The Egyptian Book of the dead
III, 93 (_Pb._), and the papyrus of _Nu_, fowlers and fishermen are
mixed together.
The text of 153A is very corrupt, and seems to differ greatly from the
original. The variants between the chief documents are considerable, and
show that the understanding of it was nearly lost. It probably had two
different versions, which have been cast into one, since after the first
two-thirds it begins over again and nearly repeats itself.
The Turin text contains only 153A, and that even much shorter, but it is
followed by a rubric, which is absent from the Theban version.
The translation is made from the three above-named documents.
The vignette of 153A, in the papyrus III, 93, of the Louvre (_Pb_),
shows a clap-net drawn by four men. Behind it comes the deceased,
holding in his hand two instruments mentioned in the text: the ⁂ and
the ⁂, called ⁂⁂⁂⁂ or ⁂⁂⁂ each of them
consists of different parts having a distinct name.
In the papyrus of _Nu_ the deceased is seen drawing the rope of the net.
In the vignette of London, 9900 (_Aa_), he is supposed to do the same.
1. Among the dangers to which the deceased is exposed is that of being
caught in a net by hidden genii, who will treat him as is done to
water-fowl or fishes. But he escapes from this peril, because he knows
the names of the fowlers and fishermen who intend to attack him, and
also of the net itself, and of the various parts of which it consists.
All these names are mystical; they are connected with some divinity, and
this gives them a magical power, owing to which the deceased can make
his escape.
2. I suppose this means fishermen, sons of fishermen.
3. Litt. the hands: the bars, the sides of the frame of the net.
4. The fingers are often mentioned when we should say the hand. The act
or the wound is attributed to the fingers. “Whose fingers are hidden,”
means he who hides the hand with which he will strike.
5. ⁂. The instrument in the hand of the deceased. Though the
determinative is ⁂, it does not necessarily mean that it is made of
wood; it may be the determinative of weapons in general. It has prongs,
which are compared to nails or claws, so that it probably is a weapon
like the bident for spearing fishes, the tines of which are held
together by a string (Wilkinson, _Manners and Customs_, 2nd edition,
Vol. II, p. 107). Otherwise it is not unlike a netting needle
(Wilkinson, _loc. cit._, p. 175). If it is a weapon, one does not very
well understand why it is said to belong to the net.
6. The ⁂⁂⁂⁂ is evidently the stake or peg to which the end
of the clap-net is fastened. But it must be noticed that in the vignette
of London, 9900, this peg is a dagger. Therefore one may speak of its
pointed head ⁂ (Brugsch, _Dict. Suppl._, p. 85), and of its
⁂⁂⁂, blade.
7. Nemu is perhaps a local name of Horus (Brugsch, _Dict. geog._, p.
71).
8. ⁂⁂⁂. “The god in Lion form” (Renouf) is the name of the
Sphinx (_Sphinx_, Vol. V, p. 193).
9. See Chapter 149, note 5.
10. We know from an inscription at Dendereh that the
⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂, the drinkers, feast on blood,
⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ (Brugsch, _Dict. Suppl._, p. 18).
11. The late recension of Chapter 153 ends here, and does not contain
153B. It is followed by this rubric:
_Said on a figure of the deceased which is placed in a boat. Thou shalt
put the Sektit boat on his right, and the Âtit boat on his left.
Offerings will be made to him of cakes, beer, and all good things, on
the day of the birth of Osiris. He to whom these things have been done
will be a living soul for ever, and will not die a second time._
12. ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂. I consider this word as derived from
⁂⁂⁂, ⁂⁂⁂, which means to mark an object with a
cut or with fire, for a religious purpose, or simply as an
indication of property. A little further it is spoken of fishes
⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ “marked on the tail.”
13. We have here the opposition between ⁂⁂ “those who are,” and
⁂⁂ “those who are not,” that is, those who are not yet,
the future ones. The negative, which often expresses the
idea of anteriority, is one of the usual ways of rendering
the future; that which has not yet taken place, which is
to come. An official of the XIIth dynasty says: “the king
⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ made me his
commissioner of works, having charge of present and future work”
(_Zeitschr._, 1882, p. 8, note). It is said of Isis that “she issues her
directions for what is and what will be” ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂
(Stèle Metternich, Brugsch, _Dict. Suppl._, p. 355).
14. See Chapter 1, note 8.
15. ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂. As they are sometimes mentioned before
the gods, I believe the word might be translated, the first beings, the
first creatures: “die Urwesen.”
16. Here begins the second version of the chapter which has been added
to the other one.
17. ⁂⁂⁂⁂. This lake is often mentioned in the texts of the
pyramids. It is one of the celestial lakes not very distant from the
Elysian fields.
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PLATE LVI.
BOOK OF THE DEAD.
[Illustration: CHAPTERS 151, 155, 156. =Louvre, III, 89.=]]
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CHAPTER CLIIIB.
_The Chapter of escaping from the catchers of fish._
O ye snarers (?), O ye fowlers, O ye fishers, sons of their fathers,
know ye(1.) what I do know, the name of this very great net: the
embracer is its name.
Know ye what I do know, the name of its cordage: the bonds of Isis.
Know ye what I do know, the name of its stake: the thigh of Tmu.
Know ye what I do know, the name of the fork: the finger of Nemu.
Know ye what I do know, the name of its point: the nail of Ptah.
Know ye what I do know, the name of its blade: the knife of Isis.
Know ye what I do know, the name of its weight: the iron which is in the
sky.
Know ye what I do know, the name of its flowers(2.): the feathers of the
hawk.
Know ye what I do know, the name of the fisherman: the cynocephalus.
Know ye what I do know, the name of the ground(3.), where are its
limits: the house of the moon.
Know ye what I do know, the name of him who fishes there: the great
prince who sits on the east of the sky...(4.).
I am Rā,(5.) who proceedeth from Nu, and my soul is divine. I am he who
produceth food, but I execrate what is wrong.
I am Osiris, the possessor of Maāt, and I subsist by means of it every
day.
I am the eternal one, like the bull.(6.) I am feared by the cycle of the
gods in my name of the eternal one.
I am self-originating, together with Nu, in my name of Chepera, from
whom I am born daily.
I am the lord of Daylight, and I shine like Rā; he gives me life in
these his risings in the East.
I come to heaven, I take hold of my place in the East.
The children of the great god nourish him to whom they have given birth,
with sacred offerings.
I eat like Shu. I ease myself like Shu. The king of Egypt (Osiris) is
present. Khonsu and Thoth(7.) their laws are within me. They impart
warmth(8.) to the heavenly host.
NOTES.
This Chapter is found only in two papyri: Paris, III, 93, and the
Papyrus of _Nu._ Both of them are, in some parts, very incorrect. The
Paris document here and there omits a line; I had to use them both for
the translation.
The first part of the Chapter is only a nomenclature of the various
parts of the net, very similar to 153A.
The vignette represents a drag-net drawn by three dog-headed apes.
1. ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂. I believe there is a slight difference
of meaning between this old participial form, and the usual
⁂⁂⁂⁂. I consider that the first form means: do you know
well? are you certain to know? or do you pretend to know?
2. ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ I suppose this word means the papyrus flowers
which are sometimes tied to the net. (Bergmann, _H.I._, p. 53.)
3. ⁂⁂ where we had in 153A. ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂.
4. Here the discrepancies between the two texts are so great, that I do
not venture to give a translation.
5. The following lines are an abridged recension of Chapter 85, where I
repeat Renouf’s translation.
6. The bull of Amenta, Osiris, as he is called in the first Chapter (see
note 5, Chapter 1).
7. ⁂⁂⁂⁂ Thoth, the god of ⁂⁂⁂ ϣⲙⲟⲩⲛ Hermopolis.
(Brugsch, _Dict. Suppl._, p. 927, _Dict. Geog._, p. 749.)
8. ⁂⁂, litt. warmth, means probably a moral quality. In the
Canopus inscription ⁂⁂⁂ corresponds to the Greek κηδεμονικῶς.
------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLATE LVII.
BOOK OF THE DEAD.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------
CHAPTER CLIV.
_The Chapter of not letting the body decay(1.) in the Netherworld._
Hail to thee, my father Osiris. I have come to embalm thee. Do thou
embalm this flesh of mine, for I am perfect like my father Chepera, who
is my image, he who does not know corruption.
Come, take hold of my breath of life, lord of the breath, lofty above
his equals; vivify(2.) me, build me up, thou lord of the funeral chest.
Grant me to go down into the land of eternity, as thou doest when thou
art with thy father Tmu, he whose body never decays, he who does not
know destruction.
I have not done what thou hatest, the command (which I obey) is that
which thy _ka_ loveth,(3.) I have not transgressed it.
I have been delivered, being thy follower, O Tmu, from the rottenness
which thou allowest to come over every god, every goddess, every animal,
every creeping thing which is corruptible.
After his soul has departed he dies,(4.) and when it has gone down he
decays; he is all corruption; all his bones are rottenness,
putrefaction(5.) seizes his limbs and makes his bones break down, his
flesh becomes a fetid liquid, his breath is stink, he becomes a
multitude of worms.
(As for me) there are no worms(6.). He is impotent whoever has lost the
eye of Shu(7.) among all gods and goddesses, all birds and fishes, all
snakes and worms, all animals altogether, for I cause them to crawl
before me, they recognise me and the fear of me prevails over them, and
behold every being is alike dead among all animals, all birds, all
fishes, all snakes, all worms, their life is like death.
Let there be no food for the worms all of them. Let them not come to me
when they are born, I shall not be handed over to the destroyer in his
cover, who destroys the limbs, the hidden one who causes corruption, who
cuts to pieces(8.) many dead bodies, who lives from destroying.
He lives who performs his commands, but I have not been delivered into
his fingers, he has not prevailed upon me, for I am under thy command,
lord of the gods.
Hail to thee, my father Osiris! thy limbs are lasting, thou dost not
know corruption; there are no worms with thee, thou art not repugnant,
thou dost not stink, thou dost not putrefy, thou wilt not become worms.
I am Chepera, my limbs are lasting for ever. I do not know corruption. I
do not rot, I do not putrefy, I do not become worms. I do not lose the
eye of Shu.
I am, I am, I live, I live, I grow, I grow, and when I shall awake in
peace, I shall not be in corruption, I shall not be destroyed in my
bandages. I shall be free of pestilence, my eye will not be corrupted,