Masonic, Occult and Esoteric Online Library
The Egyptian Heaven and Hell
By E. A. Wallis Budge
The Gate Of Akha-En-Maat The Seventh Division of the Tuat
THE boat of the Sun having passed through the Sixth Division of the Tuat arrives at the gateway which leads to the SEVENTH DIVISION. This gateway is similar to that which guards the Sixth Division, and is guarded by nine gods, who are described as the "Seventh Company;" at the entrance to the corridor, and at its exit, stands a bearded god, with arms hidden, the former being called SHEPI, and the latter HEQES (?), and each is said to extend his arms and hands to Ra. The corridor is swept by flames of fire as before. The gateway is called PESTIT, and the text says, "This great god cometh to this gateway, and entereth in through it, and the gods who are therein acclaim him." Part of the text of the speech which the nine gods make to Ra is broken away, but what remains reads, "Open the secret places, open the holy pylons, and unfold the hidden portals." The monster serpent which stands on his tail and guards the gateway is called AKHA-EN-MAAT, and the two lines of text which refer to his admission of Ra read, "He who is over this door openeth to Ra. SA saith to AKHA-EN-MAAT 1:--'Open thy gate to Ra, unfold thy doors to KHUTI, that he may send light into the thick darkness and may make his radiance illumine the hidden habitation! This door is shut after the great god hath passed through it, and there is lamentation to those who are in this gateway when they hear this door close upon them." A portion of the text is mutilated, but it can be restored with certainty. 2
In the middle of this Division we see the boat of Ra being towed on its way by four gods of the Tuat; the god is in the same form as before, and stands in a shrine enveloped by MEHEN. SA stands in the bows and HEKA at the stern. The text relating to the god reads:--
Fragment of the Seventh Division of the Tuat, from the Cover of the Sarcophagus of Seti I.
Fragments of the Scenes and Texts of the Seventh Division of the Tuat, from the Sarcophagus of Seti I.
The Boat of Ra being towed through the Seventh Division of the Tuat by the gods thereof.
"The gods of the Tuat tow along this great god, and they say unto Ra:--'Thou art towed along, O great god, lord of the hours, who dost work on behalf of those who are under the earth.' The gods have life in his attributes, and the spirits look upon his forms. And Ra saith unto them:--'There is magical protection to you, O ye who tow, and there is holiness to you, O ye who tow and bring me into the nethermost parts of the Tuat, tow ye me along until [ye arrive] at the chambers (?), and take ye your stand upon the hidden mountain of the horizon."
In front of the divine towers of the boat march:--
1. Twelve bearded gods, the AMENNU-AAIU-KHERU-SHETAU, whose hands and arms are bidden; they are described as "hidden of hands and arms and possessing hiddenness." The text relating to them reads:--
"These are they who possess the hiddenness (or, who hold the mystery) of this great god. Verily those who are in the Tuat see him, and the dead see him, who burn in Het-Benben (or, the temple of Ra), and they come forth to the place where is the body of this god. Ra saith unto them:--'Receive ye my forms, and embrace ye your hidden forms (or, mysteries). Ye shall be in Het-Benben, the place where my body is. The hiddenness which is in you is the hiddenness of the Tuat, and cover ye your arms therewith.' And they say unto Ra:--'Let thy soul be in heaven, at the head of the horizon, let thy shadow penetrate the hidden place, and let thy body be to the earth; as for the upper regions of the sky we ascribe Ra thereto . . . . . Fulfil thou thyself, and take thou thy place [with] thy body in the Tuat.' Their food consisteth of offerings of every kind whereby souls become content, and offerings are made unto them upon earth by reason of the sight of the light in the 'Tuat."
2. Eight bearded gods, the NETERU-HETI, who stand
The Twelve Gods whose hands and arms are hidden.
upright, with their hands hanging by their sides, and are described as "the gods of the temples," and eight gods, the SENNU, who stand upright, with their arms held straight together in front of them, at a little distance from their bodies. The text which refers to them reads:--
The Eight Neteru-heti.
Four of the Sennu Gods.
"These are they who are outside Het-Benben, and they see Ra with their eyes, and they enter into his secret (or, hidden) images that which is theirs is apportioned, and the SENNU gods bring it. [And Ra] saith unto them:--'My offerings (or, provisions) are from your offerings, and my nourishment is from your nourishment which is to you, O ye who are in my secret places. I protect my secret things which are in Het-Benben. Hail to you! Your souls live, and their offerings are the offerings of KHUTI.' TUATI saith unto them:--'O ye gods who dwell in the Tuat, who are in the divine [places] of the governor of Ament, to whom what is their due is given upon their ground, who lie down upon their own lands, your own flesh is to you, ye have gathered together your bones, ye have knit together your members, and ye have collected your flesh. There are, moreover, sweet winds to your nostrils, ye have girded on your apparel, and ye have put on your wigs.'
In the upper register are:--
1. Twelve gods, the KHERU-METAU[H], each of whom holds a stake or weapon, forked at one end; they are described as "those who hold the metau weapons."
The text relating to these reads:--
"Ra saith unto them:--'Receive ye your metauh weapons, and take ye them with you. Hail to you, [go against] the serpent fiend MAMU; bail to you, make ye gashes in him when the heads appear from out of him, and turn ye him backwards.' They say unto Ra:--'Our metauh weapons in our hands are for Ra [and against] MAMU, and we will make gashes in the great and evil WORM. O Ra, do away the heads when they come forth from the windings of the serpent KHETI These are the gods who are in the [Boat of Ra], and they repulse Apep in the sky, and they travel through the Tuat. It is their duty to
The Kheru-Metauh Gods.
turn back Apep on behalf of Ra in Amentet and the places of the Tuat. And this god allotteth to them their provisions of bread, and their beer is the tchesert drink, and their libations are of cool water, and offerings are made to them upon earth because they repulse the Enemy of Ra in Amentet."
2. The gods KHERU-AMU-PERERU-TEPU-EM-QEBU-F, and the monster serpent SEBA-APEP, the body of which is held
The Kheru-Metauh Gods.
up above the ground by twelve bearded gods, who are described as "those who have food when the heads appear from his folds." Twelve human heads grow out from his body,
The Kheru-Metauh Gods.
the first appearing from his head, and the other eleven from his back. The text which relates to them reads:--
"These are they who are the adversaries of his two-fold evil, and who overthrow the enemies of Ra, and it is their duty to seize the SEBA-Fiend when he maketh heads to come forth from him. [Ra] saith to them:--'Turn ye back SEBA, make ye to go backwards APEP when the heads appear from out of him, and let him perish.' [Ra] ordereth for him his destruction. 'O heads, ye shall be eaten, ye shall be eaten, ye shall be consumed, when ye come forth from him.' Ra ordereth for them when they come forth that they shall be consumed (or, swallowed up) [in] their folds when he journeyeth to them, and that the heads shall retreat within their folds. The WORM HEFAU shall be without eyes, and he shall be without his nose, and he shall be without his ears, and he shall exist upon his roarings, and he shall live upon that which he himself uttereth. The food [of these gods] consisteth of the offerings [which are made to them] upon earth."
3. An upright, bearded mummied form called QAN. To the neck of this figure are attached two ropes, which are twisted together symmetrically, and are grasped by twelve bearded men with both hands. Each god stands within a loop formed by the two ropes, and has a star before him. The gods are described as "those who hold the rope which cometh forth . . . . . . . ."
The text reads:--
The Serpent Seba-Apep, with the twelve human heads which grow out of his body and his twelve attendant gods.
The Serpent Seba-Apep, with the twelve human heads which grow out of his body and his twelve attendant gods.
The god Qena, and the gods who hold the rope.
"The Enemy of Ra cometh forth from the Tuat. Offerings shall be made unto the gods of that whereby I exist under the trees. Seize ye the rope, and tie ye
The gods who hold the rope.
therewith the mouth of AQEN. Your hours come forth, and there is benefit to you therein. Rest ye upon your throne[s], and let the rope enter into the mouth of the god AQEN when he cometh to the place
The gods who hold the rope.
where the hours are born; Ra crieth out, and it resteth in its place, and it maketh an end of ANEQ. They say unto Ra:--The god NAQ is tied up with the rope, the hours of the gods(?) are to thee, O Ra, with light. Rest thou and thy hidden body . . . . .. Their provisions of loaves of bread are to them, their beer is tchesert, and their libations are of cool water, and offerings are made to them upon earth."
The god Tuati.
In the lower register are:--
1. A god, standing, and leaning upon a long staff; his name is TUATI.
2. The serpent NEHEP, the long body of which is made to serve as biers for twelve gods in mummied form; the serpent's body is provided with twenty-four legs of lions, and a mummied god rests over each pair of them. These gods are described as "those who are in the body of Osiris asleep," and "those who are in inactivity,"
3. Four gods, each with his arms stretched straight together before him at an acute angle with his body. The legend reads, khast-ta-rut.
The gods who are asleep in the body of Osiris.
The gods who are asleep in the body of Osiris.
Four Khast-ta-rut Gods.
(Left) A god in mummied form. (Center) The serpent in the round pool of fire. (Right) Four Khast-ta-rut Gods.
4. Four gods.
5. A serpent within a circle filled with water.
6. A god in mummied form.
The text relating to these reads:
"The god Tuati saith unto them:--'Hail, O ye gods who are over the Tuat, ye gods who dwell in this [place] of the governor of Ament, who abide permanently on your places, and who lie down upon your couches, lift up the flesh of your bodies, and gather together your bones, and gird up your members, and bring ye into one place your flesh! There is sweet (or, fresh) air for your nostrils. Loose and take off your funeral swathings, untie and remove your wigs, unclose your eyes and look ye at the light therewith, rise ye up from out of your inert and helpless state, and take possession yourselves of your fields in Sekhet-nebt-hetepu (i.e., Field, lord of offerings). There are fields for you in this Field, and the waters thereof are for you. Let your offering be there, [and] fields from Nebt-hetepu.' Their libations shall be of water. It is the serpent NEHEP who giveth their bodies [and] their souls, and they journey on to SEKHET-AARU to have dominion over their libations, and to walk over the earth. They count up their flesh, their food is of bread-cakes, and their drink is of tchesert ale, and their libations are of water. Offerings are made unto them upon earth as [unto] the god SAH, who resteth upon his ground."
"These are they who are in the circuit of this pool. There is a serpent living in this pool, and the water of the pool is of fire, and the gods of the earth and the souls of the earth cannot descend thereto by reason of the flames of fire of this serpent. This great god who is the governor of the Tuat liveth in the water of this pool."
And Ra, saith unto them:--"Hail to you, O ye gods who guard this holy pool, give ye yourselves to him that is the Governor of Aukert. The water of this pool is Osiris, and this water is KHENTI-TUAT. This flame consumeth and destroyeth the souls which dare to approach Osiris, and the awe of this pool cannot be done away, or made an end of, or overcome. As for the gods who keep ward over its waters, their food is bread, and their drink is tchesert ale, and their libations are of water. Offerings are made unto them upon earth as unto TERI in Amentet, lord of (offerings. There are fields for you in this Field, and the waters thereof are for you. Let your offerings be there [and] fields from Nebt-hetepu. Their libations shall be of water. It is the serpent NEHEP who giveth their bodies [and] their souls, and they journey into SEKHET-AARU to have dominion over their libations, and to walk on the earth. They count up their limbs, their food is of bread-cakes, and their drink is of tchesert ale, and their libations are of water. Offerings are made unto them upon earth as unto SAH, who resteth upon his ground.
"These are they who are in the circuit of this pool. There is a serpent living . . . . . ."
Footnotes
191:1 Var., AKHA-HRA.
191:2 See Lefébure, Mémoires, tom. ii., part ii., pl. 11 ff.
