The Egyptian Book of the dead
148th chapter. Names like ‘the Red-eyed’ ⁂⁂⁂ or the
‘Red-haired’ cow ⁂⁂ seem to imply _double_ stars. The ‘Red-eyed’
is said to abide in ⁂⁂⁂ ‘house of gauze’ (perhaps a cobweb).
The papyri add the important note that the “day of Come thou hither”!
represents the moment “when Osiris says to Râ, Come thou hither”! or, as
some read, “Come thou to me.” The speaker adds that he sees the meeting
of the two gods in Amenta.
16. ⁂⁂⁂ possessor of completeness, integrity, hence
‘inviolate.’ This name is given to Osiris when restored to his first
condition after having been dismembered and cut into pieces. The god is
called _Râ-Tmu-Nebert’er_ in the great Harris papyrus, 15, 3.
17. It is most probable that the Cat became the representative of the
Sun because of the homonymy between the Egyptian name ⁂⁂⁂⁂
_mȧȧu_ of the animal and the attributive ⁂⁂⁂ _mau_, ‘shining’
said of the Sun. But the Egyptian scribe gives a different etymological
explanation. Sau said of Râ “he is ⁂⁂ _maȧu_ of what he hath
made.” ⁂⁂ may, like the Latin _exemplar_, be either the type or
the prototype, the copy or the original. The creatures of Râ were made
after his likeness. Sanskrit literature, from the Çatapatha Brahmana
down to the Vishnu Purâna, is full of similar etymologies. The Egyptians
from the very first delighted in this play upon words.
18. Neḥebu-kau, ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ or ⁂⁂⁂⁂ is the
son of Seb and Renenut. The etymology of the name is indicated in the
Pyramid texts. ⁂⁂⁂⁂ _neḥbu_ is to ‘carry, sustain, support’
(whence ⁂⁂⁂⁂ _neḥbet_ a neck, and ⁂⁂⁂⁂ _neḥb_ a
yoke), and the rest of the word is the plural of _ka_, which is
susceptible of more than one meaning. It might signify the divine or
human _ka_, but the word is sometimes (_e.g._, Todt., 125, 32) written
⁂ ‘victuals.’ The god is one of the forty-two judges of the dead, and
in some copies of the Book of the Dead he is described as coming forth
from his ⁂⁂⁂, a word most frequently used for the source of the
Nile. The serpent ⁂ which is a most frequent determinative of the
name, is an additional reason for identifying this god with the Nile: a
conclusion which seems fully justified by the Pyramid texts, which speak
of him as Water ⁂, and describe him as ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂, “of
many windings.” (See Pepi I, 341 and 487.)
19. This Devourer has the same functions as the strange animal called
⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ _Âmemit_ in the pictures of the Psychostasia. The
later scholia add that the Devourer comes from the ‘basin of Punit,’ the
Red sea. They add other names, ⁂⁂⁂⁂ _Mâtes_ ‘Flint,’
“stationed at the gate of Amenta,” and ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ or ⁂
_Baba_, who, in ch. 63, 2, is described as the first born of Osiris. He
is a terrible god from whom the deceased prays in ch. 125, 36, to be
delivered. His name implies ‘one who searches or probes thoroughly,’ as
a digger or miner. And such are his functions at the judgment of the
dead.
Instead of ⁂⁂ _tesem_, a ‘hound,’ _La_ reads ⁂⁂⁂⁂
_sȧu_, a sheep.
20. The ⁂⁂⁂ _Mesqȧt_ is a ⁂⁂⁂ ‘a place of scourging.’
The word ⁂⁂⁂ is known as signifying violent treatment by
beating, and has been illustrated by Chabas and Goodwin. See
_Zeitschr._, 1874, p. 62. In the 72nd chapter the deceased prays that he
may not perish at the _Mesqȧt_. A kindred word ⁂⁂⁂⁂ _Mesqa_
signifies ‘a hide.’ We can understand the connection between δέρω ‘flay,
cudgel, thrash’ and δέρμα ‘a hide.’ And we ourselves have the familiar
phrase of ‘giving a _hiding_.’ But purification as well as punishment
was found at the heavenly _mesqȧt_. It is mentioned in the Harris
Magical papyrus[6, 3] simply as a heavenly thing. In the more recent
scholia the purifier is said to be Anubis, who is behind the chest
containing the remains of Osiris.
After the scholion which has just been translated the early texts pass
on to the 18th chapter.
For the rest of the chapter we are compelled to follow the texts of the
papyri. The character of this portion differs considerably from the
former part, and is clearly an addition. The speakers rapidly succeed
each other. “I am Tmu,” “I am Isis,” “I was conceived by Isis,” “Isis
destroyeth what in me is wrong,” and finally “I am Uat’it.”
21. Cher-âbat and Heliopolis like all the localities here mentioned are
in heaven not upon earth.
22. Uat’it is literally ‘the pale one,’ a name of the Dawn. But here the
fiery dawn is spoken of, ἠώς φλογερά, πυρίβρομος.
23. Hemen ⁂⁂⁂ is a divinity seldom, if ever, mentioned after
the “Middle Empire.” In the Pyramid texts he has a Snake (the River) in
his hand.
24. The last line of the chapter has suffered in all the best papyri.
See M. Naville’s collation. In the papyrus of Ani the chapter is
unfinished. The later papyri end the chapter by saying that “it has been
granted to the speaker by those who are in Tattu to destroy by fire the
souls of his adversaries.” This consummation is already found in _La_.
-----
Footnote 20:
⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂, ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂, _praeconium_,
_praeco_.
Footnote 21:
The god who lifteth up his arm is ⁂ Amsu.
Footnote 22:
⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ _ȧnem_ ‘skin,’ according to Horhotep and
the first coffin of Mentuhotep at Berlin. But the second coffin of
Mentuhotep has already ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ _ȧnḥu_ ‘eyebrows,’
which afterwards becomes the received reading. It is that of Queen
Mentuhotep.
Footnote 23:
An interpolation in the text of Horhotep.
Footnote 24:
_Mission archéologique Française au Caire_, II.
Footnote 25:
Ovid, _Fast_, I, 129, 130.
Footnote 26:
Apocalypse i, 8.
Footnote 27:
The _last_ form of the chapter (as found in the hieratic papyrus T. 16
of Leyden, and others in the British Museum) changes the opening as
follows—“I am Atmu, who made the Sky and created all that hath come
into being.”
Footnote 28:
⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ in the historical inscriptions is just like
the Greek γυῖα λέλυντο, λύτο γούνατα καὶ φίλον ἡτορ.
Footnote 29:
It is certain that from the earliest times Heaven as
⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ ‘the Great Weeper,’ was considered as the
source of life to gods and men. But myths must not be mixed. One must
not be considered as the explanation of another.
PLATE VIII.
BOOK OF THE DEAD.
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PLATE IX
BOOK OF THE DEAD.
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CHAPTER XVIII.
[_Introductory._]
_The An-māut(1.) saith_:—
I come to you, ye Great Circles of gods(2.) in Heaven, upon Earth and in
the World below! I bring to you _N_ void of offence towards any of the
gods, grant that he may be with you daily.
Glory to Osiris, Lord of Restau, and to the great gods who are in the
World below. Here is _N_ who saith:—Hail to thee, Prince of Amenta,
Unneferu who presidest in Abydos, I come to thee with Righteousness;
without sin upon me. I am not knowingly a speaker of wrong; I am not
given to duplicity; grant me Bread, the right of appearance at the
tables of the Lords of Maāt, entering in and going out of the
Netherworld, and that my soul may not suffer repulse in its devotion to
the orb of the Sun and the vision of the Moon-god for ever.
_The Se-meri-f saith_:—
I come to you, O Circle of gods in Restau, and I bring to you _N_. Grant
to him Bread, Water, Air and an allotment in the Sechit-hotepu like
Horus.
Glory to Osiris, the Lord of Eternity and to the Circle of gods in
Restau. Here is _N_ and he saith:—I come to thee, I know thy will, and I
am furnished with thine attributes of the Tuat. Grant me an abiding
place in the Netherworld by the Lords of Maāt, my permanent allotment in
the Sechit-hotepu, and the receiving of cakes before thee.
[LITANY.]
1. Oh Thoth, who makest Osiris triumphant over his adversaries, let _N_
be made triumphant over his adversaries, even as thou makest Osiris
triumphant over his adversaries, before the Circle of gods about Rā and
about Osiris and the Great Circle of gods in Heliopolis, on that Night
of the _Eve’s Provender_(3.) and the Night of Battle when there befel
the Defeat of the Sebau, and the Day of the extinction of the
adversaries of the Inviolate god.
The Great Circle of gods in Heliopolis is of Tmu, Shu and Tefnut, and
the Sebau who were defeated and extinguished were the associates of Sut
on the renewal of his assault.
2. Oh Thoth who makest Osiris triumphant over his adversaries, let _N_
be made triumphant over his adversaries, even as thou makest Osiris
triumphant over his adversaries before the Great Circle of gods in
Tattu, on the Night wherein the Tat is set up in Tattu.(4.)
The Great Circle of gods in Tattu is of Osiris, Isis, Nephthys and Horus
the Avenger of his Father; and they who set up the Tat are the two arms
of Horus, Prince of Sechem. They are behind Osiris as bindings of his
raiment.
3. Oh Thoth who makest Osiris triumphant over his adversaries, let _N_
be made triumphant over his adversaries, even as thou makest Osiris
triumphant over his adversaries, before the Great Circle of gods in
Sechem on that Night of the _Eve’s Provender_ in Sechem.
The Great Circle of gods in Sechem is of Horus in the Dark,(5.) and
Thoth, who is of the Great Circle of An-arer-ef.
The _Eve’s Provender_ is the dawn upon the Coffin of Osiris.
4. Oh Thoth, who makest Osiris triumphant over his adversaries, let _N_
be made triumphant over his adversaries, even as thou makest Osiris
triumphant over his adversaries, before the Great Circle of gods in Pu
and Tepu,(6.) on that Night of erecting the flag-staffs of Horus, and of
establishing him as heir of his Father’s property.
The Great Circle of gods in Pu and Tepu is of Horus, Isis, Emsta, Hapi;
and the pillars of Horus are erected when Horus saith to those who
follow him “let the flag-staffs be erected there.”
5. Oh Thoth, who makest Osiris triumphant over his adversaries, let _N_
be made triumphant over his adversaries, even as thou makest Osiris
triumphant over his adversaries, before the Great Circle of gods of the
Two Regions[30] of Rechit, on that Night when Isis lay watching in tears
over her brother Osiris.
The Great Circle of gods on the Two Regions of Rechit is of Isis,
Nephthys, Emsta and Hapi.
6. Oh Thoth, who makest Osiris triumphant over his adversaries, let _N_
be made triumphant over his adversaries, even as thou makest Osiris
triumphant over his adversaries, before the Great Circle of gods in
Abydos on the night of Hakra,(7.) when the evil dead are parted off,
when the glorious ones are rightly judged, and joy goeth its round in
Thinis.
The Great Circle of gods in Abydos is of Osiris, Isis and Apuat.
7. Oh Thoth, who makest Osiris triumphant over his adversaries, let _N_
be made triumphant over his adversaries, even as thou makest Osiris
triumphant over his adversaries, before the Great Circle of gods on the
Highway of the Damned,(8.) upon the Night when judgment is passed upon
those who are no more.
The Great Circle of gods on the Highway of the Damned are Thoth, Osiris,
Anubis and Astes. And judgment is passed on the Highway of the Damned
when the suit is closed[31] against the souls of the Children of