Sorry this one took so long. The Book of the Dead is weird and I wasn’t sure how to write about it. FYI, a new podcast was posted last week. It’s about Nick Land and a conspiratorial worldview.
We had to delay the episode with @speaksangie because of scheduling around the holiday, but I’m excited to speak with her soon. Now on to the Book of the Dead aka the Book of Going Forth by Day (1895 EA Wallace Budge Translation).
First, some important context about the book. What we have left of the Book of the Dead is apparently not a full version, but collections of plays, spells and incantations that are meant to guide someone into the afterlife, or to be performed in advance of death. The collection we have today dates to around 1500 B.C. and was found on Papyrus, but it is assumed that some of the works within are from far earlier. I will not be examining the whole text here, but looking at some cool chapters based on titles.
The translation I have linked also provides some background on the legend of Osiris, which Egyptologists said would inform all ancient Egyptians perceptions of the afterlife. The legend of Osiris tells the story of the god-king Osiris being murdered by his brother Set who wanted his throne, and who is then resurrected by his wife Isis. Apparently, the legends surrounding Isis’ restoration of Osiris’ body are the inspiration for ancient Egyptian embalming practices. Because Osiris was able to be restored, and to return to life albeit briefly, it serves as the religious basis for ancient Egyptian’s view of death and existence after death. The translation also provides a background on the relevant gods, spiritual concepts and locations that are relevant for the Book of the Dead, they are worth going through, but I won’t examine them here.
Unlike the Epic of Gilgamesh or other stuff we’ve looked at, there’s no straightforward narrative to follow through the Book of the Dead, and there’s a lot of repetition as well as stuff that’s completely incomprehensible (to a person with limited knowledge of ancient Egypt like me). So, I’m just going to pull out some passages I find particularly arresting or interesting.
Hymn to Osiris
The first thing I noticed about the hymn below is how similar some of the language is to Christian or Old Testament phrases about God. Phrases like “king of eternity” or “lord of the everlasting” and the “Prince of gods and men,” all sound similar to titles of the Hebrew and Christian God. What is also interesting is that some of these titles seem to apply to multiple gods, for instance I believe Ra is also called the “lord of the North and South” as Osiris is here. If you wanted to view monotheism as an emergent, anthropological phenomenon, it would seem logical to argue that creating these superlative descriptions for very important gods in polytheistic religions could slowly morph into seeing one god as all powerful (I gather this happened with Ra in Egypt at some point). From a more religious perspective, these echoes may suggest that some aspect of the truth revealed in revelation has always been available to man, either through messages from god or his own intuition, and this is the source of the similarities we find in pre-monotheistic religion.
“Glory be to Osiris Un-nefer, the great god within Abydos, king of eternity, lord of the everlasting, who passeth through millions of years in his existence. Eldest son of the womb of Nut, engendered by Seb the Erpat, lord of the crowns of the North and South, lord of the lofty white crown. As Prince of gods and of men he hath received the crook and the flail and the dignity of his divine fathers. Let thy heart which is in the mountain of Amenta be content, for thy son Horus is stablished upon thy throne. Thou art crowned lord of Tattu and ruler in Abtu. Through thee the world waxeth green in triumph before the might of Neb-er-tcher. He leadeth in his train that which is and that which is not yet, in his name Ta-her-seta-nef; he toweth along the earth in triumph in his name Seker. He is exceeding mighty and most terrible in his name Osiris. He endureth for ever and for ever in his name Un-nefer. Homage to thee, King of kings, Lord of lords, Prince of princes, who from the womb of Nut hast possessed the world and hast ruled all lands and Akert. Thy body is of gold, thy head is of azure, and emerald light encircleth thee. O An of millions of years, all-pervading with thy body and beautiful in countenance in Ta-sert. Grant thou to the ka of Osiris, the scribe Ani, splendour in heaven and might upon earth and triumph in Neter-khert;[1] and that I may sail down to Tattu like a living soul and up to (Abtu like a bennu (phœnix); and that I may go in and come out without repulse at the pylons of the Tuat.May there be given unto me loaves of bread in the house of coolness, and offerings of food in Annu, and a homestead for ever in Sekhet-Aru with wheat and barley therefor."
To Be Said on the Day of the Burial
Here is a portion of a prayer said for the dead person as they prepare to be judged in the afterlife. Again, we see here similarities between the ancient Egyptian afterlife and visions of the afterlife that would animate later religions. There is a keeper of the good portion of the afterlife, and he passes judgement as to whether the newly dead can enter. It is the job of the living, to some extent, to advocate on behalf of their departed loved ones.
“O ye who open the way and lay open the paths to perfected souls in the Hall of Osiris, open ye the way and lay open the paths to the soul of Osiris, the scribe and steward of all the divine offerings, Ani [who is triumphant] with you. May he enter in with a bold heart and may he come forth in peace from the house of Osiris. May he not be rejected, may he not be turned back, may he enter in [as he] pleaseth, may he come forth [as he] desireth, and may he be victorious. May his bidding be done in the house of Osiris; may he walk, and may he speak with you, and may he be a glorified soul along with you. He hath not been found wanting there, and the Balance is rid of [his] trial."
This is just a brief passage, but throughout the book, there are sort of vignettes of scenes that will occur as one passes into the non-mortal plain. Lots of these vignettes seem to be instructions for what a dead person should do or say at a certain point. For instance, a dead person is instructed to address a winged deity guarding a particular door as such:
"Lo, the lady of terrors, with lofty walls, the sovereign lady, the mistress of destruction, who uttereth the words which drive back the destroyers, who delivereth from destruction him that travelleth along the way. The name of the doorkeeper is Neruit."
Here is another short passage called OF SNIFFING THE AIR UPON EARTH. I have no idea what any of this means but I love it. I too guard the Egg of the Great Cackler.
"Hail, Tmu, grant thou unto me the sweet breath which is in thy two nostrils. I embrace the mighty throne which is in Unnu, and I watch and guard the Egg of the Great Cackler. I grow, and it groweth; it groweth, and I grow; I live, and it liveth; I sniff the air, and it sniffeth the air."
There is also a lot of content about bad things that can happen in the underworld and I guess this is a clear distinction with Christianity and Islam. There are chapters on how to avoid losing one’s heart and soul in the underworld, how to avoid being drowned or burned, and lots of other calamities.
Towards the end of the Book of the Dead, we find this hymn of praise to Osiris. I wanted to include this not only because the language is beautiful, but because its so evocative of modern religion and modern religious practice.
[Litany]: "Homage to thee, [O lord of] starry deities in An, and of heavenly beings in Kher-aba; thou god Unti, who art more glorious than the gods who are hidden in Annu. "
Homage to thee, O An in Antes (?), Horus, thou dweller in both horizons, with long strides thou stridest over heaven, O thou who dwellest in both horizons. "
Homage to thee, O soul of everlastingness, thou Soul who dwellest in Tattu, Un-nefer, son of Nut; thou art lord of Akert. "
Homage to thee in thy dominion over Tattu; the urerit crown is established upon thy head; thou art the One whose strength is in himself, and thou dwellest in peace in Tattu. "
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. "
Homage to thee, O thou who art mighty in thine hour, thou great and mighty god, dweller in An-rut-f, lord of eternity and creator of everlastingness; thou art the lord of Suten-henen. "
Homage to thee, O thou who restest upon Right and Truth, thou art the lord of Abtu, and thy limbs are joined unto Ta-sertet; thou art he to whom fraud and guile are hateful. "
Homage to thee, O thou who art within thy boat, thou bringest Hapi (i.e., the Nile) forth from his source; the light shineth upon thy body, and thou art the dweller in Nekhen. "
Homage to thee, O creator of the gods, thou King of the North and of the South; O Osiris, victorious, ruler of the world in thy gracious seasons; thou art the lord of the world. "
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."