Anqet
Anqet, was the third member of the triad of Elephantine, which consisted of Khenmu, Sati, and Anqet, and she seems to have possessed many attributes of her sister-goddess Sati. In pictures Anqet is represented in the form of a women who holds in her hands the scepter, and the emblem of "life," ; she wears on her head a crown of feathers which are arranged in such a way as to suggest a savage origin. She appears to have been originally a goddess of some island in the First Cataract, but in early dynastic times she was associated with Khnemu and Sati, and her worship was common throughout Northern Nubia ; later the center of her worship was at Sahal, and she was regarded as a goddess of that t island,a nd was called "lady of Setet,",Nebt Satet. Her temple there seems to have been named "Amen-heri-ab," but it is clear from the appearance of amen's name in its title that it cannot be older than the XVIIIth Dynasty. At Philae another temple was built in her honor, and it bore the name of "Pa-mer," and it seems that from this island southwards she was identified with Nepthys. In very early times Osiris, Isis, and Nephtys were associated in a triad, and as Osirsi was a form of Khenmu, and Khenmu a form of Osiris,a nd Isis and sti were sister goddesses, it followed as a matter of course that Anqet should be identified with Nephtys. According to Dr. Brugsch, the name "anqet is derived from the root word anq, "to surround, to embrace," and the like and has reference to the goddess as the personification of the waters of the Nile which embrace, and nourish, and fructify the fields. Among the pictures of Anqet reproduc 636k1012g ed by Signor Lanzone is one in which the goddess is seen seated in a shrine with a table of offerings before her; the shrine is placed in a boat, at each end of which is an aegis of a goddess, who wears on her head a disk and horns, and is probably Isis :the boat floats on a stream from which runs a small arm. The goddess is styled "Anqet, lady of Satet ' lady of heaven, mistress of all gods,". In another picture she is seen suckling a young king whose neck she embraces with her left arm, and in a text which accompanies another representation she is described as the "giver of life, and of all power, and of all "health, and of all joy of heart," we have now to consider two very important forms of Khnemu, that is to say.
To understand the Myth of Creation, one must first understand that it is a complicated story. Four "cosmologies," or theories about creation are involved, each developing over different periods in ancient Egypt. There are some common elements to each theory. For example, each theory holds that in the beginning, only a primordial, stagnant ocean called Nu existed. In addition, the four theories agree that out of Nu, rose the primeval hill. Each cosmology believed it was their temple that stood on this hill. The first step-pyramids are no doubt symbolic of this mound. All cosmologies share the belief that creation was a slow process, not catastrophic. Finally, they also all agree that there was a "First Time," or a time period when the gods actually lived on earth.
With this foundation, the Heliopolitan cosmogony develops the myth further. The first event was the creation of Atum, the god of Heliopolis. There is dispute over whether he created himself, or was the son of Nu. Some texts say he first appeared over the hill, others say he was, himself, the hill. Eventually, Atum became associated with Ra, the sun-god. Ra-Atum at this point is said to be the coming of the light to disperse the darkness of Nu. Ra-Atum is symbolized by the Phoenix in this context. His next task was to create other gods. He did this by masturbation, not having a mate. This was not offensive to ancient Egyptians, but in fact intensified his power in their minds.
Ra-Atum gave birth to twins. Shu, his son and god of the air, was spit out, and his daughter, Tefnut, goddess of world order was vomited out by Ra-Atum. The Twins were raised by Nu and supervised by Ra-Atum's eye. The story of Ra-Atums eye will be told later. Shu and Tefnut gave birth to Geb, god of the earth, and his wife and sister, Nut, goddess of the sky. Geb and Nut, in turn, were the parents of Isis, Osiris, Nephthys, and Set. These four gods, especially Osiris play a major role in later myths. Horus, another god was the son of Isis and Osiris. These five younger gods and goddesses may have been incorporated by the priests of Heliopolis. Whatever the case, this "Ennead," or grouping of gods, were very much a part of tradition during this time.
From here, the order of dominance or precedence becomes contradictory. Some text place Horus in a very high position, others give the right to Nut. Still others claim that Atum placed Geb over the Ennead, which included himself. The priests during this period believed themselves to represent Geb and Nut, not Atum. Eventually, it is Ra, the sun-god, who is considered supreme. However, Osiris later assumes this role. All of this will be discussed later.
Later, in 3100 B.C., Upper and Lower Egypt were joined and the capital became Memphis. This began a new theory of creation. Ptah, the high god of Memphis was deemed creator. At some point Ptah was even declared to be Nu (thus placed above Atum, high god of Heliopolis). The Ennead of Heliopolis was said to be merely a manifestation of Ptah. This displacement of Heliopolitan cosmogony was necessary to establish and maintain the Memphite superiority.
Yet another cosmogony existed which was quite different from that of Heliopolis and Memphis. This was in a city in Upper Egypt called Hermopolis. It was said that this theory came before any other. Instead of an Ennead, Hermopolitans had a group of eight gods called an Ogdoad. This group consisted of Nun and Naunet, Huh and Hauhet, Kuk and Kauket, and Amon and Amaunet. According to this theory, these eight gods were responsible for creating the world. After this was done, the eight ruled the world during a time called the Golden Age. When they died, they went to the underworld, from where they still had power to make the Nile flow and the sun to rise. Nun and Naunet symbolize water, Huh and Hauhet represent "unendingness," Kuk and Kauket signify darkness, and Amon and Amaunet symbolize the air.
Finally, in Thebes during the New Kingdom time from 1546-1085 B.C., a new cosmogony arose. At this time, all the other theories were widely accepted; therefore, it was essential that the Thebans incorporate the main features of these theories into their own. The chief god of Thebes was Amon, who was already associated with the air. This made it a simple task to also instill in Amon the power of the "supreme and invisible creator (Ames, 1965)." It was said that he created himself, having no father or mother, and was born in secret. Thebans claimed their city was the first city, and that all other cities were modeled after it. All of the cosmogonies claimed this. Thebans claimed that Thebes was the Eye of Ra, son of Amon. Going beyond what had been done in the past, Thebans claimed that entire cosmogonies were merely aspects of Amon; merely forms of him.
It is important to mention at this point that each translation of ancient Egyptian text renders its own perspective on what is being said. There are many inconsistencies in each account. Therefor, it is a very complicated and difficult task to summarize the myth of creation, or any myth, for that matter. From source to source, the names of the gods differ; even spellings differ. This site attempts to give a brief outline or a basic knowledge of Egyptian mythology. With this in mind, we continue with a few myths related to the creation myth.
The eye of Ra-Atum, mentioned above, is the mythological symbol for the sun. At one point, Shu and Tefnut, twin children of Ra-Atum, were separated from him. He sent his eye to find them. While the eye was searching, Ra-Atum replaced the eye with another. When the eye returned with Shu and Tefnut, Ra-Atum wept with joy, and the tears created humankind. However, the eye was enraged at having been replaced. Ra-Atum placed the eye on his forehead so that the eye could rule the world; thus becoming associated with the sun. The second eye is associated with the moon.
Another mythological symbol associated with the Creation Myth is the Phoenix. The Phoenix was said to travel from Arabia to Heliopolis once every five hundred years. The cycles of time were said to be set by the Phoenix, also known as the Benu bird, and the temple of the Phoenix became the "centre of calendrical regulation (Clark, 1960)." During the Middle Kingdom, it became the soul of Osiris and it was also at this time that it became associated with the planet Venus, the morning star, which was said to be the sun's guide. All of the above representations were minor associations, however. The Phoenix's main role was as the one who created himself, thus symbolizing Ra-Atum.
Common to all cosmogonies of creation is the temple. Each theory places its temple on the hill rising up from Nu. Myths concerning the form, origin and significance are mostly Memphite in origin; myths about the daily temple rituals are primarily Heliopolitan in nature. One such temple, and possibly the earliest described in myth, was that of the Falcon, associated with the god Horus who was the hunters' god, maybe a war god, and later, a sky god. Thus, the Falcon was a symbol of majesty and power, and the model for the pharaohs. According to myth, this temple's erection was a natural event and signified the final event in the process of creation. It started out as a shelter for the Falcon's perch and this portion remained the most sacred place in the temple. The detail in which the temple is described exemplifies the high level of development that was reached even before historic times. Many temples like this were constructed in predynastic Egypt, most likely.
The temple of the sun-god was the second type of temple built. This began as one rectangular structure or sanctuary. Other chambers were added, and a wall surrounded the structure. Some research shows that there was another type of temple of the sun-god that consisted of one sanctuary only. This temple signifies the beginning of the history of the actual temple physically built in Egypt.
Myth has it that the above temples descended from one primeval temple that was built to shelter the successor of the creator. This temple is said to have stood on the hill rising up from Nu, as did every other temple described in the various cosmogonies. However, this was a living temple, the body of the god of the temple, who took his physical form using the temple.
Delta Cycle
As mentioned before, there was a mythological period called the "First Time." This was an era where the gods were said to roam and rule the world. Nu, Atum, Ra, Shu and Tefnut, Geb and Nut, Osiris, and many other gods were among the population. Set, son of Geb and Nut, was also present. It is said that he was the spirit of evil. Even his birth was violent, as he tore himself from his mother's womb. He gained power by murdering his brother Osiris and was a terrifying ruler for a period of time. Many of the other gods chose to seek safety in the bodies of various animals during this time.
This begins what is called the Delta Cycle myth. Set's sister, Isis was enslaved by Set after her brother and husband, Osiris's death (which is a topic itself and will be discussed shortly). Isis managed to escape and was forced to hide in the swamp of the Delta, for she was carrying a child, Horus, destined to grow up and defeat Set; thus avenging his father's death. As an infant, Horus was watched over by various gods and marsh-nymphs in a place in the swamp called Chemmis. Among these was Nephthys, the sister and wife of Set-as she had left her husband due to his cruelty. Snakes were his biggest source of danger, as they were Set in disguise. At one point, Horus was bitten and poisoned. He was saved by the gods because the power of the "high god" could protect him from Set and his followers. It is interesting to note here that this power was said not to extend over natural hazards. Thus, if it had been simply a poisonous snake bite, Horus may have died, but because it was Set's evil in disguise, the gods were able to cure Horus.
Once Horus was grown, he came out of the Delta to claim his right to his father's "office." This myth, called the Great Quarrel by some, was not a serious one. The story is mostly dialogue. It was created for entertainment; therefor, it is shallow and without real meaning. Nevertheless, it is interesting, and worth mentioning here.
The counsel of the gods was considering giving the office to Set, because he was the larger and stronger of the two. After much discussion and consulting (supposedly, the discussion went on more that eighty years), it was decided to give the crown to Horus. Set became enraged and challenged Horus to a battle in the sea, both of them taking the form of hippopotamuses. Horus accepted. His mother, Isis tried to help him, but ended up not really doing so at all, but rather, made it worse. First, she harpooned him accidentally and released him. Then she harpooned Set, but released him as well because Set was able to persuade her to do so. This angered Horus so much that he came up from the water and cut off his mother's head. He took the head to the mountains to hide from the punishment he had just earned. He hid under a tree in an oasis and the company of gods looking for him could not find him.
Set was able to find Horus, however. He tore out Horus's eyes and planted them the ground, where they bloomed into lotus flowers. Set denied being able to find Horus to the counsel, but another god, Hanthor, found Horus again, restored his eyes, then brought him to the counsel. A truce was called and Set and Horus went off to rest together.
This point in the story is a good example of how this myth was not to be taken seriously. The material is vulgar in this portion. In not so many words, Set violated Horus that night. Horus ran to his mother (who obviously did not die from decapitation) with Set's semen (seed) on his hand. Isis cut off Horus's contaminated hand, threw the hand in the ditch, and put some of Horus's semen on Set's garden. Set became pregnant when he ate from the garden.
Obviously, it was not a moral crime to violate homosexually as it was to be violated homosexually, because Set and Horus went before the counsel and Set declared that Horus was unfit for the crown because he allowed Set to "treat" him homosexually. Horus claimed this was untrue and that the gods should call the "seed" of each to see who had "treated" whom. The gods did so. Set's seed answered from the ditch, while Horus's answered from Set. The gods declared Horus right. However, once again, Set challenged Horus to a contest. This time, it was a boat race in boats made of stone. Horus built his in the night, when no one could see. He made his of wood, but covered it with gypsum, making it look like stone. Set saw the boat, and made his of stone, thinking Horus's was also. The next day, Set's boat sank immediately, of course. He was enraged and tried to kill Horus, but the gods intervened.
After more discussion and consulting, Set finally agrees to let law rule over brute force and resigns. Horus was given the crown, and in compensation, Set was made god of storms. His main duty was to fend off the serpent dragon of darkness, Apopis, as he tried to overcome Osiris's divine barge at sunrise and sunset.
Great Quarrel
Once Horus was grown, he came out of the Delta to claim his right to his father's "office." This myth, called the Great Quarrel by some, was not a serious one. The story is mostly dialogue. It was created for entertainment; therefor, it is shallow and without real meaning. Nevertheless, it is interesting, and worth mentioning here.
The counsel of the gods was considering giving the office to Set, because he was the larger and stronger of the two. After much discussion and consulting (supposedly, the discussion went on more that eighty years), it was decided to give the crown to Horus. Set became enraged and challenged Horus to a battle in the sea, both of them taking the form of hippopotamuses. Horus accepted. His mother, Isis tried to help him, but ended up not really doing so at all, but rather, made it worse. First, she harpooned him accidentally and released him. Then she harpooned Set, but released him as well because Set was able to persuade her to do so. This angered Horus so much that he came up from the water and cut off his mother's head. He took the head to the mountains to hide from the punishment he had just earned. He hid under a tree in an oasis and the company of gods looking for him could not find him.
Set was able to find Horus, however. He tore out Horus's eyes and planted them the ground, where they bloomed into lotus flowers. Set denied being able to find Horus to the counsel, but another god, Hanthor, found Horus again, restored his eyes, then brought him to the counsel. A truce was called and Set and Horus went off to rest together.
This point in the story is a good example of how this myth was not to be taken seriously. The material is vulgar in this portion. In not so many words, Set violated Horus that night. Horus ran to his mother (who obviously did not die from decapitation) with Set's semen (seed) on his hand. Isis cut off Horus's contaminated hand, threw the hand in the ditch, and put some of Horus's semen on Set's garden. Set became pregnant when he ate from the garden.
Obviously, it was not a moral crime to violate homosexually as it was to be violated homosexually, because Set and Horus went before the counsel and Set declared that Horus was unfit for the crown because he allowed Set to "treat" him homosexually. Horus claimed this was untrue and that the gods should call the "seed" of each to see who had "treated" whom. The gods did so. Set's seed answered from the ditch, while Horus's answered from Set. The gods declared Horus right. However, once again, Set challenged Horus to a contest. This time, it was a boat race in boats made of stone. Horus built his in the night, when no one could see. He made his of wood, but covered it with gypsum, making it look like stone. Set saw the boat, and made his of stone, thinking Horus's was also. The next day, Set's boat sank immediately, of course. He was enraged and tried to kill Horus, but the gods intervened.
After more discussion and consulting, Set finally agrees to let law rule over brute force and resigns. Horus was given the crown, and in compensation, Set was made god of storms. His main duty was to fend off the serpent dragon of darkness, Apopis, as he tried to overcome Osiris's divine barge at sunrise and sunset.
This leads us to the myth of Set and Apopis. The tone of this myth was the same as that of the Great Quarrel; however, it was not told in direct speech, but was an actual dramatic piece. During a confrontation with Set, Apopis insulted and embarrassed Set by mentioning Set's loss of his testicles during battle with Horus. This enraged Set and he wanted to kill the serpent, but was not brave enough to do so face to face. He tricked Apopis into turning his head, then Set cut it off and chopped it up. He was disgraced by this and driven away from the company of the other gods
Birth & Flight of Horus
Then there is the myth sometimes called the Birth and Flight of Horus. This tale, found in the Coffin Texts, is a combination of two stories. The first is the birth of Horus, and the second is a very old and fragmented myth that the sun burst out of an egg laid by a primeval being or goose floating on the primordial waters before creation. The Birth and Flight of Horus begins just after Osiris's death. The tone is much more serious than that of the Delta Cycle or the Great Quarrel.
The world was being terrorized by Set. Isis dreamed that she would have a son who would avenge her husband's death and asked Atum if this son would be allowed a seat on the sun boat. However, just before the birth, Isis realized that she would be giving birth to a Falcon, not a child. Upon the birth, Atum saluted Horus and told him that he would give him his name after Horus flew to the horizon. While the company was discussing other matters, such as Horus's seat on the boat, Horus flew up on his own, higher than even the "old" gods who inhabited the constellations. Horus proclaimed to the gods below that he would, indeed, avenge his father's death.
This myth, as mentioned before, combines two others together. According to some sources, there were actually two gods named Horus. The first, the original Falcon, flew up at the beginning of time upon his birth. The second, son of Isis, was forced to grow up in secret for fear of Set, as described in the Delta Cycle myth. The myth of the Birth and Flight of Horus brings these two gods into one.
Osiris Cult
Osiris has been mentioned many times, but not in any detail until now. Osiris played a very important role in ancient Egypt and this carried over into the rituals and beliefs of Egyptians much later, as well. It was because of the legend of Osiris that Egyptians believed they had the right to be transformed and to live in the afterlife. The myth of Osiris is like every other Egyptian myth: the story has changed with every political change of power.
Osiris was the son of Geb and Nut and was born in Thebes in Upper Egypt. Upon his birth, his grandfather, Ra, pronounced him heir to his throne, and when Geb retired, Osiris assumed this role and took his sister, Isis, as queen. His first deed was to abolish cannibalism and teach the arts of agriculture. He built the first temples and laid down fair laws for his people. He was given another name at this point, Onnophris, meaning the "good one." In his role as the fourth divine pharaoh, this was Osiris's name.
He left Isis to rule Egypt when he decided to spread his rule around the world. He returned only after civilizing the entire earth. He found that Isis ruled wisely and his kingdom was still in perfect order. However, it was at this point that his brother, Set, began plotting against him. There are many stories of how Osiris was killed. The most common is that Set held an extravagant banquet and invited Osiris. After the festivities were over, Set produced a magnificent coffin and offered it as a gift to whomever it fitted best. Of course, it had been built for Osiris's form and when he got in it, Set shut the lid and threw it in the Nile river.
Set took Osiris's place as king while the grieving Isis searched for Osiris's remains. She found the body in a far away place called Byblos, brought it back to Egypt, and hid it in the marsh. Set found it, unfortunately, and tore the body in pieces, throwing them again into the river. Isis collected all the pieces except the genitals, which had been eaten by fish. She bandaged the body together again. This was the first mummy. This mummy then transformed an akh, and this form of Osiris traveled to the underworld to become king over and judge of the dead.
At this point, it is important to understand what the Egyptians believed about the spirit of beings. There were three forms of spirits to each being: the akh, ba, and ka. As mentioned above, the akh was the name given to the form that the dead existed in. This form was immortal and unchanging. It is this form that traveled to the underworld. The ba, represented as a human headed bird, was the form released at death. It is often called the soul, incorrectly. It was actually considered a being's personality or character. Finally, the ka was the form considered to be the double of a being, both spiritually and physically. The ka was created at birth by the god Khnum on his potter's wheel. The ka could be released in dreams while a being was alive, but was finally released at death. It is symbolized by a pair of upraised arms. At one's death, the ka and the ba traveled to join each other in the next world. Once this was done, the being could become an akh, and take the form of the dead that existed among the gods.
The Osiris Cult myths had its beginnings in Lower Egypt in the Delta region. Some historians believe that Osiris was an actual king of Egypt and this may be true; however, for our purposes, he was a god, though many kings later associated themselves with him. In the beginning, Osiris was associated mostly with agriculture. This cult spread rapidly into Upper Egypt, and soon Osiris became identified with the funeral god, Abydos, Khenti-Amentiu, who was symbolized by the wolf. Osiris became known as Osiris Khenti-Amentiu, "Lord of the Westerners," as the West was the home of the dead. As the cult spread and gained acceptance, Osiris also became identified with the necropolis god of Giza, near Memphis. Seker, as the god was called, was a burial ground god.
The spread of the cult did not find much opposition due to the fact that, in the beginning, Osiris did not threaten the more supreme gods of the time. Ra remained the supreme god in the solar religion, while Osiris, Isis, and Horus were incorporated into his family. In the early stages, Ra even remained the most important figure in the underworld as well. It was said that Ra, each night, traveled through the underworld in the form of Auf, the dead sun. His journey was sometimes threatened by the evil souls, and in the beginning, Osiris was sometimes one of these. Eventually, Osiris rose to more prominent standing, claiming the title, King over the Dead. Even in primitive times, Egyptians believed that in order for the soul to survive death, the body had to be preserved. Therefore, from the start of the Osiris legend being incorporated into the solar religion, embalming was practiced. This will lead us to the myths surrounding the mummy, but first, there is still more to discuss about the Osiris cult.
The rituals of burial and passage into the afterlife were only used for the pharaohs until around the sixth dynasty. At this point, rights were extended to the pharaohs' immediate family and the aristocracy. When this dynasty fell around 2250 B.C., this practice was used more and more by the common people as well. Until the Osiris myth came along, there was only the sun-god myth for burial and passage. This was not suited for the common person, as they did not even have access to the inner sanctuaries of Ra's temples. The cult of the sun-god explained present day politics and was tied up in laws of ownership and inheritance of power and property. The Osiris cult appealed to the common man's emotions and provided a way for him to believe that he, too, could have eternal life.
As the cult spread, Osiris took over more and more of Ra's functions. Osiris became associated again with agriculture, as was Ra before Ra became so much a puppet of politics. Osiris eventually absorbed the power of Ra over the Nile, the floods, the vegetation. This was Osiris in his role a symbol for resurrection. Just as he was the god of the afterlife, so was he the god over the regeneration of non-human life on earth.
Osiris was not a frightening god to the people of Ancient Egypt, though they still felt a need to pacify him. He was their means to eternal life, and this was achieved by copying the exact forms and rituals of his embalming. From the time of death, The deceased's name was always prefaced with Osiris, much as we use the words, "the late" in modern times. The entire mummification process took about seventy days and was a very degrading one, so as to put the deceased through the same trauma as Osiris himself had to endure. The body was taken away from the home to "the place of purification."
First the body was washed with water from the Nile, then the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines were removed. These were placed in four vessels called Canopic jars. The void in the body was filled with balls of linen, as was the head after the brain was removed through the nostrils. The purpose of the linen stuffing was to preserve the features because if they disintegrated, then the personality would also. The heart was left in the body because it was the seat of intelligence. The body was then soaked in salt, then with various oils and resins. Various amulets were then placed on the body, the most important being the scarab, symbol of renewed life, which was placed over the heart. Finally, the body was wrapped in linen bandages and placed in the coffin. All of these materials used were said to have grown from the tears that the gods shed when Osiris died.
Each person involved with the burial process paralleled the characters in the original embalming of Osiris. The embalmers represented the gods who helped Isis embalm Osiris. Female mourners, usually the wife and another female relative, symbolized Isis and Nephthys, and kept watch over the body until the actual burial. A great procession followed with the coffin being pulled in a boat (representing the great barge) by men and oxen. The female mourners were positioned at either end of the coffin with the male mourners following behind. The Canopic jars were next, with the rest of the female mourners, some professional mourners who would be chanting, behind them. The priests took part in this procession as well. Behind, the entire procession was brought up by the servants carrying everything the deceased was supposed to need for the next world.
The burial ground was usually on the western bank of the Nile; therefore, the entire procession would have to cross the river. Dancers and musicians joined the procession at the tomb, where the mummy was raised upright and the ceremony of the "Opening of the Mouth" took place. This ceremony was symbolic of when Horus went to Osiris to announce his victory over Set, to present the symbol of that victory, the eye which Set had taken during their battles, and to open his father's mouth, thus wakening him from his unconsciousness. At this point, the resurrection of the soul was complete. In the actual ceremony, this was considered to be the way for the rebirth of the soul.
Finally, the mummy was replaced in the coffin, which was usually made from stone. Sometimes there were three or more coffins in which the mummy was placed -- the better to withstand the decay. Assuming all of the rituals were performed correctly, the deceased would make it at least as far as the Hall of Judgment. From there, he would be responsible for himself. He would be provided one last bit of help -- the book of the dead -- which, among other purposes, would be of assistance in talking to the judges.
Osiris, as mentioned earlier, was eventually considered to be the judge of the dead. Rights to the afterlife had to be earned by righteousness, and Osiris was the judge of this. Osiris was imagined sitting on a throne in the Hall of Judgment called the "Hall of the Two Truths." The throne sat at the top of a flight of steps representing the primeval hill where Ra had been born and started creation. This hill over time had come to represent the resurrection in the afterlife. This is another example of how Osiris absorbed so much of the power of Ra. Osiris's wife and sister, Isis was in attendance, as well as his other sister Nephthys, and his four sons, Imset, Hapy, Duamutef, and Qebehsenuf. There were forty-two judges, representing the forty-two provinces of Upper and Lower Egypt, and each judge was responsible for judging a particular aspect of conscience. Of these, there were nine great judges, and Ra was among these, as was his other form, Atum, and Shu, Tefnut, Geb, Nut, Isis, Nephthys, Horus, and Hathor.
Once the deceased had safely crossed over from the land of the living to that of the dead, he was immediately taken to the hall. This passage was considered to be the most terrifying part, and it was thought that safety could be enhanced with talismans placed on the mummy and passwords written on the indispensable Book of the Dead and sent with the deceased.
There were, it was believed, two parts to the hearing that took place next. The first was the "negative confession." The deceased addressed the gods and proclaimed himself to be sin free. (It was possible to deceive the gods.) Some say that simply saying one was pure, made one pure, like a magic spell. The second part of the hearing resulted from later beliefs that the soul really did need to be pure. This phase was presided over by Throth, god of wisdom and reason. Here, the heart of the deceased is weighed against an ostrich feather, symbol of Mayet, god of truth and justice. It is not known whether the heart of an unpure person weighed more or less than the feather, only that a pure heart weighed the same. If the heart weighed the same, the nine great judges confirmed the decision that the deceased was worthy. If not, it was thought, the deceased was thrown to Amemait the devourer, who was a hybrid monster -- part lion, part hippopotamus, part crocodile.
Once deemed worthy, the deceased was dressed in the form of Osiris and brought before the king of the dead. Osiris announced the verdict and invited the deceased to roam freely with the other gods. At this point, the deceased lived in eternal happiness, though sometimes he might be called upon to do some repair work. For this labor, he was equipped during his burial with little statuettes called "Shabtis," who would do this work for him.
The Osiris cult transformed Egyptian religion greatly. Whereas before, religion consisted of warding off evil intentions of various gods, the Osiris cult created a sort of ethic in Egyptian life. An individual had to follow a moral code to have the promise of eternal life. This promise was offered to every man, and this explains the rapid growth of the cult. The sun-god cult remained in existence until early in the forth century, B.C.; however, by the thirty-second dynasty, under Ptolemy, it is no longer mentioned.
As new dynasties ruled Egypt, and foreign gods made their mark on society, Osiris's images and symbolisms changed as well. As has been the case with all Egyptian myth, this was inevitable.
As promised earlier, myths surrounding the mummies will be discussed now. The most obvious would be the myth about the "curse of the pharaohs." Actually, there never was such a curse in Egypt. It was the Arabs that came up with it. They were sure that the Egyptians were magical people, what with all the treasures of pure gold and the like. The Arabs also believed that people capable of this magic would not just passively allow it to be taken from their tombs. Thus, in early Arabs texts there are writings of mummies coming back to life and being even more threatening than a living foe due to the mummies' lack of fear.
These Arab myths were compounded when the tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered. This was a bad scene politically and well covered by the press, who were the main culprits in distorting and exaggerating the myth. Many tragedies happened to people who had contact with Egyptian artifacts, and most blamed the curse, even when the tragedy happened years and years later. These tragedies range from broken legs, failed marriages, to death. Not one tragedy has been found that can not be explained rationally.
In reality, the inscriptions in the tombs of the Pharaohs welcomes anyone into the tombs with the proper intentions. The immortality of the pharaoh depended on the remembrance of his name and the continual funeral offerings. People had to enter the tomb to perform such duties. Even in rare inscriptions aimed at those coming in to the tombs for less than moral reasons, the threat was not that the mummy would defend the treasures, but that the gods would be the judge of that person's soul. Therefore, as disappointing as it may be, there was no curse. For all the hype about the curse following the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, there was never found even a threat on the walls of that tomb.
Finally, myths concerning the protection of various gods over particular kingdoms and pharaohs were a very important aspect of Ancient Egypt. This is by no means a complete listing of all the gods. Nekhebet, the goddess of childbirth was said to watch over Upper Egypt. She is often seen suckling the royal children and sometimes even the pharaoh himself. Buto was the protector of Lower Egypt, and some versions of the Delta Myth claim that she allied herself with Isis to protect Horus during his infancy.
Mont, the Theban god of war, was considered protector there beginning in the Middle Kingdom, especially the Eleventh Dynasty. Originally, Mont was lord and master over a region for which Hermonthis was the capitol. Later, he was demoted by Amon, who became known as the king of the gods in this region, as is explained in the creation myth. Once ousted, Mont was still worshipped in Hermonthis and in Medamud, in the outskirts of Thebes.
Sebek, thought to be among the patrons of the Thirteenth Dynasty, was a crocodile god. Sebek was said to have crawled out of the primordial waters on the day of creation. He was especially worshipped in the Fayyum; however, due to his associations with Set, the crocodile -- symbol for Sebek -- was mercilessly hunted down and killed in other places in Egypt. It was told in some versions of the Osiris myth that Set had hidden in the body of a crocodile to escape punishment for his crime.
Sekhmet, a goddess of war and battle, is symbolized by a vicious lion. She was a ruthless protector of Ra, in fact, so much so, that she almost wiped out the entire human race when a revolt against Ra took place. She was the wife of Ptah, high god of Memphis, and mother to Nefertum. Neith was the protector of Sais, which became the capitol of Egypt around the middle of the seventh century B.C., during the Twenty-sixth Dynasty. She was a war goddess as well as being skilled in the domestic arts.
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