The Egyptian Book of the dead
image of Horus made of lapis lazuli (or blue material) and placed at the
throat of the deceased. It is also to be recited in the Netherworld.
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CHAPTER CLXXVI.
_Chapter of not dying a second time in the Netherworld._
I execrate the land of the East. I do not go to the dungeon, for I have
not done those things which are forbidden by the gods.
For I have passed through the place of purification in the middle of the
Meskat;(1.) the inviolate god has given me his glorious attributes on
the day when the two Earths were united in the presence of the Master of
(all) things.
_He who knows this chapter is a mighty Chu in the Netherworld._
NOTES.
A short Chapter found in one papyrus only, and consisting of a few
sentences taken from various chapters.
1. See Note 19, Chapter 17.
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CHAPTER CLXXVII.
_Chapter of raising the Chu, of vivifying his soul in the Netherworld._
O Nut, Nut, who created the father out of his earth(1.) and Horus after
him, who bound his wings as to a hawk and his feathers like Kemhesu,(2.)
who brought him his soul, and who perfected his words, who showed him
his abode in the presence of the stars, the occupiers of the sky, for he
is the great star of Nut.
Thou seest _N._ uttering words to the Glorified, for he is the great
form who will not rule (?) over them if thou art not among them. Thou
seest the head of _N._ as a _ba_(3.) (ram); his horns are like those of
a sacrificed victim, those of a black ram, born of the ewe who bare him,
and suckled by four sheep.
There came to thee Horus with blue eyes, do thou guard Horus with red
eyes in his sickness and in his wrath; let his soul not be opposed, let
his messengers come to him, and his quick runners(4.) hasten to him; let
them come on the west side, and one by one (?) march towards thee.
The god has said this: thy words are those of the father of the
gods,(5.) thy name will be triumphant before the gods; they exalt thee
and the cycle of the gods give thee their hands.
Said by the god to the father of the gods: take possession of the door
of the _ka_ on the horizon, let them throw open their gates; thou art
welcome to them, do thou prevail over them, let them advance towards the
god(6.) ... when they come out they raise their faces, they see him
before the great god Amsu[6] ... thy head, I have raised for thee thy
head, take possession of it ... his head has perished behind thee, thy
head will not perish and what thou hast done before men and gods will
not be destroyed.
NOTES.
This Chapter is found in the pyramid of Unas (ll. 361-376), where the
text is not much better than in the Papyrus London 9900.
1. I believe this obscure expression means Osiris.
2. A form of Horus represented as a crouching hawk, with two feathers on
his head (Renouf, _Life Work_, Vol. III, p. 236).
3. Though ⁂ is written by a bird with a human head, it applies to
the soul represented by a ram. See vignettes to Chapter 85.
4. ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ evidently the word ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ of
the inscription of the “Destruction of mankind,” where it refers to
⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ the messengers.
5. ⁂⁂⁂ means properly a hunter, a man of the field, which
would have no sense here. Unas reads ⁂⁂⁂⁂ “the divine
fathers.” Adopting the reading of Unas in the singular, I read the
father of the gods, probably Seb, who is mentioned a little further in
the text of the pyramid.
6. Lacunæ.
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CHAPTER CLXXVIII.
_Chapter of raising the body, of giving it eyes, of making it possess
ears, of fixing its head, of putting it on its base._
Thou hast received the eye of Horus;(1.) thy table is a table of
offerings.
Hail, Hunnu, lift up thy heart to purify thy body; they have eaten the
eye of Horus, the olive of Heliopolis,(2.) they destroy (what is wrong)
in the body of Osiris.
(3.)The mouth of _N._ had been thirsty; but he will never hunger (any
more); _N._ will never thirst; for Chas delivers him and does away with
hunger.
O you who fill the vases, you chiefs who distribute bread and cakes, and
who have charge of the waterflood; there was ordered for _N._ bread and
beer, Rā himself ordered them; he ordered them to those who fill the
year with plenty; they seize them (the gifts) and they give him his
wheat, his barley, his loaves, for he is the great bull.
Grant to _N._ the charge of the five loaves in the funerary chapel;
there are three in heaven for Rā, there are two on earth for the cycle
of the gods, and Nu sees them.
O, Rā, be gracious to _N._ in this happy day when _N._ joined Shu and
Isis, and when he was united to (Nekhebit);(4.) they give bread and beer
to _N._, and they do all the things good and pure in this happy day, the
things of Tum, bringing him the things of the eye of Horus ... whenever
he arrives to see the god.
Thou takest possession of water, and thou marchest towards the altar of
Sashert: four measures of water, as was commanded by Osiris to _N._ Shu
has handed over his wealth to _N._; they are thy bread and thy beer.
Awake, lofty judge; awake, thou sleeper; awake from thy ... thy
offerings are brought before Thoth and Horus, who comes out from the
Nile, and Apuat who comes out of Asert.
It is pure, the mouth of _N._; the cycle of the gods offers incense to
the mouth of _N._ His mouth is pure verily, and his tongue in his mouth,
for _N._ hates filth, he is washed from impurity as Sut is washed in the
city of the Rehui when he goes with Thoth to heaven.
Feed _N._ with you; let him eat what you eat, drink as you drink, sit as
you sit, be mighty as you are mighty, navigate as you navigate. The tent
of _N._ is woven in the field of Aarru, his running water is in the
Garden of Hotepit. Offerings are made to him among the gods; the drink
of _N._ is the wine of Rā.
He goes round the sky like Rā, he travels over the sky like Thoth. _N._
execrates hunger, he does not eat (feel) it, he execrates thirst. _N._
has received bread from the lord of eternity.
He ordered that _N._ should be conceived in the night and born in the
morning, close to the follower of Rā, before the morning star.
_N._ was conceived of _N._ and born of _N._, he brings you the loaves
which he found in the pupil of the eye of Horus, on the bough of the
_tennu_ tree.
When he came, Khenta Amenta brought him the victuals and the offerings
of Horus in his abodes where he lives of them. _N._ lives of them; as
Horus drinks, _N._ drinks; his food is on the altar of Sashert. _N._ is
welcome to Anubis on his mountain.
Hail, _N._, thy figure is that which thou hadst on earth, thou art
living and renewed every day. Thy face is unveiled, and thou seest the
lord of the horizon; he gives bread to _N._ at his hour of the day and
at his appointed time in the night. Horus has avenged thee, he has
smashed the jawbones of thy enemies, he has smitten the violent one at
the door of his fortress.
Hail, _N._, thine enemies are no more, in the great hall the scales are
right concerning thee, thou makest long strides like Osiris(5.) the lord
of the arrivals in the Amenta. He arrives when he likes, he sees the
great god in his creations, life is given to his nostrils, he is
triumphant over his enemies.
Hail, _N._ Thou hatest falsehood, thou propitiatest the lord of (all)
things in the night of “stopping the tears,” thou receivest sweet life
from the mouth of the cycle of the gods, and Thoth is satisfied in
giving thee victory over thine enemies.
Nut spreads her wings over thee in her name of the veil of the sky, she
giveth thee to be in the following of the great god, thine enemies are
no more. She delivers thee of all evil things in her name of
Chnumeturit, for she is the great one among her children.
O chief of the hours, in front of Rā, make way for _N._ that he may
arrive into the circle of Osiris, the living lord of the two earths, who
lives eternally.
_N._ is in the following of Nefertmu, he is the lotus at the nostrils of
Rā ... he is pure, in the presence of the gods; he sees Rā eternally.
NOTES.
This Chapter, taken from London 9900, is found complete in the pyramid
of Unas (l. 166 ff.). Four other pyramids, those of Teta, Pepi I,
Merenrā and Pepi II contain the greatest part of it; as also does a
stele of the XIIth Dynasty found in Abydos, and belonging to a man
called Nehi. Hatshepsu had it copied on both sides of the chamber of
offering specially dedicated to her (_Deir el Bahari_, Vol. IV, pl.
CIX-XIII and p. 8). In the pyramids as well as at the temple this text
is connected with offerings. The representation in the temple may be
considered as the vignette to this chapter. We see there the queen
sitting before an altar of offerings called ⁂⁂.
1. ⁂⁂ The eye of Horus, a generic term applied to a great number
of offerings.
2. There is much confusion in the first lines of this chapter.
3. Text evidently incorrect.
4. Taken from Unas.
5. I read ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ (Lepsius, _Todt._, 148, 3, title to
Chapter 180), to make long strides, means to go about freely.
6. Formula inscribed on the coffin of King Mycerinus, in the British
Museum, and on many coffins of the New Empire, especially under the
Saites.
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CHAPTER CLXXIX.
_Chapter of coming forth when going out of yesterday (1.) and coming in
the (present) day, being equipped by one’s own hands._
I am raised from yesterday, I come to-day, I come out of my own
creations.
I am the sap coming out of its tree, I am the flow coming out of its
form; for I stand before the lord of the white crown, I am gracious; my
words are well established before the lord of the red crown, he who
avenges(2.) his eye.
I died yesterday, but I come to-day;(3.) I made my way towards the
doorkeeper of the great god; I come forth by day against my enemy; I
triumph over him for ever. He is given me, and he will not be rescued
from my hand; he will dwindle away in my possession, before the great
circle of gods in the Netherworld.
I have been given the diadem of the great goddess which is on the head
of the shadow, and on the figure of the living gods. I have made my way
... my enemy is brought to me; he is given me and he will not be rescued
from my hand; he will dwindle away in my possession, before the circle
of gods of Osiris in his festival, when the inhabitants of the Amenta
...(4.) in his name of....
I am the lord of the red ones in the day of the births, I am the master
of the sword, it will not be taken away from me.
I am in my bower, I have the sweet juice from my palm trees; they bring
me what is agreeable to my heart.
I come forth in the day against this my enemy; when he is brought to me
I triumph over him, he will not be rescued from my hand, he will dwindle
away in my possession in the presence of the great circle of gods in
Ta-tsert, and the queen of the souls, the most mighty.
I rest in the garden of Hotepit, according to the commands of the lords
of Cherāba, my figure is high in the presence of the most mighty; I am
strong, I rest in the isles of the garden of Aarru.
NOTES.
This Chapter is found in two papyri only: London 9900 _Aa_, and the
papyrus of _Nu_. This last text differs considerably from the first at
the end of the chapter. The translation is made from _Aa_, with
occasional references to _Nu_.
1. The explanation of this curious expression
⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ is given by the words of Nu