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The Egyptian Heaven and Hell

By E. A. Wallis Budge

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The Book of Am-Tuat-The Eleventh Division of the Tuat Which Is Called Re-En-Qerert-Apt-Khatu

THE ELEVENTH DIVISION of the Tuat, which is passed through by the Sun-god during the ELEVENTH HOUR of the night, is introduced by three lines of text, which read:--

"The Majesty of this great god taketh up his position in this Circle, and he addresseth words unto the gods who are in it. The name of the gate of this City through which this great god hath entered is SEKEN-TUATIU; the name of this City is RE-EN-QERERT-APT-KHATU; the name of the hour of the night which guideth this great god is SEBIT-NEBT-UAA-KHESFET-SEBA-EM-PERT-F."

 

The Boat of the Sun in the Eleventh Division of the Tuat.

 

In the middle register are:--

1. The boat of the sun, in which stands the god under a canopy formed by the body of the serpent Mehen; on his head are horns and a disk. On the high prow of the boat is a disk, encircled by a uraeus, which is called PESTU. The text reads:

"This great god journeyeth on his way in the City in this picture, and his sailors, who are the gods, guide him into the eastern horizon of the sky. The star PESTET which is on its boat guideth this great god into the ways of the darkness which gradually lightens, and illumineth those who are on the earth."

2. Twelve gods, who march before the boat of the god bearing the serpent MEHEN on their heads; their names are:--

1. MEHNI.

2. SEMSEM,

3. SEKHENNU,

4. SHETU,

5. AMA,

6. AMU,

7. ERTA.

 

Mehni.     Semsem.     Sekhennu.     Shetu.

Ama.     Amu.     Erta.     Shepu.

Neteru.     Athpi.     Ermenu.     Fa (?).

 

8. SHEPU.

9. NETERU.

10. ATHPI.

11. ERMENU.

12. FA(?).

The text reads:

"Those who are in this picture are in front of this great god, and they carry the serpent Mehen-ta on their heads into this City, and they travel onwards in the following of Ra into the Eastern Horizon of the sky. This god crieth unto them by their names, and he decreeth for them what they have to do. And Ra saith unto them:--'O ye who keep ward over your serpent-figures with your two

 

(Left) Sem-Nebt-het. (Right) Sem-shet.

hands, lift ye up your heads, whose hands are strong, whose feet are firm, who perform the journeyings which ye are bound to make, who make long your steps as ye go, unite ye yourselves to your offerings in the Hall of the Eastern Horizon.' Their work is to make the serpent Mehen to travel to the Eastern Hall of the Horizon, and they unite themselves to their habitations after this great god hath passed through the darkness and hath taken up his place in the horizon."

3. The serpent SEM-SHET. On his back rests the Red Crown, and in an angle of it is a human head.

4. The serpent SEM-NEBTHET. On his back rests the White Crown, from each side of which projects a bearded human head. The text reads:

"[These are] the hidden images of Horus which are at the second door of the thick darkness, [on] the holy road to Sait (Saïs). When this great god crieth out to them (i.e., to the two serpents) these hidden heads make their appearance, and then they swallow their own forms (i.e., they disappear)."

5. NEITH of the phallus, wearing the Red Crown.

6. NEITH of the Red Crown, wearing the Red Crown.

7. NEITH Of the White Crown, wearing the White Crown.

8. NEITH the Young, wearing the White Crown. The text reads: "Those who are in

 

Neith the Young.     Neith of the White Crown.     Neith of the Red Crown.     Neith of the phallus.

this picture of [this] door [are] in the form which Horus made; when this god crieth out to them by their names they spring into life at the sound of his voice, and it is they who guard the holy gate of the city of SAIT (Saïs), which is unknown, and cannot be seen, and cannot be looked at." Above the upper register is a line of text, which reads "[This is] the hidden Circle of the Tuat through which this god maketh his journey so that he may come forth into the Eastern Horizon of the sky; it swalloweth eternally its images (or, forms) in the presence of the god REKH (?), who dwelleth in this City, and then it giveth them to those who are born and come into being in the earth. Whosoever shall make an exact copy of these forms according to the representations of the same at the eastern [portion] of the hidden Palace of the Tuat, and shall know it, shall be a spirit well equipped both in heaven and earth, unfailingly, and regularly and eternally."

In the upper register are:--

1. The god APER-HRA-NEB-TCHETTA, above whose body, at the neck, is a disk from which proceed two human heads, the one wearing the White Crown and the other the Red Crown; in his right hand he holds the sceptre, and in the left the mblem of "life." The text reads: "He who is in this picture standeth up for Ra, and he never departeth from his place in the Tuat."

 

The god Aper-hra-neb-tchetta.

2. A huge serpent, with two pairs of human feet and legs, and a pair of large wings. By its side stands a god with a disk upon his head, and on each side of his head is an utchat; his hands are stretched out at right angles to his body, and each hand touches the end of one of the serpent's wings. The text reads: "When this god crieth out to him that is in this picture, the form (or, image) of the god Tem proceedeth from his back; but afterwards it swalloweth itself (i.e., disappeareth)." The words ### may form the name of the winged serpent.

3. A serpent, with a mummied god seated on his

 

back; above the god is written "TCHET-S," i.e., "its body," and by the tail of the serpent is SHETU. The text reads: "TCHET-S herself is above the stars (i.e., the eight stars which are about the heads of the two serpents); her work is to cast the living ones to Ra everyday; she then swalloweth her forms in this City of the ELEVENTH HOUR, [and she is] one of those who follow the god."

 

The god Tepui.

4. The god TEPUI, i.e., the "Two-headed"; one head faces to the right and the other to the left.

5. The god KHNEM-RENIT, ram-headed, holding a sceptre in his right hand, and ankh in his left.

6. The god NERTA, with both hands raised in adoration.

7. The god AAUI-F-EM-KHA-NEF, who has two snakes' heads in the place of a human head; his hands and arms are concealed.

8. The god APT-TAUI, his hands and arms are concealed.

9. The god MER-EX-AAUI-F, in form similar to the preceding.

10. The god AU-EN-AAUI-F, in similar form.

11. The god RESET-AFU, in similar form.

12. The god TUA-HERU, in similar form.

13. The god MAA.

14. The god MESEKHTI,

15. The god HEPA.

The text which refers to these reads:

 

(Left) Aaui-f-em-kha-nef. (Center) Nerta. (Right) Khnem-renit.

 

Reset-Afu.     Au-en-aaui-f.     Mer-en-aaui-f.     Apt-taui.

 

Hepa.     Mesekhti.     Maa.      Tua-Heru.

 

"Those who are in this picture doth this great god call by their names, [saying]:--'My hidden appearances and my secret radiance cause your life, O ye who advance to your shadows, who are free to move or are shrouded in respect of the arms by the Form in his holy places, whose breaths are of the utterances of my mouth, which giveth life and ye speak therewith, whose offerings are on my boat whereon your souls live, ye who have water at the source (?) of Nu wherein the dwellers in the Tuat wash with shouts of joy, perform that which it is your right to do, and let your souls be in the following of [my] created things.' Their work in the Tuat is to make to advance the hidden things of this great god to the hidden House each day when they appear with this great god in the upper heaven."

16. A goddess, seated on the backs of two serpents,

 

(Left) Nebt-khu. (Right) Nebt-ankhiu.

 

(Left) Mer-ent-neteru. (Right) Nert-abui.

 

which lie side by side, and appear to issue from her feet; her left hand grasps the body of one serpent, and her right is held up before her face. Her name is NEBT-ANKHIU. In front of her are three other goddesses, who are similarly seated; their names are NEBT-KHU, NERT-ABUI, and MER-ENT-NETERU, The text reads: Those who are in this picture have their arms on the earth and their feet and legs in the darkness. When this great god crieth to them in their own bodies, they utter cries; they do not depart from their places, but their souls live in the word of the forms which come forth from their feet every day. When the shades appear, the winds which are in the Tuat cease from the faces of these goddesses."

In the lower register are:--

1. Horus, hawk-headed and wearing a disk, leaning with his right shoulder upon a long staff, and holding in his left hand a boomerang, one end of which is in the form of a serpent's head.

 

Horus and the serpent Set-heh.

 

2. A huge serpent, called the "Everlasting SET," standing upon his tail.

 

The pit of fire, Hatet-ketits.

 

3. A large pit, with a vaulted roof, filled with fire, wherein "the enemies," of Ra are being consumed; the name of the pit is HATET-KETITS, and is presided over by a goddess with the head of a lioness, who holds in her hands a large knife, and pours fire into it from her mouth.

 

The pit of fire, Hatet-hantu-s.

 

4. A smaller pit, with a vaulted roof, filled with fire, wherein "the enemies" are being consumed; the name of the pit is HATET-HANTU-S, and it is presided over by a goddess with a human head, who holds in her hands a large knife, and pours fire into it from her mouth.

 

The pit of fire, Hat-nekenit.

5. A pit similar to the above, wherein "the souls" are being consumed; the name of the pit is HAT-NEKENIT, and it is presided over by a goddess as in No. 4.

 

The pit of fire, Hat-nemmat-set.

6. A similar pit, wherein "the shades (or, shadows)" are being consumed; the name of the pit is HAT-NEMMAT-SET, and it is presided over by a goddess as in No. 4.

 

The pit of fire, Hat-sefu-s.

7. A similar pit, wherein "the heads," are being consumed; the name of the pit is HAT-SEFU-S, and it is presided over by a goddess as in No. 4.

8. A very large pit, with a vaulted roof, filled with fire, in which are immersed, head downwards, four male figures; the name of this pit is ANT-SEKHETU, "the valley of those who are turned upside down."

9. Four goddesses, each one with the sign for eastern desert on her head; their names are:--

1. PESI.

2. REKHIT.

3. HER-SHAU-S.

4. SAIT.

10. The god HER-UTU-F, holding a sceptre in his left hand, and the sign of "life," an ankh, in his right. The text reads:

 

The pit of fire, Ant-sekhetu.

 

(Left) Her-shau-s. (Center) Rekhit. (Right) Pesi.

 

(Left) The god Her-utu-f. (Right) Sait.

 

"The Majesty of this god uttereth the decree, [saying]:--'Hack in pieces and cut asunder the bodies of the enemies and the members of the dead who have been turned upside down, O my father Osiris . . . . . . . . . and let me come forth from it. My father having [once] been helpless hath smitten you, he hath cut up your bodies, he hath hacked in pieces your spirits and your souls, and hath scattered in pieces your shadows, and hath cut in pieces your heads; ye shall never more exist, ye shall be overthrown, and ye shall be cast down headlong into the pits of fire; and ye shall not escape therefrom, and ye shall not be able to flee from the flames which are in the serpent SET-HEH.

"'The fire Of HERT-KETTUT-S is against you, the flames of HERT-HATU-S are against you, the blazing heat of HERT-NEMMAT-S is against YOU, HERT-SEFU-S is against you, and she stabs at you, and hacks you in pieces, and cuts you up in such wise that ye shall never again see those who are living upon the earth.'

"As for those who are in this picture in the Tuat, it is the Majesty of HERU-TUATI who giveth the order for their slaughter each day.

"Those who are in this picture, who are depicted with the enemies of Osiris of the Tuat, and with HER-UTU-F, who is the guardian of this Circle, live by means of the voice of the enemies, and by the cries of entreaty of the souls and shadows which have been placed in their pits of fire."