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The Egyptian Heaven and Hell

By E. A. Wallis Budge

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The Gate of Sethu The Tenth Division of the Tuat

HAVING passed through the Ninth Division of the Tuat, the boat of the sun arrives at the gateway TCHESERIT, which leads to the Tenth Division, or, as the opening text reads: "This great god cometh forth to this gate, and entereth through it, and the gods who are therein acclaim the great god." The gateway is like that through which the god passed into the previous Division, and its outwork is guarded by sixteen uraei. At the entrance to the gate proper stands a bearded, mummied form called NEMI, who holds a knife in his bands, and at its exit stands a similar mummied form called KEFI. The corridor is swept by flames of fire, which proceed from the mouths of two uraei, as before. The uraei which guard the outwork address Ra, and say, "Come thou to us, O thou who art at the head of the horizon, O thou great god who openest the secret place, open thou the holy pylons and unfold the portals of the earth." The monster serpent which

 

The Boat of Af-Ra in the Tenth Division of the Tuat.

stands on his tail and guards the door is called SETHU, and the two lines of text which refer to his admission of Ra read:--"He who, is over this gate openeth to Ra. SA saith unto SETHU, 'Open thy gate, unfold thy portal, so that he may illumine the thick darkness, and may send light into the hidden abode.' This gate closeth after the great god hath

 

The Gate of the Serpent Sethu.

 

passed through it, and the uraei who are on the other side of it wail when they hear it closing upon them."

In the middle of this Division we see the boat of the sun being towed on its way by four gods of the Tuat, the god is in the same form as before, and his boat is piloted by SA, who commands, and by HEKA, who steers according to his directions.

The procession in front of the boat of the sun consists of:--

1. A bearded male figure called UNTI, i.e., the "god of the hour," who holds a star in each hand.

2. Four kneeling gods, each with a uraeus over his head. The first is Horus, hawk-headed; the second is SEREQ, bearded, and wearing a wig; the third is ABESH, bearded and without a wig; and the fourth is SEKHET, with the head of a lioness.

3. Three bearded beings, the "Star-gods," each holding a star in his right hand, which is stretched aloft, and with his left towing a small boat containing the "Face of the Disk."

4. A small boat holding a uraeus, which has the latter part of its body bent upwards; within the curve is the "Face of the Disk."

5. The winged serpent SEMI, standing on its tail, with its body in folds.

6. The bearded figure BESI, receiving in his hand the flame which spouts up from the head of a horned animal, which forms the top of a staff, and is transfixed by a knife.

7. The serpent ANKHI, from each side of the neck of which grows a bearded, mummy figure.

8. Four women, each with both hands raised in adoration; they are described as "Criers."

9. Two bows, set end to end, on each of which three uraei rear their heads. Standing over the place where the two ends of the bows meet, with a foot on the end of each, is the two-headed figure HORUS-SET, with two pairs of hands, one pair on each side of his body, raised in adoration. HORUS -SET is called "he of the two heads," and the two bows are "the Crown of the Uraei,"

The text which refers to the above groups reads:--

"This great god is towed along by the gods of the 'Tuat, and those who tow Ra along say:--'We are towing Ra along, we are towing Ra along and Ra followeth [us] into Nut. O have the mastery over thy Face, indeed thou shalt unite thyself to thy Face, O Ra, [by] Maat. Open, O thou Face of Ra, and let the two Eyes of Khuti enter into thee; drive away thou the darkness from Amentet. Let him give light by what he hath sent forth, the light.'"

Of the god with stars it is said:--

"He maketh a rising up for Ra (or, he stablisheth Ra), UNTI maketh to be light the upper heaven; this god leadeth the hour, which performeth that which belongeth to it to do."

Of the four seated gods it is said:--

"The [four] serpents who are in the earth keep ward (over those who are in this picture. They make a rising up for Ra, and they sit upon the great image[s which are] under them, and they pass onwards with them in the following of Ra, together with the hidden images which belong to them."

Of the three gods who hold stars it is said:--

"Those who are in this picture sing hymns with their stars, and they grasp firmly the bows of their boat, [and it] entereth into Nut. And this Face of Ra moveth onwards, and saileth over the land, and those who are in the Tuat sing hymns to it, and make Ra to stand up (i.e., establish Ra)."

Of the winged serpent SEMI it is said:--

"[It maketh a rising up for Ra], and it guideth the

 

Gods of Light and Fire.     Star-gods.     Face of the Disk.     Semi.

 

Well-doing god into the Tuat of the horizon of the East."

Of the god BESI it is said:--

"He maketh a rising up for Ra, and he placeth fire on the head and horns (or, [in] his hands is the fire from the head and horns), and the weapon which is in the hand of the Fighter is in the follower of this god."

Of the uraeus with the double male figure it is said:--

"It maketh a rising up for Ra. The stablishing of

Time which is reckoned in writing by years is with this uraeus, and it maketh it to go with him into the heights of heaven."

Of the "Criers" it is said:--

Those who cry unto Ra say, 'Enter in, O Ra! Hail, come, O Ra! Hail, come, O thou who art born of the Tuat! Come, O offspring of the heights of heaven! Hail, come thou into being, O Ra!

 

Besi.     Ankhi.     The goddesses who hail the god.     Mehen and Horus-Set.

Of the double bow it is said:--

"This is the MEHEN serpent of the uraei, which strideth through the Tuat. The two bows are stretched out, and they bear up on themselves him of the Two-Faces (or, Two-Heads, i.e., Horus-Set) in his mystery which [appertaineth] to them. They lead the way for Ra, in the horizon of the east of heaven, and they pass on into the heights of heaven in his train."

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In the upper register are:--

1. The four ANTIU gods, each of whom holds a knife in his right hand, and a short staff with one end curved and curled in his left.

2. The four HENATIU gods, each having four uraei in the place of a head; they are armed with weapons similar to those of the ANTIU gods.

 

The Antiu and Henatiu Gods attacking Apep.

3. The undulating length of the serpent APEP, of whom it is said, "his voice goeth round the Tuat." Attached to the neck of the monster is a very long chain, which rises in an oval curve, and, passing along through the hands of sixteen male figures, is then grasped and held down by a large hand, from which it again rises in an oval curve, and passing on for some distance descends into the earth immediately in front of Khenti-Amenti. On the first curve of the chain, lying flat on her face, is the goddess Serq. Of the sixteen bearded figures who grasp the chain with both hands, four are called SETEFIU, and face to the left; the twelve are described as the "TCHATIU gods, strong of arm." The right hand which grasps and pulls down the chain is called "HIDDEN BODY." Lengthwise on the second curve of the great chain lean the upper portions of the figures of five gods, each of whom grasps the chain with his right hand, and holds in his left a sceptre and the end of a chain which fetters a serpent in coils. The name of the first serpent is UAMEMTI, but of the remaining four no names are given. The five gods appear to grow out of the great chain, and are called SEB, MEST, HAPI, TUAMUTEF, and QEBHSENNUF. At the end of this section of the scene stands the bearded mummied figure of KHENTI-AMENTI, wearing the White Crown and the menat, and holding the sceptre in his two hands.

 

The Setefiu and other gods holding Apep in restraint.

 

Of the eight gods (i.e., the ANTIU and HENATIU) it is said:--

"Those who are in this picture rise up (or, stand) for Ra, and Ra riseth and cometh forth for them, [and they say], 'Rise, Ra, be strong, Khuti; verily we will overthrow Apep in his fetters. Approach not thou, O Ra, towards thine enemy, and thine enemy shall not approach thee; may thy holy attributes come into being within the serpent. The serpent Apep is stabbed with his knives, and gashes are inflicted on him. Ra shall stand up in the hour wherein he is content (or, the hour of peace), and the great god shall pass on in strength when his chain (i.e., Apep's) is fixed.'"

"The reptile (literally, worm) who is in this picture breaketh asunder the fetters, and the boat of this great god beginneth [to move] towards the region

 

Seb and the Children of Horus holding Apep and his sons in restraint.

of Apep; this great god travelleth on after he (i.e., Apep) hath been put in restraint by means of his 'fetters."

Of the four SETEFIU gods it is said:--

"Those who are in this picture grasp the fetters of the being of two-fold evil, and they say to Ra, 'Come forward, Ra, pass onwards, Khuti. Verily fetters have been laid upon NEHA-HRA, and Apep is in his bonds.'"

Of the twelve other gods who grasp the chain it is said:--

"Those who are in this picture [act] as warders of the sons of the helpless one, and they keep guard (over the deadly chain which is in the HIDDEN HAND, for the dead bodies are placed with the things [which belong to them] in the circuit of the battlements of KHENTI-AMENTI. And these gods say, 'Let darkness be upon thy face, O UAMEMTI, and ye shall be destroyed, O ye sons of the helpless one, by the HIDDEN HAND, which shall cause evils [to come upon you] by the deadly chain which is in it. SEB keepeth ward over your fetters, and the sons of the fetters (i.e., Mest, Hapi, Tuamutef, and Qebhsennuf) put upon you the deadly chain. Keep ye [your] ward under the reckoning of KHENTI-AMENTI.'"

Of the children of Horus it is said:--

"Those who are in this picture make heavy the fetters of the sons of the helpless one, and the boat of the Well-doing God travelleth on its way."

In the lower register are:--

1. Twelve male beings, each of whom carries a paddle; they are called "gods who never diminish."

2. Twelve female beings, each of whom grasps a rope with both hands; above the head of each is a star. They are called the "hours who tow alone, [the boat of Ra]."

The god BANTI, with the head of a cynocephalus ape, holding a sceptre.

4. The god SESHSHA, man-headed, with a star above him, holding a sceptre.

5. The god KA-AMENTI, bull-headed, and holding a sceptre.

 

The Twelve Akhemu-Seku Gods with their Paddles.

6. The god RENEN-SBAU, man-headed, with a star above him, holding a sceptre.

7. A monkey, with a star over his head, standing on a bracket; he is called the "god of Rethenu" (Syria).

8. A bracket, whereon rests the Utchat.

9. A god called HER-NEST-F, holding a sceptre.

Of the twelve gods (the AKHEMU SEKU) it is said:--

"Those who are in this picture make a rising up for Ra, and they take their paddles in this Circle of UNTI. They come into being of their own accord at the seasons when Ra is born in Nut; they come into being for the births of Ra, and they make their appearance in Nu along with him. It is they who transport this great god after he hath taken his place in the horizon of the East of heaven. Ra saith unto them:--'Take ye your paddles and unite ye yourselves to your stars. Your coming into being taketh place when [I] come into being, and your births take place when my births take place. O ye beings who transport me, ye shall not suffer diminution, O ye gods AKHEMU SEKU.'"

Of the twelve goddesses of the hours it is said:--

"Those who are in this scene take hold of the rope of the boat of Ra to tow him along into the sky. It is they who tow Ra along, and guide him along the roads into the sky, and behold, they are the goddesses who draw along the great god in the Tuat. Ra saith unto them:--'Take ye the rope, set ye yourselves in position, and pull ye me, O my followers, into the height of heaven, and lead ye me along the ways. My births make you to be born, and behold, my coming into being maketh you to come into being. O stablish ye the periods of time and years for him who is among you.'"

1. "The god who is in this picture adjureth the

 

The Twelve Goddesses of the Hours.

 

pylons to open to Ra, and he goeth on his way by his side."

2. "The god who is in this picture crieth out to the stars concerning the births of this great god, and he goeth on his way with them."

3. "The god who is in this picture crieth to the gods of the Boat of Ra, and he goeth on his way with him."

4. "The god who is in this picture setteth the stars in their places (literally, towns), and he goeth on his way with the great god."

The above four paragraphs must refer to the four gods BANTI, SESHSHA, KA-AMENT, and RENEN-SBAU, and therefore the god of Rethenu, the Utchat, and the god HER-NEST-F remain without descriptions. From the tomb of Rameses VI. M. Lefébure adds the two

 

(Left to Right) Banti. Seshsha. Ka-Amenti. Renen-sbau. Neter-Rethen. Eye of Ra. Her-nest-f.

following paragraphs which concern the Utchat and HER-NEST-F.

"This is the Eye of Ra, which the god uniteth to himself, and it rejoiceth in its place in the boat."

"This is he who openeth the door of this Circle; he remaineth in his position, and doth not go on his way with Ra."