/wvw\
I
i
Heru-Tuat,
T ^,
1
'"°'
^
avengeth, J]
Seb of the two corners, "^^ corners,
who
Isis
211
"^
Horus and fi
^
^
.^l
^^°; f f '
{
^^
•
All
him on his way, and them bear to him the
these gods worship the great god, and guide
weep when he has prayers of those
who
the forms
left
are
them upon
to
mark
the seasons of the year.
came
some of earth,
and
also lead
which belong to them
souls
there, they
;
to life at the
When Ra
sound of
;
others
disembodied apparently
addressed the beings
his voice,
and they breathed
BOOK OF THE UNDERWORLD
212 again
;
he gave them food in abundance, and the gods gave water
command, and the hearts
to the spirits to drink at his
of
Ra were burnt
in the
gifts to
to
Osiris,
On
the dead.
is,
however, clear from the
was the Lord of the Second Hour Ra
texts that although Osiris
was the overlord of
It
fire.
of the rebels
and that
it
was he who,
like Osiris,
made
the other hand, the followers of Osiris had
perform service for Ra, and one of their chief duties consisted in
who were always attempting to boat in a way the service of these
keeping in check his enemies, prevent the progress of his followers
was unrewarded,
;
were condemned to remain
for they
always in the same place, and to perform the same duty.
From
the above paragraph the reader will gain some idea of
Hour Abridgment." As
the difference between the illustrated version of the Second
and the abstract of
which
it
is
found in the
''
the short version makes no attempt to supply the souls which were
supposed to make use of beings in
it,
we can
it Avith
the
names
of the various gods
and
when on Second Hour is
only assume that they learnt them
The larger version
earth in the body.
of the
extremely interesting in showing Avhat a subordinate place the priests of
Amen-Ra made
Osiris
occupy in respect of Ra when
passing through the Tuat.
The " of those '
text of the
descriptive
Tent-baiu,^ says
who
:
— " This
slay
"^
long,^
^
'^'^'^^
( jjjjj]
the Stream of Osiris
"nine dtru
Third Hour, which
aaaaaa (
is
called
great god next arrives in the Country
H
'
vfl
I,
j]
)'
^^^^ ^^®
roweth over
a space three hundred and
and one hundred and twenty dtru wide
(i.e.,
"this portion of the Tuat measured about SS^ miles long by 15
"miles wide).
This great god giveth
commands
to the gods
who
" are in the following of Osiris concerning this city, " to
them
"are in
this field
"knoweth
~
miles.
A
from
estates
their
is
this country.
'Hidden Souls'
name
and he assigns The name of the gods who
(^^
^^
:1
I),
shall ascend to the place
and whosoever
where
variant given by Jcquier gives 480 dtru as the lengtl),
i.e.,
Osiris
is,
about sixty
BOOK OF THE UNDERWORLD
•214
him
Avater shall be given unto
"and
A^\AAAA
(/VWAAA
"^
e^^~^
o\
x\
^
I
I
Whosoever
.
J
The name
for ihis Field.
make
shall
C\
\l—1/
AAAAA^
1^
—
i
drawino-s of these
Hidden Souls together with a representation of the hidden " things of the Tuat beginning the same from the West it shall "be of great benefit not only to him upon earth, but in the Under" world, and indeed always. Whosoever knoweth them shall pass " [unhurt] by them as they roar, and shall not fall into their " cauldrons. Whosoever knoweth these things, being attached to
'^
—
—
"his place, shall have his bread with Ra.
Whosoever, being a
" soul and a spirit, knoweth these things shall have the mastery " over his legs, and he shall never enter into the place of destruc" tion,
come forth in his forms and smell the air at his " appointed hour." The illustrated version of the Third Hour represents the boat of Ra sailing over the "Stream of Osiris" preceded by three boats, each of which is moved onwards by two and he
men with
shall
paddles
;
the beings in these boats are
all
forms of the
and the gods who stand on each side of the stream belong to his cycle, or company. These latter had their bodies of flesh, to which their shadows had been re-united, and their souls
god
Osiris,
Ra had spoken
talked in them, as soon as
answer to the god, and sang his praise but their
cries of joy
life
Amons; the
i
:
—
millions,
Osiris i
make
on
Y 1
^5y^
^
;
his staircase, il,;
Osiris-Sahu,
Osiris Jj
Hour were the nine forms
Ament,
the Throne,
Osiris f\
was their duty
to
them.
guard
the Nile to flow.
o-ods in this
Osiris, lord of
ftltll?
it
left
and to destroy the enemies of Ra, and to support the
of Ra, and to
Osiris
;
changed to lamentations when he
They could not go with him, because their district,
them they made whilst he was with them, to
Osiris \\
kino-
1_1-
f==^
of
The
^ I]
the
^
^^z^
ft
;
jl^-!!;
of the o-od
Khenti-Ament,
Osiris
Osiris,
conqueror of
double of Ament, dzLJ
Lower
;
11
LJ
ft
Osiris prince of the gods,
Esjypt,
J]
duties of the beings
\pS-ApS^\
who
and
are grouped
with these are clear from their names, for these refer to destruction
THIRD HOUR OF THE NIGHT form or another, and the explanatory text
in one
tells
215 us that they
are employed in "hacking and cutting souls, in shutting up the " shadows of the dead, and in dragging the occupants of tombs to " their place of slaughter
cause
come
fires to
by
are cut off
Ra
speech of
"
moreover, they shoot out flames, they
into being,
is
and the heads of the enemies of Ra
The master
their swords.
Hour
in the Third
;
^
called Khatra,
of the region traversed
[1 ,
and we learn from the
that the inhabitants of the mythological district over
which he presides were created by Ra specially to follow and to whose
these he says, "
To
protect Osiris.
whom
ye
have put in a secret place, Avhom
souls I
him
I
I
have hidden,
have
set in the
accompany his images, to make an end of those who attack him (even as the god Hu is Osiris, to defend thee, to accompany thy images, behind thee, following of Osiris to defend
to destroy those
and even
who
Sa
as
is
;
to
attack thee, even as
is
to thee,
magical
powers
coming into being, who breathe the
certain your
your
nostrils,
ears,
who
who
look] with your faces,
are apparelled in your raiment,
your swathings, who have priests of
Osiris,
Khenti Amentet), ye souls whose
to thee,
forms are stablished, ye souls whose
by the
Hu
ofl^erings
made
God, who have estates
who who
to
you
air
make
[through
with your
listen
are clothed with at stated seasons
your own
set apart for
behoof and benefit, whose souls are not cast down, whose bodies are
[0 Hidden Souls, I say] open ye your ye yourselves in your own places, for I have
not overthrown
circles,
and
set
:
come to see my bodies, and which are in the Tuat, and and have given
now
me
upon the similitudes of myself you who have brought me along
to look it is
the opportunity of coming to them.
And
and thy soul to earth, Khenti Aukert, with thy gods behind thee, and thy spirits before And thy spirit thee, and thy being and thy forms [about thee]. hath
I lead
its
thy soul to heaven,
word
of power,
Osiris,
Osiris,
and you, ye
spirits
the following of Osiris, have your Avords of power. the earth and the day
and fulfil
my
is
behind
me
;
I pass
who I
are in
go up on
through the night,
soul rejoins itself to your forms during the day,
and I
the ceremonies of the night which are needful for you.
I
BOOK OF THE UNDERWORLD
216
" have created your souls for mine own use, so that they may be " behind me, and what I have done for them will preserve you " from falling
down to the place The Fourth Hour of the
of destruction."
which
night,
^
called Sekhemus,"
is
conducts the boat of the Sun-god through a region of a very different character froin the earlier divisions. says, "
The majesty
The
descriptive text
god next arriveth in the hidden
of this great
" Circle of Amentet, and he performeth the designs of the gods
"who
are therein
by means
"The name
of this Circle
"and
name
the
^
" (h
\1 /www c=^^
" of the
of
is
of his voice without seeing them.
pylon of
the
v\ "^ crzn]
Vv s= _^ Jr y^
111
this
" of the living gods
(l\
~^~
(
/=z
Land
^t\
f^-^^
j
J
of Seker, he
which hath been prepared
who
are in the temple of
')'
this iplan
and of the
,
"^
|
\M
Ament-sthau
is
Whosoever knoweth
.
"winding roads of the Ammeliet " hidden pylons which are in the
Circle
\>
/
hidden paths of Ee-stau
" sand shall eat the bread
S
Ankhet-kheperu (¥
,
and of the
who
is
on
his
mouth He who
for the
Tem.
"knoweth these things shall [know] the paths rightly, and shall "have power to journey along the roads of Re-stau, and to see "the forms (or guides) in the Ammehet." The Circle Ammehet is, as we learn from Chapter cxlix of the Book of the Dead, the Sixth Aat, or district of the domain of Osiris which is presided over by the god Seker the deceased addresses it thus :— " Hail, "thou Ammeliet which art holy unto the gods, and art hidden " for the spirits, and art baleful unto the dead the name of the " god who dwelleth in thee is Sekher-At Sekher-remu]. (?) [or " Homage to thee, Ammehet, I have come to see the gods who " dwell in thee. Uncover your faces and put off your head-dresses " when ye meet me, for, behold, I am a mighty god among you, " and I have come to prejDare provisions for you. Let not Sekher" At (?) have dominion over me, let not the divine slaughterers ;
;
1
See Maspero, Les Hiqjogees,
p. 64.
FOURTH HOUR OF THE NIGHT "
come
me,
let
not the murderous fiends come after me, but
among you." The illustrated edition of the Fourth Hour shows us Ra passing through an entirely new country, in fact
" let
of
after
217
me
Avhich
live
upon sepulchral
is filled
^
offerings
the boat a region
with huge and fearsome snakes, and represents the
region over which the god Seker presides.
Here there
is
no river
with banks lined with the gods and the souls of the dead, and here See
my
Chapters of Coming Forth hy
Day
(Translation), p. 267.
BOOK OF THE UNDERAVORLD
218
there are no fields to be distributed
and of
followers of himself
render him
to
Osiris
faithful
indeed there are so few beings
;
that he
service
by Ra among the
obliged to betake himself to
is
another kind of boat, and the god of day
compelled to glide
is
through the passages of the dark and gloomy land almost without
Ra
a following of gods.
before, but the boat itself
each end of his body
stands within a shrine in his boat as is
formed of a serpent with a head at hauled over the sandy ground of
this boat is
;
his sand "
the god "
by gods of the company of Osiris, who is upon with whom, however, are mingled the gods of the company of Ptali of
Memphis, and
Osiris himself
Osiris Seker.
Metes-mau-at, ¥\ 1k
.==^
Seker and becomes
^^
i
,
c-=-^ ''=^,
z,
^^ Y
and Metes-neheh,
^
^^>^
^|\
Q
O
5
^^^ ^y these
Ra
part the god
obeys his voice his
^==;>,.
in
road, of Re-stau has three doors,
Mates-sma-ta,
which are called
AAAAAA
merged
is
The narrow way, or
;
it is
Into one
divided into three parts.
neither enters nor travels, but the door thereof in another part
is
the body of Seker,
who
is
on
sand, the hidden form which can be neither looked at nor seen
another part
is
that through which Seker passeth, but neither the it,
and
with the souls which have been consumed by the
fire
gods, nor the spirits, nor the dead go through
it
is
filled
that comes
The region through of thick darkness, and the light
forth from the mouth of the goddess Am-mit.
which the boat of Ra travels
is full
which the god usually emits
unable to penetrate
is
it
;
in this
way by the light of the flames of fire which issue from the mouth of the serpent which forms the body of his boat. Among the gods who march in front of the boat are Thoth and Horus, who stand facing each other with outstretched difficulty
he
is
helped upon his
hands in which they hold an Utchat, '^J, which is here to be identified with the god Seker. The serpents which are passed by the god are of various kinds and of diiFerent called Hetch-nau,
(ii
each end of which
guardian of Seker
;
the ground on four
?
^H*
V'
the second
human
legs
is
The
first,
^* ^^^^ length in a boat,
^^^^
terminates in a
sizes.
human
head,
and
is
the
three-headed, and he moves over
and
feet
;
the third
is
called
Amen,
BOOK OF THE UNDERWORLD
220 n
the fourth
;
growing out of
its
body
its
Menmenu, AWAAA
Hekent,
is
O
AftAAAA
and has a human head
above the
just
v\ UHt
^^^.
?
tail
and the
;
fifth
is
which has three heads, and bears on
,
and fourteen human heads surmounted by Next we have three huge serpents near the great scorpion
back fourteen
disks.
Ankhet,
^
-V-
,
stars
and a huge uraeus, to which Hbations are being
poured out by a
man
and a three-headed serpent, with wings,
;
which moves along on four human LJ
^'ww\ o
Neheb-kau,
,
^
J
their journey daily
Hour, and they
The
last hour, as
legs
and the serpent
;
we have
seen,
Seker, but the Fifth Hour, which
its
All these monsters are said to
round about
upon what they
live
and
which has two heads at one end of
body, and one head at the other.
make
feet
is
tlie
on their way.
find is
region of the Fourth
a part of the dominions of
called Semit-her-abt-uaa-s,^
The descriptive text says, "This great drawn along over the actual roads of the Tuat, and over " the hidden Circle of Seker, the god who is on his sand, and he "neither seetli nor looketh upon the hidden figure of the land " which containeth the flesh of this god. The gods who are with " this god hear the voice of Ra-Heru (?), and they adore him at " the seasons of this god. The name of the pylon of this city is
contains his capital city. "
god
is
" Aha-neteru, "
Ament,
" the
"( "
a
(1
f .
a
" |
and the name of
'
in
members, and
" those
who
" Tuat).
Circle
is
[Here are] the secret ways of Anient, and
doors of the house of Ament,
JMK—»—
this
of the
earth of
his body, in their
are in this Circle
is
'
and the habitable house
Seker,
and
his
primeval forms.
Baiu amu Tuat
'
flesh,
and
his
The name of
(i.e..
Souls in the
The forms who are in their hours and their hidden beings upon this form of Seker himself. Whosoever
" neither see nor look
"
maketh a picture of these things which are in Ament in the Tuat, " to the south of the hidden house, and whosoever knoweth these "things, his
soul
shall
be at peace, and he shall be
satisfied
BOOK OF THE UNDERWORLD
222 *'
And Khemit (^
with the offerings of Seker.
^^
^
(](j
J|^ shall
"not hack " "
his. body in pieces, and he shall go to her in peace. Whosoever shall make offerings to these gods upon earth shall [find] them of benefit to him in the Tuat." The illustrated version of the Fifth Hour shows us Ra
and being towed along by seven gods and seven goddesses, who represent the gods of fourteen days of travelling in his serpent boat
month
the
before
;
H etch-met
and
mound
^
®
Her-khu, p=^
?
II
)
|,
the
are
is visible,
divine
rests the
upon
;
this
Seker, and
is
headed
god
man and
flesh
the body of a
"
it
;
the to
first
tail
is
a sphinx with
Inside this land
is
which terminates in a
;
serpents, Tepan,
him
lion.
surrounded by a
is
between the wings stands a figure of the hawkthis serpent monster represents the god Seker
watching over his own image.
two
the
described as the " hidden land of
is
a two-headed, winged serpent, with a ;
when
the god Khepera holds converse with that beneath the head is the " Land of Seker,"
wall of sand, and at each end, outside the wall,
human head
head indicates
it
which guardeth the hidden
the head of a
TT,
forepart of a beetle, only one half of
which has the shape'czzD, and " Seker
^^
surmounted by the head of a
is
symbol of the god Khepera
Immediately
god.
Her-liequi,
i.e.,
Half way through the hour Ra comes to a
.
the position of the hidden abode wherein beetle alights
sovereign chiefs,
^ =^^
An-hetep,
of sand, the top of which
woman, whereon which
these
i\
-^m^
The two sphinxes are Avatched by and Ankh-aapau,
,
^
(I
^ ^^
(© ;
serpent enters into the presence of this god, and carries
made by the living, but the and lives upon the flames which
daily the offerings which are
second never leaves his place,
proceed from his seated gods,
own mouth.
who bear on
symbols" of Seker,
i.e.,
/J,
Before the second serpent are four
their
W
,
of a lake of water called Nut,
knees the emblems of "hidden S^
,
and
\,^^^~^_-Zl
this lake its waters are like fire,
gods
v.'-hich rise
lake
is
\u,
and
rest
lor those
by the
who
side
are ni
/VywXA
and each of the heads of the four
above them bears upon
it
the symbol of
fire.
The
watched over by the company of gods of Ra, represented
FIFTH HOUR OF THE NIGHT by nine
axes,
the Fifth
and
Hour he
five gods.
claws,
is
a
before
Ra
has jD^ssed through
arrives at a large vaulted chamber, filled with
sand, and called ^^^, its
But
223
hawk
i.e., ;
"Night," and on each
from the lower part of
side, clinging by-
it
goes
forth the
224
BOOK OF THE UNDERWORLD
beetle, only
one half of which
typified the
germ
on
as
it
life,
mound
to the top of the
to stop
of
This beetle, or Khepera,
is visible.
and when the boat of Ra was drawn on
of sand already described,
god and raised him up to
life.
two-headed serpent called
supposed
went to the dead This chamber Avas guarded by a
passed, and having done so,
it
Avas
it
Ter,
^^^^^
HHt
•
|
,
it
and
it
had
to
be
any one who little beyond the
jealously watched in order to prevent the entrance of
would disturb or destroy the germ of life. A chamber of sand is a group of seven gods, whose duty it was to inspect the slaughter of the dead in the Tuat, and to consume their bodies by the flames of their mouths in the course of each day; and a little further on is the goddess who "lives upon the blood of the dead," and
by the
to die
the Fifth
who
When
gods.
Hour he saw
occupied in slaying a
is
man doomed
the boat of Rri arrived at the end of
the star of the " living god,
" and journeyeth and passeth,"
T
who
^ ^^^^'^^.
journeyeth,
Dr. Brugsch,
(]
and following him M. Maspero, and
others,
have identified this
star with the planet
identification for, as
Venus, the star of the morning, and the undoubtedly correct. This is an important fact,
is
M. Jequier has pointed
tion of the beetle going forth
coupled with the representa-
out,^
from the night to
23lace itself in
the
shows us that the domain of Seker, although reduced to two hours which have been inserted in their proper geographical boat of Ra,
it
position in the Tuat, certainly at one time formed a complete hell,
and that the rising of the sun was the in
final
event which took place
it.
The
Sixth
Hour, which
is
called
Mesperit-arat-maatu,^
brings us to the neighbourhood of the shrines of Osiris in the Delta.
The
descriptive text says, "
" at the abyss of water, which
is
When
" he holdeth discourse with the gods
" the
command
for
"(1
)
I
r
I
'
^
them
Le %\
who
to obtain the
He
in this city.
this great
are there, and he giveth
mastery over their oiFerings
saileth in this [Field] being
Livre de ce qn'il y a dans I'Hades,
u
nil
^
II
god arriveth
the lady of the gods of the Tuat,
~j]
:^^
<=>
"^
p. 7C).
^-^
i<
THE
PITS OF
THE TUAT
225
" provided with his boat,
their
"fields for
their
and he commandeth them [to have] their offerings, and he giveth them water for
" streams as
they go about the Tuat each day.
/
"pylon of
this
city
is
Sept-metu
(
——
The name
of the
**
°
A
A
r ^
).
The
" hidden path of Amentet, on the stream of whicli this great god
Q
THE SIXTH HOUR
226 '
journeyeth in his boat to perform the
" Tuat,
and the
affairs of
and the manner
collecting of their names,
" their forms rest,
and
the gods of the in
which
that appertaineth to their hidden hours, " and the hidden similitude of the Tuat, are unknown .... The " majesty of this god uttereth words, and he giveth divine offerings all
who are in the Tuat, and he standeth near them " they see him, and they have the mastery over their fields and " to the gods
made to them, and they have their "beings through the command which this great god, who is " mighty of words, giveth unto them. The name of this district ''over the gifts which are
is
Metchet-nebt-Tuatiu
(°^
^^ ^ ^
^ ^')-"
^^®
/WW\A
third paragraph of the text promises to those
who make
pictures
Sixth Hour a participation in the offerings which have been made to the gods in the train of Osiris, and also that offerings shall be made to them by their kinsfolk on earth. of the
The
Hour shows boat which was made of
illustrated edition of the Sixth
has no longer any need of the
Ea
us that
the body of
a serpent wherein he passed through the realm of Seker, and that
he
once again in his old boat and sailing over the waters of the stream in the Tuat. In front of his boat are: 1. Thoth, who is called Khenti-Tuat, and who is represented by a dog-headed god is
—
holding an
ibis
on
his out-stretched right A ,""""",
.
Ament-semu-set,
[j
—
n
H
/^ -^
hand
;
and
2.
the goddess
M I
'
'
^
Beyond
•
these
a large
is
house with sixteen divisions, in each of which is a god in mummied form; these represent the mansions of Osiris, and four contain kings of the South, four contain kings of the North, four contain Heteptiu,
^ ^
^
i
,
and four contain
Spirits.
All these form the
guardians of a huge five-headed serpent called Ash-hrau, "^^ '^
I
"^ .
the body of which
way
is
I
I
I
bent round into an irregular oval in such a
that his tail almost touches one of his heads.
Lying on
his
back within
this oval
and
touching with his right hand the leg of a beetle which
as
he
is
is
a god
who
is
called 7Vfu,
o:,
i.e.,
"Flesh,"
he holds on his head, we
may assume
body of Khepera, and
the opposite of the Sun-god in his boat,
who
is
called
is
"Flesh of Ra,"
Iq,
that he represents the dead
The sixteen gods mentioned
THE SIXTH HOUR
228
who commands them
happy with their offerings, and to protect him, and to slay the serpent Apepi they hearken to his voice, and the text goes on to say that it is the voice of Ra which will make the god within the folds of the With serpent Ash-hrau and the beetle upon his head to move. these must be mentioned the double company of the gods of Osiris, one company being de|)icted in human form sitting on invisible above are addressed by Ra,
thrones; (j
^
"^^
f)^
I
^
Ahet-f.
are:
these
— Hetep-Henti-Tuat,
Asar-am-ab-neteru,
J I ^,
^
(Ull
^^
^, Ast-amhit, "^
"[}-
jj
^""*"^'
^!f
"^
to be
ji
Heru-khenti-
"]
,1,5
J-
i>
^^
^
i
^'
'^
^^^ t^^i'ee gods whose i names are not given. The second company of nine gods is represented by nine sceptres, each of which has a knife fixed at its base, Maa-ab-khenti-aht-f,
^==>^
;
the
fd]]
^
three are surmounted
first
'
^
by the white crowns,
Q
I
the second three uraei,
with
Tjr.
Next we have the
.
Isis,
by the red crowns, \J
and,
[,
and emitting
Het-tua-Ra
O [J ^
,
the second
is
has for
symbol,
n
cr^ij
its
c=^^
^
the
left
hand
from
^^
^^^ ^^g
^^ "^ O \i^
(](]
^'^, .
the
mouth.
and the third
;
£^^
Met-lira,
-^g
The
house
first
called
is
/I\
Ck2l ?
and
called Het-temtet-Ra,
is
symbol, ^, the head of a man.
Alii, (]
|
'^
|^
o
°^
UQ? Netch-atef,
(Sept-hra ^'^p),
Antheth,
^ ^_^,
monster serpent Am-khu,
J
^SSii
On
boat of the Sun-god are two gods
goddesses
back the heads of the
•>
\
the three houses
for its
of the
=., Hemt,
its
O
whose names are wanting, Ankh-hra,
^
symbol "3^, and the sign ~^^ Het-stau-Kher-aha-Rii,
and has
side
,
^
protected by a serpent god standing upon
fire
called
z^
is
\_\
£= ^^^'^ ^^^^
figure,
who keep guard over
^^:;>^,
of Ra, each of which
and the third three by
,
god Ka-hemhem,
and Horus, and the mummied
armed with
its tail
lion
,
^^ ® ^
p '
,
|
u
(j(j
Henhenith,
s=;
and the
which bears on
| four Children of Horus,
,
Netch-pautti,
n /wwsa
and Sehith,
"^ |
its
|
Mestha, Hapi,
THE SEVENTH HOUR
230
The duty of
Tuamutef, and Qebhsennuf.
the shadows and the spirits of the enemies of Ra,
The monster
thrown in the Tuat. forms of
Osiris,
^^, and Urt, <=>, and nine
^^^
Apu,
Seb, Osiris, Horus,
\/\,
are over-
|, Enen-retui,
fl[]
fire-spitting serpents
^_ "^^^
with knives, which are Ta-thenen,
who
followed by the four earthly
is
S'^flfl, Meni-ret, r^^
Kai,
devour
this serpent is to
,
armed
Tem, Khepera, Shu,
and Hetepui,
^^.
The duty
gods consisted in destroying the enemies of Khepera,
of these
and in cutting up their shadows; they lived in Nu and in the water of Ta-thenen, and Khepera by means of his magical power
made them to breathe through the word of Ra. The Seventh Houe, which is called Khesef-haa-heseq-Neha-
daily
HRA,^ takes us into the region of the Tuat which contains the
abode of the god
hidden "
When
The
Osiris.
descriptive
the majesty of this great god arriveth in the hidden abode
" (Tephet
"^
^|
)
of Osiris, he addresseth
" there [suitable] words.
may
turn back the
"Apep by means
of the magical words of
" words of Ser, 1^
3
The name
.
" Avhich the god journeyeth the
name
who
are
of the
is
city
'
Gate of Osiris
is
way
for
and the magical
Isis,
of the pylon of this city through '
(<:>
Tephet-shetat
" This great god passeth over the hidden " boat which
to the gods
This god maketh to himself other forms
"for this hidden abode, so that he
"and
text says,
way
((-,
of
8^
^ ^ IJ
j]
J
^
Amentet
^) .
in his
endowed with magical powers, and he journeyeth it when there is no stream in it, and when there are none to " tow him. He per forme th this by means of the words of power " of Isis and of Ser, and by means of the mighty words of power is
" over
"
which proceed from his own mouth, and in
"Tuat he " place
is
inflicteth
this region of the
with the knife wounds upon Apep, whose
in heaven."
The man who
shall
make
a picture of the
things which are to the north of the hidden house of the Tuat shall find
it
of great benefit to
him both
^'^^
in
heaven and on earth
;
and
THE SEVENTH HOUR he who knows recites the
and he
upon
it
words
shall
earth.
among
shall be
of Isis
and Ser
231
the spirits near Ra, and he shall repulse
Apep
in
who
Amentet,
have a place on the boat of Ra both in heaven and
The man who knows not
this picture shall
never be
able to repulse the serpent Neha-hra.
The text
continues, "
The shallows
of the land of Neha-hra are
THE SEVENTH HOUR
232
"450
and
long,
cubits
it
filled
is
" portion thereof this great
with his
but over one
folds,
god joumeyeth not when he travelleth
" to the hidden abode of Osiris, for he journey eth through this city
(°^ iMi)
" under the form of the god Mehen,
Neha-hra
•
shall
"never drink the water of him that knoweth this, and the " soul which knoweth it shall never be given over to the violence " of the gods who are in this Circle and the crocodile Ab-she ;
"
Q
(
I
"X
From what
shall
(zszi)
never eat the soul of him that knoweth
said above
is
we
Ra
see that the boat of
has arrived at
a shallow place in the celestial stream where there
water to
even to allow
float the boat, or
to be
it
not enough
is
towed
moreover,
;
the serpent Neha-hra opposes the advance of the god.
bows
utters the
we
Neha-hra, as seized
see
words which make
from the
^""^
"^
transfixed to the ground
is
proceed on
its
way.
illustrated edition of the hour,
bv Serqet and Her-tesu-f,
bonds, and
it
In this
and standing
difficulty Isis, the great enchantress, enters the boat,
in the
it."
by
is
and held in
'^"==-?
six knives
;
thus Ra,
with the serpent Mehen over him in the form of a canopy, moves
on without
let or
Behind the monster serpent stand
hindrance.
four goddesses, each armed with a huge knife, whose duty
guard the tombs of the four forms of Osiris four goddesses are
Nakith,
was
^
(]
-^3^
:
—Temtith,
(j ()
s=
,
—
/
[I l\
s=3
and Hetemitet,
|
,
jj
;
it is
to
the names of the
Tenith, fjl)
^-
Their duty
away the enemies of Ra, and to hack in pieces with awful knives the fiend Apep every day. The four tombs of
to drive
their
Osiris are rectangular buildings,
and inside each
is
a bed or small
mound of sand Avhereunder lie the dead souls of the god, which are known by the names Tem, Khepera, Ra, and Osiris. At each end of each tomb is a human head, which is said to come forth from the tombs whenever
it
passed " they eat their sight.
It was,
hears the voice of Ra, and after he has
own
forms,"
no doubt, a custom
slaves at the graves of kings
the world
it
i.e.,
the heads disappear from
in predynastic times to slay
and nobles, just as in
has been the custom to
kill
human
many
parts of
beings and to lay
their bodies beneath the foundations of buildings
which were to
THE SEVENTH HOUR
233
THE SEVENTH HOUR
234
be erected in order that the souls of the slaughtered might protect them and keep away evil spirits. The human heads on the tombs probably represent a tradition that, when Osiris was
of Osiris
buried,
human
were offered
sacrifices
tomb
at his
for this or
some similar purpose/ This view has been well discussed by M. Lefebure, who has done so much to illustrate the religious and funeral customs of the ancient Egyptians,^ and some allusion for
to
it is
wanted
human
when they they were wont to draw two
who
probably made by Horapollo,^ to represent
(jivXaKTtjpLou
says that
heads, one male and the other female, that of the male
These heads
looking inwards, and that of the female outwards.
would keep away the attack of any
evil spirit,
was placed with them. The other illustrations of
hour show us the god Af-Asar,
(^(^(^<^(^(^(^
(1
^J
^.^
i.e.,
,
this
''Flesh
even
if
no inscription
of Osiris," seated under a
canopy made by the body of a form of the serpent Mehen called Ankh-aru-tchefau, •? 1
Ankhtith,
^^^^ ,
(2
111
I
I
with the human-headed serpent
I
?? ^ ^\ and the lion-headed goddess Hekenth, ^ s=5
behind him
;
a
little
further behind
—*—
the god Shepes,
is
Before the god kneel three figures, whose heads
a form of Thoth.
by a cat-headed god, and lying on the ground three beings who have been fettered by the god Anku,
have been cut are
v\
[1
,
off
these represent the enemies of Osiris whose souls have
been plucked out, and whose shadows have been hacked in pieces because they rebelled against the lord of the Tuat. Before these
human-headed hawks wearing double crowns, and they represent the souls of the "living;" and on a serpent near is seated
are three
on a throne the
god Af-Tem,
tl
"^ n^^='
i-®-'
"Flesh of
|
Tem."
Among
the
throne," and before 1
" ^
"Horus on his gods who have been
other gods in this hour
him
are a
company
See Maspero, Les Hypogees, p. 104 Bites J^ayptiens, pp. 4 ff., 18 ff.
;
of
Jequier, op.
is
cit.,
p. 94,
^vXaKTrjpiov 8k ypacf>eLV jioyXofxtvoi, Zvo Kc^aAas avdpioirwv
Tov apcrevos
tcro)
icfyaxj/eTai, eTretSr/
(3k€irovcrav, Tr]v Be 6rjKvKr]v
kol ^wpis ypafxixaTOiV, k.t.X.
'e$oi.
ourco
t,(oypaov(n, Tr]V fxev
yap (^acnv ovhlv
Ilteroglyplnca,
i.
24.
T^^iv
Sai/xovLiov
THE EIGHTH HOUR
236 joined
Facing ^
a
I
and the goddesses of the twelve hours. companies is the crocodile " Ab-sha-am-Tuat,"
their
to
these
^^^
X
and of what
-Ij-
is
in
stars,
^ it.
who
,
When Ra
described as " Osiris, the
made
helpless
and the dead puts up his
Eye
by the words Osiris,
who
guardian of the tomb of Osiris
acts as
passes
so long as the is
head that he
—
....•.••••..
crocodile,
of Ra," this beast
in the
may
also
».
god
is
is
which
fascinated
is
and
speaking to him,
ground under the
^ •-•-'
by the
crocodile,
look at the Sun-god
;
the
V
•.•/.•...«
The Seventh Hour
•.\.....ij.... .^..•>
• ..J
of the Night.
upon Ra, being devoured by the monster which
followers of Osiris also seize the opportunity of gazing
and do is
so
without risk of
temporarily enchanted.
The Eighth Houk, which
Nebt Ushau,^ brings us the Tuat the name of its pylon
is
into a very interesting division of
called
;
^M^'^^l-
THE CIRCLES OF THE TUAT
238
—
Aha-en-urt-nef, -
is
city
o
^^ ^^^
f
Tebat-neteru-s, c^?
is
11
and the name of the
,'
"J^ f 1
Ra
,!,Il^-
passes through
under the protection of Mehen, and its gods tow him at the command of this mighty snake he sees all the gods in their various Circles, and those " who are on their
this division in his boat
;
sand," and he addresses words to them.
when
secret abodes
own
of their
They come out
of their
the god passes by, and the doors thereof open
In this Hour only gods and
accord.
have been mummified and buried with appropriate be found, and, though dead, they quickly come to
again at
life
who are to be found in that region. The the Hour shows us the boat of the god being towed
edition of
and in front of
are nine large signs, the forms of which
it
upon the hieroglyphic character
are based
the
all
illustrated
enemies of his
along,
are to
rites
words of Ra, who exhorts them to put an end to
the
who
spirits
" follower " or " servant."
From
shesu or shemsuy
n
i,e.,
the top of seven of these
is
human head, which shows that we are actually with beings who are in the following of Osiris, and before
suspended a dealing
each
is
the hieroglyphic for " linen," JJ^.
These nine remarkable
prescribed
who have been mummified in the manner by Horus, and who are suitably provided with funeral
bandages
they are described as beings whose whole
objects represent beings
;
their heads,
with
their
his
^\
'''''^ ,
described as " form one,"
QQ^,
these
are
the four forms
which are depicted
O,
and " form four,"
"form two,"
^S^M-
by which Ra journeys are five Circles. The door of the first Circle, Sesheta, .
.
.
^^ ^^37 ^^ li,
and Shu
;
Avlien
in
calls to
Before
knives.
Ta-thenen,
o^od
is
them by their names they immeenemies everywhere and cut off their heads
and when Ra
diately seize
life
Ra
S^?
On
is
as
of
the
rams and are
"form
three,"
each side of the
way
called Tes-neb-terer.
and shuts in the images of Tem, Khepera,
speaks to them they answer in a voice which
resembles the hummins; of bees.
The door
of the second Circle,
THE CIRCLES OF THE THAT
240 Tuat, ^,
is
called Tes-aha-Ta-thenen,
and shuts in the images of Tefnut, Seb, and Nut when Ra sjDeaks weeping to them they answer in a voice Avhich resembles that of ;
is
of the third Circle, As-neteru,
The door
women.
,^
called Tes-khem-baiu,
of Osiris, in a voice
and Horus
the fourth Circle, Aakebi,
•'•'••i
(jl
and shuts in the images
111 ^^^^ ^^ '
like that of bulls
the
fifth
(1(1
"H^
,
is
i^T and ,
Ka-Amentet, \J |
of
i
|
of the Night.
SJ
i~vr-i
door
crz:
:;/--v;<:";.'Al-.'::;>i--v:\.'.-./.v.-;.v'.--v.-..-.-.t'.vu-;.
em-thehen-neteru,
is
p
;
The Eighth Hour
^
^
when Ra speaks to them they answer which resembles that of men who moan. The door of
Isis,
•.'••r ••':•'.•••»•.•.'•:
of
,
(]
,
Ba-neteru,
^
"J^ ^"^
called Tes-sheta-
shuts in the images ,
and Rem-neteru,
speaks to them they answer in a voice which
and men when they make lamentation.
—
Circle,
Nebt-semu-nefu,
^
^^
|]
The
.^L_e
"
"^ j
III
THE CIRCLES OF THE TUAT
^ ^T ^^ ^ ^M
Tes-sma-kekui,
called
is
P
in the images of Khatri, fl
I]
which These
j
\I
is
like
\\
(](j,
Affi,
and Aranbfi,
<©<«,
(]
when Ra speaks
;
"^^^ ^^^ ^^^*^
^^
'1
241
to
them they answer
in a voice
unto that of him that maketh suppHcation in terror. by a door called Tes-khaibit-tuatiu,
five Circles are shut in
^ TTT ^ ^^^
^^^
i
Tes-ermen-ta
'
^
^^^^
^'5?:^
• i
'^^'^
t^^^^ ,^_Z]
^^® ^^*^^ ^^ *^® ^^^*^ ^^^^1^ i^ ^^^®^ "^^ ^iid shuts in some divine beinors 33:'
I
whose attributes are not yet all clearly defined when Ea speaks to them they answer in a voice which is like that of male cats when ;
they mew.
The door
seventh Circle, Hetemet-khemiu,
of the
^1^' li'^^^^^ll o ^'^^-.O I
is
J A
^
I
V.
like
'^;
them they answer in a
to
D ^^
-^^^>-
^ ^'^ y>
-
)
i
^^
called Tes
is
,
—»—
;^^
"^
A
-^
"^
S
^^,
<,>%
V Qq
'
cz3i
'
^^^ shuts
'
is
,
hawk
cry of the divine Circle, Aat-setekau, ; I
jj
SJ n ^ ^Tp, Temtet, t^ ^ >
1
of
'^^
four gods
in
"^^ V^
\\
,
and shuts
Hebset
The
Horus.
'^
like
is
sekhem - aru,
^
^ ;
when Ra
the shouts of Circle,
^ ;
when Ra
like that of the
door of
the
tenth
^
(1
,
is
called Tes-khu,
in four gods in the
^^^^^
Circle,
called Tes-sept-nestu,
is
speaks to them they answer in a voice which
^— '^^ ® ^
- f,
voice which
The door of the ninth
Nu.
in the battle of
Sehert-baiu-s,
-
^^^ shuts in four gods
speaks to them they answer in a voice which
war heard
khefti
The door of the eighth
the roar of the living.
'
-
shuts in Nut, Ta, and Sebeq-hra,
when Ra speaks
Y ^ ^w
1
and
,
Ra
-
1
Hap - semu - s, "w ;^;—
^^^=-
1
1
Tes
^^^^®^
^^
form of uraei
J "J^ ^
Senket; c=^i3
:],
Tebat; and
,
^^^^ "'
^
-"^
\ F=^, Keku; -21
,
Khebs-ta.
^^^^^ AAAAAA
§
M,
All
Menhi;
^ '^ < > J '
_/
i, I
Tcher-kliu;
aud
THE NINTH HOUR
242
who
upon
rest
voice which
last five
and chattering of water-fowl on Circles are shut in by a door called Tes-am-
Hour, which a country which
Ninth
The
brings us into
" Amentet
v^
speaks to them they answer in a
;^^^||.^(]i|^,=^
mit-em-sheta-f,
n <si-
when Ka
;
like the twittering
is
The
a lake.
1 1
the
;
"
IN
J'
name and
called
is
city
name
the
"hidden
called the
is
the
of
Tdatet-maket-neb-s/
is
of
Bes-aru,
pylon
its
Circle of
—«— "^y^
J
Sa-Akeb,
is
^ I
^^
orod ffl ^y^^. "When the srreat ^ arriveth in this _M^ *' Circle he addresseth from his boat the gods who are therein, and ^' The the sailors who are in his boat are content with this city."
-^*-
JSr
man who
lliiillll'
make
shall
a copy of the scenes of this Hour, and shall
Amentet shall attain to a position in Amentet, and he shall stand up in the presence of the lord of affairs and shall enjoy the power of making
know
the names of the gods and their places in
"^
what he says to come
to pass with the divine assessors,
J
|
p
3
i
on the day of reckoning up accounts by Per-aa (Pharaoh). The illustrated edition of this Hour shows us the boat of the god in front of it are twelve divine rowers,
travelling on as before,
and
each with his paddle
among
sek-f, \\
(]
®
^ ^,
® ^^ ^
\^
unnut-f, --^^ XinS
'^^=-, (]()
1
'
;
Akhem-urt-f,
Neter-neteru,
i
]
The duty of these river
e
sailors is
-
,
Akhem-
^|^ ^, Akhem-hemi-f, \\
® ^^ ®
Hapti-ta-f,
Tcha-Tuat,
|
j
"~T
A ^
,
^^^
"^^^^
Khen-
Hetep-uaa,
and Tepi,
not only to row, but also to throw water
with their paddles upon the
to
[j
Akhem-khemes-f,
.^-Q,^^^^-,
N^ „
these are Khenu,
spirits
who
stand on each bank of the
whereon the god sails, and they have to lead the soul of Ra where he will reanimate the disk. Before these
the place
sailors, resting
on baskets, are the three gods who give abundant
m ^ i^
Jr U
1
THE NINTH HOUR
244
^ M^^^ ^ ^
Tuat
^
l]TK
^
Muti-khenti-Tuat,
offerings,
On
.
seated on
j 1^
"^ ,
Jg^
^
vv
^^sti-khenti-
^ n'
and Nebt-riu-khent-Tuat,
Ra
the right the boat of
and twelve goddesses
,
ffdl
^^
^^"^
tf^
passes twelve gods, each
these last are said to breathe
;
he has saluted them, and after they have heard his voice, and their duty is to utter words of power Avherewith they are to surround the hidden soul, and thereby to cause life and after
streno-th to rise -j:^
^ ^,
'^H,
^
I
,
y — T,
Temtu,
™
I
c^ ^
'^ ^ ii ^ rests
on
I!
I,
A/^ 1
,
^
Asti-neter, jj
ll
^ -—a
,
^^ ^|-
Aat-aatet,
%
,
Hent-nut-s,
Av
1
-n ^^|
^
Neb-pat
^
Nebt-shef-
^T ® —
()
/Wy>^rsA
U^^.)
^ c^ ^
^
^
l'^^^
j
Tesert-ant,
^O
(](|'^, Menkhet
^
Sekhet-metu,
'
Men-a,
— Nehata
:
l^j^^"^' =^ _., Perit,
Nebt-shat,
,
1^
yU
AAA^
^,
Nebti,
,
of these are
^^
Ariti,
j
Y™™-^' ^^ "^
mat,
<:^
^^
'^
Nebt-setau,
"i
J %. |,
fj^cr^®, Hetemet-khu,
Shemat-khu, shefet,
The names
in Osiris.
Teba, ===
Hebs,
Asti-paut,
^ O
up
,
to kindle the fire for the
fire
is
o
-^^
Netert-en-khentet-Ra,
|.
through his mouth
god who
j
Nebt-
Aat-khu,
Qj2 the left are twelve uraei, each of
and sends out
ttff
in the
;
whom
they are said
Tuat with the
fire
and when the god has passed on his way they eat up the fire which they poured forth before Ra went The object of the fire was, of course, to show light on his by.
which
is
in their mouths,
Before these uraei come the nine gods of cultivation and of husbandry, who are under the direction of a god in mummified path.
form
;
of the
these nine are the sekhtiu,
god Her-she-tuati,
and they perform watering of the
all
fields.
jl^tlfl
^
i
,
or " field-labourers,"
^
^^ lttd ^^ ^^^,^'
*^^®^^'
leader,
the works connected Avith the ploughing and
THE TENTH HOUR
246
The Tenth Houe, which
Ra
brings "ftx
in
=
=^
the
city
^^° II J ^
I'll'T
boat
his
^
^"^
kheperu-mes-aru,
The boat
is
S '^''^
J]
the manner
the serpent Thes-hrau,
body
on one head
;
the red crown
is
® s'^^^'v 1
r
'
ffl
of a
Ra
is
again holds a
Immediately in
staff.
i
,
I
human
one pair turned
legs,
pair towards
the
^
p==^, in
hawk
the form of a black
;
the rio;ht
is
the sroddess Hert-ermen,
heads,
^
Tepthera,
and n
,
are
Q and
^^z::::^^
;
^
,
Rau,
and Kha-a,
,
Temau,
<^
^
and Utu,
,
v\
,
Khesfu,
—«— ^
,
and
the gods of the third group carry each a
bow, and are called Pesthi, ;
(1 ,
of the second group carry each a javelin,
and are called Setu,
Nekenu,
—«—
Shesera,
The gods
cis^ v^.
are three groups,
it
The gods of the first group have solar armed with arrows, and are called
each containing four gods. disks for
and on
|,
|
left is
Next comes a boat
.
containing the serpent Ankh-ta, and before
v\
His
left.
on the
the goddess of the north, Neith, with her two bows,
^^°*^
'
bent in the form of a pair of horns, and in the curve stands
Khent-Heru,
v:^
'™™"' 1
'^ with a head at each end H— the white crown, and on the other
he has two pairs of
;
^^-
py'"'' "*^'"*
''"
^^'^'^^
towards the right, and the other
body
'"* •
fl-
1
of his
Metchet-qat-utebu,
called
of the sun travels on as before, but
serpent in his hand after front
to
Tentit-uhesqet-khat-ab/
called
is
,
a
: |
.
Shemerthi,
w Thesu,
^
,
All these gods accompany
Ra
east, and they slay all his enemies who and wreak special vengeance on the serpent they escort the god to the very limits of the Hour, and
as he goes towards the live in the darkness,
Neha-hra
;
form part of
of the region traversed
As
The name
his train in the eastern part of the sky.
the boat of
Ra
by Ra
passes the
in this
god
Hour
is
Akert,
u
sees the "living beetle,"
born in the presence of the god P-ankhi, n
aaaw.
M
,
^
'^ '.
¥•,
and sees how he
IPCn^-^?l>*
w
THE TENTH HOUR
248
pushes before him his zone,
^^ J. J.
Menenui,
serpents,
Next
.
holding on their bent necks a solar disk
and North
cations of the South s==>
and Kenat,
,
and the other the
whom
of
,
which
solar disk,
and two seated
;
"^^-^^
Seftit,
rests
upon
it,
h
West
also
West
the
and
;
'
these goddesses are the souls of the
i.e.,
;
From
.
S^ forth the goddesses of
"^
fjl]
|
the East and
personifi-
supports the hatchet,
serpents go forth two goddesses, those of the East and
from the axe, called
and
tails,
and the two goddesses, Netheth,
;
^ one
l\
have the two
standing on their
w,
v::.
Ave
serpents and of the axe, which
come
forth to look
upon the Sun-
god, and as soon as he has passed they return into their material bodies.
Next Ra
sees eight
^
goddesses advancing to a seated dog-
headed god, who presents to them the Eye of Horus, their duty it
and
is
to see that
^^rotect
come the
Tua-Heru, 1
it is
so that it
in
good condition, and
may
;
^^ ®
^B?
the duty of these gods,
who
^^^
,
Sem-Heru,
'=^^,
Khenti-ast-f,
ji
Neb-aqet,
,
Her-she-taiu,
i,
to take care of
Besides these there
shine daily.
eight gods called Ermenui,
Tua-khu, 1
"^^
it,
^^, and
'^'^^ jj
lived
'
^^37
,
^''^
v^,
^^^ Khenti-ment,
by the breath
of the
great god, was to wreck the bodies and scatter the swathings of
On
the enemies of Ra.
through
this
his left
hand Ra passed
Hour Horus, and twelve
and perform evolutions
beings
in tanks of water.
who
in his journey
swim
dive and
These are said to
beat the water in their attempts to recover their breath, and calls
Nile,
upon them to and promises
and that
1
I
(J
I.e.,
0^5
fill
that their
members
their bodies shall not perish
Sekhet,
V^
Abet-neteru-s,
and Themath, ^T~~^
,
\
Ra
themselves with the water of the celestial
Menkert,
j
i
—*—
^
shall not suffer corruption,
;
he decrees that they shall
,
Huntheth,
Q
JL
g-^, Ahat,
,
o
§
Usit,
y
THE TENTH HOUR be masters of their
own arms
in their water because they are the
denizens of Nu, and that their souls shall
live.
four goddesses, each with a serpent hanging its
249
head above her own, and with them
is
Beyond
these are
down her back with
a standard surmounted
THE ELEVENTH HOUR
250 by the head of
Set,
This god was the guardian of the Tenth
If.
Hour, and when Ra was about to pass from
was believed
of the sky, Set
and to make the
to rouse himself
goddesses "
The four
journey with him.
into the eastern part
it
who
by
lived
their
heads," shed light on the path of Ra.
Eleventh
The
Hour, which
Sebuit-nebt-uaa-
called
is
KHESFET-SEBAU-EM-PERT-F,^ brings US to a city called Re-qerert-aptkhat,
<=>
,
n
il
O
^fc\
^, with a pylon bearino^ the
/VW^/V'^
name
of Sekhen-tuatiu,
^
'k
'^
cr:zi
J\
i
the object of
niiiinr;
the texts and the illustrations which accompany
it
was
to enable
the spirits of the dead to become participators with the gods, and
them
to provide
equipment both
witli
in
such things as were necessary for their
as a sceptre for the ordinary sceptre,
we
disk
is
stands as usual in
but he has changed the serpent which he held in his hand
his boat,
boat
Ra
heaven and upon earth.
see a solar disk, surrounded
or
I
,
,,
—*-
-^g^^
,
1
,
and on the bows of the
by a serpent
;
the
Pestu or Pestet, and
connected with some well-known star
Avhicli
rose
name
it is
of this
probably
heliacally at
The duty of the disk was to guide the boat of the great god along the paths which led to that part of the Tuat, at the end of the Eleventh Hour, where the darkness faded away the texts call the darkness at this point keku keskesu, certain seasons of the year.
;
V *~^
'
'
\\ "TT^ filled
Y
^
I
.
opposite
or the
thick,
who
0, Athpi,
I
I
-ji^^
of
the
solid
sky
<^
^
;
their
samui^
which
Ra Mehen to
Before the boat of
names are
[j[],Netru,
l-ehii
darkness
carry upon their heads the serpent
part of the
eastern
I
^
^^^®
the greater part of the Tuat.
twelve gods,
[zrzD
^•®''
:
— Fa,
%\
,
are the
Ermenu,
^^,Shepu, :^ D
THE ELEVENTH HOUR
252 I
^
II 1
Sekhenu,
Before these are
:
H
/AA^JV'.
^
^
—
and a human head
A
1.
2.
A
emero^es the white crown, with a
The
of these
first
is
"^]T;
Sem-Nebt-het,
^^ ^^
Semsem,
C>CZ>C
^
,
and Mehni,
uraeus wearing the crown of the North
and,
;
—M ,
uraeus from the back of which
human head on
'^
called Sem-shet,
the
each side of
human heads on
it.
and the second
,
the white crown only-
when Ra is passing by, and when he has departed they disappear. Next we have figures of the four forms of the goddess Neith, two of them wearing the white crown, and two the red
come
forth
;
^
they are called Neith the fecundator,
in allusion to the belief
,
that this goddess begat herself, Neith of the red crown,
Neith of the white crown,
came
these goddesses
r),
and Neith the
^
>/,
child,
;
into being as soon as they heard the voice of
Ra, and their duty was to guard the gate of
unknown, the unseen, the
invisible,
^
^
"^^
Sai's,
^
fl (]
?
*^®
O O —fu. <=>
'^i-^-
This Circle of the Tuat through which the god travels to appear in
many wonderful
the mountain of the sunrise contains said to
it is
" the god "
them
this earth."
for a
head
from
He
the other Q.
^
Jj,
who
is
for the births of those
"on
;
and
beings,
swallow always the forms therein in the presence of
who knoweth,
giveth
it
''
Among it
is
project
these are:
and afterwards
in this city,
who
—A
come
are to
into being
god with the
solar disk
two human heads, one wearing
called Aper-hra-neb-tchetta,
"^
d
and
>/,
^1
and
,
stands facing a god having two heads, but without crowns, whose
name
is
Tepui,
@@.
In the space between we see a serpent
provided with a pair of wings and four serpent Shetu,
the
god
;
^, upon
Tchet-s,
oTTl
,
is
and
feet,
way
as to
facing
is
seated a
among a number
of stars.
the winged serpent, which
a god called Petra,
stretched out in such a
legs
the back of which
the heads of both serpents are
Standing by the side of
human
"^
[1
^^^^
,
is
called
with his arms
keep the wings wide apart
has on his head a disk, and his neck
is
between the double
;
he
iitchat,
m
THE ELEVENTH HOUR
254
^^^
^?^S' two heads
"he who
is
of
stands,
Avinged serpent
form on
have ceased
Temu
like
Shetu was to
^'
emit
no arms
disappears into
it
life
Before these march
From
in attendance
Hour
his boat
we of Ra
upon the god.
five of
upon
who
whom
and with her
^
¥• '
AA^~v^
^
M. Maspero speaks
-
The names are:
way
in such a
left
The
.
of
him
as the "
— Khnem-renit,
a
g
^^^— ,
as to
right
of
form a
in front of the
hand
feet
raised as
she grasps the body of one
^
i
,
Nert,
Rest-f,
fi
<^ W^
descriptive text
agathodemon "
R
i^l^
'^?
of
^^^
that the
says
feet in the
thick
Ra.
Nerta,
<^^
Aaiu-f-em-
,
""" ,
and Hepa,
up
on their backs, and whose
^
A/wysA
%^
have in
upon the bodies
sits
arms of these beings are on earth, and their
(1
also
the goddesses are called Nebt-
;
Nebt-khu,
•
|
,
we
possible that the uraei are only four in number,
It is
(?)-neteru,
kha-nef
have
duty was to be with and
Each goddess has her
their necks.
of the uraei.
sitting
is
and that they are two-headed
Hent
whom
that the breath of his
;
Besides these gods
which are bent upwards
to hide her face,
ankhiu,
of
learn that the souls of
the heads of each pair of uraei are reared
knees of the goddess,
if
their chief
;
four goddesses, each of
uraei, ;
The duty
body.
its
and that their souls fed upon the provisions
life,
which were stored in
rest
but when the words
it,
Ra every day." Khnemu and ten gods,
the descriptive text
mouth gave them
two
human
for
these gods lived on the hidden light
seat
the con-
is
from the neck of one of these project the heads of two
;
serpents.^
this
Temu
soul appears in
its
back as soon as Ra addresses
its
and that he
of the reptile's back
The second serpent
the Tortoise, and
i.e.,
^
but as soon as the words cease
disappears into the serpent. stellation Shetu,
by Ra,"
Temu, who springs out
is
addresses it;
Rii
,
p^
The god who stands by the
never leaves his place in the Tuat.
when
god with a disk and
descriptive text says that the
Apt-taui,
3^ ^
%J '^j
,
Mer-en-aaui-f,
Tua-Heru,
-^
^
,
o
Maa,
-^
,
,
Aunaauif, Meskhti,
THE
THE TUAT
PITS OF
darkness, and as long as
tlie
god
255
speaking to them they utter
is
and acclaim him they never move from their places, and their souls live upon the voices of the uraei which go forth from When the shadows depart the winds which arise their feet daily. cries
;
in the
Tuat are diverted from the
by
faces of the four goddesses
we seem to wind of dawn with which all are well acquainted, and which usually In this statement
their hands, Avhicli they hold up.
have an allusion to the keen, fresh travellers in the
desert
blows about one hour before sunrise. left hand side of Ra we see how upon the enemies of Ra, and in it we have a country of blazing fire. At one end stands Horus with a disk, surrounded by a uraeus, upon his head, holding in his left hand a boomerang, one end of which terminates in the head of a serpent the idea here suggested is that the weapon held by the god is a real serpent, which when thrown at an enemy will suddenly attach The itself to his body after the manner of the vicious uraeus. right arm of Horus rests on a staff wherewith the god usually supports himself, and before him rears itself a huge serpent called ^'
region on the
the
In
punishment
is
inflicted
^
Set of millions of years,"
devour any of the enemies of Ra, in
making
their escape from the
Eleventh Hour.
the duty of which was to
,
i.e.,
who
the dead,
fires
In front of these were the
succeeded
country of the
of the
awful chambers,
five
or pits in the sky, which were filled with the red-hot materials of
blazing
and employed
fires,
The
first
chamber or
bodies of fiends
^^^^ called
k"'
pit,
consume the enemies of Ra. Hatet, "w e^:^, was fiUed Avith the
who were dashing out
their
own
brains with axes,
^^^ ^^^ under the charge of a lion-headed goddess,
fire into it
^^
H^^r' ^^^ stood by its side and through her mouth when the fire had done its
Hert-Ketit-s,
belched
to
;
work on the wretched creatures they were hacked hu2:e knife which she held
in
chamber or
with the bodies of
pit
was
also filled
under the charge of a woman called Hert-Hantua,
who
spat fire
by the The second fiends, and was
to pieces
both her hands.
uP
^^^
upon them and who was armed with a monster
i
(j,
knife.
THE ELEVENTH HOUR
256
The
third
chamber or
was
pit
filled
with the
souls,
of the fiends, and was under the charge of a
Nekenit,
^^:=:^
(1(1
"^>-
^,
who
The fourth and
similarly armed.
the charge of similar women, called
come
to
^
^
four
men
u
^=^^
Y>
1
1
which
is
who
are
of desert;
cast
we
down headlong,"
'ii'i'i; next
whom
names are
their
Her-sha-s, f=^
a—*-, and I
name has
TT T
represented by a large hollow wherein
are standing on their heads,
emblem
'
Passing by these chambers
four goddesses of the desert, each of
the
^ [^ m
contained the shadows,
of the damned.
the " Valley of those
called Hert-
upon them and who was
H ert-Nemmat-set,
[1,
@®@,
woman
chambers, which were under
fifth
^^^^
and Hert-sefu-s,
and heads,
spat fire
^^^^'^'
I
to this are
has upon her head
Pesi,
Rekhit,
(1(1,
^00^.
Sait,
Each
I
a meaning something like " fiery," and
refers
to the
goddesses in their character of mistresses of the blazing desert.
comes the god Her-ut-f, p=q
Finally, behind these
J^
,
who
some way connected with the embalming of the dead. The descriptive text which accompanies these scenes makes the great god Ra command " his father Osiris to hack in pieces the bodies of was
in
" the enemies
down headlong." enemies themselves, he tells them
and of the dead who are
Then, addressing the
when
cast
that
hath smitten them for destruction, and hath
his father Osiris
cut in pieces their spirits
and
souls,
and hath rent asunder their
shadows, and hath cut off their heads in such a in the future will be impossible for
way
that existence
them, they will be cast down
headlong into burning furnaces from which there
is
neither escape
nor deliverance, and Set the everlasting snake will drive his flames against them, and the
Lady
of furnaces,
and the Lady of
fiery pits,
and the Lady of slaughtering blocks, and the Lady of swords, will drive against them the flames which come forth from their mouths, that they will hack
them
in pieces in such wise that the wretched
beings will never again see those slaughter of the enemies
god of those who are
is
ordered to
in the Tuat,
upon the earth. The be performed by Horus, the
who and
live
it is
curious to note that the
THE TWELFTH HOUR
257
gods his companions are said to live upon the voices of the enemies
who
are slain, and on the
and
souls
and
The Twelfth Hour, Maa-nefert-Ra,^ brings the god Ra the Circle which is on the confines of thick darkness, and to a
into
shadows which are
cast
down
shrieks
called Khepert-kekui-khaat-mest, ^
<^=>
'
with
god
^
c^=f=,
pylon called Then-neteru,
its
^:z:^
i\\
<==>
y, and Nu,
O
and Hehut,
y '^
^ rlj
?
|, and come
Nut,
O
v^ Jl
^
i
"^ i
ac==f=
I
city (f| 111
I
111'
In this region the
.
born under the form of Khepera,
is
of the
cries
into the blazing, fiery pits.
^^^^ ffl
<=> \>]\
^
^^^^
^ - ^, Hehu, ||^^,
into the Circle
when he
is
born,
and when he goeth forth from the Tuat and resteth in the Mantit, A.WVVA
^^^
Mo ^n^
Ra journeys
and when he
boat,
,
in his boat, as before,
the bows in the Eleventh
Hour
is
on the body ^ of Nut.
riseth
but the solar disk which was at
no longer there, and
place
its
is
occupied by the beetle of Khepera, the forerunner of the rising sun.^ Twelve gods tow the boat, not over a river or over the back of a serpent or serpents, but completely through a serpent in ;
front the tow-rope
serpent
it
the
IwLi ¥•
T
and the gods who draw Af, that
of the gods,"
enters
held by the hands of twelve women.
called Ka-en-Ankh-neteru,
is
through
is
are his " loyal servants,"
serpent at his
tail
in
-^,
deep
I
,
i.e.,
,
to
is
Amhhiu.
darkness,
" the
This life
say, Ra,
The boat
and passing
through his body emerges through the mouth into the light of day the god in his boat enters the snake in the form of a dead, ;
old Sun-god, and again,
he comes forth not only
alive, but made young and appears in the sky under the form of Khepera. The
" loyal servants
" of Ra are the souls of the blessed which have been so fortunate as to obtain admission into his boat ;„ they were his devout adorers when upon earth, and the reward which they
-> '^ t^ o>^ 0* I
^
i
word sometimes rendered by
2
IJ
^
See Lanzone, Domicile des Esprits,
fi
>>
:
vulva, pubis, andflanJi
pi. v.
THE TWELFTH HOUR
258
obtain for their fidelity
What
the earth. it
renewed youth and a new birth upon not made
is
they cannot remain there for an
evident that
is
is
they are to do upon earth
but
clear,
indefinite
period, for since their master needs to be re-born daily they also
must need passages,
re-birth each day.
It is doubtful, if
they came to the earth at
if
all,
and
we judge by some
it
far
is
more
likely
enjoyment consisted in journeying about at will through
that their
down from some
the sky and looking of their old
portion of
than in making hurried
life
When the boat of Ra women or goddesses,
twelve
it
upon the scenes earth daily.
visits to the
has passed through the serpent the
mentioned above, take the rope from
The god is accompanied through the Twelfth Hour by: 1. Twelve goddesses, each bearing a serpent on her head and shoulders, and 2. Twelve the gods and haul
it
on to the paths of the sky.
—
gods, or men, with their hands raised in adoration
;
all
these are
Each deity has a name, which is Avritten The uraei of the goddesses are said in front of his or her figure. to proceed from them, and the flames which drive away Apep The goddesses travel with the come forth from their mouths. on the right hand
god until he
II
^
AA,wvx
this great
heaven
but after
this earth,
of the twelve gods
we have
boat
^1
,
They
but their forms,
and they go
""^^^ )
,
^
ppi
IJiJ,
;
all
these
duty of the gods
to raise up,
Hehu,
,
them
in heaven, to receive in the eastern part of
i.e.,
hall of the horizon,
Tuat belong to
this Circle.
Ra and
(j
,
The
on their right shoulders.
£=»
[j
'Wi^ and four human-headed
"I
,
the disk of the sun daily,
but the serjDent Nesmekhef slaughters the enemies of Ra travel with
left
gods, a bird-headed god called
"^ ^^ ®
carry paddles is
the
a god with two birds heads called Ni,
the serpent Nesmekhef,
gods
to
Ra
to
of the
Next we have two human-headed Nehui,
On
000, Nuth,
live in their drrit,
^^ vj\
they return to their
gods are "in their o^vn bodies,"
these
god as he cometh forth
daily.
this
to praise Ra.
is
the gods Nu,
II y^j
v^, Hehut,
\^^^
on
The duty
places.
of the
rises
side.
receive their spirits,
'^^
©
s=5
^^-^^^^
;
in
they this
GOVERNOR OF AMENTl
OSIRIS,
259
Before these are ten gods, with hands raised in adoration/
Circle.
Avho are described as the kentiu,
Governor
the
Osiris,
the
of
^
^
^g
thick
i
forms of
of the
,
darkness,
w v\ ^^^
^^^~~"^
Tw^"!^,
and they say to him, "Live, thou Governor of thy
" darkness
Live,
"
!
thou who art great in
thou Prince of Amentet,
" in
Amenti
all
things
Live,
!
thou Governor of those who are Mayest thou live, mayest thou live, thou who
!
Osiris,
" art Governor
of the Tuat, the
" the breath of
Khepera
wind of Ra
with thee, thou
is
" Hail, Osiris, lord of the living ones " Osiris are those
who were with him
The allusion here
to thy nostrils,
is
and they
livest
who
the gods
;
live.
are with
at the first time," etc.
and burial of Osiris, when Horus carried out the arrangements which had to be made for the performance of the general ceremonies, and when every detail connected with mummification, etc., was thought out by the loving to the death
is
In the illustrated version of the Twelfth
care of the son of Osiris.
Hour, published by Signor Lanzone
(tav. vii.),
we have represented
the semi-circular wall of thick darkness which forms the end of the
Tuat and the division between wall, in the lower part of
and
Osiris,
"
Af "
;
Sem-Af,
called
it
a
lies
it,
^^
and
Q^,
mummied the
i.e.,
this is the object of the praises
of gods lavish
The
upon him.
mummy, He who "
" thick darkness
is
is
Against this
this world.
form, representing
"Image
which the
Form) of
(or
two groups
last
descriptive text says concerning the
in this picture in the hidden form of
the secret image which
Shu makes
Horus of
to be
under
" Nut, and which cometh forth from Keb-ur on earth in this form."^
'
U
^
Tuati,
J
J^
V'
^_fl,
CTzn
,
Sekhenu,
Aura,
£;n
"'^:^
Tes-kliu,
^ ^
^ ,
,
''^^
„
Ermenii,
Atliep, (J
^
/
Themaru,
,
,
,
and
^
Klienmi,
Am
,
-[J-.
Aakhbu,
,
^
,
Bunau,
THE SUN S NEW BIRTH
260
In the middle of the wall of thick darkness is a red disk, from this is the " image of Shu," which proceeds a human head ;
"^>^ R
,
who extends
arms along the vaulted
his
wall,
and of
whose body one part is in the Tuat and the other in this world. Immediately above the head of the god is the beetle of Khepera, here spelt ®
Q,
which makes
its
way
into this world through the
opening which the head and shoulders of Shu have made in the Through this opening the boat of Ra also wall of thick darkness.
was enabled to pass into
this world,
and the god continued
his
journey with the help of the deities who towed him along there is no doubt about this because the tow-line is prolonged to the ;
As Af, the dead body
wall of thick darkness.
new
our world, his
passes away, and a
We
life
and
begins,
new day
is
for
of Ra, passes into
men and women
the night
born.
have now traced the passage of the Sun-god through the
Tuat as it was imagined by those who believed in the absolute supremacy of Osiris, and as it was described by the author of the Book of Pylons, and we have briefly passed through its divisions ag described in the Book of that which is in the Tuat, throughout which the absolute supremacy of Ra is maintained. It is now easy to see that these two works represent two opposite
and conflicting theories as to the future life. The heaven of the devotees of Osiris was originally most materialistic, and the life which was led in it by the beatified was, to all intents and purposes, merely a continuation of the
upon earth character,
;
the heaven of the priests
and
it
by men and women of Ra was of a more refined life
led
lacked the grosser characteristics of the dwellers
in the Elysian Fields of Osiris.
Some have argued from
the facts
about the Tuat given above that the Egyptians beheved in the existence of purgatory, and in the everlasting punishment of the
wicked in a
hell of fire,
and
in the reincarnation of souls,
and in
other things which would presuppose the holding by them of doctrines which are commonly thought to be the products of the minds of modern nations but the facts do not support these
many
;
beliefs.
that of
Whichever doctrine of the future Osiris or that of Ra, we find no room
life
in
we it
take,
whether
for a purgatory.
DESTRUCTION OF THE WICKED
261
In the Judgment which took place before Osiris only the righteous
were permitted to enter into the Elysian Fields, and the wicked were destroyed immediately
punishment
for
The Egyptians believed
sin.
efficacy of works,
and
in other words, annihilation
;
largely
in addition to the deeds of love
which they performed in
all
was the the
in
and charity
periods, strict care concerning the
ceremonies of religion, worship, and of the funeral, and a proper respect and reverence for words of power, and amulets, and sacred
and figures were demanded from them by
writings,
There was, of course, a large
religious teachers at all times.
of people
who
could not afford costly burials, and
and
priests
class
who were
too
poor to buy even cheap amulets, but they Avere not condemned in the
Judgment because
of their poverty
;
on the contrary, they
escaped annihilation and were admitted by Osiris into the division of the Tuat, where, however, they
because they did not
them
know
first
were compelled to stay
the words of power which would enable
to continue their journey through the remaining divisions of
But there was no punishment
the Underworld.
inflicted
upon
them because they had been both poor and ignorant in this world they merely remained in the place to which their religious cations enabled
them
to attain,
and each evening, or each night,
they were made glad by the sight of the great god
Ra
as he sailed
through the Tuat in his boat, and they rejoiced in his daily
The beings inflicted
Tuat of
were the " enemies of
" enemies of
which
in the
Ra
" ;
Osiris
Osiris,"
but in no text
is
it
visit.
upon whom punishment was and these were usually the it
said that the
punishment
they had to endure there ever obliterated their
whatever
;
qualifi-
guilt,
might be, or that when the proper time had arrived
they would be allowed to proceed into another division of the Tuat
where
their
punishment would be
lighter, or
where they would
Though a man could earn happiness in the Ra by his good works on earth, and realm by ceremonies performed at his funeral by duly qualified priests, and by the presence of copies of religious texts which were buried with him, there is no reason to think that when once his soul
undergo none at
all.
of Osiris or in that of
reached the Underworld either
by
suffering
it
could ever better
its
position there
punishment or by the performance of good
OFFERINGS TO THE DEAD
262 works.
The
offerings
made
benefit of the ha or double,
was
at the
tombs of the dead were
and perhaps
at one time believed to exist in the
for the
animal soul which
human
body, but neither
the offerings nor the prayers which accompanied
have been able to remove the division
of the
Tuat into
spirits
for the
them seem
to
and souls of the dead from one
another, or to modify the
condition which had been decreed for them.
state
Similarly, there
is
or
no
evidence that prayers for the dead or offerings would ameliorate the condition of those
who had
the Judgment, and had been sent habitations of his kingdom.
successfully passed the ordeal of
by
Osiris into one or other of the
263
(
)
CHAPTER
VI
HELL AND THE DAMNED F we examine I
the doctrine concerning the future
to the priesthoods of
Ra we
find
still less
room
tory in their theological system.
According to
the dead assembled in Amentet,
i.e.,
according
life
for a
purga-
this the souls of
the "hidden" region, the
Egyptian Hades, where they waited for the boat of Ra to pass by.
When
the god appeared those
adorers on earth, and
who had been
who were
and
fortunate enough to have secured
the words of power which would enable so,
his worshippers
them
to enter the boat did
and they made their journey with him through the Tuat.
Under
his protection they passed
through
all
the dangers which
threatened to destroy them, and continued their journey through the realms of Osiris and Seker, and at length appeared with the eastern horizon of heaven at daybreak. able to
wander about heaven
until the time of sunset,
at will,
when they
Ra
Once there they were
and they did
presumably,
so,
rejoined the god in his boat,
and again made the journey through the Tuat with him.
Each
who
division of the Tuat, apparently, contained a host of beings
wished to enter the boat of Ra, but could not do
want
of the necessary
words of power, or because they had reached
however, received great benefit from the nightly
he
left
either for
so,
the place to which their qualifications entitled them
as
in
visit of
each division to enter the next they were
many
;
these
all,
Ra, and
filled
with
them ceased to exist until the following night, when they renewed their life for a brief period. Many divisions of the Tuat contained enemies of Ra, who were, of course, destroyed without mercy by the followers of the god but there is great sorrow, and
of
;
no reason whatsoever
for the
view that these enemies were the
HELL AND THE DAMNED
264
damned, or that they were doomed to eternal punishment. At the end of the Tuat was a region where certain goddesses presided over pits of fire and superintended the destruction of the bodies, and spirits, it
and shadows, and heads of numbers of such enemies, and
would seem, judging by the knives
in their hands, that they
hacked the bodies to pieces before they were burnt. But even these were not punished eternally, for as soon as the god had passed through their region the fires went out, and the mere fact that he was able to appear in the eastern sky proved that all his
Each night and morning Ra destroyed
enemies were destroyed. the hosts of enemies
who attempted
to bar his progress, for such
enemies perished instantly by the flames which went forth from the divine beings whom he had created. Originally, too, such enemies
were only the personifications of
the powers of nature, such as twilight, darkness, night, gloom, the
blackness of eclipses, fog, mist, vapour, rain, cloud, storm, wind, tempest, hurricane, and the like, which were destroyed daily
Ra and
Many,
beams.
his fiery
in fact the greater
personifications, were endowed by Egyptian
by
number
of such
with
human
artists
forms, and the pictures of the scenes of their destruction
by
fire
were supposed by many to represent the burning of the souls of The ignorant and the superstitious did not underthe damned. stand that the Sun-god slew and burned with fire the enemies of each night and morning during that same night and morning;
each rising of the sun was the result of the annihilation of his It may be urged that these foes were always foes of that day. the same because they were always of the same kind, but the
and they believed that a new host of But even foes appeared to attack Ra each night and morning. had they thought so, the punishment was only intermittent, and it was only renewed during that part of each night which immediately preceded the dawn, and during the interval between Egyptians did not think
dawn and
sunrise.
so,
The
of the
souls
damned could have done
nothing to hinder the progress of Ra, and the Egyptians never
imagined that they times certain
did,
schools
dissatisfied Avith
of
but
it
is
possible that in late dynastic
theological
thought
in
Egypt, being
and unconvinced of the accuracy of the theory of
HELL AND THE DAMNED the annihilation of the wicked, assigned to
265
evil souls
dwelling-
places with the personifications of the powers of nature already-
The spears which pierced the enemies
mentioned in the Tuat.
Ra were
of
the fiery rays of the sun, and the knives which hacked
their bodies in pieces pits of fire
were
his flames of fire
;
and the lakes and
were suggested to the minds of the primitive Egyptians
by the fiery splendour which filled the eastern heavens at sunrise. They certainly did not believe in everlasting punishment, and there is nothing in the texts which will support the view that they did in fact, the doctrines of purgatory and hell which were promulgated during the Middle Ages in Europe with such success find no equivalents in the ancient Egyptian religion. Apart from ;
the general characteristics of their religion the Egyptians were entertain the
too practical to
consumings by
fire of
idea of repeated
destructions or
the same body, but had they done so
we
should certainly have found some texts which had been composed avert such an awful doom.
to
their
dead
again,
They mummified the bodies of they expected them to rise
in the earliest times because
and they did
so in later times because they believed that
a spiritual body would grow out of them to obtain a second physical
body
in the
;
they never expected
Underworld, and therefore
they took the greatest care to preserve, by means of magical ceremonies and words,
the
complete a form as possible.
bodies in which they lived
The destruction
in
as
body involved the ruin of the ha, or double, and of the shadow, and of many of the mental and spiritual constituents of man and the Egyptians regarded the death of the body with such dismay that, fearing lest the spiritual body which sprang from it after death might be in of the
;
danger of dying, they caused prayers to be composed for the it the " second death " and the possibility
purpose of averting from of
its
dying a second time.
We may
however, that although the Egyptians had no hell for souls in the mediaeval acceptance of the term, their fiery
and
see,
and devils, and enemies of Ra formed the foundations of the hells of later peoples like the Hebrews, and pits,
fiends,
even of the descendants of the Egyptians i.e.,
the Copts.
Many
proofs of this fact
who became Christians may be found in Coptic
OUTER DARKNESS
266 the
following
we have
the Virgin
literature
Sophia,"
as
^
instances
Mary asking
her a description of " outer darkness," places of punishment there are in
^
show.
will
" Pistis
Jesus, her Lord, to give
and to
how
her
tell
many-
Lord replies, " The
Our
it.
In
" outer darkness
is a great serpent, the tail of which is in its " mouth, and it is outside the whole world, and surroundeth the " whole world in it there are many places of punishment, and it ;
" containeth twelve halls wherein severe punishment
" In each hall
is
inflicted.
is
a governor, but the face of each governor difFereth
" from that of his neighbour.
" the face of a crocodile, with
The governor
of the first hall hath
"
mouth
*'
and every kind of disease and sickness
From
mouth.
tail in its
its
the
of the serpent proceed all ice, and all dust, and all cold,
" which they call
him
in his
place
is
;
and the true name by
And
Enkhthonin.
the
" governor of the second hall hath as his true face the face of a cat, " and they call him in his place Kharakhae. And the governor " of the third hall hath as his true face the face of a dog, and " they call
him
Arkharokh.
in his place
And
the governor of the
" fourth hall hath as his true face the face of a serpent, " call
him
And
Akhrokhar.
in his place
and they
the governor of the fifth
" hall hath as his true face the face of a black ox,^ and they call "
him
in his place
Markhour.
And
the governor of the sixth hall
" hath as his true face the face of a goat, " place
And
Lamkhamor.
And
name Lonkhar.
" face "
the
face
Arkheokh.
" and there
"
And
is
" call ^
of a
basilisk,
him
as his true
and they
call
him
in his place
and they
call
him
his place
in
many
governors,
there a serpent with seven heads, each head having face,
Xarmarokh.
and he who
And
See Pistis Sophia.
OYg,0
call
in the tenth hall there are
in the
SJ.3J.A.C£
is
over them
H
K^^JLIG.
all in his
eleventh hall there
Opus Gnosticum Valentino
Berlin, 1851.
3
and they
the governor of the ninth hall hath as his true
And
[own] true
its
in his
the governor of the eighth hall hath as
" his true face the face of a vulture,
" Laraokh.
him
call
the governor of the seventh hall hath
" as his true face the face of a bear,
"
and they
atljucli cation,
place they are
ed.
many
Schwartze,
THE HELL OF THE GNOSTICS *'
governors, and there are there seven heads, each of
" as
its
267
them having
true face the face of a cat, and the greatest of them,
" over them, they call in his place Rhokhar. " hall there are
many
" heads, each of
them having
" the greatest,
who
is
And
who
is
in the twelfth
great governors, and there are there seven as its true face the face of a dog,
and
Khremaor. the serpent of outer darkness, and
over them, they
" These twelve governors are in
call in his place
" each of
them hath a name according to the hour, and each of " them changeth his face according to the hour." ^ It is quite clear that in the
Gnostic
work we have a
series of
above extract from the famous
chambers in the outer darkness
which has been borrowed from the twelve divisions of the Egyptian Tuat already described, and the reader has only to compare the vignettes to Chapters cxliv. and cxlv. of the Booh of the Dead with the extract from " Pistis Sophia" to see
An
has been. generally
examination
known
of
"Book
as the
how
another
close the
great
borrowing
Gnostic work,
of leu,"^ proves that the
Under-
world of the Gnostics was nothing but a modified form of the
Amentet or Amenti
of
characteristics derived
from the religious systems of the Hebrews
and Greeks.
The Gnostic
Egyptians, to which were added
the
rivers
and
seas of fire are nothing but
equivalents of those mentioned in the Booh of the Bead, and the
beings in Amenti, and Chaos, and Outer Darkness are derived, in
The great dragon
respect of form, from ancient Egyptian models. of Outer Darkness
or governors after
all,
and
and their twelve guardians names and forms every hour are,
his twelve halls,
who change
their
only modifications of the old Egyptian system of the
Twelve Pylons or Twelve Hours which formed the UnderworldThe seven-headed serpent of the Gnostic system has his prototype in the great serpent Nau,
"the
gods,"
and
has
v\ Um^, which
"seven serpents on
is
called the " bull of
his
seven
necks,"
^
[ R
X\
JpK
^ ^^y^/ f
the seven-headed serpent, I^au-shesma, 319
^
Pistis Sophia, Coptic text, p.
^
See Schmidt, Gnostische Scliriften
3
Teta,
1.
307.
nil
ff.
in Koiitisclier SpracJie, Leipzig,
1892.
AMENTET AND THE TUAT
268 v\ IM.
'"^^^
P
^
8
7
^Iso
had seven uraei
for heads,
had authority over seven archers, or seven bows,
|
and he
^1
Of Amentet and the Tuat in general we find many traces in the martyrdoms of Coptic saints, but, as was to be expected, the writers have made the demons and the pits of fire of the Egyptian Underworld instruments of punishment for the souls of those who Thus the did not embrace Christianity when upon this earth. ^ of Cappadocia makes of George the saint writer of the Martyrdom to raise up from the dead a pagan called Boes, who had been dead two hundred years, and who told Dadianus, the governor, that he had been on earth a worshipper of the " stupid, dumb, deaf, and " blind Apollo," and that when he departed this life he went to live in " a place in the river of fire until
" the place
such time as I went to
where the worm dieth not."
According to another
writer, Macarius of Antioch restored to life a
man who had been
dead for six hours, and who stated that his miseries during that
had been greater than those which he had endured throughout all his life upon earth. He confessed that he had been a worshipper of idols, and then went on to say that when he was dying the fiends crowded upon him, and that these had the faces short time
of serpents,
They with
lions,
crocodiles,
tore his soul from his
and,
curiously
body with great
to a great river of fire wherein they
it
hundred cubits
of four
it
then they drew
it
and
violence,
plunged
it
fled
to a depth
out and set
it
before
who passed
After this was sentence upon it. " darkness, wherein place of there was no to a
the Judge of Truth,^
done they took
;
enough, of bears.
" light whatsoever, and they cast
it
down
into
the cold where
was gnashing of teeth. Here," said the wretched man, " I saw the worm which never slumbereth, and his head was like unto that of a crocodile. He was surrounded by serpents of
" there " "
" every kind '
•
'
which
Teta,
1.
which cast souls before him, and wlien his own mouth
306.
my St. George of Cappadocia, p. niKpiTHC JUIJUIHI. The word See
is
commonly
rendei'ed
by " law,
20.
JUIHI
is
the old Egyptian
right, ti'uth, true, just,"
and the
^^, like.
mad,
RA AND APEP "
was
he allowed the other creatures to eat
full
" they tore us to pieces, but
me
" took "
was
269
we could not
out of the place and carried
to stay for ever."
me
In another work
^
^
die.
;
in that place
After that they
into Amenti,
a nameless
where
I
mummy
is
made to tell how before he died the avenging angels came about him with iron knives and pointed goads, which they thrust into and how other angels came and tore his soul from his body, and having tied it to the similitude of a black horse they carried it off to Amentet. Here he was tortured in a place filled his sides,
and having been cast into the outer darkness he saw a pit more than two hundred feet deep, which was filled
with noxious with
reptiles,
reptiles,
each of which had seven heads, and had
covered with objects like scorpions.
its
body
In this place were several
other terrible serpents, and to one of these, which had teeth like iron stakes, the poor soul was given to be devoured
;
this
monster
crushed the soul for five days of each week, but on Saturday and
Sunday
had
it
This last sentence seems to suggest that
respite.
the serpent respected the Sabbath of the Jews and the
Sunday
of
the Christians.
In
who
all
says
these
(Ixvi.
examples, and even in the words of Isaiah,
24),
''
their
" their fire be quenched,"
worm
we have
not
shall
die,
neither shall
a direct allusion to the great
serpent of the Egyptian Underworld, which was, in of history, the
terror
of the worshippers
which was known by many names. of this
serpent were
power which was
serpents like
hostile to
of the
The
allies
itself,
and
all
periods
Sun-god, and
and companions to
nearly every
the dead or the living the form of
The type and symbol of all enmity to Ra, whether of a physical or moral character, was the arch-serpent Apep or Apepi, which attacked him daily, and was overcome daily. To this monster we have several allusions in the a snake or serpent was attributed.
Boole of the Bead, but these do not adequately convey
the terror with which he was regarded, at
all
an idea of
events in the latter
part of the dynastic period.
^
^
Hyvemat, Les Actes des Martyrs de I'jSgypte, p. 56 f. Amelineau, Monuments pour servir a VHistoire de VEgypte
Chretienne, p. 167.
RA AND APEP
270
From
a papyrus preserved in the British
Museum
we
^
learn
Upper Egypt for the purpose Apepi and of making his attacks on the
that a special service was in use in of destroying the
sun to have no
which were
power
of
This service consisted of a series of chapters
effect.
day during the
to be recited at certain times of the
performance of a number of curious ceremonies of a magical
Thus one rubric orders that the name of Apepi shall be written in green colour upon a piece of new papyrus, and that a wax fiorure of the fiend shall be made and his name inlaid upon it with green colour. Both papyrus and wax figure were to character.
be burnt in the
fire,
the belief being that as the
wax
figure melted
and as the sheet of papyrus burnt, the fiend Apepi would decay and the
fall
was
fire it
It
his return
also
was melting in
figure
upon several times each hour, and when it of it was to be mixed with dung and again
to be spit
was melted the refuse burnt.
wax
Whilst the
to pieces.
was imperative
when Ra began
to do this at midnight,
journey in the Tuat, towards the
east,
and
dawn, and
at
any and every hour of the This might also be done with advantage whenever storm day. clouds appeared in the sky, or whenever the clouds gathered The following extract will give an idea of the together for rain. The general import of the service for the destruction of Apepi. and
at noon,
at eventide,
into his
in fact at
"
Apepi hath fallen into the flame, a knife is stuck It is head, his name no longer existeth upon this earth.
deceased says '
and
:
me
to inflict blows
upon him,
'
decreed for
'
bones, I destroy his soul in the course of every day, I sever his
'
vertebrae from his neck, cutting into his flesh with a knife and
'
stabbing through his skin.
'
obtains the mastery over
its
'
hath power over him in
of
'
Darts are driven into his soul, his bones are burnt with
'
his limbs are
'
decreed that he shall come in front of the boat of
'
'
'
He
is
him in its name
placed therein.
I drive darts into his
given over to the
fire
which
name of Sekhet,' and it Eye burning the enemy.' '
'
fire,
and
Horus, mighty of strength, hath
Ra
;
his fetter
him up and maketh his limbs so that they cannot Horus repulseth his moment of luck during his eclipse, and he maketh him to vomit that which is inside him. Horus of steel tieth
move
;
^
See Archaeologia,
vol.
lii.
RA AND APEP " fettereth,
and
bindeth,
up, and
tieth
" strength so that I
may
"
and cut
271
Aker taketh away
separate his flesh from
his bones
two hands and arms
;
his
that I
that I may fetter his feet " may shut up his mouth and lips, and break in his teeth that I " may cut out his tongue from his throat, and carry away his " words that I may block up his two eyes, and carry off his ears " that I may tear out his heart from its seat and throne and that " I may make him so that he existeth not. May his name never " exist, and may what is born to him never live may he never " exist, and may his kinsfolk never exist may he never exist, and " may his relatives never exist may he never exist, and may his " heir never exist may his offspring never grow to maturity " may his seed never be established moreover, may his soul, and off his
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
" body, and spirit, "
and shade, and words of power, and
his bones,
his skin, never more exist." The Rubric runs " This Chapter is to be said over a figure of Apepi, inscribed upon new papyrus with green ink, and placed inside a covering on which his name hath been written,
and
:
" "
" and thou shalt tie these " figure
"
upon
"
it
and
it
"
defile it
with thy
left foot,
and thou shalt
four times during the course of every day, and
" hast placed ''
round tightly with cord, and put such a Thou shalt stamp fire every day.
and covering into the
it
'
thee, Apepi,
'
(i.e.,
upon the
fire
thou shalt say,
and Horus triumpheth over
'
down
the names of
" which thy heart
is
" in death,
life,
and in
all
upon
when thou
Ra triumpheth
his enemies,
over
and P-aa
Next thou
the deceased) triumpheth over his enemies.'
" shalt write
spit
the male and female devils of
names of all the enemies of P-aa, names of their father, mother, and and the
afraid, the
" children, [and place the papyrus] inside the covering, together " with a
wax
" fire in the " the
"
name
morning
when Ra
figure of Apepi.
;
of Apepi,
this
and
These shall then be placed in the shall
be burnt when
Ra
riseth in
thou shalt repeat at noon and at evening
setteth in the land of
" foot of the mountain.
life,
whilst there
is
Over each figure of Apepi thou
light at the shalt recite
" the above chapter, in very truth, for the doing of this shall be " of great benefit [for thee] ^
On
the
upon earth and
in the Underworld."
Hieratic Papyrus of Nesi-Arnsu, p. 52 (Arcliaeologia, vol. Hi.).
^
SERPENTS AND SNAKES
272
To
destroy the fiends which were associated with Apepi
it
them in wax, and having inscribed their names upon them to tie them round with black hair, and then to cast them on the ground, and kick them with the To obtain the full left foot, and pierce them with a stone spear. benefit of all the names of Apepi a man had to make the figure of was necessary
make
to
a serpent with his its
back, and cast
The
"Betet."
figures
tail in his
mouth, and having stuck a knife in
down upon
it
of
the ground, to say, " Apep, Fiend,
faithful follower of
Ra
" another serpent with the face of a cat,
is
also
bidden to
"make
and with a knife stuck
in
" his back, and call it Hemhem. Make another with the face of " a crocodile, and with a knife stuck in his back, and call it " Hauna-aru-her-hea make another with the face of a duck, ;
" and with a knife stuck in his back, and call it Aluti. Make " another with the face of a white cat, and with a knife stuck in
up and bind it tightly, and call it Apep " the Enemy.' " The papyrus which contains these interesting passages was written about B.C. 312-311, though the compositions " his back,
in
and
are very
it
'
tie it
much
older,
but
it
shows
that,
even at that period,
begun to reign over Egypt, and Greek influence was making itself supreme in the country, the old beliefs In^fact, in this still held sway over the minds of the Egyptians.
when
the Macedonians had
matter as in nearly
all
others, they clung
most tenaciously
to the
views and opinions of their forefathers.
The primitive Egyptians feared snakes and propitiated them, and the
earliest dynastic people of the
country employed charms,
and incantations, and magical formulae to keep snakes, and serpents, the priests of and reptiles of every kind from their dead Heliopolis respected the prevailing views of their countrymen, and ;
ancient formulae against texts.
Every
snakes were copied into their funeral
Recension of the Booh of
the
Dead contained
Chapters which were written to preserve the dead from the attacks of snakes
;
it
is
tolerably
certain
that
some of them contain
formulae which are not older than dynastic times, and these show that the fear of serpents was as great reptiles cannot
of
Amen made
as
ever, although these
have been so numerous as formerly.
The
priests
snakes to play very prominent parts in the Under-
TUAT AND GEHENNA
273
world, and, curiously enough, they thought that the dead Sungod, or the " Flesh of Ra," was re-born into the
new
of a
life
day,
only after he had been drawn in his boat through the body of a
The Egyptians usually had some reason
serpent.
they said, and wrote, and depicted, and although find the reason in every case, there
about
They observed
here.
it
for the things
it is
not easy to
fortunately, little doubt
is,
that snakes sloughed their skins
from time to time, and that their bodies were much improved appearance as the result, and
it is
habit of snakes in their minds,
new being in
to
emerge in
in
pretty certain that they had this
when they made
their
god Ra
his boat out of the great serpent
as a
which lay
deep undulations between the end of the Tuat and this world. Reference has already been
to the influence
right here to point out that the
it is
upon the
Copts of the old Egyptian mythology about the Tuat,
hell of the
and
made
borrowed from
it
many
Hebrews appear
to
have
of their ideas concerning the abodes of the
dead in the Underworld.
It is quite certain that the hell of
which
they conceived the existence was not derived from the Babylonians, for
we know from
no return
" that,
the story of Ishtar's descent into the " land of
although
it
had Seven Gates,
of fire or monster serpents.
we
Ishtar,
it
contained no pits
are told, found
place of darkness, and she saw that the beings in in garments
and that dust and
of feathers,
mud
it
to be a
were dressed
it
were their
food.^
The commonest of the names which the Hebrews gave to the abode of the damned is Ge Hinnom,^ or Gehenna, which was originally the Valley of Hinnom, that lay quite near to Jerusalem,^ where children were sacrificed to the god Moloch * this name passed into the New Testament under the form Feewa, and into Arabic literature as " Jahannam." ^ The portion of the Valley of Hinnom where the sacrifices were burnt was called " Topheth." According to the Rabbis " Gehenna " was created on the second day of creation, with the firmament and the angels, and just as there were an Upper and a Lower Paradise so there were also two ;
W.
King, Bahijlonian BeUgion,
^
See L.
2
DJnnil
*
See 2 Kings
T
3
xxiii. 10.
]sI"q^
p.
179
f.
generally ideatified with the "
^^j;^
Wadi
er-Rababi,
HALLS OF GEHENNA
274
As
Gehennas, one in the heavens and one on the earth.
to the
Gehenna we read that Egypt was 400 parassangs long and 400 parassangs wide, i.e., about 1,200 miles long by 1,200 miles wide that Nubia (w\d) was sixty times as large as Egypt that the world was sixty times as large as Nubia, and that it would ^
size of
;
;
require 500 years to travel across either
Gehenna was sixty times would take a man 2,100 years
that
Gehenna,
In
length or
as large as the world to reach
breadth
its ;
and that
it
it.^
" palaces
Paradise, there were seven
in
as
its
(D^byn), and the punishments which were meted out to their inhabitants varied both in kind and in intensity.
In each palace
there are 6,000 houses, or chambers, and in each house are 6,000
Gehenna bottom of it
boxes, and in each box are 6,000 vessels fitted with gall.
would take 300 years to reach -the according to another opinion it is 300 miles long, 300 miles wide, 1,000 miles thick, and 100 miles deep. The fire in each palace is
is
so
deep that
it
and more destructive than that in the palace preceding, and the flames of the deepest portion of it are able to consume human souls utterly, which fire upon earth can never do. Each
fiercer
is,
who
subservient to
is
command
according to one view, under the
palace
with him
Dumah, the
prince of Gehenna, and
tens of thousands of angels
doom
sinners and sealing their
of an angel,
who
who
has
are occupied in judging
but according to another the
;
Dumah, hdm, by three angels and Khema. The voices of the beings in
seven mansions are ruled, under called Mashkhith, Af,
Gehenna
Dumah,
rise
up
to
heaven mingled with the
cries of the wicked.
the prince of Gehenna, seems to have been of Egyptian
origin, for
we
read, "
At
when Moses said, 'I will perform gods of Egypt,' Dumah, the prince of and God said unto him, This decree is
the time
"'judgments on all the " Egypt, went 400 miles
'
"
'
decreed by me, even as
it is
"
'
height in the height
and in that same hour sovereignty was
" taken
' ;
^
away from him,
" Gehenna, and
written, I will visit the host of the
and
he was
some say that he was
= 30
appointed
set over the dead."
and the stadion
^
The parassaBg
"
Eisenmeiiger, EntdecTctes Jiidenthum, part
'*
Isaiah xxiv. 21.
stadia,
prince
= 202 yards,
ii.,
p.
328.
over
HALLS OF GEHENNA
275
Another prince of Gehenna was called Arsiel, and
was
his
duty
to stand before the souls of the righteous to prevent
them
from praying to God on behalf of the wicked. to the
number
of gates or doors which are in Gehenna,
there are 50, others 8,000, and others 40,000
who
with the best
Muhammadan
some saying
but the writers
;
number
followed the best traditions fixed the
this agrees
Opinions vary as
at seven,
tradition also.
and
Finally, as
a river runs through the Tuat so a river or canal flows through
Gehenna.
The
miles wide, and
when men fire
fall
first
division of
Gehenna
100 miles long and 50
is
contains several pits wherein fiery lions dwell
it
into the pits the lions
consume parts of them and the
devours the remainder, but soon afterwards they come into being
again and have to pass through the
fire
which
in the second
is
when they are again consumed and again come to life. way they have to pass through the fire of all the seven
division,
In this
divisions. is
fire
According to another opinion one half of Gehenna
and the other half
hail,
and the
drives the souls of the
damned from the
the hail into the
without ceasing.
fire
ang-el
fire into
who
in charg-e
is
the hail
and from
Another writer says that
each of the seven divisions of hell contains seven streams of
and seven streams of large as that which
hail,
is
and that each division
immediately above
is
cleft
clefts,
and
in
7,000 scorpions, and in each' scorpion seven joints, and
in each joint 1,000 vessels of gall; through filled
sixty times as
In each division are
it.
7,000 small chambers, and in each chamber 7,000
each
fire
it
flow seven rivers
with deadly poison, and the damned have to pass one half
of the year in the
which are
far
fire,
more
under the throne of
and the other half in the
terrible
the
God Almighty
of fire which empties itself
most of these have a
than
fire.
hail
and snow,
Moreover, from
there goes forth a river
upon the heads of the wicked, but
from their punishment for one hour and a half three times a day, i.e., at the times of morning, mid-day, and evening prayer, and they have rest the whole of rest
each Sabbath and of each festival of the
new moon.
Some
of
the Rabbis believed that the punishment of the wicked would last for ever,
but others thought that a period of punishment six
or twelve months in length would suffice for their purification.
TUAT AND GEHENNA
276
Those who are damned they bore upon earth,
remember the names which and although the angels beat them and call shall not
upon them to declare their names, they shall not be able to do so this view was clearly held by the Egyptians, for we are specially told in the text of Pepi I. (line 169), " Pepi is happy with his ;
"name,"
'''^ I
recorded above
— it
fSii 1
°
easy to see
is
'^^'^-^.
'
§
how much
From
the
the facts
Hebrews were
indebted to the Egyptians in the construction of their Gehenna,
and how closely they
fitted native
Some
foreign conceptions.
into a framcAvork of
beliefs
of their writers
seem
to
have possessed
a better insight into such matters than others, whilst a few of them
unconsciously reproduced the original conception of the Tuat as the place of destruction for the enemies of the god, and believed that Gehenna, or hell, would be abolished.
These thought that at
some future time God would remove the sun from its place and would place it in the second firmament, in a hollow place or
chamber specially prepared for it, and that having judged and condemned the wicked He would send them into this chamber, where the burning heat of the sun would consume them.^ The Kabbis generally took no pains to say either
how
the fires of
Gehenna were started, or how they were maintained, but Rabbi Yannai and Rabbi Shim'on ben-Lakish evidently thought it out, and so reduced Gehenna, unintentionally, to the place where a physical sun supplied the consuming fire, and did for the damned among the Hebrews exactly what it did for the enemies of Ra
among
the Egyptians.
must be noted that the Gehenna of the Hebrew lacked the serpents of the Egyptian Tuat, but when we consider the It
difference
of
Syria
between the physical characteristics of Egypt and those
and Palestine
this
is
not to be wondered
at.
In
predynastic times Egypt was filled with ser^^ents of every kind, and the terror which they inspired lived in the minds of the
people
of
dynastic
times
long
from these
practically cleared
after
reptiles.
the
country
had
been
In Palestine and Syria
snakes were never very plentiful, but in the region of Southern *
Eisenmenger, op.
cit., p.
366.
APEP AND TIAMAT Babylonia, whence came
Abraham and
have existed in large numbers.
It
277
his companions, they
must
a curious fact that the
is
cosmogony from Babylonian sources, did not also borrow in some form or other the monster Tiamat, which played in their mythology the same part that Apep or Apepi played among the Egyptian gods. The Hebrews, who borrowed
in
largely
so
their
Babylonian Tiamat waged war against Marduk, the champion chosen by the gods, and was held to be the incarnation of
all
evil,
both physical and moral and although the Hebrews assigned to the serpent cunning and guile, and declared that he was " more ;
^'
subtle than
any beast
"
(Gen.
iii.
1),
they hardly considered him to
be a great physical power which waged war against the sun daily. Tiamat, as
we
was 50 kashu long, haslm ; its mouth was one-
learn from a cuneiform text,^
and the height of
its
undulations was 1
half a gar, or six cubits wide, and
it
moved
Three other measurements are given,
deep.
in water 9 cubits
viz., 1 gar, 1 gar,
them is broken it Now, the hashu was the distance usually passed
5 gar, but as the text following
what they
and
cannot be said to
refer.
over in a journey of two hours, and the cubit
may
be considered
Reckoning the hashu at six miles we thus have a monster 300 miles long, which had a mouth 10 feet wide, to be about 20 inches.
and which moved in undulations six miles high ments of 5 gar probably refers to its girth, and creature was 100 feet round
When from
its
its
Tiamat had been
body
when Marduk had smashed the channels of halves, one of '^
heavens."
^
we
are told that
for three years, three months,
its
huge
blood, he split
is
size
its
be so the
blood flowed
and one day, and we
from the statement that
and had
in its skull with his club,
which he made There
its
if this
body.
slain
are able to obtain an idea of
The measure-
!
it,
like
a
flat fish,
into
slit
two
use of to form the " covering of the
no doubt that originally the Babylonian
Tiamat was nothing but the rain clouds, and the mist and fog which lie over the Tigris and Euphrates in the early morning at certain seasons of the year, ^
pi.
33 ^
and which when looked at from the j
See King, Cuneiform Inscriptions from Babylonian Tablets, f.,
London, 1901
;
and King, Seven Tablets of Creation,
King, Babylonian Religion, p. 77.
vol.
etc.,
i.,
p.
pai't xiii.,
119.
APEP, TIAMAT, LEVIATHAN
278
huge serpent stretched along the length of the The Hebrew Scriptures stream, both up and down the river. contain several allusions to a great nature serpent,^ though he Thus the finds no place among the Seven Mansions of their hell. serpent bottom of the at the prophet Amos (ix. 3) refers to the desert appear like a
which Yahweh would command to bite the wicked if they attempted to hide there in Psalm Ixxiv. 13 f. God is referred to sea,
;
as the breaker of the
heads of Leviathan and of the dragons in the
waters
9).we have, " Awake, awake, put on strength,
;
in Isaiah
arm
''
(li.
Yahweh
of
" generations of old
Awake,
!
in
as
Art thou not
!
the
ancient
days, in
the
that did slay the monster
it
Rahabh may here, as some have argued, refer to Egypt, but if so, it is to Egypt as the home of the great serpent monster which we now know as Apepi, " Rahabh, and
wound
the serpent (tannin)
? "
and which was to the prophet Isaiah the type and symbol of the country, and not to the judgments which
Yahweh meted
out to
that land.
The Hebrew writers names, to
e.g.,
refer to the nature serpent
rdhdbh,
tannin, 7id]chdsh,
under them
is,
{]D'^'h
both Nebuchadnezzar
II.
with him (see Jeremiah
of
Yahweh was
many
i.e..
li.
34
;
Isaiah xiv. 29). fifth
Leviathan
twistings or folds," and
and the " King of Assyria" are
Rabbis he was created on the
and was hunted
and the same,
in reality, one
livydthdn), " the serpent of
under several
but the monster referred
identified
According to the
day of the week of
creation,^
by Gabriel, and with the assistance by him here we have a series of close
for slaughter slain
;
resemblances to the history of Tiamat, for Gabriel the counterpart of Marduk, and
Yahweh
is
in every
way
takes the place of Anshar
was slain by Gabriel, by Marduk, and out of the skin of Leviathan Gabriel made a tent wherein the righteous might dwell,^ and a covering for the walls of the city of Jerusalem. This as the
just
head of the gods.
as
'
Tiamat was
Finally, Leviathan
killed
See Goldziher, Mythology of
the
Hehreu-s, pp. 27, 28;
King, Bahylonian
Religion, p. 115. -
=*
Eisenmenger, op. in^l"?
menger, op.
cit., p.
877.
b^ "DV^ Wpn^b HDID nwyh cit., p.
888.
^^T^
linn t^^npn l^np: Eisen-
SEVEN-HEADED SERPENT covering was bright and shining, and strong that
The
it
it
279
emitted light which was so
coukl be seen from one end of the world to the other.
statement recalls the words of the Fourth Tablet of the
last
Creation Series, which
tell
how Marduk made
a canopy in the
heavens of one-half of the body or skin of Tiamat. version of the story
it is
of Leviathan, but there
is
Hebrew
upon the body
no equivalent passage in the cuneiform
From the passage in the Psalm already would appear that Leviathan had many not supported by any known description of
known.
texts at present
quoted (Ixxiv.
said that the righteous feed
In the
13)
heads, but this view
it is
Tiamat, and in the absence of any evidence on the subject we must
assume that the idea of a plurality of heads came from Egypt. In the Book of Revelation
(xii.
3
;
xiii. 1)
mention
is
made
of a
" great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven " crowns
upon
his heads,"
which appeared in heaven, and of a
beast having seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns horns, which
came up out
upon
of the sea, but the idea of these also
not derived from Babylonia.
his
was
All the available evidence goes
show that whilst the Hebrew conception of Leviathan was of Babylonian origin that of a hell of fire was borrowed from to
Egypt. Similarly, the seven-headed dragon
and beast of the Book of
Revelation, like the seven-headed basilisk serpent mentioned in " Pistis Sophia,"
which
is
^
have their origin in the seven-headed serpent
mentioned in the Pyramid Texts.
horses are referred to which had
tails " like
we have an
In Revelations
ix. 19,
unto serpents, and had
by a monster which inhabited one of the Pylons of the Tuat, and which had the body of a crocodile and a tail formed of a writhing serpent's body
heads," and here again
with a serpent's head for the tip of
idea suggested
it.
But although the Hebrews borrowed the framework of their hell from Egypt they appear to have made no use of the means by which the Egyptians hoped to escape from Amentet and the Tuat, that is to say, there is no evidence to show that they had in early ciT 140, 147.
ft
goq
epe c<^cyqe
rt
<s.ne
epoq
;
ed. Schwartze, pp. 136,
GNOSTIC MAGICAL NAMES
280
times any equivalent for the system of words of power which
played such an important part in the magical side of the Egyptian
On
religion.
the other hand, the Copts, at least those of
belonged to Gnostic efficacy of magical
their writings
into
Sophia
we
"
retained
sects,
them who
the beliefs concerning the
words and names, and they introduced them in a remarkable manner. Thus in " Pistis
are told
that after His resurrection Jesus stood
^
up
and prayed to His Father, whom He of magical names, thus Aeeiouo, Iao, Aoi,
with His disciples by the addressed by a series
sea,
:
OiAPSiNOTHEK, Thernops, Nopsitek,
Zagoure, Pagoure, NethMOMAOTH, Nepsiomaoth, Marakhakhtha, Thobarrabau, TharNAKHAKHAN, ZoROKOTHORA, Ieou, Sabaoth.^ Whilst He was saying these names Thomas, Andrew, James, and Simon the Canaanite stood in the west with their faces towards the east; and Philip
and Bartholomew stood
in the south
In another passage
north.
words and by these names
'^
with their faces towards the
Jesus addresses His Father in these
Iao Iouo, Iao, Aoi, Or a, Psinother,
:
Theropsin, Opsither, Nephthomaoth, Nephiomaoth
MarakhakhMarmarakhtha, Ieana menaman, Amanei tou ouranou, IsRAi Hamen Hamen, Soubaibai appaap Hamen Hamen, deraarai Hapahou Hamen Hamen, Sarsarsartou Hamen Ham£n, Koukiamin MiAi Hamen Hamen, Iat, Iai, Toua Hamen Hamen Hamen, MainMARi, Mari^:, Marei Hamen Hamen Hamen.^ In another place ' tha,
Ed. Scliwartze, '
^.eHioYo)"
X^X^^' '
*
eep
i<s.uj"
A.ujr uji<s.\l/irf(ju0ep' oeprfcxj\|/' rrcju-vJ/iTep*
^ujR<s.pp<\RA.v
Ed. Schwartze,
p.
i^ui) lOYuj' iXcju*
p^X^^'
<3s.cjur cjui*^
^6p<S.<^p<M
TOY^n
g<5cn<S.gOY
^^^sjLHti
Ihid., p. 375.
^opoKoeop^Sc-
0Gpuj\I/irf
stx^p^^x^X^^'
^x».^<^tHi^
toy
^^^kJLHti
g^^JUHfi'
uj\(/i-
^^p^^-
oYp^^rroY* icp*^!
coYR<J^iR<^r A.nn^3
2,AAjiHrf
CiS.pCApCAp'TOY
^^^xxHn ^^<xxHti' xid^m JutApr ^^xxHtt (p. 375).
juiA.per g,<^JuiHrf g<\juiHrf '
vl/muueep'
rtecI>iojui<5»cUue-
'H<^rf<s. JuierfAJuiAff
g,<\JuiHrf
^^
375.
rf6cl>eoJui4S.aje-
^^^xjLHti
i^^i'
p. 357.
jui<\piH'
GNOSTIC MAGICAL NAMES He
addresses
those
SiPHiREPSNiKHiEu,
Avho
forgive
Zenei,
sins
Berimou,
by
their
281
names thus
Sokhabeikh£ie,
:
Euthari,
Nanai Dieisbalm^rikh, Meunifos, Khirie, Entair, Mouthiour, and Smour, Peukher, Oouskhous, Minionor, Isokhobortha immediately afterwards He calls upon the Powers of His Father by Auer, Bebro, Athroni, Eoureph, Eone, Souphen, these names Knitousokhreoph, Mauonbi, Mneuor, Souoni, Khokheteoph, Khoehe, Eteoph, Memokh, and Anemph.^ An examination of the books of " Pistis Sophia" will show that many of the details of the "mysteries" which are there described are based upon ancient ^
;
:
Egyptian
beliefs,
and that the whole of the doctrine of
spiritual
expounded therein only represents a spiritualized conception of the far-reaching character of the powers of the light of the sun upon both the living and the dead, which the dynastic Egyptians recognized and described centuries before the Christian light
which
era.
This was expressed in the terms of a highly
is
artificial
system
wherein words of power, magical names, emanations, ranks of angels, gates, watchers,
mixed up
Much
and purely Christian conceptions were Lord Christ as the central Figure.
together, with the
has yet to be done before
all
the comparisons and connections
between the Eg^^ptian and Christian systems can be fully worked out, but the facts quoted above will, perhaps, suggest the importance of the study.
ci4>ip6\j/rfi^i6Y' ^errer Repumov cox4S.RpixHp' eve<^pr ti^tt^i' 2s.ieicR<^2\JuiHpix' JuteYftmoc- x^P^^' eitT^Mp" jLioYeioYp* cjuioYP" neY^Hp" ooYc^oYc* jumiortop' icoxo ^
Rope-s. ^
(p.
376).
AYHp' RERpcju' Aoponr
HOYffecl>* Hcjuite" coYc|>erf Krfi-
'T0YC0^p6ajcJ>- jui<^YcjurrRr JuirfeYujp'
X^X^'
£T"eujcj>'
xi^xjLUJX'
coYcum
<^rfHJuicI> (p. 376).
^cjux6T"ecxjcl>-
(
282
)
CHAFPER
VII
THE OLDEST COMPANY OF THE GODS AND THE CREATION
IN
the earlier chapters of this of three
work mention has been made
companies of gods, the existence of which was
formulated by the priests of Heliopolis, and
it
has been shown that
a company of gods usually consisted of four pairs of
deities, four
gods and four goddesses, and a president or chief of the same. We have also shown that a jmiit or company of gods did not necessarily contain nine
deities only,
and that
as often as not
it
was supposed to include more than nine gods.
how-
Originally,
Helio-
the
ever,
politan
or
priests,
the authors of the
system
theological
exhibited
the
in
Pyramid Texts, tended the The Oldest Compauy
and
it
of the Gods.
in-
2)(^ut
to
COUsist of uiue gods,
seems that they arrived at this decision as the result
of the addition of their pairs of deities, four
own
local
god
Tem
to a
gods and four goddesses,
group of four
whom
they had
grouped together according to the plan followed by an older school of theologians in forming
company
an older company of the gods.
of the gods last mentioned
is
probably the oldest of
the companies in Egypt, although for various reasons
seems to have attained to the popularity of the " great gods of
Annu," or
it
j>a-?it
all
never of the
to have enjoyed such a prominent position in
the minds of the religious philosophers of Egypt.
be wondered
The
at, for
whilst the Heliopolitan
This
company
is
not to
of the gods
included the Sun-god Ra-Tem, or Rc'i-Tem-Khepera, and Osiris,
THE FIRST EIGHT GODS company
the god of the dead, the older
who
283
consisted of pairs of deities
and faiths, and beliefs, long dead, and the had been which even at that remote period meaning of which had been forgotten. The very gods of the older company had been superseded, and their worship abolished, and represented religious conceptions,
the knowledge of their history and attributes was preserved only the
in
minds of
and religious experts, who probably
priests
regarded the ancient views about these gods which had come down
them
to
men
product of
as the
The
than their own.
civilization
belonging to a lower stage of older
company
of the gods here
referred to have been described as personifications of aspects, or phases,
properties
or
enumerated
primeval matter, and
of
may
be thus
:
000
^""""^
AT
S\
Kekui,
^
Kerh,
^l^i-
^ "T^ ^
w
.
coo
AA/V\/\A
AA/WW
Kekuit,
^\\\'=W^ o
Keehet,
^IZti'
The character of the first pair of gods can be readily determined by the hieroglyphics which form their names thus the ;
TTTTJT AA/WV\
K\
'^'ww.
/H
name Nu,
indicate the sound,
is
^^
and the outstretched heaven, p=^, and the
determinative for water,
show that
this deity
expressed by three vases of water which
aaaaaa
^^^^^^
3,
^
J)
,
was merely
indicate.
in the religious, mythological, is
for
" god,"
all
of which
was the god of the watery mass of the
The goddess Nut, part, as the signs,
and the sign
,
From
his female
sky.
counter-
various passages found
and funereal texts of
all
periods
it
abundantly clear that in primeval times at least the Egyptians
believed in the existence of a deep and boundless watery mass out
which had come into being the heavens, and the earth, and everything that is in them. The germs of all and every kind of of
life
were in
this
watery mass, and they were supposed to have AW^/^A
'
The
old form
is
ODD,
or
(Unas 199, 399), or
^
(Teta 78).
NU AND NUT
284 been there from the
They do not seem
beginning.
have
to
formulated any exact ideas about the position of this watery mass
and they certainly did not attempt
in the sky or heaven,
to
to assign
dimensions which could be expressed by the ordinary methods
it
of measurements
;
identified with the sky, jpet nnt^
Nu
however,
times,
later
in
was frequently
and with the heaven above
^,
it,
though, strictly speaking, he represented the watery
.
mass which was supposed to exist between the two. be noted that the ocean and also the Nile characteristics appear to
Nu, whose
^
It
must
also
were identified with
have changed during the
latter
The name of this god has been compared with the Coptic word rfOYft " abyss," " deep," and the like, and it is possible that it may have some connection with it, part of the dynastic period.
but
it is difiicult
as the late Dr.
to see
how
in that case
it
can mean
'^
The true meaning
Brugsch suggested.^
young," is
much
more likely to be suggested by the play on the words Nu and nen which we have on p. 309 in the passage, " I raised them up from out of the watery mass {nu) out of inactivity" {nen), i.e., Nu was the inert mass of watery matter from which the world was created. Of Nut, the female counterpart of Nu, little need be said was regarded
here, except that she
whom
as the primeval mother, with
were identified several goddesses, Hathor, Mut, Nit, or Neith, and whose attributes were
e.g.,
in later dynastic times
assigned to
Thus he
is
them.
The forms
represented in
in
Nu
which
human form
depicted vary.
is
holding a sceptre
when he
forms one of the company of the gods of Amen, but he represented with the head of a frog, which
is
is
also
surmounted by a
and even with the head of a snake. The goddess Nut is represented in human form, but sometimes she has the head
beetle,^
also
of a uraeus, surmounted
the head of a '
disk,^
and at other times she has
cat.^
Compare Horapollo
o-rjju,atvovT€s,
by a
21
(ed.
ov KaXovaiv AlyvTTTKTTi
Now
I.
Leemans ;
;
p.
attention was
28):
— NctAow
first
drawn
by Tattam. Beligion unci Mytliologk, p. 129. ^
Lanzone, Dizionario,
'
Ibid.,
No
3.
])1.
1G7, No. 2. '
Jhid., pi. 170,
No.
2.
Se
avajSacrtv
to this passage
KEKUI AND KEKUIT The
285
characteristics of the second pair of gods,
^
Hehu,
y r^
§ §
?
According and Hehut, || >> J) ^i'<3 to Signor Lanzone they are personifications of male and female not easy to determine.
?
elements of fire/ and from the ancient pictures of them Ave see that the Egyptian artists regarded
Thus
them from
different points of view.
group of the eight primeval gods
in one
in one of the forms of
Nu,
Hehu
is
represented
frog-headed, already described, and
i.e.,
and in another group Hehu has the head of a serpent, and Hehut that of a cat. According to the late Dr. Brug^sch ^ the name Heh is connected with the word
Hehut
in the
form of Nut
;
^
which indicates an undefined and unlimited number,
when and
applied to time the idea suggested
Heh
equivalent to the Greek
is
by
quoted
who seems
be
to
between
exists
Shu, and
his
Eros,
xlion,
a
and
earth,
with
Pneuma
and
Heh, the atmosphere which
of
and to be
those
with
identical
which were
Greek
in
;
god
a
of
Egyptologist went so far as
distinguished
functions
Mm
In several passages
made
is
heh,
"millions of years,"
alayv.
personification
heaven
that
compare
mention
Brugsch
Dr.
is
i.e.,
systems
exercised of
to
by
philosophy.
In a small scene reproduced by Signor Lanzone* we see the
god Harpocrates in his usual attitude, ^, just above what appears
smaU tree. On the right kneels the goddess Hehut, who is making her outstretched hand and arm a support for the left on the other side hand of the young god which rests upon it kneels Hehu, who is represented in the act of raising or supporting to be a
;
the feet of the god, above whose head are the beetle and disk.
The
^^^ w
characteristics
% ^T^ J
determine, and
,
it
of
the
and Kekuit, is
pair
third
gods,
of
^^ w % ^^ ^ ^
,
are
Kekui,
easier
to
tolerably certain that these deities represent
the male and female powers of the darkness which was supposed to
cover over the primeval abyss of water
by Dr. Brugsch with the Erebos
;
they have been compared
of the Greeks.
In some aspects
they appear to represent both the night and the day, that ^
=*
Lanzone, Bizionario, page 685.
^
Ihid., pi.
Beligion, p. 132.
"
Op.
168
cit., p.
ff.
685.
is
to
KERH AND KERHET
286 say,
Kekui
" raiser
is
up
called " the raiser
of the night."
deities obtained these
the
up
It
of the light,"
not
is
and Kekuit " the
difl&cult to
see
how
these
names, for Kekui represents that period of
night which immediately precedes the day, and Kekuit
is
At
that period of the night which immediately follows the day.
one period Kekui and Kekuit were considered to be gods of Elephantine, and their attributes were identified Avith those of the
Nubian god Khnemu and his female counterpart Sati but this, no doubt, was a result of regarding Kekui and Kekuit as personifications of the Nile-god Hapi, whose hidden fountains lay beneath According to the rocks at some part of the Island of Elephantine. another view the crocodile-god Sebek, one of whose chief seats of worship was at Kom Ombo, was a personification of the old primeval god Kekui, and in any case Sebek was certainly con;
sidered to be one of the principal forms in which the soul of the itself.^
In the scenes in which
company
of the gods are repre-
primeval darkness loved to array the forms of the oldest paut or sented Kekui
usually given the head of a serpent, but Kekuit
is
has the head either of a frog or a
Ka
Kekuit are identified with
In one scene Kekui and
cat.^
and Kait,
former being called the " grandfather of
U
^ \\ ^ \^
'•'''^^
The I
characteristics
.-r-^Si
Jj,
of
the
^
and Kerhet,
fourth
^~^
8
and the texts in some places give quite should expect to find theirs
Nenu,
^
Ka or Kekui has the head of a frog surmounted by a
and Kait or Kekuit the head of a serpent surmounted by a
S
^j *^®
(]()
the gods," and the latter
all
the " grandmother of the divine company," this scene
LJr^,
'^'^'^^
(9
Jj
,
or Nut,
;
,
-^^
beetle,
disk.
Kekh,
gods,
different
names where we
Ni, ()
^^ ^ ^
'
J), are not easy to define,
we have
thus
of
pair
P
Amen,
or
[)
Jj Jj
(I
HHL
,
or
instead
,
AAAAAA
of Kerb,
and Ennit.
(1(1
,
or
Nenuit,
l\
^
'^^^
^
,
or
Nut,
/V>AAAA
^Q,
or Nit,
01^^,
The common meaning Brugsch, Beliylon,
of the
p. 142.
or
word kerh '
is
J},
instead of Kerhet.
" night," and according
Lanzone, op.
cit., pi.
168
ff.
THE FIRST EIGHT GODS to this the deities
287
Kerh and Kerhet would represent the male and
female powers of night; on the other hand, the determinative
which occurs in each name, shows that these gods were regarded personifications of some apparently inactive powers of the
as
primeval watery abyss, and we may, therefore, regard them as types of powers of nature in a state of repose either before or after
In the scenes in which the forms of the oldest
a state of activity.
company
of the gods are represented, Ni, that
the head of a frog, with or without a beetle
a snake, and Ennit, that
is
is
upon
to say, Kerh, has it,
or the head of
to say, Kerhet, has either the
head of a
frog or that of a cat. It
not
is
easy
to
the
reconcile
various
views
which
Egyptologists have held about the above four pairs of deities, and it
certainly appears as
if
the ancient Egyptians themselves had no
As
very clear ideas as to their functions. is
no room
for doubt, for although the
to their antiquity there
oldest pictures of their
forms do not date from a period anterior to the reign of Seti quite clear, from the
way
I.,
it
which they are mentioned, that they represent traditional ideas of an extremely ancient character. is
One proof
of this
in
the careful mention of the female counterparts
is
of the four great primeval gods, for
who were
it
was usual
in the case of gods
the product of the purely dynastic period to pay small
attention to the
Thus Ra and
goddesses
Amen
and Ament,
[1
who were regarded
as
possessed female counterparts called Eat,
a/wwn JO
^
always has fashioned, and probably always
own
a certain stage in
® J)
but they play no prominent parts in
Egyptian mythology, and are rarely mentioned in the or gods, in his
their wives.
will,
texts.
Man
fashion his god,
image, and he has always, having reached
development, given to his gods wives and
but the nature of the position taken by the wives of the gods depends upon the nature of the position of women in the offspring
;
households of those
The gods
who
write the legends and traditions of the gods.
of the oldest
companv
in
Egypt were, the writer
by people in whose households women held a and among whom they possessed more power than is
believes, invented
high position,
usually the case with Oriental peoples.
Nut, Hehut, Kekuit, and
APZU-RISHTU, MUMJNIU-TIAJMAT
288
Kerhet are the equals of the gods Nu, Heh, Kekui, and Kerh, and not merely the bearers of offspring as were the later goddesses.
The general
drift of the
mentioned
are
texts
wherein the four pairs of gods
that
three
indicates
were
pairs
or
qualities,
characteristics, or attributes of the fourth pair personified, although
some would make the four pairs represent the male and female elements of the Four Elements, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, and others would make them stand for the primeval Matter out of which all things have been made, and primeval Space, and exactly what they represent
knowledge impossible,
is
we
say definitely and
in the present state of Egyptological
for the evidence
arrive at a final decision in the matter
Before
To
and primeval Power.
primeval Time,
is
which would enable us
to
not forthcoming.
pass on to the consideration of the events which
resulted in the creation of the sun
and
later of the world, it will be
interesting to
compare with the above four pairs of gods the group
of gods that
we meet with
which are
in the "
Avritten in cuneiform,
Seven Tablets of Creation,"
and contain the views and
^
beliefs
of the Assyrians as to the origin of the gods, and of the world,
The
and of mankind. in these
company
of primeval gods mentioned
Tablets are also eight in number, and they
four
into
old
The
pairs.
first
pair
of
consisted
fall
readily
Apzu -
EiSHTtr,
>-^Ty ^^y *^TIt^ *"^T ^TII^'
^•®"'
*^^ "primeval
*^
*^]<
^X^-
^
MuMMU-TiAMAT,
word mummii
is
t^^yyy
unknown,^ but Tiamat
is
'^^^
the
and
abyss,"
meaning of the
name
of the female
counterpart of Apzu-rishtii, and she became the mother of offspring
by him.
These two
deities, then,
represent the male and female
powers of the watery mass which contained the germs of
and of every kind of " gods none "
no
had been
destinies
^
The
life,
[were
and they existed
called into being,
when
of the
and none bore a name, and
When
ordained]."
" their
waters
were
best copies of the cuneiform texts hitherto issued will be found in the
publication of the Ti'ustees of the British
Babylonian Tablets, part are given in Mr. L.
W.
translations, notes, etc., -
at a time "
all life,
Mummu
xiii.,
Museum,
Loudon, ]901.
entitled Cimeiform Texts
These, with
many
from
additional texts,
King's Seren Tablets of Creation with transliterations,
London, 1902.
(Vol. I.)
= the Mwv/xis of Damascus, and probably means
" chaos."
LAKHMU AND LAKHAMU " mingled together " then the
work
289
of creation began.
We thus
and Mummu-Tiamat are the exact equivalents in the Babylonian cosmogony of Nu and Nut in the Egyptian, and see that Apzu-rishtu
that they are the originals of the Greek forms 'Airaacjv and TavOe,
which are given in the scheme of Damascius. ^ The next pair of gods in the Assyrian texts are Lakhmu,
^y
and Lakhamu, ^^] >-^y {^< >^, but of their nothing, any more than we do of the Egyptian primeval gods Heh and Hehut. The names of the third and ::yyy<
functions
»^,
we know
fourth deities in the
and
^ocxTJ,
list
of
Damascius
(ed.
Kopp,
p.
125) are Jaxos
but these are clearly mistakes for Aaxos and AaxQ,
i.e.,
Lakhmu and Lakhamu. According increased,"^
the First Tablet of the
and
^
Anshak, and
to
then
two
more gods came
i^, and Kishar,
Ki(T(TapYi of
Creation Series " ages
<]^ i^,
>->-y
Now up
Damascius.
into
being,
viz.,
the 'Ja-acopos
i.e.,
to this point the three pairs
of gods of the Assyrians agree exactly with the first three pairs of
gods of the oldest Egyptian company of the gods, and the points of resemblance are striking. We see from the table printed by
Brugsch^ that the Egyptian authorities differed
as to the
names
the god and goddess of the fourth pair of gods, some giving
and Kerhet, others giving
of
Kerh
Amen
Enen and Enenet-hemset, and
and Ament, and others giving others Ni and Ennit all, however, ;
agreed that a fourth pair of deities were necessary to complete the company, and that one must be a god and the other a goddess.
The
First Tablet of the Creation Series mentions a seventh
deity called
Anu,
^y
yf
*:/-,
who
is
clearly to be identified with
the "Avoq of Damascius, and an eighth deity called
Nudimmud,
'^y »/- ^ly *^II4i., which is a title of the god Ea the context which would probably have supplied us with the name of a ninth god is broken away, and at present there is no means of restoring ;
He was
born in Syria, probably at Damascus, in tbe last quarter of the Vth era. He studied at Alexandria and at Athens, and was a pupil of Marinus and Zenodotus, and when Justinian closed the schools at Athens he went ^
century of our
to the court of the Persian king
on "
Fii'st "
Principles"
is
Khusrau
King, Bahrjlonian Religion,
U
(Chosroes).
The
best edition of his
that of Kopp, published in 1828. p. 61.
^
Religion, p. 127.
work
ANU, EA, BEL
290
Both these deities are masculine, whereas one should be masculine and one feminine. In the list of the primeval gods given by Damascius following Kicrcrapr) we have "Avo^;, 'IXXti^o?, and '^ds the first of these is, as we have said, Anu the second the passage.
;
is
the god Enlil, >^]][ t^]]
But
all
;
these are gods, and there
is difficult
which
is
^ ;
and the third is
is
Ea,
tjiyj
]}.
no goddess among them, and
it
not to think that in making the recension of the story
preserved in cuneiform the Assyrian editors substituted
the three gods Anu, Bel, and Ea,
who
represented heaven, and
and the abyss respectively, for those who were in the older The Assyrian copy which we now have was made recension. during the reign of Ashur-bani-pal, king of Assyria from B.C. 668 earth,
presumably from a Babylonian archetype, but it is impossible to say to what period the actual version which it The Seven Tablets of Creation represents is to be assigned. contain several Assyrianized forms of ancient Sumerian words, a to B.C. 626,
which proves that the original traditions incorporated in the work must be of Sumerian origin, and must have been formulated
fact
in remote antiquity.
It is surprising therefore to find so
much
between the primeval gods of Sumer and those of Egypt, especially as the resemblance cannot be the result of borrowing. It is out of the question to assume that Ashur-bani-
similarity existing
borrowed the system from Egypt, or that the literary men of the time of Seti I. borrowed their ideas from the literati of Babylonia or Assyria, and we are therefore driven to the conclusion that both the Sumerians and the early Egyptians derived their pal's editors
primeval gods from some
common but
exceedingly ancient source.
The similarity between the two companies of gods seems to be too close to be accidental, especially as there is every possibility that
Egypt by the same people the country the art of making bricks, the use
the Sumerian system was taken into
who
carried into
and the
of the cylinder
seal,
certain that the
company
like.^
Be
this
as
it
may,
of primeval gods, which, as
it
is
we have
was common to the Sumerians and Egyptians, was quite different from the companies of gods of which Osiris and Ra-Tem were the heads in Egypt, and also from those which Avere formed seen,
1
Sec
my
E(jiji>t
in the
Fredynastic and Archaic Periods, p. 41.
THE PRIMEVAL in Babylonia
SPIRIT
291
and Assyria when these countries were inhabited by
Semitic populations.
Now
the First Tablet of Creation gives us to understand the
clearly that
work
when the waters, or primeval gods, Apzu and Tiamat,
of creation began
essences, of the first pair of
were mingled together, and that the offspring of this union were Lakhmu and Lakhamu, Anshar and Kishar, etc. What the views of the ancient Egyptians on this subject were it is
quite clear from the allusions in
third,
many
we do not know, but
texts that the second,
and fourth pairs of the gods already mentioned were the
offspring of the union of the first pair
were their attributes.
We may
Nu
and Nut,
also conclude that
i.e.,
that they
Nu
and Nut
were the male and female powers of the vast and inert watery mass, with
its
male and female counterparts Ni and Ennit, and
that the second pair of gods, eternal nature.
The
Heh and Hehut,
represented their
third pair of deities are nothing but the male
and female counterparts of Darkness personified, and thus we have as the primeval material from which everything was made an eternal, boundless, watery mass wherein are the germs of
female
;
this
watery mass
is,
life,
male and
however, enveloped in thick darkness.
The late Dr. Brugsch, basing his opinion upon certain statements made in the Egyptian texts, declared that the primeval spirit (Urgeist) felt the desire for creative activity, and that his word awoke the world to life in a form in which it had already been mirrored in his mind, and that the first act of creation began with the formation out of the primeval watery mass of an egg, wherefrom issued the light of day, i.e., Ra, which was the immediate cause of all life in the earthly world.
power
In this
light, that is to say, in the
Rising Sun, the almighty
of the divine spirit incorporated itself in a brilliant form.^
1 "Der gottliche Urgeist, unzertrennlich von dem Urstoff des Urwassers, " f iiKlte das Verlang-en Bach schopferisclier Thatigkeit und sein Wort erweckte die " Welt zum Leben, deren Gestalt nnd formenreiclie Gebilde sich in seinem Auge
" vorher abgespiegelt batten, Ibre korperlicben Umrisse und Farben entspracben " nack ibrer Entstehnng der Wabrbeit d.b. der Urvorstellungen des gottlichen " Geistes iiber sein kiinftiges Werk. Der erste Scbopfungsact begann mit der
" Bildung eines Eies aus
dem
Urgewasser, aus
dem
das Tageslicht (Ra), die un-
"mittelbare Ursacbe (ra) des Lebens in dem Bereiche der irdiscben Welt beii-aus" bracb. In der aufgebenden Sonne verkorperte sicb die Allmacbt des gottlicben " Geistes in ibrer glanzvollsten Gestalt" (Beligion, p, 101),
THOTH AND
292
all
HIS
PAUT
The opinion of the great Egyptologist is of great weight on matters of this kind, but it must be remembered that we have
no authority in the texts for all the details of his narrative of the events which are supposed to have taken place before the appearance of the sun in the heavens, and that for many of the ancient Egyptian views on the subject of the Creation our only authorities are compositions which, in the forms in which we know them, are not older than the period of the end of the Middle Empire and that of the beginning of the
New Empire,
and many of the views
and opinions expressed in them date from the same periods. That the sun was the product of the primeval watery mass of Nu the Egyptians believed beyond doubt, because they declared repeatedly
Ra came forth from Nu, but they make it to be the dwelling-place of that
did not, as far as
we know%
a primeval spirit (Urgeist)
which designed and planned the future world in its mind before it beo:an to create it, and which carried out the various works of creation on the lines which
it
had evolved in
consciousness long
its
before the darkness which lay on the watery mass was pierced
We know that the
the light of the sun.
the
Khemennu
of the Egyptian texts,
by
priesthood of Hermopolis,
i.e.,
the " city of the Eight
Gods," where Nu, Nut, Hehu, Hehut, Kekui, Kekuit, Kerh, and
Kerhet were worshipped, placed
company the god Thoth,
many of the But J;here possessed.
to
whom
at
the
head of their divine
certainly in later times were
which Dr. Brugsch's "Urgeist" is no proof whatsoever that Thoth was the company of gods on the contrary, there is
attributes
ascribed
original leader of this
;
reason for thinking that
the Eight ever had a leader in the
if
beginning of their existence he must have been a form of the
Sun-god.
The
that as the priests of Heliopolis formed
fact is
their companies of gods
placed their
own
of Hermopolis
local
for
from systems already in existence, and
gods at the head of them, so the priests
some
reason
unknown
to
us
primeval company of Eight, and appointed their
Thoth
to be their head.
The attempt
to find
the " spirit of Elohim," which, according to the
moved, or brooded, on the light,
adopted the
own
local
god
any equivalent of
Book
of Genesis,
face of the waters before the creation of
has nothing to support
it
in the Egyptian texts.
PAPYRUS OF NES-AMSU
293
But although we do not know what the primitive Egyptians imagined to be the means by which the Sun came into being, we have a very good idea of what they thought about the creation of the gods, and of the world, and of the animals, birds, trees, reptiles, etc.,
about.
We
which are in
and by wliose agency
it,
owe our knowledge
preserved in the British
Museum
it
fish,
was brought
of these things to
a papyrus
(No. 10,188), which was written
modern Akhmim), of high rank and Nes-Amsu, or Nes-Min, during the thirteenth year
for a priest of Panopolis (the
lineage, called
of the reign of " Alexander, the son of Alexander," B.C.
312.
This
document
remarkable
contains,
i.e.,
about
among
other
valuable compositions, a series of Chapters of a long magical
work
which was written with the object of effecting the destruction of the arch-fiend Apepi and his fiends and devils of darkness, and of keeping storms and hurricanes out of the sky Chapters are followed by rubrics which, as in the description of the
;
we have
many
of the
already shown
Tuat given above, contain directions
for
the performance of the ceremonies which were to accompany the recital of the words.
not
clear,
Where
the Chapters were to be recited
is
but as two out of three works in the papyrus were
chanted in the temple of Amen-Ra, the king of the gods, at Thebes, shall not be far wrong if we assume that the third was a service which was performed in the temple from time to time. The first work, the " Festival Songs of Isis and Nephthys," was a very
we
important service, and the second, the " Lamentations of probably a supplement to
it
;
two
priestesses,
who
Isis,"
was
dressed in the
characters of Isis and Nephthys, and personified these goddesses,
sang the sections, or "houses," of the Festival Songs in turn on the great commemorative festivals of Osiris, and as the "Lamentations" were rhythmical they were probably sung
at
the same
service.
The rubric
of the "Festival Songs " orders that they be sung
in the temple of
Amen-Ra, and
of Overthrowing Apepi,"
as
was devoted
the third work, the
"Book
to the protection of the
Sun-
god Ra, the great lord of the temple, provision must have been made for reciting it there. Be this as it may, our present interest in the papyrus centres in the fact that it contains two copies of
THE CREATION
294 the story
of the Creation which
^
Curiously enough, each copy
identical.
Each copy
is
among
inserted
is
of the work, and
main body
distinct versions, although
of the
are
it
seems
many
in
entitled,
as
greatest interest.
the Chapters in the
they represent two
if
the text in each
places
The Book
"
knowing the The word here
of
Evolutions of Ra, and of Overthrowing Apepi."
rendered by "Evolutions"
from the root
hheioer^
^
is Jche2)eru,
is
"^T^ U^^, being derived
which means "to make, to fashion,
)||,
and in a derived sense " to roll," might be translated the " Book of knowing the
" to produce, to form, to become," so that the title
" Becomings of Ra,"
or
came
in the
i.e.,
the things which were made, or created,
In the text the words are placed
into being through Ra.
mouth
of the
universe and a form of the Sun-god "
came into being
^ 3
god Neb-er-tcher, Ril,
who
,
the lord of the
god Khepera,
in the form of the
am
says, " I
S
he who (I
^^
^
" and I
was the creator of that which came into being, that is to " say, I was the creator of everything which came into being now '' when I had come into being myself, the things which I created " and which came forth from out of my mouth were very many." In these words Neb-er-tcher, or Ra, says that he took upon himself the form of Khepera, i.e., that he was the god who was most ;
intimately connected with the creation of things of every kind.
Khepera was symbolized by a beetle which belonged to the class of " Coprophagi," or " dung- eaters," which having laid its eggs in masses of dung rolled them about until they became circular in These
form.
the germs of
though made of dead, inert matter, contained which, under the influence of warmth and heat,
balls, life,
grew, and in due course developed into living creatures which could
move about and
seek their food.
At a very
early period in
their history the Egyptians associated the sun's disk with the ball of the beetle, partly it
on account of
was the source of heat, and
dung
light,
its
and
dung
shape, and partly because life
to
man, even
as the
Having once got the idea that the disk of the sun was like the ball of the beetle, they went a step farther, and imagined that it must be pushed across the sky ball
^
was to the young
The
first
copy
is
in
column
beetles.
xxvi.
and the second
in
column
xxviii.
THE CREATION
295
by a gigantic beetle just as the dung ball was rolled over the ground by a beetle on earth, and in pictures of the sunrise we actually see the disk being pushed up or forward into the sky by a beetle.
new
new
Gradually the ideas of
life,
resurrection,
life
in a
form, and the like, became attached to the beetle, and the
god with the attributes of the
was included the idea of all
that
among which
in later days
became one of the most and the creator of heaven, and earth,
self-production,
important of the forms of Ra,
and the Tuat and
beetle,
is
in them.
Having declared under what form he had come into being Khepera goes on to say that his power was not exhausted by one creative act, but that he continued to create
new
things out of
those which he had already made, and he says that they went forth
from
his
The word "mouth" may be here a
mouth.
figurative
but judging from other parts of the text we are
expression,
probably intended to understand his narrative thus
:
— " Heaven
" come into being, " creeping things
it
literally.
The god continues
did not exist, and earth had not
and the things of the earth (plants
had not come
?)
and
into existence in that place (or, at
them from out of Nu from Khepera himself was the one thing besides the watery abyss of Nu which was then in existence, and it is evident that we are to understand that he performed the various acts of creation without the help of any female principle, and that Nu had nothing to do with them " that time), and I raised (or, built up) " a state of inactivity."
Thus
it is
clear that
except to supply the primeval matter, the "Urstoff " of Brugsch,
from which inactivity
is
all
The word rendered above by
things were made.
enen.
II
AH'^^"
,
and
it
ought to refer to the
things which Khepera says he raised up out of Nu, in which case
we must understand
that everything in heaven and in earth was at
that time existing in a quiescent state in the watery mass of Ku.
The narrative continues "I found no place there whereon I I worked a charm upon my own heart (or, will), " [and] I laid a foundation in Maa, [and] I made every form (or, " attribute). I was one by myself, [for] I had not emitted from " myself the god Shu, and I had not spit out from myself the goddess :
" could stand.
MAAT AND HOKHINIAH
296 " Tefnut
who worked with me." The by this passage are that Khepera alone was the creator, and that he had no place to stand upon in performing the various acts of creation. The words, Khut-nd em dh-d, here " rendered I worked a charm upon my heart," present difficulty, but this or something very like must be their meaning. things
;
there was no other being
made
clear
The word " perform a
in texts of the
magical
kind generally means " to
or ceremony," and the author of the
rite
story of the creation before us found himself obliged to
make
the
god resort to magical powers
to get himself out of a difficulty
that Khepera worked in some
way and by some means upon
heart or will
is
himself and the
name
f)
Jj
may
and
clear,
as a result
he laid a foundation for
work which he was about
Maa
be read either as
texts of all periods
we
learn
much about
mean
" straightness,
is
From
it is
^^
'=^
^S)
The idea which the text
,
is
was
and that
uprightness,
also
it
came
law,
right,
personification
intended to convey here
laid the foundation of the future
defined,
the
Wisdom
"wisdom"
says
riDDn (a
in Proverbs
that she
was
set
the
;
" Truth."
that Khepera
world according to a
was with Khepera exactly what Hokhmah, Yahweh.
is
of
to
order,
clear, well-
and unalterable plan, wherein there was no error
inadequately rendered
the
clear that the
" regularity, justice," and other significations of like character
goddess Maat,
us
tells
the conceptions which the
straight,"
rectitude,
Khepera
himself.
Egyptians had arrived at concerning Maa, and
word primarily meant ''what
Shu cannot be
or Shu, but
Shu from
The
do in Maa.
to
the reading here because in the next sentence that he had not at that time emitted
his
;
Mad
word somewhat
viii.
2
up from
fF.),
was
to
everlasting,
from the beginning, or ever the earth was, when there were no depths, before the mountains were settled, and before the hills
was she brought forth when
as yet
Yahweh had made
neither the
earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the earth,
and that she was there when he prepared the heavens and placed a circle upon the face of the depth (Proverbs viii. 23 ff.).
The narrative continues "I made a foundation in (or, by) " my own heart, and there came into being multitudes of things, :
TEM, SHE, TEFNUT " of things
" which
from the things of what was produced from the things
they produced."
This sentence is both involved and meaning there is fortunately no difficulty, the writer only makes the god assert in an emphatic manner
redundant, but about for
297
that everything that
its
is
came
into being as a result of the act of
the god in laying a foundation in his
own
and that when
heart,
once the creative processes had been set in motion they continued their operation of their
from
interference
we have
sentence
the
own
accord, apparently without any direct
original
power.
creative
Tem and
the
next
a reference to a curious belief which
current in the Vlth Dynasty, but at that period the god
In
it
was already had reference to
not to Khepera, and occurs with the following con-
— " This
Pepi washeth himself in the Lake of Aaru wherein
"
Ra washeth
himself; Horus hath brought the back of this Pepi,
''
and Thoth hath brought
''
to
text
:
heaven
" departed to " his
member
his legs,
and Shu hath
Annu
to satisfy his love of pleasure
into his hand,
and hath performed
" hath produced the two children " children put Pepi
Shu and
made
is
my
"
embraced
"
own mouth, and
" the gods
to say, " I
shadow
Shu and Tefnut."
he hath thrust
Tefnut,^ and these
two
set
him among the
In the story of the creation
embrace
;
I
from myself
Now
hath
and
had union with
in a love
I sent forth
;
him up
Tem
his desire,
between them, and they
" gods which are in Sekhet-hetepet."
Khepera
lifted
Nut, stretch out thy hand to Pepi.
;
a
myth
my
hand, and I
poured seed into issue in the
my
form of
of this character can
only be the product of a people at a low level of civilization, and it is difficult
who in one him the
to understand the character of the
mind
of an author
sentence helps Khepera out of a difficulty by ascribing
and use of magical powers, and in another reduces him to the necessity of committing an act of masturbation to
possession
in order to begin the generations of the gods,
and yet assigns to
AWV\A I
\
\
^^
AAA/W\
Q
V-A
Vv\
I
APPEARANCE OF RA
298
same time many of the powers which are assigned by The only possible way of accounting Christian nations to God. for this gross passage is to assume either that it was copied into
him
at the
by the scribe simply because he found it in the archetype from which he was working, or that the author, knowing that Shu and Tefnut were held to be the children of Khepeni, and that this god was unaccompanied by
the papyrus of Nesi-Amsu, or Nesi-Min,
any female counterpart, explained the origin of
his children in the
manner described above. But in any case this brutal example of naturalism was not intended to be obscene, and it must be regarded as a survival in literature
of the dynastic period of one of the
coarse habits of the predynastic Egyptians, that
is
to say, of one of
the indigenous African tribes from which dynastic Egyptians were partly descended.
The next
section of the narrative
is diflScult
to translate
and
Khepera puts into the mouth Nu, who says that his eye, i.e., the Sun, was covered up behind Shu and Tefnut, but that after henti periods, explain, for
it
contains words which
of his "father"
P
=*='^S, had
\5
\5
passed^
had become three
he
that
gods instead of one, and after he had come into being in this
Shu and Tefnut were
earth,
up from out
raised
mass wherein they were, and they brought
The general meaning
train.
Khepera was existing
in
his
of the watery
eye in their
of these words seems to be that
Nu by
himself the
sun, in
when
which he
afterwards incorporated himself, was hidden in the watery deep
but as soon as Khepera had produced Shu and Tefnut the sun
emerged from the deep and followed words, itself
we
seen until after
it
,
of
their train.
Nu
was unable
Shu and Tefnut had come
need not tarry to consider gods, and
3
learn that the Eye,
in
all
In other to
into being.
make
We
the various attributes of these twin
will be sufficient to say here that
Shu
represents the
daylight and, in some cases, the atmosphere which supports the
heavens and keeps them above the earth, whilst Tefnut, the female 1
The
hea period
writer does not time.
mean
= 60
years, but
when two such
necessarily 120 years, but
periods are referred to the
some long,
indefinite period of
CREATION OF MAN
299
counterpart of Shu, represents rain, dew, and moisture.
We
have
akeady seen that these twin gods proceeded from Khepera, and the words which are used to express the idea of emission, i.e., dsliesh
\\
^^
-^^"'^
,
"^
and
tef
#^''^
,
indicate
the
by
processes
which they came into being as separate entities. The creation of Shu made a space between the heavens and the earth into which the Eye of Nu could rise from out of the waters and shine, and because the sunlight immediately followed the creation of Shu that god is sometimes identified with light, and is regarded as its personification.
The general
sense of the passage under discussion
makes it necessary to assume that Nu is identified with Khepera, and vice versa. The next passage refers to the creation of man, and the god, presumably Khepera,
says, "
Now
after these things, I united
my
members, and I wept over them, and men and women came into " being from the tears which came forth from my eye." Of this passage there are two interpretations possible. We may either assume that the tears which fell from the Eye of Nu, or Khepera, are the rays of light which fell from the sun, and that men and "
women are the offspring of the light, or what is far more probable, that men and women are the product of the tears of water which fell
from the eye of the god upon
turned into
human
his
beings straightway.
members,^ and that they
Meanwhile the god
Nu
or
Khepera had made another Eye, by which we understand the Moon, and it is said that when the first Eye found that a second had been made it raged at the god now when the god saw this he endowed the second Eye with some of the power (or, splendour) which he had made, and having made it take up are, no doubt, to
;
its
position in his face
this the
it
henceforth ruled the whole earth.
god brought about the creation of
plants,
After
and herbs, and
and creeping things. Finally, the gods Shu and Tefnut produced the gods and goddesses Seb and Nut, Osiris and Isis, Set reptiles,
and Nephthys, and Heru-khent-an-maati, i.e., the " Blind Horus," one after the other at one birth, and these deities multiplied
J
I
1
Q.
I
KHEPERA AND
300
offspring in this earth.
a male god
who
OSIRIS
Thus we have a complete account
Nu
existed alone in the watery abyss of
from himself by unnatural means a pair of
how
one female, and
this pair
how
of
produced
one male and
deities,
produced three other
pairs,
i.e.,
three gods and three goddesses, and one male deity in addition, in
company of the great gods of was made to include ten gods.
fact the ])aut or this instance
Heliopolis, It
which
interesting to
is
note the order in which the acts of creation took place. existent
god who had lived
home
firmament, or
for ever created
of moisture,
i.e.,
:
1.
The
The ManPlants, and
light.
4.
self-
2.
3.
deities,
four
In the second version of the story of creation which
we and we
shall
some interesting variants will be found, that the god Osiris is made to usurp the position which
shall
now see
The
clouds and rain.
The second (?) Eye, i.e., the Moon (?). 5. herbs, and reptiles, and creeping things. 6. Seven being male and three female. kind.
in
describe
version
first
are
:
is
occupied by the god Khepeni.
—Neb-er-tcher
saith,
" I
am
The
in the
ojDening words
the creator of what hath come
" into being, and I myself
came into being under the form of the came into being in primeval time. I came " into being in the form of Khepera, and I was the creator of what " came into being, that is to say, I formed myself out of the " primeval matter, and I formed myself in the primeval matter. ^^^ " My name is Ausares, is " god Khepera, and I
1]
(®
Jj
[I
" primeval matter of primeval matter. " this earth, I
"
(or, lifted
who came with
^S.
(i.e.,
I
Osiris),
have done
have spread abroad therein, and
up)
my
hand."
In this passage
I
[who]
all
my
the
will in
have made strong
we have
Neb-er-tcher,
into being in the form of Khepera, identifying himself
Osiris,
who
_^ ^ 'm^ ^
the source of
all
'
is
5
described as the pautet pautti
i-6.j
1^
\\
the very essence of primeval matter, and
created things.
This
is
a remarkable attribute to
god of the dead, and it is only understandable when we remember that it was a common belief of the Egyptians that life rose out of death. The narrative continues, " I was alone, for "they (i.e., the gods) were not born, and I had emitted from ascribe to the
" myself neither
Shu nor Tefnut.
I
brought
my name
into
my
POWER OF THE NAME "
own mouth,
Mv ^
'
that
Sh
'
is
to say [I uttered
'f'^fi/^rt^,
" the form of things
and
it
I forthwith
as] a
came
301
word
of power,
into being
under
which were created and under the form of
" Khepera."
Here we have an interesting statement,
how he came that he
into being,
existed.
and he
We know
is
how
tells
us
not content with merely saying
its
magical and religious
the believer hoped to obtain
all his desires
utterance of special names, or words, or formulae.
we have
god
from the literature of Egypt how
great a part words of power played in systems, and
for the
by the
Here, however,
the god Osiris transforming himself from the essence of
primeval matter into the active principle of creation by merely uttering his
own name.
The belief in the potency of certain Egypt, and rests upon a still older idea that
names is very old in no creature, animate or inanimate, could be existence until is
it
familiar from Genesis
names
said
to
have an
possessed a name, an idea with which every one ii.
19
f.,
where we read that and
to every beast of the field
Adam
to every fowl of the air,
gave
and
Every god and goddess and supernatural being were believed to possess a hidden name by, and through, and in which he and she lived. The man who could find out these names was to all cattle.
command the help of the gods who bore them, and the man who could obtain by any means a hidden name for himself thought he would be the equal of the gods. On the other hand, to destroy or " blot out " a name was to wipe out of existence the being who bore it, and it was for this reason that in the earliest able to
days of civilization in Egypt
which the name, or names, of the dead were commemorated, and were mentioned with services
laudatory epithets, were established.
in
We may
note in passing
that one of the greatest gifts which was to be given to the true believers of the Church of Pergamos was " a white stone, and in " the stone a
new name
written,
" that receiveth it" (Revelation
which no man knoweth ii.
to the old belief in the ef6.cacy of
its
owner would enjoy
life
he
Here is a direct allusion 17). an amulet which was made of a
certain stone, and inscribed with a name,
which
saving;
by and through and
and happiness.
in
THE CREATION
302
Returning to our narrative we find that the god continues, " I
came
from primeval matter, and
into being
I
appeared under
" the form of multitudes of things from the beginning.
" existed at that
Nothing
who made whatsoever was " made. I was alone, and there was no other being who worked " with me in that place. I made all the forms under which I " appeared by means (or, out of) the god-soul which I raised up " out of
p^ J|,
Nu,
" inert mass)."
that
is,
time, and
In
it
was
I
out of a state of inertness
this passage
a " god-Soul," ^^^ Jj,
we have or, in
new element
a
out of the
introduced,
other words, the Soul which
possessed the quality of neter, and was existent
in a quiescent
When we
watery mass of Nu.
state in the inactive
(or,
consider the
general ideas of the Egyptians about the soul this statement need
not surprise us, for
we know
nature with a soul, and
if
that they
endowed every object
primeval matter they were bound, logically, to give
Thus we have idea which '
'
'
'
'
'
wholly wanting in the
is
found there
Nu) no
in
(i.e.,
my
place wherein I
and
worked a spell on and I made whatsoever was made. foundation in (or, by) my heart, and heart,
I
next read, " I could stand.
I
alone.
I
laid a
the other things
which came into being, and the things of Khepera which were made were manifold, and their ofi'spring came into existence Shu, and (or,
it
was
who emitted
I
the one god)
I
became
three, that
is
who came into being on Shu and Tefnut were raised up from out
gods
Now, behold,
been.
'
bring to
'
[had
'
together
me
passed
(or, I
since]
my
Eye,
It
was
I
who
emitted
Tefnut, and from being one god
this earth
'
'
was
made
I
'
'
a soul.
a foundation before me,
I laid
'
'
We
first.
from the things to which they gave birth.
'
it
in the second version of the story of the creation an
'
'
in
they assumed the existence of a mass of
^^ 3
two other came from myself, and to say, the
of
Nu
(i.e.,
wherein they had
the Sun), did they
brought to them) after a double hen period they went forth from me.
my members
which came forth from
I
gathered
my own
person
after I had union with my hand, and my heart (or will) came unto me from out of my hand. The seed fell into my mouth, and I sent forth from myself the gods Shu and Tefnut, and from
THE CREATION ''
being one god
" the
303
the one god) I became three, that
(or,
to say,
is
m
two other gods who came into being,
" on this earth came from myself, and Shu and Tefnut were raised " up from out of Nu wherein they had been. "
The
repetitions in the above passage are
the scribes possessed
many
due to the
variant readings of portions of
fact that it,
these
representing, no doubt, the opinions of different schools, and the
papyrus of Nes-Amsu, with characteristic reverence incorporated them all into his text. what was written, for The next passage contains a very interesting addition and variant reading, which makes " father " Nu declare that his Eye, i.e., the sun, was covered over with large numbers of " bushes scribe of the
for
an indefinite number of periods, each containing sixty years
now
"bushes," otherwise called "hair,"
is
the
name given
to the
clouds which hang round the sun at sunrise, and obscure his rays,
and
it
seems as
if
the god intends to complain that his sight was
impeded by them
centuries.
for
indicate that vegetation
and
The words following seem to including worms or serpents,
reptiles,
proceeded from the god Rem, and that they were the product of the tears which
fell
from Khepera, but
this rendering is
The vegetation and worms here mentioned
certain.
not wholly
are forms of
mist and cloud which wholly or partially hide the sun, and the line is
probably added to the text to account for the " bushes " of which
" father "
we know
Nu
Of the god Rem, <=> ^.^ ^^= jj the word rem means " to weep," and an
spoke above.
nothing, but as
allusion to "crying or weeping,"
the line in which the
name
<=>
of the
^<^^^ L
god occurs, we
that he was the personification of Ra's tears. in
the Booh
<=:> ^^^
|](1
of
the
jj,
Dead
(Ixxxiii.
who seems
is
4)
contained in
may assume
Mention
of a god
is
called
to have been the Fish-god,
made Remi,
and
to
have been identified in some way with Sebek, the personification of
Nu, but
We
it is
not clear that
Rem and Remi are one and
the same god.
next arrive at the description of the making of man, and
each version of the story of the creation gives a different account.
According to the
first,
Khepera
joined, or united, his
members and
FOUR RACES OF MEN
304
wept upon them, and men and women came into being from these according to the second, Khepera wept with his Eye, and tears ;
men and women came say decidedly which
The
into being forthwith.
older view, but
the
is
It
is
impossible to
it
is
probably the
between the methods employed in creating gods and men must be noted the gods are the seed of Khepera, and they came forth from his mouth, whilst men are only the tears
former.
difference
;
of the god,
makes the is
and they came forth from
tears of
Khepera
upon
to fall
The older version genital organs, and it
his Eye.
his
only after they have been in contact with the god's virility
that they turn into
human
Egyptians
mankind
divided
Aamu,
Egyptians, the the
Book
who
of Pylons
are in the
Egypt and
my Eye (i.e.,
namely,
classes,
the Nehesu, and the
to the " chiefs of Ra,"
the deserts to the South),
in your
name
the Semitic
of
nomad
'
Ye
''
v^
<=>
v\
jj
and
,
(i.e.,
made by M?^i
/
tQ
goddess protected their
this
V^
the Themehu, or Libyans,
^
"^®^®
created
^^^^ i by Horus and Sekhet, and the goddess protected their souls. ;
Nehesu, 1\
the
I
n^ ^
" masturbated for you,
"
who have come
and
forth from
" hath created you,
and
This last statement
is
it
I
in
says,
your name of Nehesu
masturbation with the Negroes, that
1
Horus
who
is
lived
it
;
to say, with the
Horus
i!^^ Q
I'
^
^
dark or
on the banks of the Nile pll. 7
and 6d.
Ul^^¥-mf^q-f /WW\A
" I
connects the idea of
See Bonomi and Sharpe, Sarcophagus of Oimeuejjthah,
/WWSA
Of
he who hath protected their souls."
of interest, for
black-skinned races of Nubia
'
have been content at the millions
me
is
'
Negroes),
*^®
(^•®-'
'
^
were created
tribes of the Eastern Desert),
Y
i
in
|
are the tears
The Aamu,
Men.'""
the
Thus
Themehu.
Tuat of the Black Land and the Red Land
by Horus and Sekhet, souls
four
into
Horus says
^
late dynastic times the
In
beings.
VdT
(^^^^^^ !
lG-20).
THE CREATION
305
we have ah-eady said, Shu and Tefnut is far more
so far south as the Sixth Cataract, and, as
the legend as to the origin of the gods likely to
have been the product of some indigenous dark-skinned
race than of the group of
mixed peoples whom we
call
Egyptians.
It will
be noticed that only the EgyjDtians, or offspring of Ra, are
said to
have been produced by the tears of Ra, which are the same
as the tears of the
Eye
of Horus,
i.e.,
the sun.
According to one version of the story of the creation, men and
women were
created after the gods
Shu and
Tefnut, and before the
plants and reptiles, but according to the other, they were created after the plants
of beasts
and
and
reptiles
;
neither version mentions the creation
A point
cattle.
of interest
is
that
men and women
were not fashioned by Khepera, or Neb-er-tcher, himself, and that they seem to have come into being almost, as
it were, by accident making the gods Khepera showed both will and design, but men and women were only the tears which fell, apparently without volition, from his Eye. But it must also be noted that in both
in
versions of the Egyptian creation legends
it is
Ra
the Sun-god, the
Temu, who is in reality the creator of man, and this is exactly what we find in the Mesopotamian creation legends. After Marduk had defeated Tiamat and her eleven fiends, and had split up her body, like a fish, and made heaven out of one half of
Eye
of
her skin, he conversed with Ea, the lord of the great deep, and
making man, in the following words " My blood will I take, and bone will I build up, and I will make man, that man may and I will build up man who declared his intention of
:
'
'
.
.
.
" shall inhabit [the earth]."
.
;
This very important passage proves
that the statement of Berosus to the effect that of the
blood of Bel,
man was made
Assyrian tradition; unfortunately the cuneiform
1
The
tablet is
^K « ET
ESS
ET
-fclTTl
No. 92,629
!=T
s=Eii
(obv.
I{
W.
text,^
text reads
which was
:—^yy<^t
m [^^ i^vm'^]-< M -^ E3S
^V*^
[
:?F ET
]
da-mi lu-uJc-sur-ma is-si-im-hmi
lu-\iib-ni\
I
[....]
King, The Seven Tablets of Creation,
X
The
5-7).
M ®
lu-ush-ziz-maa amelal^al lu a-me-lu
L.
11.
A4f tm TH- gU
-t^TTYT T^yy TJ T| T^- r^T^T
out
Marduk, was based upon a genuine
i.e.,
lu-tib-ni-ma amelaTa'] a-shib trsitim. vol.
i.,
pp. 86
ff,,
and
vol.
ii.,
pi.
See
xxxv.
THE CREATION OF MAN
306
by Mr. L. W. King,
identified
first
duplicate
inevitable
the
is
shall
probably find the
equivalent of the rest of the story according to Berosus, that the blood of which
man was made was
himself after his head had been cut
when
but
incomplete,
is
found we
who
obtained from Bel
off.
The passage which follows the mention of the creation of Egyptian story
in the
says
refers to the
Eye
of Nu. which,
man
Khepera
says,
he endowed with power or splendour, or with the serpent
hhut,
'^^
which possessed both these
,
P^
raged at him when which,
moon
the " bushes,"
had placed over took up
found " another growth " in
the
apparently,
onslaught upon
it
it
it
to
adorn
it,
is i.e.,
The
whole earth.
and
to,
or to keep order in
it
it
;
Osiris,
and Nephthys, and that their
by
made an
but
finally
and henceforth ruled the
text concludes with the statement that
Tefnut gave birth to Seb, Nut, Isis,
its place,
the light clouds, which Khepera
position in the god's face,
its
in the earth,
referred
The Eye
attributes.
Shu and
Heru-khenti-an-maati, Set,
ofi'spring increase
and multiply
and that they invoke the name of Khepera and
so
overthrow their enemies, and that they create words of power, \
^^ ^
summarize find
§0
'
'
^^<3^6^y they overthrow Apepi.
briefly the results of the
that the Egyptians
two
We may now
versions, and Ave shall
thought that a self-begotten and
existent god lived alone in a primeval watery mass, which itself
was
part male and part female., and which was the abode of two
living powers, the one soul,
self-
and that
this
male and the other female, and
also of a
mass was of unlimited extent, and was eternal,
and was enveloped in thick darkness. The self-existent god, at some unknown time and for some unknown reason, uttered his own name as a word of power, and he straightway came into being under the form of the god Khepera.
He next
roused the soul of
the watery abyss out of inactivity, and then having brought some
by the utterance of he produced some material
influence, probably his heart,
certain words, to bear
upon
place, probably the earth,
whereon he could stand. From this place he produced the gods Shu and Tefnut, which act resulted in the immediate creation of light
and in the dispersion of darkness, and in the formation of the
THE CREATION OF MAN sky or firmament. of
These acts were followed either by the creation
men and women,
or by the creation of vegetation and creeping
things and reptiles of every kind birds
307
and beasts nothing
is
said.
of the creation of stars and of
;
The above statement represents
one of the earliest of the opinions of the Egyptians about the creation
in
its
simplest form, the
one in fact which was
first
adopted by the priests of Heliopolis, and was then modified to suit the theological system which they formulated.
which
it
interlinear
chapter.
was
based
are
transliterations
transcribed
and
into
translations
The
texts
hieroglyphics in
the
on
with
following
308
(
)
CHAPTER
VIII
THE HISTORY OF THE CREATION OF THE GODS AND OF THE WORLD. VERSION A.
a
xxvi. 21. (^
Shed
enti
The Book
of
O
oi
rehh
hheperiL
nu
Bd
knowing
the evolutions
of
Ra,
D D Neh-er-tcher
tchettu
sekher
Apep
[and] of over-
The words of
tchet
[which] he spake
Neb-er-tcher
throwing
kheper
em-khet after
-
nuk
/
he had come into being.
I
kheper
])u
am
-f
he who
came
into being
22.
^r^
em
form of Khepera,
in the
I
was (or, became)
the creator
of
the creator
what came
into
being,
W
ji
kheper
kheperu
kheper
kheper-nd
Kheperd
I
neh
kheperu of what
came
being
into
all;
^
kheper-d
em-khet after
^-^-^
my
coming into being
^11 dsht
many
THE CREATION (3
309
j\
em
hheperu
em
])er
coming forth
[were] the things which came into being
an
re-d
my
from
.^-fu.
Not
mouth.
zl
s:
an
pet
hhe'per
existed heaven,
Ichejper
not
1
qemam
an
ta
had been created
not
existed earth,
^111 satat
and creeping
the things of the earth,
I
thes
-
dm
nd
from a
ran
n
enen state of
Nu
em
Nu
from out of
em
that
in place
I
I
sen
-
up them
I raised
pui
bet
things
plants)
(i.e.,
J em
tchetfet
(i.e.,
/vvvwx
the primeval abyss of water) A/VW
n
dn
qem-nd
bet
J\ dhd-nd
Not
found I
a place
I could stand
inactivity.
w
I ami
I
em
Jchut-nd
wherein.
I
worked a charm
upon
A/VSAAA
(or,
dbt-d
senti-nd
em
Mad
I laid a foundation
in
Maa
heart.
dru
dri-nd
[and] I
made
attribute
nebt
every.
r^:r-i
'f^^
P^l
a
ud-Jcludl
was
my
with)
^
I
I
^
alone,
dn [for]
not
dshesh-nd
had
I spit
em in the
Shu
form of Shu,
an not
THE CREATION
310
em
tef-nd
had I emitted
Tefiiut
Tefnut,^
an
Jcheper
hi
not
existed
another
/vwv AA/WV\
24.
em
senti-nd
liend-d
dri-nef
who worked with me.
I
made
a foundation in (or,
^ hheper
my
heart
D
II
my
own,
Til
mi
hheperu
the multitudes which came of things into being
e
tches-d
by means of my own will)
III
dsht
[and] there came into being
dht-d
hheperu
of the things which came into being
M
I
em
hheperu
nu
mesu
from out of
the things which came
of
births,
em from out of
into being
O nu
hheperu
the things which of
came
I
r\
I
I
AAAAAA
ra
(1
(3
5,
I
I
I
mesu-sen
hat-d
dnuJi
their births.
I,
even
had union
I,
into being
I em
hhefd-d
with
my clenched hand,
Col. xxvii.
1.
em
tatadt-nd I joined
myself in an
with
embrace ^^<^<^^D
hher-nd
hhaihit-d
my
shadow 1
I.e.,
I
I
poured seed
il em into
re-
my mouth
tches-d
my
own,
had not sent forth from my body the emanation which took the form which took the form of Tefnut.
of Shu, nor the moisture
THE CREATION
311 ^
7^
(3
i em
dshesh-nd
T ofnut
e?7z-
in the
an
form of
/S/m
I sent forth moisture
Nu
dtef-d
my
Saith
satet-se7i
"
Nu,
father
Tefnut.
maat-d
I
I
/N /W\AAA AAAAAA
I
I
em-sa-sen
my eye
They make be weak
to
^
^ I
/Vvft/VV\
'i
tefnet-nd
form of Shu,
in the
I sent forth issue
^^ ^
I
|
1
i^
I
\
I
henhenti
tcher
I
I
uaii-sen
behind them, because for double henti
they proceeded
periods
2.
1 em-hhet
er-d
me
from
em
neter
ud
neter
hhemt
from
god
one
gods
three,
Jcheper-d
after
became
I
D
D
^ er-a
that
from out of [and after]
is
em
Ichejper-nd I
came
Izll
s
I
pen
ta
in earth this.
had
Were raised up
into being
myself,
AAAAAA
hi Tdfnut
em
enenu
Shu
[and] Tefnut
in
the inert watery mass
w
A^vVvAA l\
dmi
un-sen
-
f
wherein they were,
i
em
^
I
A/^NAAA
^-AAA/VA
I
^
1
I
I
I
I
I
fJW'.AA
Shu
dref therefore
(^
brought they to
I
I
hhet-sen
in their train.
na
an- sen
em-hhet
dref
After
therefore
I
me
I
maat-d
my
eye
^
sam-nd
dt-d
had united
my members
THE CREATION
312 ^AAAA/^A
/
I
I
sT
I
rem-nd I
wept
-^
over them,
[and] came into being
^
per
em
.
is
Jchet
after
it
]}u
men and women
em
from
Q .^
Jf
khdru-s
my eye,
qemi-s
came
(3
I
reth
maat-d
[which] came forth from
em
me
<=>
^
S=
l-heper
I
the tears
against
^ ^^-^
I
I
her-sen
re77??t
er-d
I
I
I
[and]
it
raged
dri-nd
het
made another
[and] found [that] I had
rvV-AAA
em
dst-s
in
its place.
em
tebi-s
endowed
[I]
it
dru-nd
hliut
with (or,
the power I had made. splendour) which
AAAA/VN
?l dref
selchenti
Having made to approach therefore A
4.
therefore
it
ruleth
o
D
ta
pen
er
earth
this
to
moments
em,
place in
hrd-d
em-hhet
my face,
afterwards
'^i tcher its
-
hher
f
whole extent.
Fall
I
I
en at-sen their
its
—
heq-s
dref
dst-s
(or,
du uahu-sen
upon their plants,
seasons)
^-P
^kJLP
thet-s
dmi-s
with what it hath in taken possession of
it.
tehui-nd I
¥T k per-nd I
it
iWKV\
em
came forth from
endowed
(or, in
the form of)
ucibu
the plants,
THE CREATION <^
^^
I
I
I
»c^
creeping things
m±
hit^.M
mes2i an
Shu Tdfnut
Give birth
Shu [and] Tefnut
Seh Nut
[are] in them.
all
rz
t:zi
lienci
Nut
mesu an
Nut.
Give birth
[Seb] and
Horus-Khent-an-maati,
to Osiris,
I
I
I
I
dm-sen
Her Khent-dn-maa
Asdr
Seb and Nut
'
^ _hf^
nebt
[and] things which came into being
all,
^kP
Ck
,
hheper
neht
tchetfet
w
,
313
I
AV^^A/\
Set
Ast
Set,
Isis,
I
I
Nebt-het
em
Nephthys
from
ud
khat the
c
III
womb,
dshtsen
_M^ em
they give birth
[and] they multiply
in
I
I
I
dm-sen
one after the other
meS'Sen
1
ud
em-sa
I
I
S
I
of them,
/WVWV
ta
pen
earth
this.
THE HISTORY OF THE CREATION OF THE GODS AND OF THE WORLD. VERSION B. xxviii. 20.
^
a Shdt
The Book
ent
of
rekh
knowing
(0
i\
?
kheperu
nu
the evolutions
of
o R Ra
<^ sekher
Apep
tchettu
Neb-er-icher
[and] of over-
Apep.
The words
of Neb-er-tcher.
throwing
tchet-f
He
says
:
THE CREATION
314
(^
kheperu
hheper
kheper-d " I was (or,
the creator of what came into being.
became)
em
kheperii-]c\j.i]d
came
I
into being
e
in
D
kheperu
en
EJieperd
the forms
of
Khepera coming into being
klieper
em
sep tepi
in
primeval time.
(S
kheper-kud I
came
into
em
kliepem
en
Kheperd
kheper-d
in
the forms
of
Khepera.
I
was (or, became)
being
D
I kheper
pu
kheperu
the creator of what
pa-nd
en
came into being, that is to
say, I
produced myself
(E0
I du
pautet
dru-nd
from the primeval matter
em
pautet
from
primeval matter.
©0 pcLutet
[which] I made.
My name e
61
em in
a
^
AA/V\AA
/5a
pen
I
produced myself
ren-d
j:>ft
Ausdres Osiris,
is
22.
pautit
the primeval matter of primeval matter.
^
p)a-na
mertu-d
dri-d I
have done
earth this, [and] I have spread abroad
dm in
will
c=co«a
I
usekht-nd
my
-
it
/
nebt all
/wwv
thes-nd I raised
up
THE CREATION
_1^^
^§?s3
my
hand.
in the
I spit
dn-nd I
a word of power,
iH
and
Not
had
I emitted
came
Tefnut
ren-d
Mieper I,
em Tdfnut
tdf-nd
my own my
even
I,
^ "^
V^
I
born [were] they.
tches-d
'pu
^
,
not
not
dnuh
,
an
form of Shu,
my mouth
I',
mes-sen
dn
hehau
Hil'l
an
em Shu
re-d
brought [into]
^ i
™^
was alone
I
dshesh-nd
had
^
a udu-hud
tet-d
315
pit
name,
that
([
Jt
I
to say,
em
nd
-
into being
^ M
is
in the
form
^-^
hhe^per-hud
em
kheperu
en
Kheperd
of things which and I came came into being, into being
in
the forms
of
Khepera.
hheperu
'®l?i ir^
hheper-nd I
came
into being
dsht [in]
multitudes
em
pautti
from
the primeval matter,
coming into
bein^
em
tep-a
dn
klieper
of forms
from
the beginning.
Not
existed
_Mi^
hheperu
neht
em
created things
any
in
I
Icheper
Jcheperu
^
(3
£:i
I
S ta
AAAAAA
i!
pen
dri-nd
land this
;
I
made
W
1
1
dri
whatsoever was made
THE CREATION
316
^
P6
24.
„%^-'
1
udu-Tcl^id^
Tie^^
everything.
was
I
M
.
alone,
an
Jiheper
not
existed
(2
en dru-nef
hi
[any other]
who worked
w
J hend-d
with
me
em
bet
put
in
place
that
Jcheperu-d
art-
I
made
what
made
I
w
w
I em
dmi
by means
therein
piii
thes-nd
that
[which] I raised up
ha divine soul
of
w
AAAAAA AA/VUVN
Nu
ami
em
therein
out of
^
Nu
(i.e., the primeval abyss of water)
em
enen
an
from
a state of
not
inertness, /WW
w
2=1
J
qemi-na
found
bet
25.
^ w db-d
in
my heart,
ami
hhut-nd
a place whereon I could stand. I worked with the spirit [which] was
I
em
I
J\ ^ dhd-nd
<^
^ nd
senti
W
w
em hrd-d
I laid a foundation before me,
an
dri-nd I
made
whatsoever
was made
nebt all.
senti-nd
udu-k\_ud'] I
I
^ w
I
was alone,
I laid
em
a foundation in
db-d
(jemam-na
my heart,
I
made
^^. Jci
Jiheperu
other things which came into being,
dsht
hlieperu
and manifold were the things which came into being
nu
Klteperd.
of
Khepera
THE CREATION rtiPiP.T, an
hheper
Came
mesu-sen
k ^TMi
?
em
nu
what they gave out
into
317
Jcheperu
m^
I
I
I
mesu-sen
of the creations of
their offspring,
birth to
beinsr
AA/WV\
dnuk pu even
1,
em Shu
dshesh-iid
in the form of Shu,
spat
I,
w^
.0^
tdf-nd
I
[and]
I
emitted
k
II
!!^
Isil
"
em Tdfnut
kheper-nd
em
neter
ud
neter
hhemt
Tefnut,
[and] I became
from
god
one
gods
three,
that
to say,
is
ir
had
dref
Were raised up
therefore
_S% r-^-^ unen-sen dmi I
I
I
I
fen
ta
from myself two gods came into being on earth
Iz^l
T^CCC^
em
hheperiut
er-d
jpu
Shu
dn
I
ill
my
[js^
eye
Ku
the primeval watery abyss) in
j\
(i.e.,
'n
I
dn-nd
maat-d
Behold,
Nu
em
Tdfnut
o
^^^
^
^
Shu and Tefnut
,w3ws
1
wherein they were.
(.^fi^^ ^
P
this.
brought to
^C^^ ^
I
I
I
sefi
me
I'.
I
they
1
em-hhet
henti
uau-sen
er-d
in the train of
a henti period,
they proceeded
from me.
sam-nd em I collected
dt-d
per-sen
my members,
they came forth
dmi
tches-d
from myself
em-hhet after
THE CREATION
318
w ra
t:^
em
hat-nd
hliejd-d
my
with
had union
I
^\ i-nd
came
clenched hand,
to
me
(?)
® =u)
em
db-d
my heart (or, will) n
I
\v
out of
my
^-/^
I
r-rr-i
dada
fet-d
The seed
hand.
Col. xxix.
1.
l
7'e-d
dshesh-nd
my mouth,
I spat
^
R
em
Jcher
[which]
into
fell
(3
em Shu
tdf-nd
in the form of Shu, I emitted water
<^=^
1 e??i
em
neter
ud
neteru
from
[being] god
one
gods
hhefer-nd
Tdfnut
intheformofTefnut,
I
became
1
(2 I
I
pu
hhemt three,
1
3S
that
is
er-d
earth
had
this.
Were
raised
Shu
dref
up
A/\AAAA
W I
Nu
(i.e.,
I
I
I
unen-sen
A"'W
from out of
Tdfnut
Shu and Tefnut
therefore
AAA/W\ (^ AAAA/NA
em
on
Mr
-HI
AA/>AA^
t'm
two gods came into being
from myself
to say,
pen
ta
kheperiut
the inert
1
4
ami
an
wherein they were,
Saith
primeval watery abyss)
1
The paragraph beginning
(]
/VAA/Wl
is
^^^
J)
"^
i
I
and
ending with
I
repeated, apparently by inadvertence, in the papyrus.
;^fe AA/V\A\
I
I
I
I
I
THE CREATION (3 AAAAAA
3.
W
Nu
dtef-d
my
A uahu
Sep sen
[with] bushes,
twice,
Will
/www
ktP
^
c^
_B^
\YJ.
maat-d
my
eye
I
I
I
I
sen
them
after
UU
^5=^0
J^ Jl
1
.B?^
/
iL{
\
I
Rem the god
III
uabu
hen periods.
for
[came] from
I
em-sa
lientiu
em
reptiles
I
I
I
made weak]
_Hi^
hefi
I
''They covered up
Nu,
father
fJCiii
ati-sen
[or,
and
319
Rem,
Vegetation
_B^
_B^
em
rem-th
from
the tears
O ha
er-d [falling]
from me.
maat-d
en
Cried
my
hheper
ret
came into being mankind.
eye,
D
pu
fehu-nd I
endowed
sii
em
khut
it
with
power.
hhdru-nes
em-Jchet after
^
i-s it
came
[finding] another
en
Fell
uahu the bushes
^P
ten-ten-s its
vigorous power
tehui-nd
at
growth
within
me
ic^P
crz2
em khennu
ret
Jcet
>WWAA AAAAAA
Jcher
raged
It
w
er-d
en dst-s
its place.
^^
f]^J^^,P
?
du
uahu-s
her
upon
dm
[which] I placed there to
its
bushes,
se-ndd
make adornment
upon
dm-s in
it.
THE CREATION
320
§\ ^ w
S'
ic^P
Tl
dst-s
hrd-d
dref
hlienti
Ruling therefore [on]
Shu
mes en
its
seat in
Gave birth Shu [and] Tefnut
it
ta
1
/
to Nut, Osiris, Heru-khenti-an-maati,
flNP
Ast
Neht-het
dn
Set,
Isis,
Nephthys,
[and] behold,
^
I
I
mesu-sen
6. I
-
Asdr Heru-lchenti-dn-maati
Set
^
tcher
ruleth the whole earth.
i^i T.l
n I
heq-nes
my face
Nut
Tdfnut
Zl
their children
^=K
s
I
qemam-sen
hheperu
dsht
em
ta
they create
beings
manifold
in
earth
D ©
4>,
pen
em
kheperii
nu
this
from
the heinous
of
INP
hheperu
nu
the beings
of
fi I
I
I
I
their children.
They invoke
I
n
I
ren-a
shent-sen
^
em
mesu
children, from
mesu-sen
®
(3
1
I
my
name.
they overthrow
U
''''^^^
I
Icheft-sen
their enemies.
the overthrow of Apep,
A^AAAA
I
hehau
en
they create
words of power
for
e
Apep
e
I
I
qemam-sen
7.
i sehher
seJcher-sen
du-f
who
^
©
her
sau
is
to be
X—
bound
«§» /I
J] I
her
ddui
by the two hands
THE CREATION /VV\A/VN
\\
I
671
AJcer
an
un
of
Aker,
not
may be
ddui his
-
may he be chained (2
im
md
his
two feet,
I
I
I
setchebu-f
one place even as inflicteth Ra
his blows
ud
Jm
^
W du
utu-nef
He
decreed for him. ^^>^
-/
retui
l^oJl'
^
dst
to
AVS/SAA
an
Rd
en
f
f
/v/V\AAA
two hands, not may be
i satet
-
321
<^
sefcfiev'tuf sekhev'tuf is
overthrown
tier her
on
sati-f sati-J
his
back
Cr£l
pui
til
wicked,
1
Q.
I
senpu slit is
q^
hrd-f
her
his face
for
dri-nef
what he hath done,
w I meni sib
and he remaineth
(
322
)
CHAPTER IX
THE SUN-GOD,
RA,
RA
name which was given by
the
is
creator of everything
world around
visible
heaven
itself,
therein
;
us,
and of the gods
the original meaning of his it
rd indicated " operative
proper name
of the
we
idea as
it
is
unknown, but
at one
and creative power," and that
as a
represented in meaning something like " Creator,"
much in term when
use the
worship of the sun in
have been universal
;
the same
applied
Egypt
is
things
therein.
him was
hawk-god Heru, who was the personi-
a type and symbol of the sun. is
The
extremely ancient and appears to
fication of the " height " of heaven, and
% ^?
all
way and with the same to God Almighty, the
at a very early period adoration of
associated with that of the
"^
in heaven, as well as of
name
Creator of heaven and earth and of
§
which we see in the
seems to have been thought that the
this epithet being used
Heru,
the Egyptians
and of the Tuat or underworld and the beings
period of Egyptian history
word
HIS FORMS
dynastic period to the god of the sun, Avho was regarded
maker and
as the
AND
""^Oi),
who appears
The worship
to have been
of the hawk-god
the oldest in Egypt, and, strictly speaking,
he should have been discussed before Ra, but as Ra and the personifications of his various forms are the greatest of the gods of
the Egyptians, he must be regarded as the true " father of the
myths which grew up round him must be considered before those of Horus. The god Ra is usually depicted with the body of a man and the head of a hawk, gods," and his attributes, and the
but sometimes he
is
represented in the form of a
head he wears his symbol, ^,
i.e.,
hawk
;
on his
the disk of the sun encircled by
BOATS OF THE SUN the serpent
Ichut,
When
made.
he has a
in his right hand, his tunic
men
'^^
which mention has already been
P^, of
human body he
and a
sceptre,
hangs down the
tail,
323
|,
holds the
in his
which
emblem of
life, ¥",
and from the
left,
belt of
a survival of the dress of
is
and probably later. Viewed from a practical point of view Ra was the oldest of all the gods of Egypt, and the first act of creation was the appearance of his disk above in predynastic times,
the waters of the world-ocean
with his
;
first rising
but no attempt was ever made to say when,
i.e.,
how
time began, long ago, his
took place. When the Egyptians said that a certain had been in existence " since the time of Ra " it was equivalent to saying that it had existed for ever.
first rising
thino-
^
The Egyptians, knowing that the sun was a difficulty in
assuming that
the watery mass wherein
assumed that
first
—
half of
was brought its
The morning boat i.e.,
these
setting sun.^
and they, therefore,
are
1
was
of the sun
^1^^
v\
the sky was thought
called Matet,
,
i.e.,
and the
followed in his journey across
to have been defined
who was
and there
is
of
"becoming:
at
creation
by the
the personification of the conceptions
of rectitude, straightness, law, order, unfailing regularity, like,
passed
it
appropriate names for the rising
The course which Ra
goddess called Maat,
that
"becoming strong," and the name
the eveninff boat was Semktet,
weak";
forth,
journey over the waters in a boat,
course in one boat, and over the second
its
Q^lj^,
:>
rose directly into the sky from out of
as a matter of fact they believed
half in another.
^.
it
must make
it
or boats, and
over the
it
found a
fire,
no doubt that
it
and the
was the regular and unfailing
appearance of the sun each morning, as
much
as its light
and heat,
which struck wonder into primitive man, and made him worship the sun.
In passing through the Tuat, or underworld, at night
Ra was supposed
to be obliged to leave his boat at certain places,
and to make use of
by
others, including
the body of a serpent
O
.^
a
;
^.
even one which was formed
according to one opinion he changed his
2
See Unas,
1.
292.
MYTHOLOGICAL FISH
324
boat every hour during the day and night, but the oldest belief of
him two boats only. journey by a number of gods, whose the boat, and in helping it to make all
Ra was accompanied on
assigned to
his
duties consisted in navigating
a successful passage from the
eastern part of the sky to the place where the
god entered the
Tuat; the course was set by Thoth and his female counterpart Maat, and these stood one on each side of Horus, who acted as the steersman and apparently as captain also. Before the boat of Ra, one on each
side,
swam
the two pilot fishes called Abtu,
^
J ^^,
and
But, judging from the religious
Ant, (]^^<&<, respectively.^
and mythological texts which have come down to us, not all the power of Ra himself, nor that of the gods Avho were with him, could ward off the attacks of certain fiends and monsters which endeavoured to obstruct the passage of his boat.
among such were
Chief
Sebau,
p
JH^mh,
g-^^, and
serpent Apep,
the
and Nak,
I]
-^3:^
»h, and
of these the
In dynastic times Apep was
greatest and most wicked was Apep.
a personification of the darkness of the darkest hour of the night, against which Ra must not only fight, but fight successfully before
morning but originally he was the thick darkness which enveloped the watery abyss of Ku, and which formed such a serious obstacle to the sun when he was rise in the east in the
he could
making
his
way out
;
of the inert mass from which he proceeded to
In the Booh of the Dead he is frequently mentioned,^ but rather from a moral than a physical point of view. Thus in the xxxixth Chapter the deceased says " Get thee back, the
rise
first
time.
:
" Fiend
before
darts
the
of his
beams.
" thy words, the gods have turned thy face
" (Maftet,
^'^^^O),
'*
Scorpion goddess,
"
Maat hath sent
^ W^
§
,
torn
Dead.
thee;
fall
{Papyrus of Ami,
1
Boole of
2
See the Vocabulary to
my
open
hath cast
forth thy destruction.
"ways have overthrown flic
hath
Chaiyters of
Ra hath overthrown backwards, the Lynx thy
fetters
the
breast,
upon
thee,
and
Those who are in the
down and
Apep,
depart,
pi. 1, line 15.)
Coming Forth by Day, under Apep
(p. 61).
RA AND APEP Enemy
" thou
A
of Ra."
little
" have brought fetters to thee,
325
further on the deceased says
Ra, and
Apep hath
:
" I
fallen because
" thou hast
drawn them tight. The gods of the South, and of the West and of the East have fastened chains upon and they have fastened him with fetters the god
" North, of the " him,
;
" Rekes
(^^rVf)
"
(I^
"
Enemy
'^
^^
ffil
overthrown
liath
'^) ^^*^ P^* ^^^
thou
" back.
^^
and
god
the
Hertit
Apep, thou
chains.
of Ra, thou shalt never partake of the delights of love,
" thou shalt never fulfil thy desire ''
him,
!
He maketh
thee to go back,
who art hateful to Ra he looketh upon thee, He pierceth thy head, he slitteth up thy face, he ;
" thy head
where
its
bones join and
"bones are smashed in " and the god
Aker
pieces,
it is
"^^
3)
divideth
crushed in thy land, thy
thy members are hacked
(
get thee
off thee,
hath passed sentence of doom
" upon thee."
From
the
''
Books
of
Overthrowing
Apep,"
^
we
obtain
further information as to the destruction of the monster, and
we
work was recited daily in the temple of Amen-Ra The first Book was divided into Chapters, which were
find, that this
at Thebes. entitled: defiling
—
Chapter of spitting upon Apep.
1.
Apep with
smite Apep.
4.
the
left foot.
The following Books
6.
of
Chapter of taking a lance to
Chapter of fettering Apep.
a knife to smite Apep.
5.
Chapter of putting
Chapter of taking fire
upon Apep.
describe with great minuteness the details of
the destruction which was to
on to a wearisome degree is
3.
Chapter
2.
;
fall
upon Apep, and they are
insisted
according to these the monster, which
referred to at one time as a crocodile and
at
another as a
to be speared, then gashed with knives, and every body having been separated by red-hot knives, and his head, and legs, and tail, etc., having been cut ofi', his remains were
serpent,
is first
bone of
his
and singed, and roasted, and finally shrivelled up and consumed by fire. The same fate was to come upon Apep's confederates, and everything which formed parts of him and of to be scorched,
them,
i.e.,
their shadows, souls,
1
See Archaeologia,
vol. Hi.
doubles, and spirits, were to be {The Papyrus of Nesi-Amsu).
NAMES OF APEP
326
wiped out of existence, including any offspring which they might Not content with reciting the words of power which possess.
would have the effect of destroying Apep and his fiends, great care was taken to perform various ceremonies of a magical character, which were supposed to benefit not only Ra, but those who
Apep was both crafty and evil-doing, to destroy him it was and like Ra, he possessed many names name by which he was and every him by each necessary to curse known. To make quite sure that this should be done effectively worshipped him on earth.
;
the Papyrus of Nesi-Amsu adds a
many
are the foundation of
papyri
they
Hau-hra.
4.
Hemhemti.
Amam.
9.
Hem-taiu.
8.
Kenememti. Unti.
17.
SEBA.
20.
13.
of the magical
enumerated:
here
are
of such names, and as they
list
Sheta.
Nesht.
1.
Qettu.
5.
Serem-taui.
11.
2.
25. Iubau.
28. SaU.
27.
3.
Iubani.
Sekhem-hra.
15.
26. Uai.
7.
Khermuti.
Karau-anememti. 18. Khesef-hra. Khak-ab. 21. Khan-ru .... UAA.
Am. 24. Turrupa(?) FOUR TIMES WICKED.
in later
Tutu.
Qerneru.
6.
Saatet-ta.
10. 14,
—
names met with
12.
16.
19.
Seba-ent-
22.
Nil.
23.
Kharubu, the
29. BeTESHU.^
In the Egyptian texts we have at present no account of the
.
MT^- «-^T^- M^^-T*^-
.-
9.
^^-
t
WV.
10.
'^tk^'^^-
12-
'^
|11J
13.
_
>^
,
"«#^.
,,.
«
11.
14-
W
20.
"^,'^^.
til.
t'^
wm '^~^WB^
23.
_^^^. 24.^^-^.
29.
AA
(2
^^.
See
my
paper in ArchaeoJoyla,
vol.
Aj\rv\r^
^25.
lii.,
22.
(j(je-;^<2?|.
pp. 202-204.
26.
RA AND APEP
327
which took place between Ra and Apep, but it is clear from Books of Overthrowing Apep " that such a thing must have occurred, and that the means employed by the first fight
several passages in the "
Sun-god
for destroying his foe
resembled those made use of by
Marduk in slaying Tiamat. The original of the Assyrian story undoubtedly of Sumerian origin, and must be very old, and it
is is
probable that both the Egyptians and the Sumerians derived their versions from a is
common
armed with the
source.
In the Assyrian version^ Marduk
invincible club which the gods gave him, and
with a bow, spear, net, and dagger
and
fierce
fire
filled
his
;
the lightning was before him,
body, and the four-fold wind and the
wind went with him. Marduk grasped the thunderbolt and then mounted his chariot, drawn by four swift and fiery horses which had been trained to beat down under their feet everything which came in their way. "When he came to the place where Tiamat was, Kingu, whom she had set over her forces, trembled and was afraid, but Tiamat "stood firm with unbent neck." After an exchange of words of abuse the fight began, and Tiamat pronounced her spell, which, however, had no effect, for Marduk caught her in his net, and drove the winds which he had with him into her body, and whilst her belly was thus distended he thrust his spear into her, and stabbed her to the heart, and cut through her bowels, and crushed her skull with his club. On her body he seven-fold
split it " like a flat fish into
took his stand, and with his knife he
two halves," and of one of these he made a covering
With
heavens.
the
exception of the
Assyrian account of the fight has texts
its
last,
every detail of the
equivalent in the Egyptian
An
which concern Ra and Apepi.
for the
allusion to the fight
is
found in the apocryphal work of " Bel and the Dragon," wherein
we
are told that both the
Babylon
god and the monster were worshipped
in
but the narrative says that the dragon was destroyed by lumps of pitch, and fat, and hair seethed together, and means of that these having been pushed into the creature's mouth he burst asunder.
;
In Egyptian papyri Apep
is
always represented in the
form of a serpent, in each undulation of which a knife
1
See King, Babylonian Beligion, p. 71
fE.
is
stuck,
THE CITY OF THE SUN
328 •^^; in the
"Book
we
of the Gates" (see above p. 197)
fastened by the neck with a chain (along which
scorpion goddess Serqet}, the end of which
is
him
see
stretched the
is
in the hands of a
god, and also chained to the ground by five chains. It has already been said that Ra was the " father of the gods,"
and we find that as early as the Vth Dynasty a female counterpart, who was the mother of the gods, was assigned to him. This goddess
is
called in the text of
times her
Unas
is
and in
,
later
appears to have been " Rat of the two lands, the
title
—
" lady of heaven, mistress of the gods," she
®
253) Rat,
(1.
'"
f=^
^
n
also called " Mistress of Heliopolis."
Her
111'
name
full
was,
^ JJ, i.e., "Rat of the world." She is a woman who wears on her head a disk
<=?='
perhaps, Rat-taiut,
depicted in the form of
with horns and a uraeus, and sometimes there are two feathers
above the disk is
the attributes of the goddess are unknown, but
^ ;
it
not likely that she was considered to be more important than
any other great goddess. The home and centre of the worship of Ra dynastic times was the
Egyptians,
On by
meht, i.e.,
Annu of Annu of the i.e.,
It
or
Virgin
Mary
is
said to
in the
it
Hermonthis.
Christians great store was set upon the
which grew there, and
lies
oil
as
Annu
Annu Qemau, Among the early
made from
the trees
have washed the garments of her Son
Ra bathed each day
origin and beginnings of the worship of
B.C.
its
five
from
Ra
at Heliopolis
quite certain that under the
;
the
at sunrise
in a certain lake or pool which was in the neighbourhood.
it is
;
famous " Fountain of the Sun " the
ancient Egyptians also believed that
nothing, but
the
about
was generally known
the North, to distinguish
South,"
An by
by the Greeks
which
village of Matariyeh,
miles to the north-east of Cairo.
Egypt during
Annu, [1^, or
the Hebrews, and Heliopolis
marked by the
site is
city called
in
Of the
we know
Vth Dynasty, about
3350, the priests of Rfi had settled themselves there, and that
they had
obtained great power at that remote
1
See Lanzone, op.
cit., pi.
186, Nos. 1-4.
period.
The
RA WORSHIP
329
evidence derived from the Westcar Papyrus
king of the Vth Dynasty, was the high-priest of Ra,
ka-f, the first
and that he was the possessed
A
name
—
Up
A name
1.
add " son of the Sun
first to
Egyptian monarchs. :
to
that time
title
"son of the Sun,"
second cartouche, and
to the titles of
as the descendant or servant of Horus.
North and South, I \^
of
"
a king seems to have
as the descendant or servant of Set.
3.
^£.
of the shrines of Nekhebet and TJatchit, of the
indicates that User-
^
A
4.
2.
name
as lord
A name
as king
User-ka-f, however, introduced the
.
^^,
which was always followed by a
was adopted by every succeeding king of Egypt. According to the Westcar Papyrus User-ka-f and his two immediate successors Sahu-Ra and Kakaa were the sons of the god Ra by Rut-tetet, the wife of a priest of the god Ra of Sakhabu, [q]
I
^-^
J|y> ©
goddesses
Isis,
Khnemu, and
j
it
these
were
brought
the
into
world
by
the
Nephthys, Meskhenet, and Heqet, and by the god it
was decreed by them that the three boys should
be sovereigns of Egypt. This legend
is
of importance, not only as showing the order
of the succession of the first three kings of the also because
it
believed themselves to be the
it is
of Ra,
sons
chronological tradition affirms that
and
the
Ra had once
Sun-god.
All
ruled over Egypt,
a remarkable fact that every possessor of the throne of
Egypt was proved by some means or other
Ra
Vth D3masty, but
proves that in the early Empire the kings of Egypt
flowing in his veins, or to hold
Ra by
it
to have the blood of
because he was connected
The bas-reliefs of Queen Hatshepset at Der al-Bahari, and those of Amen-hetep III. at Luxor, and those of Cleopatra VII. in the temple at Erment (now destroyed, alas!) describe the process by which Ra or Amen-Ra became the father of the kings and queens of Egypt. From these we see that whenever the divine blood needed replenishing the god took upon
with
marriage.
himself the form of the reigning king of Egypt, and that he visited
the queen in her chamber and became the actual father of the child
who was subsequently born ^
to her.
When
See Brman, Westcar Papyrua^
the child was born
p]. ix. ft.
it
RA AND
330
was regarded
as a
RA-TEJM
god incarnate, and in due course was presented,
with appropriate ceremonies, to
and
this
god accepted
it
Ra
Amen-Ra,
or
and acknowledged
it
clever priestly device gave the priests of land, but their theocratic rule
in his temple,
to be his child.
Ra
This
great power in the
was not always the best
for
Egypt,
and on one occasion they brought about the downfall of a dynasty.
The
power
to
first rise
Ra
of the priests of
took place at the
beginning of the Vth Dynasty, when the cult of
About the time
dominant in the land.
number
of Userkaf
which united the chief
of shrines,
i.e.,
Arabic name of
its
"bench," and of the pyramid, /\
honour of the god
;
find that a
characteristics of the
low rectangular tomb commonly known by mastaha,
Ra became
we
were built in
,
but, according to Prof. Sethe, the
^
custom of
building such only lasted for about one hundred years, the reign of Userkaf to that of Men-kau-Heru. the priesthood of Heliopolis succeeded in
Be
making
i.e.,
from
this as it
may,
their worship of
Ra
to supersede generally that of almost every other
and
in absorbing all the local gods of importance
the
Originally
Ra and
god of the
local
throughout the
wherein they gave them
country into their theological system, positions subordinate to those of
god of Egypt,
company of gods. city was Tem, who was his
worshipped there in a special temple, but they united his attributes to those of 1.
222).
of
Ra
B.C.
Ra and formed
With the
declined,
the double god Ra-Tem,
close of the
and
O
^^^ (Unas,
Vlth Dynasty the power of the
was not until the reign of Usertsen
it
I.,
priests
about
2433, that the sanctuary at Heliopolis Avas rebuilt, or perhaps
entirely refounded. built there to
This king dedicated the temple which he
Ra and
to
two forms of
this god,
Horus and Temu,
who were supposed to be incarnate in the famous Bull of Mnevis, which was worshipped at Heliopolis as Apis was worshipped at
Memphis.
up two massive granite high, the pyramidions of which were covered
In front of the temple he
obelisks, each 66 feet
with copper; these were the XTIth and the 1
XXth
still
in
situ
Dynasties
set
about a.d. 1200.
we hear
little
See an interesting paper on this subject by Sethe in
1889, p. Ill
ff. (i>,'e
IleillgtMl uer des Be' hn alten Eeich).
BetAveen
of Heliopolis, but Ae
HELIOPOLIS
331
a further restoration of the temple buildings took place under
who set apart large revenues for the maintenance of worship of Ra and the dignity of his priests and servants.
Rameses the
When
III.,
Egypt,
invaded
Piankhi
about
capture of Memphis, going by
Heliopolis after the
mountain of Kher-aha,
^ CH^©,
^^^^
certain ceremonial ablutions in the
"Lake
he
visited
way
of the
750,
B.C.
and he performed
of cold water,"
s
fO,
wherein Ra was wont
to
I
and washed "
wash
his face in the " milk of
his face ;"
^
this "
Lake
Nu
" is clearly
which we have already mentioned. At a place called Shai-qa-em-Annu
^
(A
the fountain of the sun
he " made great offerings
Sha-qa-em-Amen to Ra at sunrise, viz., white oxen, milk, dnti unguent, incense, and sweet-smelling woods, and then he passed into the temple of Ra, which he entered bowing low in at
The
adoration to the god.
r|j
kher heb priest,
chief
®
'^
up prayer on behalf of the king, that he might be able to repulse his enemies, and then having performed the ceremony
offered
connected with the
Star-room,'
'
he took the seteb girdle,
,
,
and purified himself with incense, and poured out a
when one brought
to
Het-Benbenet,^ r J
up the to see
him the
|.
J
steps [leading to] the
Ra
'
He
pushed back the
bolt,
and he saw
tabernacle],
made adoration rising sun),
and
setting sun).
to the
He took
AAAAAA
r\
^
I
"
AAAAAA
AA'WVN
I
(Stele of
^
I.e.,
^ (^ ^ >—
PiankH,
tojDJ
^^
nrzj
,
by
there
he opened the doors [of the
his father
Ra
He
Het-Benbenet.
in
Matet Boat of Ra
(i.e.,
the boat of the
Tem
(i.e.,
the boat of the
then dreAV close the doors again, and having
affixed thereto the clay for a seal he
1
"^^ I
stood [on the
to the Sektet boat of
He
in the
the flowers and went
great tabernacle,'
in Het-Benbenet.
himself, he
up
flowers which are offered
/vwwn
libation,
ra
r\
V\ ^^HW 1.
,---—~^ A^yVW\
A/VVW\
AAAAAA
I
I
^^
/WWNA
stamped
^-^
nnn AAAAAA /W^ysA
n I
I
102).
the shrine or holy of holies of the temple of
Rm..
it
with the seal of A^AAAA Q ,^A/vW\ A/VW\A
Q ^
<;:^> '
^
,Q,
] I
^
•
HELIOPOLIS
332
He
" the king himself.
then admonished the priests [saying],
'
I
" have set [my] seal here, let no other king enter herein [or] stand " here.' And they cast themselves on their bellies before his " majesty, saying,
May Horus who loveth Annu and may he never come to an
(Heliopolis) be
'
and stable, end.' And the " king went into the Temple of Tem, and he performed all the " ceremonies and service connected with the worship of father " firm
" Tem-Khepera,
From
^^^
the above
|
S
it is
'
^
^^® prince of Annu."
|
Ra were
certain that the sacred boats of
kept in a sort of wooden tabernacle with two doors,
^|
could be fastened by a bolt, and from what of these boats
it is
we know from
,
that
I
I
pictures
equally certain that the Matet boat contained a
hawk-headed figure of Ra, and that the Sektet boat contained a man-headed figure of Ra. The text says that the tabernacle, "^^ trzD, was situated on the top of a flight of steps, and this is I
what we should expect, for we know that the support was intended to represent the high ground in or near the city of Khemennu,
—
z: II
AftAAAA
.C\
x\®
^
whereon Ra established himself on
(Hermopolis),
when he proceeded pillars of Shu were set
the day
fi'om the
the
up.
high ground - -
^^^
is
nn
\\
called "
^
Qaqa
^ ©.
in
watery abyss of Nu, before
In the Book of
Khemennu,"
During
the
a
period
the
Dead
^^ a ^^ of
the
this '^^-^
Persian
invasion the prosperity of the priesthood of Heliopolis declined,
Ptolemy 11. (b.c. 285247) many of its members found an asylum at Alexandria, Avhere A their reputation for learning caused them to be welcomed. visited Solon, Thales, and Plato all the great tradition says college at Heliopolis, and that the last-named actually studied there, and
and
it is
said that later, during the reign of
that Manetho, the priest of Sebennytus, Avho Avrote a history of
Egypt
in
Greek
for
Ptolemy
II.,
library of the priesthood of Ra.
collected his
Some
materials in the
time, however, before the
Christian era, the temple buildings were in ruins, and the glory of
had departed, and it was frequented only by those who went there to carry away stone or anything else which would be Heliopolis
useful in building or farming operations.
CULT OF HELIOPOLIS We
333
have now to consider briefly Avhat was the nature of the
was
which
doctrine
the
distinguishing
teaching of the priests of HeliopoHs.
claimed the absolute sovereignty of
made him
the head of every
deny divinity
older
the
to
In the
Ra among
company deities
characteristic
the priests of
Ra
so often
place
the
it
pro-
the gods, and
of the gods, but
of the
authorities for the Heliopolitan doctrine are
which allusion has
first
of
it
it
did not
The chief the Pyramid Texts, to country.
been made, and from these we see that
displayed great ingenuity and tact in absorbing
into their form of religion all the older cults of Egypt, together
with their magical
and ceremonies.
rites
attempt to abolish the
old,
Apparently they did not
indigenous gods
;
on the contrary, they
allowed their cults to be continued, provided that the local priest-
hoods would make their gods subordinate to
and
Rii.
Thus
Osiris
and their companion gods, were absorbed into the great company of the gods of Heliopolis, and the theological system of the priests of Osiris was mixed with that of the priests of Ra.^ Isis,
Nothing
known
is
of the origin of Osiris worship, but the god
himself and the ceremonies which accompanied the celebration of his festivals suggest that
in Egypt.
who as
The
he was known to the predynastic dwellers
belief in the efficacy of worship of the
Man-god,
rose from the dead, and established himself in the underworld
judge and king, was indelibly impressed on the minds of the
Egyptians at a very early period, and although the idea of a
heaven of material delights which was promised to the followers of Osiris did not, probably,
commend
itself in all particulars to
imaginations of the refined and cultured folk of Egypt, tacitly accepted as true
religious inheritance
hand, the priests of
way
and was regarded
by the majority of the
Ra
it
the
was
as a portion of their
people.
On
the other
declared that the souls of the blessed
made
and that if they succeeded No upon it their eternal happiness was assured. fiends could vex and no foes assail them successfully, so long as they had their seat in the " Boat of Millions of Years; " they lived upon the food on which the gods lived, and that food was light. They were apparelled in light, and they were embraced by the god of light. They passed with Ra in his boat through all the dangers their
after death to the boat of Ra,
in alighting
334
CULT OF HELIOPOLIS
of the Tuat, and
when
to
wander about
the god rose each morning they were free
heaven or to
in
visit their old familiar habitations
on earth, always however taking care to resume their places in the boat before nightfall, at which time evil spirits had great power to injure,
and perhaps even
slay, the
to
souls of those
who had
failed to arrive safely in the boat.
But although the the priests of
supported by queens
who
priests of
Amen-Ra under all
Ra under
the Early Empire, and
the Middle and
New
Empires, were
the power and authority of the greatest kings and
ever sat upon the throne of Egypt, in their proclama-
tion of a heaven,
which was of a
far
more
spiritual character than
that of Osiris, they never succeeded in obliterating the belief in
from the minds of the great bulk of the population in Egypt. The material side of the Egyptian character refused to be weaned from the idea of a Field of Peace, which was situated near the Osiris
Field of Reeds and the Field of the Grasshoppers,^ where wheat
and barley grew in abundance, and where a man would possess a vine, and fig trees, and date palms, and be waited upon by his father and his mother, and where he would enjoy an existence
more comfortable than that which he led upon this earth. The doctrine of a realm of light, where the meat, and drink, and raiment were light, and the idea of becoming a being of light, and
among
of passing eternity
creatures of light did not satisfy him.
The result of all this was to create a perpetual contest between the two great priesthoods of Egypt, namely, those of Ra and Osiris in the end the doctrine of Osiris prevailed, and the attributes of the Sun-god were ascribed to him.
In considering the struggle
which went on between the followers of Ra and Osiris it is difficult not to think that there was some strong reason for the resistance
Ra met with from the Egyptians generally, the doctrine of Ra contained something which
Avhich the priests of
and
was
it
seems as
if
entirely foreign
to
Heliopolis appears always to
and
its
made
situation
travellers passing
n
The city of mixed population, have contained a of the
the ideas
it
people.
a very convenient halting-place
from Arabia and Syria into Egypt and
5s^
N^
^v V
^^'
'
(•^''"^'' 'i^'^'^
-Dcat/,
cxxv. 19).
for ince
HYMNS TO RA versa;
it is,
335
then, most probable that the doctrine of
Ra
as taught
was a mixture of Egyptian and by Western Asiatic doctrines, and that it was the Asiatic element in It could not have been sunit which the Egyptians resisted. worship which they disliked, for they had been sun-Avorshippers the priests of Heliopolis
from time immemorial. The above paragraphs contain concerning the worships of deducible
fairly
from
statement
a
Ra and
Osiris
extant
religious
the
of
the
facts
which appear to be literature
the
of
hymns to these gods declare the attributes which were assigned to them during the most flourishing period of Egyptian history. More hymns were adEgyptians, but
it
is
time to
the
let
dressed to these two than to any other gods, a fact which proves that they were considered to be the chief means of salvation for
The following hymns Hunefer, and Ani, and Nekht
the Egyptians.
^
are taken from the Papyri of
:
Homage to thee, thou who art Ra when thou risest, and Temu when thou settest. Thou risest, thou risest, thou shinest, " thou shinest, thou who art crowned king of the gods. Thou art "
"
" the lord of heaven, thou art the lord of earth " creator of those
who
" dwell in the depths.
;
thou art the
dwell in the heights and of those
Thou
art the
God One who
didst
who come
" into being in the beginning of time. Thou didst create the earth, " thou didst fashion man, thou didst make the watery abyss of the " sky, thou "
didst
form Hapi (the
watery abyss, and thou dost give
"Thou
Nile), life
thou didst create the
unto
all
that therein
is.
made mankind come into being, thou hast made Worshipped be thou whom Maat
hast knit together the mountains, thou hast
" and the beasts of the field to
"the heavens and the earth. " embraceth at morn and at eve.
Thou
dost travel across the sky
the Lake of Testes becometh The serpent-fiend Nak hath fallen, and his " two arms are cut off. The Sektet boat receiveth fair winds, and " the heart of him that is in the shrine thereof rejoiceth. Thou art " crowned prince of heaven, and thou art the One dowered [with
"with heart swelling with joy; " contented thereat.
1
See
my
Chajpters of
Coming Forth ly Day (Translation), pp.
8, 36.
HYMNS TO RA
336 "
all
"
word when uttered must come
attributes]
who comest
forth
" thou heir of everlastingness,
" didst give thyself birth
Ra
from the sky.
is
he whose
thou divine Youth,
to pass.
thou self-begotten one, thou who
thou One, thou mighty [one] of King of the world, Prince of Annu eternity and ruler of everlastingness, the 1
" myriad forms and aspects, " (Heliopolis), lord of "
company
"sailest across
"boat."
when thou thou who art
of the gods rejoice
the sky,
" day
exalted in the
(From the Papyrus of Hunefer, sheet
" Hail, thou Disk, thou lord of rays,
by day
!
Homage
to thee,
" Khepera, the self-created
;
who
on the horizon
who
^'
''
"
when they behold
art the
god
on the horizon and
risest
upon the lands
of the
" of the South, thou art beautiful, yea beautiful, and
"
Sektet
1.)
risest
Heru-khuti,
when thou
" sheddest thy beams of light
and when thou
rises t
North and
all
the gods
King of heaven. The goddess Nebt-unnut is stablished upon thy head and her uraei of the South and of the North are upon thy brow she taketh up her The god Thoth is stablished in the bows of place before thee. rejoice
thee, the
;
;
" thy boat to destroy utterly all thy foes.
Those who are in the
and they bow
"
Tuat come forth
"
come towards thee to behold thy beautiful form. And I have come before thee that I may be with thee to behold thy Disk every day. May I not be shut up in [the tomb], may I not be turned back, may the members of my body be made new when I
" ' '
"
to
meet
thee,
" view thy beauties, even as [are those of] ^'
because I
am
one of those
who worship j^ed
all
in
homage
as they
thy favoured ones,
thee
upon
earth.
May
" I come in unto the land of eternity, may I come even unto the " everlasting land, for behold, my lord, this hast thou ordained " for me.
"
Homage
to thee,
thou Avho
risest in the
horizon as Ra,
Thou upon law unchangeable and unalterable. "passest over the sky, and every face watcheth thee and thy " course, for thou hast been hidden from their gaze. Thou dost " show thyself at dawn and at eventide day by day. The Sektet " boat, wherein is thy Majesty, goeth forth with light thy beams " are upon all faces the [number] of thy red and yellow rays " cannot be known, nor can thy bright beams be told. The lands " thou restest
;
;
HYMN TO RA
337
" of the gods, and the lands of Punt must be seen, ere that which " is hidden [in thee] may be measured. Alone and by thyself thou " dost manifest thyself when thou comest into being above Nu.
May I advance, even as thou dost advance may I never cease to " go forward as thou never ceasest to go forward, even though it be " for a moment ; for with strides thou dost in one little moment "
;
" pass over the spaces which would need millions and millions of " years [for men to pass over this] thou doest and then thou dost ;
" sink to rest.
Thou
puttest an end to the hours of the night, and
" thou dost count them, even thou
"
own appointed
season,
thou endest them in thine
and the earth becometh
" settest thyself therefore before thy "
;
Thou
light.
handiwork in the likeness of
Ra [when] thou risest on the horizon. " Thou art crowned with the majesty
" mouldest thy limbs as thou dost advance,
of thy beauties
thou
;
and thou bringest them
" forth without birth-pangs in the form of Ra, as thou dost rise " up into the upper air. Grant thou that I may come unto the
" heaven which
is
May
" thy favoured ones. " holy
and
perfect,
" forth with
and into the mountain where dwell
everlasting,
them
who
I
be joined unto those shining beings,
are in the Underworld
" in the west, and "
when thou shinest at Thou dost place thyself
my
two hands are
[raised] in adoration of thee
Behold, thou art when thou settest as a living being. maker of eternity, and thou art adored when thou settest in I have given
"heavens. "
come
I
to behold thy beauties
" eventide and goest to thy mother Nu.
"
and may
;
my
thou who
risest
the
heart unto thee without wavering,
A
thou who art mightier than the gods.
" thee,
the
hymn
of praise to
Uke unto gold, and who dost
flood the
"world with light on the day of thy birth. Thy mother giveth " thee birth, and thou dost give light unto the course of the Disk. "
thou great Light, who shinest in the heavens, thou dost
" strengthen the generations of " dost
cause
"temples. " thou
gladness in
all
lands,
the Mle-flood, and thou
and in
all cities,
makest strong thy Double with divine
make z
and
in all
Thou art glorious by reason of thy splendours, and
" mighty one of victories, thou " dost
men with
who
art the
Power
strong thy throne against evil fiends
;
foods.
of Powers,
who
thou
who
art glorious
HYMN TO RA
338
who
mighty " in the Atet boat, make thou me glorious through words which "when spoken must take effect in the UnderAvorld; and grant thou
" in majesty in the Sektet boat, and
may
" that in the nether world I
art exceedingly
be without
I
evil.
pray thee to
may be one of thy my faults behind thee " loyal servants who are with the shining ones may I be joined "unto the souls which are in Ta-tchesertet, and may I journey " put
;
grant thou that
I
;
" into the Sekhet-Aaru
by a prosperous and happy decree." (From
the Papyrus of Ani, sheet 20 f.) " Homage to thee, thou glorious "
dowered with
all attributes,
peoples.
all
thou who art
Tem-Heru-khuti, when thou
" in the horizon of heaven, a cry of joy
"the mouth of
being,
cometh forth
risest
to thee
from
thou beautiful being, thou dost
renew thyself in thy season in the form of the Disk within thy " mother Hathor therefore in every place every heart swelleth " with joy at thy rising for ever. The regions of the North and "
;
" South
come
to thee with
homage, and send forth acclamations at thou illuminest the two
" thy rising in the horizon of heaven " lands with rays of turquoise light.
;
Ra, thou
who
art
Heru-
"khuti, the divine man-child, the heir of eternity, self-begotten " and self-born, king of earth, prince of the Tuat, governor of " the regions of Aukert thou comest forth from the water, thou " hast sprung from the god Nu, who cherisheth thee and ordereth ;
" thy members.
thou god of
life,
thou lord of
love, all
men
live
"when thou shinest; thou art crowned king of the gods. The " goddess Nut doeth homage unto thee, and Maat embraceth thee "at all times. Those who are in thy following sing unto thee " with joy and bow down their foreheads to the earth when they " meet thee, thou lord of heaven, thou lord of earth, thou king of " Right and Truth, thou lord of eternity, thou prince of ever" lastingness, thou sovereign of all the gods, thou god of life, thou
" creator of eternity, thou maker of heaven wherein thou art firmly " established. " " o-lad
The company
when
it
of the gods rejoice at thy rising, the earth
beholdeth thy rays
;
is
the peoples that have been
" long dead come forth with cries of joy to see thy beauties every " day. Thou goest forth each day over heaven and earth and art
THE PRAISES OF RA 'made
Thou
day by thy mother Nut.
each
strong
339 passest
'
through the heights of heaven, thy heart swelleth with joy
'
the
'
fallen,
Lake
is
Ra
and The Serpent-fiend hath
content thereat.
arms are hewn
his
off,
;
the knife hath cut asunder his
by Maat the beautiful. The Sektet boat cometh into port the South and the North, the draweth on and
'joints. '
of Testes
liveth
;
'West
the East turn to
and
'
substance of the earth
'
accord.
who
praise
didst
come
and Nephthys salute
Isis
thou primeval
thee,
into being of thine
thee,
own
they sing unto thee
'
songs of joy at thy rising in the boat, they protect thee with their
'
hands.
'
praise thee.
The
souls of the East follow thee, the souls of the
Thou
art the ruler of all the gods,
West and thou hast
'joy of heart within thy shrine, for the serpent fiend
'been condemned to the
fire,
and thy heart
Nak
hath
shall be joyful for
(From the Papyrus of NekJit, sheet 21.) Even more instructive, however, than these are the Seventy-
'ever."
Ra which are found inscribed on the walls of royal XlXth and XXth Dynasties at Thebes. In these we
five Praises of
tombs of the
enumerated a large number of most remarkable epithets and attributes, some idea of the meaning of which will be gathered
find
from the following rendering 1.
" Praise be to thee,
:
Ra, exalted Sekhem,^ lord of the hidden
" circles [of the Tuat], bringer of forms, thou restest in secret " places and makest thy creations in the form of the god Tamt " 2.
f
c=^5i
3
"^^
,
i.e.,
" Praise be to thee, "
(S <=>
(][)
" the Tuat,
{)?
the universal god).
Ra, exalted Sekhem, thou creative force
who
spreadest out thy wings,
who makest
who
the created things which
restest in
come
forth
" from his divine limbs, 3.
Ra, exalted Sekhem, Ta-thenen, begetter
" Praise be to thee, " of his gods.
Thou
art
he who protecteth what
is
in him,
and
" thou makest thy creations as Governer of thy Circle. 4.
" Praise be to thee, " earth,
Ra, exalted
and brightener of Amenti.
1
Literally,
Sekhem, looker on the Thou art he whose forms
"Power."
THE PRAISES OF RA
340 v^
i)
:
own
are his
creations,
and thou makest thy
" creations in thy Great Disk. 5.
" Praise be to thee,
Ra, exalted Sekhem, the Word-soul,
" that resteth on his high
Thou
place.
" tecteth thy hidden spirits ("^s v^ " in thee. 6.
he who pro-
art
^^^ they have form
')'
Ra, exalted Sekhem, mighty one, bold of
" Praise be to thee,
" face, the knitter together of his body. " gathereth together thy gods
when thou
Thou
art
he who
goest into thy hidden
" Circle. 7.
" Praise be to thee,
Ra, exalted Sekhem.
" thine Eye, and dost speak to thy head,
Thou
and dost give breath
" to the souls in their places, and they receive ''
8.
it
and have
their forms in him.
" Praise be to thee,
" enemies
9.
dost call to
Ra, exalted Sekhem, destroyer of thy
thou art he who doth decree destruction for the
;
Ra, exalted Sekhem, the sender forth
" Praise be to thee,
" of light
into
his
Circle
thou art he who maketh the
;
" darkness to be in his Circle and thou coverest those
who
are
" therein." 10.
" Praise
Ra, exalted Sekhem, the illuminer
be to thee,
" of bodies in the horizons
;
thou art he who entereth into
" his Circle. 11. " Praise
" of the Circles of
12.
Ament
" Praise be to thee, *'of ''
13.
Ra, exalted Sekhem, support
be to thee,
Anpu
Khepera
°
((1
(^
life
is
thou art indeed the body of
'^^)i
<=> (|
^)
t^ou
" Praise
Temu
art
indeed
the
body of
Ra, exalted Sekhem, whose duration of
greater than that of her whose forms are hidden
be
to
)
.
" thou art indeed the bodies of 14.
M /\
Ra, exalted Sekhem, the hidden support
" Praise be to thee,
"
;
(
thee,
Ra,
Shu
(nsz:
exalted
][
;
M\.
Sekhem, the guide
THE PRAISES OF RA "
(r J h4
^
^^^^)
" bodies of Tefnut 15. " Praise
^^
^-^
^ ^)
(,^__
be to thee,
thou art indeed the
;
.
Sekhem thou dost make which are of Ra in their seasons,
Ra, exalted
"to be abundant the things " and thou art indeed Seb 16.
members
*^ ^^^
341
(^^ J
;
r^)
•
Ra, exalted Sekhem, the mighty one "Praise be to thee, " who doth keep count of the things which are in him thou ;
*'
art indeed the bodies of Nut.
17. " Praise
" advancest 18.
;
thou art indeed
"Praise be to thee, " shineth
Isis
j
Jj j
(
Ra,
Sekhem, whose head
exalted
more than the things which are
in front of '^
" thou art indeed the bodies of Nephthys (TT 19.
who
gathereth together
" indeed the bodies of Horus 20. " Praise be to thee,
"
who
" art indeed the bodies of
"
(
^^ rjj)
all
upon the waters
Nu
Jj
(
he in
is
thou art
of heaven
thou
;
)
Nu
Ra, exalted Sekhem, the avenger of
him
forth from
what
" bodies of the
god Remi
(^^^f]f|^^).
22. " Praise be to thee,
who bear
;
.
•
who Cometh
" Uraei
seed
him
Ra, exalted Sekhem, thou shining one
dost send forth light
21. " Praise be to thee,
3)
Ra, exalted Sekhem, united
"Praise be to thee, " members, One,
who
Ra, exalted Sekhem, the lord
be to thee,
is
in
Sekhem
Ra, exalted
their
thou art the two
;
two feathers [on their heads]; thou
" indeed the bodies of the 23. " Praise be to thee,
thou art indeed the
;
god Huaaiti (|
Ra, exalted
-f)
Sekhem
'^'^ ^^ ;
art
'^
V^)'
thou goest in
"
and comest out and thou comest out and goest in to thy " hidden Circle, and thou art indeed the bodies of Aatu
24. " Praise be to thee,
Ra, exalted
" departeth at his appointed time
O
25. " Praise be to thee,
;
Sekhem, the Soul who
thou art indeed the bodies
).
Ra, exalted Sekhem,
who
standeth up,
THE PRAISES OF RA
342
" the Soul One, ''
who avengeth
his children
thou art indeed
;
(^ \ZA)'
the bodies of Netuti
26. " Praise be to thee,
Ra, exalted Sekhem thou raisest thy " head and thou makest bold thy brow, thou ram, mightiest ;
" of created things. 27. " Praise be to thee,
" the head of ''of
Ament
Ra, exalted Sekhem, the light of "^
Akert
(h
^^^ "
)
5
Shu
at
thou art indeed the bodies
).
(()
28. " Praise be to thee, Ra, exalted Sekhem, the soul that " seeth, the governor of Ament thou art indeed the bodies ;
''
(^ ^ ^ ^
of the double Circle
29. " Praise
be
to
" the
Soul
"
^^ ^
^<=>
Ra,
thee,
fjfl
'^^^ ^)'^
Sekhem
exalted
and
mourneth,
that
).
the
god
thou art
;
that
crieth
^^^^ ^^* indeed the bodies of
"Aakebi((j^^J(]^^|).
^
30. " Praise be to thee,
Ra, exalted
Sekhem thou makest thy ;
"
hand
"'
the bodies of the god of hidden limbs (u
to pass
and
praisest thine Eye,
31. " Praise be to thee,
Ra, exalted
Sekhem
" exalted in the double hidden place " indeed Khenti-Amenti 32. " Praise
be
to
(w
'^^^
;
^)-
thou art the Soul
;
^
(
) :
thou art
thou art indeed the bodies of
Jj).
Ra, exalted Sekhem
" thine enemies in their strong fetters, " bodies of Mati
(?
exalted Sekhem, of manifold
Ra,
thee,
33. " Praise be to thee,
|
'
(l^J = %,t^J)-
" creations in the holy house
" the god Kheprer
and thou art indeed
and thou
;
thou placest art indeed the
(|()^^)-
34. " Praise be to thee,
Ra, exalted Sekhem
;
thou givest forth
" light in the hidden place, and thou art the bodies of the " of generation 35.
'^^
(
"Praise be to thee, ''
vivifier of bodies
;
nji
god
r'=ifij|j.
Ra, exalted Sekhem; thou art the
thou makest throats to inhale breath, and
THE PRAISES OF RA
348
thou art indeed the bodies of the god Tebati
36.
Praise be to thee,
Sekhem
Ka, exalted
;
(cr^i^
^ ^^^
thou assemblest
bodies in the Tuat, and they gain the form of
life,
thou
destroyest foul humours, and thou art indeed the bodies of
thegodSerqi 37.
Praise
(^()(]y).
be to thee,
exalted
Ra,
art indeed the bodies of Shai 38.
(^l^ng;);
S««l^«-N«tt«rt
(STI)'
Sekhem, Hidden-face
(
M^T
thou
'^ M ^ r^).
Ra, exalted Sekhem, lord of might
Praise be to thee,
thou embracest the Tuat and thou art indeed the bodies of
Sekhen-Ba ("i" 39.
"i^ J).
o^
Ra, exalted Sekhem
Praise be to thee,
body
which
in that
bodies of 40.
il
is
Amen-khat
(f]
"
|
who
of the Fire-god Rekhi
42.
thou sendest
;
fire
and thou art indeed the bodies
(^ I
fjfj
Q,
;
thou sendest forth
and thou makest beings to come into existence
in thy creations in the Tuat,
Tuati
•
j
^)Ra, exalted Sekhem
Praise be to thee, destruction,
"^ "^ ^ ^ )
are in his following
in the house of destruction,
41.
thou hidest thy
Ra, exalted Sekhem, more strong of
Praise be to thee,
heart than those
;
within thee, and thou art indeed the
and thou
art the bodies of
L\^i)-
Praise be to thee,
Ra, exalted Sekhem, Bua-tep
W))' governor of his
Eye; thou sendest
(
J
r^^^
-
forth light into
the hidden place, and thou art indeed the body of Shepi
43.
Praise
be to
stablisher of
Ra, exalted
thee,
Amta
-\U
'"
M)
;
Sekhem, Temt-hatu,
thou art indeed the bodies
(J\
of Temt-hatu 44.
(g||;^|).
Praise be to thee,
Ra, exalted Sekhem, creator of hidden
THE PRAISES OF RA
344
" things, generator of bodies
(m
" the god Seshetai
45. " Praise be to thee,
" those Avho are " hidden Circles,
(]l)
thou art indeed the bodies of
;
^).
Sekhem thou providest Tuat with what they need in the
Ra, exalted
in the
;
and thou art indeed Aper-ta (A
46. " Praise be to thee,
exalted
Pta,
Sekhem
;
" ^_^
3j.
thy limbs rejoice
'^ ""^ ^ "i^ 3\
"
when they
see thy body,
"
when thou
enterest thy body, and thou art indeed the bodies
Uash-Ba (-^
"ofHaid^jlj). 47. " Praise be to thee,
"pupil
(^2n|)
Ra, exalted Sekhem, aged one of the °^ *^^ Utchat, Bai
" makest
full
"Thenti
(^;y).
thy splendour, and thou art indeed the bodies of
48. " Praise be to thee, •'
straight
ways
" hidden place,
Rfi,
exalted
in the Tuat,
Ra, exalted
Sekhem
who mo vest onwards, and thou
" thou art indeed the bodies of 50. " Praise
Sekhem
;
thou makest
and openest up roads in the
and thou art indeed the bodies
49. " Praise be to thee,
"
(^()()^); thou
be to thee,
;
of
Maa-uat
thou art the Soul
hastenest thy steps, and
Akhpa
(u
n
4 'f^)*
Ra, exalted Sekhem
;
thou sendest
" forth thy stars
" Circles
and thou ilium inest the darkness in the of those whose forms are hidden, and thou art indeed
" the god Hetchiu 51. "Praise be to
(|\\^^)-
thee,
Ra, exalted Sekhem;
thou art the
"
maker of the Circles, thou makest bodies to come into being by thine own creative vigour. Thou, Ra, hast created " the things which exist, and the things which do not exist, "
"the dead
(
n, and the gods, and the spirits;
" indeed the body that " into being.
maketh Khati ("^
^^
thou art
v^) ^^
come
THE PRAISES OF RA 52. " Praise
be to thee,
Sekhem
Ra, exalted
"doubly hidden and
secret
(™|®
god
345 ;
thou art the
fj"']']^)' and
who
" the souls go where thou leadest them, and those " thee thou makest to enter in
53. " Praise be to thee,
" lock of hair on thee " the god Uben. 54. " Praise
Aged One
"
whom
of forms
.
.
.
^^ .
;
Sekhem
thou art Uben-
;
Ament, and the
who
light of the
thou art indeed the bodies of
Ra, exalted Sekhem
be to thee,
"
thou art indeed the bodies of
;
Ra, exalted
"An (^ J'XX^I^)
follow
;
thou art the
dost go about through the Tuat, to
the souls in their Circles ascribe praises
" art indeed the bodies of Then-aru
aa^
-c2>-
(
;
"^ In
and thou i
rv) )•
55. " Praise
Ra, exalted Sekhem ; when thou dost be to thee, " unite thyself to the Beautiful Ament, the gods of the Tuat " rejoice at the sight of thee ; thou art indeed the bodies of
"Aai(l)_.J£j). 56.
"Praise be to thee, Ra, exalted Sekhem; thou art the " Great Cat, the avenger of the gods, and the judge of words, " and the president of the sovereign chiefs (or, assessors), and " the governor of the holy Circle
" of the Great Cat (| 57. " Praise be to thee,
tj
;
^ |^ ^
thou art indeed the bodies |)-
Ra, exalted Sekhem;
when thou
fillest
" thine eye, and speakest to the pupil thereof, the divine dead " bodies shed tears thou art indeed the bodies of Metu;
"khut-f(l^l^^^l). 58. " Praise be to thee, Ra, exalted Sekhem thou art the Soul " on high and thy bodies are hidden thou sendest forth the " light, and thou lookest upon thy hidden things (or, places) ;
;
;
S^ ^ "J^" J).
" thou art indeed the bodies of Her-ba "^ (| 59. " Praise be to thee, Ra, exalted Sekhem,
exalted
"Soul; thou destroyest thine enemies, thou sendest
fire
of
on
" the wicked, and thou art the bodies of Qa-Ba (^T^'^^'r^)-
THE PRAISES OF RA
346 60. " Praise (l\
be
'^^
"vx
M
Ra,
thee,
to
^J\), who
Sekhem,
exalted
hidest in purity
Auaiu
thou hast gained
;
the mastery over the souls of the gods, and thou art indeed
the bodies of Auai. 61.
Ra,
"Praise be to thee,
(^^ %:^
Jj
V
Governor of the Tuat, Creating
Great one,
one
(©<=>(](]; 3)', thou
C'^
^ ^pl
3Y
Setchet gods
Sekhem, Oldest one
exalted
and thou
two Setchet
create the
didst
art indeed the bodies of the
two
(^ 2^ |)^ I). Ra, exalted Sekhem, Mighty One of
62. "Praise be to thee,
thou orderest thy steps by Maat, thou art the that doeth good to the body, thou art Senk-hra
journey ings Soul
Q /^^ \V X6
"^
;
Face of Light), and thou art indeed the
{q^^
1
bodies of Senk-hra. 63. " Praise (or,
Ra, exalted
be to thee,
avenge)
""'
Am-ta
([]
Ama
^), and thou
- -
the double god 64. " Praise
thou dost protect
;
thy body, and thou dost hold the balance
[among] the gods as the hidden as
Sekhem
(j
^), [and]
art indeed the bodies of
Ama-Amta ("^ ^=z
(j
^
Ra, exalted Sekhem
be to thee,
^=
(^"^
_ _ (j
=^ ^).
thou art the lord
;
of the fetters of thine enemies, the One, the Prince of the
Apes
(
^
"^^^
')'
^^^ *^^^ ^^* indeed the bodies of
Antetu(|]^^). 65. " Praise
Ra, exalted
be to thee,
forth flames into thy furnaces cuttest (§
ci
r|
off the ^jnur
(]()
heads of those
% ^^ '^
of the two gods Ketuit 66. " Praise
god of generation
')'
(
\
who
^^^ *^^^
thou sendest
;
^^
^^^ *^^^
|)' ^^ are to be destroyed
^^'*
indeed the bodies
(^ ^ ^1 ^ ^)Ra, exalted
be to thee,
offspring,
(^^
Sekhem
y>^ QQ
''^^^
Sekhem
^)'
t^c>^
;
thou art the
destroyest [thy]
thou art One, thou stablishest the two lands by
THE PRAISES OF RA " [thy] spirit
" of the
("^^^
"^
"^
god Ta-Thenen
67. " Praise be to thee,
" the gods
who watch
" standards, and
who
)'
^). Ra, exalted Sekhem
the hours
;|.I|.
thou stablishest
;
(^ oa ^ ^
on their
1)
[]()
are invisible and secret, and thou art
Watcher gods
(^g no
Ra, exalted Sekhem;
Q8. "Praise be to thee,
(^^ ^^)
"the Tuat, and the god Besi
(]()
,„
^)-
thou art the
^^ heaven, and the gate of
(J
(^ | 8 "^ ||
" spiritual bodies
^^*^^ ^^^ indeed the bodies
^^^
(^ s=5
" indeed the bodies of the
"double Tchent god
'
'
347
')'
P
f]!)
^S=^
^) [wi*^
^^^ *^^^
^^^
bodies
^^^* *^^^
"
" of Besi. " Praise be to thee, 69.
"Apes
°M1
(II
"Power
Ra, exalted Sekhem
I)
,
and thou
of [thy] divine attributes
;
.
thou art the
art the true creative
(-=^=^
I]l)
^Jfl^
^^^
|)'
" thou art indeed the bodies of the Ape-god in the Tuat. Ra, exalted Sekhem thou makest new 70. " Praise be to thee, " the earth, and thou openest a way for that which is therein, ;
" thou that art the Soul which giveth
names unto
" and thou art indeed the bodies of Sma-ta 71.
(a^.wna
"god
T\
I
flfl
Setcheti
fl
jj)
who
9^)-
burnest up thine enemies, the Fire-
h^ ^fl 3\
who burneth up
" thou art indeed the bodies of Nehi 72. " Praise be to thee,
-
Ra, exalted Sekhem; thou art Nehi
"Praise be to thee, "
^^
l,
(
his limbs,
Ra, exalted
('wwvn
Sekhem
A
§
and
fetters, (]f]
^ ^)-
thou art the god
;
"of mation (cy
=^),
"
thou makest the darkness to come into
who
travelleth,
" being after thy light,
the god
and thou
of light
('^®^^),
art indeed the bodies of
" Shemti. 73. " Praise
be to thee,
Ra, exalted
Sekhem
;
thou art the lord
(n J " thou art the chief of the gods
who
n /WW^A
J
yNAAAAA
\
j,
are supreme in their
THE PRAISES OF RA
348
H r^
'districts '
i
rfTK
^
the god Neb-baiu (^37
" Praise be to thee,
74.
" double "
AAAAAA
3V
AA/w^A
Sphinx god Huiti
'
w)>
^^^ *^^^
i-^-'
Lord of
Sekhem
;
^^* indeed
souls).
thou art the
^
HiB Great
God who
lifteth
art indeed the bodies of the
1)1]
up
, ,
S
his
double
(I^H^y).
" Praise be to thee,
Ra, exalted
Sekhem
thou art the lord
;
and declarest the things which are hidden, and thou
" of light
" art the
who
Soul that speaketh with the gods
and thou art indeed
Circles,
An
'
')'
Ra, exalted
J I ^ two Eyes, and thou
(r,:;^-^
^^
^
Sphinx-god, the Double obelisk-god (? (] (]
75.
"--^
"^s
AAA^
y ^ ^'
^•^•' *^^®
the
Lord of
bodies light)."
of
are in their
Neb-Senku
^
impartial examination of the above translation will show
by the Egyptians with Ra the Sun-god, and there is not room for any reasonable doubt that they ascribed to the god, whose symbol was the sun, all the attributes which modern nations are wont to He was One, regard as the properties peculiar to God Almighty. the reader the lofty conceptions which Avere
and the maker of " gods
associated
and men he was the creator of heaven, he was self-begotten, self-created, and earth, and the underworld self-produced he had existed for ever and would exist to all eternity he was the source of all life and light and he was the "
;
;
;
;
;
and truth, and goodness, and the destroyer There is scarcely an of darkness, night, wickedness, and evil. attribute of importance ascribed to our God for which there is no
personification of right
equivalent in the
hymns and
texts which relate to
Ra and
describe
he was not only the god of the living but also the god of the dead, and the god of everything unborn. his greatness
and power,
His relations with
Osiris,
for
who was
part god and part man, and was
the cause and type of immortality for man, were at once those of a god, a father, and an equal, and a king
who
when we consider that
Osiris
was
reigned over Egypt, and that every king was an
For the hieroglyphic texts from the tombs of Seti I., Seti II., and Rameses IV., and a French translation, see Naville, La Litanie da Soleil, Leipzig, 1875. 1
TEM OF HELIOPOLIS incarnation of Ra,
it
easy to understand
is
349
how he came
to
have
the power to rise from the dead, and to act as the judge of the
dead on behalf of his father Ra.
Tem, or Temu,
^^, ^^^^^
«r
Atem,
Tem, or Temu, or Atem, was originally the
^^
local
god of the
or Heliopolis, and in the dynastic period at
Annu,
city of
^
all
events
he was held to be one of the forms of the great Sun-god Ra, and to be the personification of the setting sun. In the predynastic
M. Lefebure has pointed out,^ the first man among the Egyptians who was believed to have become divine, and who was at his death identified with the setting sun in other words, Tem was the first living man-god known to the Egyptians, just as Osiris was the first dead man-god, and as such period, however, he was, as
was always represented in human form and with a human head. important to note this
It is
fact, for it
indicates that those
who
formulated the existence of this god were on a higher level of civilization
than those
who
depicted the oldest of
all
Egyptian
gods, Horus, in the form of a hawk, or in that of a hawk-headed
human
body.
In the papyri and on the monuments he usually
wears 'U, the crowns of the South and North, upon his head, and he holds
-9-
in his
,
the
left.
when Ra beetle,
is
emblem
of
in his right hand,
life,
Ra he
symbolized by
a disk which
and the god Khepera
Heru-Khuti from which fall rays of a manifestation of
God
sceptre, j[
In the boat of
rising sun
and the
is
is
represented by a beetle, and the
Tem
human
human form even
being rolled along by a
shown under the form
light.^
in
is
is
depicted in
of a hawk's head,
was, in fact, to the Egyptians
form, and his conception in their
minds marks the end of the period wherein they assigned animal forms to their gods, and the beginning of that in which they evolved the idea of God, almighty, inscrutable, unknowable, the
maker and
creator of the universe.
assign a date to the period
1
Trans. Soc. libl, Arclu,
when
ix., p.
175.
It is useless
to attempt to
the Egyptians began to worship
"
Lanzone, op.
cit., pi.
398.
TEM OF HELIOPOLIS
350
God
in
human
form, for
we have no
material for doing so
;
the
worship of Tern must, however, be of very great antiquity, and the fact that the priests of Ra in the Vth and Vlth Dynasties united
him his
to their
god under the name of Ra-Tem,
O
"^^
proves that
,
worship was wide-spread, and that the god was thought to
possess attributes similar to those of Ra.
The Pyramid Texts show that the attributes of Temu were confounded with those of Ra, and that the protection and favour of this god were all essential for the well-being of the deceased in
the Underworld his
hand
to
indeed,
;
Pepi
I.
and
it
sets
Tem
is
him
at the
who
stretches out
head of the gods, where he
human
race,
and as he was
divine his powers to help the dead were very great. respects he
was held
to be the equal of Ra,
hymns which were addressed
to
difficult
to
if
In
him frequently show
we remember
also
many
and the prayers and
Egyptians were very anxious to propitiate him. understand
Tem was
This passage shows that
judges the great and the wise.^
regarded as the father of the
the father
the
that the
This
dogmas
is
not
of
the
Heliopolitan priesthood about the means blessed departed from this world.
they
left
this
by which the souls of the They taught that souls when
world went to the region which lay between the
earth and the beginning of the Valley of the Tuat, and which was called
Amentet, and that they waited there until the Boat of the
Setting Sun,
the boat of
i.e.,
appearance there
;
Ra
in his form of
Temu, made
as soon as it arrived the souls flocked to
it,
his
and
those who had served Ra upon earth and whose bodies had been
buried with the orthodox
rites,
and ceremonies, and prayers of the
priesthood of Ra, and were, therefore, provided with the necessary
words of power, were admitted to the boat of Tem, where they enjoyed the protection and favour of the god in his various forms to all eternity.
There was, moreover, another aspect of
Tem which
gave the
god a position of peculiar importance in the minds of the Egyptians,
RA-TEM OF HELIOPOLIS
351
i.e.,
he was identified not only with the god of the dead,
also
with the young Horus, the
new and
All these ideas are well expressed in a in the
Papyrus of Mut-lietep
forth in
by day
the
"
hymn
spirit
who
The lady Mut-hetep says, " and thou settest of the
the glories
"territory which "
Thy uraeus
is
is
" chooseth its
Thou
;
is
settest
[to
to thee,
Eye
in
thy
,^<^ r^-^^ ).
behind thee.
Homage thou who
Tem, and it place] behind thy members.
art joined unto the
powers of protection
and
as a living being
thou
homage
;
5),
come have great power Ra-Tem, in thy
of Sunset (Manu,
behind thee, thy uraeus
" art in peace.
Thou
Mount
in the
thou who art in peace
" to thee,
"
western horizon
found
recited it to "
" splendid progress thou risest,
" in
is
No. 10,010, sheet
and in any form he pleased and to
Tuat.
which
to Tern
but
morrow.
rising sun of the
(Brit. Mus.,
which was composed to enable every
Osiris,
of
goest forth through heaven, thou travellest over the earth,
" and thou jonrneyest onward.
Luminary, the northern and
come to thee, and they bow low in and they do homage unto thee, day by day. The " gods of Amentet rejoice in thy beauties, and the unseen places " sing hymns of praise unto thee. Those who dwell in the Sektet " boat go round about thee, and the Souls of the East do homage " to thee, and when they meet thy Majesty they cry Come, " come in peace welcome to thee, lord shout of There is a " of heaven and governor of Amentet Thou art acknowledged " by Isis who seeth her son in thee, the lord of fear, the mighty
" southern halves of heaven " adoration,
'
:
'
!
!
" one of terror. " place.
Thy
Thou
settest
as a living being
father [Ta-]tunen raiseth thee
" both his hands behind thee
;
the hidden
up and he placeth
thou becomest endowed with divine
" attributes in [thy] " thou settest in
in
members of earth Manu. Grant thou
;
thou wakest in peace and
that I
may become
" honoured before Osiris,
a being
Ra-Tem
and that I may come to thee, " I have adored thee, therefore do thou for me that which I wish. " Grant thou that I "
company
" horizon
may
of the gods.
be victorious in the presence of the
Thou
art beautiful,
Ra, in thy western
who art thou who art Thou shinest
of Amentet, thou lord of Maat, thou being
" greatly feared, " greatly beloved
and whose attributes are majestic,
by those who dwell
in the
Tuat
!
KHEPERA-RA-TEMU
352
" with thy beams upon the beings that are therein perpetually, " and thou sendest
"
thy light upon the ]Dath of Re-stau.
forth
Thou openest up upon [their] thrones, and the spirits in their abidingplaces. The heart of Naarerf (i.e., An-rut-f, a region of the
the path of the double Lion-god, thou settest
" the gods ''
Underworld)
*'
is
glad [when] Ril setteth
;
the heart of Naarerf
is
" glad
when Ra setteth. Hail, ye gods of the land of Amentet who make offerings and oblations unto Ra-Tem, ascribe ye glory Grasp ye your weapons and [unto him when] ye meet him.
"
"
" overthrow ye the fiend Seba on behalf of " fiend
Rii,
and repulse the
Nebt on behalf of Osiris. The gods of the land of Amentet upon the cords of the Sektet boat, and they
" rejoice and lay hold "
come
in
peace
the gods of the hidden place
;
" x4.mentet triumph." is
addressed as
who
hymn Tem
In the opening words of another
" Ra,
who
in thy setting
art
dwell in
Tem-Heru-khuti
" (Tem-Harmachis), thou divine god, thou self-created being, thou
" primeval matter," creation,
etc.,
^
from which we see that the attributes of
which, strictly
speaking,
belonged
to
self-
Khepera,
were ascribed to Tem.
Ra and Isis Ra is made to say, " I am Khepera " in the morning, and Ra at noonday, and Temu in the evening." ^ From which we may understand that the day and the night were In the
Myth
of
divided into three parts, each of which was presided over by one of the three forms of
Middle Empire
Tem
is
Ra here mentioned.
In the time of the
often mentioned with Heru-khuti, Ra, and
Khepera, and the priests of Heliopolis always attempted to prove that he was the ancestor of
In the Book of
the
identify himself with
Dead
Tem
am Tem in rising " Nu. I am Ra who " I
all
the other forms of the Sun-god.
(xvii. 5
ff.)
the deceased
is
made
am
One
came into being The statement rose in the beginning." " " Who then is this ? and the answer followed by the question, 1
'
i
;
I
Naville, Todtenbuch, Bd.
to
as the oldest of the gods, and he says,
i.,
the only
;
I
pi. 19.
^
^-fj^ ^
o V^QflflJIi. ^ -|j®® " ¥^ e *^^®ooJI\ gO Ojjj
in is is,
SHRINES OF TEM "It
is
Ra when
353
at the beginning he rose in the city of Suten-
" lienen, crowned like a king in rising.
Shu were when he was upon the high ground of him Khemennu" (i.e., Thoth). Thus it is clear that made out that it was Tem who was the first The
pillars of
" not as yet created " that dwelleth in
the Heliopolitans
god to exist in primeval matter, and they consistently coupled
^^^
him with Harmachis, Khepera,
W <=>
[1
Jf
5^
^i^,l^||,
as forms of the rising
,
sun
;
and with
on the other
hand, they often, with fine inconsistency, identified him with the setting sun,
and made the wind of evening, which gave refreshment
to mortals and breath to the dead, to go forth from him.
where the original shrine of appears to have been in the Eighth
It is difficult to say definitely
Tem was
situated,
Nome
Lower Egypt/
of
but
it
v^, II
Ml
the Greeks), at the place which
Pa-Atemt,
[
^
^
,
and
Nefer Abt, the Heroopolites o
^
is
called both Thuket,
s
of
^Ti
^
,
and
described as the " gate of the
it is
Under the form " Pithom " the sacred name of the city Pa-Atemt is familiar to all from the Bible. The site of Pa-Atemt or Pithom was long thought to be buried beneath the ruins called by the Arabs Tell al-Maskhutah/ which are situated close to the modern village of Tell el-Kebir, and the excavations made on the spot by M. Naville prove that this view is correct. The inscriptions prove beyond all doubt that the great god of Pithom was Tem, and from the allusions which are made in them to the " Holy serpent East."
and from the fact that one part of the temple buildings was ^^^ ^^' Ast-qerhet, called Pa-Qerhet,2 ^ f |% i B\ ^ j] that is, "the house of the snake-god Qerliet," it is tolerably certain that one of the forms under which Tem was worshipped
therein,
<^
'
A
town situated as Pithom was on the large canal joining the Red Sea and the Nile, and on the highway from Arabia to Heliopolis must have contained a very mixed population, which would include a number of merchants and others from Western Asia. These probably brought in with them a number of strange
was a huge serpent.
1
A a
Jy.
2
This
is
the Pi-hahiroth of the Bible.
lUSAASET AND NEBT-HETEP
354
practices connected with the worship of their
own
gods, which
having been adopted by the indigenous peoples in the
From
modified their worship. already quoted
Tem was
district
a passage in the Pyramid Texts
seems that the original form of the worship of
it
but
phallic in character,
was nothing
it
if
known
is
some scholars have regarded obelisks as phallic emblems, and have pointed to their earliest forms, in which their tops were about
it
;
surmounted by
disks, in
proof of the correctness of their view.
Tem
Attached to the god
were two female counterparts '^i^
called respectively Iusaaset, -^ '^Vrs,
T Pn
'
^^^ Nebt-Hetep,
and they formed members of the company of the
gods of Heliopolis, being mentioned with Tem, lord of the two
Annu, Ra, and Heru-khuti.^ Iusaaset, the ^awcrt? of Plutarch, is called the ''mistress of Annu," and the " Eye of Ra,"
lands of
"^^^^ ,
and she
is
and
reo-arded as the mother,
Tem according Tem she is said
of
wife,
to the requirements of the texts to be the
^ ;
and dauo-hter as the wife of
mother of Shu and Tefnut.
She
is
depicted ^ in the form of a
woman who
holds the sceptre,
right hand, and "
in her left
on her head she wears the
life,"
•¥-,
;
,
j
in her
vulture head-dress surmounted by a uraeus, and a disk between a pair of horns.
In this form she
is
called the " mistress of
Annu,"
2, and was the wife of Tem-Heru-khuti.
The
goddess Nebt-lietep appears to have been nothing but a form of
which she
Iusaaset, for in the
scene
form of a cow she
called " mistress of the gods, lusaaset-Nebt-
is
in
is
represented in the
hetep."
According to Brugsch
^
Tem was
joined to the god Osiris
under the phase Tem-Asar, and formed with Hathor of Annu, or Ant,
AAAAAA
aud
AAAAAA ^
of the triad of Heroopolis.
he enumerates
Khnemu
H cru- sma'taul, As
wv x
local forms
in Elephantine,
•>
of the god
the head
Tem-Ra
Khnemu-Heru-shefit in
Heracleopolis Magna, and Khnemu-Ba-neb-Tettet in Mendes. ^ •^
Great Harris Papyrus, sheet
Lanzone, op.
cit., pi.
51.
i.,
line 4.
~
Brugsch, Religion,
*
Op.
cit.,
p. 290.
p.
284.
KHEPERA Khepera The
Q
cfj
1]
^ <=> -i^
i.e.,
,
whose type and symbol was a beetle
Lanzone he
is
i
human
;
Khepera the self-produced,
he
usually represented in
is
"
life."
In one scene figured by
head.
represented seated on the ground, and from his
knees projects the head of the -r,
was Khepera kheper-
form with a beetle upon the head, but sometimes a beetle
takes the place of the
by
3
(1
third form of Ra, the Sun-god,
TCHESEF, fi
human
355
hawk
which
of Horus,
is
surmounted
In the section which treats of the Creation
^
have already translated and discussed the text which the Sun-god
Ra came
into
tells
we
how
being under the form of Khepera
from out of the primeval watery mass
Nu, and how by
of
means of his soul, which lived therein with him, he made a place whereon to stand, and straightway created the gods Shu and Tefnut, from whom proceeded the other gods. The worship
Ra in Egypt, of Ra with the
of the beetle was, however, far older than that of
and
it
is
beetle-god priests,
pretty certain that the identification is
who
only another example of the means adopted by the
new
grafted
religious opinions
and
beliefs
upon old
The worship of the beetle, or at all events, the reverence which was paid to it, was spread over the whole country, and the ideas which were associated with it maintained their hold upon the dynastic Egyptians, and some of them appear to survive among The particular beetle the modern inhabitants of the Nile valley. ones.
which the Egyptians introduced into their mythology belongs to
the
family called
Scarahaeus sacer
is
Scarabseidae
the type.
(Coprophagi),
These
insects
numerous group of dung-feeding Lamellicorns, the majority live
but
many
in tropical countries
are adorned with bright, metallic
them with the
is
of which, however,
it
They
fly
was undoubtedly
this
colours.
caused the primitive Egyptians to associate
sun.
dead king Pepi
the
they are usually black,
;
during the hottest hours of the day, and peculiarity which
of which
compose a very
Thus said
1
"to
as far
back
fly like a bird,
Lanzone, op.
cit,, pi.
Ylth Dynasty the and to alight like a
as the
329.
KHEPERA
356 " beetle
According upon the empty throne in the boat of Ra." ^ it a fine green colour [Ateuclius was the species of to Latreille The insect Aegy])tioTum) which was first identified with the sun. lays a vast numbers of eggs in a mass of dung, which it proceeds to ^
push about with
its
legs until it gradually assumes the
along to a hole which
and then
rolls it
A ball of
dung containing eggs
ball,
inches in diameter, and in rolling
upon
head, with
its
its
it
form of a
has previously dug.
varies in size from one to
along the beetle stands almost
it
head turned away from the
course the larvae are hatched
by the heat
down into the hole wherein
it
ball
in due
;
of the sun's rays beating
has been placed by the beetle, and
they feed upon the covering of dung which protected them.
mind
two
The
of the primitive Egyptian associated the ball of the beetle
containing potential germs of
life
seemed to be rolled across the sky of all
life.
The
with the ball of the sun, which daily,
and which was the source
beetle shows great perseverance in conveying the
egg-laden balls of dung to the holes in which the larvae are to be hatched, and they frequently carry them over rough ground on the broad,
flat
and seek, when unable singly
surface of their heads,
to complete the work, the assistance of their fellows.
habit of the beetle which
where we
O ^.
A
is
represented in mythological scenes
sun on the head of the beetle,
see the disk or ball of the
by the ancient writers
curious view was held
Porphyry,^ and Horapollo
^
(Kdvdapo^ ya?
and that
77as appiqv),
It is this
to the
eff*ect
that beetles were
as there
Aelian,^ all
were no females among
them, the males were, like the Sun-god Ra, self-produced. erroneous idea probably sprang scarabaeus are very divide
the
care
much
of the
alike,
This
up because the male and female and because both sexes appear to
preservation
between them, but in any
males
case, it is a
of
their
offspring
equally
very ancient one, for in the
Egyptian story of the Creation the god, whose type and symbol
i
z:^
O
(Unds,
2
Cailliaud, Voyage, torn,
4
Be
Abstinentia,
iv. 9.
ii.,
1.
477).
p.
311.
^
J)q j^at. Animal., x. 15.
^
Ed. Leemans,
p. 11.
THE FATHER OF THE GODS
357
was a beetle, not only produced himself, but also begot, conceived, and brought forth tAvo deities, one male (Shu), and the other female (Tefnut).
In the Egyptian texts Khepera gods,"
"^
111
7
^^^^ i^
is
called the " father of the
*^® Booh of the
Dead
116) the
(xvii.
deceased addresses him, saying, " Hail, Khepera in thy boat, the " double
company
of the gods
Sun-god with which he or
Harmachis.
In
is
is
thy body," but the form of the
most closely
Booh of
the
Khepera " (Qenna,
2,
15),
1,
2);
Heru-khuti,
Dead Khepera
the
connection with
prominent part in "creator of the gods" (Ani,
allied is that of
Osiris
"
;
he
is
plays
called
a the
Heru-khuti-Temu-Heru-
and whatever forms he
taken, the deceased claims the right to take also.
takes, or has
Moreover, the
god Khepera becomes in a manner a type of the dead body, that to say, he represents matter containing a living germ which about to pass from a state of inertness into one of active
life.
is is
As
he was a living germ in the abyss of Nu, and made himself to
emerge therefrom in the form of the rising sun, so the germ of the living soul, which existed in the dead body of man, and was to
new
burst into a
life
in a
new world by means
of the prayers
recited during the performance of appropriate ceremonies,
from
its
old
body
the boat of Ra. life
rolled
made
up
in a
new form
emerged
either in the realm of Osiris or in
This doctrine was symbolized by the germs of
in the egg-ball of the beetle,
and the power which
was that which made man's and was personified in the god
those to become living creatures
body to come into being, Khepera. Thus Khepera symbolized the resurrection of the body, and it was this idea which was at the root of the Egyptian custom of wearing figures of the beetle, and of placing them in the tombs and on the bodies of the dead the myriads of scarabs which have been found in all parts of Egypt testify to the universality of this custom. As to its great antiquity there is no doubt whatsoever, for the scarab was associated with burial as far back as the period of the IVth D5masty. Thus in the Papyrus of Nu (Brit. Mus., No. 10,477, sheet 21) we are told in the Rubric that Chapter Ixiv. of the Booh of the Dead was found inscribed in letters of spiritual
;
KHEPERA AND THE HEART
358
real lapis-lazuli inlaid in a block " of iron of the south "
of the
feet
god
Thoth), during the reign of Men-kau-Ra
(i.e.,
(Mycerinus), by the prince Heru-ta-ta-f in the city of
At
the end of the second paragraph this Chapter
be recited by a
man
who
"
is
"thou
make
shalt
him the
" with
cinti
"words
'
ordered to
who
And
behold,
a scarab of green stone, with a rim of gold, and
" this shall be placed in the heart of a man, and " for
is
and who hath not had
Tiie text continues, "
women."
Khemennu.
ceremonially clean and pure,
" hath not eaten the flesh of animals or fish, " intercourse with
under the
And
Opening of the Mouth.'
shall
perform
thou shalt anoint
unguent, and thou shalt recite over
The "words
it
it
it
the following
power" which follow this direction form Chapter xxx b. of the Book of the Dead, wherein my the deceased addresses the scarab as " my heart, my mother " heart, my mother My heart whereby I came into being." He will then prays that it not depart from him when he stands in the of power."
of
;
!
presence of the " guardian
"
be weighed, and that none oppose him, or to give or to "
make
scarab
" his double
his
may come
false or
name "
of the Balance wherein his heart
to
forward in the judgment to
unfavourable evidence against him,
to stink."
Curiously enough he
calls
the
Another Rubric makes the Ixivth
(ka).
Chapter as old as the time of Hesepti (Semti), the 1st
is
fifth
king of the
Dynasty, and the custom of burying green basalt scarabs inside
or on the breasts of the dead this
as
it
may
well be as old as his reign.
may, scarabs were worn by
Be
the living as protective
amulets, and as symbols of triumjohant acquittal in the
Judgment
Hall of Osiris, and as emblems of the resurrection which was to be
by the power of the god Khepera whom they represented, and the words of power of Chapter xxx b made them to act the part of the Jca or double for the dead on the day of the " weighing effected
of words " before Osiris,
and
and
his officers,
his sovereign chiefs,
and Thoth the scribe of the gods, and the two companies of the gods. it,
and
If scarabs
were placed under the
their presence in a
" father of the gods."
tomb gave
coffin
to
it
no fiend could harm
the protection of the
359
(
)
CHAPTER X
THE MYTHS OF RA the preceding pages
IN and among
it
thoughtful Egyptians
certain classes, that
how among theologians
has been shown
is
Ra was regarded
to say magicians,
times
It will
God, but
and astrologers,
and soothsayers, quite other views were held about attributes.
as
be remembered that among such
his nature
men
and
in ancient
was customary to prescribe as antidotes to poison and
it
sicknesses the recital or wearing of certain magical
texts
the
;
power of such texts was thought to be very great, especially if it contained a narrative of how some god or divine being had been delivered by the power of a great being from death by poison or by a sickness caused by poison. We may note in passing that such beliefs were not confined to the Egyptians, and that we find exactly the same ideas existent in Babylonia and Assyria this is illustrated by the following interesting extract from a Babylonian The tablet recently published by Mr. R. Campbell Thompson.^ ;
text reads
:
— " From Anu [came the heavens], the
heavens created
[the earth], the earth created the rivers, the rivers created the canals, the canals created the marshes,
the
Worm.
Worm
Then came the Ea came up her
weeping, and before '
What
wilt thou give
gnaw?'
i.
[The gods
me
said],
to eat
?
and the pungent hhashJchar wood.'
'
are thy dry bones to
me?
Let
my place ^
me
drink
tearful plaint, [saying],
What
me
wilt thou give
to
'I will give thee dry bones [to eat],
'
i
and the marshes created
before Shamash, the Sun-god,
me ? among
Or,
[The
what
is
Worm
said],
'
What
thy JchashJchar wood to
the teeth [of men], and give
in [their] gums, that I
may suck
Cuneiform Texts from Babylonian Tablets, part
Thom-pson, The Devils and Evil Spirits of Babylonia,
me
the blood of the teeth^ xvii., pi.
vol.
i.,
50; and see E. C,
Introduction, attlieend.
RA AND
360 "
*
"
'
"
"
and that I shall
man).
I
may tear asunder the
have power
gums.
flesh of the
over the bolt of the door
Therefore,
Worm, may Ea
'
ISIS
'
(i.e.,
In this wise
the
mouth of a
man, shaltthou say the following words,
sick
smite thee with
might.' "
all his
Following
come the rubrical directions which order the patient to mix together a prescription compounded of beer, oil, and the juice of a certain plant, and when the incantation has been recited over the man with the toothache three times, the mixture is to be rubbed these words
In the one case the object of the narrative was to cure
on the tooth. the
man who had been
by a venomous
bitten
serpent,
and in the
other to ease the pain in the teeth and the inflammation of the
gums which were supposed
to be caused
by a worm, a descendant
Worm
which claimed before Ea the right to make teeth decay and to suck the blood of the gums. of the original
The Egyptian
texts which were written for magical purposes
some very curious and interesting myths of Ra, and among these may be quoted the following story about him and the goddess Isis.^ The title reads " The Chapter of the divine
have preserved
for us
:
" god, the self-created being, " and the winds which give
—
who made
the heavens and the earth,
and the fire, and the gods, and men, and reptiles, and the fowl of the air, and the life,
" and beasts, and cattle, " fish of the sea he is the king of men and of gods, he hath but " one period to his life, and with him a double hen period (i.e., one " hundred and twenty years) is as a single year his names are ;
;
" manifold and
unknown, the gods even know them not." The story runs " Now Isis was a woman who possessed words of " power her heart was wearied with the millions of men, there:
—
;
" fore she chose the millions of the gods, but she esteemed ''
highly the millions of the
spirits.
And
more
she meditated in her
" heart, saying, Cannot I by means of the sacred name of God " make myself mistress of the earth and become a goddess of like " rank and power to Ra, in heaven and upon earth ? And '
'
'
'
1
The
1869-1876;
hieratic text will be pll.
found in Pleyte and Rossi, Ze Papy7-us de Turin,
31-37, and 131-138; and a transcript into hieroglyphics with a
and translation in my First Steps in Egyptian, 1895, pp. 241-256. French translation by Lefebure was published in Aeg. Zeit.^ 1883, pp. 27 ff. and
transliteration
A
;
for English renderings see
Magic,
p. 137.
my
Papijriis
of Ani, 1895,
p.
Ixxxix.,
and Egyptian
RA
POISONED
IS
361
" behold, each day Ra entered at the head of his holy mariners " and established himself upon the throne of the two horizons " but the divine one (i.e., Ra) had grown old, he dribbled at the " mouth, his spittle fell upon the earth, and his slobbering dropped " upon the ground. And Isis kneaded [some] thereof with earth " in her hand, and formed therewith a sacred serpent in the form *'
of a dart
she did not set
;
upright before her face, but
it
let it
lie upon the ground in the path whereby the great god went " forth, according to his heart's desire, into his double kingdom. " Now the holy god arose, and the gods who followed him as
"
"though he were Pharaoh went with him; and he came forth " according to his daily wont and the sacred serpent bit him. " The flame of his life departed from him and he who dwelt " among the cedars was overcome. The holy god opened his ;
;
" mouth, and the cry of his majesty reached unto heaven
"company
gods
of the
" gods exclaimed, "
said,
What
his
;
*What hath happened?' and his But Ra could not answer, for members quaked, the poison spread
is it ?
'
" his jaws trembled and all his " swiftly through his flesh just as Nile rusheth through all his " land. When the great god had stablished his heart, he cried
" unto those who were in his train, saying, "
'
"
'
"
'
ye Come unto me, who have come into being from my body, ye gods who have come forth from me, make ye known unto Khepera that a dire calamity hath fallen upon me.
My
'
heart perceiveth
it,
but
my
my
hand hath not caused it, nor do I know who hath done this unto me. Never have I felt such pain, " neither can sickness cause more woe than this. I am a prince, " the son of a prince, the sacred essence which hath proceeded " from God. I am the great one, the son of the great one, and " my father planned my name I have multitudes of names, and
"
'
"
'
eyes see
it
not
;
'
'
*
'
;
my
"
'
multitudes of forms, and
"
'
been proclaimed by the heralds
"
'
and
"
'
within
my
mother uttered
me by him
being
is
in every god.
I
have
Temu and Horus; and my father
my name
that begat me,
it
hath been hidden
who would
not that the words
;
but
any seer should have dominion over me. I came " forth to look upon that which I had made, I was passing through '' something stung me, the world which I had created, when lo
"
*
of
power
of
'
'
!
THE HOLY NAME OF RA
362 '
but what
'
on
*
limbs.
'
who
'
'
fire,
know
I
my
not.
Is
My
water ?
Is it
fire ?
it
heart
quaketh, and trembling hath seized
flesh
me my
Let there be brought unto
is
my
all
children, the gods
words of power and magical speech, and mouths which know how to utter them, and also powers which reach possess the
even unto the heaven.' "
came unto him uttering cries of grief. And Isis also came, bringing with her her words of magical power, and her mouth was full of the breath of life for her talismans vanquish the pains of sickness, and her words make
Then the
children of every god
;
to live again the throats of those
saying,
'
What
happened?
who
hath come to pass, Is it that
And she spake, Father ? What hath
are dead.
holy
a serpent hath bitten thee, and that a
thing which thou hast created hath lifted up his head against thee
Verily
?
it
shall
power, and I will drive
passing
along
regions of
away from
it
The holy god opened
sunbeams.'
my
my
and
path,
which I had created, when
saw
not.
I
am
hotter than
Is
it fire ?
fire.
lo
!
I
effective
words of
before the sight of thy
mouth and
his
said,
'
I
was
was going through the two
I
my
lands according to
I
my
be cast down by
heart's desire, to see that
was bitten by a serpent which
Is it
water
All
my
?
I
am
colder than water,
flesh sweateth, I
quake, mine
eye hath no strength, I cannot see the sky, and the sweat rusheth to Isis
my
unto Ra,
shall
'
face even as in the time of summer.' tell
me
said
thy name, holy Father, for whosoever
be delivered by thy name shall
live.'
have made the heavens and the earth, the mountains, I have created
made
Then
all
that
I is
And Ra
said,
'
I
have knit together above them,
I
have
made to come into being the goddess Meht-urt, and I have made the Bull of his mother, from whom spring the delights of love, I have made the heavens, I have the water, I have
stretched out the two horizons like a curtain, and I have placed
the souls of the gods within them.
I
make
if
his eyes, doth
Cometh into being. gods
know
not his
the light, and,
am
he who,
his
he openeth
he closeth them, darkness
command the name. I have made
At
if
Nile riseth, and the the hours, I have
created the days, I bring forward the festivals of the year, I
ISIS
THE ENCHANTRESS
'
create the Nile-flood.
'
food in the houses.
'
noon, and I
I
make
the
am Khepera
I
am Temu
of
fire
363
and
life,
I provide
in the morning, I
am Ra
at
Meanwhile the poison was not
at even.'
taken away from his body, but
it
penetrated deeper, and the
great god could no longer walk. "
Then
'
name.
'
he
'What thou
said Isis unto Ra, tell it
hast said
not thy ;
for
whose name shall be revealed.' Now the poison fire, and it was fiercer than the flame and the
shall live
burned
like
furnace, and the majesty of the great god said, '
is
unto me, and the poison shall depart
search into me, and that
Isis shall
my name
'
I
consent that
shall pass
from
me
Then the god hid himself from the gods, and his And when place in the Boat of Millions of Years was empty. the time had arrived for the heart of Ra to come forth, Isis spake unto her son Horus, saying, The god hath bound himself by oath to deliver up his two Eyes (i.e., the Sun and the Moon).' Thus was the name of the great god taken from him, and Isis, '
into her.'
'
'
the lady of words of magical power, said, '
'
'
'
Eye
go forth from Ra.
'
Depart, thou poison,
from the god, and
of Horus, go forth
who make to fall down upon the earth the vanquished poison, for the name of the great god hath been taken away from him. Let Ra live, Let the poison die, and let Ra live and let the poison die shine outside his mouth.
It
is
I
who work,
it is
I
'
'
!
These are the words of
who knew Ra by
!
the mighty lady, the mistress of the
Isis,
own name."
The above text was to " the Bull of his mother," and be recited over figures of Temu, gods,
Horus, and
Isis
his
and Horus, and there
is
doubt that these
little
made to represent the various scenes which took place when Ra was poisoned, and when the goddess Isis succeeded in taking from him his name. Another myth of Ra of considerable interest is that which describes the destruction of mankind, and tells how men scorned figures were
the great Sun-god because he had become old 1
IS
;
For the hieroglyphic text
see Lefebure,
Tombeau de
Brugsch, Die neue Weltordnung, Berlin, 1881 pp. 412
Bergmann,
ArcJi., iv., pp. 1 ff
.
my
Egyptian, pp. 218-230.
Fii'st Stejjs in
;
viii.,
ff.
;
;
;
^
the text of this,
Seti
I.,
part
iv., pll.
IS-
Naville in Trans. Soc. Bihl.
Hist. Inschrift., pll.
75-82; and
REVOLT OF MEN AGAINST
364
in a mutilated condition, is
tombs of Seti following
had
and Rameses IV.
I.
" [Ra
is clear.
saying, '
is]
him]
'
Behold now,
like gold,
and
who
men, and gods, as well as over
his Majesty, old, his
life,
unto real
of complaint,
and health
strength,
bones are like
his hair is like
the
it
created himself after he
And mankind was uttering words
hath become
!
Thebes, and from
at
the god
risen in sovereignty over
things, the One.
'
found inscribed upon the walls of the
silver, his
[to
limbs are
Now
lapis-lazuli.'
his
mankind spake [concerning him], and he said unto those who were following him, Cry out, and bring ye unto me mine Eye, and Shu, and Tefnut, and majesty heard the words which
'
'
'
me when
'
bring his ministers with him, and
'
so that
'
'
'
who were with with my god Nu. Let him
Seb, and Nut, and the fathers and the mothers
'
was in Nu, together
I
let
them be brought
silently,
mankind may not perceive it and take to flight with their hearts. Come thou with them to the Great House, and let them declare their plans, for I will go forth from Nu unto the place wherein I performed creations, and let those [gods] be
'brought unto
me
there.'
Ra, and they bowed
Now
down even
the gods were on both sides of
to the
ground
in presence of his
Majesty, and he spake his words in the presence of the father of the firstborn gods, the
have knowledge. '
Speak unto
'
'
'
'
And
us, for
we
who
of those
they spake before his Majesty, [saying], are listening'; and
whom
Ra spake unto Nu,
came into being, ye gods [my] ancestors, behold ye what mankind is doing, they who were created by mine Eye are uttering murmurs against me. Give me your attention, and seek ye out a plan for me, and I will not slay them until ye shall say [what I am to do]
saying, '
maker of men, and the king
thou firstborn god, from
'
concernino;
I
it.'
"
Then the Majesty of the god Nu, the son of Ra, spake [saying], Thou art the god who art greater than he that made thee, and who art the sovereign of those who were created by '
"
'
him, thy throne
'
then thine Eye be upon those
'
against
'
Behold ye how they have taken
thee.'
is
And
set,
the
and the fear of thee
who
Majesty
is
great
;
let
have uttered blasphemies of
flight
Ra into
spake the
[saying],
mountain
THE SUN-GOD RA '
'
Their
Then the Eye
'
thine
gods
go
to
because
afraid
are
hearts
spake
before
and
forth,
what
of
'
utter evil words of blasphemy against thee.
eye
'
descendeth in the form of Hathor.'
earth
this
all
Avhich
saying,
said.'
Make who
'
destroy for thee those
'
upon
they have
Majesty,
his
let it
365
can
There
And
when
thine
resist
not an
is
it
the goddess [Hathor]
went forth and slew the people on the mountain, and the Majesty Come, come in peace, Hathor, the of this god spake, [saying], '
'
work
is
'
me.
When
'
pleasing to
'
I will gain the
'
them
; '
And
accomplished.'
'
Thou
had gained the mastery over men
I
my
and
the goddess said,
And
heart.'
the Majesty of
Ra
mastery over them as king, and
it
came
it
livest for
was well
spake, [saying],
destroy
[I] will
waded about
to pass that Sekhet
in the
night season in their blood, beginning at Suten-henen (Herakleopolis
Then the Majesty
Magna).
of
Ra
spake, [saying], 'Cry out
'
and fetch me swift and speedy messengers who can run
'
wind
'
and straightway one brought these messengers.
;
the Majesty of this god spake, [saying], '
like the
(Elephantine), and bring
me mandrakes
'
Let them go to
in great
number
'
;
And Abu and
one brought to him these mandrakes, and the Majesty of this god
gave them to Sekhet who [dwelleth] in crush. to
And
behold,
when
the
Annu
women were
(Heliopolis)
to
crushing the barley
[make] beer, he placed these mandrakes in the vessels which
were to hold the beer, and some of the blood of the men [who
had been
slain].
Now
they made seven thousand vessels of
beer.
"
Now when
the king of the South and North, Ra, had
come
with the gods to look at the beer, and the daylight appeared after the goddess
had slaughtered mankind
in their season as she
up the river, the Majesty of Ra said, It is doubly good, but I must protect mankind against her,' And Ra spake, [saying], Let them take up the vases and carry them to the place where men and women are being slaughtered.' Then the Majesty of the king of the South and North, Ra, commanded them to pour out from the vessels during the [time of the]
sailed
'
'
'
'
beauty of the night the beer which made [men] wish to
and the regions of the four heavens were
filled
lie
down,
therewith even
REVOLT OF MEN AGAINST
366
Now when
according to the Will of the Majesty of this god.
the
goddess Sekhet came in the morning and found the regions flooded,
her face beamed with joy, and she drank of the beer and blood,
and her heart was glad, and she became drunk, and she took no further heed of mankind. And the Majesty of Ra spake unto this goddess, [saying] '
goddess
women
;
'
Come, come
in peace,
fair
and gracious
[and henceforth] there were young and beautiful
'
Then the Majesty
in the city of Amen.-^
this goddess,
'
There
of
Ra
said unto
be prepared for thee vases of drink
shall
make thee wish to sleep at every festival of the New Year, and the number thereof shall be in proportion to the number of my handmaidens and from that day until this present men have been wont to make on the occasions of the festival of Hathor vases of beer which will make them sleep, in number according to the number of the handmaidens of Ra. And the Majesty of Ra spake unto this goddess, [saying], '
which
shall
'
;
'
'
'
Behold, the pain of the burning heat of sickness hath come
'
upon me
Ra
said,
whence cometh
;
'
I
am
my
alone, but
'
weary
'
of] them, but there
being with them
of
is
(i.e.,
with
power.'
'
'
own
power, and
lost their
'
a second time.'
I will
'
make out
Here there
with men)
the ^Majesty of
;
I
have
slain
[some
is
a
and on the name of the
of this god
my
limbs have
first
time
never permit this thing to happen
becomes much broken, and
the general meaning which
pun on city
tlae
in
is
Then the Majesty
For the
this point the inscription
difficult to
1
will.'
Majesty of Nu,
'
At
Then
heart hath become exceedingly
Tarry not in thy weariness, for thy might
proportion to thine
said unto the
'
among them was not commensurate And the gods who were in his train said
destruction which I wrought
'
[unto him],
?
a remnant of worthless ones, and the
'
my
pain
[this]
is
appellation of the goddess Amit
Amen, ^(|§ ©,
i.e.,
it is
to be attached
m ¥\
D-.
(1 (1
the capital of the nome, -Tl
I
I
I
Mill:
Ament, where the goddess Hathor was worshipped.
n
I
A A A
®®®
^
<^
5
^"^
^^16
" city of Apis."
The
city
is
also
^
called
THE SUN-GOD RA to the scattered
words
myth ends somewhat
according to the late Dr. Brugsch/ the
;
follows:
as
—When
Ra had
commanded Shu
weariness to Nu, this god
and to take the place of
Rci
367
his
to
described
his
perform the work of
Eye, and directed the sky goddess
Nut asked Nu how this was to be done, and he Ra upon her back thereupon Nut took the form of a cow, and Ra seated himself upon her back. In due course mankind saw Ra on the back of Nut, and they were filled with
Nut
to help Ra.
told her to take
;
remorse at their former behaviour towards him, and they wished to
who had blasphemed him, but his Majesty did not tarry, and he went on into the temple. On the following day as soon as the morning had come, men went forth armed with see slain his enemies
bows and spears
in order to do battle Avith the enemies of Ra, and soon as the god saw this he said to them, " Your sins are
as
" forgiven you, for the sacrificial slaughters which ye have
made
" have done
away with the murders [which mine enemies have Then Ra raised himself from the back of the goddess Nut into the sky, where he made for himself a kingdom " committed]."
in
which
people were to be assembled.
all
Field to come into being,
"
\\
"m^
" green
^^^
^
4
dardt-d,
MI xT
i
"I
will
plant
make
to
grow)
said,
I
"^ ^^^ ^ "^ m
1
with objects which
it
"^ Sekhet-hetep,^c8i.me
"^
literally,
straight-
will
herbs therein," and straightway there came into being
Sekhet-aaru,^
"
l)^[]j
and the Majesty of the god
being,
into
"),
and
hetep seMiet,
l|„i)^l|
the Field of Hetep (" Peace
way
Finally he ordered a
sparkle,*
that
Thereupon the goddess Nut quaked in to strengthen her,
is
all
make supports
declared that he would
" ^"^^
'
to
to
^^^^
^
P^®"^^^^
say with stars."
her members, and
come
Ra
into existence
and straightway supports appeared.
Ra next
1 Die Neue Weltordnung nacli Veniichtung des siindigen MenschengescJdecJites, von H. Brngsch, Berlin, 1881, p. 23.
3
Note the jingle in tlie words sekhet and hetep. Note the play on the verbal aarat-d and the noun aaru.
^
Note the
"
sparkle."
jingle in
i
JcJiet,
" objects,"
and
(1
^ ^ [1
>lc
i
" things which
THE COW-GODDESS NUT
369
ordered his son Shu to place himself beneath the goddess Nut,
who was
trembling, in such a
ordered
him
way
heed to the supports, or
to take
pillars,
the goddess rested, and to protect them, and to keep
upon
and he
as to suf)port her body,
whereon
Nut stayed
his head.
Near
this place in the text
great cow-goddess Nut,
Along the
i.e.,
we have
the heavens and the sky (see opposite).
belly of the cow, which
emblematic of the sky, and
is
supported by the god Shu, are thirteen are the
a representation of the
two boats of the Sun-^od.
stars,
is
and immediately below
In the Matet boat stands a fisfure
Ra as god of the day, with a disk upon his head, and in the Sektet boat we see the god seated in a shrine the former boat is between of
;
by her udders. Each leg of the cow is supported by two gods, one in front and one behind, and each god who is with the cow has a special name, which is duly set forth in the text which runs in vertical columns
the fore-legs of the
cow
of Nut, and the latter
on each side of the scene.
When
the narrative recommences (line 56)
Ra commanded Thoth
the Majesty of the god
^\
that the god Seb, or Sab,
J
we
to give the order
(whom Brugsch
Jj
are told that
calls "
Keb
"),
when he had done so, him, Ra told him that strife had
should come into his presence forthwith, and
and Seb had appeared before arisen
by reason
were in his
me
(i.e.,
as long as I
of the
worms
"^"^^^^
(or snakes), ?
%.
Seb's) territory, and, he added, "
am
alive."
Ra
also told
him
IMS.,
May
to find out
which
they fear
what
their
plans were, and then to go to the place wherein was his father Nu,
and to warn him to be careful about what was on the earth and in the water. The text which immediately follows is full of difficulty, but
its
Ra expects Seb and that although he
general meaning seems to be that
watch on the serpents
in the earth,
to is
keep about
to betake himself to the uppermost regions of heaven his light will find
them
in their holes,
and
promises that he will give the of power,
fi
^
B b
U '^
fl (1
v
dl)
See Lefebure, Tomheau
'
will
watch them.
Moreover,
men who have knowledge
'
cle
clo^^iiiioii
Seti
I.,
part
Ra
of words
over them, and that he
iv., pi.
16,
11.
47
ff.
THOTH, VICAR OF RA
370
draw them After these things the Majesty of the god from their holes. should come into his presence speedily, Thoth that Ra ordered and when he had arrived he said to him, " Come, let us depart them with
will furnish
" from heaven, and from
" a thing of light " in the Tuat
and charms which
spells
(^:
my
am
place, because I
°) of the god of light
about to create
(^ ® ^ ^ J) ^ ^^^ ^)
(^ i^^
^) and in the Land of Babat
(
shall
•
"
And there thou shalt write down for punishment among the " dwellers therein those who have committed deeds of rebellion,
whom my
" and those
"place ([ " that
is
^_
and thou shalt be
dst),
to say, the
" these words the ibis
give
him
words hhen
®
jj
,
also promises to
v\
-^
the
(m '^ J "^ J\
I ^-c^
3
H a-nebu,
,
'
and Tekhni
^-^^ ]
\\
,
'
i<^?i)'
hah), is
and at
the envoy
makes a play on the
^"^^
^
,
a bird sacred to Thoth
embrace
to
beauties,
into being.
yz:^
'
'^
make Thoth
came mT
R ^
''^
the two heavens with his Q
^
r
shall be permitted to
J W "^^ liahi), which Ra next tells Thoth
(nU '^.
(
came into being." that he will power to lift up his hand before the great companies
A^ "^^
(1
it
Asti
my
the
of the gods,
he
thou shalt be in
called
And
deputy of Ra.
" thee to send for thy messenger
" of Thoth,
And
heart hateth.
(1
^x
fi
,^
—
and straightway the Moon,
Thoth
is
to drive back,
and straightway the Ape,
dndn, of the god came into being
;
dnh,
°
"^
;
and
finally
Thoth
^^'wv^
^^^-^^
is
du,
^
to be
wholly the representative of Ra upon earth.
From the observations which follow the words of Ra we can see how holy these words were considered to be. Any one who wished to repeat them must anoint his face with oil, and rub hands and the places behind his ears with incense, and cleanse his mouth with natron, and wash his new apparel in Nile water,
his
and put on white sandals, and lay a figure of Maat upon his and he must cleanse himself with a sevenfold cleansing tongue each day for three whole days. Finally, the king (Seti I.) for ;
THE whom
KING'S SOUL
371
these texts were written declares that his soul
Shu, and [Khnemu],
^"^^^X^, and Kerh,
and
^
Neheli,
'vww^ |^
f
O
| PQ^
is
3
,
the soul of
and
Kek,
""^ J? and Nu, and Ra, and Asar-Ba-
Tettet, and the souls of the
Sebak gods,
J
(1
^3^
^^
I
,
and of
the Crocodiles, and the soul of every god in the form of a serpent,
I
^^ 1^1 ^'
^^^ *^® ^^"^ ^^
-'^P^P? a^<^^ of
Ra
in all the earth.
372
(
)
CHAPTER XI
THE LEGEND OF RA AND
ISIS
HIEROGLYPHIC TEXT WITH TRANSLITERATION AND TRANSLATION ^
1^
^
^
\\
1
Be
en
neter
Chapter
of
the god
divine
t
pet
fa
mdu
en
dnkh
of heaven,
[and] earth,
[and] the breath
of
life,
^
maker
the
self-produced,
(?)
s
I
dri
hheperu tchesef
netevti
I
till
Met of
fire,
unit
(^
'
ci
neteru
reth
dut
of gods,
of men,
of beasts
menmen of cattle.
I
I
I
tche/fet
of reptiles and
creeping things,
^
e I
I
I
apt
remu
suten
of the fowl of the air,
[and] of fishes,
the king
1
U
Idler
form
mi
k
neteru
em
[and] of gods,
in
\ reth
of
men
-fj=^
<=^=K I
^ w
I
ud one, [to
henti
I
er
whom] periods [are] as of 120 years
I
renu
renput
dslti
years, of
many names,
RA AND
relch
not
known
AAAAAA
pefi
that [god],
is
rekh
not
known
Ast
em
Behold,
Isis
was in the form of
a
woman
IcsTT
hehu
[who was]
em
em
more
em
at
the millions
of
D
^
n
apt-set
the gods, and she esteemed
I
an khem
set
" Could she not be
the spirits [of
in
skilled
hehu
neteru
of
khu
the millions of
en
er
m^i
men, she chose rather the millions
neteru
that [god to] the gods.
rebelled
hehu
setep eres
inii
saa
I
I
reth
is
set
Her heart
matters).
£:f5
pefi
khak-db-s
tclietu (i.e.,
w
'Ss'
(in an
dstu
words
373
S=f2
w
an
ISIS
em
pet
heaven
in
value].
S I
ta
ma
Ba
[and] earth
like
Ra
kert
dri
make
[and]
herself mistress
IS
ta
of the earth
1 netert
ka-set
and a goddess,"
she meditated
1 ren
the
name
neter
of the god
\\
shepsi
holy
?
"
em
db-set
in
her heart.
er
rekh
by knowing
RA AND
374 A
o
o
(^
ciq
en
came
Behold,
AAAAAA
^
I
dstu
I
ISIS
Ra
in
ill
1
em hat
hru neb
Bci
qet
every day in front of
o
I
-
[/]
[his] sailors,
\\
smen-thd
her
nest
hhuti
and was stablished
upon
the throne
of the two horizons.
w
(^
1 daut
Had become
T
-
f
he dribbled at his mouth,
the divine one,
old
re
nef
-
e^wi-M.
AAAAAA 1
AA/^A^A
nebdut
/
-
his exudations
he poured out
er
ta
upon
the ground,
Pja pekas en su
and
sehher
his spittle
fell
her
upon the earth.
tet-set
in
her hand
hena
ta
unenet
W
[it]
qet-nes-set
on
it,
she fashioned
AA/VV\A
1
w
e7n
tchetfeti
shepsi
in the form of
a serpent
sacred,
'M!\
she kneaded
her-set
with earth which was
^
A
Isis
^
hi em
sek-nes Ast
sat
^ em
dri en set
[and] she
it
made
[it]
in
RA AND
ISIS
375 <^
# dnhli-thd
er hheft-set
alive
before her,
^
uat
[and] she
^1
D D
I
khad-set left [it]
hamu
her
lying
on
I
djpep neter
aa hers
aha
er
/
-
the path whereon journeyed the great god according to his desire
=^^s em
khet
taui
through
his
\\
-
two
f
lands.
Q 1
f^? m^
\
neter
hhd
shepsi
The god
holy
-
f
er
ha
neteru
behind
rose up,
the gods
j^
em
Aa-perti
utcha
dnJch
in the great double house,
-
O (^
m(i
f
[and] he marched on
^-7^1^
as [he did]
w tchetfeti
shepsi
the serpent
sacred
f
from him
tchesef himself,
;
the
of
fire
destroyed
bit
em [him]
7^.
per-thd
dnkhet
khet
ter-nes it
[when]
f
i -
unhhu-set
?2e5
every day
w
dm
Jchet-
strength, health! [were] folio wing him.
life,
P^P"ri^seftseft
em
senb
life
was coming out
^
w
(^111
dmi
na
dshu
the dweller
in the
cedars.
RA AND
376
ISIS ^
neter
netri
The god
divine
\,m-\
he ojDened
his
.
hen
-f
s.
L. S. H.
Majesty
his
u.
a.
^
])^^}'^^^f
^^
reached
unto
!
was
of the gods
the voice
of
"
The company
heaven.
III
What
"
neteru
is it ? "
-
f
His gods [were]
an
petrd-u
for [saying]
Paut
^
D
her
6
,
md ])u-u
for [saying],
^
mouth,
D ^
her
tiif
en
P^^
(3
neteru
hheru
-
,
^
(2
niJi
f
re
f
-
What
the matter
is
"
Not
?
f
-
qeyri
found he
(2
^
(3
JX
IJ
1
mettu
er
usheht
words
to
answer
® ^
1
^/
t)
^ y^
c.
about
drti-fi
His two jaws
it.
y^
WW -
f
his limbs
rattled,
her -f
9,
at
Ichethhet
/i-er
I
^^
\il
AAAAA^
/vww^
1
neb
dstiti
metu
all
trembled
the poison
(2
^5P
AAftAAA
W
n
thetet-nef
em
dufi
md
took possession
of his
body
as taketh possession
1' I
em of
khet
-
f
his river bed.
rKrj\f\f^
V
Hdjp
thetet
id/
the Nile
L
neter
aa
smen-nef
db -f
The god
great
stablished
his heart.
RA AND
ISIS
377
W
/\ A/WV\A
f
he [cried] out
er
dmiu
to
those in
nrz2
e
7\
111
"
A^
em
who have come
^
I
Come
to me.
^
hdt-d
my
from
into being
nd
mdi-ten
f
Jii^
kliepert
ye
-
his train
I
I
I
hhet
I
i
I
-
Ijnds']
neteru
members,
[ye] gods
A AAAAA^ I
peru
em-a
who have proceeded
from me,
and
I will
I
I
rekh-ten
tat
make you
know
to
!
temu-entii
khejperd-set
what hath happened
dri
my
it
heart.
dn
tet-d
set
made it my hand,
by something
O
O
/WWV\
C-LL
I
maa
Not
have seen
know
deadly,
-<2>-
I
dn
(VWWV
)^i
maa-d
su
my
it
em
rekh-set
not
I
meru
hhet
am wounded
db-d
rekh-set
knoweth
I
I
Ci
(2
dn not
eyes,
dri-nd
neht
who hath done [this]
[I] it
to
me
anyone,
D
^
dn not
^^
<$.
ment
teptu-d
have
dnuk
er-s
more than
pain
I tasted
it.
I
am
i:P'
1
dn
mdtet-set like
it,
1
meru
never was deadly [anything]
ser
sa
ser
a prince,
the son
of a prince,
RA AND
;78 AA/W\A
e
ISIS
1^
1^1 dnuh
mu
hheperit
em
neter
the divine issue
produced
by
a god.
ur
am
I
a great one,
^. maid
ur
so-
the son
en
my
thought out
of a great one,
am
I
of
name.
(^
(S
(^
rennu
«s/i2i
a?i-?J(^
my
father
<^^
III
ren-d
dtef-d
many
names,
many
of
du
kheperu
dsht
forms
hheperd-d
tmu
em
neter
my form (or existence)
living
in
god every.
(or, existences)
is
nds-d-tu
neh
have proclaimed
I
(2
D
C^innr
Temu
Hern
(2
du
hehennu
Temu and Heru Hekennu.
l-J
C5
ren-d
iniit-d
and
my
my
mother
name,
tchet
Have
I
AAAAAA
'
<£il
dtef-d
em
hidden was
it
him
begetter
Avho
men
tern
who wished
not
en
my
in
erf at
er
Jchat-d
body
^
mes-a
father
I
dmen-set
M\ my
my
uttered
kheperu
to let
have
by
^ w pehti
power
hehau-d
en
heJcai
er-d
would enchant me
by
enchantments
over me.
RA AND J\
(2
had come (9
{79
I
peru-h 1
ISIS
ha
er
the abode
from
forth
to
-^ em
[and] was being led
ari-na
what
see
I
had made
^>
51
sutet
maa
er
qemamu-nd
taui
[which] I had created,
through the lands
^>^
\
em
tchetem
when [something] aimed a blow
kher-d
an
me
[and] I
at
(S
su
rekh-d
know not Avhat it is.
m an Behold
not
it is
mu
an
ds pit
Jchet
behold
fire,
it is
as
pu
db-d
My
not water.
1
w w
fire,
my
P\i
limbs
[my] members
of quakings.
children,
I
I
dmmd
the children
my
contain
(2 I
hesiu
mesu-d
\\
kheri
[are] trembling,
llH^^
contains
m
dt-\_d'\
mesu
(3
heart
dstiti
liat-d
\Jchet]u
kheri
m
1
w
I
111^
pray you
)
dntu-nd
be brought to
let
me
I
neteru
khui
metet
rekhi
the gods
mighty
of words,
skilful
I
sart-sen
with their mouths.
their powers,
I
I
A
I
I
I
peh-sen
I
her
they reach to heaven.
RA AND
380 J\
ISIS
A mesu
iu-eref
Came
to
him
neter
neh
dm
Jvheri
god
every
there
with
[his] children,
q-J
J-^
dkebu-nef
A
n
/ ...
i
em
AAA/^A^
/
T
r"-^
cis::^ s
I
—
'^
-fl
III
tii/w
^^^ III 4 S
ment
her ter
Jcheri
Jihnt-set
with
her power
t dnkh
of
life,
maketh
to live
stinking throats throats of the dead).
^
D III
She
What
said,
heti
1
e pu-u
md
her incantations
ka
(i.e.,
tchet-set
thes-set
s
sdnhh
her word
^
e?^
n
mettu-set
destroy diseases,
/n
Isis
and her skilled mouth, with the breath <©.
n
en Ast
Came
'j'^-se^
"^
/wvvv\
iu
his cries of weeping.
as^
w
/H
is this,
ism.
dtef
neter
father
god
?
petrd
What
tchetji
is it ?
A
snake
"=^^ Q
ten
D
(3
mennii
hath shot sickness
dm-h
mes-k
iid
A thing
into thee.
fa
made by thee hath lifted up
^ tep its
-/ head
ka
erek
against thee.
/WWV\
hekaiu
words of power
Verily
em
sekher-set it shall
be overthrown
by
1
menkhiu beneficent.
td-d I will
khetkhet
make
it
-
f
to depart
er
from
RA AND o
o
c^liw n\
ISIS
381
X
^
1
matt
sati-h sati-iv
netei neter
tcheseri
dpu~nef
the sight
of thy rays.
The god
holy
opened
-^
I
dnuk
shemi
])u
her
was passing
I
his
/
-
mouth
%5
W
D
re
I
uat
over
way
the
sutut
em
going
through
r^^^^n
tJI taui
the two lands
^
dha
set-d
y
of
my
2^ (^
AAA/VNA
/VWVNA
qemamu-nd
what
I
en
my
wished
country,
[when]
I
db-d
maa
er
heart to
see
V
w
khunen-nd
had created
o
o
was bitten
w
em
tchetfi
by
a snake
D A;/ie)5
<X7i-
Behold
invisible.
A
pu
not
AA/WW
AA/W\A
JJ
<x?i-
behold
fire.
I
\\
I
am
colder
as
77izi
it is
J)'^'
not water,
^^ (S
AAAAAA
qehehh-kiid I
it is
as
shemem-kud
er
77^^t
than
water.
X
I
m
am
er
than
hotter
w
^^..r^^
£^
(^
III
hdt-d
seshet
my
fire.
neb
limbs
er
kheri
fetet
sweat,
are full of
all
tild
I
^ w w dstiti
tremble,
.^&-
dn
maat-d
my eye
is
without
smen stability,
dn
qemhu-d I cannot see
,
RA AND
382
^
AAA/V\A
/VWVW >
ISIS
^
<^
V
pe^
Ml
mu
her
the heavens,
bursteth out
water
on
tchet
—
g|
q|j
Ast
en
Ed
d
Isis
to
Ra,
Said
li
\
em
hrcl-d
my
jj;^ an
-WVWN
/^S
AVvVNA
1
face
shemu
summer.
[as] in
^ tchet-nd tell
ren-Ju
me
thy name.
f
(^ (E
temu-tu
her
who hath
declared
sa
cltef
neter
diikh
father
god;
liveth
the person
s ren his
-
f
name.
pet
art
(xm/7(^
am
[Said R;\] I
(S(3
the
maker
^
III
theknitter together of the mountains,
heaven
[and] earth,
(^
qemamu
unnet
the creator
of what exists
tuu
thes
of
fa
v{i
her
-
upon
f it.
nuh 1
mu
a7't
am
the
maker
of the
Jthepertu
water
making
to exist
U
cx^
mut -f
Meht-ur Meht-ur,
acting [as]
Icheperu
his mother,
bull of
the creator
/W^AAA AA^AAA
3XZ1
nuk
netchem netcltemiu of the joys of love.
I
am
dri
the
maker
pet of heaven
D "
X Ji^
I
I
I
sesheta
and have covered over
RA AND
/t/?w^t
f«-
/>a
the two horizons, I have set
O
383
?
mil
nu
neteru
D
-
within them
the soul of the gods
^ O ^!l
un
am
(3
em-khemiu-set
iiiiiiiii
dnuh I
ISIS
he who openeth
maati-f
hhe]3eru khejjeru
his eyes,
becometh
I
hetchetcMu the light
"^
/^A/^.^AA
=v
\^
AAAAAA 1 1
akliennu
maati-f
klieperu
keJmi
hu
mu
shutteth [he]
his eyes,
becometh
the dark.
Riseth
the flood
OAAAAAA
(5
Hap Hap (Nile)
of
}(|
khefl
pjiveth the
ren
know the gods
his
ra
-
/
name.
I
am
the
nuk
Jiru
lam
dpu
T=t.
imnu of hours,
renpit
the creator
of streams of water.
e
of the year,
O
V
dtru
life
1
(T
I
hebu
qemamu
of
o
the opener of the festivals
z
dnkhet
maker
I
^!
the creator of days,
of flame
dri
(2
khepeno
not
D^O
mile
(2
khet
command.
O neteru
W
he
AAAAAA
en
rekh
an
utu-iief
when
an
nuk I
U
^1
am
the
maker I
I
I
/vv\fv\r\
er sekhejperu
kat
en
amu
making to be performed
works
in
the houses.
RA AND
384
ISIS
(3
^
O
G
nuk
Klie])erd
em
hiauu
Rd
em
dhdu-f
am
Khepera
in
the morning,
Ra
in
his noontide.
I
—
W
(^
^^nnr
ami
Temii
-ga^
I
^
r—
mdsheru
Temu
an
khesef
[But] not was driven
in the evening.
1 met
em
the poison
out of
its
an
Said
netchem
neter
I
Ast
en
Rd
Isis
to
Ra
ail :
opit
re7i-A:
—Thv name
is
not enumerated
era
na
tchet'ii-k-nd
among
the
things which thou hast said to
a
tchet-k tell
come out
shall
me.
AAA/V\A
r^Ti
/VWVW
f
A^A/VV\
and
to
it
me
w
2)eri
nd
set
thou
sr
III
I
nrz3
da
not was relieved the great god.
course,
illy tcliet
an
sliemi-set
ta
metu
the
poison.
Shall live
a person
r=iD f (3
A/v/VW\
(^
temu-tu
having uttered
ren his
-
tchetemu
with
burnings.
tchetemu-set
The poison
name.
it
burned
(^
t em
metu
f
sekliemu-nes it
was stronger
er
nebdu
than
the flame
of
RA AND /wvw\
11
X ^ art
Said
fire.
w
(5
385
1/
hen
en
Rd
the majesty
of
Ra,
dn
tchet
ISIS
tdt-nd I give
myself
,
A to be searched out
by
em
per
Ast
Hid
hehici
come
shall
Isis,
em
ren-a
forth
my name
from
*11 11 1 1 1 1
\.^
.|<^
dmen
khat-d
er
khat-s
my body
into
her body.
W
su
en
Hid himself
em
netri
the divine one from
(3
1111 neteru
usekh
the gods,
dst
empty was the place
it
became
in
the Boat
heh renput
en
of millions of years.
D
^
sep
pert
about
the time of
kheperu
When
uda
md
© dr
em
J^
ent
the coming forth
^.
of
-
I db
tchet-s
the heart she said
en
sa
Heru
[her] son Horus:
to
senha
S
ent su
— Let him bind himself by an oath
Q
AAAAAA
T
#
em
dnkh
sworn by the
netef life
of the
e
1 neter
1
1
;
dat
The god great
uthes
1\ -
w
ertdt 7ieter
god that the god
^
will give
itA
nef her ren
was removed from
maati-f
his
-
f
name,
Ast Isis,
of
c c
his tAvo eyes.
"^^
8
U
e
urt-hekauti
great in words
power
[said]:
RA AND
386
r=a U
^
Run
W
metu
|:»e7'
e??i
come forth from
maat
Ra,
Eye ofHorus,
^
forth
em
neter
nubmi
from
the god,
and shine
O
nuk
ari-a I
Hern
i^rt
Ji
O
I,
o
I
J\
poison,
out,
])eri
come
AAAAAA
f
I
ISIS
have worked,
nuk I
ra
7^
e?fc
RA AND
ISIS
387 AAAAAA
I
tchet
he7'
^
e, tut
To be said over an image
erpit
and [over] a figure
671
Te/niu
hend
of
Temu
and
Ileru-Tiekennu
Heru-hekennu,
Ast
tut
Heru
of Isis,
and an image
of Horns.
(
388
)
CHAPTER
XII
THE DESTRUCTION OF MANKIND EGYPTIAN TEXT WITH TRANSLITERATION AND TRANSLATION
^
1
I
A/^V\AA
1
netev
khefer
tchesef
em-kliet
un-nef
em
god,
who created
himself.
After
he was
in
m
1
sutenit
of
the sovereignty
and of gods,
men.
and
I
I
khet
of creation,
V
^ w iin
TJdti
reth
d)i
eref
hen
his majesty,
Behold,
kesu-f his bones
H
like
metet
hat
f
i
P
dnkh
utcha
senh
(2
dstu
em
her
men and women were blaspheming
the One,
is
I
em
neteru
reth
life,
em
hetch
are like
silver,
his limbs
-iCl
O O
O
kheshet lapis-lazuli
—
U
madt real
dami
strength, health,
ee? hdu - f
and saying,
has grown old,
O O O
em,
nvh
like
gold
^
/VSAAAA
til bliL
sheni
I
-
f
his hair
AAA/W\
tin
dn
was
his
hen-f
her setem
majesty
listening to
DESTRUCTION OF MANKIND ^
ISO
1112
an
metet
what
said
tchet
mankind.
an
Said
utcha
ctnhli
^C'^i-f
his majesty,
life,
senh
strength, health.
w
'=^
er
enti
to
those
er
reth
Sim
and Shu,
md-nd
nds
emkhetti-f
who were in his train.
Tefmit
Seh
Nut
liend
Tefnut,
Seb
Nut,
and
maat-d
my Eye,
me
bring
Call,
er
7nut
dtefiu
the father and mother
gods
DOD
m
^ hend-d
uneniu
who
lived
Avith
dstu-d
me when behold I was
AAAAAA
neter-d
Nu
my
Nu.
god
Nu
in
Nu,
liena
kher
together with
mm
^7^7^ AA^AAA
1
em
i 1
shenthi
dn-nef
Let him bring
-
liend
f
his ministers
-
f
with him.
1 dn-nek
Bring thou
set
em
ketket
them
in
silence.
am that not
1^1^ reth
am
mankind.
not
I
I
Ld
I
hend-sen
with them
er
het-dat
I
I
I
I
dh-sen
liar
may
maa
their hearts.
flee
:3
I
I
I
tchet-sen
into the great temple, let
them declare
may
see
^^ i-k
Come thou
Mil sehheru-sen their counsel
DESTRUCTION OF MANKIND
;90
B
W, tchertn.
fully;
ODD
^\ lU-Ob
I will
enter
AA^^ AAAftAA
em into
c^ j^ll
DESTRUCTION OF MANKIND
inii?--^
AAAAAA J]
tep-du
neterii
391
I
I
I
kheperu
reth
"tnd-ten
and ye ancestor gods, take ye heed to mankind who came into being AAAA/VA
r\
.1
^' em
maat-d
my
from
eye,
I
^
4
I
III
ka-en-sen
metet
er-d
they speak
words
against me.
AAAAAA
f::^ I
I
I
I
I
I
Tell
me
for
me,
AAAAAA J]
I
I
tchet-nd
drit-ten
about
I
I
md-ten-ud
er-s
[what] ye would do
I
take ye heed to
it.
w
it
"=^>^
hehi'd
dn
sma-nd
set
er
setemu-d
seek out a plan for me.
Not
will I slay
them
until
I hear
^
AAAAAA
AAAAAA
I
I
I
AAAAAA
I
tchet-thd ten
er-s
Avhat ye say
dn hen
tchet
concerning
it.
Said the majesty
en
Nu
of
Nu,
O the son
of
\\
1
I
sa
Rd
neter
da
er
Ra
God
greater
than
^> er
mightier
than
he
T _£[ ]]
I
}ir
su
dri
who made
ru
—H—
I
who were
^
hems
qema\_m~\-m'SU those
him,
created with him,
sit
on
i dst-k
thy throne,
ur great
sent-k is.
the fear of thee,
du let
niaat-k
er
Eye
upon
thine
be
DESTRUCTION OF MANKIND
392
^ nam those
dm-k
who blaspheme
III
I
III
thee.
1^
IV
!'
DESTRUCTION OF MANKIND w w
1 hen the majesty
AWAAA
en neter
pen
idi-ui
em
hetep
Het-Hert
of
god
Come, come
in
peace,
Hathor,
this
iii^iv ^'Tiz drit en drit
deed
for the
393
is
tcliet
dn
Said
done.
f
netert ten
goddess
this
dnkli-k
nd
—Thou gavest me
:
life,
III
when
I
had power
(1
dh-d.
my
em
reth
over
mankind
sekliem-nd
dii
em
sen
over them
of
Ra
em
suten
as
king
TA ^\u pu
Sekhet
em
I
^^^]
ill
I
I
III
kheper It
came to pass that
shehebet
I
ent
kerh
er rehet
her
of
the night
waded about
in
shad
em
Suten-henen
their blood
beginning
in
Suten-henen.
^1^ as
Call,
ma-na bring to
w
AAAAAA AAAAAA
+
'
senfsen
01
be master
I^
AAAAAA I
me
to
I
I
of the offerings
i^
il
I
sdntu-set
n AA/VSAA
I will
destroying them.
^ X
pleasing
du-d er sekhem
I
izsz:
Sekhet
majesty
her
q^i-t
^
Rd
I
netchem
was
it
en
}
I
I
hen
Said the
heart.
O
AAAAAA
1
dn
tcliet
I
V/
du
dputi
khau
messengers
swift
dn
tchet
Said
Bd Ra:-
H^\
III
sdnnu [and] speedy
DESTRUCTION OF MANKIND
394
I
I
I
shut
seklisekhsen
they shall run
wind
[like] the
the body
of
w
^
khat
en
^
D
w
AAAAAA
an- 111
enen dpufi
d'pen
her dui
one brought
messengers
these
straightway.
an
D
1 an
tchet
Said
J^
hen
en
the majesty
of
I
P^/N-^l
Ahu
AAAAAA
"X
god :—
this
nef
One brought
to
him
sha-sen
er
Let them go
to
III
-S
nd
tdtddt
me
mandrakes
AAAAAA
n
A
ri
er
W
III
enen
tdtddt
these
mandrakes,
ertdt
I
Sektet
Tieie?' pe??/
e?i
of
this
1
W
III
god
enti
who
to Sektet
•1
1 AAAAA
is
dpen
dstu
kher
mandrakes
these.
Behold,
when
I
^ pertu
er
he
the barley
for
beer,
ertd
t
em
Annu
her
netch
in
Heliopolis
to
crush
X
^ hent
the
her
women
^y-\
III
the majesty
^
A
tdtddt
b&t)
hen
O
^ w
A^AA^
dn
gave
°
1
ur
in great number,
dO W
dn dn-tu
I
I
neter yen
I
[and] bring
AAAAAA
r\
I
an
Elephantine Q
I
AAAAAA
dn-tu
and they were placing
tesh
were bruising
^:fA tdtddt
dpen
mandrakes these
DESTRUCTION OF MANKIND ff ^ —^ %%'Z>. AAAAAA
JJ X ^^
I
lier
^.^-p J^
395
I 1
AAA^^ W'/^yW
shebehet
reth
in the beer vessels,
[they became] blood
men.
of
/vvvvv\
^
heqt
drnet
7000
of beer
vessels
seven thousand,
drit-dn-hi
Having been made
A\\
III
0-72
Z^if,
came
si] hen
eref
en
the majesty
therefore
sute7i hat
of the king of the South
i:
Bd
hend
Ra
with
and North
m
°
III
fi I
AA/VW\
y
neteru
dpen
67'
libaa
gods
these
to
see
1^7
iii
:n:
hetch ta
when
it
netert
em
the goddess
during
III
dstu
Behold,
^=:>^
smama
reth
had slaughtered
sesu-sen their period
men
o
ppp^:^p III ctw
^
beer.
this
— after
/S
heqet
67?-
was dawn.
AAAAAA
I
I
nu
khentithit
of
sailing
up the
river,
O U
'
AAAAAA
I
metch dn said
hen
en
the majesty
of
Bd
neferui
Ra:—
It is good, it is good.
<^
P
du'd I
am
er for
mdket protecting
reth
set
hers
mankind against
^^V?^ tchet
her.
dn
Said
Bd Ra
DESTRUCTION OF MANKIND
396
'^'^^^n
ll^'%\ I
I
1
md
fai
Let them carry and bring them
ra
o
D reth
am
mankind
therein.
hua
er
set
lies syjia
she slew
the place
to
flV
hep
hen
en
the majesty
of
d'ii
Commanded
siden hat
the king of the
South and North
S
iZlM Bd
em
Ra
'^=A
"T"
III
C^
kerh
iieferu
rr
^Ti
^Zi
ertdt satet-fu
cause to be poured out
during the beauties of the night to
^
XI
AAAAA^
I
*
''
/WWV\
III
un
enen
setchert
these
vases of sleep-causing beer,
^
III
V
^
1
I
^
i
ahet
d.n
were
the fields
of
A/V\^AA I
cx^x.
I
)
AAAA'V^
her
2^et
ffu
heaven
the four
meh
filled
1
\\
enti
pen
en
neter
the majesty
of
this god.
I
I
em.
mu
em
haiu
en
with
water
by
the Will
of
^^JiHW
.wwvv
hen
AAAft/V\ I
J
I'^m
dn
shemt
netert
Came
goddess Sekhet)
ten
em
this
in
(i.e.,
o
^
"^
w
[
tuain
morning,
qV
?h
a^i
hrd-set lira-set
was
I
"^
AAAAAA
* "^l"
AAAAAA
<^ =<=>^
qem-nes
enen
found she
this [heaven]
m
1
dm
her face because of
un it,
dn
Avas
AAAAAA AAAAAA
nefer flooded.
joyful
h TPS^ set
her surd
she
drinking,
DESTRUCTION OF MANKIND
A
^
I
I
her ab-set lier dh-set
nefer
merry
was her
397
tekh-thd
i-nes
came
she
heart,
to a condition of drunkenness,
O an
reth
sa-nes
knew
not
mankind.
she
hen
en
Bd
the majesty
of
Ra
an
tchet
Said
AA/\AAA
en to
netert
it-ui
ten
goddess this:
—
Come, come
^
6
hheper
the majesty
u
n
hetep
in
peace,
I
beautiful
young women
O
1^^
en
Bd
en
of
Ra
to
Aonit
Beautiful one
^^
fff
em
A^n
in
Am.
nefert
and there became
hen
^
em
goddess this
:
—
H
1
an
Said
en
dri
ten
netert
^^==1
tchet
set
Let be made for her D I
setchertet
vases of sleep -causing beer
trdiu
renjpet
at
seasons
of the year
they [shall be] in proportion to
my handmaidens. D
vases of sleepcausing beer
pu em according to
these
;
drit
There were made
^ hent
dpt
the
dpen
hheper
hent-d
D setchert
/VW\AA
em
er
set
o
number
of the
handmaidens
DESTRUCTION OF MANKIND
398
y--
s^!
Iieh
en
Het-hert
of the festival
of
Hathor by
@
refh,
dii.
mankind
neh
tcher
hm
all
since
the day
o
W
1
fepi
tchet
Said
first.
hen
en
Rd
en
netert
the majesty
of
Ra
to
goddess
an
*~
mer
en
heh
en
mer
kheper
a pain
of
fire
of
sickness
hath come [on me],
du
-*
-*
*^
I
I
/vww\
'I
£ZJ!
whence
whence,
mer the pain
is
5Q
tchet
Rd
dnkh-nd
Ra:-
I live.
hend-sen
with them.
dn
heart
smam-d I
slew
en
the majesty
of
urtu
nnen of being
en
them,
[but] there remain
of
dn
un
dnt
the worthless,
for not
was
the destruction
^^1 dutu as wide-spreading
A/VW\A
Q
ni power.
ur
Sep
dti
my
^.
very weary
is
^^
d-d
^^
set
%^^
[as]
hen
m,\
dh-d
my
[but]
dn
Said
?
W^.i
f
I
I
dn
trd-ui
klier
:-
^^
ra
Behold
this
ra
^^ an
ten
tchetet en
Said
neteru
the gods
^ w
J\
enti ami-
who were
Jchet-
in
his train
DESTRUCTION OF MANKIND
399
? em
hell
em
nrt-h
in
thy weariness
Tarry not
du-k [for]
sekhem-thd
mighty
thou art
1 em
merret-h
according to
thy
tchet
an
Said
will.
ivoiu
hen
viv en
neter fen
the majesty
ol
this
ra
AAAAAA
e?e en
hen
en
Nu
to
the majesty
of
Nu:-
D
®
sejp
the
D tepi
first
time,
/VWNAA
an not
hdu-d
My
members
^^
ahet are
god
weak
em for
400
(
)
CHAPTER
XIII
^ the" OTHER
AND MAAT, ^"p^, AND GODDESSES AVHO WERE ASSOCIATED WITH HIM
THOTH
(TEHUTI),
HB
hymns
and T"^ that the
state
Ra which
to
deities
Thoth and Maat stand one on each
some important part
Dead
works of the ancient Egyptians
in other funeral
the great god in his boat, and to take
are found in the Book of the
it
side of
clear that they Avere believed
is
in directing its course
;
and
were with Ra when he sprang up from the abyss of
as they
Nu
their
must have been coeval with his own. The conceptions which the Egyptians formed about Thoth and Maat were both material and spiritual, and it is impossible to arrive at any existence
concerning
conclusion
enumerating the texts
facts
the
Thoth.
of
In
authorities, the functions of is
the
these
of
about them which
speaking generally, Maat
;
counterpart
that
functions
may
may
be derived from the
be considered the female
Pyramid
Texts,
god who
helper of the deceased kings, and, although
it is
is
We
"
Khemennu, self-created, One " " he who reckons
to
whom
of the earth
" ;
and
called,
''
Lord of
none hath given birth, god
in heaven, the counter of the stars, the
" enumerator of the earth and of what ''
souls in the
knowledge of the powers
and from these we learn that he was
;
by
many
must, then, rely upon the inscrip-
tions of the later dynastic period for our
"
willing to be a
no description given in these early works of
the functions of the god.
of Thoth,
earliest
certain from
passages that his assistance was eagerly awaited is
our
Thoth are of a purely funereal character,
to say, he appears only as a
Underworld, there
without
deities
is
the " heart of Rii
therein,
and the measurer
which cometh forth
in the
THOTH "form in
zz©,
Khemennu,
Eshmunen by
I
As
Amen-heri-ab,
H
(1
of the
god was
also
Per-ab,
Sep,
J
,
\J <=> f \\ ^ find
him
^^<-='.
,
e?) cJf
^,
^^[=zd, Hat,
^,
Aa-tcha-Mutet, u^^ tOi©,
From
this last
and " ter maximus
The above
"
Horus and Set
"Twice
called
Rehui, Pselket,
|
and Ta-kens,
s's:.
>
"1
^^"^^ \
and "judge of the two combatant gods,"
i-6-?
5
and
had shrines in Abydos,
lord of these places he was " lord of divine words,"
"lord of Maat,"
we
^,
s=5 [j^
chief shrine
Hermopolis by the Greeks,
^(1(]@,
Ta-ur,
Talmis,
,
^©,
Bah,
Urit,
^ ']©'], ^
called
the Ai-abs, but he
|^,
Hesert,
<=>
The
of the god Thoth."^
401
great,"
and among other
;
^^,
and "Thrice
titles
great,"
were derived the epithets "Trismegistos"
of the classical writers.
facts
prove that Thoth was regarded as a god who
was self-begotten and self-produced, that he was One, that he made the calculations concerning the stablishing of the heavens, and the stars,
and the
earth, that
he was the heart of Ra, that he was the
master of law both in its physical and moral conceptions,
he had the knowledge of " divine speech."
we
see also that
he
Avas the inventor
From many
and god of
all
and that passages arts
and
sciences, that he was the " lord of books," and the " scribe of the
gods," and "
mighty in speech," i.e., his words took effect, and he was declared to be the author of many of the funeral works by which the deceased gained everlasting life. In the Booh of the Dead he plays a part which gives him a unique position among the gods, and he is represented as the possessor of powers which are greater than those of Osiris, and even those of Ra himself.
we go on to consider these the forms in which he Usually he appears on the monuments must be mentioned. appears in human form with the head of an ibis, but he also appears as an ibis. When in human form he holds in his hands
Before, however,
1
D d
See Lanzone, op. cit,
p.
1265.
THOTH
402
common
to all gods, but his
headdress varies according to the particular
form of the god in
emblem
the sceptre and
which the
of "life"
As
wishes to depict him.
artist
the reckoner of times
and seasons he has upon his head the crescent moon and disk, O; as a form of Shu and An-Her he wears the headdresses of these gods
;
he
is
also seen
wearing the atef crown, ^^^
In the Book of the Dead he
crowns of the South and the North/ appears as the " scribe of
® and palette
"1
,
Maat
his
the power or strength, of the
of the gods,"
hands the writing reed
but his connection with
;
rising in primeval times is indicated i.e.,
company
of the
and then he holds in
of the scribe
and the united
,
Ra and
his first
sometimes by the utchat
Eye
of Ra, which he
^^i
is
seen
carrying along in his hands.
The name
of the
god Thoth, ^>^
derived from the supposed oldest to
teliu^
which the termination
ti
name
Telmti,
,
appears to be
of the ibis in Egypt,
i.e.,
has been added, with the idea of
indicating that the king called Tehuti possessed the qualities and
A
name which appears to have been favoured by the Egyptians connected it with the word tehh, ^ 'C, "a weight," and in passages quoted by Lanzone^ we attributes of the ibis.^
god actually
find the for the
know the
word
tekli,
derivation of the
^ »^ ^'
called tehh^
a weight,
^^^^ *^^ determinative
the sign for "heart,"
is
"O",
and we
that the bird called tehh or tekhnu, which closely resembled
ibis,
the bird sacred to Thoth, was in the opinion of some
Thus HorapoUo says write " heart " they draw
ancient writers connected with the heart. (i.
an
36) that
when
ibis, for this
the Egyptians wish to bird was dedicated to
Hermes
(i.e.,
Thoth) as the
knowledge and understanding; and ^lian {De Nat. Animal, x. 29) supports his testimony by adding several cuinous and interesting facts about the habits of the ibis. Other names
lord of
all
J and Sheps, lord of Khemennu, fl^ ^, Khenti, T;, Mehi, o<=^ I
given to Thoth were,^ A,
^P^Ez©, Asten, ^
See Lanzone, op.
3
Op.
cit., p.
1265.
()
cit., pi.
,
(]
f{|l^
402
f.
Religion, p. 439.
~
Compare Brugsch,
*
See Brugsch, Beligion,
p.
441.
THOTH etc.
The commonest name given
" ibis," a Avord which finds
and one of
his
to
403
Thoth
hab,
is
m %.
'
^^ '^^^
|
equivalent in the Coptic giRcui,
its
commonest forms
is
the dog-headed ape,
rzS^, J^9 /\A/\AAA
which occupies such a prominent position in the Judgment Scene in the Booh of the Dead. Here we see him seated on the top of the support of the beam of the Balance in which the heart of the deceased is weighed, where his duty is to watch the pointer, and tell
Thoth when the beam
ibis-headed
the
is
exactly level
according to Brugsch, this ape is a form of Thoth as the god of " equilibrium," ^ and he appears to be a symbol of the equinoxes. The ape dan is also connected with the moon, for he is often seen
with the lunar crescent and disk, Q, upon his head but there is no doubt that he represented Thoth in his character of " lord of divine words and the scribe [of the gods]," for in a scene re;
produced by Lanzone palette
and writing
^
we
see
reeds,
him holding
and these
in one
are
titles
paw
the god's
given to him.
may be also mentioned those in which he possesses the attributes of other gods. Thus as a god of Mendes he has a human body with the head of a bull surmounted by a disk and uraeus as Shu he is depicted in the form of a man Besides these forms of Thoth
;
wearing the crown of Shu of a of a
;
as
An-her he
man wearing the crown of this god hawk the ibis and the ape dan are ;
^
;
The
is
depicted in the form
Sheps he has the head
as
commonest forms. was Khemennu, or Egyptian mythology as the place his
principal seat of the worship of Thoth
Hermopolis, a city famous in
containing the " high ground," a
"^ a
^
^, on which
Ra
rested
when he rose for the first time. Here he was regarded as the head of the company of the gods of the city, who were eight in number :
Nu
and Nut, Hehu and Hehut, Kek and Keket, and Kerb and Kerhet (or Nau and Nait), i.e., four pairs of deities, each pair consisting of a male and a female deity. As to the importance of this
company
of the gods
two eminent Egyptologists have held Brugsch thought that
directly opposite opinions, for the late Dr.
1
Eeligion, p. 443.
2
3
iiid,^ pii_
Qp. 402 ff.
cit., pi.
404, No.
1.
THOTH
404
the four pairs of deities formed the oldest example of the ogdoad,
while M. Maspero
Thoth,
when
is
of opinion that
we must
join the four pairs to
the nine gods will form an independent yaut, con-
structed partly on the model of the ]jaut of Heliopolis.
Dr. Brugsch
thought that the eight gods of Hermopolis were primordial
but M. Maspero thinks that their character
is
deities,
entirely artificial,
and
that they are only " gods formed according to the laws of grammar, " four being masculine, and four feminine." ^ The latter argues that because the high priest of Hermopolis was called
which indicates that he served "
him
that
of the city were only five in number, of the cardinal points
then 1
I
assigned
-^V r^
Tem
;
female
Ra-Tem was
or
Thoth and the four gods
to the four gods of the cardinal points were
counterparts,
hence
"
the
Thoth, according to M. Maspero,
I.
title
chief of five," the gods
is
i.e.,
by a
to the jpaut of Heliopolis,
is
Eight
to these
gods
what
and the Hermo-
was constructed after the model of the Heliopolitan paut thus Nu and Nut = Shu and Tefnut, Helm and Hehut = Seb and Nut, Kek and Keket = Osiris and Isis, and Kerh and Kerhet (or, Nau and Nait) = Set and Nephthys. This view is, politan paid ;
however, not supported by the evidence of the texts, which, in the writer's opinion, indicates, as has already been said, that the four pairs of gods of Hermopolis belong to a far older conception of the theogony than polis.
company of gods of Heliobe remembered is that Thoth was
that of the
Another point to
intimately associated with the ape, as were also the gods of his
company
;
this takes us
back to a very remote period when super-
natural poAvers were assigned to the particular class of ape which
was the companion of Thoth, and when the primitive Egyptian regarded the knowledge and cunning of the dog-headed ape as proofs of his divine nature.
Between the period when
this took
and the development of the Heliopolitan theogony, a very the two conceptions long interval of time must have passed place
;
belong not only to different stages of civilization, but probably to
two
distinct races of
One
men.
of the most interesting titles of 1
La Mythologie
Thoth
]Sgyptienue, p. 257.
is
" Judge of the
THOTH the
405
who
*'
ReheliTii,
''
(Hermopolis), the great god in the Temple of Abtiti."
the
of
pacifier
early Egyptian tradition
gods,
made a great
dwelleth
Unnu
in
A
^
fight to take place
very-
between
the god of light and the god of darkness, and in later days
Ra
some form of him, generally one of the Horus gods, was identified with the god of light, and Set, in one form or other,
himself, or
was identified with the god of darkness. Thus the fights of Ra and Apep, and Heru-Behutet and Set, and Horus, son of Isis, and Set, are in reality only different versions
story,
though belonging to
Thoth played a prominent
In
different periods.
part, for
when
same
of one and the
the
all
Eye
these fights
of Ra,
i.e.,
the
Sun, was doing battle with Set, this evil power managed to cast clouds over
was Thoth who swept them away, and Eye alive, and whole, and sound, and without defect
it,
" brought the
and
it
"to its lord" (Book of the Dead, xvii. 71, ff.) he seems also to have performed the same office for Ra after his combat with Apep. At the contest between Horus, son of Isis, who fought with Set in ;
order to avenge the murder of his father Osiris, Thoth was present,
and when Horus had cut
moment when
victory was inclining
was Thoth who gave her a cow's head in place of her In all these fights Thoth was the arbiter, and his duty
to him,
own.
mother's head because of her
off his
interference in the fight at the it
was to prevent either god from gaining a decisive victory, and in fact, he had to keep these hostile
from destroying the other
;
forces in exact equilibrium, the forces being light
day and night, or good and
evil,
and darkness, or
according to the date of the
composition of the legends, and the objects which the scribes
intended to secure by ^vriting them down. of Thoth quoted in this paragraph
god
we
In the group of
see that he
is
titles
called "great
Temple of Abtit, which was one of the chief sanctuaries of the god, and was situated in Hermopolis. The hieroglyphics with which the name " Het Abtit" are in Het-Abtit," or the
written prove that they
mean
the " House of the Net,"
I
W\V AWW\
i.e.,
/VWW\
the
THOTH
406
temple where a net was preserved and venerated, but the questions naturally arise, what was this net, and what was
We
its signification ?
Book of the Bead that a net was supposed to exist in the Underworld, and that Every part the deceased regarded it with horror and detestation. of it, its poles, and ropes, and weights, and small cords, and hooks,
know from
the two versions of Chapter
cliii.
of the
had names which he was obliged to learn if he wished to escape from it, and would make use of it to catch food for himself, instead Thus in a prayer we of being caught by " those who laid snares." god who lookest behind thee,' thou 'god who read, " Hail, thou '
" hast gained the mastery over thine heart,' I go a-fishing with " the cordage of the
" that maketh a " given birth to
" and
'
uniter of the earth
way through the earth. your own fathers, who
who go round about
in the
'
(Horus
and of him
?),
Hail, ye fishers
who have
lay snares with your nets,
chambers of the waters, take ye
" not me in the net wherewith ye ensnared the helpless fiends, and " rope me not in with the rope wherewith ye roped in the " abominable fiends of earth, which had a frame which reached
" unto heaven, and weighted parts that rested upon the earth."
From
Egyptians possessed a legend
this passage it is clear that the
in which one power or the other in the mythological combats was tried to ensnare his adversary.
armed with a net wherein he
Chapter cxxxiii. the deceased says, "
who
(
J ^1
thou Ra,
Lift thyself up,
draw thou into thyself the inhale the north wind, and swallow thou the heqesii
^
(^)
of thy net
(()
J^
" breathest Maat."
The meaning
this passage, because
from
connect
from
In
dwellest in thy divine shrine,
" winds, "
''
its
it
the former extract that
An
tlie
of heqesu
determinative,
is Q^
,
day wherein thou not quite clear in
we
should naturally
human body, but possessed a net, and we are
with some organ of the
context that Rfi
employed
its
>^) on
war
in his
it
was one
it
is
evident
certain from
of the weapons which he
against the god and fiends of darkness.
Babylonian versions^ of the fight
by the Assyrian and between the Sun-god Marduk
and the monster Tiamat and her
fiends, for
interesting
1
See L.
parallel
W.
is
afforded
King, Babylonian
it
is
Beliijion, p. 71.
said in tliem,
THOTH "
He
(i.e.,
Marduk)
set the lightning in front of him,
" fire he filled his body. " parts of Tiamat, the "
might escape his father
He made
with burning
a net to enclose the inward
Four Winds he
set so that
nothing of her
the South wind, and the North wind, and the
;
" East wind, and the ''
407
Anu had
West wind, he brought near given him."
to the net
which
It is interesting to note that in
the passage from the cxxxiiird Chapter the winds are also mentioned in connexion with the net of Ra, and
it
is
difficult
not to
which the Sun-god put his whether this be so, however, or
arrive at the conclusion that the use to
net was the same in each legend
not matters
little
;
our purpose here.
for
It is quite clear that in
the Egyptian legend the god Thoth was supposed to have some
connexion with the net of Ra, and
it
is
equally clear that in his
temple, Avhich was called the Temple of the Net, the net, or perhaps
We
are
even a net
now
able to
itself,
emblem
of a
was venerated.
sum up
the attributes ascribed to Thoth,
and to consider how he employed them in connection with the In the
dead.
first place, (he
tongue of Ra, that
was held
to be both the heart
to say, hejwas the ^reason
is
and the
and the mental
powers of the god, and also the means by which their will was translated into speech
;
from one aspect he was speech
itself,
and
in later times he
may
Xoyo9 of Plato.
In every legend in which Thoth takes a prominent
part
we
see that
wishes of
it is
Ra being
well have represented, as Dr. Birch said, the
he who speaks the word that results in the
carried into efiect,
and
it is
evident that^when
word of command that command could not. out by one means or the other. He spoke the
be^ had once given, the fail^fco
be carried
words which resulted in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and he taught Isis the words which enabled her to revivify the dead body of Osiris in such wise that Osiris could beget a child by her,
and he gave her_the formulae which_ brought back her son
life after he had been stung to death by a scorpion. His knowledge and powers of calculation measured out the heavens, and planned the earth, and everything which is in them his will
Jlorus t o
;
and power kept the forces in heaven and in earth in equilibrium it was his great skill in celestial mathematics which made proper use of the laws (madt
^^
'=^
:
h
upon which the foundation and
THOTH
408
maintenance of the universe restedj^it was he who directed the
potions of the heavenly bodies and their times and seasons and without his words the gods, whose existence depended upon them, could not have kept their place among the followers of Ra. He ;
was the
inscribe of the gods^"
the Underworld
in
and possessed almost unlimited power
the god Osiris was
;
dependent upon his good
and the ordinary mortal sought
offices,
words and help with great earnestness.
his
Scene in the Book of the Bead recording angel, and gods,
who
Thoth that
ratify the
it is
same and report
had been found true by
fail to
acts the part of the
which
it
is
accepted by the
to Osiris
said that the soul of the deceased
it
In the Judgment
Thoth who
it is
his decision
trial in
for
;
the gods could not
it,
answer, " That which cometh forth from thy
and the deceased
is
holy and righteous
when once
had been weighed, and the Great Balance, and
that there was no wickedness whatsoever in
"
many ways wholly
in
"
and
;
mouth
is
true,
in consequence
they straightway award him a place with Osiris in the Sekhet-
Hetepu, or Elysian Fields. _Thoth as the ^reat god ofwordswas righ tly regarded as the judge of words, and the testing of the soul in the Balance in the Hall of Osiris
or
"Aveighing
To words
of
actions,"
uttered
but
under
is
not described as the judging
as
the
certain
weighing of words,
^^
conditions
the
"
greatest
importance was attached by the Egyptians, and in fact the whole efficacy of prayer appears to
have depended upon the manner and
tone of voice in which the words were spoken. a to
man
not only words of power, but also
utter them, and
Thoth could teach the manner in which
by the Egyptian pronounce the formulae and
the faculty most coveted
was that which enabled him to
Chapters of the Boole of the Bead in such a way that they could not fail to have the effect which the deceased wished them to have. After the names of deceased persons
papyri the words maci Jcheru
'^
which mean " he Avhose word 1
p. 96.
See the passages enumerated in
is
we always
^^
I
'
^^
mad,'^ that
my
find in funeral
^^ ^ is
-^^
^
I
9(1
to say, he v/hose
Vocabulary to the Boole of
the
Dead,
THOTH
409
words possess such power that whenever they are uttered by him the effects which he wished them to produce unfaihngly come to
The words, however, here referred to are those which must be learned from Thoth, and without the knowledge of them, and of the proper manner in which they should be said the deceased could never make his way through the Underworld. The formulae of Thoth opened the secret pylons for him, and provided him with the necessary meat, and drink, and apparel, and repelled baleful fiends and evil spirits, and they gave him the power to know the secret or hidden names of the monsters of the Underworld, and to utter them in such a way that they became his friends and helped pass.
him on
his journey, until at length
he entered the Fields of Peace
These are the words of Osiris or the Boat of Millions of Years. " lord of divine words," or " lord referred to in the title of Thoth, of the words of god."
assumed
The whole
he "wrote with his own fingers." "
" it is said,
In the
Book op Breathings Khemennu, cometh to the Book of Breathings with '
late
work
called the
" Thoth, the most mighty god,
" the lord of "
Dead was and certain chapters of it
of the BooTc of the
to be the composition of Thoth,
'
thee, his
and he writeth
own
for thee
Thus thy
fingers.
" soul shall breathe for ever and ever, and thy form shall be " endowed with life upon earth, and thou shalt be made a god " along
with the soals of the gods, and they shall be the heart " of Ra, and thy members shall be the members of the great god." ^ In later times the epithet
what
mad
hheru appears to have had a some-
meaning from that given to it above, and at times it may well be rendered " he whose word is right," and have reference to the words of Thoth in the Judgment, when he informs difi^erent
the gods that the heart of Osiris has strictest care
on the part of himself and
been weighed with the
his ape,
which
sits
on the
support of the Balance, and that at the weighing the heart in one pan of the Scales was able to counterbalance exactly the feather of Right or the Law in the other, and that the case of the individual under examination was a " right " one.
From many 1
passages in the Booh of the
Chapters of Coming Forth by
Day
Dead we
learn of the
(Translation), p. cscvii.
THOTH
410
which Thoth performed
services
repeat for the benefit of every
Judgment.
man who was
In the xviiith Chapter
were averted from
is
to
^^
:
|
QA
are in
Annu on
Thus he made him
the double Tet in
;
triumph
in the presence of the assessors
Sekhem
on the night of making
;
to stand
Tepu
;
on the night of stablishing
in the heritage of the things of his father in Rekhti
night
when
Isis
a division
is
maketh lamentation
Abtu on made between
brother Osiris in
;
the path of the dead
;
up
on the night of the things of the
;
night in Sekhem, in Pe, and in
the
to
the night of the battle and of the overthrow
of the Sebau-fiend in Tattu
Horus
of calamities which
"in the presence of the great assessors
)
of every god and of every goddess
who
list
by Thoth, who gave words to the dead utter them with such effect that all the
enemies of Osiris were vanquished. I
a
acquitted in the
Osiris
god and taught him
(semaa-kheru
and which he was to
for Osiris,
the night of the
the
at
Haker
side
who
on
of her
festival
the dead and the spirits
;
when
are on
on the night of the judgment of those who
are to be annihilated at the great [festival of] the ploughing
the turning up of the earth in An-rut-f in Re-stau
;
and
and on the
night of making Horus to triumph over his enemies."
In the
clxxxiiird Chapter the deceased Hunefer says to Osiris, " I have
come unto I
am
son of Nut, Osiris, Prince of everlastingness
thee,
in the following of the
god Thoth, and
every thing which he hath done for thee. thee sweet
(i.e.,
thy beautiful
Tem
for
god Shu
thy
fresh) air for
face,
have rejoiced at
thy nose, and
life
and strength to
and the north wind which cometh forth from lord of Ta-tchesert.
nostrils,
to shine
I
He hath brought unto
upon thy body
with rays of splendour
;
;
He
hath made the
he hath illumined thy path
he hath destroyed for thee
[all]
the evil
which belong to thy members by the magical power of the words of his utterance. He hath made the two Horus defects
brethren to be at peace for thee
wind and the hurricane
;
;
he hath destroyed the storm-
he hath made the
Two Combatants
to be
gracious unto thee, and the two lands to be at peace before thee
he hath put away the wrath which was in their hearts, and each hath become reconciled unto his brother."
THOTH
411
In the xcivth Chapter the deceased addresses the
am endowed
of the book of Thoth," and says, " I
endowed with
strength,
am
I
filled
''
guardian
with glory, I
with might, and I
supplied with the books of Thoth, and I have brought
enable
me
who
to pass through the god Aker,
am am
them
to
dwelleth in Set.
have brought the palette and the ink-pot as being the objects which are in the hands of Thoth hidden is that which is in I
;
them
Behold
!
thou didst give
me in the character of a scribe me the command, and I have
Heru-khuti,
!
right and true, and I do bring
vignette of the chapter
we
copied what
unto thee each day."
it
is
In the
see the deceased seated with a palette
and an ink-pot before him. In the Pyramid Texts there
evidence
is
^
that Thoth was
connected with the western sky just as Horus was identified with the eastern sky, and this idea
is
amplified in an interesting fashion
Book of the Bead, where we find that the deceased addresses Thoth both as Thoth and as Temu, the in the clxxvth Chapter of the
setting sun, or
He
god of the west.
disturbed about that which
is
" hath happened to the divine children of Nut," for " they have done " battle, they have upheld
strife,
" created the fiends, they have
" trouble
;
they have done
made
evil,
they have
slaughter, they have caused
mighty have worked
in truth, in all their doings the
weak .... And thou regardest not evil, nor art " thou provoked to anger when they bring their years to confusion " against the
" and throng in and push to disturb their months " they have done unto thee they have
The deceased adds, "
I
am
;
for in all that
worked iniquity
thy writing palette,
in secret."
Thoth, and I
" have brought unto thee thine ink-jar," and as he declares that
he
is
who work
not one of those
same time he clearly
iniquity in secret places, at the
dissociates himself
from those who
do.
These
words are followed by a very remarkable passage in which the
what the place
is
into
without water, that " "
is
name
Temu, asks the god which he has come, and he says that it is
deceased, addressing Thoth under the
it
hath not
air, it is
black as the blackest night, and
1
of
depth unfathomable,
men wander
Brugscli, BeUgion, p. 451.
it
helplessly therein.
THOTH
412 " In
it
a
man may
not live in quietness of heart
" longings of love be satisfied therein."
Chapter he asks the lord Tern, live ? "
how
i.e.,
replies, "
" a period of
life
^
^,
.
lord of
life
Thou
It is a
;
may
nor
the
further on in the
little
Thoth, "
How
long have I to
new world be ?
existence in this
art for millions of millions of years,
of millions of years," n
.
.
my
long will
and the god
i.e.,
A
^
^^zz:^
remarkable fact that
<=>
it is
^
not
i
/www
W
\
Osiris, the
but Temu-Thoth who promises the deceased
everlasting,
this coveted gift.
In the
part of the Chapter from which the above extracts
first
have been made Thoth
is,
clearly,
appealed to in his capacity of
measurer and regulator of times and seasons, that
Moon-god, who or
(1
fl
I
commonly
is
O i^5
"
tlie
called
Aah-Tehuti,
is
n
to say, as the
-
o
ft
Q
"^ cs/F
great god, the lord of heaven, the king of
the gods," and " the maker of eternity and creator of everlastingness."
Under
mummy, his
form the god Thoth
this
is
standing upon the symbol of inaM
hands the emblems of "
and dominion," crescent moon,
^
,
life,"
¥-,
depicted
—
/
i,
:
—
1.
As a
and holding
in
"stability," u, " sovereignty
and the sceptre
1;
on his head
is
the
|
O, and by the
hair, symbolic of youth, \.
side of his 2.
head he has the lock of
As a bearded, mummied human
moon on his head, and the lock of hair The head, however, has two faces, Avhich are intended, presumably, to represent the periods of the waxing and the waning of the moon.^ In some scenes we have Aah-Tehuti
figure with the crescent
symbolic of youth.
represented in the form of a disk resting between the horns of the crescent moon, and placed
that in which
Ra
is
upon a pedestal
placed over each end of the boat.
god Aah-hetep
is
in a boat similar to
usually seen; sometimes an utchat,
^^,
is
In one interesting scene the
represented with the head of an ibis surmounted
by the lunar disk and crescent seated in a boat, and a dog-headed ape stands before him and presents an utcliaf ; it is noteworthy that the curved end of the boat is notched like the notched palm branch which symbolizes "years," ^. In the narrowest sense 1
For the
figures see Lanzone, op.
cit., pll,
36
ff.
THOTH
413
Aah-Tehuti symbolizes the new moon, and as
for,
well known,
is
all
calculations
made by
East from time immemorial have been
appearance of the new
On
in the sky
the other hand, the
JJtcliat
the full moon, just as the TJtchat of E,a
sun
;
the
it is
the pillar
|
^^
,
indicates
by the
^^.
Here
side of a lotus
Leading up
is
a crescent,
to the top of
a flight of fourteen steps, of unequal length, which are
is
it
first
fourteen days of the month, and at
stand fourteen gods,^ the
has his right foot resting on the the whole
first
stands for the mid-day
resting on heaven
,
of Thoth,
TJtcliat
intended to represent the the foot of
^^
of Thoth,
from Brugsch, Monuments (Berlin, 1857).
^
which supports heaven,
and in
upon the
but, generally speaking,
;
see the god Thoth, ibis-headed, standing
pillar
in the
proved by an interesting scene reproduced by
this fact is
Signor Lanzone
we
moon
the
based
Moon-god represents the moon during the whole
Thotli as the
month.
moon
this is only natural,
first
of these being
first step,
which
is
Tem, who
the shortest of
The gods who stand behind him are
flight.
Tefnut, Seb, Nut, Horus,
Isis,
:
— Shu,
Nephthys, Heru-em-het-Aa, Amseth,
Hap, Tua-mut-f, Qebli-sennuf, and a god without a name. In a more extended sense the TJtcliat of Thoth represented the left
eye of Ra, or the winter half of the year,
sun was
when
not so strong, nor its light so great,
This
remained in the skies for a longer period.
the heat of the
and when darkness TJtcliat
of Thoth,
more correctly be called, is mentioned in the Pyramid Texts,^ where it is called the " Black Eye of Horus" thus of King Unas it is said, "Thou hast seized " the two Eyes of Horus, the White Eye and the Black Eye, " and thou hast carried them off and set them in front of thee and " they give light to thy face." ^ The White Eye here referred to or
of Thoth-Horus,
as
should
it
;
1
Op.
2
The head and name
3
Unas,
cit., pi.
1.
37
39.
;
of the fourth
god are wanting.
the reference given by Brugsch
is,
like
many
others in his
Beligion, incorrect.
^
I
s^
' I
°J^
I
AAA/V\A
<:IZ>
^\
[|Th
THOTH
414 is,
Thus we
of course, the sun.
the
Eye
of Rfi to the god, as
Eye
established the
with
we have
of the Moon-god,
and that Thoth was
of himself,
r|^
Osiris,
jj,
remains to be noticed,
already said, but that he also
who was
One
that which
i.e.,
indeed only a form
also in certain aspects identified
and with Horus,
and therefore with Khepera.
Thoth not only brought
see that
^^ ^^,
and with Tern,
other attribute is
made known
Thoth
of
to us
by
the xcvth Chapter of the Booh of the Dead^ wherein the deceased says, " I
"
am
he who sendeth forth terror into the powers of rain
....
and thunder,
" the knife which
I
have made to flourish
my
knife along with
hand of Thoth in the powers of rain and The short composition in which this passage occurs is " called the Chapter of being nigh unto Thoth," and in the vignette the deceased is seen standing before Thoth with both hands raised is
in the
" thunder."
in adoration.
From
the above facts
it
is
quite clear that the Greeks were
generally correct in the statements which they made about the wisdom and learning of Thoth, whom they identified with their own Hermes. They described him as the inventor of astronomy and astrology, the science of numbers and mathematics, geometry and land surveying, medicine and botany he was the first to found a system of theology, and to organize a settled government in the country he established the worship of the gods, and made rules concerning the times and nature of their sacrifices he composed the hymns and prayers which men addressed to them, and drew up liturgical works he invented figures, and the letters of the alphabet, and the arts of reading, writing, and oratory in all and he was the author of every Avork on every its branches ;
;
;
;
;
branch of knowledge, both human and divine.
According to
Clemens Alexandrinus (Stromata, vi.) the "
Thoth
forty-two
books
dealt with the laws,
1
On
of
number, and they were divided into
in
i.-x.
Books
the Books of
Thoth,
see
Beligion und Mythologie, pp. 448 S.
;
^
were
classes
and the gods, and the education of some interesting remarks by Brugsch
in
this distinguished Egyptologist thought
he
had discovered the original hieroglyphic walls of the temple of Edfil.
six
"
titles of
many
of these inscribed
on the
THOTH the priests
415
books xi.-xx. treated of the services of the gods,
;
sacrifices, offerings,
forms of worship,
etc.
;
i.e.,
books xxi.-xxx. related
to the history of the world, geography, and hieroglyphics
;
books
xxxi.-xxxiv. formed treatises on astronomy and astrology
;
books
XXXV. and xxxvi. contained a collection of religious compositions
;
and books xxxvii.-xlii. were devoted to medicine. An attempt was made some years ago to include the Booh of the Dead among the " Books of Thoth," but it is now quite certain that, although Thoth was declared to have written some of its Chapters, it must be regarded as an entirely separate work and as one which enjoyed a much
How
greater reputation than they.
Thoth was able to perform
all
him by the ancients it is we remember that according to the
the various duties which were assigned to difficult to
understand, until
Egyptian texts he was the heart,
The
understanding of the god Ra. inscriptions,
<-=>
^^
:
,
i.e.,
the mind, and reason, and
title
given to him in some
" three times great, great,"
from which
the Greeks derived their appellation of the god 6 rptcrju-eyicrTo?, or " ter maximus," has not yet been satisfactorily explained, and
meaning which the Egyptians assigned to it is unknown.^ It is, however, quite clear that Thoth held in their minds a position which was quite different from that of any other at present the exact
god, and that the
attributes
number The the gods.
which they ascribed those
of
of
companies of
character of Thoth
is,
him were
any member of
unlike the greater
beautiful conception, and
to
is
their
a lofty and a
perhaps, the highest idea of deity ever
fashioned in the Egyptian mind, which, as
we have
already seen,
was somewhat prone to dwell on the material side of divine Thoth, however, as the personification of
matters.
the
mind
of God, and as the all-pervading, and governing, and directing
power
of
religion
heaven and of earth, forms a feature of the Egyptian
which
is
as sublime as the belief in the resurrection of
the dead in a spiritual body, and as the doctrine of everlasting life.
1
A
nnmber
Pietschmann, in
of valuable facts have been collected on the subject generally his
Hermes Trismegistus, nach
orientalischen Ueherliefungen, 1875.
aegyptisclien,
griechischen
by
unci
MAAT
416
The goddess Maa, or Maat,
^,=^^5
^^
^
^
h\v
Closely connected with Tlioth, so closely in fact that she
may
be regarded as the feminine counterpart of the god, is the goddess Maat, who stood with Thoth in the boat of Ra when the Sun-god rose above the waters of the primeval abyss of
The type and symbol of
time. [S,
which
is
seated, or standing, ?-, the
her she
is
is
for the first
the ostrich feather,
always seen fastened to her head-dress, and
She
times seen in her hand.
and
this goddess
Nu
"S,
emblem
is
is
some-
represented in the form of a woman
and she holds the
sceptre, I, in one hand,
of "life," in the other; in
many
pictures of
provided with a pair of wings which are attached one to
each arm, and in a few cases she has the body of a
woman
with an
ostrich feather for a head.
The reason for the association of the ostrich feather with Maat is unknown, as is also the primitive conception which underlies the name, but it is certainly very ancient, and probably dates from
The hieroglyphic ^=^, which also has the Maat, is described by some as a " cubit," i.e., the
predynastic times.
phonetic value of
measure of a
cubit,
as a " flute,"
and by others
presumably, be made of a reed.
We
which would,
however, that the god
see,
Ptah usually stands upon a pedestal made in the shape of ^=i, and
upon pedestals
that figures of the god Osiris stand
and
as
we have no
of similar form,
reason for supposing that the figures of these
two gods were placed upon flutes it is tolerably certain that -c=i must mean something else besides flute. We know that Ptah of Memphis was the god of artificers in general and of workers in it is far more likely that the metal and of sculptors in particular form of his pedestal, /=j, was intended to represent some tool which was used by sculptors and carvers, e.g., a chisel, or the ;
identification of the object as a
means that
it
Avas
About the meaning no
difiiculty, for
some instrument used of the
may
" cubit "
word maat
^^ ^
if
it
measuring purposes.
for '
(|
be correct
?
there
from many passages in texts of
is,
all
fortunately,
periods
we
CONCEPTIONS OF MAAT learn that
417
indicated primarily " that which
is straight," and it was probably the name which was given to the instrument by which the work of the handicraftsman of every kind was kept straight as far as we can see the same ideas which were attached to the Greek word KavMv (which first of all seems to have meant
it
;
any
straight rod used to
masons, and
which the
finally,
keep things straight, then a rule used by
metaphorically, a rule, or law, or canon,
men and
lives of
governed) belong to the
their actions
Egyptian word
were kept straight mactt.
by and
The Egyptians it came to
used the word in a physical and a moral sense, and thus
mean
" right, true, truth, real, genuine, upright, righteous, just, steadfast, unalterable," etc.; hheshet macit is "real lapis-lazuli " as
opposed to blue paste
em un madt
shes
madt means " ceaselessly and regularly,"
indicates that a thing
good, and honest
and "
;
is
is
really so, the
madt, the truth {madt)
man who
is
great and mighty,
is
hath never been broken since the time of Osiris " finally, the exact equivalent of the English words " God will judge the it
right "
;
is
found in the Egyptian pa neter dpu pa madt,
V%x^
1
^^
=>
The goddess Maat was,
then, the personification of physical
and moral law, and order and truth. In connexion with the Sungod Ra she indicated the regularity with which he rose and set in the sky, and the course which he followed daily from east to west.
Thus
hymn
Ra we
read, "
The land of Manu (i.e., the West) " receiveth thee with satisfaction, and the goddess Maat embraceth in a
to
" thee both at "
"
morn and at eve;" " the god Thoth and the goddess Maat have written down thy daily course for thee every day " may I see Horus acting as steersman [in the boat of Ra] with ;
Thoth and Maat, one on each side of him." In another hymn Qenna says, " I have come to thee, Lord of the gods, Temu" Heru-khuti, whom Maat directeth " Amen-Ra is said to " rest
''
^
;
upon Maat," i.e., to subsist by Maat; Ra Maat " Osiris " carries along the earth in ;
name
of Seker."
declared to "live by
his train
by Maat
in his
In her capacity of regulator of the path of the
1
E e
is
Papyrus of Ani,
slieet 1.
HALL OF MAAT
418
Sun-god Maat
said to be the " daughter of Rii,"
is
and the
eye of
''
Ra," and " lady of heaven, queen of the earth, and mistress of the
Underworld," and she was, of course, " the lady of the gods and
As
goddesses."
power Maat was the greatest of the
a moral
goddesses, and in her dual form of Maati,
f)f)
the
i.e.,
J| Jj,
Maat
goddess of the South and the North, she was the lady of the
Judgment Hall, and she became the personification of justice, who awarded to every man his due judging by some vignettes ;
which represent the weighing of the heart she took form of the Balance
The
itself.
form to hear the " confession connection with the cxxvth
and we see that
hall in
"
which Maat
of the dead
is
at times the
sat in double
often depicted in
Chapter of the Book of
Dead,
the
was spacious, and that the cornice thereof was formed of uraei and of feathers symbolic of Maat. In the centre of it is a god with both hands stretched out over a and
lake,
it
at each
end of the hall
seated an ape before a pair
is
of scales.
Anubis was the
guardian
door
the
of
at
the
end by
which the deceased entered, and which was called Khersek-Shu, ,,_^ ^
P
V
"v^
'
^^® ^^^^
heri-tep-retui-f, ^^37
^
*^^
""X
i
Neb-pehti-thesu-menmenet,
^^1:7
^^^ called Neb-Maat-
^^^^^
*^^®
f f
—^
?
-
^^^
""^^"^ f^,
f^
tl^e
^
other leaf /wwv^
'^^ 1
These names had to be learnt and uttered by the deceased before
he was allowed to enter the Hall of the Maati goddesses,
^:PPI
(«'•'
^
1
^
^^hen he arrived inside^
^lWk\l)-
Hall he found assembled there the Forty-two Assessors or Judges
drawn up
in
two rows, each of which contained twenty-one Judges,
one on each side of the length of the Hall.
Before each of these
he was obliged to make a solemn declaration that he had not
committed a certain
known 1
Lay,
An p.
sin
;
these forty-two denials are
as the "Neo:ative Confession." 'O'
English translation
193
fe.
Avill
^
be found in
The names my
commonly
of the Assessors
Chapters of Coming Forth by
ASSESSORS OF according to the Papyrus of 30) are as follows 1.
^
\7
Hept-shet,
3.
Fenti,
4.
Am
419 No. 9,900, sheet
(Brit. Mus.,
:
Usekht-nemmat,
2.
Neb seni
MAAT
X
|°r
21.
H eri-seru,
22.
Khemi,
111"
® ^^"^^
23. Shet-kheru,
^()()^.
/VVVVVN
-
24.
-
khaibetu,
Nekhen,
25. Ser-khera,
^
5.
Neha-hau,
6.
Rerti,
7.
Maati-f-em-tes
8.
Neba-per-em-khetkhet, \\\\\
26. Basti,
27. Hra-f-lia-f, 28. Ta-ret,
W
^
j'
i^
<=,
29. Kenemti,
nrrni
A 9.
^l^.
Set-kesu, \>
30. An-hetep-f,
A
^
D
31. Neb-hrau, ^37I
X
32. Serekhi,
"^
10. Uatch-nes,
33. Neb-abui,
^ o o
11. Qerti,
34. 12.
Hetch-abehu, ^-f^
o I
13. 14.
15.
Am-senf,
Am
-
^^
beseku,
Neb-Maat, -w^
17. Aati, 18. Tutu-f, 19.
-[]-
4
-
I
35.
>^
w
J^^|. Tem-sep, ^^^@|. Nefer-Tem,
'^ 36. Ari-em-ab-f, -<2>- ^^^^
^^^
^
I
'
-Ujix
^^c:7
^ JP
"^
37.
Ahi-mu
38. ITtu =>
-
(?),
q
I
rekhit, {
fi
l]n
^
AWSAA
*
|
Ik | J
39.
Neheb
40.
Neheb.kau,\yxU|
-
nefert,
o'^^^lfj-
c^^t^^^.
Uamemti,-^'^
41. Tcheser-tep,
\=^ I
20. Maa-an-f,
I
42. An-a-f,
1
X
MAAT
ASSESSORS OF
420
Even when
the deceased had satisfied the Forty-two Assessors
he could not pass out of the Hall of Maati unless he knew the magical names of the various parts of the door which opened into In the address which he makes to the
the reo;ions of the blessed.
gods collectively, and which
made
Negative Confession, he summarizes his good deeds,
after the
and declares
usually considered to have been
is
to the
god
whom
Osiris,
he
the " lord of the
calls
Atef crown," that he has done Madt, and purified himself with Madt, and that none of his members lack Madt. He tells how he
how he
has been to the " Field of the Grassho]Dpers," and
bathed in the pool wherein the sailors of all
Ra
bathe,
has
and describes
the things which he has done, including the finding of a sceptre
of flint in the " furrow of Maat."
Finally, having satisfied all the
various jDarts of the door by declaring to
them
he comes to the god Mau-taui, ^,^
f^
as guardian of the Hall of Maati,
pass unless he
tells his
Sa-abu-tchar-khat,"
^^ "^
to be admitted, but the
god
^^^ o
-^1
not satisfied,
the god that dwelleth in his hour
?
^
"
J)
,
who
acts
him Thy name
to allow
deceased says, " '
dl)
is
v^
and who refuses
The
name.
their magical names,
to is
-^ ^ m' ^^^ demands and asks him, " Who is
In reply the deceased utters
name Mau-taui, whereupon he is at once asked by the god, And who is this ? " and in answer the deceased says, " Mau-taui is Thoth." On this Thoth asks the reason of his coming to the Hall, and when the deceased has told him that he has come because he wished his name to be written down by him, Thoth questions him the
"
further as to the fitness of his condition and as to the identity of
the being " whose heaven ^'
and the
floor of
is
of
whose house
these questions he says that he
that the being whose house calls
upon him to
is
fire,
is
Avhose walls are living uraei,
a stream of water."
is
In answer to
"purified from evil things," and
described
enter, saying that his
is Osiris,
name
whereupon Thoth
shall
be " mentioned
"
or recorded.
Thus we
those of Thoth,
upon these
how closely the and how the fate of
see.
deities.
the Assessors, for
It
was
attributes of
Maat merge
into
the deceased depends ultimately
not, however, sufi^icient for
beyond them stood Thoth
him
to pass
with his final, search-
NEHEMAUAIT
421
word which caused the universe to come into being, and it was he who had the power to utter the name of the deceased in such a way that his new spiritual body would straightway come into being in the realm of Osiris. Thoth ing questions
Thotli spake the
;
was greater than Ra, and in another he was greater than Osiris, but both from a physical and a moral point of view he was connected inseparably with the Maat, which Avas the highest in one respect
conception of physical and
moral law and order known to the
Egyptians.
The goddess Nehemauait
Now
^
^ -^
j
LJU
^ ^•
Maat or the Maati goddesses we find that there were other goddesses who were associated with Thoth in different parts of Egypt, and among these is Nehemauait, who is described besides
as the dweller in Aat-tchamutet, L:^^
and mighty lady in Khemennu
"
\
^\ ^^,
and
"holy
as the
(Hermopolis),^ and the " mistress of
and " the dweller in Dendera," w=^ A
®
was the goddess of the great temple
in the city of Thoth,
Thus we
.
Dendera, and
Hermopolis, and that she had a shrine in metropolis of the fifteenth
mentioned under the
city
was
its
civil
nome name
see that she i.e.,
in the
Lower Egypt, which is here " Bahut " the sacred name of of
Per-Tehuti-ap-reliuh,
;
'""'
^^
^
?
^?©,
i.e.,
"
Temple of Thoth, the judge between the Behui (Hdrus and Set)." The texts described her as the " daughter of Ra," and the manner in which she is depicted proves that she was regarded as a form of ^ In the examples given by Signor Lanzone the goddess Hathor. she has the form of a woman, and she wears upon her head either the sistrum, i
,
or a disk resting between a pair of horns
picture a papyrus sceptre, I, rests on the
and a figure of Maat,
^
,
on that of her
pi.
in one
palm of her right hand, left.
A very
interesting
== Dizionario,
;
174; and see Bragscli, Beligion,
p. 471.
NEHEMAUAIT— MEHURT
422
sketch also given by Signer Lanzone shows that her
emblem was a
Hathor-headed standard, on the top of which was a sistrum each side of the sistrum
is
a uraeus with a disk on
its
on
;
head, p
,
hang two similar uraei. The standard is held up in a vertical position by two men who stand one on each side. Plutarch, as Brugsch has noted, says that Typhon Avas driven away by a sistrum, which seems to iudicate that the rattling of the Avires produced a sound that had a and from each
side of the face of the goddess
upon that
terrifying effect
though
;
ladies of high
depicted with sistra in their
often
are
priestesses
evil beast
this fact is usually explained
rank and
hands,
and
by assuming that those who
hold sistra assisted in the musical parts of the services in the temples,
and
it is
very probable that they carried them both as amulets Dr. Brugsch quotes two passages
as musical instruments.
from texts in which a royal personage declares that demoniacal powers are kept away from him by means of the sistrum which he N^ehemauait
is
not mentioned in the Booh of
seems that she
is
not an ancient deity
holds in his hand. the
Dead, and
it
;
she
is
probably a comparatively modern form of some well known older goddess.
From was
the texts of the late dynastic period
Meh-urt
identified with
^
we
find that she
and with the goddess whose name A^/vv\^
.^^
<=r>
"^w-^i
(xvii.
P^
76,
,
is
mentioned but rarely in the Booh of
79;
xviith Chapter there, " I behold
Ixxi. tells
13;
cxxiv.
us exactly
17),
who
Ra who was born
the
but the passage in the
she
is.
The deceased says
yesterday from the buttocks of
" the goddess Meh-urt," and as answer to the question, "
"then
is
Dead
this?" we have the words, "It
is
What
the watery abyss of
" heaven, or (as others say), It is the image of the Eye of Ra in " the morning at his daily birth. Meh-urt is the Eye (Utchat) of " Ra."
Meh-urt was originally a female personification of the watery matter which formed the substance of the world, and her name, which means " mighty fulness," indicates that she was the
1
The Methyer (Mc^ucp)
of Plutarch.
NEHEIMAUAIT— MEHURT
423
abundant and unfailing source of the matter of every kind which
was fecundated by the male germs of life of every kind she was, in fact, a form of the primeval female creative principle, and in some aspects was identified with Isis and Hathor. She, of course, ;
is
a later conception than Nut, or Nit (Neith), of both of
was
also
a form.
pregnant
woman
she
In one of the representations of the goddess
by Signor Lanzone
figured
whom
with
full,
she
^
is
depicted in the form of a
protruding breasts, emblem of
fertility,
but she usually appears as the great cow of the sky, either in the form which is illustrated on p. 368, or in that given in the accom-
Sometimes she has the body of a woman and the head of a cow, and then she holds in her right hand a sceptre round which is twined the stalk of a lotus flower which she appears panying
plate.
to be smelling
;
the flower
South and the North, and
itself is is
between
^
,
the symbols of the
supposed to represent the great world
lotus flower, out of Avhich rose the sun for the first time at the
Creation.
The usual
" mistress of
all
titles of
the goddess are "lady of heaven,
the gods, mistress of the two lands," but she
said to have " existed from the beginning,"
and
to
is
also
have helped
which appeared in Khemennu or Hermopolis. In primitive times the " weighing of words," i.e., the examination and judgment of the dead, was believed to take place in
Thoth
to create the first things
the Hall of Meh-urt, which seems to prove that in very early times
the attributes of Maat were ascribed to the great goddess, whose
form was the cow, and that the souls of the dead were thought to be judged in the sky. The first conception of the Judgment was probably physical, and
it
was not
until the period
when
the cult of
became predominant that it assumed the character with which we are familiar from the Book of the Dead. It would seem that in the very ancient times it was the body and not the soul that was the subject of examination by the celestial powers, and Osiris
this is
what
is
to be expected in
predynastic times
when
the
theory of the resurrection then current demanded a renewed or revivified physical body.
Closely associated with Thoth in the performance of certain of 1
Op.
cit., pi.
131
fe.
THOTH AND SEFKHET-AABUT
424 his
duties as the god of letters and learning,
T^
Jj
whose name
,
XXX
Sefkhet-aabut,
generally read
is
was the goddess ''^"^^ [1
the reading "Sesheta" has also been proposed for
J);
^, which forms
the hieroglyphic sign,
the symbol of this goddess,
but both readings are merely guesses, for the phonetic value of the sign has not yet been ascertained, and even the sign itself has not been
All that
identified.
is
certain about
pictures of the goddess the sign seems to be
it
is
that in some
compounded
of a pair
of horns inverted over a seven-rayed star, or flower with seven petals,
on a standard.
supported
Brugsch believed that
Dr.
Sefkhet-aabut was the correct reading of the name, and that
who has
either meant, " she
or, "
inverted her horns,"
she
who
it
is
provided with seven horns," the latter meaning being suggested by the similarity of the
first
part of the
name Sefkhet with the ordinary
word From the pictures of the goddess and the titles which accompany them it is quite certain what her functions for " seven."
were.
We
her wearing her characteristic symbols on her
see
head, with a close-fitting panther skin garment upon her body,
and
in her
hands she holds a
in this form she
is
books,"
.
.
and the
scribe's palette
and writing reed
called " the great one, the lady of the house of
Thus she was a goddess
of literature
library.
Elsewhere we see her without her panther skin garment, holding a writing reed in the right hand, and the cartouche czz>,
symbolic of "
name
" in
her
left
;
in this
form she suggests the
idea of being a kind of recording angel, not so
much
committed by man, but of their names, of which
of the deeds
she,
presumably,
took note, that her associate Thoth might declare them before In the
Osiris.
" great one, "^^^^^
liR
^ ;
which accompanies
lady of
letters,
"^^^ ,
palm branch notches
title
.
in her
..
this picture she
mistress of the house
In another scene
^
is
called
of books,"
she holds a notched
hand, and she appears to be counting the
the lower end of the branch rests on the back of a frog, 1
For
all
these pictures see Lanzone, op.
cit., pi.
340.
SEFKHET-AABUT upon Q, the emblem
seated
of "eternity,"
end hangs the symbol of the double Set
425 and from the upper
festival, L||
.
Thus she
appears in the character of the chronographer and chronologist the use of the notched palm-branch as a symbol of the counting of
years takes us back to a custom which was probably prevalent in
predynastic times.
In yet another scene we find the goddess
standing before a column of hieroglyphics meaning "life," and
"power," and "thirty-year
who
figure
festivals,"
each hand
holds in
" millions of years."
which
and who
"life,"
•¥-,
upon a seated
rest
typifies
In connection with this must be noted a
passage in a text in which she declares to a king that she has inscribed on her register on his behalf a period of
life
which
shall
be
" hundreds of thousands of thirty-year periods," and has ordained
upon the earth like the years of Ra, i.e., that In the Booh of the Dead (Ivii. 6) the deceased
that his years shall be
he shall says, "
"
my
live for ever.
My
my
mouth and
place of peace in
opened in Tattu, and I have
nostrils are
Annu, wherein
is
my
house
me by the goddess Sefekh-aabut (or Sesheta), Khnemu set it up for me upon its walls." And
was built and the god it
;
" for "
(clii. 3),
" and
"
again he says
The goddess Sefekh-aabut hath brought the god
Anpu
(Anubis) hath called unto the Osiris
" to build a house on the earth.
foundation
Its
Nu is
(i.e.,
ISTebt,
to
me)
in Kher-aha,
" its shrine
is the god Sekhem, who dwelleth in Sekhem, according " to that which I have written the renewal thereof, and men and
"
women
bring
ofi'erings,
and
" journey [with him],
'
'
for a spirit
"
'
renew himself among you.'
the goddess
who
is
who
are in his train, and
And who
Behold ye the house which hath been built well-equipped, and who cometh daily to
"
is
and ministrants.
libations,
" Osiris saith unto all the gods
said to
"
In the clxixth Chapter
(line 18)
be seated before the deceased, and the
goddess Sa protects his members.
These passages show that Sefekh-aabut was supposed to be the "goddess of construction," suitable counterpart
commands concerning
many passages
Vm^ and
of Thoth, and
the Creation.
one It
she would thus be a
fitted
is,
to carry out his
however, certain from
that her chief duties were connected with the writing
THOTH AND UNNUT
426
and happy was the king who was fortunate enough to have his deeds recorded by the fingers of the goddess herself, and his abode in the next world built on the plan which she drew up of history,
in accordance with her attributes as the inventor of letters, the
lady of the builder's measure, and the founder of architecture.^
In a text quoted by Brugsch she declares to Seti that her words concerning him shall never be gainsaid, that her hand shall set
down and
in writing his
fame
the goddess Renenet, is
manner
after the
called the
/vwwv
^
H,
,
daughter of Nut
''
as the sister of Osiris,
and with ;
"
of her brother Thoth,
She was
according to the decree of Tem.
all
Isis,
and
identified
at
at Lycopolis she
with
Dendera she was regarded
"^
and the mother of Heru-nub,
,
or the
"
Horus of gold." Yet another goddess must be mentioned in connection with Maat and Thoth, that is to say, Unnut, -^^ ^ the lady of Unnu, ,
^^
(^
'
^^^^
must not be confused with Unnut, the goddess of
who
is
the hours,
The former goddess
her head. of a
depicted in the form of a
woman
knife,
and
"life," in the other.
who
goddess
Y
T)r^,
ft
g^
.
^^=>-.
;
^
Unnut,
for
One
aspect of her,
i.e.,
that of the
destroys with her knives, was identified with Sekhet,
and in
From
this
form she was the deity of the
Menhet,
idea of the antiquity of the goddess (line 38) it is
said that
found in the handwriting of the god Thoth
^^
temple of " Unnut, lady of Unnu,"
•^"O V®' ^y
city
a passage in the cxxxviith Chapter of the Booh
towards the end of the rubric
the Chapter was in the
on the other hand, the body
sometimes she holds a sceptre in one hand,
Dead we may gain some
of the
with a star upon
with the head of a hare, and she usually holds in each
hand a •¥-,
has,
woman
Heru-tata-f, the
king of the IVth Dynasty.
remote period a temple in
of Khufu,
son
Thus it honour
is
i.e.,
,^ J)^
Cheops, a
clear that even in that
of the
goddess existed at
Unnu, i.e., Hermopolis, or the city of Thoth. Unnu, as we know, was the chief city of the nome Un, the chief local god of which 1
See Brugsch, Eeligion,
p. 474.
"
See Lanzone,
op. cit., pi. 52.
AP-REHUI was depicted in the form of a hare,
;^
427 ,
and Unnut
is
the female
counterpart of the god Unnu, and was the old local goddess of the metropolis of the nome.
In the vignette of the cxth Chapter of the Boole of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani, pi. 35) we see the deceased standing with hands raised in adoration before three seated deities, the first having the
head of a hare, the second that of a snake, and the third that of a bull behind him stands the god Thoth with palette and reed, but whether he is in any ^vay connected with the three gods cannot be ;
said.
A
hare-headed god
three gods
who
is
preside over one of the Arits in the Underworld
and according a hareDendera At the second. mummy swathings, with his hands
according to the Papyrus of Ani to
the
Papyrus of
headed god
is
one of the group of
also seen as
Nu
it
is
seen wrapped in
it is
the
first
Arit,
in such a position that they suggest his identification with Osiris,
show in connexion with this representation that the hare -headed god Avas called Un, that this name appears in the compound name "Un-nefer," the well-known title of Osiris, that the hare-god Un was only another form of and an attempt has been made ^
to
Un
was applied to Osiris because he "sprang up," like the hare, which, as the rising sun, is said to be the " springer." According to this view the goddess Unnut would Osiris,
and that the name
Un
Unnu, but Brugsch's opinion which makes her to be the goddess of the city of Unnu, or Hermopolis, is more correct, especially when we remember that the cities An, and Apt, and Behutet, etc., possessed goddesses of
be a female form of the hare-god
or
We have
the city which Avere called Anit, and Apit, and Behutit.
already seen that the goddess Maat had two forms, the South and Maat of the North, and
similarly
i.e.,
we
Maat
of
find that
Unnut had two forms, one of which belonged to Hermopolis of the South, and the other to Hermopolis of the North, the
Unnu
me/it of the text,
i.e.,
was worshipped under the form
of Ap-rehui,
\/ <:=> ^
together with his female counterpart Nehemauait.^ 1
See Renouf in Trans. Soc. Bill. Arch.,
2
Brugsch, Beligion,
p.
477
^^
Hermopolis Parva, wherein Thoth
;
vol. ix., pp.
281-294.
de Eouge, GeograpJiie, pp. 30, 102.
^^
428
(
)
CHAPTER XIV
HATHOR, []-^"|, HET-HERT, AND THE HATHOR, GODDESSES
T
"^HE
Hathor
goddess
is
one of the oldest
known
deities of
Egypt, and it is certain that, under the form of a cow, was worshipped in the early part of the archaic period, because a flint model of the head and horns of the cow, which was she
her type and symbol, has been found among the early archaic, or late predynastic flints in
Egypt/
The forms
depicted are numerous, but this
is
during
because
with
identified
the
course
every important
attributes,
of whatever
The
form of
oldest
of
in
dynastic
the
which the goddess
not to be wondered
is
local
she was
period
goddess,
and
all
and kind, were ascribed probably that of the cow, and
class
all is
at,
their
to
her.
this
was
preserved, though chiefly in funeral scenes and in the Book of the
n
Dead, until the beginning of the
<=^
i.e.,
i))
the
name
Roman
of the goddess,
period.
Het-Hert,
means the " House above,"
the region of the sky or heaven, and another form of
which
is
to
be read Het-Heru, and which means
"
it,
^1,
House of which
a personification of the house in
Horus," shows that she was Horus the Sun-god dwelt, and that she represented the portion of In the earliest the sky through which the course of the god lay. times Hathor, the 'AOcop of the Greek writers, t3q3ified only that portion of the sky in which Horus, the oldest form of the Sungod, had been conceived and brought forth, and her domain was in the east of the sky
1
This
is
;
but at length she came to represent the whole
preserved in the British
Museum, No.
32,124.
HATHOR
429
no doubt, absorbed many of the attributes In the text of Pepi I. (line 593) it is of predynastic goddesses. said, " Every god will take the hand of Ra-meri in heaven, and
and
sky,
in so doing, she,
" they will conduct
" heaven of ^'
make
to
passage
Qebhu
(/]
Jl
his voice (or
seems as
it
him
if
Het-Heru
||V
^ ^=^)? ^^^
(
name of " Qebh." At the time when Hathor
theogony
was
Brugsch
Heliopolis she became, as
she was the principal
says,^ the "
mother of the
the birth of which was the first act of creation
was
to
produce Shu and Tefnut, that
their begetter is
tainess,"
"f*
and producer.
may
depicted
^
,
is
to say, certain aspects
Of the various forms
be mentioned the following
of Thebes
^
:
^©
,
woman who
yYy
^, she appears ,
or with plumes
,
usually
is
wears upon her head a ;
as the lady of
and horns
as the lady of
;
woman with
as the lady of
;
;
Senemet,
the headdress
Abshek,
q
J
rm
^.^^^
as the great goddess of Dendera,
she appears in the form of a lioness, with a uraeus on her
head, and as a
X^
it
in the form of a
she wears a disk between horns I
the " chief-
she wears the vulture tiara, with a uraeus in
front and five uraei on the top of ""^"^^
which Hathor
in
—As
pair of horns within which rests the solar disk
Hetepet,
Temu was
and the mistress of Amentet she
represented in the form of a
light,"
her next creative
;
according to a very old tradition
of these gods, for
and was
goddess,
In the theological system of the priests of
female counterpart.
act
known by
formulated their
first
whom
this
special part
generally
is
cosmic
a
certainly
Sun-god Ra, of
associated with the
From
effect
Egyptians
the
in the
is
^i^ double shall be able
of the great watery mass of heaven which
the
which
,
upon Seb." Horus was only one
word) take
the House of
^)
^
to
and
[jl
,
or the sistrum, i
and X°/ and ,
1
woman wearing X°/ and
^
,
and
Beligion, p. 312.
[1] ,
,
or
^
I)
and
and she usually 2
,
or \\,
[|1
,
or
or Yf
O and \/, or ^^^
111
carries a sceptre,
Lanzone, op.
cit., pi.
314
fE.
?
o^^
1
\/
oi'
I
?
HATHOR
430 and
in one hand,
¥-,
''life,"
" southern sycamore," the lady of
turquoise Q
—
Annu
[land],
o J
in the other;
X
/|
,
the
^^2'
Peninsula,
Sinaitic
in another
by a
tiara
as
;
^^ ^^^^ goddess of
" Mafek,"
called
she wears the crown of the north, >/
and
cow
she has the head of a
she has on her head i.e.,
the lady of the
as
,
or /Yy and \Jf
;
form she wears the vulture head-dress surmounted
formed of uraei, and above these
mass of lotus flowers and buds. i.e.,
the Underworld, and Amentet,
of a
cow
is
a pylon set
the " lady of the
As
^
"^j
If
among
a
Holy Land,"
she appears in the form
Avalking out from the funeral mountain, and she
is
some-
times reiDresented in the form of a cow standing in a boat sur-
rounded by papyrus plants which are growing up to a considerable height above her body. As the cow-goddess of the Underworld, however, she wears a long, pendent
neck
is
back
also
the Mendt, (w is
,
collar,
and on the back of her
On
an emblem of joy and pleasure.
her
a kind of saddle-cloth with a linear design, and the
whole of her body
is
sometimes marked with
probably intended to represent
Two
stars.
which are
crosses,
other interesting forms
of the goddess which are illustrated
her holding in
by Signor Lanzone ^ represent her hand the notched palm branch, which is usually
the characteristic
from
of
the goddess
Sefekh-aabut,
who
acted as
chronographer and chronologist to the god Thoth, and
assistant
this point of
view Hathor must be regarded as a female
counterpart of Thoth.
Finally, she
is
represented as a sphinx,
wearing on her head the vulture head-dress, with uraeus and disk the side of her body rests
upon a pylon.
is
made
The
to resemble a part of a mendt,
titles
which accompany
and she
form
this last
;
call
her " lady of Hetep, the eye of Ra, dweller in his disk, lady of " heaven,
l-i-^ We
mistress
of all the
gods,"
fcj
Y ^ i^
D
-^^
I
I
111 ,T.have already seen that the Avorship of Horus was universal
in Egypt, probably
from the
earliest period,
and that
in dynastic
times shrines which were specially consecrated to his worship were 1
Op.
cit., pi.
325 &.
HATHOR common throughout Hathor was
the country
431
the texts prove that the worship
;
and that her shrines were even more numerous than those of Horus. She was, in fact, the great mother
of
also universal,
Hathor was the personification of
of the world, and the old, cosmic
the great power of nature which was perpetually conceiving, and
and bringing
creating,
and
things, both great
and rearing, and maintaining
forth,
She was
small.
" and the daughter of her son,"
world were under her
and every goddess.
the "
and heaven,
mother of her
all
father,
and the Under-
earth,
and she was the mother of every god In all the important shrines of the local rule,
goddesses she was honoured with them, and she always became the chief female counterpart of the head of the com23any or triad in
which she had been allowed to enter this fact is given in the list
A clear proof
as a guest.
of
compiled by the late Dr. Brugsch, which
showed the various names and forms she took in all the large cities in Upper and Lower Egypt, and from this we see that she
was
with Satet,
identified
Elephantine
;
Latopolis
j
^
I y>
J
;
Eileithyiaspolis
;
^^
Parva; with
This
;
with Isis and
Panopolis topolis;
Hypselis
;
;
Mut,
Diospolis
ISTit,
Jj
Khent Abtet,
Uatchet,
with Maat and
Isis
|^^,
1.
^
in
Ombos; ;
with
J)
J
,
m in
and Thenenet,
,
^\,
and
Jf O J,
Parva
with Heqet and Anthat,
with
^
in
fj^J? and Anit, [iflfl^J? in
^^
^
"'
^3
Thebes; with Heqet,
Sefkhet - AABUT,
'
D
Magna
and Nekhebet,
,
with Rat-tauit,
Isis,
^^ Jt
A
^
and Menhit, _](i^lj^^,
^=[|.[|.^, in Hermonthis; with
1/vwwv^^'
^
a^/wvs
Apollinopolis
in
,
Nebuut,
^ ^^^, with Mut, '\\ '^ Jj
^^l,
and Anqet,
,
with Ta-sent-nefert, ^ "^^ 1
with Behutet, Nit,
jT Jj
;
Apollinopolis
in Coptos
;
Avith
Mehit - Teenut
with
^J'^^^Jj,
rfTk
^
Amenthet,
"^
l
Pn
()
Sekhet,
?
;
in
i^ Aphrodi-
^^®^^,
in Hierakonpolis
-
etc.,
in
with Mut and
HATHOR
432
Sefkhet-aabut in Lycopolis
"^ ^^
Artemidos
in Ibiu
,
with Anpet,
;
in Alabastronpolis
—
Mersekhent T
J)
R
•
and Tep-ahet
^
;
Sq
^
^
'
;
Isis in
Busiris
dauo-hter of Ra,
— l\^
with
^
^
?
zi
,
i^
in
Isis
in Prosopis
,
\/ ^
^
;
^
^^
?
the
^^
with Tefnut
J^fjf]^^^
Athribis;
and Tefnut,
with
Sekhet, and
?
^
with Uatchet in Buto
;
;
'^37-^^^®'^
^^
IJrt- Apset,
Atjf]'^^?
n
i^
Tetet,
with
form of a
lion,
/Wu'v^^
.^^,
/
and Hert, C\
counterpart of Horus, and Nesert,
^ P Z! o
with Anthat and
^^
with Tatet or Tait,
;
"^ ft
with Uatchet
;
;
Nebuarekht-aat,
;
Canopus
Khuit,
with
;
Sa'is
(Pithom)
in Pa-Tern
at the Speos
,
Magna; with Renpit,
with Bast,
with Usert-heqet,
;
Heqet and
with Khersekhet in Ptolemais
;
]
with
^:^
Cynopolis
^^
Sefkhet-aabut,
Avith
;
^
in Herakleopolis
,
Avith
with Nit (Neith) in
XoU
Hermopolis
in
in Aphroditopolis
in Letopolis
,
J)
^^^ ^ 5'
f]f)
with Pakhth,
;
fl
^ji_
Renpit in Memphis;
TTn
a
with Hathor of Ox3^rinchus
;
in Crocodilopolis
,
-
=^|^>^,
and Meh-urt, AsHET,
^ —^
'^
with Nehemauait,
with Sekhet and Maat in Cusae
;
Nebt-hetep,
^
female
the
i.e.,
,
^ I40\5 with
Y r^
Iusaset,
"
^^^ ^'^^^''' 1 o I o 3 in Sele (?) with Khent-Abtet, and Repit, '^ (]!] | ^ 5; with Nehemauait, Tefnut, and Isis in Hermopolis; with Hat'^^^
'
'
^ ^,
MEHiT, ^=^ QQ "^J? in Mendes; with Mut, Tefnut, and KhentAbtet, in Diospolis;
and Uatchet
in
and Khekhsit,
with Bast,
Ammet,
®®
h
/= ^^ ^
^ flfl
^^^j
"iXi,
in
;
the
in
Bubastis
and with
nome
;
Septit, P
of Sept.
with
^
It
quite certain that in late dynastic times, at least, Hathor
the representative of shrines in her his
valuable
all
^ ^^
!)f]
is,
then,
became
the great goddesses in Egypt, and that
honour were Dizionario
Isis
di
built in
most great
Mitologia
Egizia
cities there. (p.
875),
In
Signor
THE SEVEN HATHORS
433
Lanzone has collected the names of a number of
which
cities
contained shrines of Hathor, hut the enumeration of them
all
^
here would serve no useful purpose, because the identifications goddess described above are
of the
sufficient
indicate
to
the
universality of her worship.
A
consideration of the texts shows us that
little
impossible
for
enumerate
all
as a result
;
of Hathor,
them were considered
that some of others
it was quite however devout, to the forms of the goddess which existed, and also
any worshipper
we
of greater importance than the
find that at a comparatively early period a
Hathors was made, and that it usually contained The Seven Hathors who were worshipped at Dendera
selection of the
seven.
—
were: 3.
Hathor of Thebes, T ^.
1.
Hathor
of Aphroditopolis,
®
°^^o ^
5.
^
Peninsula,
Hathor
6.
(M(l.
^
Keset, \Tj
The f ollowiBg
Akent,
^^ Z
ff ^
,
(?),
^O 2 ^r©' (X)
Menthu,
I
2
-
'
may, however, be f\l\f\
^,
fl
,
,
Sek,
Maati,
pS©,
I^eferus, I
P
Sebti,
^
©,
5
:
and wearing
[I [1 ^
'^'^'^
Senmet,
^ ^,
Akenn,
,
™ ^, S Y ==
Kepemit
I
J ^©,
I
J
^
Hes,
®^
,
rr
^^^^STi,
s©
'
1112ff.
\\
^''
Tcherutet,
j^~^
Antet,
^©
(in Syria),
^^®,
Kennu,
Khanit,
^^J'
Alkat,
^^@,
Khekliuit,
Hathor of
Arit,
Brngsch, Mytlwlogische Inschriften, Leipzig, 1884, p. 801
E f
Sinaitic
—
^^ £
^^@,
Per-Utchat,
%
of interest
S
7.
tunics,
She-Tesher,
Tep-ahet,
Rp ^^
£.
form of young and
in the
Shetenu,
I
It®'
^
"^^
Keset,
P^^"^^^^^ ^^ Ankh-tauit,
^'^'''
I^""^.
close-fitting
^ — ^ \J^
"^^^
'^ ,
Sennnt,
selection
f|
Hathor of Momemphis (Ammu),
in
'^ '^ "^ '^ 2
A 2^
^^n®'
arrayed
Hathor of the
4.
.
Herakleopolis,
of
Sekhet-Ra,
Matchet,
Khakhat
'^'^
,
^
"i^-^
These were represented
.
handsome women
^
.
Hathor of Heliopolis,
2.
,
Kenset,
^
rv£x^
THE SEVEN HATHORS
434
vulture head-dresses surmounted by
X^
Two
In the " Tale of the
in their hands.
and holding tambourines
?
Brothers "
Seven Hathors acting the part of prophetic entertaining narrative they are
whom Khnemu
wife
all
find the
for in that
fairies,
come and look upon the
to
had fashioned for the younger brother Bata,
was more beautiful in her person than any other woman the earth, for every god was contained in her " but when "
and who " in
made
we
^
;
they had looked upon her, they said with one voice, " Her death Unfortunately we do not know the will be caused by the knife."
Hathors of Dendera,
the
S^A©,
Two
the
Eileithyiaspolis,
-I*
company
^^^
the
(i.e.,
^ J © ^^^ Mafek
(Sinai),
'
f
Keset
[l,^^?
Mountains,
(Byblos), and Het-seshesh,
that the
^^ ^^ o &l
The Seven Hathors mentioned by Mariette
represented. prise
'^
which these Seven Hathors, ^
districts
'
com-
^
Nehet
(Cusae),
modern Gebelen),
Kepenut
(Diospolis Parva)
;
^q
ff O
thus
clear
it is
of the Seven Hathors did not always include the
In the Litanies of Seker
same forms of the goddess.
we have
^
also
a " Litany of the Hathors," wherein are mentioned the Hathors
of:— 1.
Tep-ahet.
hetep.
5.
is
Suten-henen.
Hathor
follow,
Sati.
(Neith)
3.
Memphis.
7.
after
4.
Mafek, Aneb, Uaua, of Sixteen,"
we had
x
full
^^
Sekhet.
5.
we have
this
R
She-Tesher
In the six
.
f\,
i.e.,
Lady
Lycopolis, in
own
its
4.
Nebt-
here, then,
;
lines of text :
—
1.
Ammu. the
Bast. 6.
Nit
Hathors of
Shet-Teshert,
Hathor, lady of the " City all
Twelve Hathors.
we should probably
find
selection of Hathors,
and
information on the subject
that each great city possessed
of
addresses to
Ammu, Amem, and
Jj
Thebes.
Nehau, Rehsau,
Tep-ahet,
Suten-henen,
3.
identified with the goddesses
is
Uatchet.
and
;
Thebes,
If
6.
a different group of Seven Hathors.
which 2.
Mafek and Thebes.
2.
forms of the goddess whose names were inscribed on
that the
funeral papyri were only those which were popular with those
caused such documents to be made. 1
Page
-
See Denderah,
3
See
ix.,
my
1.
8.
(Bii'cli,
Select Papyri.')
torn. 1, pi.
27
;
paper in Archaeolo(jia,
Brugscli, Diet. Gcog., p. 972. vol. Hi.
(Papyrus of Nesi-Amsu).
who
HATHOR-APHRODITE The Greeks
Hathor with
identified
435
their goddess Aphrodite,
and there are many passages in the Egyptian texts which show that they were justified in doing so. She represented not only
what was
true,
but what was good, and
mother, and daughter
as wife,
all
that
best in
is
woman
she was also the patron goddess of
;
and merry-makers of every kind, of beautiful women, and of love, of artists and artistic works, and also of the vine and wine, and ale and beer, and, in fact, of joy and happiness, singers, dancers,
all
and of everything which contributed
astronomically with the star Sept, 1 A
rise of the Nile
appeared in the form of
hood of the sun
^
,
or Sothis, which was
sun " in heaven, she was thereby connected
called the " second
with the
She was identified
thereto.
preparatory to the Inundation, and she
this star in the
heavens in the neighbour-
in the second half of July.
day of the Egyptian
New
Sothis rose heliacally
when
on the
first
Ra had
entered his boat, Hathor, the goddess of the star Sothis, went
Year, and
the Sun-god
with him and took up her place like a crown upon his forehead.^
She was,
Ra
;
as
we have
both the wife of Ra, and the daughter of
seen,
she herself was brought forth
of a
black-skinned,
received as her
ankh,
Q
^^
^>'i
name
"^ 1^
IT
"^
by the goddess Nut
in the
or blackish-red skinned child and
,
that of the last hour of the day,
#
'
form
°^
W" T
'^
Hathor, as
KhDcmet-
lady of
the
Underworld, played a very prominent part in connection with the welfare of the dead, for without her friendly help and protection
the deceased could never attain to everlastinoo life. The position which Hathor held among the gods
Underworld
of
the
by the following passages from the to Ra the deceased ofiEicer Nekht says, " thou beautiful being, thou dost renew thyself in thy " season in the form of the Disk within thy mother Hathor," with which words he refers to the goddess as a nature power. In the Judgment Scene we find that she is one of the company of the Book of
gods
the
is
well illustrated
Dead.
who watch
In his
hymn
the " weighing of words," and
who
afterwards
decree joy and felicity for the heart which has been weighed and 1
Brugsch, Beligion, p. 318
3
Brugscli, MythologiscJie Inschrtften, p. 844 (Twelfth.
;
Lanzone, op.
cit., p.
865.
Hour
of the Day).
HATHOR OF THE DEAD
436 found
When
just.
Apep, Hathor
the deceased
monster
face to face with the
one of the group of gods consisting of Netcheb-
is
Tem, Nentcha,
^JI'O'^^,
AE-F,
is
Zl^i'
^eb, Nut, and
Khepera, who encourage the deceased to do battle with him, and she cries out to the deceased, " Take your armour " but she, like ;
is
(xxxix. 22).
In the Chapter
of the
members
declares,
''
My
Apep and
in terror of
the deceased,
(xlii.)
" she quaketh "
which describes the
of the deceased, she becomes his
^
according to one myth, the star Sothis, A
two
,
Sept,
deification
and he
eyes,
Now
eyes are the eyes of Hathor."
thereat
Hathor was, and she took
up her place in the face of Horus or Ra as his right eye another myth which made her the night sky also made her the moon therein hence the eyes of Hathor are the sun and moon, and the ;
;
deceased regards these as his
own
eyes in the text.
Chapters
she
appears as the goddess
Ixviii.),
Ixiii.A,
(lii.,
provides the deceased with meat and drink, and thus following
:
—
"
Let
me
eat
my
In other
we
who
find the
food under the sycamore tree of
my
" lady Hathor, and let my times be among the divine beings who " have alighted thereon " and again, " In a clean place I shall sit ;
"
on the ground beneath the foliage of the date palm of the goddess " Hathor, who dwelleth in the spacious Disk as it advanceth to "
Annu, having the books of the divine words of the writings of "the god Thoth; " and again, "Let me have power over cakes, " and let me eat of them under the leaves of the palm tree of the ''
goddess Hathor,
who
is
my
divine lady " (Ixxxii. 7).
In the Hall of Maati the name of the
was "Staff of Hathor" (cxxv.
35),
left foot
and a
of the deceased
Chapter
special
was composed with the view of enabling the deceased
among
those
who
are in the following of Hathor."
Thus
(ciii.)
to
"be
Ave see
that she was held to be sufficiently important to have a train of
attendant gods, or ministering angels, about her. of Chapter cxxxiv. of Heliopolis, Osiris, Isis,
Hathor forms one
which here
"vi.
j
'^^ ^
;
and in Chapter
^^ ^
J)^
,
of the gods
Tem, Shu, Tefnut, Seb, Nut,
Nephthys, Hathor, and Horus, the
the place of Set or Suti Utchatet,
consists of
In the vignette
company
of the
Shu,
cxl.
Seb,
last
named taking
Hathor, with Tera,
Osiris,
Suti,
Horus,
HATHOR OF THE DEAD Menth,
<^=i
§®§,
]i
Bah,
f
^ Z^
Naau-tchetta
Thoth,
Mert,
^g^,
Nephthys, Neklit, Ta-mes-tchetta,
a
11
"^^
^^5
|t|
i)
,
Ra-er-neheh,
^(j^^?
(?)
^^^p^,
(?)
437
91 Nut,
<==" Isis,
Maat, Anep, and
are said to be " the soul and
body of
Ea." In Chapter cli.A Nephthys addresses the deceased and says, " Ra hearkeneth unto thy cry daughter of Hathor, art thou, " made to triumph, thy head shall never be taken away from thee, ;
made to rise up in peace." It was Hathor in the form of a cow who received the dead when they entered the Underworld, she gave them new life, and celestial food wherewith " and thou shalt be
to maintain
deceased
is
it,
and in the Roman period the personality of the
merged
in that of the goddess in the funeral texts, just as
was merged in that of Osiris. Finally, it is said in a passage quoted from a papyrus by M. Maspero^ which prescribes the placing of the " swathing of Hathor " on the during the dynastic period
it
of the deceased, "She (i.e., Hathor) shall make thy face " perfect among the gods, she shall make thy thighs large among " the goddesses, she shall open thine eye so that thou shalt see
face
make make of name her
" each day, she shall enlarge thy place in Amentet, she shall " thy voice to prevail over thy adversaries and she shall ;
" thy legs to
walk with ease
in the
Underworld
in
" Hathor, lady of Amentet."
In an interesting text in the Ptolemaic temple at Der alMedina,- on the western bank of the Nile opposite Thebes, we find that
Hathor is
is
called
addressed as
" thou standest high in " polls),
"Golden One," and that she of the gods," and her adorer says, the south as the lady of Teka (Eileithyias-
Nubt, [J^, the " queen
i.e.,
and thou illuminest the west
" appearest
lady of Sais.
as
and thou art commemorated in
" the great lady, the beloved of
we
the
Ra
festivals
Thou
as Hathor,
in [thy] seven forms."
Thoth,
upon her face, and he praises her and she is built up by his words. As
are told, comes to look
according to her desire, 1
Memoire sur quelques Pcqnjrus du Louvre,
2
The Egyptian name
en-neb-s,
of the place
and the Greek Pasemis
;
Paris, 1875, p. 104.
was ^^^
^
'^^-^vaa
Brugsch, Diet. Geog.,
^37
p. 574.
I
©
,
Kheft-hra-
NEKHEBET
438
Nebt-hetepet she
is
glorious in heaven, and
mighty upon
earth,
and queen of the Underworld. As the goddess Temt she is the lady of the " two lands," and of the red covering, and she shines in the It is evident from the above that as cities of Buto and Bubastis. the goddess of the Underworld Hathor was identified with the four
great and ancient goddesses, Nekhebet of Nekhebet (Eileithyiaspolis),
of
Uatchet of Per-Uatchet, Bast of Bubastis, and Nit (Neith) with the four typical goddesses of the four quarters of
Sai's, i.e.,
the world and of the four cardinal points, and
evident that this identification
when
the earliest
forgotten.
It
is,
is
also quite
is
it
the product of a late period,
attributes of Uatchet and Nekhebet,
were
etc.,
however, convenient to consider these goddesses
under the head of Hathor, and they
will, therefore,
be described
here, not because the writer regards the Ptolemaic identification as the correct one,
1 Jp^
Nekhebet,
From
the
archaic period
but because there
\N
hieroglyphic
we
,
which
inscriptions
belong to
Egypt were
the
in the habit
names the sign ]^£ by which they intended ,
South and the North
to indicate their sovereignty over the
how
it.
the goddess of the South.
find that the kings of
of placing before their
uncertain
something to be said for
is
these signs are to be read, but there
The vulture
whatsoever about their meaning.
the goddess of the South, and the uraeus
goddess of the North, and
down
is
is
;
it is
no doubt
is
the symbol of
the symbol of the
to very late dynastic times the
kings of Egypt gloried in declaring that they were sovereigns of the country
by virtue
of the favour of the goddesses whose
were the vulture and uraeus.
It
is
tolerably certain
emblems that
in
predynastic times the vulture was worshipped generally throughout
Upper Egypt, and that a venerated in the Delta
was
;
particular
form of the serpent Avas
the centre of the worship of the vulture
in the city called Nekhebet,
4-0
\\
^,
or, c=^:=
a
^
which was named Eileithyiaspolis by the Greeks, and
''
®J
'
Civitas
by the Latins, and formed the capital of the third nome Upper Egypt, and the centre of the worship of the serpent was
Lucinae of
-j*
|
"
NEKHEBET Per-Uatchet,
""""
I
^©
?
489
*^6 Bovto<; of the Greeks and the
of the Latins, and the capital of the seventh
Nekhebet was declared the " divine wife of
Khent Amenti,"
site is
was Nekhent,
^
,
or,
^
/wsaaa
aaa/^v
or,
^
^
and
,
^
_
prominence in
place. ^
its
1
AAAAAA
n
hh
and
,
its
in late
;
importance, and the neigh-
all its political
bouring towns of Ani,
also
The shrine
,
represented by the modern Arab village of El-Kab
times Nekhebet lost
"
Lower Egypt.
of
daughter of Ka, ^^^
to be the
|
of the goddess
nome
Buto
H
©
,
and
Nekhen,
Senit,
also
^^^^^
©
came
,
written, j'^^^?
into
i.e.,
the
White Nekhen," was the town which contained the sanctuary
the "venerable
holy) vulture,"
(or,
(]
yj^
pi^
vulture goddess Nekhebet in the land of the South
^ is
'
of
^^^ *^®
distinctly, in
later texts, identified with Hathor.^
Nekhebet
is
usually represented in the form of a
woman who
wears on her head the vulture head-dress surmounted by the white crown,
Q
,
the sign of sovereignty over
attached two plumes I, ¥-.
and sometimes
;
and in the other we
j,
which seems to be a
to
which are
sometimes she holds in one hand the sceptre,
Occasionally the sceptre
this serpent is
Upper Egypt,
is
water-lily,
see the
symbol of
"life,"
formed of a long-stemmed flower, with a serpent twined round
it
none other than the winged serpent, with the crown
upon its head, which is as symbolic of the goddess as the vulture. Nekhebet is also represented in the form of a woman head of a vulture, and in a picture of her reproduced by with the Signer Lanzone'^ she stands upon madt ^c:=], and holds a bow and an arrow in her left hand. In the form of a uraeus Nekhebet took her place, with her twin sister Uatchet, upon the brow of Ra, and of the South
both goddesses devoted themselves to destroying the enemies of the god
;
this idea is alluded to in the
1
Brugscli,
3
Op.
Bid. Geog.,
cit., pi.
848.
p.
352 &.
winged disks which are seen
NEKHEBET
440
sculptured over the doors of temples in Egypt, for on each side
is
a serpent, that on the right, or south side, being Nekhebet, and that on the
left,
Nekhebet was,
or north side, being Uatchet.
astronomically, the western or
right eye of the sun during his
journey in the Underworld, and Uatchet was his eastern or eye.
As
left
a nature power Nekhebet was a form of the jDrimeval
abyss which brought forth the light,^ and she is therefore called the " father of fathers, the mother of mothers, who hath existed from " the beginning, and
sister
In the bas-
the creatrix of the world."
Egyptian temples she
reliefs in
twin
is
is
usually represented with her
Uatchet, and also in coronation scenes, for
it
was most
important for a king to be crowned with the double crown, W^,
by these
deities.
According to Brugsch, special rooms or chambers were
set
apart in the temples of Egypt, near the sanctuaries of the gods
wherein Uatchet and Nekhebet were
supposed to abide
;
the
chamber of the former was on the west, or right side of the sanctuary, and was called j;er nesert fire,"
and that of the
latter
was on the
sanctuary, and was called j^er ur, or
And
it
is
~'*~^|lj or "house of east, or left side of the
^^=*,
"great house,"
very probable that at the time of the coronation of a
king priestesses dressed themselves in the character of the two goddesses, and that the one declared the South had been given to
him
whilst the other asserted the same concerning the North.
coloured pictures of Nekhebet Fakit, is
S
iJll
,
we
In
find that she
painted of a light yellow, or almost white colour, which
is
probably intended to represent the colour of the desert regions of the South, and of the white light of the newly risen sun or moon.
From one
aspect she was identified with
Isis,
the fertile nature
goddess, just as Uatchet was identified with Nephthys,
supposed to act the part of nurse to the
brought forth
;
in other words,
ofi'spring
who was
whom
Isis
Nekhebet was the mother of the
Sun-god, and therefore also of the king of Egypt, his son, and
Uatchet was his nurse. 1
A
passage in the text of Mer-en-Ra
Brugscli. Religion, p. 324.
UATCHET 762) seems to connect Nekhebet with
(line
"
441
Thou
" thou
hast
we
Nekhebet, in the House of the Prince in
read,
Annu
committed him to Am-hent-f, and Am-hent-f hath
" committed
him to Am-sepa-f ;" if this be so it Nekhebet was identified with one or other of the ^
probable that
is
local goddesses
In an interesting text published by
or Nebt-hetep.
lusaaset
for
Nekhebet, thou hast protected
protectest Mer-en-Ra,
" Mer-en-Ra,
Annu,
M. Maspero^ an allusion is made to the natron of the city of Nekheb, which was apparently much used in embalming the dead, and it was believed that in consequence the goddess Nekhebet would watch over them in the Underworld, and would change their faces To make into things of beauty Avith two brilliant eyes of light. " " bandage of Nekheb was laid upon the certain of this result the forehead of every carefully prepared
UaTCHET, '^^ ^^
"^S^y
"^^^
mummy.
GODDESS OF THE NOETH.
Uatchet, or Uatchit, as we have already said above, is a who was worshipped under the form of a serpent, and the
goddess
was
oldest seat of her cult
of the Greeks, a city which
^hl or
,^
was situated
The
.
precincts are
its
name Pe-Tep,
S^^,
known
^
'
^^® Bovto?
in the ''land of Uatchet,"
temple
nome
of
Lower Egypt,
which Uatchet was
in
in texts of all periods
and from the frequent mention of
old.
by this
clear that the shrine
was
Uatchet was identified with
Isis
double name in the Pyramid Texts
both very famous and very
I Pn
in the seventh
i.e.,
''^f
Nefer-Ament,
venerated and the
'
at Per-uatchet,
it is
l\-l\^^iiZ:\ 2
The
^devorrjs
of
Ptolemy,
and the Ptenetu
Geographic, p. 41. 3
Memoire
siir
quelques Pcqyyriis, pp. 50, 83.
of
Pliny;
see
de Rouge,
UATCHET
442
and there
at a very early period,
son of
Isis,
abundant proof that Horus, the was worshipped with Isis at Per-Uatchet we are, then, is
;
driven to the conckision that Pe-Tep was a city with two distinct
one of which Uatchet-lsis was worshipped, and in the
divisions, in
other Horus, and that Horus dwelt in Pe, and Uatchet-lsis in Tep.
Among D
M °^
was
name worthy of mention are Pi-Tchepet, ^ In late dynastic times Uatchet 2' andPi-Tep, D
the variants of the
called Ap-taui,
meaning of goddess
.^
(1(1
i.e.,
this title
was
the
Island
Khebit,
of
,
but the exact
Near the
not quite certain.
is
situated
\/ ^^ ^
opener of lands,"
^'
city of the
© J \^ Z
or
,
^J^JS'^^'^Jl^ \^ ^r ^^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ rightly identified with the island called
Xe/A/xt?^
and Xe/xpe?
by
-
classical writers,
round about which were the papyrus swamps T^^^
h
and
c^ | J
Na-ateh, the Natho of the Greeks, which play such a prominent part in the legends of Isis and Horus. According to these, Isis
swamps after she had conceived her child, and she remained hidden in them until her months were fulfilled, when she brought forth Horus, who afterwards became the
retreated to the papyrus
" avenger of his father
;
Set never succeeded
"
in
finding her
hiding place, because the great goddess had found some means
whereby she caused the papyrus and other plants to screen her from his view, and the goddess Uatchet visited her and helped her in her retreat.
In pictures and
woman who
of a
and she holds is
reliefs
the goddess
represented in the form
is
wears upon her head the crown of the North, %/ one hand the papyrus sceptre, round which
in
sometimes twined a long snake
;
in
some examples she
bearing in her right hand the crown of the North, is
about to place upon the head of a king.
her in the form of a large winged serpent
North upon her head
;
her
titles
^
^
,
is
seen
which she
Occasionally
we
find
with the croAvn of the
are " Uatchet, lady of heaven
" ;
" Uatchet, lady of Pe, mistress of Tep, the august one, the mighty 1
Bmgsch,
Diet. Gcoy., p. 215. •^
See Lanzone, op.
2
cit., pi.
58
f.
JUd^
p.
553.
UATCHET ;
one
" Uatchet,
"
" Uatchet, lady
heaven,
lady of
of Nebiui, -a.-
J
mistress (]()
^"^, lady of Per-Menat,
"ta,
"~^
© ."
of
the gods
all
^ wflf]©, ^^?
I
i
443 ;
lady of Neter-
^^^ l^^y ^^ Amemt,
Besides her shrines in these last
named
one built in her honour seems to have existed in Sept,
^^.
cities
The
<=>©
views held about the goddess in connexion with the dead are well
by
illustrated
certain allusions
In the xviith Chapter she
is
to her in the
Book of
the
Dead.
mentioned in connexion with a god
^^^ ^^^® ^^ definitely identified with Isis i y^ 't^ said to have protected her son Horus by shaking her hair out
called Rehuj
who
is
made
'
over him, although Uatchet appears in the form of a serpent twined
round the stalk of a papyrus plant and
called the " eye of Ra."
is
In the xliind Chapter the shoulder of the deceased
is
said
to
be the shoulder of Uatchet; in the Ixvith Chapter the deceased says, " I
have knoAvledge.
" goddess Nit (Neith)
" "
come came
forth
the " lord of
•'
I
am
58') ;
"
Maat (^_n
"-
\),
(i.e.,
Horus, and I have
Ra).
I
Horus, and I in
am
says,
^^ ^^® ^^^^ ^^
up and perch the bows of his boat which is
''I
am
Maat which
and in Chapter clxxix. he
in Chapter clxxii.
Uatchet who
fly
is
said to be
which the goddess Uatchet worketh
come to an end beneath me and I eat him in the great
finally,
am
I
In Chapter cxxxvi.A the deceased
Chapter cxxxvi.B he
" Uatchet "
birth.
upon the forehead of Ra
" in heaven."
"
was conceived by Sekhet, and the
me
from the Eye of Horus
forth from Horus.
" myself
in
I
gave
(1.
the is
spiritual
made by
says, "
" ;
body (sdh the goddess
The Enemy hath
in the presence of the Assessors, field
on the altar of Uatchet
19) certain
;
bones in the head of
the deceased are identified with those of the Uatchti goddesses,
Nekhebet and Uatchet. During the ceremonies connected with embalming, the operator or priest addressed the mummy, i.e.,
saying, "
The goddess Uatchet cometh unto thee
" living Uraeus
(<=> ^ Pn 1
Their
,
in the
form of the
Ardt), to anoint thy head with their
= Uatcliet and Nekhebet.
BAST
444 " flames.
She riseth up on the
thy head, and she
side of
left
from the right side of thy temples without speech they up on thy head during each and every hour of the day, even they do for their father Ra, and through them the terror
" shineth
" rise " as
;
" which thou inspirest in the holy spirits
is
increased, and because
up on thy head, and because thy brow becometh the portion of thy head whereon they establish them" selves, even as they do upon the broAv of Ra, and because they
" Uatchet and Nekhebet rise ''
" never leave thee, "
made
perfect,"
awe
of thee striketh into the souls which are
^
In the Boole of the Bead Uatchet generally plays the part of destroyer of the foes of the deceased, but her connexion with
Maat shows that she was counterparts of Thoth. see that
some one of the female In a calendar published by Brugsch^ we identified with
under the name of Apt,
(1
,
or,
^
(1
^^S7
,
Uatchet was
regarded as the goddess of the eleventh month of the Egyptian year (Epiphi).
Bast,
^
the Lady of the East.
j4,
Bast was the goddess jMr
excellence of the eastern part of the
Delta, and the centre of her worship "
1
o
J ^^,
or,
Am-khent, -^__
,
this city is often
J
^
,
at Per-Bast, or Pa-Bast,
Bubastis,
or
the seventh
nome
referred to
by
137, 156; Diodorus 16, 51;
was
the
(Bubastites) of
classical writers
Strabo xvii.
;
Pliny
capital
of
the
Lower Egypt (Herodotus
ii.
and
is
v.
9),
mentioned in the Bible under the name Pibeseth, riDTS (Ezekiel XXX. 17). The site is marked by the ruins at Tell-Basta which were carefully excavated by M. Naville, who made some interesting discoveries concerning the great antiquity of the city of Bubastis,
and who published the inscriptions which are still to be found upon the ruins of the great buildings which once stood there."^ 1
Maspero, Memoire sur
2
Astronomische und Astrologisclie Inschriften,
^
qiielques
Papyrus,
p. 82.
p. 473, No. 11. See Bubastis, Eighth and Tenth Memoirs of the Egypt Exploration Fund,
1891 and 1892.
BAST
445
In the version of Manetho according to Julius Africanus (Cory's Ancient Fragments, p. 98), the
said that in the reign of Boethus,
it is
king of the Ilnd Dynasty, a chasm opened at Bubastis,
first
and that many persons perished, but M. Naville found no remains so old as this period on the
site
historical
he has, however,
;
discovered on blocks of stone there the names of
Khufu and Khaf-
Ra, kings of the IVth Dynasty, written in such a
way
as to prove
that the inscriptions were cut during
Empire.
the period of the Early Of the kings of the Vlth Dynasty only the name of
Pepi
found at Bubastis, and in connection with this king
I. is
it is
interesting to note that in his funeral inscription (line 569) his
heart
is
said to be the heart of Bestet,
Bast,
i.e..
P^^^^-
J
This fact shows that the worship of Bast was already very old in
Egypt, at
events in the
all
Delta, and that a definite position
was assigned to her in the theological system of the Heliopolis.
"
In the text of Pepi
god of the double town
" two fingers
;
(
Pepi hath swept
(Sljy (oluj?
II.
"up
" repulsed, "
like the grasshopper of
king,
there
(^^=1)]^^), and
" standeth] like a great
name
of Bast in the
Heliopolitan
editors
deities into the
of the
Book of
is
door"
Pyramid Texts
Pepi must not be
;
for
(line 869).
Pepi [who
To
many ;
local,
and even foreign
in the
Theban Recension
name
entirely omitted from the
is
of the gods mentioned in connexion with the deification of
list
members
xlii.).
In the " Negative Confession"
we have the mention
(line 16) of
the cxxvth Chapter
of the assessor called Thenemi,
(
A^AAAA
i.e.,
find the
Dead, however. Bast and her city are very
rarely mentioned, and her
(Chapter
Bast
for Pepi,
natural enough, for their
is
companies of their gods the
Ra
made dances
at the
introduced
thy
for
is
hawk, Pepi hath flown
no green herb
none hath
man
said,
is
towards the heavens like a crane,
off
" Pepi hath scented out the heavens like a to heaven
it
the double of Pepi
)
|
priests of
he who goes backwards, who
^ 2, and an
assessor called Basti,
forth from the city of Shetait.
is
said to
^^ J\
come
Jl
^,
UIP^
flu 1
ZV,
I
forth from Bast,
(line 26), is said to
come
BAST
446
The goddess Bast is usually represented in the form of a woman with the head of a cat, but she also has, at times, the head of a lioness surmounted by a snake in her right hand she holds a sistrum, and in her left an aegis Avith the head of a cat or lioness on the top of it. The form in which the goddess was ;
worshijDped in the earliest times was that of a cat, and her identification with a lioness
From
period.
s^^
we
the inscription
^
with Rat,
probably belongs to a comparatively find that she
also identified
the female counterjDart of Ra, and with Temt,
,
the female counterpart of
,
was
late
Tem
she
;
is
often called the
I
" eye of Ra," and the " eye of i.e.,
the "
Hidden
Tem," and the Shetat,
^
According to one legend Bast was the
one."
"^
of the
personification
soul
of
^^^
Isis,
worshipped as such in Bubastis, and "^
the South,"
-ifl
^
,
W^
jj
Dendera, that she was regarded as
i.e.,
From
the female counterpart of Tem.
the fact that she
god Sept, " the lord of the East,"
ciated with the
^^^ ^^^
" Bubastis of
was only at
it
'
certain that in one aspect as least she
it is
was regarded
is
asso-
tolerably
as a foreign
goddess, whose attributes and characteristics had been transferred
As Temt,
to her.
."^
T ^,
Dendera, she was said to be the
at
mother of the lion-headed god Ari-hes, Aphroditopolis, ^-f
,
the holy Sekhem,
the temple of Bast of Dendera
god An,
I
3
who was
,
^ ;
Y
5v7^
'
1
y
-^^
D
'
i
the lord of
^^^^ dwelt in
her husband in this case was the
a form of Osiris.
At Thebes Bast was identified with Mut, the lady of Asheru Memphis with Mut and Uatchet, at Helioj^olis with lusaaset, ;
at
and in Nubia with Sekhet and Menhet, at a town in the Delta called
Sekhet, jjM "^©j ber *^~^
As t, J "f^' the name Bast
"^ il
in
Pn
-^
^^
name appears ^'^^ ^^'®
have been Bare-
*^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ derivation of
Egyptian we must connect
1
See Brugscli, Diet.
Gvo<j., p.
2
Lanzone, op.
226.
cit., p.
to
208
;
it
with the word for
UeUcjion, p. 332.
BAST "fire," hes
and regard the goddess
fl,
1
J
made
a power of the sun which
That
view
this
Egyptian
447
correct
is
itself
manifest in the form of heat.
from several passages in
certain
is
as a personification of
wherein both Bast and Sekhet are described as
texts,
and wherein they and are made to act light of the Sun-god, as the destroyers both of the enemies of the Sun-god, and of the deceased. closely connected forms of a female personification of the heat
Thus
of Sekhet
(xxvii.
it
said in the
is
"The Eye
15),
''
Book
Horus
of
" hacking his head from his neck
falls
them on the
" usert-aa
'
(
li
fire
^
'
;
" drives out his soul from his "
"
S\
body
-
;
him
in her
name
of
"him
in her
name
of 'Khut-nebat'
"
Eye of Flame)
i.e.,
" with
the flame
'
;
Sekhet
'
fire
with her
(v
name
she burns into
5
)
in her
left leg
of
;
she
'
Set-
him and
she obtains the mastery over
®
Jj)
(''^^
;
and she overpowers
^^^^ ^
'^^^^^
JM'^iii'
she consumes his interior and blazes in
of her mouth."
personified the burning, fiery,
"
upon him cutting and
and burns into him
|
Apep
the goddess Sekhet tears out
" his intestines and kicks them on the " places
of Overthrowing
it
Speaking generally, Sekhet
and destructive heat of the sun, and
Bast represented the milder heat which at certain periods of the day
and year encouraged the growth of vegetation, and the germination of seeds.
That Sekhet and Bast are goddesses of they accompany Hathor
summer
respectively.
Mut
identified with
Mut-Bast
^
is
in her character of the "
quite clear, for
Eye
of Ra," and
Sun-god they symbolize the heat of the
as forms of the
early
fire is
It has already
at Thebes,
depicted as
Isis,
but we
and we
head the feathers of the god Shu,
late
also find that at
see her
)lf),
and
been said that Bast
is
Thebes
wearing upon her
and horns with the
sun's
The god of whom she is the female counterpart is in this case Amen-Ra-Temu-Khepera-Heru-khuti, who is represented with the head of a hawk wearing the crown of Shu disk between them.
the
ofli'spring
of the
1
two
deities is
Khensu,
See Brugsch, Beligion und MytJwlogie,
^
i
V
p. 33-1.
*
'^^^^®
FESTIVALS OF BAST
448 considerations
lead
us to the
conclusion that Bast was, at
all
events in dynastic times, a personification of the moon, especially
when we remember which
of a lioness,
that is
Khensu was a lunar
With
god.
the head
usually painted green, she symbolized the
when she is given the head of a cat her connexion moon is undoubted Dr. Brugsch refers to Plutarch's
sunlight, but
with the
;
remark that the pupils of the eyes of
cats
large at the time of the full moon, and
it is
full
and very
probable that the
Egyptians held the same view, and that as a result
primitive
they identified the
From
become
cat-headed
goddess Bast with
the
moon.
another aspect Bast Avas regarded as exercising a special
influence over
women
Avho were with child, and she appears on
several occasions as one of the goddesses of the birth-chamber her son Khensu was declared " to make women fruitful, and make ;
" the
human germ
grow
to
in his mother's Avomb,"
and he was
supposed to do this especially in his character of the " moon, the light-bearer."
According to the Stele of Canopus, the chief
festivals of the
goddess Bubastis were celebrated in the months of April and May,
and of one of these Herodotus
He
information.
says
" afi"ectionate zeale " behaue
:
(ii.
— " Such of
60)
this people as
most religiously obserue the
and beare themselues on
some interesting
furnishes
this
maner.
with entyre and
feast at Bubastis,
Certayne shippes
numbers of men and women meane season whiles they be in voiage on ye Avater, certaine of the women play upon drums and Such tabers, making a great sound and noyse, ye men on pipes. as want these implements, clap their hands and straine their
" being addressed, wherein infinite " sayle towards the city, in the "
" "
" uoice in singing to ye highest degree.
happely some of the
women
''
ariue,
•'
port on ye timbrels, some others
"
dames of ye
" minionly
:
city
At
Avhat city soeuer they
continue their mirth and disraile, reuile,
beyond measure
:
many
and scold at the
trauise
and daunce
other cast up their clothes, and openly discouer and
" beAvray their shame, doing this in all those cittes yt are neere '^
adioyning to the riuers
side.
" together at Bubastis, they " solemnity,
making large
Being assembled and gathered feast day with principall
honour the
offerings to Diana, Avherein
is
greater
FESTIVALS OF BAST
449
" expence and effusion of grape wine than all the yeare besides. " To this place by the voice of ye countrey are wont to repayre
" 7000
men and women,
" time
at
besides children, and thus they passe the
Of the city of Bubastis itself the same (ii. 137, 138) " The noble city of Bubastis seemeth "to be very haughty and highly planted, in which city is a temple Bubastis."
writer says
^
^
:
—
memory dedicate to the goddesse Bubastis, called in " our speech Diana, then the which, albeit there be other churches " both bigger and more richly furnished, yet for the sightly grace " and seemelynesse of building, there is none comparable unto " of excellent
"
it.
"
city,
"
Besides, the very entrance and
way
that leadeth unto the
the reste is in forme of an Ilande, inclosed round about with two sundry streames of the river Nilus, which runne to either
" side of the path way,
and leaning
as
it
were a lane or causey
" betweene them, without meeting, take their course another way.
" These armes
of .the floud are each of them an hundred foote " broade, beset on both sides the banckes with fayre braunched " trees, ouershadowing ye waters with a coole and pleasant shade. "
The gate or entry
of the city
" the front a beautifull image, "
6.
in heighth 10. paces, hauing in
and
euermore in sight to For although ye city by addition of
fro.
" earth was arrered and " did in ye beginning,
The temple
cubites in measure.
middest of ye
selfe situate in the
it
" those yt passe to
is
made
city, is
higher, yet ye temple standing as
and neuer mooued,
is
in
maner
it
of a lofty
" and stately tower, in open and cleare viewe to euery parte of ye " city. Round about the which goeth a wall, ingrauen with " figures and portraitures of sundry beasts.
The inner temple is by the
" enuironed with an high grove of trees, set and planted
" hande and Industrie of " image. "
From
The length
men
:
whiche temj)le
in the
of the temple
is
in euery
the entrance of the temple Eastward, there
is
standino-
way
an
a furlong.
a fayre laro-e " causey leading to the house of Mercury, in length, three furlongs " and four acres broade, all of faire stone, and hemmed in on each is
" side with a course of goodly tall trees planted by the hands of " men, and thus as touching the description of ye temple."
1
B. R.'s Translation,
G g
fol.
86a.
2
B. R.'s Translation,
fol.
108a.
NET OR NEITH
450
According to Brugsch,^ the great triad of the city of Bubastis
and their
consisted of Osiris, Bast,
hekennu,
^^
^
fi
c?)
offspring,
who was
or JSTefer-Tem, or Bast
?
Ptah-Sekhet, and Nefer-Tem
in
;
and Mut-Bast, and Khensu, or Horus, or Neb-aut-ab Osiris- An, and Bast-Temt, and
ditopolis,
nome were many temples and
bastite
worship
mentioned Netert, hi
^
n
,
was
Bast
of
Bairast,
^
|
shut up in a
Net,
©
"^
or
,
^^: <=>
J
''
,
J
©
hidden chest."
modern
Belbes,
,
Net, or Neith, was one of the oldest of spread even in predynastic times
many
;
about her
to arrive at a decision
Osiris,
all
^ )<^,
the Egyptian
tolerably certain that her worship
is
and
^
^c=k, on ^ ^ or ^ THE Lady of the West.
it
Aphro-
which the
in
where was preserved a thigh of
^ ^^, oe
goddesses, and
in
among such may be
the
,
;
In the Bu-
'Ari-lies.
localities
paramount, and '^
Memphis,
Amen-Ra-Heru-khuti,
in Thebes,
;
their equivalents
;
and Nefer-Tem
in Heliopolis were Tern, lusaaset,
Heru-
called
was wide-
made by means of
attempts have been
earliest attributes
etymological processes, but they are unsatisfactory because they only illustrate the
views which the Egyptians held concerning her in com-
paratively late dynastic times, and several of
the
objects
which the goddess
them only explain
seen holding in her hands in
is
The examples reproduced by Lanzone represent the goddess in the form of a woman, who wears upon her head the
pictures.
crown of the North,
V
she often holds a sceptre, |, or T, in one
;
hand, and the symbol of
life
which holds the sceptre
also grasps a
in the other,
are her characteristic symbols.
but sometimes the hand
bow and two
She once ^ appears
arrows, which in the
form of
a cow with eighteen stars on one side, and a collar round her neck
from which hangs
•¥;
and plumes,
upon
1
^y
,
on her back
is
The cow stands
his head.
Religion, p. 336.
^
3
Op.
a ram-headed lion with horns
cit., pi.
in a boat, the
gee de Rouge, Geograj)hie, p. 122.
175
ff.
NET OR NEITH prow is
451
of which terminates in a lion's head with a disk
provided with wings
"Net, the Cow, which gave birth an
'^^
utchat,
In one scene she
.
it,
and
the stern of the boat terminates in a
;
ram's head, and by the fore feet of the cow, which
is
upon
described as
^ 1^^
Ra,"
to
is
In late dynastic times there
sucking at each breast/
l^f.
represented with a crocodile
is
is
no doubt
that Net or Neith was regarded as nothing but a form of Hathor,
but at an earlier period she was certainly a personification of a
form of the great,
inert,
the Sun-god Ra, and
the
primeval watery mass out of which sprang
name Net may be akin
hand,
if
who
identify
describe
the
and
xix:,
signs,
On
Nut.
to
root
the other
^
netet
,
and the like, we may accept the view of Net as the goddess of weaving, and who
her head, with a shuttle. oldest
meaning
in
we connect her name with the
" to knit, to weave,"
those
Brugsch has suggested, that
possible, as
it is
which are often seen upon
;czk,
It
however, quite clear that the
is,
and most characteristic symbols of the goddess were two shield, which at a very early period became the
arrows and a
recognized emblems, not only of Net herself, but also of the city in
which her chief temple was
situated,
symbols which formed the name city Sais
was the
bow and two
Now
capital.
arrows, there
is
and they
of
since
also served as the
nome
the
was
hunting-spirit, which
identified
the
Net was represented by a chase, and
it
is
with a local wood- spirit, or
was worshipped
the predynastic period.
which
no good reason for doubting that she
was originally either a goddess of war or of the probable that she
of
in the east of the Delta in
In any case
it
is
quite certain,
when we
consider the attributes which are ascribed to her in the texts, that she represents several goddesses different periods of history
who were
the conceptions of quite
and of stages of
civilization.
Thus, at
times, her attributes cannot be distinguished from those of Isis,
Uatchet, Sekhet, Bast, Mut, Nekhebet, and other goddesses, and she was identified with one and
all
of
them by
The most ancient and famous sanctuary ,
8aui^ the capital of the fifth ^
Lanzone, op.
cit., pi.
turns.
Net Avas at Sai's, nome of Lower Egypt^
175, No.
.3.
of
^ET OR NEITH
452
which bore the name of
" Sapi-meht,"
i.e.,
North," and which was also called
Het
[1
of Net," and " Ast-Net,"
[j",
name
a rare
"Sapi,"
^^^
"temples of Net,"
Net
M
\^
Sais
,
i.e.,
^ctk'Vx
is
temples of the gods of these
The
.
^
temple of
ffreat
confounded with that of Sais of
Esneh, which was called Per-Net-mut-kheper-
^
/)
©; the names of Esneh are Ani, |
/wwva
[1(|
©,
festival
in
^
At
and Seni, ^'^.
which
^
mention the
the names
;
House
Net;"
seat of
^^'^^^
H
honour of
"
i.e.,
and de Rouge
^
^"^
^ and Per-Tem,
Bgyj)t,
hetch,
"The
^,
" Sapi of the
Resenet and Mehenet,
,
at Sais must, of course, not be
Upper
i.e.,
^^^^ *®^*^
with Net at
— Het-khebit,
Per-Ra,
/wXvN,
c:.
by Brugsch
~^f II-
Avorshipped
temjDles are
Net,
T 1, that is to say, the
[j
:
jj^
of the city quoted
fl()°^,
who were
^i—In ff
Sais
was held the
Isis-Net, as recorded
2:reat
by Herodotus
annual
(ii.
59),
and
it is
this
by the same writer (ii. 62) in the followingwords like manner meeting (as before) at the city Sais, " there to accomplishe the rites and ceremonies due to the day, at " the approche and neere poynt of the euening, they furnish and " beset their houses Avith torches and lampes, which being reis
^
"•
:
described
— " In
plenished with pure oyle mingled with salte, they giue
" weike,
and
them
suffer
to
continue burning
till
tire to
the
the
next
" morning, naming the day by the feast of lampes. Such as " resort not to this feast, do neuerthelesse at their owne homes giue " due honour to the night, j^lacing in euery corner of theyr house
and candles, the custome being not " only kept at Sais, but spread and scattered throughout the " whole region. But for what ende this night is held solemne by " lighting of lampes, a certayne mysticall and religious reason is
,"
*'
an
infinite
number
yeelded which
of tapers
we must keepe
secret."
After describing the place in the temple of Sais where Apries
1
Did. Grog.,
p.
1323. '^
-
Grographie dc
B. R.'s translation,
fol.
SQh.
la
Basse l^gypie,
p. 24.
NET OR NEITH
453
was buried, and mentioning the " fayre Chamber builte of stone, " beauty fied with sundry Pyllers ingrauen like unto Palme- trees, " being other wyse very sumptuously and royally garnished," and the two "
mayne
posts in the middest of the chamber, betweene
" the which standeth a Cophine," and the " toumbe in the same, " the name whereof," he says, " I may not descry without breache " of Religion," Herodotus goes on to sjDeak of other matters
connected with
Sai's,
and says
(ii.
170)
:
— "At
Sais in the
Temple
" of Minerva, beneath the Churche and neere unto the walle of
" Minerva, in a base Chappell, are standinge certayne greate " brooches of stone, whereto is adioyninge a lowe place in manner " of a Dungeon, couered over wyth a stone curiously wroughte, the " vaute
it
selfe
being on euery side earned with most exquisite
" arte, in biggnesse matchinge with that in Delos, which " Trochoides.
is
called
Herein euery one counterfayteth the shadowes of
hys owne affections and phantasies in the nyghte season, which " the Aegyptians call Mysteryes touchinge whiche, God forbid, I " should aduenture to discouer so much as they vouchsafed to tell *'
;
" mee."
The "Mysteries" here
^
referred to were probably the
ceremonies performed in connexion with the annual commemoration of the sufferings and death of Osiris, who, according to an old
legend, was buried at Sais.
Passing Sais
we
find
now to consider the antiquity of the cult of Net at much to prove that the worship of this goddess dates
The earliest form of Net's name is found on an ivory cover of a box and on an ivory vase,^ where it occurs in connexion with hetep, and so serves as a from the
latter part of the predynastic period.
constituent part of the proper
Net-hetep,
name
Net-hetep,
we know, was connected with
commonly, but on matters
little for
he and
Sma
But whether Aha
our purpose here, for
Now,
Aha, who has been
insufficient evidence, identified
king of Egypt.
•
the early king Sma, and
she appears to have been the wife of king Ck^,
first historical
v^ —^^
it is
with Mena, the is
Mena
or not
quite certain that both
flourished about the beginning of the period of the ^
B. R.'s translation,
*
See Petrie, Boyal Tombs,
fol.
1166, ii.,
pp. 4-20,
and
pi.
ii.
NET OR NEITH
454
Dynasty, and this being so the name of the goddess which
1st
forms part of the name of the queen Net-hetep must also be as
Thus
old.
it is
must have been
of considerable antiquity.
goddess possessed
dynasties the
Dynasty the
clear that even in the 1st
cult of
During the
sanctuaries
first
many
in
Net four
parts
of
Egypt, and several of her priests and priestesses were buried in
M. Mallet quotes ^ an passage from the sarcophagus of Apa-iinkh in which
mastaba tombs in and near Sakkara. interesting
she
is
addressed together with
—*^ ^ L. who 5
are
(1^0
Anunu,
two very ancient goddesses, and
declared that she
came
forth from her.-
We
forth
and Nesert,
E©^?
in
which
it is
from the god, and that the god came
thus see that in the IVth Dynasty she was
thought to be at once the mother and the daughter of the Sun-god Ra, and that she had more than one form, and possessed also the power to conceive and bring forth the new Sun-god daily by means of the divine and magical formulae with which she was provided.
Among
her early
titles is
\/ £535^ £55,
of the ways,"
that of Apt-uat,
which seems
"
i.e.,
Opener she
to suggest that
was in some way a female counterpart of Anubis. In the text of Unas
we
find the " temples of Net,"
mentioned, side by side with the city of Tep,
,
the
(line 67)
name
of the goddess
who was supposed
is
^
dead
;
and
D ^^
coupled with that of Tatet,
to dress the
,
>
thus the passage clearly
proves that Net was believed to perform some important ceremonies in connexion with
the preservation of the dead,
and
it
We may
seem that these were of a magical character.
would
note in
passing that in the late " Ritual of
M. Maspero,^
it is
drawn or painted
1
Le
figures of
and that
of the deceased,
Embalmment," published by upon which were Hapi and Isis, be placed in the hand
directed that a piece of linen,
Isis is identified
with Neith.
This piece
Cult de Neit a Sais, Paris, 1888, p. 104.
3
Compare
*
Memoire snv
also
^^; ^^^^ ^
qvelqiies
Papyrus du Louvre,
p. 90.
ffl ] ffl
.
£
NET OR NEITH was intended
of linen
mummy of
to serve as
an amulet, and to bring to the
the protection of Net,
who
In the text of Unas
(line
Isis.
455
is
we have
597)
address — " Homage
to thee,
"homage
Set, in the regions of Set;
:
to thee,
Aarer
''
Ih
" Netetthaab
"^
^^^^)
Q^ l
^ '^)
homage
homage
^
;
*^°^^ ^^^ ^^ *^®^® ^^^^'
'
the following
Horus, in the regions of Horus
Sekhet-Aarer
i^
name
referred to under the
to
^^^^
;
to thee, thee,
^^^
^^® ^^
wherefrom the voice of Unas goeth not out. ''Take off your apparel in order that Unas may see you as "Horus seeth Isis, and that Unas may see you as Nehebu-kau
" the Great Temple,
" (/wwNA
and that Unas may
Selqet;
^®®*^
J%4y5))
I 1J\
Sebek seeth Net, and that Unas may see you as Set "seeth Netetthaab." A little further on (lines 620-627) we have " another reference to Net and her son Sebek in these words, Unas " see
you
as
a
°^ ZZ "^ S
[] II
'^ )
?
Unas
^^cl this
is
Sebek with the green
(jTl'^lB)? ^^^^^ watcheth and who " forehead, and who is the white one who cometh
"feather
" thigh[s]
"
of Khebset-urt
Unas hath come
"(%
Z;5
11
Z^^
(^
to his pools
ofMeht-urt
J "T"
^)
^
^
(ffh
^'^^
raiseth
up
his
forth from the ^^
^"^
*^® ^^^^**
'
which are on the banks of the canal
("^
^ ^)
,
where
at the place
which are in the horizon, and garden on the banks of the horizon.
" offerings flourish, and in the fields "
he hath made to flourish his
^
the Great " Unas hath brought the crystal {^=^ ffif ) to | " Eye which is in the field. Unas hath taken his place in the " horizon, he
riseth like Sebek,
" eateth with
his
of Teta
(line
^
(^
^j
^^ ,
mouth, he voideth water," etc. In the text 204) Net is mentioned in connection with Isis,
Nephthys, and Serqet-Hetu, | as
the son of Net
one of the four goddesses
Y RT ^P ^^ who
i
shot forth flame,
_2^
^
^
^
|i^^
U^'
NET OR NEITH
456
and worked "protection," °m«-, on behalf of the god Nu, when he was seated on his throne.
^^,
These same four goddesses also appear in connection with the
Four Children of Horus, whom they assisted in protecting by magical means the various parts of human bodies which were placed in " Canopic jars." Thus Isis says, " I conquer the foe, I "make protection for Amseth who is in me"; Nephthys says, " I hide the hidden thing, and I make protection for Hapi who is " in me" Net says, " I pass the morning and I pass the night of "each day in making protection for Tuamutef who is in me"; Serqet says, " I employ each day in making protection for Qebh" sennuf who is in me." The Egyptian word used here to " express the meaning of protection " is sa, <=mi°, and the character the part which knots and represents a knot of a peculiar kind cords tied in various ways have always played in magical ceremonies is too well known to need description, and it need ;
^
;
only be pointed out here that the sign "^m^ indicates that the protection which Net exercised on behalf of the dead must have
This view
been of a magical character.
Unas
in the text of
connection with
(1.
the
271
fF.)
in
goddesses
is
supported by a passage
which we find Net mentioned in
Ana,
l\
Nesert,
—-^ ^ ^,
hekau
distinctly said to be the "protective
is
and
Urt-hekau,
^
[]
<==> §
4,
^
Ilrt,
,
y; now
Urt-
power of the Eye of
Horus," and thus the attributes of Net and of the other goddesses
must be of a kindred nature.
In the text of PeiDi
the passage relating to the deification
deceased n
«
it is
Dead (Chapter
;
(1.
members
of the
said that the thighs of Pepi are " Net
^
I.
572), in
of the
and Serqet,"
but in the Theban Recension of the Book of
xlii.
11),
it is
the
the fore-arms of the deceased which
are identified with the fore-arms of the lady of
Sai's, i.e.,
Net.
In
Theban Recension the deceased declares (Ixvi. 2) that he was conceived by the goddess Sekhet, and that the goddess Net gave birth to him. In Chapter Ixxi. 15, we read, " Behold, the god of " One Face is with me. The god Sebek hath stood up within his the
^
For the texts
see
my
Miiiiimy, p.
199
ff.
NET OR NEITH " ground, and the goddess
"tion";
and elsewhere
Net
457
up within her planta-
hath, stood
(cxiv.
cxvi.
5;
we read
2)
shineth in the city of Matchat, or Mentchat. the deceased says, "
who
ye gods
that
In Chapter cxvi.
dwell in Khemennu, ye
me
she 4,
know
and in Chapter cxlv. 81, even as I know the goddess Net " he says, " I have entered into the house of Astes, and I have made ;
" supplication to the Khati gods
" Net."
and
In the Rubric to Chapter
Temple
to Sekhet in the
clxiii.,
which has
of
for its vignette
a serpent on legs, and two utcUats on legs, it is ordered that in the pupil of one iitchat there shall be drawn a figure of the " god of the lifted
like
hand
" with the face of Net,
From one
unto a hawk.
and having plumes and a back
aspect at least
it is
Net must
clear that
have been a form of the power of the Eye of Horus, as well as of Isis,
his
mother
her son Sebek
;
is
a local form of Horus, and
it
is
probable that the two crocodiles, which are seen accompanying her,
and which have been already mentioned, are in some with the god Henti, Henti, there
is
"^^^r^/l,
whose symbols are two
every reason to believe, was a form of
however, possible that one of the crocodiles or Osiris, and the other Hetch-nefer-Sebeq,
may
6* I
O
connected
\YSij
crocodiles.
Osiris.
It
is,
represent Horus,
^
J '^^
,
the son of
Net.
We
no description of the ceremonies
have, unfortunately,
connected with the worship of Net, but there
is
good reason
for
believing that they were of a mystic character, and that they were
modified from time to time in accordance with the chan2:e of beliefs of the priests in respect of the attributes of the goddess. ally its chief characteristics
must have been those
or Libyan goddess of nature, and
it is
Origin-
of a local Delta
probable that
it
included
ceremonies which were intended to represent the various processes of generation and reproduction.
This view
is
supported by several
of the titles which are given in Egyptian texts to her and to her
Thus
kindred goddesses. god,
"^
T^T^T
^
as
was the
first to
give birth to a
Hathor she was the " great cow which
iJl
]
gave birth to Ra
;
as Isis she
"
and she is
;
1
called
^'
the great goddess, the mother
See Mallet, Le Cidte de Nelt,
p.
140.
NET OR NEITH
458 " of all the gods,"
"
and
" heaven, the mistress of " beginning." " One,"
Rat
all
(i.e.,
the female Sun), the lady of
the gods,
who came
into being in the
In a text quoted by M. Mallet she
Pp.
,
is
actually called
a fact which proves that at a certain period of her
what Ra Avas to gods. A certain amount of light is thrown upon the history of Net by the inscription on the famous shrine-bearing statue of Utchat-Heru now preserved in the Vatican, but it must be remembered that this history she was
to goddesses
^
monument
is
not older than the early part of the Persian period.
Utchat-Heru was an
of very high rank in
Sai's,
and he was
high-priest of Net, and as such bore the official
title
of Ur-sun,
"^^
-^
,
i.e.,
the vessels of
official
" great one of knowledge."
Aahmes
11.
(Amasis), and
He was commander
of
when Cambyses came
to
Egypt and visited Sai's after his conquest of the country, it was Utchat-Heru who received him, and explained to him the antiquity and greatness of the goddess Net, and conducted him through the various sanctuaries which were grouped together in her temple.
In the course of his conversation with the king he told him that
it
was Net, the mighty mother, who had given birth to Ra, and that she was the first to give birth to anything, and that she had done so when nothing else had been born, and that she had never herFor some reason or other Utchat-Heru found self been born. favour in the sight of Cambyses, and the text
king made
tells
us that the
offerings " even as every other good king had done."
The funds provided by Cambyses were spent by Utchat-Heru in reviving the schools which had fallen into decay, and in refounding colleges for the priests of Sai's. The fame and traditions of the antiquity of Net and her worship were current among the late Greek writers, and it will be remembered that Plutarch {De hide et Osir., ix.) refers to an inscription on a statue of Pallas which he renders, " I am everything which hath been, and which is, and " which shall be, and there hath never been any who hath un" covered (or revealed) ^
my
veil."
-
See Revillout in Revue jSgyptologiqne,
Eyw aTrf.Ka\v\p(.v.
ei'/xt
TTtti^
TO ycyovo?, Kal
ov,
Elsewhere (Chapter torn,
i.,
p.
72
Kal iaofxevov, Kol
Ixii.)
he
ff.
toi/
ifJLOv
Tri-rrXov
ouSet's
ttoj
NET OR NEITH says that the Egyptians often called Isis
which
signifies, " I
Up
have come from myself."
to the present
by the name Athene, ^
no hieroglyphic inscription has been found
which can be regarded exactly but there
459
as the original of the
no doubt that Plutarch only turned into words the
is
opinions about the goddess Net which were current his
famous
who
Greek words,
treatise
on
and
Isis
when he wrote
In a |)assage of Proclus,
Osiris.
gives a Greek rendering of an Egyptian text in terms closely
resembling those of Plutarch, after the words Tov
goddess Net
arreKoXyxpev, the iyevETo,
17X105
made
is
which beyond
all
doubt
am what
the goddess, " I as
are,
with considerable
reflects
exactitude the meaning of the Egyptian
mother,"who gave birth to Ra."
iy^ov ^trwi^a ovSets
to say, ov eyw Kapirov ereKou,
title
of " Net, the
mighty
The words put into the mouth of is, and what shall be,"
^
has been, what
M. Mallet has remarked,^ only a development of a play A^AAAA
upon her name Net and the word person or thing which
ent
/VV\AA^ ,
or entet
,
i.e.,
a
or which exists, or which has being.
is,
In other words, the Egyptians regarded Net as the " Being "
j;a7^
who was
was
excellence,
i.e.,
the Being
eternal and infinite, and
the creative and ruling power of heaven, earth, and the underworld, and of every creature and thing in them. ever, i/xov
Plutarch, how-
was not without authority when he made Net say, koL tov Tre-rrXov ovSet? ttco a7TeKaXv\\fev, for in an Egyptian text published
by Pierret^ under the
of
title
the goddess
m
"lady
Net
is
of the
sycamore house,"
addressed in the following
iznn'
words
X
KiP
a
milt
tir
an
sefekh
Hail,
mother
great,
not
hath been uncovered
^
r]X6ov
(xtt'
mesu-s
ijxavT^<;.
Net urt mut mes Rd,
4: 3
Op.
*
Etudes lEgyptologiques,
cit.,
p. 191. etc.,
Paris, 1873, p. 45
ff.
thy birth
NET OR NEITH
460
v7
A^A^/>
-k
1 o d
em
dat
netert
Iclien
Tuaut
en
n
a
thou unknown one
Hail,
!
=?=
X
shetat
@
sejp
sen
X
w
i^f
^i
diet reJih-s
^
the underworld which is doubly hidden.
within
Hail, goddess great,
ISIIl
netrdi
url
thou divine one
great.
not
/I
qerds-s
sefehh-tu
thy garment
hath been unloosed
sefehh
senhu-s
unloose
thy garment.
^
(^
dn
i?a^i
a-
Hapt (Hidden
Hail,
one),
not
ertd-tu is
given
D
mddt
to her,
come,
em
receive thou the soul
These
en
dq
my way
of
entrance
e^^ip
en
Asdr
Jchui-s
of
Osiris,
protect
it
ddid
Ichen en
within
ha
shept
uat-d
jol
J\ er-es
J^
[thy]
lines
two hands.
form a prayer Avhich
is
put into the mouth of
Ankh-f-en-Khensu, and, in the form in which we have not older than the Saite period,
i.e.,
about
B.C.
550
it ;
here,
is
but the
petition refers very distinctly to the mysterious character of the
births of Net,
and to her attribute of inscrutability in the doubly
hidden underworld, and whilst the deceased declares that none has ever penetrated the cloak wherewith she
her to unloose
it
for him.
Two words
is
shrouded, he beseeches
are used to express " cloak,"
NET OR NEITH ^_^ (jig and Jl^
qerds and senhu,
i.e.,
461
"^
I
?^'
^ ^^^* whicli calls
mind the two words TreVXo? and -x^ltcov which are used by Plutarch and Proclus respectively to express the same word. It
to
is,
however, quite certain that the ideas and beliefs expressed in
the above prayer are far older than the time of the Psammetici,
and in one form or other they may be actually traced back period of the Early Empire.
to the
Another proof of the mysterious which were attributed HorapoUo, who
to
and remarkable powers Net by Greek writers is given by
in his " Hieroglyphica "
(i.
when
12) says that
the
Egyptians wish to depict a figure of Hephaistos they draw a scarab
and a vulture, and when they want to represent Athene
(i.e., Net) they draw a vulture and a scarab, for they believe that the world
composed of two elements, the one male and the other female, these two being the only gods whom they believe to be both male is
We
have already seen that the god Khepera was supposed to possess the jDowers of begetting and conceiving, and giving birth, and, in fact, to be at once both male and female,
and female.^
" and other forms of the Sun-god were said to be self-begotten, self-produced,
and self-born
;
"
these characteristics are, however,
not applied to any goddess except Net.
Since
declared that she was eternal, and was self-produced,
the it
Egyptians
followed as a
matter of course that both a masculine and a feminine nature must be attributed to her.
We
duced his son Shu and
have already described how Khepera prodaughter Tefnut, the information on these
his
points being derived from ancient Egyptian writings, but details of
the birth of
Ra by Net have not come down
to us,
and
as far as
can be seen the Egyptian conception of the manner in which this goddess exerted her reproductive powers
is
of a far loftier character
than that which appertained to the creation of Shu and Tefnut by Khepera. It is customary to say that the Egyptians possessed
no philosophical conceptions until the arrival of the Greeks in their country, but this view is a mistaken one, for there is much evidence extant which proves that already under the Early Empire
Egyptian philosophers were constantly engaged ^
ovTOL yap fiovoL 6ewv Trap' atirots, dptrevo^TjAeis
in thinking out the
VTr6.p-)^ov(Ti
(ed.
Leemans,
p. 19).
NET OR NEITH
462
problems which are connected with cosmogony and theogony.
The reason why they did not advance such matters
a nation further in
as
that they allowed themselves to be hampered
is
and
traditional opinions
beliefs,
and by the
by
and ceremonies
rituals
which the people in general demanded should be integral portions The statements of Greek of the public worship of the gods. writers, taken together with the evidence derived
from the hiero-
glyphic texts, prove that in very early times Net was the personification
of the eternal female
sustaining and self-existent, and was
all-pervading
more material
the
;
she brought forth her son
of
principle
life
which was
self-
and unknown, and
secret,
thinkers, whilst admitting that
Ra without
the aid of a husband, were
unable to divorce from their minds the idea that a male germ was necessary for his production, and finding
impossible to derive
it
it
from a power or being external to the goddess, assumed that she only the substance which was to form the
herself provided not
body of Ra but
also the
was the prototype
male germ which fecundated
it.
Thus Net
of partheno-genesis.
When, however,
Egyptians represented
as Horapollo says, the
Net by a vulture they referred to her in her character of the universal mother, and as such many allusions are made to her in Certain passages,
the texts.
it is
true, speak of her
arrow to her bow,^ and of her enemies darts,
but usually she
is
Mehenit, white,
I]
green,
U
^
Pn
'
^^^^
her
Thus
in the
form of
brought linen apparel and coverings of
and purple linen
red,
set
under her
said to provide clothing for the dead, just
as the house-mother arrays her dead in linen.
^^
having
falling daily
to
deck the face of
the
deceased, and an ancient legend declared that she arrayed Osiris in the apparel
which had been specially woven
Rekhti goddesses, '^,^,
i.e.,
Isis
for
and Nephthys.
him by the two
And
because of
the part which she had taken in arraying Osiris in his graveclothes I
made
Net was ?
i-e.,
to
"good house," which the dead were embalmed
preside
the chamber in
over
the
and swathed in linen, and over the chambers of the temples in which the unguents which were employed in public worship were '
See Brugscli, Beligion,
p.
340.
NET OR NEITH
463
compounded. The unguents which she mixed for Osiris proved to be the means by which the body of the god was preserved from destruction and made young again, and happy were the dead who were able
We
must note in that many of the attributes of Net as a
to secure the ministrations of Net.
connexion with these
facts
goddess of the dead were assigned to her because of her association
with
Osiris,
and
it
is
clear
from the texts of the
late
dynastic
period that Net was regarded in the light of a mother of Osiris,
and
Sai's
was actually
At
called the city of Osiris.
certain seasons
commemoration of the embalming, and bandaging, and burial of this god, and the great feast of lamps, which is also referred to by Herodotus, was one of the most important. Another very important festival was that kept in the spring, on the birthday of Osiris, the son of Isisof the year, festivals were celebrated there in
Net, which the late Dr. Brugsch identified with the birthday of the
spring sun.^
In Upper Egypt Net was chiefly worshipped at Seni (Esneh), the Latopolis of the Greeks, which
is
called in the texts,
house of Net in the land of the south."
with Nebuut,
jv,
Here she was
titles
were,
identified
Menhit, Sekhet, and Tefnut, and was
represented with the head of a lioness painted green ''
;
and her
Father of fathers, and Mother of mothers," and
" Net-Menhit, the great lady, lady of the south, the great "
who gave
"the
birth to the sun,
who made
the
germ
of gods
cow and
" men, the mother of Ra, who raised up Tem in primeval time, " who existed when nothing else had being, and who created that " which exists after she
had come
The people
into being."
of
Seni (Latopolis) assigned to her as husband the ram-headed god
Khnemu,
Pj
^^^
(^
5|
,
the lord of the First Cataract, and she be-
came therefore "lady of Abu" (Elephantine), and the mother of Tutu, a form of the god Shu, whose symbol was a lion walking. Tutu,
^ ^ Jj ,Ms
also
known by
the names Hee-ka,
1
Religion unci Mythologie,
3
Variants,
3
Or, "^
p.
347.
^^^^5^,
LI D
^
"^U
r or
^ (3
Her-Jca-p-khart.
^ d
5^.
'Sl,^
and
NET OR NEITH
464 Hetch-nefer-sebeq,
d1PJ
/^
^^^
?
^^- ^^
depicted in the form
young man wearing on his head the crown of the North, and the forefinger of his right the Atef crown with uraei and disks hand is raised to his mouth, which suggests that he had something According to Dr. Brugsch in common with the Harpocrates gods.
of a
^
;
he
is
when he
the personification of the sun
enters the zodiacal
sio:n of Leo, and the same scholar would connect the lion-headed rain- spouts of the temples of Dendera, Khensu at Thebes, Edfu,
and Philae, with the summer
In the texts which describe
sun.^
these spouts they are called " Lion," the " Strong one of strength,"
" mighty of strength,"
" possessor
strength," " the
of two-fold
mighty one of roarings," "fiery-face," and "lion of the face which enchanteth (or terrifieth)." A form of Tutu, the son of Net and
Khnemu,
called
Ar-hes-nefer,
inscriptions wherein he
is
(j
*S*
^^ J ^
often appears in
,
described as a " god of the south," and
he must be identified with the crocodile-headed god who appears in
the temple at
Esneh under the names Sebek-Ra. and Hes-
nefer-Sebek, the son of Net.
From is
by Dr. Brugsch ^ it the gods," was the son of Net,
certain passages in the texts quoted
clear that Amen-Rri, the " king of
and in the hymn which Darius IL caused
to be inscribed
walls of the temple of Hebt, in the Great Oasis,
Cow,
^^
ra '"^
^r^i'
^•^•'
-^®*' rejoiceth in
it is
on the
said that the
the "Bull of his mother."
Here the Sun-srod is described as the husband who maketh fertile with his seed,* and he is said to come to the town of Sapi,
J^ ^
^^ ,
i.e.,
The hymn
Sais.
continues,^ " Thine
" in Het-khebit, in the nest of the lady of
"uniteth herself unto thee " thy
body arrayed
(11^
^)
Sai's.
i^ ^l^®
f^i'i^^
image reposeth
Thy mother Net ^^
^"j ^^d with
in the veil [which she hath Avoven] thy
" dwelleth in the temples Resenet and Mehenet. Lanzone, op.
Religion, p. 349.
5
See Brug-sch, Beise nacli der grossen Oaae,
cit., pi.
Thy raiment
407, No. 3.
1
2
""
body
Ihul, p. 353.
pi. xxvi.,
1.
28
f.
is
NET OR NEITH "
upon the hands of the two
465
^=^
crocodile gods," 1^1'
"^ I
I
I
I
I
The crocodile gods here mentioned are, of course, the two crocodiles which are seen one on each side of the goddess in certain pictures
we
Thebes Net, as the mother and wife of Amen-Ra, was known under the form and name of the ancient goddess Ament. She is represented as a young woman of her.
Finally,
find that in
who wears upon her head
the crown of the North, and holds in
each hand the emblem of water, the dweller in Apt, Nini,"
name
of
Ament-Ra,
(j
(|
'^^v^^^;
=s ^
a^ ^
^
as such she
^^
gj^g jg
n 63
—— is
called .
"Ament,
Under the
^qq^ suckling Horus, and she
ram-headed goddess wearing the Atef crown.^ who was originally the female counterpart of the local god Amen, and of necessity a deity of little importance. Thus Ament is styled, " the Cow, the also appears as a
All the attributes of Net were ascribed to Ament,
who fashioned who gave birth
" great lady, " of Ra,
harmonize
all
the
company of the
gods, the
to
Horus."
is
very
the various statements which are
made
It
mother
difficult
to
in the texts
concerning the attributes of Net, and the above paragraphs on this goddess will illustrate the difficulty. They prove, however, that the opinions which the Egyptians held concerning her varied from
time to time, and that contradictions in their statements are due not so much to inconsistency or ignorance on the part of the priests
and
attempt made to harmonize every new religious system of belief with every one which had existed copyists,
before
as to the
it.
^
H h
See Lanzone, op.
cit., pi.
25.
466
(
)
CHAPTER XV
THE HORUS GODS hawk was probably
has already been stated that the
IT living
Egypt, and that as the
X
first
creature which was worshipped generally throughout
^^,
i.e.,
spirit of the heights of
god who made
personification of the '^
the
"he who
is
heaven, and as the
the sky he was called
above," or, "that which
is
Heru, above."
It appears, however, that at a very early period this conception of
Heru was
partly lost sight
and whether
as a result of the
by
certain early schools of thought, or whether
to the similarity in
sound between the name " Heru" and the
different views held
due
of,
word
for " face,"
Her
or Hra, the idea which became associated
with the god Heru was that he represented the Face of heaven, i.e., the Face of the head of an otherwise unknown and invisible god.
We can see that
when
the Pyramids were built, for several allusions are
this
Vth and Vlth
the funeral texts of the "tresses,"
ft
vl
^:z::^(l(l
heaven, and four gods jtj
n
(1
ci
^^
The Face
,
view was an ancient one even in the time
CCl.
who
,
Heru
of the Face of
in
as the
Face of
are called the " children of Horus,"
are declared to have their abodes in
of heaven
made
Dynasties to the " hair " or
these tresses.^
was supported by the four gods by means of
the four sceptres which they held in their hands, and these four sceptres took the place of the four pillars,
1 1 1
K
of the
god Shu
which, according to an older myth, supported the four corners,
i.e.,
the four cardinal points of the great iron plate that formed the floor 593, 600
1
Pepi
3
The " Children
I., 11.
of
;
and
Horus"
see Maspero,
La Mylhologic
will be described later.
J^gyptienne, p. 227.
HORUS THE ELDER and the sky above the
of heaven
of Horus," the
Moon
a well
Two
the
left
;
is
frequently called "
Thus the Sun is is also an " Eye
Eyes," '^^
known
Jj,
"Horus
dwelling
The forms
of
That the heavens, or the evident from many allusions.
earth.
were considered to be a Face
skies,
Eye
Sun being
title
Eyes,
Horus mentioned
in
Heru-ue,
" aged "), the
^k^^wl?
'ApayrjpL^
Moon
the right eye, and the
of the Face
^v o/|
is
is
"
Horus of the
visible
called
it is
^^"^
<j(-
fffl)
Egyptian texts are numerous,
but the following are the most important 1.
of Horus," and the
and when neither Eye
without
467
:
Horus
the
elder"
(or
the
of the Greeks, so called to distinguish
him
i-®-?
Horus the younger." He is depicted in man with the head of a hawk, and also as a lion with the head of a hawk he usually wears the crowns of the South and l^orth united, but he is once seen with the horns of Khnemu
from Heru-pa-khart,
or, "
the form of a
;
upon
and above them are a crown with plumes, uraei, According to the Egyptian texts Heru-ur was the
his head,
disks, etc.^
son of
Ra and Hathor
the Hathor here referred to
;
is
the form of
the goddess which was specially worshipped at Qesqeset, i.e.,
Apollinopolis Parva
;
son of Kronos and Rhea,
brother of Osiris.
Isis,
^^
but Plutarch declared him to be the i.e.,
Seb and Nut, and therefore the
This statement was probably correct enough in
late dynastic times,
son of
'^
when men had wholly
with Horus the Elder.
identified Horus, the
Originally Heru-ur represented
a phase or aspect of Horus, the Face of heaven, and
it
was he who
Heru-ur was the Face by day and Set also a Heru-ur of the South, as we learn from the picture of the god given by Lanzone,^ the seat of was the twin god of Set the Face
by night.
whose worship was
;
There was
at
Makhenut, -^V
^
^^
,
near El-Kab in Upper
Egypt, and a Heru-ur of the North, the seat of whose worship was at Sekhemet,
^
Ix
"^°'"©,
or -='°^^, or Seshemet, i=3^
^, the
Latopolis of the Greeks, and the OYtxjG jui of the Copts, which lay a
1
See Lanzone, op.
cit., pi.
226.
^
Ihid.,
No.
3.
HORUS THE ELDER
468
few miles to the north of Memphis
A) ^
Ombos,
at
at
,
Smennut,
other shrines of Heru-ur were
;
^ ^ ^^^
1
5
^t Apollinopolis.
AA/\AAA (2
The most important shrine
44
90
s
^^
^
'
I
is
at
Sekhem, where stood
^^ ^^^ shrine
god
of the
,
JC\ Heru-ur of Sekhem
was
^
the sanctuary Pa- Ait, the shoulder, mdhhaq,
of the god
Osiris,
and AAAAAA
A
(I
was preserved
,
and Shent, 5
called " lord of the Utchati,
close A ffi 5
^^,"
by
trees.
i.e.,
lord
Sun and Moon.
In the Booh of the Dead (xviii.c) it is said that the sovereign princes in Sekhem are Heru-khent-an-maati of the
and Thoth, but
it
is
clear that locally the great gods of the city
were
Isis, Osiris, and Horus. The form in which Heru-ur was worshipped at Sekhem and other places was a lion. The inscriptions on the Avails of the temple at Ombos ^ prove that he was called
the " lord of the south," the " lord of Nubti (Ombos)," and that he was identified with Shu, son of Ra with " Heru-tema, the ;
" great god and lord of heaven, of two-fold strength, mighty one " among all the gods, whose power hath vanquished the foes of his " father
Ra "
several gods
;
Amen
with Amen-ur, or
who were regarded
the Elder
as gods of light
the rising Sun, and also with the various gods
At Ombos Heru-ur was
with them.
;
and in
fact
with
and of aspects of
who were connected
the head of a triad which
consisted of himself, and his female counterpart, Ta-sent-nefert,
^
^^ 1 ^ J
""
c^
v)
^^^ their son P-neb-taui, D
'
sometimes called "the child," Q ^. triad wears a disk
upon
his head,
titles
nefert indicate that identical with 2.
in
1
is
this
at the side
called the "
is young sun," which are given to Heru-ur and Ta-sent-
later
days they were considered to be
Shu and Tefnut.
Heru-p-kiiart,
^'t
°
i"^^ #),
i.e.,
"Horus the Youno-er"
the " Child "), the 'Ap7T0KpdTr]<; of the Greeks, so
(or,
^,3 Avho
The third member of
and has a lock of hair
of his face like Harpocrates, and he
and the general
^^3:7
Brugsch, Eeligion,
p. 539.
2
gge de Morgan,
Kom
called to
Ombos, pp. 156, 181
ff.
HORUS THE YOUNGER distinguish
him from Heru-ur, or Horus the
pictures he
469 In Egyptian
Elder.
represented in the form of a youth wearing a lock
is
of hair, the symbol of youth, on the right side of his head
some-
;
times he wears the triple crown with feathers and disks, and the
and sometimes a disk with plumes,
like,
cro^vn
xf
is
formed by the united crowns of the South and North,
In one scene he
.
back of a
but usually his
i\rJS^
box which
seated inside a
is
rests
on the
Heru-p-khart was the son of a Horus god by the
lion.^
goddess Rat-tauit,
^
""
i^ Jj
who
,
said to
is
have brought him
"^
forth in the temple of Het-ennut,
in a birth chamber,
|T|
©
Qemqem,
,
in the precincts of the building
seems to have been wor-
the goddess
the form
under
here
shipped
;
1
x^^? ^^ Hermonthis,
^
J
<=
hippopotamus,
a
of
Heru-p-khart, or Harpocrates, was a form of the rising sun and represented his earliest rays; the Egyptians distinguished seven
may
forms or aspects of the god, which 1.
Heru-Ra-p-khart,
^
^v
Heru-Shu-p-khart the great, Saaba,
[1
the
^^ p
^
D
(^ |
|
flu
fln^^11 lA &
5.
Haq-p-khart, v=^
^'
3.
°
i^'
*^^®
was
Sma-taui-p-
?eru-p-khart,
Jl
^^^ ^^ Sekhet.
"Horus the Child." ^ ^ w ^"^ HeRU-MERTI, o o^ o r^
"^ S ^^
?
^
^'
father
2.
Ahi, ^n, son of Hathor.
'=^
6.
3-
rlj'
J^^j^^VH*
dweller in Busiris,
his
;
T
:
Hermonthis.
fi^ t^e dweller in
vT" r^, and his mother Anit,
khart [son] of Hathor,
be thus enumerated
7.
Heru-Hennu,
i-e.,
^
•
*^^^
^°^'"^
*^® &^^
man with a hawk's head, above which god Khnemu and the solar disk encircled by a
^^
represented as a
are the
horns of the
uraeus
in' his
^
hand he bears the Utchati,
Lanzone, op.
cit., pi.
328.
-
^^.
A
passage in a
See Brugsch, Diet. Geog.,
p. 348.
HARMACHIS
470
papyrus quoted by Lanzone
Amseti-Aali
and
(^^ 3
M)
Q
-,
^
him " Horus
in the
city of
god Amsu, or Khem, or Min, Heru-an-mut-f,
as the ^
^^
5.
Apu,"
Heru-nub.
was worshipped
i.e.,
local
Eyes,"
Panopolis,
form of the
Moon.
^,
I
was a
which was worshipped at Ateb, IjjL©? characteristics of the
Two
of the
seems to show that Heru-merti was a
this
4.
calls
form of Horus
local
i-e.,
EdfCi,
but the exact
god here are unknown.
^^
f^ii^.
This was the form of the god which
J^ ^
at Hierakonpolis, Per-Heru-nubt,
,
and
he was depicted as a hawk seated on the head of an antelope, according
which,
Brugsch,^ commemorates
to
his
triumphant
victory over Set, the murderer of Osiris. 6.
^
Heru-khenti-Khat,
rJTV,
human body and
represented with a
^
.
In this form the god
is
the head of a crocodile, on
which he wears the horns of Khnemu, and the triple crown and plumes ^ this form of Horus does not appear to be ancient. ;
7.
Heru-khenti-an-maati,
^
the head of sightlessness," or the " Blind Horus represent the god 8.
"
when
Heru-khuti,
^^'
fflhoo^' ;
"
"-^^^^^ ^*
he appears to
neither of his eyes was visible.
^°,
^'^^^,
>5
^ ^,
^Ct"
i-e..
Horus of the two horizons," or the Harmachis of the Greeks. one of the chief forms of the Sun-god Ra, and, speaking
He was
generally, represented the sun in his daily course across the skies
Mount of Sunrise (Bakhau) to the time when he entered the Mount of Sunset (Manu). Thus he combined in his own person the god Ra and several of his forms, and in the Boole of the Dead and other funeral works he|is joined to Temu,
from the time he
1
Op.
s
*
p. 225.
cit. p.
left
the
617.
2
See Lanzone, p. 622,
For the passages
see
pi.
my
17
;
Religion, p. 664.
Brugscli, Religion, p. 606.
VocaJmlary to the Chq^tert^ of Coming Forth by Datjy
HARMACHIS Temu
471
here indicates the god of the setting sun, and Khepera the
god of the sun when he identified with
is
about to
the various
When
rise.
Heru-khuti was
forms of the Sun-god he was also
supposed to possess their particular attributes, and thus that he
have produced himself, and
said to
is
supplies the reason
it
is
happens
this fact
which
addressed to him are found.
In
called the " lord of heaven," " the great god, lord of
the texts he
is
Sept-Hat,"
TFPff
the
why hymns
it
"^7
a city or district near the First Cataract,
governor of the Aat of Ra,"
Thothmes IV. making
u^^
Cv
^
(Heliopolis),
offerings to the Sphinx.
" Heru-khuti-Tem, the lord of the
two lands of Annu," and the
" dweller in Behutet."
chief shrines of the
ever, situated at
at Apollinopolis,
and the greater of
was
identified with the
these was
Annu,
The Annu and
or Heliopolis, where he
god were, how-
Ra which were worshipped there. The largest known monument or figure of Heru-khuti is the famous Sphinx, near the forms of
Pyramids of marvellous
which was his was in existence
type
Gizeh,
object
in
or Khephren, the builder of the Second is
probable that
it is
the
and
symbol.
days of
Pyramid
This
Kha-f-Ra,
at Gizeh,
and
it
a very great deal older than his reign, and
HERU-SIMA-TAUI
472 that
it
however, of
No
dates from the end of the archaic period. is
made
Thothmes
mention,
of the Sphinx in the inscriptions until the time
are told in the text inscribed on the
when we
IV.,
between the paws of the Sphinx, that the image had become To this king the god of the entirely covered over with sand. stele
when him the
Sphinx, Heru-khuti-Ra-Temu-Khepera, appeared one day
he was sleeping his midday sleep, and promised to give
crown of Egypt if he would clear away the sand from his image, and restore his temple. Thothmes IV. carried out the wishes of the god, and having excavated the Sphinx, and rebuilt the temple between his paws, Thothmes set up an inscribed stele to comJudging by the silence of the ancient memorate his work. monuments about the Sphinx this figure of Heru-khuti cannot have been popular in dynastic times, and if this was so it is possible that
it
due to the
Avas
be connected in
Xllth Dynasty;
A
name
in
forms in which Heru-khuti in
human form
recent but fanciful theory
Amenemhat, a king
to be the Avork of
its
to
foreigners or with a foreign religion
which dated from predynastic times.
makes the Sphinx
Sphinx was thought
fact that the
some way with
Egyptian was Hu,
fi
of the
The
vi..^^.
represented are many, but whether
is
or not, he usually has the head of a
hawk
;
in the
examples collected by Signor Lanzone we see him wearing on his head the solar disk encircled with a uraeus or the triple crown, ^
In one scene he
crown. i§Mi^ or the atef
man
is
depicted as a double
with a head having the faces of two hawks, one looking to the
risfht,
and the other
to the left,
and above
this two-faced
head
is
an
^§,; in another scene he has the head of a ram, which identifies him with Khnemu, the god of the First Cataract, and in another he is seated on a throne Avhich is carried on poles by two utchat,
snake- and two beetle-headed gods. 9.
Heru-sma-taui,
South and North."
^^ "T
He
is
""
\
^
" Horus, the uniter of the
said to be the son of
places of worship Avere Aat-hehu,
Herakleopolis Magna, and Ant, '
i.e.,
Op.
[n
cit., pll.
i^-^^
,
J
|
i.e.,
229
ff.
Hathor
V ®'
;
his chief
^ district near
Denderah, and the city
HORUS OF BEHUTET of Khatat, T
A
^
,
a-nd the creatures in
473
which he was thought
be incarnate were the hawk and a species of serpent.
body of a man with the head
usually depicted with the
or serpent, or man, and he wears as head-dresses, ^a, in one scene he
is
represented as a
yK
head a disk and plumes,
He
of a
is
hawk,
and
^,
to
^Mj-;
hawk/ and he wears upon
his
In this form Horus was believed to
.
spring into existence out of a lotus flower which blossomed in the
heavenly abyss of 10.
Nu
dawn
at
Heru-hekennu,
at the beginning of the year.
^k?
He
pr^v?[-
is
said to have been
the son of the goddess Bast, and the seats of his worship were the
towns of Netert, T ^__^ (
^
,
and Het-Nefer-Tem
he
;
is
usually
depicted in the form of a hawk-headed man, with the solar disk
by a serpent on god are unknown. encircled
11.
Heru-Behutet,
his head.
The exact
attributes of the
This
^^ JI^^"^^©-
is
one of the
greatest and most important of all the forms of Horus, for he
represents
that
form
of
Heru-khuti which
prevailed
in
the
southern heavens at midday, and as such typified the greatest
power of the heat of the sun. It was under this form that Horus waged war against Set or Typhon, and the inscriptions are full of allusions to the glorious victory
which the god of
light gained over
the prince of darkness and his fiends.
The
principal shrines of the god were at Mesen,
^^g '^^ / AA
Qem-baius,
^
Tebt,
A jL^
(Tanis)
under the form of a head, and
is
,
Aat-ab,
i-^^
Ks^
\
;
f\^ f
in the last lion,
which
named
^a/^n
/www
^
H
V
^^^^ ,
(Philae),
and
v£?
place he was worshipped
Avears the triple croAvn
depicted in the act of trampling upon
its
upon
its
enemies.
The god is, however, usually depicted with the head of a hawk, and carrying in his hands some weapon which indicates his character as a destroyer. Thus, in one illustration given by Signor Lanzone,^ we see him holding a weajDon like a club or mace '
See Lanzone, op.
cit., pi.
239.
2
Qp.
cit., pll.
242
ff.
HORUS OF BEHUTET
474
and a bow and three arrows
in his right hand,
another he
is
club, -G
;
—
^
about to club an ass-headed in
another
we
antelope, and holding a long
see
man
in his left^;
in
in fetters with the
him standing on an oryx or
hawk-headed spear
and three cords, to each of which
is
in his right hand,
attached a prisoner,
^.
Elsewhere we see him depicted with the head of a lion, which seems to have been the form in which he was worshipped at Tchar,
^^ <=> ^
,
or Tanis, in the Delta, and in one place he
As
seated on a throne which rests on the back of a lion.
Horus
of Behutet
armed with a bow and arrows and a
is
the god
club.
and reproduction he appears as a hawk with a phallus terminating in the head of a lion, and in a scene of the late period he is represented with the body of a man, and the head and wings of a hawk, kneeling upon two crocodiles on his head he of generation
;
wears
^
,
and
in his left
hand he holds a
scorpion,
§
.
cesh=i 1
He
is
here called
2
He
is
here called " smiter of the rebel,"
fX]
,-r—S>
J
HORUS OF BEHUTET
475
In an extract from a text inscribed on a wall of the temple of Edfu given by Dr. Brugsch/ Heru-beliutet is described as the
power which dispels darkness and night, and drives away clouds, rain, and storms, and fills all heaven and the world with his he rises with golden disk as the holy beetle of brilliance and light is declared to be the lord and creator of the gods. gold, and he He created himself, there is none like unto him, he rencAvs his birth daily, and year by year he performs his appointed course in ;
the heavens, bringing in his train the seasons, and their proper
produce.
with
In one of his aspects he
Osiris,
identified
is
and then the goddesses
Nephthys are
him to emerge he made the heavens
to help
said
from the abyss of
JSTu
;
and he
to be the dwelling-place for his soul,
the deep that
created
might serve
it
place wherein to hide his body, which called Un-nefer,
in
and
Isis
-^^
J)
T
.
is
as a
here
But the forms
which Heru-behutet appealed most strongly
to the
mind
of the Egyptians were those in
which
as the
god of light he fought against
Set, the
god of darkness, and
the Book of
the
Dead
god of
evil.
We know
xviith
Chapter of
good against the god of from a passage in the
as the
(line
66)
that
in
very early times a combat took place The double
srod
Horus-Set.
between Horus and former
destroyed
the
Set,
wherein the
virility
of
Set,
and the latter cast filth in the face of Horus, and it is this form of the traditional fio-ht between the two " Combatants," or Rehui, O ^"^ %^ J) Jj which is the base of the narrative inscribed on the
J.I
I
,
Temple of Edfu. There was, however, one very great difference between the fight of Horus and Set of predynastic times and that described between the Horus and Set known at Edfu in the former fight the two combatants were unarmed, but in the latter Horus was armed with weapons of iron, and he was walls of the great
;
^
Religion, p. 548.
HORUS OF BEHUTET
476
accompanied by a number
^
beings
of
who
are
called
mes7iiu,
mesnitu, nj It is pretty certain from ^ m m \\ E^crreT, the Coptic equivalent of the word mesneti, that the mesniu were workers in metal, and that this name was first applied to them as blacksmiths, and that at a later period the mesniu were men armed with weapons made of metal. The place where metal work was done, i.e., Avhere the ore was smelted and the '
'
^^'
I
'
'^
weapons were forged, was called mesnet,
the " foundry," and
,
the worshippers of Horus of Behutet never tired of describing
god
their
as
the "lord of the forge-city,"
where tradition declared he
first
And Edfu
master blacksmith.
Edfu, the place
i.e.,
established himself as the great
itself
Avherein the great disk of the sun
was regarded
was forged,
passage quoted by Dr. Brugsch, in which
it
as
as the
we
'
-•
In support of this tradition
we
find that a certain
fn
and
1
it
From
image of the god in
the representations of the " blacksmiths
of the temple of
Edfu
^
we
see that they
"
their right hands they carried a spear inverted,
Horus of Behutet
is
iiiiii
"
i
ii
in
called
waited
his temple.
given on the walls
were originally men with
shaven heads who wore a short tunic and a deep
a metal instrument, b.
was
was here that the " blacksmiths
in attendance to usher forth the
the
chamber
the temple of Edfu, which lay just behind the sanctuary, mesnet,
when
\/X ^~
" doors of the foundry are opened the Disk riseth up," • •^
from a
see
said "
is
foundry
collar,
and that in
and
in their left
I
,
In the same scene in which these occur
represented standing in a boat, dressed like
and driving a long spear into the head of a hippopotamus beneath the boat with his right hand, and holding the
his followers,
monster in restraint by a double chain Avhich he grasps in his hand.
who also each hand, and we may
In the bows of the boat kneels
hippopotamus by a chain in Variants are mm.
1
„
nil
©
Isis,
^x'S^^Sf' ^0
2
Worterhuch, p. 703.
3
See Naville, Mythe cVHorus, Geneva, 1870,
pi. 7.
left
holds the
note that
HORUS OF BEHUTET
477
the tackle of the boat consists of chains, presumably of iron, and
Horus stands on the back of the hippopotamus, the legs of which are tied together by chains, and the lower jaw of which is held fast by a chain. The story of the defeat of Set by Heru-Behutet is told in the texts on the walls of the temple of Edfu substantially as follows In the year 363, In another place
not of ropes.
^
:
(3(^^|^[^|^|||, of
Ra-Heru-khuti, 5a
South and North who liveth
gone to the
T '^^
for ever
himself in the country of Ta-kens district of Uauat,^
f
and
V
"
J,
the king of the
ever, his Majesty
found
or Nubia), for he
,
had
because certain folk had conspired
Having suppressed the
against their lord.
—
rebellion he returned
to Edfu, and deputed his son Heru-behutet to continue the war
on
his behalf;
god had observed how men had conspired
this
against his father, and he was ready to carry out his behests.
Thereupon Heru-behutet flew up to heaven in the form of a winged disk, ^ss?, and ever after he was called "great god, lord of heaven."
From
the height of heaven he was able to see his father's
enemies, and he chased
them
in the
form of a great winged disk
he attacked them with such wrath and vigour, that they
lost their
senses and could see neither with their eyes nor hear with their ears,
o^ .=
^
-^ ^ f f §>§> f
[1
man
0, and every
fell
P
neighbour and slew him, and in a moment
were dead.
upon
his
And
straightway Horus, with many-coloured shapes and feathers,
^A '^^ n
^.vwvA
tCl
,
all
returned to his form as a winged disk and
took up his position in the boat of Ra.
At
this juncture
Thoth
declared that Horus, son of Ba, should be called Heru-Behutet,
and Behutet (Edfu) should be
referred with pleasure to the blood which his
which he likened
to
Horus and Ra son had shed and
called the city of
grapes.
Then Horus suggested
;
that
Ra
should come and look upon his dead enemies, and Ra, escorted by 1
Naville, op.
3
Note the pun on the name Uauat,
conspire," 4o
)
-L
)
cit., pi.
^h
.
9.
X| -C)
,
and the verb "
to
murmur,
HORUS OF BEHUTET
478
and followed by the goddess Asthertet,
Hathor,
who
is
described as the "mistress of horses," |
and who in the form of a
woman
^^
^
^__^
Q ^
with the head of a lioness
standing in a chariot, agrees to his son's proposal.
The
is
seen
chariot of
the goddess is drawn by four horses, which trample upon the foes When Ra of Ra, who lie upon the ground bound with fetters.
saw
he said to Horus, " This
this
a very pleasant
is
life,"
|
T"
|
and therefore the temple of Horus was called " Pleasant Life," from that day. Then Thoth observed, " This was the spearing of
my
foes,"
day
;
LJ
and therefore Edfu was called Teb,
A®\\,
from that
and he further said to Horus, " Thou art a great protector,"
Kzi:^
,
I
and straightway the boat of Horus was called " Great
Ra proposed
After this
Protector."
they should journey
that
upon the water, and his enemies also Avent to the water, and as soon as they had entered it they turned into crocodiles, emsuhu '^^^^^^
<^^
and hippopotamuses,
,
i
,
tejm,
and when they were
near enough to him they opened their mouths intending to swallow
Then Horus came along with
up the god.
n
n AAA^ ^
'^
'
?
each having a spear
made
his "blacksmiths,"
of divine iron,
i)
^-oi^
|
/\AAA/V\
and a chain,
(^
,
in his hand,
and they slew the
the hippopotamuses, and they brought in 651
immediately.
^
crocodiles,
enemies, M
(j
and
J ^^^,
Ra-Heru-khuti next ordered that statues of himself
should be set up in the land of the south in the place called AA/wv.
Het-ii-nekht,
^;;^="^
—
"^
r~|
a
U
,
and Thoth applauded Horus because
he had made use of the formulae which were to be found in the
Book
of the slaughter of the Hippopotamus,
^^^^ ^aaa^^
s^
— ^ <^^ a
;
from that day the blacksmiths of Heru-Behutet have existed at Edfu. ^
Naville gives
Koniglichen
(pi.
Gesellscliaft
Wiedemann both
xiii.,
!•
8)
(D (3 (3
nnn
^^^
p> p,
der Wissenschaften zu
give 381,
i.e.,
they read
Ij
^^^ Brugscli (Ahhandlungen
Gotfingen, Bd. xiv.,
^ ^
.
p.
216) and
HORUS OF BEHUTET And Horus
479
once again took the form of a winged disk, and
placed himself in the bows of the boat of Ra, and he took with him
^£J^
the two goddesses Nekhebet,
and Uatchit,
^
|
^
^
,
in
the form of two serpents, that they might destroy the crocodiles
and the hippopotamuses in their dens. As soon as the enemies of Ra perceived that they were being followed they turned round and fled to the
south,
but they were overtaken by Horus and his
blacksmiths, each with his spear and his chain in his hands, and a
mighty slaughter took place on a plain which was situated to the south-east of Thebes, dL terrible
scenes
V
i.e.,
,
1
^
which on account of the
^^^^
'
enacted there was called
that were
of carnage
^^
Tchetemet,
¥
This was the second
" slauojhter."
slaughter of the foes of Ra, and after this they retreated north-
wards, to the region of the Mediterranean Sea, and they were
Horus
utterly disheartened and in fear of
;
but this god followed
and with him were his companions who were provided with spears and chains, Horus himself was
them
after
in the boat of Ra,
provided with a battle spear, [Kx «^^ blacksmiths,
saw
^=^f^
^
i
,
,
and when he had waited a whole day he
the north-east of Dendera,
his foes to
^ ^^, and
^^^1 a chain,
^^^p
^
fe^? and
having attacked them he made a third great slaughter, T '^^ JiJiai,
among them
the
:
name
of the place where the
defeated was called "Divine Slaughter," it
was situated quite
close to Dendera.
the god of the region, and the acacia, \\m,
were sacred
and
fled to the
by Horus, who was armed
nio-hts,
^
'
^'
',
'fe^
f^
^^>^
enemy was 4 """^^
'
^^^
Heru-Behutet was made ^°^ A
,
and the sycamore,
to him.
Once more the enemy closely
><
1
-^^^ |
(1 [1
north and was pursued
as before
;
for four
whole days
he saw nothing; whatsoever of the enemy, for
they had changed themselves into crocodiles and hippopotamuses,
but when he did see them he attacked them with great vigour and slew them in large numbers.
One hundred and forty-two
of
them
he bound in chains and dragged on to the boat of Ra, and he
HORUS OF BEHUTET
480
captured also a "male hippopotamus,"
the fiends he
all
and he gave their entrails to his companions, and their bodies to the gods and goddesses who were in the boat of Ra near the slew,
Heben,
As
S J-
town
of
stood
upon the back
§
called "Her-pest,"
a proof of his victory he got
up and
of the hippopotamus, and as a result he
"He who
i.e.,
on the back."
is
was
All these
things took place on the piece of ground which formed the temple
town
of the
estate
^^^ (0(3(3 ^ ^
1
of
Heben, and which measured 342
The enemy,
on the South, North, West, and East.
,
hhet,
1
however was not wholly defeated, and some hoping to reach the " Great Green Sea,"
Horus followed
after
whom went
remainder of
'^
them and slew many
to the north
fled
^
but the god
;
of the
to the Sea of Mertet,
aaaaaa
rebels,
^
the
^rx/vy^?
^
and there joined themselves to the fiends of Set, '6-^. After some difficulty Horus found out where the enemies were, and having come up with them he captured 381 rebels, whom he slew in the bows of the boat of Ea, and he sent one body to each
When
of his companions.
Set saw what had been done to his
and uttered awful imprecations and complaints destruction which Horus had wrought, and because
friends he cried out
of the terrible
foul words,
of his
ever after
called
|
(§.
^
Nehalia,
^'^^
^—
^^.^^-^^^?^^>
"^
°'
AA^/w^
#" <^ 4^
.
t^® ^^nd was
Horus straightway
attacked Set, and hurled his lance at him, and threw
upon the ground
in a place near the city
wards called Per-Rerehu,
"""^
'^^ §
which was always
^ when ;
^
,
and the legs of the monster were chained, and
had been exploits c=^>
^^^ (§
\\
after-
he came back he
brought Set with him, and his spear was in his neck,
J
him down
v^^ <=> his
mouth
by a blow from the club of the god. After these Ra ordered that Horus should be called Urui-Tenten, closed
cr^ia
V^
AAAAA^ AA/V^A^
LA
^
and he further decreed that the enemies of
himself and Horus, Set and his confederates, should be handed
and her son Horus for them to do they pleased. Thereupon Isis and Horus took up
over to the goddess
with them as
Isis
HORUS OF BEHUTET and the young god drove
their position near Ra, ^^^
481
mdbj into Set, at a place called " She-nu-aha,"
" Lake of Battle," or,
God;" he next
She-neter,"
''
"^
rrr-i
Q^, "
i.e.,
,
|
weapon,
his
i.e.,
Lake of
cut off his head, and the heads of his followers,
in the presence of
Ra and
company
the great
and then
of the gods,
dragged his body through the length and breadth of his land with through his head and his back.
his spear thrust
Then Ra ordered that Horus, the son of body of the monster about, and because of place was called "Atha,"
^
fl
^
\|/
Isis,
should drag the
this
"dragging" the
At
ever after.
this juncture
the divine Isis asked her father Ra, that the winged sun-disk, .4^,
might be given to her son Horus
as a talisman, because
he had cut
off the heads of the fiend and his companions, and as a result Heru-
behutet and Horus, son of
together pursued the foe Set, and
Isis,
both gods were of the same form and appearance. bodies of men, and the heads of
They had the hawks, and they wore the White
and Red Crowns, with plumes, and
All
uraei.
took place on the seventh day of the month
and the
wherein
place
events
these
Tybi,
w
<=> ?;
they happened was called Aat-shatet,
After these things Set changed himself into a serpent which hissed loudly,
and he sought out a hole
wherein he hid himself and "
Ba
(
^5^)
J
1
lived,
Isis, set
"pole on the top of which
may
the
him
of that
T i)m,
in the
)
is
the head of Horus, (9), so that he
town was
form of a pole, or
arrived at Per-aha, of the boat was
When crm made
all
let
himself above his hole in the form of a
As
staff,
the result of this
" Hisser "
called
Hemhemet, and Horus the son
head of a hawk.
f
monster
never again come forth therefrom."
serpent
rO
ground
said, " the
whereupon Ra
hath turned himself into a hissing serpent,
" Horus, the son of
"
for himself in the
or
" Roarer,"
of Isis stood U23on
on the top of which was the
these things were done the boat of
fV^, or "
House
of Battle "
of acacia wood,
and the
;
Ra
the fore part after
part of
sycamore wood, and both kinds of wood were, henceforth, holy. I
i
HORUS OF BEHUTET
482
Meanwhile, however, there
Ra to
remained some of the enemies of
still
exhorted his son to set out and
the land, and this god
in
make an end
whereupon Horus
of them,
told his father that if
he would allow the boat to go whither he pleased, he would treat the
enemy
in
such a
way
the boat had sailed but a
that
it
would be pleasing
way on
little
he found one of the friends of
°^ ^^a^
the water of Meh,
and having hurled
Set,
When
to Ra.
,
his spear at
him, he caught him, and slaughtered him in the presence of Ra, at
a place called Astabet,
¥
j]
^ truce
^'
J Wj
and
for six days
six
Horus had rest, while Isis made use of her words of power to keep away Ba, i.e., Set, from the district called " An-rut-f." Soon afterwards Horus slew 106 of the enemy, and then made a final attack upon them in the neighbourhood of nights then followed, and
An-hat,
f\
,
,
"HYP
and Tchar, ^^^
, .
^
|
made
their escape
tains,
and others threw themselves into the
^
,
or Tanis
and succeeded in getting away to the moun-
Horus changed
sea.
man
himself into the form of a lion, with the head of a
mounted by the
some
;
sur-
crown, and grasping in his hand his keen-
triple
edged knife he pursued them, and brought back 142 of the enemy,
whom
he slew, and he tore out their tongues, and their blood
gushed out upon the ridges of the ground,
<=> /^ no I
I
When further still
III
^^
I
o
^^
"^
D o* Avas done Ra told Horus that he wished to travel
v
I
this
upon the
lived in the
III
sea,
form
and
to smite the
remainder of his
was impossible to
it
sail
because the one-third of the enemy which
When Thoth
foes
who
and hippopotami near Egypt,
of crocodiles
but Horus told him that therein.^
T|
further on the sea
still
remained were
heard this he recited certain chapters
containing magical formulae, with the view of protecting the Boat
and the vessels of the blacksmiths which were with ing the sea during the period of storm. these chapters had been recited,
went over the whole
sea,
D®
i^
I
his
is
and of quiet-
clear that
company
set
when
out and
but as no more enemies were seen they -
.„„llll
Ra and
It
it,
I
I
I
Ml ^
I
qr
HORUS OF BEHUTET returned to Egypt, travelling by night.
483
Finally,
Horus and
companions went back to Nubia, to the town of
^
m(]P
^ ^, where he [\yvr)'
When
his
Shashertet,
destroyed the rebels of Uauat,
and
was done Horus changed himself once more into the form of the winged sun-disk with uraei, and took with him the goddesses Nekhebet and Uatchit in the form of their ablest soldiers.
this
two serpents, that they might consume with fire any rebels who When the gods who were in his boat saw this still remained. said, "
they
Great indeed
" of his double snake " were afraid of ''
him
!
on V"
that which
diadem
"
;
^Yid
of it
Horus hath done by means
he hath smitten the enemy
And Horus
double snake diadem
"/^^Ij
is
Heru-Behutet be
was
who
said, " Henceforward let the
called
After these
so.
tlr-uatchti
things
Horus
journeyed on in his ship, or boat, and arrived at Apollinopolis
Magna
flv^®?
(Edfii)
called
the
"(([()
^^^
" Light-giver, cQ]);
^^^ Thoth decreed that he should be
who cometh
" hereupon Horus
forth
from the
commanded Thoth
horizon that the
winged sun-disk with uraei, €Ds, should be brought into every sanctuary wherein he dwelt and in every sanctuary of all the gods of the lands of the South and of the North, and in Amentet, in order that they might drive away evil from therein.
made figures them among
Then Thoth
winged sun-disk with uraei, and distributed the temples, and sanctuaries, and places wherein there were any gods, and this is what is meant by the winged of the
which are seen over the entrances of the courts of the temples of all the gods and goddesses of Egypt. The snake disks with uraei
goddess on the right hand side of the disk
on the
is
very important for the study of Egyptian
mythology, notwithstanding the fact that in belongs to a very modern period.
story ^
Nekhebet, and that
left is IJatchit.^
The above legend it
is
are For
very
tlie
old,
for
its
The fundamental
they belong to the
text of the legend
form here described
summarized above
facts of the
earliest
period of
see Naville, Mytlie cTHorus,
and for a translation, witli transliteration of text and commentary, see Brugscli, Die Sage von der gefliUjelten Sonnenscheibe in the Abiumdiungen of the Royal Society of Sciences in Gottingen (Phys. Classe, Bd. xiv., p. 173 ff.).
pll. xii. f£.
;
HORUS OF BEHUTET
484
Egyptian history, and are derived from the old nature myth
we have mingled another
ever,
and
historical,
is
also
element, which
how-
these,
apparently
is
In the original
of very great antiquity.
between Ra and Apep, or Horus and
fight
With
combat between Light and Darkness.
of the
Set, the
Sun-god was
accompanied by his followers, whose duties, apparently, consisted watching the combat, and who were, like Ra himself, un-
in
But
connected with the earth. Set, the
in the fight of
Heru-Behutet with
companions of the gods were beings in the forms of
who were armed with
men
spears and chains for fettering purposes, and
they were rewarded by him after the manner of men.
The god
himself was armed with a very long spear made of " iron of the or " divine iron," and with a chain of unusual length, and
god
"
his
method
it
of fighting
was
to hurl his spear at his foes,
them with
had' struck home, he fettered
dragged them first i^-^-j
great
^°^
defeat
—
(
Khaita, T
to
(](]©,
^T
"^
enemy took
the
of
near Thebes (1 (1
A
©
,
his chain,
slaughtered them
boat,
his
place
at
at
and when
and having
The
leisure.
Aat-Tchetemi,
the second took place at Neter-
;
near Dendera, and was followed by the
overthrow of small bodies of them in the neighbouring nomes going towards the north
;
and the
last
by the god, who took the form of a or Tanis, in
the
great conquest was effected
lion, at
of the Delta, not
east
Tchar, far
^^ .Ss.
f^^^ |
from the modern
Suez Canal. All these facts indicate that
mythological events, and
it
is
we
are not dealing entirely with
nearly certain that the triumphant
progress ascribed to Heru-Behutet
is
based upon the exploits of
some victorious invader who established himself at Edfu in very early times, and then made his way with his followers northwards,
down he owed his beating
all
opposition as he went.
success
chiefly to
of
men opposed
flint
superiority of the weapons
men were armed, and
with which he and his
which they were made
the
It is pretty clear that
;
to the material of
given equality of bravery in two bodies
each to the other, troops armed with weapons of
would not long oppose successfully those armed with weapons
of iron.
In other words, the followers of Horus,
who
are called
HORUS OF BEHUTET
485
the text, as we have already shown, were actually workers in metal, or, " blacksmiths," and men who knew how to
mesniti in
smelt iron ore and to
forge the metal into weapons
and defence. These men called or mes7iit, and later, when their
of offence
workshop or foundry mesnet leader and themselves had become their
had been appointed to perform the worship of the god, the portion of the temple which was set apart for them was also called mesnet or mesnit, and when the metal statue of the god of the rising sun, Heru-Behutet, was brought out by deified,
and
priests
chamber the god was said to issue from the foundry wherein he had been cast, and the mesnet was identified with that portion of the sky from which the Sun-god appeared.
them
their
fi'om
It
of course, impossible to say
is,
Egypt from south
that swept over
who were
to north, or
the blacksmiths
where they came
from, but the writer believes that they represent the invaders in
who made their way into Egypt, from a country of the Red Sea, and by some road across the e.g., that through the Wadi Hammamat, or that
predynastic times, in the East,
by way
eastern desert,
which touches the Nile a little to the south of Thebes. They brought with them the knowledge of working in metals and of brick-making, and having conquered the indigenous peoples in the south,
i.e.,
those round about Edfu, they
of their civilization,
other
sites,
and
made
and then proceeded
to
that city the centre
conquer and occupy
god or gods.^ In merged the legendary
to establish sanctuaries for their
later times the
indigenous
priesthoods
history of the deified king of the blacksmiths in that of Horus, the
and in that of Ra, which The priests of Edfu found many belonged to a later period. parts of this mixed history very difficult to explain, and they
god of heaven in the
earliest
times,
endeavoured to get out of their
difficulties
by the
fabrication of
foolish etymologies
and puns, whereby they sought to elucidate
events and names.
These, however, have a certain importance,
for they at least prove that parts of the legends were not under-
stood 1
when The
the puns or plays on words were made, and that the
historical
element in the legend was long ago recognized by Maspero
see Les Forgerons cVHorus et la Legende
pp. 313
ff.).
cle
VEorus cVEdfou
(in
Bib. Egyj)t., torn,
ii.,
HORUS, SON OF
486
ISIS
legends themselves are of great antiquity
made
clear
by them,
i.e.,
Heru-thema, ^.
This form of Horus
murderer of
;
he
is
Heru-Hebenu,
Hebennut,
\\
with
whom
he
^
He
Upper Egypt.^
" Horus
the
piercer."
with his long spear
Avith a sharp-
represented in the form of a hawk-
is
V^
^ ^^ '
is
his long spear into sonie
5-
k
unseen
Horus of Hebenu, or
i.e.,
metropolis of the
sixteenth
nome
of
mentioned in the myth of Heru-Behutet,
often identified, and he
form of a hawk-headed
man
is
usually depicted in the
standing upon the back of an antelope
animal was supposed to be connected with Set, and Horus of
Hebennu mounted upon
his
over the god of darkness and
back as a symbol of his sovereignty all his host.
U. Heru-sa-Ast..a-Asar, i.e.,
i.e.,
on or below the "'round. 13.
this
are.
that in which the god attacked Set, the
is
headed man in the act of driving foe
we
a,
j^
his father Osiris,
pointed iron head
also
is
that the Egyptians themselves were not
better informed on such subjects than 12.
another point
;
" Horus, son of
Isis,
^' I
^Jmany j^g, ^| J^-
son of Osiris," like
other forms of
Horus, represented in general the rising sun, and appears to have
been to the Egyptians exactly what Apollo was to the Greeks in this respect
his shrines
the aspects of this god were many, and in consequence
;
were very numerous both in the South and
In him were at one
North.
time or another included
various Horus gods, beginning with Heru, | of the heights of heaven, and least important Hoi'us,
principal
aspects
i.e.,
were,
Osiris
and
two,
^
the
the god
i.e.,
he represented the
his lawful successor.
;
dead
also the offspring of the
Horus, the son of
was a god whose attributes appealed strongly
Brugscli, Did. Geog., p. 490
His
and which was the successor of
daily,
and Egyptians from one end of Egypt of Osiris,
all
Horus the Elder, and ending with the
Heru-khuti or of Ra, and he was
man-god
^^,
the
the god of some provincial town.
however,
new Sun which was born
"^
in
to the other, because in
and Brugscli, Religion, pp. 558
Isis
to the
ff.
him
HORUS, SON OF every
man and woman saw
possess, that
to say,
is
and movement
as
ISIS
487
the type of what he or she Avished to
reoewed
and
life,
as opposed to death^
life
opposed to inactivity, and intercourse with the In a Avay Osiris and Horus were
living instead of with the dead.
complements, each of the other, but the chief difference was that
and Horus the present,
Osiris represented the past, it
" day, and
D
^
ij
Ra
^i^
(i.e.,
i<
Horus grown up)
"^ %. O ^^ '^
D
is
%
to-day,"
The
.
(]
invariably regarded as his mother, his father
to be Osiris,
and sometimes Ra
but
;
is |l
Yester-
^
Jj
texts are not always
consistent in the matter of the paternity of Horus, for is
we have
or, as
expressed in the Booh of the Dead (xvii. 15), "Osiris
is
though
Isis
sometimes said
this inconsistency is easily
accounted for by remembering that Osiris
is,
under one
aspect, a
Of the circumstances under which Horus was begotten we gain a good idea from a hymn to Osiris in which the sorrow of his mother Isis at the death of her husband is described. The goddess was greatly distressed, but form of the dead Sun-god.
she was equipped with mighty words of power, and she to utter
them
so that they
might have the greatest
knew how
effect,
and she
body of
she had found him.
Osiris and never rested until With her hair she made light, and with her
wings she stirred the
air as she
set out in search of the dead
made lamentation
for her brother
body into a state of activity, and was then united to him thus she became with child by him, and her son Horus was born in a secret place where she suckled him and reared him.^ This spot appears to have been situated among the papyrus Osiris,
and at length she brought
his
;
swamps
in the Delta,
which the goddess of papyrus
is
and the event
Soon
plants.
persecuted by Set,
after
who kept
by the help
house, but
alluded to in
is
many
scenes in
seen, suckling her child amidst a dense
of
the birth of her child
herself
mass
she was
and Horus prisoners, in a
Thoth she escaped with her child one way under the protection of seven
evening, and set out on her scorpions ^
See
^gyptiens,
called
Chabas, pll.
22
ff.
Tefen, Eeiue
=cfL(^gg,
Archeologique,
Befen, 1857,
p.
jj'^^^^i^, 65
;
Ledrain,
Mestet, Monuments
HORUS, SON OF
488
12^, Mestetef, |^^^^e, and Matet, -Z^ (M^-
Petet,
ISIS
J^^(M,
These scorpions
Thetet,
7;
probably represent the
seven stars of the constellation Canis Major, in which the stars of
and Sothis were
Isis
Isis
way and
the
The
situated.
last
three scorpions showed
led her to the to^vn of Per-Sui,
1
^^^/ QCl
Y^
or Crocodilopolis, and then on to the city of Thebti, the city of the
Two
Sandals-Goddesses,
^ W^w ,
m r^
where the swamp country
?
was absent one day Horus was stung by a scorpion, and when she came home she found him lying on the ground, and the foam was on his lips, and his heart was still, and there was not a muscle or limb of him which was not rigid she had Whilst
begins.
Isis
;
protected
any being child,
him
against Set, and against the possibility of attack
and he was dead.
Whilst
Nephthys came with
sister
by
papyrus swamps, but a scorpion had stung the
in the
Isis
Serqet,
was lamenting
his death her
the scorpion goddess,
advised her to cry out to heaven for help, and she did
Ra
in his "
so,
and
and her
The came down with words of power, and by means of these her son was once more raised to life and health. Soon after these things had taken place Horus set to work to avenge the death of his father Osiris, and it was under his
cry penetrated to
Boat of Millions of Years."
great god stopped his boat, and Thoth
form of " Horus, the avenger of his "^
J4 ^.=^
(]
,2
father,"
^,^
rj]
"T
^
"^
that he appealed so strongly to the imagination of
the Egyptians.
According to a notice in the Calendar given in the Fourth
Papyrus
Sallier
(Brit.
Mus., No. 10,184), Horus began his fight
with Set, which lasted three days, on the 26th day of the month of Thoth, and the
two gods fought
was present at the
in the
form of two men.
fight and, because she in
Isis
some way supported
Set against Horus, her son turned upon her with the fury of a " panther of the south,"
seeing ^
and cut off her head. Thoth, however, what had been done, took the head of the goddess, and by
The story is told on the Metteniichsieic, ed. Golenischeff, Leipzig, 1877, 46 ff. For references to him in the BooTc of the Dead see my Vocabulary, p. 225.
pi. iii., 11. 2
HORUS, SON OF
ISIS
489
means of his words of power transformed it into the head of a cow, and then fixed it upon the body of Isis.-^ According to Plutarch {De Iside et Osiride), Isis found that her son Horus had succeeded
him
in fettering Set and in binding
in chains,
he should perish she loosed his fetters and it
was that Horus tore
which were upon
off
We
it.
it
him
at liberty
have no means of assigning a date to the
must be very
it
Set,
and
it is,
e.g.,
and
it is
Set,
and Heru-
of course, one of the sources of all the
post- Christian legends of the
heroes,
old,
only a version of the older legend of the
is
combat between Ra and Apep, and Heru-ur and Behutet and
then
;
her head the symbols of sovereignty
composition of the above legend, but easy to see that
set
but not wishing that
overthrow of dragons by kings and
When Horus
Alexander the Great and Saint George.
had overcome Set he succeeded to the inheritance of his father, and took his seat upon the throne of Osiris, and reigned in his stead and, in the words addressed to Osiris '
'
by the
official
Hunefer, " Horus
triumphant in the presence of the whole company of the gods, the sovereignty over the world hath been given unto him, and his is
The throne of
'
dominion
'
the god Seb hath been adjudged unto him, along with the rank
'
'
is
in the uttermost parts of the earth.
which hath been founded by the god Temu, and which hath been stablished by decrees in the Chamber of Books, and hath been
upon an iron
tablet according to the
command
of thy
'
inscribed
'
father Ptah-Tanen, on the great throne.
'
gods terrestrial transfer themselves to the service of thy son
'
Horus, and they follow him into his
'
passed that he shall be lord over them, and they perform the
'
decree straightway."
Now,
.
.
hall,
.
Gods
celestial
and
[where] a decree
is
^
besides the fight in which he engaged with Set,
Horus
many
other filial duties which endeared him to the Thus Egyptians. he took the greatest care that every ceremony which could possibly benefit the deceased was jDerformed on his
performed
father's behalf,
and every
and of the method
detail of the
mummification of the god,
and of the placing of amulets, etc., upon the body was watched by him with loving attention, and his ^
^
of swathing,
Chabas, Calendrier, Paris, ]863, pp. 29 ff. BooTc of the Dead, Chap, clxxxiii., 11. 12 &.
HORUS, SON OF
490
ISIS
became the pattern which was followed by every pious Egyj)tian from time immemorial. We find, however, that Horus was believed to help the dead generally, even as he helped Osiris, and all men hoped that he would come to their assistance affection
filial
after death,
and act
as a
mediator between the judge of the Under-
In the Judgment Scene in the Booh of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani, plates 3 and 4), Horus, the son of Isis,
world and themselves.
leads the deceased,
after
his
heart has been weighed, into the
presence of Osiris, and he says to his father, " I have come to thee, "
Un-nefer, and I have brought unto thee Osiris Ani," and then
goes on to say that Thoth has weighed Ani's heart in the Balance
according to the decree of the gods, and has found
He
true.
also asks Osiris that
Ani may be allowed
presence, and that cakes and ale
may
be
among
may
to
it
right
and
appear in his
be given to him, and that he
the followers of Horus for ever.
In none of the
Judgment Scene do we find that the place of Horus dead is taken by any other god, and there is no doubt that this duty was assigned to him because it was believed that Osiris would favourably receive those who were led into his presence by the son who had done so much for him. From the Pyramid Texts we learn that, at the time when man believed variants of the
as introducer of the
was necessary to have a ladder in order to ascend into heaven from the earth, Horus was regarded as the god of the ladder, and that he was entreated to set up the ladder and to hold that
it
it
in place whilst the deceased climbed
one side of
it
up
it.
Sometimes Ra held
whilst Horus held the other, and
sometimes
its
supporters were Horus and Set, but even so the deceased seems
sometimes to have experienced
difficulty in
ascending
it,
for
we
read that Horus had to give him a push upwards with his two fingers.^
More than
this,
howe\'er, was done for the deceased
for he took the bodies of the
body of
work he was ^
pp. 52
dead under his care just as he took the
his father Osiris into his
performance of his funeral assisted
own
rites
hands, and superintended the
and ceremonies.
by a number
English renderings of the passages ft.
by Horus,
of beings called Avill
be found in
my
In this great
Heru-shemsu, Eyijptian Magic,
HORUS, SON OF
^
^
P
^
-/\
^
" Followers
i.e.,
,
ISIS
491
Now we know
of Horus."
j
from several passages in the Booh of the Dead that Osiris, Ra, Nefer-Tem, Neb-er-tcher, Mehi, Hathor, and, in fact, all great gods were ministered to by a number of lesser gods, but none of these are of the importance of the followers of Horus, and none of
them are god,
We
as old. y>
I
^
7
have already seen that the original Horusrepresented
'^iio
the
of
face
heaven,
was
supposed to have long hair which hung down from his probably supported of this god,
i.e.,
it,
face, and which and that in the myth of Shu the sujDports
the four pillars,
1
1| I.
which held up the
vast,
rectangular, iron plate that formed the floor of heaven were placed in the tresses of Horus.
of Horus, son of
Isis,
At
a later period,
the four followers
were identified with the followers of the
older Horus, these gods were
made
to dwell near the pillars of
and to have dominion over them, and of heaven,
when
Shu
also over the four quarters
and they took the place of the
earlier
gods of the
In the Booh of the Dead these four children of Horus play very prominent parts, and the deceased endeavoured cardinal
points.
to gain their help
prayers.
and protection
at all costs,
both by offerings and
In the pictures of the funeral procession four
mummied intestines
along the coffin containing the
four animals are taken for sacrifice, and
all
men draw
of the deceased,
the instruments used in
the ceremony of " opening the mouth," as well as the vases, and
boxes of unguents,
etc.,
Even prayers and
are in quadruplicate.
formulae are said four times over,
e.g.,
in
Chapter xL, the deceased
in addressing the Eater of the Ass says, " I
and in Chapter cxxiv., he
says, " I
am
know thee,"
four times;
Most remember that the four children of Horus shared the protection of the body of the deceased among them, and as far back as the Vth Dynasty we find that they presided over his life in the underworld. The names of the four important of
gods
are:
(]^=P'=^,
all,
however,
it
— Hap, Sqa'^, and Qebhsennuf,
^
was
pure," four times.
to
Tuamutef,
J 1 lU 1?
:^
^
"^ ^^ '^"=-;
,
*l^i^
Amset, ^'^
^^^^
order in which they are mentioned in the Pyramid Texts, but in
HORUS, SON OF
492
names and the
later times the order of the
=]
Mestha,
(j
§ (j^ ^^
^, Hapi,
and Qebh-sennuf,
,
'
| ^
[8
ISIS
Tuamutef,
spelling vary thus
:
^^ J ^^ ^' |
'^'^^
'^^^
•
^^^ arms of the de-
ceased were identified with
Hapi and Tuamutef, and his two legs and when he went into the Sekhetguides and went in with him, two on each side.
with Amset and Qebhsennuf
;
Aaru they were his Hapi represented the north and protected the small viscerae of the body Tuamutef represented the east, and protected the heart and lungs Amset represented the south, and protected the stomach ;
;
and large
intestines,
and Qebhsennuf represented the west, and
protected the liver and the gall bladder.
Associated with the four
gods, perhaps as female counterparts, were the goddesses ISTephthys,
Neith,
and Selqet, or Serqet.
Isis,
As Horus, son
of
Isis,
Avas
thoroughly identified with
so
Horus the Elder, and with other forms of the
rising sun,
it
is
not surprising to find that the sanctuaries of the god were very
numerous, and that they existed in
all
parts of the country
the
;
names of a great many of these have been collected by Signor Lanzone,^ and from them we learn that Horus, dweller in the two Egypts,
'
^-^
^
was lord of Nubti,
,
(Thebes),
and of Maam,
Het-Ant,
n"™^,
Re-ur,
Nekhen,
^
^^^'
T^
l\^,
Hurent,
Tchart,
^^,
Petchatcha,
Pe,
.^^, "J^ ^,
Bak,
Aat-ab,
(Ombos), and lord of Kenset,
,
°©,
[z:z]|^©,
Ka-qem,
^^©,
Therer,
y "^^^^^ c£V£)
^^^%*,
Per-netchem,
,
A] ^
Behen,
I)
<^ ^
xVat-aat, l^tJ
^
r\>^^
^
c.^^^
^
'^
Re-au,
Reqetit,
"
I
,
^
^
(]()
Hu,
^^^
^
k^^©, Hut, ^, Het-suten, ^ ^ '^^^ Q 2, Rethma ^, Heben, |J ^ [J
JJ ©,
Sekhem,
^ ^^^,
Het-neh,
0|,
It,
!](]
Abtu,
Hebt,
y
J^©,
^2' ^
Op.
Shes-en-meli,
Shep,
eit., p.
569.
^^,
8 pi,
Khat,
aa^vwv
7^,
<^ Qali
HORUS, SON OF ^
Q 1
m
^
±
The forms
^^^,
Ant,
which Horus, son of
in
numerous and
^
c:^^ _ga>
1.
-' Tenretut,
493
| ^, and
Isis, is
Baka,
depicted are both
and they show how completely he
interesting,
absorbed the attributes of
ISIS
the other Horus gods.
all
Thus he
is
represented as a child seated on a lotus flower, with one of his forefingers touching his lips,
of his head
holds both
;
and with the lock of hair on the side
he wears the crowns of the South and North, and
and
£\
In another section he stands on the back
.^ |
of a hippopotamus, into the head of
he
in this instance
driving a spear
is
clearly identified with Heru-Behutet.
is
late dynastic times the
which he
god was depicted
many
in a great
forms, and the various attributes which were ascribed to
indicated in
many
Thus
curious Avays.
as
crown, with the body of a
and a
lion,
and neck of some unknown animal.
tail in
crocodile,
and with the body of a man,
and hoofs of a
legs
bull,
him
are
is
the triple
the form of a head
Elsewhere he
with seven heads, among which are those of a
and a
fantastic
guardian of the funeral
he has the head of a hawk, on which
coffer of Osiris
;
In
is
bull, a
represented
ram, a
ithyphallic,
and the wings of a bird
in one
;
cat,
and the
hand he
holds a knife, and in the other a serpent.
But son of
Isis,
was endowed with many of the
Anpu,
nn
'
I
manubis,"
characteristics of other
who
^^®
form of a
distinguish
under
recalls
this
name
the god " Her-
i'
I
is
and by Diodorus the
Horus gods, Horus,
Thus with the god Anpu or Anubis, he becomes Heru-emi.e., Horus as Anubis, and is said to dwell in the " divine
gods.
hall,"
besides the attributes of the other
mentioned by Plutarch (De Iside This dual god
(lines 18, 87).
man with
him by
the head of a jackal, and
his picture
et Osiride, §
is
61)
represented in
it is
impossible to
from the two jackal gods Anpu, or
Anubis, and Ap-uat, who are only two forms of one and the same god.
Strictly speaking,
Anpu
is
the " opener of the roads of the
South, the power of the two lands,"
Apuat
is
\/^^
i Y
the "opener of the roads of the North, the ^
See Lanzone, op.
cit,, pll.
214
ff.
^
j)^
and
power
of
HORUS, SON OF
494
^
D
\/^ ^
heaven,"
The two jackal gods are
?
111
ISIS often
seen depicted on stelae, Avhere they symbolize the two halves of the year, and the night and the day sky, and
tlie
periods of waxing
and waning of the powers of nature in summer and winter. The particular form of Horus Avhich was identified with n
Horus, son of
Hipponon
was Horus of Hebennu,
Isis,
of the Greeks,
where
also
125
and
ff.),
chamber
the
it
is
that
it
^, and that he stood "behind the
(t\\\
chapter
aK^ "^v ^^^ c^
One authority quoted
Osiris.
Seven
*'
I
,
same chapter stated that the
were the Four Children of Horus,
ill
I
.^
already mentioned above, and Maa-atef-f,
and Kheri-beq-f,
^^
w
)]
J
as
Spirits
follows:
—
ci
o
^ 1^
-A.
7.
4.
^
;
2.
Aaqetet
Aq-her-ammi-unnut-f
iv. 24-,
25.
o
O^o
^T^f
4
:1
ra tk
and Heru-khenti-maati,
;
;
;
5. 7.
In connexion Avith these must be
Bool- of the Dead, Chap, cxlii., § AAA/WS n AAA/\AA 2 .
7^
,
Ubes-hra-per-em-khetkhet
6.
;
Maa-em-kerli-an-nef-em-hru.^ 1
^
Netcheh-netcheh
1.
An-erta-nef-bes-f-khenti-heh-f;
Tesher-maati-ammi-het-Anes
I
"^^^
^|
but another authority gives the names of the
1^ w Seven
who
Anubis
was
the followers of their lord Sepa,"
in the
111
I
O
Spirits,
it
According
Osiris."
be the protectors of the dead body of
to
?
parts of
100-108),
(lines
appointed the Seven Spirits,
—«—
easy to
Anubis wdio passes through the purification
is
in the Mesqet
same
is
expressly stated in the
which contained the inner
chest
3.
Anubis
mummifying the dead body of Booh of the Dead (xvii.
explain, for both gods assisted in Osiris,
the
Jq^©?
specially venerated.
identification of Horus, son of Isis, with
The
to
Anubis was
^
n AAAA^\
s
1^1
HARPOCRATES mentioned
who
is
Eye
identified either Avith the
which follows
burn up
Osiris to
^^ q ''^^^^P^' of
A =
ATEF-F,
'^
^k 5^
V
O
^
(1
Heru-pa-khart,
the Child."
We have
^
^
^^ Ji aK
assessors of
An-aareretef,
^
,
i.e.,
the
whom was Heku-netch-
jj ^^^_
aveno;er of his father." "O 15.
and the
H
" place where nothing grows," the chief of HiiA
or with the flame
called
is
An-aretf,
or
,
Ra
his enemies,
Underworld which
the
of
section
that
goddess Hetep-sekhus,
the
495
" Horus,
qj.
^
<=>
^')
Jfj
i-e.,
already described Horus the Child,
"
the
Horus
who was
Horus the Elder, and brief mention must be Horus the Child who was the son and successor of Osiris. made The greater number of the attributes which belonged to the old Horus gods were transferred to the son of Isis and Osiris, especially in late dynastic times when the worship of Osiris was dominant in the son and successor of of
Egypt, and Horus the Child became the type of the new birth, and
new life,
the
and the
first
first
hours of the day, and the
months of the year, and in
was young and vigorous.
days of the month,
first
everything which
fact of
Soon, however, the characteristics of
the great forms of the Sun-god were added to his own, and his original conception as
Horus the Child was somewhat forgotten
at times it is very difiicult
which Horus
is
referred to.
from the period of the
to
In
distinguish in the texts exactly all
the great sanctuaries of Egypt,
New Empire
onwards,
the Child, or Harpocrates, was identified
we
by the
find that
Horus
priests of the local
gods as a form of their principal deities in which the chiefs of the
companies or triads of gods had renewed and rejuvenated themselves.
The
of this fact,^
late Dr.
Brugsch collected a large number of examples as Heru-sma-taui-pa-khart he was
and he proved that
identified with
Tem, and was
said to be son of
Hathor; that joined with Ahi,
l|
|
(](]
Tl, Harpocrates became a
form of Ra, and was called " son of Hathor, to birth,"
and was regarded 1
Heru-khuti and
whom
as the offspring of Un-nefer,
Religion unci Mythologie, p. 373.
Isis -^^^^
gave I
HARPOCRATES
496
made Amsu, the gods Shu, Seb, Khensu, and
i.e.,
of
of Osiris
and that he was
;
also
In connexion with Horus, son of
renewed form
to be the
or Min. in one or other of his
Isis,
forms must be mentioned the interesting legend which is preserved in the cxiith Chapter of the Booh of the Dead, and which has reference to the district or place called Khat,
dweller in Khat, in the city of Anpet, meliit,
"1
v^, ^
1
speaking, city of
1
ie
i.e.,
nome
the sixteenth
^aaaaa
of
©,
j|
"^ ^
in the
'
?
nome
Lower Egypt.
'^f
^^^
Ha-
of
Strictly
1
Anpet was the name
of the temple
and quarter of the
Mendes, the local triad of which consisted of Ba-neb-Tetet,
_S
^^^ Heru-pa-khart. X 4l e^ ^' Mendes was full of associations with the worship of the god Osiris, for in the temple there were preserved the phallus and the back-
37 n ^, Ha-mehit,
bone of Osiris
;
^'^^^^
the temple was called Het-baiut,
IJ
^^
I
i
@
1
?
i-®-?
" House of the Rams," and the place where the relics were found Per-khent, in
'
'
d£j
which the
^
Ram
The rams here
referred to recall the legend
Mendes was said to unite within himself the Shu, and Khepera, and he was known as the
of
souls of Rfi, Osiris,
"Ram
-^
with four heads upon one neck,"
It is possible that
he
is
^^^^^=
also referred to in the text of
419) where a god with four faces
is
Pepi
^=:^ ^
mentioned,
J ^
^
.^
I. (line
^ '^^'
In the Chapter above mentioned the deceased is made to ask a number of gods, " Do ye know for what reason the city of Pe hath " been given unto "
Horus ? " and he goes on
know it though ye know
it
" Horus,
'
Let
me
see
Behold,
not.
" in return for the injury to his
what
is
" forthwith he looked thereat.
Eye
C^^^
D
^
N^
is
for
Ra gave
I,
even
the city to
I,
him
which cause Ra said to
coming to pass
and Look and straightway an injury was
Then Ra
" at that black pig,' and he looked, " done unto his eye, that
;
to say, "
to say, a
said unto Horus,
'
mighty storm [took place
"~2^
See de Rouge, Geogvdjjhe Ancienne,
in thine eye,'
j).
114.
HARPOCRATES
497
Then said Horus unto Ra, Verily, my eye seems as if " it were an eye upon which Suti had inflicted a blow and [thus " saying] he ate his heart/ Then said Ra to those gods, Place ye " him in his chamber, and he shall do well.' Now the black pig " was Suti (Set) who had transformed himself into a black pig, and " he it was who had aimed the blow of fire which struck the eye of " Horus. Then said Ra unto those gods, The pig is an abominable '' but he shall do well, although the pig is an thing unto Horus " abomination unto him.' Then the company of the gods, who " were among the divine Followers of Horus when he existed in " the form of his own child, said, Let sacrifices be made of his " therein].
'
'
;
'
'
'
;
'
'
^'
and of
bulls,
and of
goats,
his
his
Now
pigs.'
" Mesthi, Hapi, Tuamutef, and Qebh-sennuf
" mother
Then
is Isis.
Horus
said
Ra,
to
'
the father of
Horus, and their
is
Give
me two
divine
"
'
brethren in the city of Pe and two divine brethren in the city of
my body and who shall
"
'
Nekhen, who [have sprung] from
"
^
me
"
'
blossom and thunder-clouds and rain be done away.'
"
in the guise of everlasting judges,
name
of
and then
'^
Horus became Her-uatch-f,
f=5|1
be with
shall the earth
^^-=—
And
the
."
In addition to the forms of Horus mentioned in the above
paragraphs the Pyramid Texts make 1.
Heru-Aah,
^_^|^>
^
KHENT-PERU,
rv\^
_^
rffk
mil LjLJ
and Heru
of
authorities
Horus
illumine his face
;
1
^
^
I.e.,
he
^'^^
/«>^
P
white
^^^ .^
is
titles
J '^
Kin s
(1 1
2.
1\ wvy
and
eye said
of the
to
one
^^^=^
black,
god are " Horus of
^^'>' ^^^ " Horus of the two
In the Theban Recension of the
I
^(j
o|^,
Teta,
1.
365.
3
Unas,
1.
202.
*
Unas,
1.
211.
&
Unas,
1.
218.
6
Unas,
1.
37.
7
Unas,
1.
369.
«
xjnas,
1.
869.
K k
^UlS'/
have taken to
temper and raged.
(]
Heru-
According to the same
.^
king Unas
^®
lost his
2^^:^
*
one
;2
^
HeRU-AM-HeNNU,
and two other
the two blue eyes,"
red eyes,"
3.
possessed Avhich
''^
^
the following:
Horus, the Moon-god
^^ c:^^ "^ Z
Tat,
^^ ^^I^ ^
;
i-e-,
known
MISCELLANEOUS HORUS GODS
498 Booh of
these titles are also mentioned (Chap, clxxvii. 7)
Dead
the
—Heru-aa-abu,
as well as the following:
-^^ i
^^
ahai,
1^
- -
^
(j
^,
\\
Hem-ami-athen,
^^ "^ I
Heru-her-neferu,
^
^^
^
1 11
P
I
Unas
^.
W
- -
(line
PA' ^^^
Heru-khent-heh, v
462 ^®
"""^ i
,
^ ^ ^ ^^ ^^^f
fF.)
we meet with
,
Heru-sekhai,
etc.
Finally, in
Mr
,
i
the form of
Heru-
mentioned in connexion with Ra, Tem, AAA/W\
„^. Heru-Sept
Thoth, and Horus of Tat, and the star Nekhekh, is
Heru-
"^^^
^^
w
(]
^^ ^^37 <=> ^ A
Hem-shet-hra,
'
^
^ ^ ^ ^j ()
^^^^^^
Heru-neb-ureret,
Heru-khenti-heh,
^^
the text of
Sept,
,
\^ 4,
'
^
°f (jv Heru-ami-abu-her-ab-ami-khat, '^
em-khebit, '^' l\
v^
n jj
i
a form of Horus, presumably the god of the rising sun, united to
the particular form of the same god Sept which Avas worshipped
nome
Lower Egypt,
nome
the
Sept,
in the
twentieth
(i^.
In the examples given by Signor Lanzone of the various
of
forms under which Sept
form of a plumes,
[11
^
hawk,
is
man having upon or a disk,
,
©
,
depicted he his
is
i.e.,
sometimes seen in the
head either the symbol
A
,
and sometimes in the form of a
or double
mummied
with plumes on his head, and the symbol A in front of
,
him, and the mendt, (^
,
on his back.
these representations describe
him
The
which accompany
titles
as the " lord of the east,"
the eastern part of the Delta and Arabia.
On
i.e.,
a shrine discovered
at Saft al-Henna by M. Naville he appears in the form of the god
^ who is represented with outspread arms, hands, and In this form wings, and with feathers on the top of his head. Bes,
J
P
,
I
he i.e.,
is
called,
the tribes
clearly
the
a
" Bull
of the
god of that
lit II
I
til
^^\
Eastern Desert and Arabia.
battles,
trampleth
h4^' on
the
^^^
Menti
;
^*^
"
he
^^ /y~)
^^ ^^
" Sept, the smiter of the Menti,"
I
i,
Sept was called
^'^®
was
the
MISCELLANEOUS HORUS GODS
499
" strengthener of Egypt, and the protector of the temples of the ^
gods."
The
principal seat of the worship
metropolis of the nome,
Q
^^ ^
may have
was a
,
i.e.,
^
^^^
battle," ^^i^
Q^
with the
lion
P^^fl^Jj) was given;
Septit,
JO''" ^^o^se of ,
Sept
tails of
^
trees,
hence
name
its
As
nebes trees."
the
'^
he
bow and
a club
lord of
on his head are a
;
Sept
is
said to " thwart the acts of the foes of Keb-er-tcher."
is
dst
a lion and a hawk, and in his hands, which
mentioned even in the Book of with the attributes of a god of war, and in Chapter xvii.
and plumes.
^
his
depicted in the form of a hawk-headed
is
are those of a man, he holds a disk
Kesem,
^^
from Per-Sept a temple to the god
sanctuary contained some fine nebes jj
VV S'
The female counterpart of Heru-Sept the goddess Hathor to whom, in the twentieth nome
Lower Egypt, the name
nebes,
A
stood there also.
was a form of of
at Per-Sept,
distinct city
god was in the
of the
the
Dead
(line 30)
In the
xxxiind Chapter the deceased drives away the Crocodile of the South, and says, " I am Sept " and in the cxxxth Chapter ;
(line
11)
we read
of the "slaughtering block of the
god Septu,"
"^
^P *^ ^^® present no satisfactory explanation \^ A has been given of the object A which is the symbol of the god
V
[^
•
it
appears to have been some kind of a triangle
or model of
^^ ^
Sept, but
which
is
it
was preserved at Amen-kheperutet,
described
" the hidden
i.e.,
^
De Rouge,
^
The Cordia
|^
of
in the
Khas
(?)
list
as
A
-^
]
aaaaaa
^^
a figure
^^~^ fl
/wwvs
^
^v ^
en-Sept."
Geographie Ancienne, p. 141. Sebestena, or Zizyphus Lotos W., according to Brugsch, Religion,
p. 567. ^
Edfu
;
Lanzone, op.
cit.,
p. 1048.
(
500
)
CHAPTER XVI
THE GREAT TRIAD OF MEMPHIS, PTAH,
AND
SEKHET, ^f ^,
THE
his worship, in one
^
I
,
Memphis was undoubtedly
or Ptah-neb-ankh, °
|
^c:7
^
form or another, goes back to the
of the dynastic period.
He
§ jf
I-EM-HETEP, ^f)!)^^^^-
greatest of all the old gods of
Ptah, °
°
and ^ ^, earliest part
has usually been regarded as a form
of the Sun-god, and as the personification of the rising sun, either at the time
when
it
after it has risen.
begins to rise above the horizon or immediately
The name has
often been explained to
mean
" Opener," and to be derived from a root which was cognate in
meaning with the well-known Semitic root pdthakh, nrip^ in fact Ptah was thought to be the " Opener " of the day just as Tem was The chief drawback, considered to be the " Closer " of the day. however, to the acceptance of this derivation
is
the fact that Ptah
never forms one of the groups of the chief forms of the Sun-god in the texts, and his attributes are entirely different from those of
Khepera, Tem, ptahj
ft
,
is
Heru, and Ra.
found in Egyptian
Moreover, it
although the word
never has the meaning " to
open," in the sense of opening a door, and the determinative which follows ^'
to
it,^
open"
chisel,"
*—
,
it is
and the
proves conclusively that although
it
does
mean
always in the sense of "to engrave, to carve, to like
;
compare Heb.
D^-^? " engraving, sculpture."
The meaning proposed for the name "Ptah" by Dr. Brugsch is " sculptor, engraver," and many passages in the texts of all periods make it plain that Ptah was the chief god of all handicraftsmen, ^
Brugsch, Worterhuch,
p.
528.
PTAH THE ARTIFICER and of
workers in metal and stone.
all
What
501
the form of the god
was originally
it is, unfortunately, impossible to say, but from the which the dynastic Egyptians gave to him it is clear that main characteristics did not change from the period of the
titles
his
At a very
Ilnd Dynasty to that of the Ptolemies and Eomans.
early period he was identified with one of the great primeval gods
of Egypt, and he
"being in the " of fathers,
called " the very great
was
^^ "^
earliest time,"
Power
^
of powers,"
god who came into
^ Mi_^ ^^; ^
^
'^^
"[nn. " father of
-r
" beginnings, and creator of the egg[s] of the
Sun and Moon,"
0^--^; "lord of Maat, king of the two
^^I'^^IP^i
" lands, the god of the Beautiful Face in Thebes, "
own image, who fashioned
throughout the two lands
his "
;
^
own body, who
(lines 87,
tioned,
97) the
who
created his
hath established
Maat
" Ptah, the Disk of heaven, illuminer
" of the two lands with the fire of his two eyes."
Teta
"father
"workshop
of Ptah,"
In the text of
^
|^
°|,
is
and the general sense of the passages indicates that
menit
was
Ptah who was believed to fashion the new bodies in which the souls of the dead
were
to live in the
Underworld.
Ptah, as
we
from the passages quoted from the Book of the Dead, was the great artificer in metals, and he was at once smelter, and
shall see later
and sculptor,
caster,
of everything
as well as the
which
exists
master architect and designer
The Greeks and the him with Hephaistos and
in the world.
Latins rightly identified one form of
Vulcan.
Ptah was the fellow-worker with effect the
commands concerning
Khnemu
the creation of the universe which
were issued by Thoth, and whilst the fashioning
man and
animals, the
,
AAAAAA
IJ
D
I
[]^
^
Lanzone, op.
,=,
Pl"^
latter
was engaged in
former was employed in the
construction of the heavens and the earth.
I
in carrying into
cit., p.
The
large rectangular
240.
^ ^ ^® ^K_,
I6,U, p.240.
FORMS OF PTAH
502
iron slab which formed the floor of heaven and the roof of the sky
was beaten out by Ptali, and he and his assistants made the stays and supports which held it in position. In the character of architect of the universe he partakes
of the nature of Thoth, " lord of Maat " and, as the god
especially in respect of his title
who
;
beat out the iron firmament with a
hammer and supported
it,
In other capacities he was
his attributes resemble those of Shu.
supposed to be endowed with powers which we are wont to
and thus we find enumerated
associate with other gods,
in religious
and funeral texts Ptah-Asar (Ptah-Osiris), Ptah-Hapi, Ptah-Nu, Ptah-Seker, Ptah-Seker-Asar, Ptah-Seker-Tem, Ptah-Tanen,
The part which Ptah in his various forms plays in In the Booh of the Dead is well illustrated by the following: Chapter iv. he is said to come forth from the Great Temple of the and the
like.
—
Annu
Aged One
in
" stand
like
^'
up
we
learn that
the
mouth
"
I shall
sit
the deceased says, " I shall
xi.
down
like Ptah, I shall
Shu or Ptah performed the ceremony
deceased
Ixiv., line
8,
are
he
crystal; Chapter Ixxxii.
is
transforms himself into Ptah,
said
in
;
of " opening
Chapter
in
;
have covered his sky with
to
man
a text by the use of which a
when
the
xlii.
with the feet of Ptah
identified is
be mighty
From Chapter xxiii.
be strong like Tem."
of the gods with an iron knife
feet of the
Chapter
Horus, I shall
and
like Thoth,
Chapter
in
;
his
tongue becomes like that of
the god; in Chapter cxlv., line 67, the "writings of Ptah" are referred to
Mestha
in Chapter cli.A
;
the deceased that he
tells
has " stablished his house firmly according to what Ptah hath
commanded
;
" and in Chajoter
mentioned
is
in
;
Chapter
line 6, the "
cliii.,
Ptah
clxvi.
is
hook of Ptah
said
overthrow
to
the enemies of the deceased (see also Chapter clxxii.
Chapter
cli.
the hair of the deceased
Seker, and in Chapter clxx. this god
khakeru,
^:r:::^
ti
\
^
i
weapons from
is
is
compared
said to give
to that of Ptah-
him help with In a
his divine house.
Osiris (Chapter xv.) Osiris is addressed as
and as "Ptah-Seker-Tem, ^ I ^^^^
^^
his
hymn
to
Un-nefer Heru-khuti,
^^^tor^'
^^
Annu, the
"lord of the hidden place, and the creator of Het-ka-Ptah " the House of the Double of Ptah,' or Memphis) '
In
10).
;
"
finally,
(i.e.,
Ptah-
FORMS OF PTAH Tanen
is
mentioned in Chapter
503
clxxxiii., line 15, as
to be inscribed certain decrees concerning
having caused
Horus upon an " iron
tablet."
The commonest form bearded
man with
in
which Ptah
a bald head
who
represented
is
shrouded in a
is
is
that of a
close-fitting
garment, from an ojDening in the front of which project his two
hands
;
from the back of his neck hangs the mendt, symbol of
pleasure and happiness, and in his hands he holds a sceptre, j, and the emblems of "life," -V-, and " stability," u. When standing
upright his feet rest upon a pedestal made in the shape of the
—
sign madt
/
i,
and when seated his throne rests upon a pedestal At the back of standing figures of the god we
of similar shape.
sometimes see an obelisk,
,
or the
u
tet,
,
which symbolizes both
J]
"stability"
by
Isis.
and the tree trunk
Ptah under
Ptah- H API, ^
§ J)
in
which the body of Osiris was hidden
his forms of
§
n
"^^X^ rjj
?
Ptah-Nu,
j
and
naerely represents the union of
workman and
the great celestial
| w) ^_^ Jf
architect
with the primeval
elements of earth and water, and there are no representations specially set apart for these forms.
On AsAit,
the other hand, his forms of Ptah-Sekee, or Ptah-Sekee-
°|g|, °i^|^,
11. A, must be
and Ptah-Tanbk, \
specially considered.
Ptah-Sekee represents
a personification of the union of the primeval creative power
with a form of the inert powers of darkness, or in other words, Ptah-Seker
is
a form of Osiris, that
is
to say, of the night sun, or
Sekee is depicted in the form of a hawk-headed man in mummied form resembling that of Ptah, and his hands project from the front of his close-fitting garment and hold the dead Sun-god.
emblems of sovereignty and dominion, the head of a
man and
f
,
^
,
|
;
sometimes he has
holds in each hand a knife. ^
Seker was
power of darkness, or of the night, which in later He is times was identified with forms of the night sun like Tem. originally a
^
Lanzone, op.
cit., pi.
368, N^o.
4.
THE SEKER BOAT
504
called " the great god,
" in the beginning,
who came into being he who resteth upon the
" darkness,"
1_^<=>T-=^=^'^
^^T^.
In the xviith Chapter of the
I"
Book of the Dead (line 113) occurs a petition in which the deceased begs to be delivered from the " great god who carrieth away " the
soul,
" feedeth
who
upon
eateth
and who
" darkness, the god
who
" boat,
and in the explanation
,"
of the passage which
the question, "
l^^^S^'
^^,
''''
is
is
in the Seker
given in answer to
Who is this ? " the
in the Seker boat
Seker-Asar.
hearts,
the guardian of the
offal,
is
is
said to be either Suti,
Smam-ur,
the soul of Seb.
god who
P^^^s3
Thus
it is
clear that
Seker was an ancient spirit or god whose attributes were such that he might well be represented by Set, or Suti, the enemy of Ka, or
by the soul of the earth-god Seb. Seker was exalted to the
In comparatively early dynastic
times
god of
position of
that portion of the
Underworld which was allotted to the souls
of
the
habitants of
in-
Mem-
phis and the neigh-
bourhood, is
and
it
tolerably certain
that
he
was
re-
garded as the tutelary
deity
of
the
necropolis of Sak^'f^^^'
rtolemy Euergetes and the
Ileiiuu Boat.
SEKER OR HENNU BOAT
505
The Sekee Boat which has been mentioned above represented on sepulchral monuments and papyri, and certainly
made
It
often
was
it
prominent part in certain solemn,
to play a very
sacred ceremonies.
is
was not made in the form of an ordinary
it was very much higher than the other, and was made in the shape of the head of some kind of gazelle or oryx the centre of the boat was occupied by a carefully closed coffer
boat, but one end of
;
which was surmounted by a hawk with protecting wings stretched out over the top of
Sun-god Af, or of
This coffer contained the body of the dead
it.
and
Osiris,
it
rested
which was provided with runners.
upon a framework or sledge On the great day of the
Seker which was celebrated in
festival of
many
places throughout
Egypt, the ceremony of placing the Seker boat upon performed at sunrise, at the
moment when
its
were beginning to spread themselves over the earth.
ceremony was under the direction of the high whose
official title
of the
hammer "
upon
its
priests
sledge,
;
priest
was " Ur kherp hem," ^=* f f this official
and
to
was expected to
march
at the
sledge was
the rays of the sun
"
?
lift
The whole of Memphis,
^•®-5
gi'sat chief
the Seker Boat
head of the procession of
By
which drew the loaded sledge round the sanctuary.
this action the revolution of the
sun and other
celestial bodies
was
symbolized, but no texts explaining the symbolism have come
down and
to us.
From
the inscriptions which are found at
in the neighbourhood
we know
that the office
Memphis
of high priest of
Ptah was considered to be a most honourable position, and that
many men
of noble family
and of high rank held
Now
the period of the Ilnd Dynasty. existed in those remote times
it is
it
as far
back as
since the priestly office
only reasonable to assume that
the Seker Boat also existed, and that the ceremonies with which
it
was used in the later period were also performed in the earlier the god Seker was, even when the Pyramids were built, an ancient god, and the chief characteristics of his worship must be as old as the god himself.
The name given and
to the Seker
Boat
is
" Hennu,"
8
"^
^
^/
,
mentioned several times in the BooJc of the Dead, and sometimes in connexion with traditions of great importance. it
is
SEKER OR HENNU BOAT
506
Thus
we have
the Ixivth Chapter
after
a rubric which states
that the composition was found in the masonry below the shrine of
Hennu
during the reign of Semti (Hesepti) a king of the 1st
Dynasty and the
now Hennu can only be the god of the Hennu boat, A shrine of Hennu must be the place where it was kept. ;
most valuable proof of the antiquity of
this boat is
found on an
was made for the royal in the British Museum Hemaka, who flourished during the reign of Semti, whose Horus name was Ten. On this we see a representation of
ebony tablet
Avhich
^
chancellor
who
the king dancing before Osiris,
is
seated within a shrine on
the top of a flight of steps, and in the register immediately below it is
Hennu
a figure of the
Boat.
The Seker or Hennu Boat was
probably a form of the Sektet Boat,
sun
sailed over the
i.e.,
sky during the second half of his daily journey,
and in which he entered the Underworld the Aged,
^ i ''^^
^
f^
"1
?
said to be
is
The
to be like Seker.
,
been extremely numerous times, but
it
the boat in which the
Ra
Ra
the Babe,
sanctuaries of Seker
must have
like
Horus, and
Lower Egypt
in
^
in the evening, for
in very early dynastic
appears that before the great development of
Ra
worship took place, the god Seker was already identified with and merged in Ptah, and that these gods were adored together in one
The forms
which
Ptah-Seker
represented
are
interesting, for they illustrate the attributes of the double god,
and
temple.
in
is
prove that it was Ptah who usurped the characteristics of Seker, and that Seker was the older god. Ptah-Seker is often depicted in the form of a man who wears upon his head a crown composed of disk, plumes, horns, and uraei with disks on their heads,
a cognate form
perhaps that reproduced by Lanzone
is
the god, Avho in this case lofty,"
upon
is
called "
^
in
^^
which
Ptah whose double plumes are
has upon his head horns, plumes, and a uraeus, and a uraeus
his forehead.
Another interesting form
is
that of a
mummy
with a disk and the two feathers of Maat, J^qR, upon his head.^ Elsewhere he *
3
is
found in the usual form of Ptah seated upon -
No. 32,650.
Op.
cit., pi.
94, No.
4.
i
See a
list
given by Lanzone, op.
Ibid., pi. 95.
cit., p.
1117.
PTAH-SEKER-ASAR
507
a throne behind Osiris and followed by Anubis, Horus, son of
Isis,
and Hathor.
Under the name
Ptah-Seker-Asar we
of
Seker united with Osiris to form a remarkable
A
depicted in various ways.
common
Ptah and
find triad,
which
representation of the god
is is
the hawk, with the White Crown and plumes upon his head, standing upon a low pedestal, from the front of which projects a serpent in this form he is often met with on painted coffins and In the Papyrus of Anhai (Brit. Mus., plate 5) sepulchral chests. ;
the god
iy
seated within a shrine in
is
upon
,
his
head
human form with
behind him stand
;
Isis
the crown,
The
and Nephthys.
here given to him are, " Dweller in the secret place, great
titles
" god, lord of Ta-tchesertet, king of eternity, governor of ever"lastingness,"
3
X^
t ?S^q^^1
Before the god
.
H - r^^ ^Ml "-M
the skin of the pied bull, of which
is
I
the head has been cut
off,
with blood dripping from
it
into a bowl,
and perched on the side of the throne is his son Horus in the form The cornice of the shrine in which the god is seated of a hawk. is
composed of uraei with disks on
the
Mer goddess
the
Mer goddess
and
it is
that
,
it
stand
,
wearing a blue garment,
quite clear from the general arrangement of the vignette
the
in
XXIInd
Dynasty
A
Ptah-Seker-Asar
;
pigmy with a
is
large, bald
An
examination
form proves that he was supposed to possess
the virile power of
Khepera, which
wholly
on the top of his head he usually has a
but occasionally plumes are given to him.
of the variants of this
was
very interesting form of the triune god
that in which he appears as a squat
beetle,
and before
wearing a red garment, and
"W
of the North,
head, and thick limbs
all
X
of the South,
identified with Osiris. is
their heads,
Amsu,
or Min, and the creative power of
symbolized by the beetle, and the youth and
vigour of Harpocrates, which
is
represented by the lock of hair on
the right side of his head; and as sometimes he stands upon a crocodile,
and holds a serpent
in each hand,
he must have possessed
besides the powers of several of the great solar gods.
Asar
is,
Ptah-Seker-
then, like Osiris, the type and symbol of the resurrection
PTAH-TANEN
508
from the dead, and he has been
fittingly described as the " triune
was the outcome of some local Memphite belief, or the result of some compromise between the priests of Osiris and the priests of the old Memphite god is tolerably certain, but there is no evidence to show exactly what belief, or doctrine, or dogma was associated with this mysterious god who united within himself the attributes of Seker, and those of Ptah the architect and builder of the material world, and of Khepera god of the resurrection "
;
that he
the self-begotten and self-born, and Osiris the giver of everlasting life.
Finally must be mentioned Ptah in his connexion with the
primeval god Tenen,
£=5
Ta-thunen, This god standing,
a^ A,
^ 4"f ^7
or Ta-tu-nen, ["^^
who wears on
or Ta-thu-nenet, __.4-4-
his
head the crown,
^y
,
hands the symbols of sovereignty and dominion,
oval object,
or
"v^ -1-^ iS?
^'
represented in the form of a man, either sitting or
is
in a figure
^
reproduced by Lanzone
—
(
).
a potter's Avheel
we
see
him
^,
,
his
and
|
1;
upon the
seated
Another figure represents the god seated with before him, which he works with his foot, and on the Qg^ of the world which he
the upper part of
it is
with his hands
elsewhere he
;
^
and holds in
is
is
fashioning
depicted with a scimitar in his
right hand, which suggests that in one form he
was regarded
as a
power of nature, or as a warrior-god. Tenen, or Ta-Tenen, must have been one of the earliest gods of Lower Egypt,
destructive
and have been a personification of a nature power, the exact attributes of
Egyptians.
which appear to have been unknown even In the early part of the dynastic period
it
to the
was thought
that Ptah, the local god of Memphis, might be fittingly identified
with Tenen, or Ta-Tenen, and his name was, therefore, joined to that of the older god, just as in later days the
Ra
name
of
Amen
was
Tenen and Ta- tenen were merely forms and names of Ptah. From a hymn to Ptah -Tenen," which is probably a product of the XXth or XXIst Dynasty, we may gain some
joined to that of
Op. *
cit., pi.
;
later
401, No.
For the hieratic text
3.
see Lepsius,
Denhndler,
vi., pi,
118.
HYMN TO PTAH-TANEN idea of the meaning of the " earth," and "Tenen,"
509
name Ta-tenen, " Ta,"
aaaaaa,
,
is
of course
probably to be connected with the
is
word, -1-4-^,^,^^^? 6wew, or nen, which means "inertness, inactivity, rest, motionless,"
and the
like,
and
if this
derivation be
Ta-Tenen must be the god of the inert but living matter of
correct
the earth.
The passage on which
this view is based is a very difficult " There was given to thee a Sekhem one, and appears to read, " (i.e.. Power) upon the earth in its things which were in a state
" of inactivity, and thou didst gather
them together after thou " didst exist in thy form of Ta-Tenen, in thy becoming the Uniter '
" of the
two
which thy mouth begot and which thy hands is, as Dr. Brugsch suggested, quite possible
lands,'
" fashioned."
It
^
was not discussing the derivation
that in this passage the writer of the
name Tenen,
or Ta-Tenen, seriously, and was only
a play upon the words of similar sound.
In the
hymn
making
to Ptah-
Tenen already mentioned we find the following address to the god and titles " Homage to thee, Ptah-Tenen, thou great god, " whose form is hidden Thou openest thy soul and thou Avakest :
—
!
"up
in peace,
" of
heaven
!
" thou lightest
father of the fathers of all the gods, thou Disk
Thou up the
illuminest
it
with
^
n (^
AAAAAA
AAftAAA
s\
,
,
„
1/
/T
IIIIIIIII
1^2^
AAAAAA
I
f fp "^Z^-^.
f^kJ
^2>-
o iS,
f^hJ\N\f\
^^
s
.
Q
s:
III
y ^s ^^ Lm
'
A
NX w
'
Ms
called the "begetter of
1
and
Eyes,
earth with thy brilliant rays in peace." I
It
thy two
n
men,"
•
'"^
I
I
*^® ^^^^^ which follow he
is
'
(s
(*=u)
I
,
the
"
maker
fl
s s
(Q
f=S^
J
N\r^/\r\K
HYMN TO PTAH-TANEN
510
of their lives," the " creator of the gods," " he
and everlastingness,"
eternity
his
"
^
to him,"
own
when
J
ITU
forms,"
make
P
=>
"J
=— ^
i
^
I
"^
,
passeth through
" of multitudinous
" the hearer of prayers which
D
limbs,"
^ ^^ ^
-^, and maker
'' ,
men
builder of
j
body,
of his
111
heaven and earth were not created, and when the
as yet
" waters
^
who
had not come
forth,"
ffi
<=>
W <=>
^
'"
/V\/SAAA
Jf15^Zi1^ " earth,
AAAAAA
" Thou didst knit tos^ether the
s
thou didst gather together
thy members, thou didst
" embrace thy limbs, and thou didst find thyself in the condition
One who made his seat, and who fashioned (or, moulded) two lands.^ Thou hadst no father to beget thee in thy
" of the
" the
" person, and thou hadst no mother to give birth unto thee " didst fashion thyself without the help of any other being. " equipped thou didst
come
forth fully equipped."
an allusion to thy "aged son," "^^ Jj
and
^^zi^s
which are called the " Eyes " of Ptali-Tenen.
upon the earth and thy head
feet are
Fully
Next we have
^
M
i^
1
'
^•®*'
"^^'
and darkness by the sun and moon,
to the dissipation of night
Thy
thou
;
The hymn is
continues,
in the heights above
form of the dweller in the Tuat. Thou bearest up the work which thou hast made, thou supportest thyself by thine own strength, and thou boldest up thyself by the vigour of thine own hands. The upper part of thee is heaven and the lower
in thy
.
part of
.
.
thee
I
^vi
/"/^-vvs
the Tuat."
is
ra
I
n
I
^
p>^
i^rii s s
1-1?
^ (2
<^ <^
r=a
'^
^<
P^AI^P^M
HYMN TO PTAH-TANEN
0^
n
^
^
ft^
.
The winds come
forth
from thy
from thy mouth, and the proceeds from thy back
;
^
.r
-C
^
-Zf,
nostrils,
staff of life
511
and the
(i.e.,
celestial
water
wheat, barley,
etc.),
thou makest the earth to bring forth
and gods and men have abundance, and they see Meh-urit When thou art at rest the darkness cometh, cattle in thy field. fruit,
and when thou openest thy two eyes beams of
Thou
shinest in thy crystal form
hymn
according to [the wont of]
The company of the gods of thy supreme thee, and they acclaim thee at thy rising and
thy majesty
company
light are produced.
praise
thee at thy setting in the land of
A few lines lower
life."
down Ptah-Tenen is called the ''great god who stretched out the heavens, who maketh his disk to revolve in the body of Nut and to enter into the body of Nut in his name of Ra, Moulder of gods, and of men, and of everything which
and countries, and the
all lands,
Khepee-ta (m.'^Jj Bringer making
source,
come
who
{'^^ i\u
^
name Nu
name
^^ V§^ J)
(Ju
Maker
away
driveth
in his
of the
of Suten-taui
^_^;
hymn we
this
"Aged one on
^
<^ ^ 1^ ^ J J ^ ^Q A
^
life,
the
;
i
®
i)
in
maker
i'
^
Q
life."
have: — "Babe,
from
)
^^^^^
of
his
which
of grain
(
''
""
name all its
i^^ly
"
^^^^ ^^®
life
to
men
Aei-ankh
of
arrangements,
who live in their corners ^ I), King of eternity
Among
other
born daily,"
the borders of eternity,"
®
titles (1(1
^^ ft
traversing eternity,"
" Inert one passing over "^"=^5
name
his
J^ X^ i^
Aged
his
Tuat with
the flame from those
and everlastingness, and lord of god in
(
the water on the mountains to give
forth
¥-
his
produced, maker of
the watery mass of heaven, and maketh to
fertile
and women •<2>-
Hapi
to flourish the staff of
Cometh forth from him in
who maketh
of
is
Green Sea in
Grreat
all his aspects,"
^^
rfl
Ofl
^^^ "^ j^
"II"
(1
11
Exalted one without his strength,"
of the
zi
Q.
^'"'^
(§\
'v\
V
SHRINES OF PTAH
512
"^ "^^
"^^^
D I
" Lord of the hidden throne, hidden
''^-^^ ;
-^ •=*
"form is unknown," fl'^^lf^ of years, giver of
life
at will,"
Jl
'fe
^ J ^^
;
he,"
"Lord
li)^^'
'^=^i,||^__,7®
The. above extracts are
f\
is
show the importance
sufficient to
of
the god Ptah-Tenen in the eyes of the Egyptians about B.C. 1100, at
which time,
hymn was
we may judge from
if
palaeographical evidence, the
probably written, and there
no reason for supposing
is
was thought less of during any period of Egyptian history. The papyrus upon which the text is inscribed is said to have been found at Thebes, and there is no doubt that the style of writing closely resembles the fine bold hand of the great papyrus of Rameses III., king of Egypt about B.C. 1200, which also was that he
discovered at Thebes the city of
;
we
should not, however, expect to find, in
Amen-Ra, the king
gods, papyri containing
of the
hymns to Ptali-Tenen, the god of Memphis, in which this god is made to possess all the attributes of all the great gods of Egypt, The fact that the triad yet such has been, undoubtedly, the case. of Ptah,
Sekhet, and
Nefer-Tem was Avorshipped
at
Thebes
is
another proof of the influence which the priests of Heliopolis exerted over the religious views of the Thebans in almost every period of Egyptian history after the Vlth Dynasty.
Returning now to the consideration of Ptah in his simplest form,
it
must be noted that the principal centre It
in
in the city of Men-nefer,
^ T
Aneb-hetch,
names
for
^
,
the
first
Memphis
^l(\®'
2.
Greek name 3.
y
Khut-taui,
in
nome
,
worship was
Memphis, the
i.e.,
Oi=^ °i
are
V®'
capital of
The commonest
Lower Egypt.
of
the religious texts
Het-ka-PtaV
for
A ti
AAAAAA
of his
1
:
—
^^^^
1.
Ha-nefer, ^^^^^^'
*^^
Egypt, "AtyvuTo^^ has been commonly derived.
[O^
1
g^,
I.e.,
"
i.e.,
House
"horizon
of the
Double
of
of Ptah."
the
two
lands."
ASAR-HAPI OR SERAPIS Het-ka-khnem-neteru,^
4.
^ '^
P
i.e.,
the " city of walls."
i.e.,
"the balance of the two lands."
Het-aa,
|
y^,
In the city of Memphis or Ptali,
j^. "the house of the Aged One,"
the temple called Ankh-taui, ¥-
and acacia
riirrr
V
"^
"^
S
trees
^•®''
'
the
In
Ra.
i.e.,
=^^j were the sacred persea
Hekennut,
in
;
was worshipped
Osiris
^
its
Sekhet, Bast, Hathor,
and I-em-hetep, the most important being
Seker,
^
Anebu,
Q 1
Makha-taui,
6.
neighbourhood were the temjDles of Osiris,
518
''yr^
|
^
,
^ in Het-utet,
;
J
" ^o^s6 of the begetter," the
cult of
Khnemu was
observed
place
was
the
called
another sacred
;
"Path n
Anubis,"
of ;
and another
I
^
Ta-het-pa-Aten,
Y*
^
f
I
/wwv\
o
1
I.e., '
'
the " House of the Disk"; and in Tepeh-tchat, "^
nil
'
^^^ y®^ another sacred
tree.^
The Serapeum, which was discovered by M. Mariette in 1868, was known by the name of " ISTeter-het per en Asar-Hap," """^
1
^
^ ^, was
§
Seker
;
^
^AJ\
'
^
the centre of the worship of
the district of Pa-penat, D
Asar-Hapi (Serapis).
was the centre of the worship of Bast was adored
in the
adored in the adored at
district
district of
^
TJafet,
of
Hekennut,
Smen-Maat,
~^ ^
n e^:^^ ]l
,
I
AAAAAA
ii
i!/ 4i'
Osiris
Hathor was
^ W w Khnemu
fi u ^^ I I
;
;
; ?
^ ©; and Ptah and Sekhet and
was
their son
I-em-hetep appear to have possessed temples wherein they were
the hieroglyphic texts
l1
1
I.e.,
"
2
See
cle
House
Memphis
is
Aneb," a name which
is
The
worshipped exclusively. *'
of tlie
city of
often called in
written
Double which uniteth the gods."
Rouge, Geogvaphiej pp. 4
f£.
V
SEKHET AND NEFER-TEM
514
nnn
or Jl '", or of
"',^
"Walls" was given
Once a year the
and there to
priests
it
is
no doubt that the appellation
because of
formed a solemn
of Ptah-Seker-Asar
and led by the Sem-priest,
procession,
strong fortifications.
its
^
^^
,
and usually
ac-
companied by the king, they marched all round the walls of Memphis it is probable that the image of this triune god was The god Ptah himself was worshipped carried in the procession. ;
in a temple
n
;
"f
on the eastern side of the city called " Aneb-abt,"
the temple of Tenen bore the
and Ptah-Seker-Asar was adored the city called " Aneb-rest-f,"
of "
in a temple
i.e.,
Aneb
y f| ®
Athi,"
•
on the south side of
" his southern wall,"
i
3 F
^
•
was known by the name of " White Wall," ^ 9 @ which reference is made by Herodotus^ (iii. 91). The principal female counterpart of Ptah was the goddess
The whole to
name
city
Sekhet, n
^
?
"^
,
who was
at once his sister
and
wife,
and the
mother of his son Nefer-Tem, and a sister-form of the goddess She is generally depicted in the form of a woman with the Bast. head of a lioness which is surmounted by the solar disk encircled by an uraeus, O, but sometimes the disk is omitted, and a uraeus
upon her head. The name of the goddess appears in the Pyramid Texts (Unas, line 390), where after the statement that Unas hath proceeded from the thighs of the company of
only
is
seen
the gods,
^^ -S mi^lll'l
5
^^^ i^
^^i^ *^
hnYe been conceived
by Sekhet, H®, and by Sheskhentet, ™f|||]^5'^^^
V
Sothis,
n A "^ In comparatively late dynastic times Sekhet and J ^ Bast were identified with forms of Hathor, and were regarded as the goddesses of the West and the East respectively, just as Nekhe-
(1
.
bet and Uatchet were the goddesses of the South and the North Each goddess had the head of a lioness, but the body respectively. of Sekhet of Bast
is
said to have been draped in a red
was arrayed
in a green garment.
Sekhet are known to have existed, 1
Brugsch, Diet. Geog.,
p. 55.
~
viz.,
Iv
garment
Avhilst that
Several special forms of Sekhet, lady of Rekht,
rw A^vkw
Tct'xet
'^4' ^''
Me'/x^i.
SEKHET-MEHENET
0®^^.=:^^'^'^©, <=>
lady of Rehesani,
ft
1
515
Sekhet, lady of Sa, [j=p
"^
Sekhet, the
,
'
©, Sekhet,
great lady, the
^ Q ^^ Sekhet in Bashu, J n^n p ^ ©, Sekhet " |\ D ^, in Sah, «. :^ ©, Sekhet-Nut in Het-khat, P ^ ® ^ and Sekhet in Nefer (?)-Shuu, oa J ^ ^ © The principal titles queen of Ant,
[]
.
of Sekhet were "
—
^ o
Mighty '*
c.
lady, lady of Flame, Tefnut in Senemet,"
—
o D ^
AAAAAA
1
"greatly beloved one of
.
^
Ptah, lady of heaven, mistress of the two lands,"
^=^^ __
'^
" lady of Tep-nef,"
;
'^^"^
y J\
,
and of Sehert,
lands, mistress of Pa-mertet,"
" Sekhet
The name
with the root sekhem,
and the
like,
scorching,
,,_
,
and
1
"
^
as she
";
ry-i
r=^
"^
^©;
|
lady of
''
T char,
"chief of the Libyan
^
| 9
i
^
appears to be derived from or connected
^^^
V
)\,
"to be
strong, mighty, violent,"
was the personification of the
fierce,
and destroying heat of the sun's rays, these attributes
would be very
In the form of the
suitable for her character.
serpent-goddess Mehenet,
°^
9,
^^^^^^
^^® ^^^^ ^P ^^^' position 4h ^'
on the head of her father Ra, and poured out from herself the blazing
fire
which scorched and consumed
near, whilst at those swift fiery darts
whom
who were some
enemies
his
distance
who came
away she shot
forth
which pierced through and through the fiends In a text quoted by Dr. Brugsch ^ she is made
they struck.
"I set the fierce heat of the fire for a distance of millions " of cubits between Osiris and his enemy, and I keep away from
to say,
"
him
of the
the evil ones, and remove his foes from his habitation."
commonest names of the goddess
a destroying element, and in texts of of a
all
is
2
Religion, p. 520.
i.e..
One
Flame, as
periods she plays the pait
power which protects the good and Var.
" Nesert,"
mrp
annihilates the wicked.
Q
c.
^
^f?
GODS OF LEARNING
SEV'EN
516
may
In some aspects she
well-known name
"
is
be compared with Uatchet, of
Lady
We
of flame."
whom
a
have already said that
some respects Sekhet may be regarded as a form of Hathor and Net, and indeed several of the titles of the last named goddesses are bestowed upon her, e.g., " Lady of Amentet, lady of Manu " (i.e., the mountain of the setting sun), the queen of the Libyan in
" lands," etc.
these appear to suggest a western or Libyan origin
;
for the goddess.
In connexion with Sekhet and her relationship with Hathor, Net, and
Maat must be mentioned the Seven Wise Ones of the
goddess
Meh-urt,
who
planned the world at
the JL
^
|-T-|
of
feet
t=t
Nu,
Eye
pupil of the
their
home
from
the
in
,
forth
Tekh,
^^^
°^
Nehet-rest,
in
from
water,
Thoth, they presided over learning and
Wise Ones,
I
"^
Cl
P
^
n M
^f)
i
,
hawks
,
The names of
are:
Nefer-hati,
Aper-pehui, Neb-Tesheru, Ka, Bak, Khekh, and San.^
Thoth and
the
Ptah,
master architect and workman who carried out the designs
as the
of
the
^^^ Ml a form of
letters. '"
'^^-^ ,
of Ra, and they took the form of seven
and flew upwards, and together with Asten,
these Seven
^5^^^,
Thoth,
they were born of Meh-urt,
;
and they came
,
with
too-ether
Seven Wise Ones, partook,
his
characteristics
of
them
all,
and
as
some Sekhet was in
respects, of his
female
counterpart she appears to have acquired some of their attributes also,
because Thoth was in reality only a personification of the of Ptah.
intelligence
It
is
in
this
way
that
Sekhet becomes
with the goddess Maat, for Maat was the inseparable
identified
companion of Thoth, and inasmuch as Thoth was contained in Ptah, Maat became the female counterpart of Ptah and a sister form of Sekhet. In one of the titles of Sekhet given above, the goddess
A
is
identified with Tefnut, the female counterpart of
—— ^ "
cj]
'
Religion, p. 522.
^
'
^^^
Dumichen, Tempelinschriften,
pi.
25
;
Shu
Brugsch,
SEKHET, BAST, PAKHT
517
need cause no surprise, because Tlioth was only the Hermo-
this
was therefore
politan form of Shu, and Tefnut part,
and
as
Ptah absorbed Thoth, that
counterpart of Ptah of Thoth, or
the "
Eye
Shu
of Ra,"
(i.e.,
^
to say, Shu, the female
Sekhet) absorbed the female counterpart
many
In
Tefnut).
(i.e.,
is
his female counter-
texts Sekhet
called
is
and in a scene reproduced by Lanzone
,
we
^
form of a woman, with the Utchat, "^g in
see the goddess in the
,
upon a rectangular
place of a head, kneeling
throne, whilst a
Her
with outstretched wings stands behind her.
hawk
in this
titles
form are, " Great lady, beloved of Ptah, holy one, powerful one,
We
^
"^
" dweller in xit-Tefnut,"
have already mentioned the small porcelain figures of
Ptah-Seker-Asar, and seen
how they were
intended to represent
the union of the powers of the three great gods whose names are
here joined together, and certain examples
might be
we
we must now note
that on the backs of
form of a goddess, who
find outlined the
any of the female counterparts of the great gods to Avhom the head of a lioness Avas given by Egyptian identified with
and
sculptors
The goddess here found, however,
artists.
^ ^ J who was ,
for
of
£ s=^
whom
or Pekhet,
,
a temple of Pekheth,
tS. \zrz2
^ ,
_
flfl
^
or Pekh,
,
t^@5
^^
honour
was hewn out of the
rock in the mountain near the modern village of Beni
solid
Hasan
in
Upper Egypt
" Stabl al-Antar," and
Pakht, or Pasht means a goddess
who
''
known by the names The name Pekht, Speos Artemidos." ;
this
Sothis, Op.
Her
title
and she cit., pi.
is
and
is,
nome
(1
^
,
and of
Avas
364, No.
identified 3.
Set,
of which the city Pekht,
^^
was "lady of Sept," with
Isis 2
of
or
of course, suitable for
possessed the attributes of the cat or lioness
the supplementary capital.^
temple
the " tearer,"
goddess was the lady of Ant,
1
_2^
the Cat or Lioness deity of Pekhit,
tSj,
Bast,
some time confounded by Egyptologists with
the o'oddess Pekheth,
°
is
A
^,
^^_^^
^ i.e.,
or
,
,
this
;
v-^,
was the
of the star
and with a form of
Diet. Geog., pp. 225, 226.
SEKHET-BAST-RA
518
Hathor, and also with a form of Sekhet.
Hasan
of Beni
(line
we
18)
find the
In the great inscription
mention of Horus Pakht,
z;^ ^ -Sa^ and we may therefore assume that Pakht was in some way connected with one of the forms of Horus, and that she was a local deity of great importance.
^^
J
It
triune
that Bast was a female
jDrobable
is
counterpart of the
god Ptah-Seker-Asar, and that she possessed attributes
which cannot
As
at present be clearly defined.
a nature power
she represented the gentle, fructifying heat of the sun, and
regenerative influence
in
the most
comforting form.
dynastic times Bast, and Sekhet, and existence
Bead
is
made known
by a Chapter
to us
is
In late
a deity whose
Booh of
in the
In the vignette Sekhet-Bast-Ra
(clxiv.).
woman with
Ra formed
a man's head, and wings attached to her arms, and the
has the phallus of a is
the
represented as a
heads of two vultures springing either from her head or neck
head
its
like that of
man and
Pekhat,
it,
and the other
to
have plumes upon
is
^
I
also
;
'^ ^ Pn
?
;
she
vulture's
and has plumes upon
an ordinary vulture, and appears
like that of it
One
the claws of a lion.
the man's head has
upon
it
the
united crowns of the South and North, and taken together with the phallus they indicate that the body of the
woman, who
is
here
Mut, was supposed to possess the generative and procreative powers of Ra. called
The text which forms the chapter and reads
:
— " Homage
to thee,
a very interesting one,
is
Sekhet-Bast-Ra, thou mistress
of the gods, thou bearer of wings, thou lady of the red apparel \\\ AAAAAA
only
5
dnes),
One,
queen of the crowns of the South and North,
sovereign
of
her
father,
superior
to
gods cannot be, thou mighty one of enchantments
whom (or,
the
words
Boat of Millions of Years, thou who art preeminent, who risest in the seat of silence, mother of Pasiiakasa
of power) in the
V^S^SM'^,
"^^^
'^^
^ J))?
queen
of
Parehaqa - Kheperu
the tomb. Mother in the horizon of heaven, gracious one, beloved,
destroyer of rebellion, ofl^erings are in thy grasp, and thou art
SEKHET-BAST-RA
519
'
standing in the bows of the boat of thy divine father to over-
'
throw Qetu/
Thou
Thou hast placed Maat
goddess Ammi-seshet
the fire
art
whose opportunity escapeth her not
PUSAEEMKAKAREMET ^
Thou
.
the boat
of
for behold, thus
is
thy name
;
[g]
^. is
tk
[]
his boat.
li^r}))^
flfl
TekahaeesatHl
"^^^"^
—U
/
' 1
unto the mighty flame of the
art like
"^
'^
zi
'^ rl)
)
which
?
is
in
the
thy father Haeepukakashaeeshabaiu
of
[his]
(- -
'^^ J^ "^^ FD
Saqenaqat (^
goddess
bows
j
,
{
bows of
in the
name
in the speech of the Negroes,
of the Anti, and of the people of Ta-kensetet (Nubia).
and
Praise
Lady, who art mightier than the gods, words of
be unto thee,
adoration rise unto thee from the Eight Gods of Hermopolis.
The living souls who are in their hidden places praise the thou who art their mother, thou source from mystery of thee, which they sprang, who makest for them a place in the hidden Underworld, who makest sound their bones and preservest them from terror, who makest them strong in the abode of everlastingness, who preservest them from the evil chamber of the souls
Hes-hra
of
^
f
Q
,^3^
I
Thy name
of the gods.
who
wj)?
is
among
is
faces,
fat
;
each has on his head the disk and plumes,
The name
par - SHETA, .^^ ^""'^^
^
arm
\
,_,
,
^^^^^^
1\ 1\
^^^
raised
of one dwarf
^^^^,
Sekhet-Bast-Ra ^
a dwarf with
is
one of a hawk and one of a man, and the body of each
has one hand and
Min.
company
Sefi-per-em-Hes-hra-hapu-tchet-f
is
each side of Sekhet-Bast-Ra in the vignette
two
the
is
">
,
and each
of x^Lmsu, or
Atare-am-tcher-qemtu-rennu-
<,•
.
manner
^
;v^
/
.
1
and that of the other, Pa-nemma-nemma. fl
^^
1
1
.
Finally, the last
name oiven
Utchat-Sekhet-urt-hent-neteru,
is
^^
„^^
the
after
^
^'^ nfin^e of a fiend.
-
I.e.,
"god
^^
to
Y
of the terrible face."
FORMS OF NEFER-TEM
520
Ml
I
^^^ ^^®
'
*^
maketh
"
who
"
chamber of the
^^
^^^^ *^ ^^ ^^^
emanation of Mut, " who
who maketh bodies to be sound, and them from the abode of the fiends which is in the
souls to be as gods,
delivereth
whom
According to the Rubric, the deceased
evil one."
two dwarfs were made would become like the immortals, and worms would not eat his body, and his soul would never be fettered, and he would drink water at the source of the river, and would have a homestead of his own in Sekhet-Aanre, and he would become a star of heaven, for
pictures of the goddess and the
and he would
and overcome the fiends Tar,
fight
and Nekau, ^__^
^^ J)
,
or
Memphite
of the
Nefer-Tem Q,
^si^
^.
%^
triad
who
,
man who
represented in the form of a
^ ^^
the tchdm sceptre,
"
1
,
is
the son of Ptah and
He
ehu
^^^™'"
"
J^ /^ =' ^^^ J^ /^
lion,
and sometimes he appears
lotus flower, or the lotus flower
some
^ t ^-
from a
mummy, and
close-fitting
sceptre and
flail,
Sekhem, on
(1
J\ j
.
compared
<=> ^^^
it is said,
"
ankh
T^^ ^^^^1
lion,
and
to stand
with the
his head.^
his
In
body has the
consistently with this his hands project
In the earliest times the lotus flower was
Thus
Pyramid Texts we find the text of Unas (line 392) the
in
the
a lotus at the nostrils of the Great
to
^ yV B
Unas hath ^
taui
garment, and he holds in them the tcham
allusions to this fact. is
called
make him
and plumes upon
associated with Nefer-Tem, and in
dead king
is
in religious scenes
Nefer-Tem has the head of a
cases
form of a
or the lotus
he
Nefer-Tem khu
blue and green glazed porcelain statues of the god
upon a
life,
these forms
|; in
and
taui,"
usually
is
holds in his hands either
and the symbol of
surmounted by plumes,
Nefer-Tem
^
Nefer-Tem,
is
Sekhet, or of Ptah and Pakht, or of Ptah and Bast.
sceptre
.^s,
^ 1^.
[|
The third member 1
^ "^^
m.
^^
risen like
See Lanzone, op.
,
and a
line or
two further
Nefer-Tem from the lotus
cit., pll.
147 and 148.
to
FORMS OF NEFER-TEM
521
" the nostrils of Ra, and he goeth forth from the horizon on each " day, and the gods are sanctified by the sight of him." ^
In the Theban Recension of the Booh of the Dead (xvii. 24) is a passage which appears to show that the attributes of Nefer-Tem
were not well defined, and we find him mentioned in connexion with a number of gods in a manner which
is
hard to explain.
The text makes the deceased to beseech Ra to deliver him from the god " whose form is hidden, and whose eyebrows are like unto " the two arms of the Balance on the night of reckoning destruc" tion," and in answer to the question, " Who then is this ? " we have the words, " It is An-a-f," i.e., the " god who bringeth his " arm,"
K
^..=_
AA^A/v^
jj
,2
who
is
usually regarded as a form of
The words " night of reckoning destruction " are explained by making them refer to the burning of the damned and the slaughter of the wicked on the block of the god by the
Amsu,
or Min.
" Slaughterer of Souls,"
'wwvn ^^:>^
^-^
1
^
The opinions
Tent-baiu.
of the Egyptian theologians differed greatly as to the identity of this
god Tent-baiu,
for
some thought he was !Nemu,^
Yiilf
\\
>> <S\^
the headsman of Osiris, and others thought he might be Apep,
with one head, or Horus with two heads, or Horus the Great of
Sekhem, or Thoth, or Nefer-Tem, or Septu,
k\^-
^^^^ ^®
remember that Nefer-Tem is the " young Tem," i.e., a god of the rising sun, and that the Horus gods and Septu were likewise forms of the rising sun, it is evident that Nemu and Apep must have had some characteristic in common with the son of Ptah and Sekhet. From Chapters Ixxxi., versions a and b, we learn that the deceased had power to transform himself into a lotus in the first version of the text he says, " I am the pure lotus which springeth up from ;
''
the divine splendour that belongeth to the nostrils of Ra," and in
second
the
a
V
we
—
H
"
He
3
See Book of
is
read, " Hail, thou Lotus, thou type of the
1'^
M" _^5^ ()^pizK '^
_m^
oa
^
T
/wvwv
one of the Forty-two Assessors in the Hall of Maati, tJie
Dead,
cliii.A 8,
31, 32
j
cliii.
5
;
clxx. 6.
^ ^
=^v^
god
I-EM-HETEP
522 "
Nefer-Tem
am
I
!
who knoweth
he
you, and I
know your
names among the gods, the lords of the Underworld, and I am The vignette of the first version is a lotus, and that of the second is a lotus plant with a flower and buds "
" one of you."
growing out of a
human
head,
The
^dooI of
water, and out of the flower springs a
the head of the deceased.
i.e.,
conveyed by the
idea
originated in the
mind
of
last
have
seems to
vignette
some early writer who was accustomed
to see the sun rise over the flooded lands of the Delta where the
grew
lotus
in
abundance.
Nefer-Tem, who
says, " I rise like
" Ra,
In Chapter clxxiv. 19, the deceased
when he cometh
is
the lotus at the nostrils of
forth from the horizon each day,"
Chapter clxxviii. 36, Nefer-Tem has the same also note that
he
is
him
— " Hail,
We
title.
makes the following address
who
Nefer-Tem,
must
Hall of
the thirty-fourth Assessor in the
Maati and that the deceased :
and in
comest
forth
" Ptah (Memphis), I have not acted with deceit,
"
Het-ka-
from
and
I
to
have not
Egyptian texts Nefer-Tem
worked wickedness." In the identified with a number of gods, all of whom are practically forms of Horus and Thoth, and in consequence the mother of each of these gods becomes his mother. late
is
The Egyptian of Ptah called
third
member
texts prove that besides
I-em-hetep, of the
fl
t\
jj,
great triad of
Nefer-Tem another son
was regarded
Memphis
;
as the
he was called
by the Greeks, and possessed many attributes in common The name of I-em-hetep means, " He who cometh in peace," and is appropriate to the god who brought the art of healing to mankind. The god is represented like Ptah,
'"IixovOti^
with their god Aesculapius.
Avith a bald head,
of papyrus open
and he
upon
is
depicted in a seated position with a roll
his knees
;
he was a god of study and learn-
ing in general, but he owed his great power to the knowledge of
medicine which he possessed.
some of the
As
attributes of Thoth,
a god of learning he partook of
and he was supposed
to take the
place of this god in the performance of funeral ceremonies, and in
superintending the embalming of the dead
;
in
later times
he
absorbed the duties of Thoth as "scribe of the gods," and the
1-EM-HETEP
523
authorship of the words of power which protected the dead from
enemies of every kind in the Underworld was ascribed to him. In certain aspects the god had a funeral character which somewhat
resembled that of Ptah-Seker-Asar, although he in the
Theban Recension
Embalmment"^
of
it
is
Booh of
of the
the
is
Dead.
said to the deceased,
not mentioned In the " Ritual
"Thy
soul uniteth
" itself to I-em-hetep whilst thou art in the funeral valley, and thy " heart rejoiceth because thou dost not go into the dwelling of "
Sebek, and because thou art like a son in the house of his father,
"
and doest what pleaseth thee in the
god was situated
oldest shrine of the
city of
The Memphis,
Uast (Thebes)."
close to the city of
and was called " the Temple of I-em-hetep, the son of Ptah," f
fi
TO 'AcrK\y]TneLov
^
it
;
,
which the Greeks gave the
to
name,
stood well outside the city, and lay quite near
the Serapeum, on the edge of that portion of the desert which
formed the necropolis of the
Under the Ptolemies a small
city.
temple was built in honour of I-em-hetep on the Island of Philae the hieroglyphic inscriptions are those of Ptolemy
;
IV., Philopator,
but the Greek text over the door was placed there by the command of Ptolemy V., Epiphanes. From one of the former we learn that " the god was entitled, Great one, son of Ptah, the creative god, "
made by Thenen, begotten by him and beloved by him,
" of divine forms in the temples,
who
giveth
mighty one of wonders, the maker of times
him
"sons to the
childless, the chief l-her-heh (
"
to all men, the
who cometh unto upon him wheresoever he may be, who giveth
" "
that calleth
life
the god
(?),
/T\ %,
i.e.,
the wisest
and most learned one), the image and likeness of Thoth the Wise.,
who sent sleep to those who were and those who were afflicted with any kind
I-em-hetep was the god suffering
and in pain,
he was the good physician both of gods and men, and he healed the bodies of mortals during of disease formed his special charge
;
and superintended the arrangements
life,
the same
after
death.
If
1
See Maspero, op.
3
See Brugscli, Thesaurus,
cit., p.
we could 3
80. p.
783
;
for the preservation of
trace
his
history
to
Brugscli, Diet. Geog., p. 1098.
Religion, p.
527
;
Sethe, Imliotep, 1903.
its
AND HERUTATAF
1-EM-HETEP
524 beginning
we
should find probably that he was originally a very
highly skilled " medicine
man
"
who had
introduced some ele-
mentary knowledge of medicine amongst the Egyptians, and who
was connected with the practice of the art of preserving the bodies of the dead by means of drugs, and spices, and linen He was certainly the god of physicians and of all those bandages. who were occupied with the mingled science of medicine and
when we remember
magic, and
that several of the
first
kings of
Empire are declared by Manetho, whose statements have been supported by the evidence of the papyri, to have written, i.e., caused to be edited, works on medicine, it is clear that the adoration of the god of medicine was in Memphis as old as the archaic In the songs which were sung in the temple of Antuf, period. the Early
the writer says, " I have heard the words of I-em-hetep and of
" Heru-tata-f,
(^^
3 tl^ mA
,
which are repeated over and over
"again, but where are their places this day? " overthrown, their seats (or places) have " they are as
if
they had never existed.
" unto us what
manner
no longer any being, and
No man cometh
to declare
and none
telleth us
of beings they were,
" of their possessions," etc.
Their walls are
Heru-tata-f, as
we
knoAv from later
was a very learned man, even though his speech could only with difficulty be understood, and we also know the prominent texts,
part which he took as a recognized
man
of letters in bringing to
the court of his father, Khufu, the magician Tetteta, and
name
is
Book of
associated with the " finding the
Dead.
connexion with him,
it is difficult
From
the
whose
acts
how
his
of certain Chapters of the
Of the sage I-em-hetep, who
as a skilled physician
classed Avith the
"
is
mentioned in
not to think that he was famous
and deeds were worthy of being
words of Heru-tata-f.
manner
in
which these great and wise men are
who were the chosen representatives of the ablest and most learned among men, had become, even at the time when the Songs of Antuf were composed, mythical beings
referred to
it is
clear that they,
in whole or in part,
the third deified
member
and there
is
of the triad
no good reason of
why
I-em-hetep,
Memphis, should not be a
form of a distinguished physician who was attached to the
I-EM-HETEP priesthood of Ra, and
who
525
flourished before the end of the rule of
The pictures and figures of the god suggest that he was of human and of strictly local origin, but it is not evident how he came to usurp the place of Nefer-Tem at the kings of the Ilird Dynasty.
Memphis, especially
as
he was not the son of Ptah by Sekhet, or
Bast, or any form of these goddesses.
The worship of I-em-hetep was commoner in the Sai'te and Ptolemaic periods than in the Early and Middle Empires, and all the bronze figures of the god belong to a period subsequent to titles
the
XXIInd Dynasty.
given to him in the inscriptions at Philae may,
represent ancient beliefs, but
it
is
The
it is true,
improbable, and as he does not
appear in the Theban Recension of the Booh of the Dead it is tolerably certain that his worship was as popular and fashionable at
Memphis immediately
before and during the Ptolemaic period
Amen-hetep, the son of Hapu, the famous sage who had seen and conversed with the gods, was at Thebes about the as that of
same time.
END OF VOL.
I.
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