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| What is a Mummy When you think of a mummy what comes to mind? Most of us usually picture an Egyptian mummy wrapped in bandages and buried deep inside a pyramid. While the Egyptian ones are the most famous, mummies have been found in many places throughout the world, from Greenland to China to the Andes Mountains of South America. A mummy is the body of a person (or an animal) that has been preserved after death. Normally when we die, bacteria and other germs eat away at the soft tissues (such as skin and muscles) leaving only the bones behind. Since bacteria need water in order to grow, mummification usually happens if the body dries out quickly after death. The body may then be so well preserved that we can even tell how the dead person may have looked in life. Mummies are made naturally or by embalming, which is any process that people use to help preserve a dead body. Mummies can be dried out by extreme cold, by the sun, by smoke, or using chemicals such as natron. Some bodies become mummies because there were favorable natural conditions when they died. Others were preserved and buried with great care. The ancient Egyptians believed that mummifying a person's body after death was essential to ensure a safe passage to the afterlife. Egyptian Gods of the After Life Amset: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alternate name[s]: Imsety, Mestha; Golden Dawn, Ameshet One of the Four Sons of Horus, Amset was the protector of the liver of the deceased, and was protected by the goddess Isis. He was represented as a mummified man. Anubis: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alternate name[s]: Anpu; Golden Dawn, Ano-Oobist Anubis (Greek, from Egyptian Anpu) is the god of embalming. It is Anubis who embalmed Osiris, the first mummy, and thus preserved him to live again. His role is to glorify and preserve all the dead. He was the son of Nephthys, although by some traditions the father was Set, and by still others, Osiris. Anubis is depicted as a jackal, or as a jackal-headed man. Anubis' presence is represented in costume at the embalming of the dead, and also at the Opening of the Mouth ceremony. He often appears in sculptured or painted form inside tombs, and in depictions of the Judgement of the Dead he was present to monitor the Scales of Truth. Duamutef: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alternate name[s]: Tuamutef; Golden Dawn, Thmoomathph One of the Four Sons of Horus, Duamutef was was the protector of the stomach of the deceased, and was protected by the goddess Neith. He was represented as a mummified man with the head of a jackal. See also The Four Sons of Horus The Four Sons of Horus: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The four sons of Horus were the protectors of the parts of the body of Osiris, and from this, became the protectors of the body of all the deceased. Their names were: Amset, Hapi, Duamutef, and Qebhsenuef. They were protected in turn by the goddesses Isis, Nephthys, Neith, and Selket. The four sons shown here are: Imsety, the human head Duamutef, the jackal head Qebehsenuef, the falcon head Hapi, the baboon head Hapi: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alternate name[s]: Golden Dawn, Ahephi One of the Four Sons of Horus, Hapi was the protector of the lungs of the deceased, and was protected by the goddess Nephthys. He was represented as a mummified man with the head of a baboon. Horus: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alternate name[s]: Hor Horus is king of the living, and is one of the most important deities of Egypt. As a child, Horus is the son of Osiris and Isis, who, upon reaching adulthood, avenges his father's death, by defeating and castrating his evil uncle Seth. After this he became the divine prototype of the Pharaoh. Horus is usually depicted as a falcon, or as a falcon-headed man. Like, Maat, Osiris, Seth, and Anubis, he was present at the Judgement of the Dead. Isis: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alternate name[s]: Auset Isis is perhaps the most important goddess of all Egyptian mythology. Her most important functions were those of motherhood, marital devotion, healing the sick, and the working of magical spells and charms. She was believed to be the most powerful magician in the universe, owing to the fact that she had learned the Secret Name of Ra from the god himself. Isis was the sister and wife of Osiris, sister of Set, and twin sister of Nephthys. She was the mother of Horus the Child (Harpocrates), and was the protective goddess of Horus's son Amset, protector of the liver of the deceased. Isis was responsible for protecting Horus from Set during his infancy; for helping Osiris to return to life; and for assisting her husband to rule in the land of the Dead. Isis is usually depicted as a woman wearing the crown of Hathor, a solar disk held inbetween cow horns. Maat: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alternate name[s]: none Maat's name implies "truth" and "justice" and "order." She is considered the wife of Thoth and the daughter of Ra by various traditions. Maat is represented as a tall woman with an ostrich feather in her hair. She was present at the Judgement of the Dead, where her feather, symbolic of truth, justice and order, was balanced against the heart of the deceased to determine whether he had led a pure and honest life. Osiris: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alternate name[s]: Ausar Osiris is the god of the dead and the god of the resurrection into eternal life; he is ruler, protector, and judge of the deceased. His cult originated in Abydos, where his actual tomb was said to be located. Osiris was the first child of Nut and Geb, thus the brother of Set, Nephthys, and Isis, who was also his wife. By Isis he fathered Horus, and according to some stories, Nephthys assumed the form of Isis, seduced him thus, and from their union was born Anubis. In the beginning, it was said that Osiris ruled the world of men , after Ra had abandoned it to rule the skies, but he was murdered by his brother Set. Through the magic of Isis, he was made to live again. Being the first living thing to die, he thus became lord of the dead. His death was avenged by his son Horus, who defeated Set and cast him out into the desert to the West of Egypt (the Sahara). Ptah: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alternate name[s]: none Worshipped in Memphis from the earliest dynastic times (c.3100 BC), Ptah was seen by Memphites as the creator of the universe. He formed the bodies in which dwelt the souls of men in the afterlife. Other versions of the myths state that he worked under Thoth's orders, creating the heavens and the earth according to Thoth's instructions. Ptah is depicted as a bearded man wearing a skullcap, shrouded much like a mummy, with his hands emerging from the wrappings in front and holding the Uas (phoenix-headed) scepter, an Ankh, and a Djed (sign of stability). He was often worshipped in conjunction with the gods Seker and Osiris, and worshipped under the name Ptah-seker-ausar. Qebhsenuef: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alternate name[s]: Kabexnuf, Qebsneuef One of the Four Sons of Horus, Qebhsenuef was the protector of the intestines of the deceased, and was protected by the goddess Selket. He was represented as a mummified man with the head of a falcon. Ra: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alternate name[s]: none Ra was the god of the sun; the name is thought to have meant "creative power,"or, as a proper name, "Creator," similar in meaning to the English Christian idea of "almighty God." Very early in Egyptian history Ra was identified with Horus, who as a hawk or falon-god represented the loftiness of the skies. Ra was father of Shu and Tefnut, grandfather of Nut and Geb, great-grandfather of Osiris, Set, Isis, and Nephthys, and great-great-grandfather to Horus. In later periods (about Dynasty 18 on) Osiris and Isis superceded him in popularity, but he remained Ra netjer-aa neb-pet ("Ra, the great God, Lord of Heaven") whether worshiped in his own right or, in later times, as one aspect of the Lord of the Universe, Amen-Ra. Ra is depicted either as a hawk-headed man or as a hawk. And often, he is depicted as traveling in a boat, which is how he travels through the Underworld, bringing light and speaking the words that allow mummies to awaken and throw off their bandages. Set: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alternate name[s]: Seth In earliest times, Set was the patron deity of Lower (Northern) Egypt, and represented the fierce storms of the desert whom the Lower Egyptians sought to appease. However, when Upper Egypt conquered Lower Egypt making way for the First Dynasty, Set became known as the evil enemy of Horus (Upper Egypt's dynastic god). Set was the brother of Osiris, Isis, and both brother of and husband to Nephthys; according to some versions of the myths he is also father of Anubis. Set is best known for murdering his brother and attempting to kill his nephew Horus; Horus, however, managed to survive and grew up to avenge his father's death by establishing his rule over all Egypt, castrating Set, and casting him out into the lonely desert for all time. Thoth: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alternate name[s]: Tahuti Thoth was the god of wisdom and of the written word. It is said that he was self-created at the beginning of time, along with his consort Maat (truth), or perhaps created by Ra. Thoth was depicted as a man with the head of an ibis bird, and carried a reed and scrolls upon which he recorded all things. He was shown as attendant in almost all major scenes involving the gods, but especially at the Judgement of the Dead, where he records the results of the deceased's judgement. The After Life The ancient Egyptians believed that death was the end of physical life in this world. But they also believed that through death one could be renewed and live an eternal life free from the physical limitations of age or poverty, just as the god Osiris had, who was also once a mortal human. One's renewal didn't come about in this world, though. Renewal came about in the mysterious underworld of the primeval waters, known as "Nun." The Underworld was seperate from this world. One could not see it or get to it by normal means, though. The Underworld could be reached only through your imagination, and through your knowledge of the path of the sun. Ba returning to the tomb. The ancient Egyptians believed that the sun moved around the Earth. During the day, it traveled from the eastern to the western horizon. After setting in the west, they believed the sun descended into the Underworld and traveled under the earth until it came up again in the east. For this reason, the Underworld is sometimes called the "West." It is down into this place under the earth, then, that the mummified dead go when they die. The mummy's tomb was identified with this Underworld, where the mummy remained motionless while its ba traveled freely throughout the mysterious spaces seeking to unite with its ka. Paintings on the tomb walls and on the coffin usually showed depictions of this other world. The Underworld was a strange and mysterious place. The dead, in fact, were often called "those whose place is hidden or mysterious;" as mummies,they were said to sink into this place which was endless, dark, and chaotic. It was believed that the Underworld was seperated from the real world by a wide stream, and that a great river also flowed through it. There was water, plants and trees in the Underworld as well, where the dead, once they achieved resurrection, would grow crops to live on. This region of the Underworld is sometimes called the Ealu-fields. From the tomb of Sen-Nedjem (20th Dynasty, 1186-1070 BC), a depiction of Sen-Nedjem and his wife in the fields of Iaru. According to the book of Amduat, the Underworld was divided into twelve departments, or hours, and twelve portals that represent the twelve hours of night between the time that the sun sets in the west, and the time it comes up again in the east. But time in the Underworld is not the same as time on Earth. Each hour in the Underworld represents an entire lifetime. The sun god, Ra, travels in his boat on the great river, bringing order and life to each department in turn. Along the way his boat may come across the sandbank of Apophis, a monster of chaos in the shape of a giant serpent and the enemy of Ra, who attempts to wreck Ra's boat. Ra on his barge O gods who are in the Underworld, who are behind the ruler of the West, who are stretched n their side, who are sleeping on their supports, raise your flesh, pull together your bones, collect your limbs, unite your flesh. May there be sweet breath to your noses. Loosing for your mummy wrappings. May your head-masks be uncovered. May there be light for your divine eyes in order that you may see the light by means of them. Stand up from your weariness. But Ra is defended by several gods and goddesses who ride with him and do battle with Apophis. As Ra comes to the portal of each department, the gates open automatically for him. When he enters he shines sunlight on the darkness and speaks magic words from the Book of Gates (left), and all the mummies throw off their protective wrappings and begin a new life. The resurrected live an entire life as long as Ra remains in their department. When Ra goes on to the next department, the mummies re-wrap themselves in their bandages and return to their tombs, darkness returns, and they begin the wait for Ra's next return. Spirits of the Dead The Egyptians believed that every person was composed of three essential elements: body, ba, and ka. The body is the physical body and is unique to each individual. As a person gets older, so the body ages and changes - the Egyptians' expressed the idea of growing up as a process of "making changes" - and death is the last change. Each person also has a ba. Though the ba is also unique to each individual, it is not a physical entity. Ba is sometimes translated as "manifestation," and can be thought of as the sum total of all the non-physical things that make a person different from others. In this sense, ba is very similar to what we call "personality" or "character." In the afterlife, the ba is represented as a bird, often with a human head. Each person also has what is called a ka, or life-force, and it is the ka which is the difference between being alive and being dead. Unlike the ba, the ka is not individual, but common to all living people and the gods: in the beginning, the creator made ka, and ka enters each person's body at birth. Like the ba, the ka is not a physical entity, though it has a definite physical connection. In the plural, ka means "sustenance," linking it to the idea of food. In fact, ancient Egyptians would bring food to a dead person's tomb as an offering to his or her ka. But since the ka is not strictly physical, the food was not there to be literally eaten by the deceased or the deceased's ka, but it was the life-preserving force in the food that was being offered. When a person dies, so the Egyptians believed, the ba and ka become seperated from the body, though they do not die. In the New Kingdom period and after, the Egyptians effected this seperation through the Opening of the Mouth ritual, in which the ba and ka are released to go to the next world. In the next world, or underworld, the goal is to live with ones ka. In order for this to happen, the ka needs to be summoned back to the body and recognize it. But since the body is bound in its wrappings, it must rely on its ba to seek out its ka. During the nightime, when the sun god, Ra, is said to visit the underworld, the ba may roam freely in the underworld, or to popular places in this world, but it's anchor in this world, where it must return when Ra leaves the underworld, is the body, because together they are part of the same whole being. In seeking a union with the ka, the ba must overcome many potential dangers in the underworld. But if it does succeed, it will reunite with the ka and form what is called akh. The Egyptian's believed that there are only three kinds of beings that inhabit the hereafter: the dead, the gods, and akhs. Akhs are those who have successfully made the transition to new life in the next world, where they live with the gods. The dead are those who have failed to make the transition. It is said that they have "died again," with no hope of renewed life. |
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