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The Egyptian Heaven and Hell

By E. A. Wallis Budge

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The Book of Am-Tuat- The Sixth Division of the Tuat Which Is Called Metchet-Mu-Nebt-Tuat

IN the scene which illustrates the SIXTH DIVISION Of the Tuat, which is passed through by the Sun-god during the SIXTH HOUR of the night, we see, in the middle register, the dead Sun-god AFU-RA.

 

The Boat of Af, the dead Sun-god, in the Sixth Hour.

once again standing in his boat, under the canopy, accompanied by his usual company of gods. He is no longer in the serpent boat wherein he passed through the domain of Sekri, and he is no longer being towed along. In front of the boat are:--

1. The god Thoth, in the form of a man with the head of a cynocephalus ape, seated on a throne, and

bearing the name TEHUTI-KHENTI-NEB-TUAT.

2. A female figure, with her hands turned behind her, holding in each the pupil of an eye of Horus or Ra; she is called AMENT-SEMU-SET. The text above the boat reads:

 

(Left) The goddess Ament-semu-set. (Right) Thoth of the Tuat.

"This great god travelleth through this city, being provided with [his] boat, on the water; be worketh the paddle in this country towards the place of the body of Osiris." . . . "The Majesty of this great god [speaketh to] the gods who are in this country when he arriveth at these houses which are hidden, and which contain the image of Osiris. This god crieth [to the hidden forms which are in them, and they hearken to the voice of this god, and then he passeth them by."

 

The Four Kings of the South.

In the abode of Osiris are sixteen gods in mummied forms. The first four are bearded, and wear the menat and the White Crown, and each is described by the title suten, i.e., "King of the South." The second four are bearded, and are described as HETEPTIU, the third four are bearded, and wear the menat and the Red Crown, and each is described by the title bat, and the fourth four are bearded, and are called

 

The Four Heteptiu gods.

The Four Kings of the North.

The Four "Spirits."

 

KHU, i.e., "Spirits." Immediately in front of these gods is an enormous serpent with five heads, which is called ASH-HRAU, i.e., the "Many-faced." The body of this serpent is bent round to form an oval, and within it lies on his back the god AFU, who is holding upon his head a beetle, which is the symbol of the god KHEPERA. The text written above reads:--

 

The Serpent Ash-hrau.

 

"Saith the Majesty of this great god to the kings of the South, to the HETEPTIU, to the kings of the North, and to the Spirits who are in this City:--May your royal state and condition be with you, may ye receive your White Crowns, and ye HETEPTIU [may ye receive] your offerings, and ye kings of the North may ye receive your Red Crowns, and ye SPIRITS may ye receive your appointed rites; may your offerings be unto you, and may ye be in peace. May ye have power over your souls, may ye be adored(?), may ye have sovereignty over your city, may ye have peace in your fields, may ye join yourselves to (i.e., attain to) your secret things with your crowns (?), may your appointed rites be paid to you, may your sacrifices of propitiation be made to you, and give to the gods their mouth. Avenge ye me in [this] land, and hack in pieces the serpent Apep, O ye kings of the South, ye Heteptiu, ye kings of the North, and ye Spirits, who dwell in [this] land."

"Those who are in this picture stand up in their places, and they hear the voice of the great god, the lord of the dead body, that is to say, KHEPERA in his own flesh . . . . . . in the act of guarding."

Of the Serpent of Many Faces it is said, "Of him who is in this picture, with his tail in his mouth, his work is to rise up with this image, to journey to the West in his form, and to travel to every place of the Tuat. Through the voice of Ra it is that the figures who are in him advance."

The text which runs in the border above the upper register reads:--

"[This is] the hidden path of Amentet, on the water of which is transported this great god in his boat to arrange the lots (or, plans) of those who are in the Tuat. If their names be uttered, if their bodies be known, if their true forms and the knowledge of their hours be known, and the qualities of this secret figure of the Tuat (which are unknowable), by any man whatsoever: or if an exact representation in drawing be made of what is in the Hidden Place (Ament) of the Tuat, which is to the south of the Ât of Amentet: whosoever knoweth this thing shall be one who is fully provided with food in the Tuat, and he shall partake in the offerings which are made to the gods who are in the following of Osiris, and he shall have (i.e., receive) the offerings which all his kinsfolk are in duty bound to make to him upon earth."

In the upper register are:--

A company of nine gods and goddesses, all of whom are represented as seated, but their seats of state or thrones are invisible; they may be thus enumerated:--

1. The god HETEP-KHENTI-TUAT, in the form of a mummy; his hands project from his bandages, and on his head he has symbols of meat and drink.

 

(Left) Asar-am-ab-neteru. (Center) Asth-mehit. (Left) Hetep-khenti-Tuat.

 

2. The goddess ASTH-MEHIT, Or AST-AMHIT, with the Crown of the North on her head. The name means "Isis in the North."

3. The god ASAR-AM-AB-NETERU, i.e., "Osiris in the heart of the gods."

4. The god HERU-KHENTI-AHET-F, i.e., "Horus at the head of his field," hawk-headed, with his hands projecting from his bandages.

5. The god BENTI-AR-AHET-F, or ape-headed, with his hands projecting from his bandages.

6. The god MAA-AB-KHENTI-AHET-F,

 

Henbethem.     Maa ab-khenti-ahet-f.     Benti-ar-ahet-f.     Heru-khenti-ahet-f.

wearing the White Crown and menat, and with his hands projecting from his bandages.

7-9. Three goddesses, the first two of whom are called HENBETHEM and THEHBITH. The text which refers to this company of the gods reads:

"Saith the Majesty of this great god to the gods who are over this Field:--O ye gods who dwell in the Tuat, ye Heteptiu who keep ward over your masters, ye unto whom offerings are made from the offerings of your fields of offerings, whereon ye take your rest each day, unite ye yourselves to the provisions which are mine. Ye are the lords of [your] hands, ye have right [to direct] [your] feet, ye are exalted in your forms, ye are great in your transformations, ye have power over what ye produce, ye have power over what ye have possession of, ye have possession of that over which ye have power, ye have power over that over which ye have possession, ye have possession of that over which ye have dominion, protect ye Osiris from those who would act with violence and wrong against him. The work of these gods in the Tuat is to give offerings to the gods of the Tuat, who are masters of their offerings and of the food which proceedeth forth from the mouth of this great god."

10. Three sceptres of the form  , each surmounted

 

(Left) Three Sceptres of the White Crown. (Center) . . . . . . . (Right) Thehbith.

by the WHITE CROWN; from the base of each projects a knife.

11. Three sceptres of similar form, each surmounted by the RED CROWN; from the base of each projects a knife.

12. Three sceptres, of similar form, each surmounted by a uraeus; from the base of each projects a knife. The text which refers to these reads:

"Saith the Majesty of this great god to the Majesties of the

 

(Left) Three Sceptres of the uraei. (Right)Three Sceptres of the Red Crown.

kings of the South and North who dwell in the Tuat:--Reap ye, O ye who wear the White Crowns, and ye who wear the Red Crowns like Souls [who are in] their lands. Ye who belong to the Tuat produce your own offerings therein. Make ye to be Maat your sceptres (?), let your souls live, and let your throats have food to swallow, and ye shall come into being upon the land . . . . . . Their souls shall rise up in the Tuat on their sceptres (?), they are provided with knives, and no violence shall be done to them . . . . . goddess . . . . ."

13. The lion KA-HEMHEMET, couchant, and facing the two companies of the gods described above. Above his back are the two Utchats, between which is the sign  . 

14. A form of the goddess Isis, in a sitting position, but without a throne.

 

Thath-neteru.     Hetchefu.     Isis-Thaith.     Ka-hemhemet.

15. The god HETCHEFU.

16. The god THATH-NETERU, in mummied form, holding a sceptre in one hand and a knife in the other.

17. A chamber, with an opening under the roof, through which a snake, which stands on its tail outside it, belches fire; under a vaulted covering is an "image," of Ra, in the form of the hind-quarters of a lion. The chamber is called HET-TUAU-RA.

18. A similar chamber, with an "image" of RA in the form of a hawk's wing; the name of the chamber is HET-STAU-KHER-AHA.

19. A similar chamber, with an "image" of RA in the form of a human head; the name of the chamber is HET-TEMTET-RA. The texts read:

 

(Left) Het-temtet-Ra. (Center) Het-stau-kher-aha. (Right) Het-tuau-Ra.

 

In the lower register are:--

1. The god HENTI (?), crocodile-headed, and in a seated position, but without a throne.

 

Hem.     Ahi.     [Em-nu-ur.]     Henti.

2. The god EM-NU-UR, crocodile-headed, or ape-headed.

3. The god AHI.

4. The god HEM.

5. The god NETCH-ATEF.

6. The god ANKH-HRA.

7. The god MET-HRA.

8. The god NETCHTI.

 

Netchti.     Met-hra.     Ankh-hra.     Netch-atef.

 

9-12. Four goddesses, each in a seated position, but without a throne; the first is called ANTHETH,

 

Sehith.     Hemt.     Henhenith.     Antheth.

 

the second HENHENITH, the third HEMT, and the fourth SEHITH.

The text which refers to these reads:

"The Majesty of this great god saith unto these gods:--O ye gods who dwell in the Tuat, and who are in the following of the lord of the beings who are in the Tuat, who stand up and sit down in Nu, who dwell in your Field, O ye gods who send forth light, and who make to stand up your bodies, and O ye goddesses who sit down in the following of the SCARAB in the place where are his bodies in the Tuat, O ye who live on your . . . . . ., whose hearts live on their food, who send forth light in the darkness which surroundeth you, who have the mastery over your Red Crowns, who partake in content of the offerings made to you, let them travel in my following, let my soul be with me, let me rest (or, unite myself) to my bodies, and let me pass by you in peace. These gods hear the voice of Ra every day, and they have their life through his voice. The work which they have to do in the Tuat is to convey along souls, and to accompany the shades of the dead

 

"The Serpent Am-khu and the heads of the Four Children of Horus."

 

and to make provisions for spirits, [and to find for them] water."

13. The monster serpent AM-KHU, with his head raised from the ground, and the symbol of "life" under his head. Out of the crest of each of the four undulations of his body springs a bearded head, and the four heads are those of the children of Horus--MESTHA, HAPI, TUAMUTEF, and QEBH-SENNU-F, The text which refers to the serpent reads: "This serpent is himself invisible to this great god, but these forms (i.e., the heads of the four children of Horus) have their being in his folds, and they hear the voice of this great god every day. The work which he doeth in the Tuat is to devour the shades of the dead, and to eat up the spirits of the enemies [of Ra], and to overthrow [those who are hostile to him] in the Tuat."

14. The god KAI.

15. The god MENI.

16. The god ANN-RET.

17. The god URT. Each of these four gods is

 

Urt.     Ann-ret.     Meni.     Kai.

in a sitting position, but has no throne whereon to sit.

18. A company of nine serpents, each of which belches fire from its mouth and is armed with a huge

 

The serpents of a company of gods.

 

knife; only the heads and upper parts of the bodies of these serpents are visible. Their names are TA-THENEN, TEM, KHEPERA, SHU, SEB, ASAR, HERU, APU, and HETEPIU. The text which refers to the four gods and the nine serpents reads:--

"Saith the Majesty of this great god to these gods:--O ye who make yourselves to be standing up although ye are seated, ye who are in motion although ye are at rest, ye whose souls come into being, ye who are united to your shades, who lift up your feet and who move onwards by your thighs, unite ye yourselves to your flesh, and let not your members be fettered. They have their life through the voice of this great god every day, and the work which they do is to watch the two comings of the god Khuti."

Concerning the nine serpents it is said:--

"The Majesty of this great god speaketh words to these male gods who are at the head of this city:--"Hail, O nine forms of the divine spirits, whose faces are of flames, who are provided with your knives, burn ye up the enemies of Khepera, hack in pieces their shades, for ye are the warders of the Hidden Flesh, which is made of Nu, your habitation, for it is ye who dwell in the Water of TA-THENEN, and it is for you that the magical powers of Khepera come into being. They have their means of living from the word of Ra every day. The work which they do in the Tuat is to hack asunder the dead, and to cause the spirits to be destroyed."