The Wisdom of the Egyptians, Chapter IV, THE “BOOK OF THE DEAD

The
Wisdom of the Egyptians

The Story of the Egyptians, the Religion of the Ancient Egyptians, the Ptah-Hotep
and the Ke’gemini, the “Book of the Dead,” the Wisdom of Hermes Trismegistus,
Egyptian Magic, the Book of Thoth

Edited, and with an Introduction

By Brian Brown

New York: Brentano’s

[1923]

CHAPTER IV

THE “BOOK OF THE DEAD”

THE Book of the Dead, the Egyptian title of which, “Pert em hru,” has been variously
translated “coming forth by day” and the “manifestation day,” is a great body of
religious compositions compiled for the use of the dead in the other world. It is
probable that the name had a significance for the Egyptians which is incapable of
being rendered in any modern language, and is borne out by another of its titles–“The
chapter of making perfect the Khu”–or spirit. Texts dealing with the welfare of
the dead and their life in the world beyond the grave are known to have been in
use among the Egyptians as early as 4000 B.C. The oldest form of the Book of the
Dead known to us is represented in the Pyramid Texts. With the invention of mummification
a more complete funerary ritual arose, based on the hope that such ceremonies as
it imposed would ensure the corpse against corruption, preserve it forever, and
introduce it to a beatified existence among the gods. Almost immediately prior to
the dynastic era a great stimulus appears to have been given to the cult of Osiris
throughout Egypt. He had now become the god of the dead par excellence, and his
dogma taught that from the preserved corpse would spring a beautiful astral body,
the future home of the spirit of the deceased. It therefore became necessary to
adopt measures of the greatest precaution for the preservation of human remains.

The generality of the texts comprised in the “‘Book of the Dead” are in one form
or another of much greater antiquity than the period of Mena, the first historical
king of Egypt. Indeed, from internal evidence it is possible to show that many of
these were revised or edited long before the copies known to us were made. Even
at as early a date as 3300 B.C., the professional writers who transcribed the
ancient texts appear to have been so puzzled by their contents that they hardly
understood their purport. Dr. Budge states: “We are in any case justified in estimating
the earliest form of the work to be contemporaneous with the foundation of the civilization
which we call ‘Egyptian’ in the Valley of the Nile.”

A “DISCOVERY” 3400 YEARS OLD

A hieratic inscription upon the sarcophagus of Queen Khnem-nefert, wife of Mentu-hetep,
a king of the eleventh dynasty, c.2500 B.C., states that a certain chapter of the
Book of the Dead was discovered in the reign of Hesep-ti, the fifth king of the
first dynasty, who flourished about 4266 B.C. This sarcophagus affords us two copies
of the said chapter, one immediately following the other. That as early as 2500
B.C., a chapter of the Book of the Dead should be referred to a date almost 2000
years before that time is astounding, and the mind reels before the idea of a tradition
which, during comparatively unlettered centuries, could have conserved a religious
formula almost unimpaired. Thus thirty-four centuries ago a portion of the Book
of the Dead was regarded as extremely ancient, mysterious, and difficult of comprehension.
It will be noted also that the inscription on the tomb of Queen Khnem-nefert bears
out that the chapter in question was “discovered” about 4266 B.C. If it were merely
discovered at that early era, what periods of remoteness lie between that epoch
and the time when it was first reduced to writing? The description of the chapter
on the sarcophagus of the royal lady states that “this chapter was found in the
foundations beneath the Dweller in the Hennu Boat by the foreman of the builders
in the time of the king of the South and North, Hesep-ti, whose word is truth”;
and the Nebseni Papyrus says that the chapter was found in the city of Khemennu,
or Hermopolis, on a block of alabaster, written in letters of lapis-lazuli, under
the feet of the god. It also appears from the Turin Papyrus, which dates from the
period of the twenty-sixth dynasty, that the name of the finder was Heru-ta-ta-f,
the son of Cheops, who was at the time engaged in a tour of inspection of the temples.
Sir Gaston Maspero is doubtful concerning the importance which should be attached
to the statement regarding the chapter on the tomb of Queen Khnem-nefert, but M.
Naville considers the chapter in question one of the oldest in the Book of the Dead.

A bas-relief of the second dynasty bears an inscription dedicating to the shade
of a certain priest the formula of the “thousand loaves of bread, thousands of jugs
of ale,” and so forth, so common in later times. We thus see that 4000 years B.C.
it was regarded as a religious duty to provide offerings of meat and drink for the
dead, and there seems to be good evidence, from the nature of the formula in question,
that it had become fixed and ritualistic by this period. This passage would appear
to justify the text of the sarcophagus of the wife of Mentu-hetep. A few centuries
later, about the time of Seneferu, c. 3766 B.C., the cult of the dead had expanded
greatly from the architectural point of view, and larger and more imposing cenotaphs
were provided for them. Victorious wars had brought much wealth to Egypt, and its
inhabitants were better able to meet the very considerable expenditure entailed
upon them by one of the most expensive cults known to the history of religion. In
the reign of Men-kau-Ra a revision of certain parts of the text of the Book of the
Dead appears to have been undertaken. The authority for this is the rubrics attached
to certain chapters which state that they were found inscribed upon a block of alabaster
in letters of lapis-lazuli in the time of that monarch.

We do not find a text comprising the Book of the Dead as a whole until the reign
of Unas, 3333 B.C., whose pyramid was opened in 1881 by Sir G. Maspero. The stone
walls were covered with texts extremely difficult of decipherment, because of their
archaic character and spelling, among them many from the Book of the Dead. Continuing
his excavations at Saqqarah, Maspero made his way into the pyramid of Teta, 3300
B.C., in which he discovered inscriptions, some of which were identical with those
in the pyramid of Unas, so that the existence of a fully formed Book of the Dead
by the time of the first king of the sixth dynasty was proven. Additional texts
were found in the tomb of Pepi I, 3233 B.C. From this it will be seen that before
the close of the sixth dynasty five copies of a series of texts, forming the Book
of the Dead of that period, are in evidence, and, as has been observed, there is
substantial proof that its ceremonial was in vogue in the second, and probably in
the first, dynasty. Its texts continued to be copied and employed until the second
century of the Christian era.

It would appear that each chapter of the Book of the Dead had an independent
origin, and it is probable that their inclusion and adoption into the body of the
work were spread over many centuries, It is possible that some of the texts reflect
changes in theological opinion, but each chapter stands by itself. It would seem,
however, that there was a traditional order in the sequence of the chapters.

THE THREE RECENSIONS

There were three recensions or versions of the Book of the Dead–the Heliopolitan,
the Theban, and the Saite. The Heliopolitan Recension was edited by the priests
of the College of Anu, Or On, known to the Greeks as Heliopolis, and was based upon
texts not now recoverable. The Pyramids of Unas, Teta, and Pepi contain the original
texts of this recension, which represent the theological system introduced by the
priests of Ra. The essentials of the primitive Egyptian religion are, however, retained,
the only modification in them being the introduction of the solar doctrine of Ra.
In later times the priesthood of Ra were forced to acknowledge the supremacy of
Osiris, and this theological defeat is visible in the more modern texts. Between
the sixth and eleventh dynasties the priests of On edited a number of fresh chapters
from time to time.

The Thebas Recension was much in vogue from the eighteenth to the twenty-second
dynasties, and was usually written upon papyri and painted upon coffins in hieroglyphs.
Each chapter was preserved distinct from the others, but appears to have had no
distinct place in the entire collection.

The Saite Recension was definitely arranged at some date prior to the twenty-sixth
dynasty, and is written upon coffins and papyri, and also in hieratic and demotic
script. It continued to be employed to the end of the Ptolemaic period.

As we have previously noticed, the Book of the Dead was for their use from the
moment when they found themselves inhabitants of the other world. Magic was the
very mainspring of existence in that sphere, and unless a spirit was acquainted
with the formulwhich compelled the respect of the various gods and demons, and
even of inanimate objects, it was helpless. The region to which the dead departed,
the primitive Egyptians called Duat. They believed it to be formed of the body of
Osiris. It was regarded as dark and gloomy, containing pits of fire and dreadful
monsters which circled the earth, and was in its turn, bounded by a river and a
lofty chain of mountains. The part of it that was nearest to Egypt was regarded
as a description of mingled desert and forest, through which the soul of the deceased
might not hope to struggle unless guided by some benevolent spirit who knew the
paths through this country of despair. Thick darkness covered everything, and under
the veil of this, the hideous inhabitants of the place practised all sorts of hostility
to the newcomer, unless by the use of words of power he could prove his superiority
over them. But there was one delectable part in this horrid region–the Sekhet Hetepet,
the Elysian fields which contained the Sekhet Aaru, or the Field of Reeds, where
dwelt the god Osiris and his company. At first he had domain over this part of the
Duat alone, but gradually he succeeded in extending it over the entire country of
the dead, of which he was monarch. We find also a god of the Duat named Duati, but
who appears to have been more a personification of the region than anything else.
Now the wish of all good men was to win to the kingdom of Osiris, and to that end
they made an exhaustive study of the prayers and ritual of the Book of the Dead,
in order that they might the more easily penetrate to the region of bliss. This
they might reach by two ways–by land and by water. The path by water was no whit
less dreadful than that by land, the passage of the soul being barred by streams
of fire and boiling water, and the banks of the rivers navigated were populous with
evil spirits.

SELECTIONS FROM THE “BOOK OF THE DEAD”

A HYMN TO THE SETTING SUN

A hymn of praise to Ra when he riseth upon the horizon, and when he getteth in
the land of life. Osiris, the scribe Ani saith:

“Homage to thee, O Ra, when thou risest–as–Tem-Heru-khuti–Tem-Harmachis–Thou
art adored–by me when-thy beauties are before mine eyes, and–when thy–radiance–falleth–upon–my–body.
Thou goest forth to thy setting in the Sektet boat with–fair–winds, and thy heart
is glad; the heart of the Mater boat rejoiceith. Thou stridest over the heavens
in peace, and all thy foes are cast down; the never-resting stars sing hymns of
praise unto thee, and the stars which rest, and the stars which never fail glorify
thee as thou sinkest to rest in the horizon of Manu, O thou who art beautiful at
morn and at eve, O thou lord who livest and art established, O my lord!

“Homage to thee, O thou who art Ra when thou risest, and. Tem when thou settest–in–beauty.
Thou risest and shinest on the back of thy mother–Nut,–O thou who art crowned
king of the gods! Nut doeth homage unto thee, and everlasting and never-changing
order embraceth thee at morn and at eve. Thou stridest over the heaven, being glad
of heart, and the Lake of Testes is content–thereat–. The Sebau Fiend hath fallen
to the ground; his arms and his hands have been hacked off, and the knife hath severed
the joints of his body. Ra hath a fair wind; the Sektet boat goeth forth and sailing
along it cometh into port. The gods of the south and of the north, of the west and
of the east, praise thee, O thou divine substance, from whom all forms of life come
into being. Thou sendest forth the word, and the earth is flooded with silence,
O thou only One, who didst dwell in heaven before ever the earth and the mountains
came into existence. O runner, O Lord, O only One, thou maker of things which are,
thou hast fashioned the tongue of the company of the gods, thou hast produced whatsoever
cometh forth from the waters, and thou springest up from them over the flooded land
of the Lake of Horus. Let me snuff the air which cometh forth from thy nostrils,
and the nostrils, and the north wind which cometh forth from thy mother–Nut–.
O, make thou to be glorious my shining form–khu–, O Osiris, make thou to be divine
my soul–ba–! Thou art worshipped–in–peace–or (in setting–, O Lord of the gods,
thou are exalted by reason of thy wondrous works. Shine thou with the rays of light
upon my body day by day,–upon me–, Osiris the scribe, the teller of the divine
offerings of all the gods, the overseer of the granary of the lords of Abtu-Abydos–,
the royal scribe in truth who loveth thee; Ani, victorious in peace.”

HYMN AND LITANY TO OSIRIS

From the Papyrus of Ani, British Museum, No. 10,470,
sheet 19)

“Praise unto thee, O Osiris, lord of eternity, Unnefer, Heru-khuti–Harmachis–,
whose forms are manifold, and whose attributes are majestic, Ptah-Seker-Tern in
Annu–Heliopolis–, the lord of the hidden place, and the creator of Het-ka-Ptah–Memphis–and
of the gods–therein–, the guide of the underworld, who,–the gods–glorify when
thou settest in Nut. Isis embraceth thee in peace, and she driveth away the fiends
from the mouth of thy path. Thou turnest thy face upon Amentet, and thou makest
the earth to shine as with refined copper. Those who have lain down, i.e., the dead–rise
up to see thee, they breathe the air and they look upon thy face when the Disk riseth
on its horizon; their hearts are at peace inasmuch as they behold thee, O thou who
art Eternity and Everlastingness!”

OPENING THE MOUTH OF OSIRIS

In one of the tombs of the New Stone Age was found a flint instrument which,
as we know from inscriptions of the dynastic period, was used in performing the
ceremony of “opening the mouth” of the dead, a fact that proves that even in the
Old Stone Age a ceremony was performed on the dead body with the purpose of assisting
the soul, or spirit, to acquire the faculties and powers needed by it in the other
world. In this ceremony the flint instrument was thrust between the teeth of the
dead man, and when these were separated his spirit form was believed. to acquire
the power to eat and drink, to speak, to think, and to perform all the natural functions
of the body.

The Chapter Of Opening The Mouth Of Osiris. The scribe Ani, triumphant, saith:

“May the good Ptah open my mouth, and may the god of my city loose the swathings,
even the swathings which are over my mouth. Moreover, may Thoth, being filled and
furnished with charms, come And loose the bandages, even the bandages of Set which
fetter my mouth; and may the god Tem hurl them at those who would fetter–me–with
them, and drive them back. May my mouth be opened, may my mouth be unclosed by Shu
with his iron knife wherewith he opened the mouths of the gods. I am the goddess
Sekhet, and I sit upon –my–place in the great wind (?) of heaven. I am the great
goddess Sah who dwelleth among the Souls of Annu–Heliopolis–. Now as concerning
every charm and all the words which may be spoken against me, may the gods resist
them, and may each and every one of the company of the gods withstand them.”

SOUL AND BODY

From the Papyrus of Ani, British Museum, No. 10,470,
sheet 17)

The chapter of Causing the Soul to be United to its Body in the Underworld. The
Osiris Ani, triumphant, saith:

“Hail, thou god Anniu–i.e., Bringer!–Hail, thou god Pehrer–i.e., Runner–,
who dwellest in thy hall!–Hail–, great God! Grant thou that my soul may come unto
me from wheresoever it may be. If–it–would tarry, let then my soul be brought
unto me from wherever it may be, for thou shalt find the Eye of Horns standing by
thee like unto those beings who are like unto Osiris, and who

never lie down in death. Let not the Osiris Ani, triumphant, lie down in death
among those who lie down in Annu, the land wherein souls are joined unto their bodies
even in thousands. Let me have possession of my ba–soul–, and of my khu, and let
me triumph therewith in every place wheresoever it may be.–Observe these things
which–I–speak, for it hath staves with it;–observe then, O ye divine guardians
of heaven, my soul-wheresoever it may be.–If it would tarry, do thou make my soul
to look upon my body, for thou shalt find the Eye of Horus standing by thee like
those–beings who are like unto Osiris–.

“Hail, ye gods, who tow along the boat of the lord of millions of years, who
bring–it–above the underworld and who make it to travel over Nut, who make souls
to enter into–their–spiritual bodies, whose hands are filled with your ropes and
who clutch your weapons tight, destroy ye the Enemy; thus shall the boat of the
sun be glad and the great God shall set out on his journey in peace. And behold,
grant ye that the soul of Osiris Ani, triumphant, may come forth before the gods
and that it may be triumphant along with you in the eastern part of the sky to follow
unto the place where it was yesterday;–and that it may have–peace, peace in Amentet.
May it look upon its material body, may it rest upon its spiritual body; and may
its body neither perish nor suffer corruption forever.”

(These words are to be said over a soul of gold inlaid with precious stones and
placed on the breast of Osiris.)

OF EVIL RECOLLECTIONS

From the Papyrus of Nu, British Museum, No. 10,477,
sheet 8)

The chapter of driving evil recollections from the mouth. The overseer of the
palace, the chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, the son of the overseer of the
palace, the chancellor-in-chief, Amen-hetep, triumphant, saith:

“Hail, thou that cuttest off heads, and slitteth brows, thou being who puttest
away the memory of evil things from the mouth of the Khus by means of the incantations
which they have within them, look not upon me with the–same–eyes with which thou
lookest upon them. Go thou round about on thy legs, and let thy face be–turned–behind
thee so that thou mayest be able to see the divine slaughterers of the god Shu who
are coming up behind thee to cut off thy head, and to slit thy brow by reason of
the message of violence–sent–by thy lord, and to see (?) that which thou sayest.
Work thou for me so that the memory of evil things shall dart from my mouth; let
not my head be cut off; let not my brow be slit; and let not my mouth be shut fast
by reason of the incantations which thou hast within thee, according to that which
thou doest for the Khus through the incantations which they have within themselves.
Get thee back and depart at the–sound of–the two speeches which the goddess Isis
uttered when thou didst come to cast the recollection of evil things unto the. mouth
of Osiris by the will of Suti his enemy, saying, ‘Let thy face be toward the privy
parts, and look upon that face which cometh forth from the flame of the Eye of Horus
against thee from within the Eye of Tem,’ and the calamity of that night which shall
consume thee. And Osiris went back, for the abomination of thee was in him; and
thou didst go back, for the abomination of him is in thee. I have gone back, for
the abomination of thee is in me; and thou shalt go back, for the abomination of
me is in thee. Thou wouldst come unto me, but I say that thou shalt not advance
to me so that I come to an end, and–I–say then to the divine slaughterers of the
god Shu, ‘Depart.'”

OF RESCUE

From the Papyrus of Nu, British Museum, No. 10,477,
sheet 6)

The chapter of not letting the soul of Nu, triumphant, be captive in the underworld.
He saith:

“Hail, thou who art exalted!–Hail–thou who art adored! O thou mighty one of
Souls, thou divine Soul, thou possessor of terrible power, who dost put the fear
of thyself into the gods, thou who art crowned upon thy throne of majesty, I pray
thee to make a way for the ba–soul–, and for the khu, and the khaibit–shade–of
the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant–and let him
be–provided therewith. I am a perfect khu, and I have made–my–way unto the place
wherein dwell Ra and Hathor.”

(If this chapter be known–by the deceased–he shall be able to transform himself
into a khu provided–with his soul and with his shade–in the underworld, and he
shall never be held captive at any door in Amentet, in entering in or in coming
out.)

OF OPENING THE TOMB

From the Papyrus of Nebseni, British Museum, No.
9,900, sheet 6)

The chapter of opening the tomb of the soul–and–to the shade of Osiris the
scribe Nebseni, the lord of reverence, born of the lady of the house, Mut-restha,
triumphant, so that he may come forth by day and have dominion over his fleet. He
saith:

“That which was shut fast hath been opened, that is to say, he that lay down
in death–hath been opened–. That which was open hath been shut to my soul through
the command of the Eye of Horus, which hath strengthened me and which maketh to
stand fast the beauties which are upon the forehead of Ra, whose strides are long
as–he–lifteth up–his–legs–in journeying–. I have made for myself a way, my
members are mighty and are strong. I am Horus the avenger of his divine father.
I am he who bringeth along his divine father, and who bringeth along his mother
by means of his sceptre (?), And the way shall be opened unto him who hath gotten
dominion over his feet, and he shall see the Great God in the Boat of Ra,–when–souls
are counted therein at the bows, and when the years are also counted up. Grant that
the eye of Horus, which maketh the adornments of light to be firm upon the forehead
of Ra, may deliver my soul for me, and let there be darkness upon your faces, O
ye who would hold fast Osiris. Oh, keep not captive my soul, Oh, keep not ward over
my shade, but let a way be opened for my soul–and–and for my shade, and let–them–see
the Great God in the shrine on the day of the judgment of souls, and let–them–recite
the utterances of Osiris, whose habitations are hidden, to those who guard the members
of Osiris, and who keep ward over the Khus, and who hold captive the shades of the
dead who would work evil against me, so that they shall–not–work evil against
me. May a way for thy double–Ka–along with thee and along with–thy–soul be prepared
by those who keep ward over the members of Osiris, and who bold captive the shades
of the dead. Heaven shall–not–keep thee, the earth shall–not–hold thee captive,
thou shalt not have they being with the divine beings who make slaughter, but thou
shalt have dominion over thy legs, and thou shalt advance to thy body straightway
in the earth–and to–those who belong to the shrine and guard the members of Osiris.”

OF NOT SAILING TO THE EAST

From the Papyrus of Nu, British Museum, No. 10,477,
sheet 6)

The chapter of not sailing to the east in the underworld. The chancellor-in-chief,
Nu, triumphant, saith:

“Hail, phallus of Ra, who departest from thy calamity–which ariseth–through
opposition (?), the cycles have been without movement for millions of years. I am
stronger than the strong, I am mightier than the mighty. If I sail away or if I
be snatched away to the east through the two horns,” or–as others say–“if any
evil and abominable thing be done unto me at the feast of the devils, the phallus
of Ra shall be swallowed up,–along with–the head of Osiris. And behold me, for
I journey along over the fields wherein the gods mow down those who make reply unto–their
words–; now verily the two horns of the god Khepera shall be thrust aside, and
verily pus shall spring into being in the eye of Tem along with corruption if I
be kept in restraint, or if I have gone toward the east, or if the feast of devils
be made in my presence, or if any malignant wound be inflicted upon me.”

OF BEING NIGH UNTO THOTH

From the Papyrus of Nu, British Museum, No. 10,477,
sheet 7)

The chapter of being nigh unto Thoth. The chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant,
saith:

“I am he who sendeth forth terror into the powers of rain and thunder, and I
ward off from the great divine lady the attacks of violence–I have smitten like
the god Shat–i.e., the god of slaughter–, and I have out libations of cool water
like the god Ashu, and I have worked for the great divine lady–to ward off–the
attacks of violence–, I have made to flourish–my–knife along with the knife which
is in the hand of Thoth in the powers of rain and thunder.”

OF BEING NIGH UNTO THOTH

From the Papyrus of Nu, British Museum, No. 10,477,
sheets 19 and 20)

The chapter of being nigh unto Thoth and of giving glory unto a man in the underworld.
The chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

“I am the god Her-ab-maat–i.e., ‘he that is within his eye–, and I have come
to give right and truth to Ra; I have made Suti to be at peace with me by means
of offerings made to the god Aker, and to the Tesgeru deities, and by–making–reverence
unto Seb.”

The following–words are to be recited in the Sektet boat: “–Hail,–sceptre
of Anubis, I have made the four Khus who are in the train of the lord of the universe
to be at peace with me, and I am the lord of the fields through their decree. I
am the divine father Bah–i.e., the god of the water flood–, and I do away with
the thirst of him that keepeth ward over the Lakes. Behold ye me, then, O great
gods of majesty who dwell among the Souls of Annu, for I am lifted up over you.
I am the god Menkh–i.e., Gracious One–who dwelleth among you. Verily I have cleansed
my soul, O great god of majesty, set not before me the evil obstacles which issue
from thy mouth, and let not destruction come round about me, or upon me. I have
made myself clean in the Lake of making to be at peace,–and in the Lake of–weighing
in the balance, and I have bathed myself in Netert-utchat, which is under the holy
sycamore tree of heaven. Behold–I am–bathed,–and I have–triumphed–over–all–mine
enemies–straightway who come forth and rise up against right and truth. I am right
and true in earth. I, even I, have spoken (?) with my mouth–which is–the power
of the Lord, the Only one, Ra the mighty, who liveth upon right and truth. Let not
injury be inflicted upon me,–but let me be–clothed on the day of those who go
forward (?) to every–good–thing.”

OF BRINGING A BOAT ALONG IN HEAVEN

From the Papyrus of Nu, British Museum, No. 10,477,
sheet 9)

The chapter of bringing along a boat in heaven. The chancellor-in-chief, triumphant,
saith:

“Hail to thee, O thou Thigh which dwelleth in the northern heaven in the Great
Lake, which art seen and which dieth not. I have stood up over thee when thou didst
rise like a god. I have seen thee, and I have not lain down in death; I have stood
over thee, and I have risen like a god. I have cackled like a goose, and I have
alighted like a hawk by the divine clouds and by the great dew. I have journeyed
from the earth to heaven. The god Shu–made–me to stand up, the god of Light hath
made me to be vigorous by the two sides of the ladder, and the stars which never
rest set–me–on–my–way and bring–me–away from slaughter. I bring along with
me the things which drive back calamities as I advance over the passage of the god
Pen; thou comest, how great art thou, O god Pen! I have come from the Pool of Flame
which is in the Sekhet-Sasa–i.e., the Field of Fire.–Thou livest in the Pool of
Flame in Sekhet-Sasa, and I live upon the staff of the hold–god. Hail, thou god
Kaa, who dost bring those things which are in the boats by the . . . I stand up
in the boat and I guide myself–over–the water: I have stood up in the boat and
the god hath guided me. I have stood up. I have spoken.–I am master of the–crops.
I sail round about as I go forward, and the gates which are in Sekhem–Letopolis–are
opened unto me, and fields are awarded unto me in the city of Unni–Hermopolis–,
and laborers (?) are given unto me together with those of my own flesh and bone.”

OF PROTECTING THE BOAT OF RA

From the Papyrus of Nu, British Museum, No. 10,477,
sheet 97)

The chapter of protecting the boat of Ra. “O thou that cleavest the water as
thou comest forth from the stream and dost sit upon thy place in thy boat, sit thou
upon thy place in thy boat as thou goest forth to thy station of yesterday, and
do thou join the Osiris, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, Nu,
triumphant, the perfect Khu, unto thy mariners, and let thy strength be his strength.

“Hail, Ra, in thy name of Ra, if thou dost pass by the eye of seven cubits, which
hath a pupil of three cubits, then verily do thou strengthen the Osiris, Nu, triumphant,
the perfect Khu,–let him be among–thy mariners, and let thy strength be his strength.
Hail, Ra, in thy name of Ra, if thou dost pass by those who are overturned in death,
then verily do thou make the Osiris, Nu, triumphant, the perfect soul, to stand
up upon his feet, and may thy strength be his strength. Hail, Ra, in thy name of
Ra, if the hidden things of the underworld are opened unto thee and thou dost gratify
(?) the heart of the cycle of thy gods, then verily do thou grant joy of heart unto
the. chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, and let thy strength be his strength.
Thy members, O Ra, are established by–this–Chapter (?).”

–This Chapter–shall be recited over a bandlet of the fine linen of kings–upon
which–it hath been written with Anti, which shall be laid upon the neck of the
perfect Khu on the way of the burial. If this amulet be laid upon his neck he shall
do everything which he desireth to do even like the gods; and he shall join himself
unto the followers of Horus; and he shall be established as a star face to face
with Septet–Sothis–; and his corruptible body shall be as a god along with his
kinsfolk forever; and the goddess Menqet shall make plants to germinate upon his
body; and the Majesty of the God Thoth lovingly shall make the light to rest upon
his corruptible body at will, even as he did for the majesty of the King of the
North and of the South, the god Osiris, triumphant.

ON GOING INTO THE BOAT OF RA

From the Papyrus of Nu, British Museum, No. 10,177,
sheet 28)

The chapter of going into the boat of Ra. The chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant,
saith:

“Hail, thou Great God who art in thy boat, bring thou me into thy boat.–I have
come forward to thy steps–, let me be the director of thy journeyings and let me
be among those who belong to thee and who are among the stars which never rest.
The things which are an abomination unto thee and the things which are an abomination
unto me I will not eat, that which is an abomination unto me, that which is an abomination
unto me is filth and I will not eat thereof; but sepulchral offerings and holy food–will
I eat–, and I shall not be overthrown thereby. I will not draw nigh unto filth
with my hands, and I will not walk thereon with my sandals, because my bread–is
made–of white barley, and my ale–is made–of red barley; and behold, the Sektet
boat and the Atet boat have brought these things and have laid the gifts (?) of
the lands upon the altar of the Souls of Annu. Hymns of praise be to thee. O Ur-arit-s,
as thou travellest through heaven! Let there be food–for thee–, O dweller in the
city of Teni–this–, and when the dogs gather together let me not suffer harm.
I myself have come, and I have delivered the god from the things which have been
inflicted upon him, and from the grievous sickness of the body of the arm, and of
the leg. I have come and I have spit upon the body, I have bound up the arm, and
I have made the leg to walk.–I have–entered–the boat–and–I–sail round about
by the command of Ra.”

OF KNOWING THE SOULS OF THE EAST

From the Papyrus of Nu, British Museum, No. 10,477,
sheet 19)

The chapter of knowing the souls of the east. The chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant,
saith:

“I, even I, know the eastern gate of heaven–now its southern part is at the
Lake of Kharu and its northern part is at the canal of the geese–whereout Ra cometh
with the winds which make him to advance. I am he who is concerned with the tackle
(?)–which is–in the divine bark, I am the sailor who ceaseth not on the boat of
Ra. I, even I, know the two sycamores of turquoise between which Ra showed himself
when he strideth forward over the supports of Shu 1 toward the gate of the lord of the
East through which Ra cometh forth. I, even I, know the Sektet-Aarru of Ra, the
walls of which are of iron. The height of the wheat therein is five cubits, of the
cars thereof two cubits, and the stalks thereof three cubits. The barley therein
is–in height–seven cubits, the ears thereof are three cubits, and the stalks thereof
are four cubits. And behold, the Khus, each one of whom therein is nine cubits in
height, reap is near the divine Souls of the East. I, even I, know the divine Souls
of the East, that is to say, Heru-khuti–Harmachis–, and the Calf of the goddess
Khera, and the Morning Star–daily. A divine city hath been built for me, I know
it, and I know the name thereof; ‘Sekhet-Aarru’ is its name.”

OF SEKHET-HETEPET

From the Papyrus, of Nebseni, British Museum,
No. 9,900, sheet 17)

Here begin the chapters of Sekhet-Hetepet, and the chapters Of Coming Forth By
Day; of going into and of coming out from the underworld; of coming to Sekhet-Aaru;
of being in Sekhet, the mighty land, the lady of winds; of having power there; of
becoming a Khu there; of ploughing there; of eating there; of drinking there; of
making love there; and of doing everything even as a man doeth upon earth. Behold
the scribe and artist of the Temple of Ptah, Nebseni, who saith:

“Set hath taken possession of Horus, who looked with the two eyes upon the building
(?) round Sekhet-Hetepet, but I have unfettered Horus–and taken him from–Set,
and Set hath opened the ways of the two eyes–which are–in heaven. Set hath cast
(?) his moisture to the winds upon the soul–that hath–his day–or his eye–and
who dwelleth in the city of Mert, and he hath delivered the interior of the body
of Horus from the gods of Akert. Behold me now, for I make this mighty boat to travel
over the Lake of Hetep, and I brought it away with might from the palace of Shu;
the domain of his stars groweth young and reneweth its former strength. I have brought
the boat into the lakes thereof so that I may come forth into the cities thereof,
and I have sailed into their divine city Hetep. And behold, it is because I, even
I, am at Peace with his seasons, and with his guidance, and with his territory,
and with the company of gods who are his first born. He maketh the two divine fighters–i.e.,
Horus and Set–to be at peace with those who watch over the living ones whom he
hath created in fair form, and he bringeth peace–with him–; he maketh the two
divine fighters to be at peace with those who watch over them. He cutteth off the
hair from the divine fighters, be driveth away storm from the helpless, and he keepeth
harm from the Khus. Let me gain dominion within that Field, for I know it, and I
have sailed among its lakes so that I might come into the cities. My mouth is strong;
and I am equipped–with weapons to use–against the Khus; let them not have dominion
over me. Let me be rewarded with thy fields, O thou a god Hetep; that which is thy
wish, shalt thou do, O lord of the winds. May I become a khu therein, may I eat
therein, may I drink therein, may I plough therein, may I reap therein, may I fight
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. Thou hast made
strong (?) the mouth and the throat (?) of the god Hetep; Qetetbu is its (?) name.
He is established upon the watery supports (?) of the god Shu, and is linked unto
the pleasant things of Ra. He is the divider of years, he is hidden of mouth, his
mouth is silent, that which he uttereth is secret, he fulfilleth eternity and taketh
possession of everlastingness of existence as Hetep, the lord Hetep. The god Horus
maketh himself to be strong like unto the Hawk which is one thousand cubits in length
and two thousand–cubits in width–in life; he hath equipments with him, and he
journeyeth on and cometh where the seat of his heart wisheth in the Pools thereof
and in the cities thereof. He was begotten in the birth-chamber of the god of the
city, he hath offerings–made unto him–of the food of the god of the city, he performeth
that which is meet to do therein, and the union thereof, in the matter of everything
of the birth-chamber of the divine city. When–he–setteth in life like crystal
he performeth everything therein, and these things are like unto the things which
are done in the Lake of double Fire, wherein there is none that rejoiceth, and wherein
are all manner of evil things. The god Hetep goeth in, and cometh out, and goeth
backward–in–that, Field that gathereth together all manner of things for the birth-chamber
of the god of the city. When he setteth in life like crystal he performeth all manner
of things therein which are like unto the things which are done in the Lake of double
Fire, wherein there is none that rejoiceth, and wherein are no evil things whatsoever.
–Let me–live with the god Hetep, clothed and not despoiled by the lords of the
north (?) and may the lords of divine things bring food unto me; may he make me
to go forward and may I come forth, and may he bring my power to me there, and may
I receive it, and may my equipment be from the god Hetep. May I gain the mastery
over the great and mighty word which is in my body in this my place, and by it I
will remember and I will forget. Let me go forward in my journey, and let me plough.
I am at peace in the divine city 2

, and I know the waters, cities, nomes, and lakes which
are in Sekhet-hetep. I exist therein, I am strong therein, I become a khu therein,
I eat therein, I sow seed therein, I reap the harvest therein, I plough therein,
I make love therein, I am at peace with the god Hetep therein. Behold I scatter
seed therein, I sail about among its lakes and I come forward to the cities thereof,
O divine Hetep. Behold my mouth is equipped with thy horns–for teeth–, grant me
an overflowing supply of the food whereon the kas and khus–live–. I have passed
the judgment of Shu upon him that knoweth him, so that I may go forth to the cities
thereof, and may sail about among its lakes and may walk about in Sekhet-hetep;
and behold, Ra is in heaven, and behold, the god Hetep is its double offering. I
have come onward to its land, I have put on my girdle (?), I have come forth so
that the gifts which are about to be given unto me may be given, I have made gladness
for myself. I have laid hold upon my strength which the god Hetep hath greatly increased
for me. O Unen-em-hetep, 3
I have entered into thee and my soul followeth after me, and my divine food is upon
both my hands, O Lady of the two lands, 4 who establishest my word whereby I remember and forget;
I would live without injury, without any injury–being done–unto me, oh, grant
to me, oh, do thou grant to me, joy of heart. Make thou me to be at peace, bind
thou up my sinews and muscles, and make me to receive the air. O Un (en)-em-hetep,
thou Lady of the winds, I have entered into thee and I have opened–i.e., shown–my
head. Ra falleth asleep, but I am awake, and there is the goddess Hast at the gate
of heaven by night. Obstacles have been set before me, but I have gathered together
what he hath emitted. I am in my city. O Nut-urt, 5 I have entered into thee and I have
counted my harvest, and I go forward to Uakh. 6 I am the bull enveloped in turquoise,
the lord of the Field of the Bull, the lord of the divine speech of the goddess
Septer–Sothis–at her hours. O Uakh, I have entered into thee, I have eaten my
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 unto me; I follow after the
gods and–I come after–the divine kas. O Tchefet, 7 I have entered in to thee. I array
myself in apparel, and I gird myself with the sa garment of Ra; now behold,–he
is–in heaven and those who dwell therein follow Ra, and–I–follow Ra in heaven.
O Unen-em-hetep, lord of the two lands, I have entered into thee, and I have plunged
into the lakes of Tchesert; behold me, for all filth hath departed from me. The
Great God groweth therein, and behold, I have found–food therein–; I have snared
feathered fowl and I feed upon the finest–of them–. O Qenqentet,
8 I have entered
into thee, and I have seen the Osiris–my father–, and I have gazed upon my mother,
and I have made love. I have caught the worms and serpents, and I am delivered.
And I know the name of the god who is opposite to the goddess Tchesert, and who
hath straight hair and is equipped with two horns; he reapeth, and I both plough
and reap. O Hast, I have entered in to thee, I have driven back those who would
come to the turquoise–sky–, and I have followed the winds of the company of the
gods. The Great God hath given my head unto me, and he who hath bound on me my head
is the Mighty one who hath turquoise (?) eyes, namely, Ari-en-ab-f–i.e., he doeth
as he pleaseth–. O Usert, 9
I have come into thee at the head of the house wherein divine food is brought for
me. O Smam, 10 I have
come into thee. My heart watcheth, my head is equipped with the white crown, I am
led into celestial regions, and I make to flourish terrestrial objects, and there
is joy of heart for the Bull, and for celestial beings, and for the company of the
gods. I am the god who is the Bull, the lord of the gods, as he goeth forth from
the turquoise–sky—. O divine nome of wheat and barley, I have come into thee,
I have come forward to thee and I have taken up that which followeth me, namely
the best of the libations of the company of the gods. I have tied up my boat in
the celestial lakes, I have lifted up the post at which to anchor, I have recited
the prescribed words with my voice, and I have ascribed praise unto the gods who
dwell in Sekhet-hetep.”

OF KNOWING THE SOULS OF PE

From the Papyrus of Nu, British Museum, No. 10,477,
sheet 18)

Another chapter of knowing the souls of Pe. The overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief,
Nu, triumphant, saith:

“–Hail, –Khat, who dwellest in Khat, in Anpet, 11 and in the nome of Khat! –Hail,–ye
goddesses of the class who dwell in the city of Pe, ye celestial lands (?), ye stars,
and ye divine beings, who give cakes and ale (?), do ye know for what reason the
city of Pe hath been given unto Horus? I, even I, know though ye knoweth it not.
Behold Ra gave the city unto him in return for the injury in his eye, for which
cause Ra said to Horus, ‘Let me see what is coming to pass in thine eye,’ and forthwith
he looked thereat. Then Ra said to Horus, ‘Look at that black pig,’ and he looked,
and straightway an injury was done unto his eye,–namely–, a mighty storm–took
place–. 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.
12 Then said Ra to
those gods, ‘Place ye him in his chamber, and he shall do well.’ Now the black pig
was Suti who had transformed himself into a black pig, and it was he who had aimed
the blow of fire which was in the eye of Horus. Then said Ra unto those gods, ‘The
pig is an abominable thing unto Horus; oh, but he shall do well although the pig
is an 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 sacrifice
be made–to the gods–of his bulls, and of his goats, and of his pigs.’ Now the
father of Mesthi, Hapi, Tuamautef and Qebhsennuf is Horus, and their mother is Isis.
Then said Horus to Ra, ‘Give me two divine brethren in the city of Pe and two divine
brethren in the city of Nekhen, who–have sprung–from my body and who shall be
with me in the guise of everlasting judges, then shall the earth blossom and thunderclouds
and rain be blotted out.’ And the name of Horus became ‘Her-uatch-f’–i.e., Prince
of his emerald stone.–I, even I, know the Souls of Pe, namely, Horus, Mesthi, and
Hapi.”

OF THE SWALLOW

From the Papyrus of Nu, British Museum, No. 10,477,
sheet 10)

The chapter of making the transformation into a swallow. The chancellor-in-chief,
Nu, triumphant, saith:

“I am a swallow, I am a swallow. I am the scorpion, the daughter of Ra. Hail,
ye gods, whose scent is sweet; hail, ye gods, whose scent is sweet I –Hail–, Flame,
which cometh forth from the horizon! Hail, thou who art in the city, I have brought
the Warden of his Bight therein. Oh, stretch out unto me thy hand so that I may
be able to pass my days in the Pool of Double Fire, and let me advance with my message,
for I have come with words to tell. Oh, open–thou–the doors to me and I will declare
the things which have been seen by me. Horus hath become the divine Prince of the
Boat of the Sun, and unto him hath been given the throne of his divine father Osiris,
and Set, that son of Nut,–lieth–under the fetters which he had made for me. I
have made a computation of what is in the city of Sekhem, I have stretched out both
my hands and arms at the word (?) of Osiris, I have passed on to judgment, and I
have come that–I–may speak, grant that I may pass on and declare my tidings. I
enter in,–I–am-judged, and–I–come forth worthy at the gate of Neb-er-tcher.
I am pure at the great place of the passage of souls, I have done away with my sins,
I have put away mine offences, and I have destroyed the evil which appertained unto
my members upon earth. Hail, ye divine beings who guard the doors, make ye for me
a way, for, behold, I am like unto you. I have come forth by day, I have journeyed
on, on my legs, and I have gained the mastery over my footsteps–before–the God
of Light, I know the hidden ways and the doors of the Sekhet-Aaru, verily I, even
I, have come. I have overthrown mine enemies upon earth, and yet my perishable body
is in the gravel”

If this chapter be known–by the deceased–he shall come forth by day, he shall
not be turned back at any gate in the underworld, and he shall make his transformation
into a swallow regularly and continually.

TRANSFORMATION INTO A LOTUS

From the Papyrus of Nu, British Museum, No. 10,477,
sheet 11)

The chapter of making the transformation into a lotus. The overseer of the palace,
the chancellor-in-chief, Nu, saith:

“I am the pure Lotus which springeth up from the divine splendor that belongeth
to the nostrils of Ra. I have made–my way–, and I follow on seeking for him who
is Horus. I am the pure one who cometh forth out of the Field.”

TRANSFORMATION INTO A LOTUS

From the Papyrus of Paqrer–see Naville, op. cit.,
Bd. I, Bl. 93)

The chapter of making the transformation into a lotus. Saith Osiris Paqrer:

“Hail, thou lotus, thou type of the god Nefer-Temu! I am the man that knoweth
you, and I know your names among–those of–the gods, the lords of the underworld,
and I am one of you. Grant ye that–I–may see the gods who are the divine guides
in the Tuat–underworld,–and grant ye unto me a place in the underworld near unto
the lords of Amentet. Let me arrive at a habitation in the land of Tchesert, and
receive me, O all ye gods, in the presence of the lords of eternity. Grant that
my soul may come forth whithersoever it pleaseth, and let it not be driven away
from the presence of the great company of Gods.”

TRANSFORMATION INTO PTAH

From the Papyrus of Nu, British Museum, No. 10,477,
sheets 9 and 10)

The chapter of making the transformation into Ptah, of eating cakes, and of drinking
ale, and of unfettering the steps, and of becoming a living being in Annu–Heliopolis.
The chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

“I fly like a hawk, I cackle like the smen goose, and I preach upon that abode
of the underworld–aat–on the festival of the great Being. That which is an abomination
unto me, I have not eaten; filth is an abomination unto me and I have not eaten
thereof, and that which is an abomination unto my ka hath not entered into my belly.
Let me, then, live upon that which the gods and the Khus decree for me; let me live
and let me have power over cakes; let me eat them before the gods and the Khus–who
have a favor–unto me; let me have power over–these cakes–and let me eat of them
under the–shade of the–leaves of the palm tree of the goddess Hathor, who is my
divine Lady. Let the offering of the sacrifice, and the offering of cakes, and vessels
of libations be made in Annu; let me clothe myself in the taau garment–which I
shall receive–from the hand of the goddess Tait; let me stand up and let me sit
down wheresoever I please. My head is like unto that of Ra, and–when my members
are–gathered together–I am–like unto Tem; the four–sides of the domain–of Ra,
and the width of the earth four times. I come forth. My tongue is like unto that
of Ptah and my throne is like unto that of the goddess Hathor, and I make mention
of the words of Tem, my father, with my mouth. He it is who constraineth the handmaid,
the wife of Seb, and before him are bowed–all–heads, and there is fear of him.
Hymns of praise are repeated for–me–by reason of–my–mighty acts, and I am decreed
to be the divine Heir of Seb, the lord of the earth, and to be the protector therein.
The god Seb refresheth me, and he maketh his risings to be mine. Those who dwell
in Annu bow down their heads unto me, for I am their lord and I am their bull. I
am more powerful than the lord of time, and I shall enjoy the pleasures of love,
and shall gain the mastery over millions of years.

OF PERFORMING TRANSFORMATIONS

From the Papyrus of Nu, British Museum, No. 10,477,
sheet 10)

The chapter of performing the transformation into a hawk of gold. The chancellor-in-chief,
Nu, triumphant, saith:

“I have risen, I have risen like a mighty hawk–of gold–that cometh forth from
his egg; I fly and I alight like the hawk which hath a back four cubits wide, and
the wings of which are Eke unto the mother-of-emerald of the south. I have come
forth from the interior of the Sektet boat, and my heart hath been brought unto
me from the mountain of the east. I have alighted upon the Atet boat, and those
who were dwelling in their companies have been brought unto me, and they bowed low
in paying homage unto me and in saluting me with cries of joy. I have risen, I have
gathered myself together like the beautiful hawk of gold, which hath the head of
a Bennu bird, and Ra entereth in day by day to hearken unto my words; I have taken
my seat among those first-born gods of Nut. I am established, and the divine Sekhet-hetep
is before me, I have eaten therein, I have become a khu therein, I have an abundance
therein–as much as I desire–the god Nepra hath given to me my throat, and I have
gained the mastery over that which guardeth–or belongeth to–my head.”

COMING FORTH BY DAY

From the Papyrus of Mes-em-neter, Naville, op.
cit., Bd. I, Bl. 81)

Another chapter:

“I am the Fire-god, the divine brother of the Fire-god, and–I am–Osiris the
brother of Isis. My divine son, together with his mother Isis, hath avenged me on
mine enemies. My enemies have wrought every–kind of–evil, therefore their arms,
and hands, and feet, have been fettered by reason of their wickedness which they
have wrought upon me. I am Osiris, the first-born of the divine womb, the first-born
of the gods, and the heir of my father Osiris-Seb (?). I am Osiris, the lord of
the heads that live, mighty of breast and powerful of back, with a phallus which
goeth to the remotest limits–where—men and women–live–. I am Sah–Orion–who
travelleth over his domain and who journeyeth along before the stars of heaven,–which
is–the belly of my mother Nut; she conceived me through her love, and she gave
birth to me because it was her will to do so. I am Anpu–Anubis–on the day of the
god Sepa. I am the Bull at the head of the meadow. I, even I, am Osiris who imprisoned
his father together with his mother on the day of making the great slaughter; now–his–father
is Seb, and–his–mother is Nut. I am Horus, the first-born of Ra of the risings.
I am Anpu–Anubis–on the day of–the god Sepa. I, even I, am the lord Tem. I am
Osiris. Hail, thou divine first-born, who dost enter and dost speak before the divine
Scribe and Doorkeeper of Osiris, grant that I may come. I have become a khu, I have
been judged, I have become a divine being, I have come, and I have avenged mine
own body. I have taken up my seat by the divine birth-chamber of Osiris, and I have
destroyed the sickness and suffering which were there. I have become mighty, and
I have become a divine being by the side of the birth-chamber of Osiris, I am brought
forth with him, I renew my youth, I take possession of my two thighs which are in
the place where is Osiris, and I open the mouth of the gods therewith, I take my
seat by his side, and Thoth cometh forth, and–I am–strengthened in heart with
thousands of cakes upon the altars of my divine father, and with my beasts, and
with my cattle, and with my red feathered fowl, and with my oxen, and with my geese,
and with my ducks, for Horus my Chieftain, and with the offerings which I make to
Thoth, and with the sacrifices which I offer up to An-heri-ertaitsa.”

THE CHAPTER OF BRINGING CHARMS TO OSIRIS

From the Papyrus of Ani, British Museum, No. 10,470,
sheet 15)

The chapter of bringing charms unto Osiris Ani–in the underworld. He saith:

“I am Tem-Khepera, who brought himself into being upon the thigh of his divine
mother. Those who are in Nu–i.e., the sky–are made wolves, and those who are among
the sovereign princes are become hyenas. Behold, I gather together the charm–from
every place where–it is, and from every man with whom it is, swifter than greyhounds
and quicker than light. Hail, thou who towest along the Makhent boat of Ra, the
stays of thy sails and of thy rudder are taut in the wind as thou sailest up the
Pool of Fire in the underworld. Behold, thou gatherest together the charm from every
place where it is, and from every man with whom it is, swifter than greyhounds and
quicker than light,–the charm–which created the forms of being from the . . .
mother, and which either created the gods or maketh them silent, and which giveth
the heat of fire unto the gods. Behold, the charm is given unto me, from wherever
it is–and from him with whom it is–, swifter than greyhounds and quicker than
light,” or–as others say–“quicker than a shadow.”

THE CHAPTER OF MEMORY

From the Papyrus of Nu, British Museum, No. 10,477,
sheet 5)

The chapter of making a man to possess memory in the underworld. The chancellor-in-chief,
Nu, triumphant, the overseer of the palace, the son of the chief chancellor Amen-hetep,
saith:

“May my name be given to me in the Great House, and may I remember my name in
the House of Fire on the night of counting the years and of telling the number of
the months. I am with the Divine One, and I sit on the eastern side of heaven. If
any god whatsoever should advance unto me, let me be able to proclaim his name forthwith.”

THE CHAPTER OF GIVING A HEART TO OSIRIS

From the Papyrus of Ani, British Museum, No. 10,470,
sheet 15)

The chapter of giving a heart to Osiris Ani in the underworld. He saith:

“May my heart–ah–be with me in the House of Hearts! May my heart–hat–be with
me in the House of Hearts! May my heart be with me, and may it rest there,–or–I
shall not eat of the cakes of Osiris on the eastern side of the Lake of Flowers,
neither shall I have a boat wherein to go down the Nile, nor another wherein to
go up, nor shall I be able to sail down the Nile with thee. May my mouth–be given–to
me that I may speak therewith, and my two legs to walk therewith, and my two hands
and arms to overthrow my foe. May the doors of heaven be opened unto me; may Seb,
the Prince of the gods, open wide his two jaws unto me, may he open my two eyes
which are blindfolded; may he cause me to stretch apart my two legs which are bound
together; and may Anpu-Anubis–make my thighs firm so that I may stand upon them.
May the goddess Sekhet make me to rise so that I may ascend unto heaven, and may
that be done which I command in the House of ka–double–of Ptah–i.e., Memphis–.
I understand with my heart. I have gained the mastery over my heart, I have gained
the mastery over my two hands, I have gained the mastery over my legs, I have gained
the power to do whatsoever my ka–double–pleaseth. My soul shall not be fettered
to my body at the gates of the underworld; but I shall enter in peace and I shall
come forth in peace.”

LITANY

“Homage to thee,–O Lord of–starry deities in Annu, and of heavenly things in
Kher-aba; thou god Unti, who art more glorious than the gods who are hidden in Annu;
O grant thou unto me a path wherein I may pass in peace, for I am just and true;
I have not spoken lies wittingly, nor have I done aught with deceit.”

“Homage to thee, O An in Antes, (?) Heru-khuti–Harmachis–, with long strides
thou stridest over heaven, O Heru-khuti. O grant thou unto me a path whereon I may
pass in peace, for I am just and true; I have not spoken lies wittingly, nor have
I done aught with deceit.”

“Homage to thee, O Soul of everlastingness, thou Soul who dwellest in Tattu,
Unnefer, son of Nut; thou art lord of Akert. O grant thou unto me a path whereon
I may pass in peace, for I am just and true; I have not spoken lies wittingly, nor
have I done aught with deceit.”

“Homage to thee in thy dominion over Tattu; the Ureret crown is established upon
thy head; thou art the One who maketh the strength which protecteth himself, and
thou dwellest in peace in Tattu. O grant thou unto me a path whereon I may pass
in peace, for I am just and true; I have not spoken lies wittingly, nor have I done
aught with deceit.”

“Homage to thee, O lord of the Acacia tree, the Seker boat is set upon its sledge;
thou turnest back the Fiend, the worker of evil, and thou causest the Utchat to
rest upon its seat. Oh, grant thou unto me a path whereon I may pass in peace, for
I am just and true; I have not spoken lies wittingly, nor have I done aught with
deceit.”

“Homage to thee, O thou art mighty in thine hour, thou great and mighty Prince,
dweller in An-rut-f, 13
lord of eternity and creator of everlastingness, thou art the lord of Suten-henen–Heracleopolis
Magna–. Oh, grant thou unto me a path whereon I may pass in peace, for I am just
and true; I have not spoken lies wittingly, nor have I done aught with deceit.”

“Homage to thee, O thou who restest upon Right and Truth, thou art the lord of
Abtu-Abydos–, and thy limbs are joined unto Tatches-ertet; thou art he to whom
fraud and guile are hateful. Oh, grant thou unto me a path whereon I may pass in
peace, for I am just and true; I have not spoken lies wittingly, nor have I done
aught with deceit.”

“Homage to thee, O thou who art within thy boat, thou bringest Hapi–i.e., the
Nile–forth from his course; the light shineth upon thy body and thou art the dweller
in Nekhen. 14 Oh,
grant thou unto me a path whereon I may pass in peace, for I am just and true; I
have not spoken lies wittingly, nor have I done aught with deceit.”

“Homage to thee, O creator of the gods, thou King of the North and of the South,
O Osiris, victorious one, ruler of the world in thy gracious seasons, thou art the
lord of the celestial world. 15 Oh, grant thou unto me a path whereon I may pass in
peace, for I am just and true! I have not spoken lies wittingly, nor have I done
aught with deceit.”

HYMN TO RA

From the Papyrus of Ani, British Museum, No. 10,470,
sheet 20)

A hymn of praise to Ra when he riseth in the eastern part of heaven. Those who
are in his train rejoice, and lo! Osiris Ani, victorious saith:

“Hail thou Disk, thou lord of rays, who risest on the horizon day by day! Shine
thou with thy beams of light upon the face of Osiris Ani, who is victorious; for
he singeth hymns of praise unto thee at dawn, and he maketh thee to set at eventide
with words of adoration. May the soul of Osiris Ani, the triumphant one, come forth
with thee into heaven, may he go forth in the Mater boat. May he come into port
in the Sekter boat, and may he cleave his path among the never-resting stars in
the heavens.”

Footnotes

1 The four pillars at the south, north, west, and east of heaven upon which
the heavens were believed to rest.
2 Or, “I am at peace with the god of the city.”
3 “Existence in Peace,” the name of the first section of the Elysian Fields.
4 The name of a pool in the second section of the Elysian Fields.
5 The name of a pool in the first section of the Elysian Fields.
6 He name of a pool in the second section of the Elysian Fields.
7 The name of a district in the third section of the Elysian Fields.
8 The name of a pool In the first section of the Elysian Fields.
9 “Usert,” the name of a pool in the third section of the Elysian Fields.
10 “Smam,” the name of a pool in the third section of the Elysian Fields.
11 A name of the city of Mendes, the metropolis of the sixteenth nome of
Lower Egypt.
12 “He ate his heart.” He lost his temper and raged.
13 “The place where nothing groweth,” the name of a district in the underworld.
14 The name of the sanctuary of the goddess Nekhebet in Upper Egypt.
15 The two lands, Atebui, which were situated one on each side of the celestial
Nile.