[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

AM-TUAT each appears in the boat of AFU-RA in the Hour to which she belongs.
On the right of AFU-RA are the Twelve gods who "carry their doubles" (vol. ii., p. 131) and who live
upon the offerings which are made to them and upon what is given to them by TESERT-BAIU, i.e., the
place of holy souls. Their duty is to offer their kau or doubles to the god, whom they address as the "lord
of years and of everlastingness which hath no diminution" (vol. ii., p. 130). Beyond these gods are two
lakes, viz., the LAKE OF LIFE, and the LAKE OF THE LIVING URAEI. Round the LAKE OF LIFE
stand twelve jackal-headed gods who invite AFU-RA to bathe in it, even as the "lord of the gods" did,
and who state that the souls of the dead do not come near it because it is holy. When he passes out of
this DIVISION they lift up their voices in lamentation (vol. ii., p. 132). The LIVING URAEI turn back
the souls from their Lake, and the mere sound of
p. 142
the words which they utter destroys the shadows of the dead who have succeeded in coming near it.
They preserve with great care the flames and fire which are in them, so that they may hurl them at the
enemies of AFU-RA.
In the course of his journey through this HOUR AFU-RA passes the shrine of KHENTI-AMENTI, the
ancient god of Abydos, which is seen on the left (vol. ii., p. 137); he is in mummied form, wears the
white crown, as befits a god of the South, and stands on a serpent. Immediately before the shrine is the
Flame-goddess NESERT. Before and behind the shrine are twelve gods, at the head of the first company
being HERU-UR, or "Horus the Aged." HERU-UR addresses the god in the shrine by the names "Osiris"
and "Khenti-Amenti," and declares that he has performed the magical ceremonies which have made
KHENTI-AMENTI to be the "Governor of the Tuat," to such purpose that the spirits of the blessed ( khu)
look upon him with awe, and the dead, i.e., the damned, (mit) are in terror of him. Here we have the
proof of the existence of the belief that Osiris was enabled to travel safely through the Tuat by means of
the spells, and incantations, and magical formulae, and words of power which were uttered by
HERU-UR. The Twelve gods who are in front of the shrine ascribe praise and dominion to
KHENTI-AMENTI, and declare that his son Horus has restored to him his crown, and crushed his
p. 143
enemies, and made strong OSIRIS-KHENTI-AMENTI. To these AFU-RA makes no answer, but he calls
upon Horns to avenge him on those who work against him, and to cast them to the Master of the lords of
the pits, so that they may be destroyed. Now the pits here referred to are four in number (vol. ii., p. 137),
and they are filled with fire; into these the enemies of the god are cast, and the keepers of them are
adjured by Horus to watch and tend the fires. Who the plotters against the god may be it is impossible to
say, but it is quite clear that one portion of the FOURTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT was a fiery hell
wherein all the wicked were consumed. It is interesting to note that of the beings who are to the left of
the Boat of AFU-RA Horus is the only one whom the god addresses.
Next: Fifth Division of the Tuat. II. The Kingdom of Khenti-Amenti-Osiris According to the Book of
Gates
Sacred Texts Egypt EHH Index Index Previous Next
FIFTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT.
II. THE KINGDOM OF KHENTI-AMENTI-OSIRIS ACCORDING TO THE BOOK OF
GATES.
The FIFTH, like the FOURTH DIVISION of the BOOK OF GATES, in no way resembles that in the
BOOK AM-TUAT, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with the kingdom of SEKER. The god AFU-RA,
having passed through the Gate of the DIVISION or HOUR, which is called ARIT, and which has been
opened by the monster serpent TEKA-HRA that guarded it, is towed along by four of the gods of this
section of the
p. 144
[paragraph continues]
Tuat. The ministers of the god consist of nine gods whose hands and arms are covered,
and twelve gods who are under the direction of HERI-QENBET-F; the nine gods are called
KHERU-ENNUTCHI, i.e., "those who hold the serpent ENNUTCHI," and the twelve gods BAIU RETH
AMMIU TUAT, i.e., the "souls of men who dwell in the Tuat" (vol. ii., pp. 144, 145). The exact
functions of Ennutchi are not known, but his presence is baleful, and AFU-RA straightway calls upon the
group of gods to destroy him; the god would press on to the next Gate, NEBT-AHAU, but ENNUTCHI
can travel to that point, and he must therefore be removed.
The next group of gods is of peculiar interest, for they represent the souls of those who have spoken
"what is right and true upon earth, and who have magnified the forms of the god RA." In return for such
moral rectitude and piety, AFU-RA orders HERI-QENBET-F to invite them to "sit at peace in their
habitations in the corner of those who are with myself," where praises shall be sung to their souls, and
where they shall have air in abundance to breathe; they shall, moreover, have joints of meat to eat in
SEKHET-AARU. Besides this, offerings shall be made to them upon earth, even as they are to the god
HETEPI, the lord of SEKHET-HETEPET (vol. ii., pp. 145, 146). Now from these statements some very
interesting deductions may be made. In the first place, it is now certain that there was a place specially
set apart for the souls of men in the Tuat, and that those who were allowed to enter it
p. 145
had lived a life of moral rectitude, and had followed after righteousness and integrity when they were
upon earth. Secondly, they were allowed to live in the corner of the SEKHET-HETEPET with the great
god himself, in the place where, as we know from the Papyrus of Ani (see above, p. 44 ), most wonderful
grain grew. Thirdly, an everlasting supply of offerings made upon earth was assured them, and in this
respect they were coequal with HETEPI, the chief god of the Field of Peace (or, Field of Offerings). Thus
the religion of Osiris undoubtedly taught that those who were good on this earth were rewarded in the
next world.
On the right of AFU-RA are the twelve gods called HENIU-AMMIU-TUAT, i.e., "those who sing praises
in the Tuat," and the twelve gods called KHERU-ENNUHU-EM-UAT, i.e., "those who hold the cord in
the Tuat," and the four HENBIU gods (vol. ii., pp. 148-150). The first company of gods are, as we learn
from the text, engaged in praising AFU-RA, and they have been rewarded with the exalted office which
they hold in Ament because they praised RA at sunrise and sunset when they lived upon earth, and
because Ra was "satisfied" with what they did for him. They enjoy, moreover, a share of the offerings
which are made to the god. A little beyond the HENIU are the "gods who hold the measuring cord," and [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]