CHAPTER CXXIX

is a repetition of Chapter C.

CHAPTER CXXX.

A Book whereby the Soul is made to live for ever, on the day of entering into the Bark of Rā, and to pass the Sheniu of the Tuat. Made on the Birthday of Osiris.(1)

Opened be the gates of Heaven; opened be the gates of Earth; opened be the gates of the East; opened be the gates of the West; opened be the gates of the Southern and of the Northern sanctuaries.

Opened be the gates and thrown wide the portals as Rā risethup from the Mount of Glory; opened to him be the doors of the Sektit boat, thrown open to him be the portals of the Māātit, as he scenteth Shu and setteth in motion Tefnut, and those follow who are in the train of the OsirisN, who followeth Rā and taketh possession of his arms of steel.(2)

I am coffined in an ark like Horus, to whom his cradle(3) is brought: and secret is the place, hard by his own shrine, which the god openeth to whom he willeth.

And so it cometh that I lift up Right to the Lord of Right, and that I make fast the cord which windeth about the shrine.

The OsirisNavoideth the raging storm: the OsirisNis not to be kept away from Rā, not to be repulsed is he.

Let not the OsirisNadvance into the Valley of Darkness: let not the OsirisNenter into the dungeon of the captives: let him not leap into the grip of Fate, let him not fall among those who imprison souls or come forth among those who would drag him behind the slaughtering block of the Armed god.(4)

Salutations to you, ye sejant gods.(5)

The divine Sword(6) is concealed in the hands of Seb, at daybreak, for he delighteth in drawing to himself both old and young at his own season.

And now behold Thoth in the secret of his mysteries. He maketh purifications and endless reckonings; piercing the steel firmament and dissipating the storms around him.

And so it cometh that the OsirisNhath reached every station of his.

He hath fashioned his staff, and received the oblations of Rā, the swift of speed and beautiful in his rising and almighty through what he hath done.

He putteth an end to his pain and suffering, and the OsirisNputteth an end to his own pain; yea, he gladdeneth the countenance of Thoth by the worship of Rā and Osiris.

The OsirisNentereth the Mount of Glory of Rā, who hath made his Bark and saileth prosperously, lightening up the face of Thoth, that he may listen to Rā and beat down the obstacles in his way, and put an end to his adversaries.

Let not the OsirisNbe shipwrecked on the great voyage by him whose face is in his own lap:(7) for the name of Rā is upon the Osiris, and his token of honour is on his mouth, which speaketh to him who listeneth to the words of the OsirisN.

Glory to thee, O Rā, Lord of the Mount of Glory. Hail to thee, who purifiest the generations yet unborn and to whom this great quarter of heaven offered homage.

The steering keepeth clear from misadventure.

Lo, here is Osiris who proclaimeth Right, because of the marvel in the West, for he hath put an end to the rage of Apepi, for he is himself the god in Lion form among the associate gods and protecteth Rā against Apepi daily, that he may not approach him, and he keepeth watch upon him. Osiris seizeth the scrolls and receiveth the offerings.

And Thoth supplieth the OsirisNwith that which he shall perform for him. It is granted that the Osiris shall carry Maāt at the head of the great Bark, and hold up Maāt among the associate gods, and that Osiris gain endless triumphs.

The Sheniu marshal the OsirisN, and they procure for the Osiris a voyage amid acclamations.

The Satellites of Rā make their round, in the train of the exaltation of Maāt, who followeth her Lord. And glory is given to the Inviolate one.

The Osiris receiveth the Amsu-staff(8) wherewith he goeth round Heaven.

The unborn generations of men give him glory, as to one who standeth without ever resting. Rā exalteth him by this, that he alloweth the Osiris to disperse the cloud and behold his glories. He maketh firm his rudders that the Bark may go round in Heaven and that he may make his appearance in Antu. Thoth is in the centre of his eye, sejant in the great Bark of Chepera. The Osiris becometh one whose words come to pass. He it is who passeth over Heaven unto the West, and the Chabasu gods of Light rise up to him with acclamation. They receive the cable of Rā from his rowers, and Rā goeth on his round and seeth the Osiris who issueth his decrees;(9) the OsirisN, the Victorious; in peace! in peace!

Not to be repelled is he; not to be caught by the fire of thy fate. Let not the tempest of thy mouth come forth against him.

Let not the OsirisNadvance upon the paths of misfortune: let him avoid disasters, let them not attain him.

The OsirisNenters into the Bark of Rā, he succeedeth to thy throne; he receiveth thine insignia.

The OsirisNinaugurateth the paths of Rā and prayeth that hemay drive off the Lock which cometh out of the flame against thy Bark out of the great Stream.

But the OsirisNknoweth it, and it attaineth not thy Bark. For the OsirisNis within it; the OsirisNwho maketh the divine offerings.

Said over a Bark of Rā, coloured in pure green.(10) And thou shalt place a picture of the deceased at the prow thereof. And make a Sektit boat on the right side of it and an Atit boat on the left side of it.(11)

Notes.

1.This title is given to the Chapter in the later recensions, and nearly resembles that given in the Berlin papyrus of Nechtu-amen (of the XIXth dynasty). That given in another papyrus of the older period is quite different,—“Chapter whereby the Chu is fortified.” Instead of theSheniu of the Tuat, Ba(the papyrus of Nechtuamen) has theSheniu of Fire⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂, a reading suggested by the⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂the circuit of fire, which occurs in the title of another chapter. TheSheniuof this chapter are living personages who attend upon the Osiris and greet him with their acclamations. The word is often translated ‘princes,’‘officers,’‘officers,’but it signifiesthose who are in the circleof a king or god, hence ‘ministrants,’ ‘courtiers,’ as in the rubric of Chapter CXXV.

The wordsmade on the Birth-day of Osirisare only found in the later texts, but the old papyrusLc, which has another title, has the words⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂. The important word⁂⁂⁂which is here carelessly omitted is supplied by the rubric. For the Birth-day of Osiris, was the first of the five supplementary days, added to the year of 360 days. On this day the chapter was to be recited and the usual oblations offered (seeNote 11). So we must understand⁂, ‘which is to be made or done.’

2.Arms of steel,⁂⁂⁂⁂.

3.CradleorNest,⁂⁂; the ‘Nest of Reeds’⁂⁂so often represented in pictures of the later periods.

4.The Armed god,⁂⁂Septu, called⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂.(Unas282) and⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂septu ābu, ‘armed with horns,’ that is, rays of light. In pictures he is represented as a hawk armed with bow and arrows, and there is one picture in which he is in the form of Bes, destroyer of theMenti.

5.Sejant gods⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂. I am compelled for want of a better word to use the heraldic term which most nearly expresses the posture of gods sitting on the ground with their knees raised up against their breasts. The posture is a very common one in Egyptian pictures. The second Sallier Papyrus represents an unfortunate artisan as sitting,⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂“with his two knees at the pit of his stomach.” The⁂⁂⁂⁂is the limb between the knee and the pelvis.

6.This divine Sword⁂⁂⁂. Unseen fate brings down the old and the young alike to the Grave ever ready to receive them. Seb, the φυσίζοος αἶα, is here, as elsewhere, spoken of in reference to his κατοχή of the dead in the Tuat, as inUnas210.

7.Whose face is in his own lap,⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂.Cf.Note 5.

8.The Amsu staff.The name of it is phonetically written⁂⁂⁂⁂in the later texts. It is the emblem both of Osiris and of Horus, and is constantly represented along with bows, arrows, and other weapons, in the oldest coffins, as belonging to the celestial armoury of the deceased person.

9.Who issueth his decrees. SeeMaspero,Bibl. Egyptol.II., p. 3 (note) and 39.

10.Green.The Egyptian⁂⁂is probably nearer in meaning to the Greek χλωρός, ‘pale green, yellowish-green.’

11.The Rubric ends here inPb.Lc.adds,“They“Theyshall offer bread, beer, and all good thingson the Birth-day of Osiris.And if these rites are performed for him, his soul will rise up and live for ever; he will not ever die a second time in the divine Nether world.”

The later texts add the information that the text was discovered in the great hall of the palace in the time of king Septa, and that itwas found in a pit or chamber in the rock,⁂⁂⁂. It was made by Horus for his father Osiris Unneferu. Septa is the fifth royal name on the great tablet of Abydos.

CHAPTER CXXXI.

Chapter whereby one proceedeth into Heaven by the side of Rā.(1)

Oh Rā(2) who art shining this night: if there be any one among thy followers, let him present himself living as a follower of Thoth, who causeth Horus to come forth this night.

The heart of the Osiris is glad, because he is one at the head of them.

His adversaries are brought to a stop by the warriors(3) of the OsirisN, who is a follower of Rā, and hath taken his arms of steel.

He cometh to thee, his father Rā, he followeth Shu and calleth for the Crown. He putteth on Hu(4) and is arrayed with the Lock which is on the path of Rā and is his glory.

And he arriveth at the Aged one, at the confines of the Mount of Glory, and the crown awaiteth him.

The OsirisNraiseth it up.

Thy Soul is with thee, and strong is thy Soul through the terror and the might which belong to thee, Oh OsirisN, who utterest the decrees which Rā hath spoken in Heaven.

Hail to thee, great god in the East of Heaven, who enterest into the Bark of Rā in the form of the Divine Hawk and executest the decrees which have been uttered; thou who strikest with thy sceptre from thy Bark.

The OsirisNentereth into thy Bark and saileth peacefully to the Fair West; and Tmu saith to him: Art thou coming in?

Mehenit is millions upon millions in length from Amur to Ta-ur(5) an endless river wherein the gods move.

(6) ... whose path is in the fire; and they travel in the fire who come behind him.

Notes.

1.None of the oldest papyri yet known contain this chapter. This of itself is not an argument against its antiquity, and there isreally no reason for supposing it to be less ancient than the chapter which precedes it. The latter portion of the text is, however, very corrupt and we have unfortunately no means as yet of correcting it.

2.O Rā.The name of the god is sometimes omitted in MSS. The context, however, requires its presence. It may nevertheless be asked: how can the Sun-god be said to be shining in the night?

The question might as pertinently be asked: how can Horus (in the very same line) be said to come forth in the night? The answer to both these questions is that the Sun, whether as Rā or as Horus or Osiris, shines in the night through the agency of Thoth, the Moon. For further information see Notes to next chapter.

3.Warriors⁂⁂⁂. I take this group as=⁂⁂or⁂⁂⁂. But a papyrus gives the variant⁂⁂⁂⁂.

4.He putteth on Hu.This, is certainly obscure; but it is not the less in conformity with the doctrine of the Pyramid texts. The deceased (PepiI. 432,Merira618) is borne to a region where he is fed from night till daybreak, and then seizes upon the god Hu,⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂. And according to other texts (Unas, 446,Teta, 250) the deceased seizes (⁂) upon Hu, and after Sau has been fastened to his feet enters the bark and seizes upon (⁂) the Mount of Glory.

5.Mehenit⁂⁂⁂⁂, or in the masculine form⁂⁂, is the name of the mythological serpent which personifies the subterranean path from West to East of the Sun’s nightly course. In theBook of Hades(e.g.on the Sarcophagus of Seti,passim) it is represented as extending over the back, top and front of the shrine in which the Sun-god is borne in his Bark. The many folds of the serpent are symbolical of the turnings and windings of the river or canal (⁂) over which the god is conveyed. This river is here described as infinite in length. This is one of the instances from which it is clear⁂⁂⁂, like the corresponding Copticⲟⲩⲉⲓ, has the meaning oflength. SeeP.S.B.A., XVII, 190.

The length ‘from West to East’ is described as ‘fromAmurtoTaur’⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂.Amuris known from many texts to signify the West (seesupra, Chapter 64,note 13).The East is known asTa-urorTa-urit. The royal Ritual at Abydos (Mariette, I. 37) says⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂. And as one of the values of the sign⁂istaas in⁂⁂(Louvre, B. 14), I feel sure that we should readTa-ur(or in the feminineTa-urit) rather thanNif-urorNif-urit, even in such passages as those quotedsuprain Chapter 128, notes 1 and 2, which have no necessary references to earthly geography.

6.There is a corrupt passage here, which I have at present no means of correcting by manuscript authority. M. Pierret thus renders it:“Le dieu qui partage les paroles y fait son chemin de millions d’années, seigneur sans égal, dont le chemin est dans le feu.”

CHAPTER CXXXII.

Chapter whereby a person is enabled to go round, to visit his dwelling in the Netherworld.

I am the Lion-god who issueth from the Bow,(1) and therefore have I shot forth.(2)

I am the Eye of Horus; and the Eye of Horus is opened at the instant that I reach the strand, coming with happy issue.

I advance and, lo! there is no defect found in me, and the Balance is relieved of my case.(3)

Notes.

1.The Bow,⁂, often written with the determinative⁂, ofstretching, which is the conception implied in this name of the instrument. This mythologicalBow, as I explained,Proc. Soc. Bibl. Arch., VI, 131, is the moon’screscent, which during its course through the sky is always turned towards the sun; so that a line at right angles to the chord of the arc passes through the sun’s centre. From this “very delicate observation,” as Arago calls it, the Alexandrian astronomer Geminus infers that the moon derives its light from the sun. The observation evidently had been made in Egypt some thousands of years before Geminus, and explainswhy in several chapters the sun is spoken of as shining in or from the moon.

See alsoProc. Soc. Bibl. Arch., XVII, 37, on another form of the myth.

2.I follow the Turin text in omitting a word about which the earlier texts are not agreed, but which seems to have originated in an alternate reading for⁂.

3.See end of Chapter 1 and note. These words are omitted in Turin text.

CHAPTER CXXXIII.

Book whereby the Deceased acquireth Might(1) in the Netherworld in presence of the great Cycle of the gods.[Said on the first day of the Month].(2)

Rā maketh his appearance at the Mount of Glory, with the Cycle of gods about him: the Strong one issueth from his hidden abode.

The Twinklers(3) fall away from the Mount of Glory at the East of Heaven, at the voice of Nut as she buildeth up the paths of Rā, before the Ancient one who goeth round.

Be thou lift up, O Rā who art in thine shrine; breathe thou the breezes, inhale the north wind ... (4)on the day when thou discernest the Land of Maāt.

Thou dividest them that follow; the Bark advanceth and the Ancient ones step onwards at thy voice.

Reckon thou thy bones, and set thy limbs, and turn thy face towards the beautiful Amenta.

For thou art the golden Form,(5) with a couch of the heavenly orbs, with the Twinklers amongst whom thou goest round, and art renewed daily.

Acclamation cometh from the Mount of Glory, and greeting from the lines of measurement.(6)

The gods who are in heaven, they see the OsirisN, they present to him their adorations as to Rā.

He is the Great one, who seeketh the Crown and reckoneth up that which is needful.

He is the One, who cometh forth this day from the primeval womb of them who were before Rā, and his coming forth taketh place upon earth and in the Netherworld. His coming forth is like Rā daily.

Without haste, but unresting, is the OsirisNon this Land of Eternity.

Twice blessed is he that seeth with his eyes and heareth with his ears.

Right, right is the OsirisN: and his future, his future,(7) is in Annu.

His oars are lifted as in the service of Nu.

The OsirisNhath not told what he hath seen; he hath not repeated what he hath heard in the house of the god who hideth his face.

There are hailing and cries of welcome to the OsirisN, the divine body of Rā, on traversing the Nu, and whilst thekaof the god is being propitiated, according to his pleasure.

The OsirisNis the Hawk, rich in variety of Forms.

The Deceased acquireth might with Rā, and is enabled to possess power among the gods, for the gods are made to regard him as one of themselves, and when the Dead ones see him they fall upon their faces. He is seen in the Netherworld even as the beams of Rā.

Said over a Boat of four cubits in length, painted green. And let a starry sky be made, clean and purified with natron and incense. And see thou make an image of Rā upon a tablet of light green colour at the prow of the Boat. And see thou make an image of the Deceased whom thou lovest, that he may be made strong in this boat, and that his voyage be made in the Bark of Rā, and that Rā himself may look upon him. Do not do this for any one except for thine own self, thy father and thy son. And let them be exceedingly cautious for themselves. The Deceased acquireth might with Rā, and made to possess power among the gods, who regard him as one of themselves, and when men or the Dead see him they fall upon their faces. He is seen in the Netherworld as the image of Rā.(8)

Notes.

The earliest known text of this chapter is that of the Tomb of Amenemhait at Thebes (Ta), of the time of Thothmes III. It is almost as inaccurate as that of Nebseni (Aa), or the BrockelhurstAx. Nor is the text of Ani of any use towards clearing up any of the difficulties.

1.Acquireth Might.⁂⁂does not signifywise, nor has it anything to do withinstructionorperfection, as supposed by other translators. As an adjective it is used to qualify not only animate but inanimate things, such as anegg,beer, andincense. The well-known expressions⁂⁂⁂and⁂⁂⁂exactly correspond to the Hebrewעד מאדandמאד מאד. The notion implied, as in the Hebrewאוד, is that ofstrength.

⁂⁂⁂, in the Prisse Papyrus, is not awiseman, but apowerfulone,a man of rank or influence, δυνάμενος, δυνατός.

This is the meaning of the word in such passages as⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂(Rougé,Inscr. hier., 80)⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂(Inscr. of Unarepeatedly)⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂(Pap. Prisse17, 1). These expressions are the exact equivalents of the Greek δυνάμενος παρά τῷ βασιλῆι, Herodot. 7, 5.

The might acquired by the deceased is stated in the final rubric and in all the titles of the chapter in the later recensions to be⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂, with reference to Rā.

2.Said on the first day of the Month.These words first appear on the Papyrus of Ani.

3.The Twinklers.The oldest texts in this place have⁂⁂⁂⁂, though the equivalent and corresponding word a little further on is⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂, which is the usual reading here in the later recensions. The same meaning may be made out of both groups. The stars are manifestly alluded to, as being made to disappear when the Sun makes his appearance.⁂, or in reduplicated form⁂⁂⁂, is the pupil of the eye;⁂⁂is toogle,far l’occhiata.⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂on the other hand signifies thelittle tremblers,“tremulo fulgore micantes.”The glance of the eye is⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂.[144]The stars are here considered as so many eyes, characterised by their tremulous motion.

4.The true text is here quite lost. Some sense might be restored, if we might read⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂instead of⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂. The latter word is absolute nonsense in this place, whatever determinative it may have, but the former is the well known name of a tree held sacred at various places in Egypt. The whole passage then might mean “Enjoy the north wind, and may the Kabasu trees of thine abode refresh thee.”

5.The golden Form.The whole of this passage will become clear after reading the final rubric and examining the Vignettes of the chapter.

6.Line of measurement,⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂. An explanation of this will be found in the pictures and text of theBook of Hades. In Bonomi’sSarcoph.Sarcoph., PlatesVIIin the act of acclamation, and twelve others carry the line⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂. The use intended for the line is stated in the text. “The bearers of the line are those who settle the fields of the Chu,⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂.” They are called upon to take their line and to fix the⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂,ⲥⲉⲑⲓⲟϩⲓ, ἄρουρα, thearable landof each allotment. Rā expresses his satisfaction at the measurement, and tells the gods and the Chu that their domains are theirs, and that he provides their food.

7.His future⁂⁂⁂,⁂⁂⁂⁂.

8.The rubric is taken fromAx.

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