Chapter III: Front Matter (3)

IF THIS CHAPTER BE KNOWN [BY THE DECEASED] HE SHALL BE VICTORIOUS BOTH UPON EARTH AND IN THE UNDERWORLD. HE SHALL DO WHATSOEVER A MAN DOETH WHO IS UPON THE EARTH, AND HE SHALL PERFORM ALL THE DEEDS WHICH THOSE DO WHO ARE [ALIVE]. NOW IT IS A GREAT PROTECTION [GIVEN] BY THE GOD. THIS CHAPTER WAS FOUND IN THE CITY OF KHE-MENNU INSCRIBED UPON THE BLOCK OF IRON IN LETTERS OF LAPIS-LAZULI WHICH WAS UNDER THE FEET OF THIS GOD.

In the rubric to this chapter as found in the Papyrus of Mes-em-neter, the chapter is said to have been “discovered in the foundations of the shrine of the divine Hennu boat by the chief mason in the time of the King of the North and of the South, Hesepti,(40) triumphant,” and it is there directed that it shall be recited by one who is ceremonially pure and clean, and who hath not touched women, and who hath not eaten flesh of animals or fish.

Chapter Of Knowledge

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 13).]

THE CHAPTER OF KNOWING THE “CHAPTERS OF COMING FORTH BY DAY” IN A SINGLE CHAPTER. The overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, Osiris Nu, triumphant, begotten of the overseer of the palace, Amen-hetep, triumphant, saith:

“I am Yesterday and To-morrow; and I have the power to be born a second time. [I am] the divine hidden Soul, who createth the gods, and who giveth sepulchral meals to the divine hidden beings [in the Tuat (underworld)], in Amenti, and in heaven. [I am] the rudder of the east, the possessor of two divine faces wherein his beams are seen. I am the lord of those who are raised up, [the lord] who cometh forth from out of the darkness. [Hail,] ye two divine Hawks who are perched upon your resting-places, and who hearken unto the things which are said by him, the thigh [of the sacrifice] is tied to the neck, and the buttocks [are laid] upon the head of Amentet. May the Ur-urti goddesses (_i.e._, Isis and Nephthys) grant such gifts unto me when my tears start from me as I look on. ‘I know the abysses’ is thy name. [I] work for [you], O ye _Khu_s, who are in number [four] millions, [six] hundred, and 1,000, and 200, and they are [in height] twelve cubits. [Ye] travel on joining the hands, each to each, but the sixth [hour], which belongeth at the head of the Tuat (underworld), is the hour of the overthrow of the Fiend. [I] have come there in triumph, and [I am] he who is in the hall (or courtyard) of the Tuat; and the seven(?) come in his manifestations. The strength which protecteth me is that which hath my _Khu_ under its protection, [that is] the blood, and the cool water, and the slaughterings which abound(?). I open [a way among] the horns of all those who would do harm unto me, who keep themselves hidden, who make themselves adversaries unto me, and those who are upon their bellies. The Eye shall not eat (or absorb) the tears of the goddess Aukert. Hail, goddess Aukert, open thou unto me the enclosed place, and grant thou unto me pleasant roads whereupon I may travel. Who art thou, then, who consumest in the hidden places? I am the Chief in Re-stau, and [I] go in and come forth in my name of ‘Hehi, the lord of millions of years [and of] the earth’; [I am] the maker of my name. The pregnant one hath deposited [upon the earth] her load. The door by the wall is shut fast, and the things of terror are overturned and thrown down upon the backbone(?) of the _Bennu_ bird by the two _Samait_ goddesses. To the Mighty One hath his Eye been given, and his face emitteth light when [he] illumineth the earth, [my name is his name].(41) I shall not become corrupt, but I shall come into being in the form of the Lion-god; the blossoms of Shu shall be in me. I am he who is never overwhelmed in the waters. Happy, yea happy, is the funeral couch of the Still-heart; he maketh himself to alight upon the pool(?), and verily he cometh forth [therefrom]. I am the lord of my life. I have come to this [place], and I have come forth from Re-āa-urt the city of Osiris. Verily the things which are thine are with the _Sariu_ deities. I have clasped the sycamore tree and I have divided(?) it; I have opened a way for myself [among] the _Sekhiu_ gods of the Tuat. I have come to see him that dwelleth in his divine uræus, face to face and eye to eye, and [I] draw to myself the winds [which rise] when he cometh forth. My two eyes(?) are weak in my face, O Lion[-god], Babe, who dwellest in Utent. Thou art in me and I am in thee; and thy attributes are my attributes. I am the god of the Inundation (_Bāh_), and ‘Qem-ur-she’ is my name. My forms are the forms of the god Khepera, the hair of the earth of Tem, the hair of the earth of Tem. I have entered in as a man of no understanding, and I shall come forth in the form of a strong _Khu_, and I shall look upon my form which shall be that of men and women forever and forever.”

I.(42) [IF THIS CHAPTER BE KNOWN] BY A MAN HE SHALL COME FORTH BY DAY, AND HE SHALL NOT BE REPULSED AT ANY GATE OF THE TUAT (UNDERWORLD), EITHER IN GOING IN OR IN COMING OUT. HE SHALL PERFORM [ALL] THE TRANSFORMATIONS WHICH HIS HEART SHALL DESIRE FOR HIM AND HE SHALL NOT DIE; BEHOLD, THE SOUL OF [THIS] MAN SHALL FLOURISH. AND MOREOVER, IF [HE] KNOW THIS CHAPTER HE SHALL BE VICTORIOUS UPON EARTH AND IN THE UNDERWORLD, AND HE SHALL PERFORM EVERY ACT OF A LIVING HUMAN BEING. NOW IT IS A GREAT PROTECTION WHICH [HATH BEEN GIVEN] BY THE GOD. THIS CHAPTER WAS FOUND IN THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE SHRINE OF HENNU BY THE CHIEF MASON DURING THE REIGN OF HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF THE NORTH AND OF THE SOUTH, HESEPTI, TRIUMPHANT, WHO CARRIED [IT] AWAY AS A MYSTERIOUS OBJECT WHICH HAD NEVER [BEFORE] BEEN SEEN OR LOOKED UPON. THIS CHAPTER SHALL BE RECITED BY A MAN WHO IS CEREMONIALLY CLEAN AND PURE, WHO HATH NOT EATEN THE FLESH OF ANIMALS OR FISH, AND WHO HATH NOT HAD INTERCOURSE WITH WOMEN.

II.(43) IF THIS CHAPTER BE KNOWN [BY THE DECEASED] HE SHALL BE VICTORIOUS BOTH UPON EARTH AND IN THE UNDERWORLD, AND HE SHALL PERFORM EVERY ACT OF A LIVING HUMAN BEING. NOW IT IS A GREAT PROTECTION WHICH [HATH BEEN GIVEN] BY THE GOD.

THIS CHAPTER WAS FOUND IN THE CITY OF KHEMENNU, UPON A BLOCK OF IRON OF THE SOUTH, WHICH HAD BEEN INLAID [WITH LETTERS] OF REAL LAPIS-LAZULI, UNDER THE FEET OF THE GOD DURING THE REIGN OF HIS MAJESTY, THE KING OF THE NORTH AND OF THE SOUTH, MEN-KAU-RA (MYCERINUS) TRIUMPHANT, BY THE ROYAL SON HERU-TA-TA-F,(44) TRIUMPHANT; HE FOUND IT WHEN HE WAS JOURNEYING ABOUT TO MAKE AN INSPECTION OF THE TEMPLES. ONE NEKHT(?) WAS WITH HIM WHO WAS DILIGENT IN MAKING HIM TO UNDERSTAND(?) IT, AND HE BROUGHT IT TO THE KING AS A WONDERFUL OBJECT WHEN HE SAW THAT IT WAS A THING OF GREAT MYSTERY, WHICH HAD NEVER [BEFORE] BEEN SEEN OR LOOKED UPON.

THIS CHAPTER SHALL BE RECITED BY A MAN WHO IS CEREMONIALLY CLEAN AND PURE, WHO HATH NOT EATEN THE FLESH OF ANIMALS OR FISH, AND WHO HATH NOT HAD INTERCOURSE WITH WOMEN. AND BEHOLD, THOU SHALT MAKE A SCARAB OF GREEN STONE, WITH A RIM PLATED(?) WITH GOLD, WHICH SHALL BE PLACED IN THE HEART OF A MAN, AND IT SHALL PERFORM FOR HIM THE “OPENING OF THE MOUTH.” AND THOU SHALT ANOINT IT WITH _ANTI_ UNGUENT, AND THOU SHALT RECITE OVER IT [THESE] ENCHANTMENTS:(45)

Of Gaining Mastery Over Enemies

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 15).]

THE CHAPTER OF COMING FORTH BY DAY AND OF GAINING THE MASTERY OVER ENEMIES. The chancellor-in-chief, Nu, saith:

“Rā sitteth in his habitation of millions of years, and he hath gathered together the company of the gods, with those divine beings, whose faces are hidden, who dwell in the Temple of Khepera, who eat the god Bāh, and who drink the drink-offerings which are brought into the celestial regions of light; and conversely. Grant that I may take possession of the captives of Osiris, and never let me have my being among the fiends of Suti! Hail, let me sit upon his folds in the habitation of the god User-ba (_i.e._, he of the strong Soul)! Grant thou that I may sit upon the throne of Rā, and let me have possession of my body before the god Seb. Grant thou that Osiris may come forth triumphant over Suti [and over] the night-watchers of Suti, and over the night-watchers of the Crocodile, yea the night-watchers of the Crocodile, whose faces are hidden and who dwell in the divine Temple of the King of the North in the apparel of the gods on the sixth day of the festival, whose snares are like unto everlastingness and whose cords are like unto eternity. I have seen the god Abet-ka placing the cord; the child is laid in fetters, and the rope of the god Ab-ka is drawn tight(?) ... Behold me. I am born, and I come forth in the form of a living _Khu_, and the human beings who are upon the earth ascribe praise [unto me]. Hail, Mer, who doest these things for me, and who art put an end to by the vigor of Rā, grant thou that I may see Rā; grant thou that I may come forth against my enemies; and grant thou that I may be victorious over them in the presence of the sovereign princes of the great god who are in the presence of the great god. If, repulsing [me], thou dost not allow me to come forth against my Enemy and to be victorious over him before the sovereign princes, then may Hāpi—who liveth upon law and order—not come forth into heaven—now he liveth by Maāt—and may Rā—who feedeth upon fish—not descend into the waters! And then, verily shall Rā—who feedeth upon right and order—come forth into heaven, and then, verily, shall Hāpi—who feedeth upon fish—descend into the waters; and then, verily, the great day upon the earth shall not be in its season. I have come against my Enemy, he hath been given unto me, he hath come to an end, and I have gotten possession [of him] before the sovereign princes.”

Victory Over Enemies

[From Lepsius, “Todtenbuch,” Bl. 25.]

THE CHAPTER OF COMING FORTH BY DAY AND OF GAINING THE MASTERY OVER ENEMIES.

“Hail, [thou] who shinest from the Moon and who sendest forth light therefrom, thou comest forth among thy multitudes, and thou goest round about, let me rise,” or (as others say), “let me be brought in among the _Khu_s, and let the underworld be opened [unto me]. Behold, I have come forth on this day, and I have become a _Khu_ (or a shining being); therefore shall the _Khu_s let me live, and they shall cause my enemies to be brought to me in a state of misery in the presence of the divine sovereign princes. The divine _ka_ (double) of my mother shall rest in peace because of this, and I shall stand upon my feet and have a staff of gold,” or (as others say), “a rod of gold in my hand, wherewith I shall inflict cuts on the limbs [of mine enemy] and shall live. The legs of Sothis are stablished, and I am born in their state of rest.”

Coming Forth By Day

[From the Papyrus of Amen-em-heb (Naville, op. cit., Bd. I. Bl. 78).]

THE CHAPTER OF COMING FORTH BY DAY. The scribe Māhu saith:

“I have knowledge. I was conceived by the goddess Sekhet, and the goddess Neith gave birth to me; I am Horus, and [I have] come forth from the Eye of Horus. I am Uatchit who came forth from Horus. I am Horus and I fly up and perch myself upon the forehead of Rā in the bows of his boat which is in heaven.”

Opening The Underworld

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 15).]

THE CHAPTER OF OPENING THE UNDERWORLD. The overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

“The chamber of those who dwell in Nu is opened, and the footsteps of those who dwell with the god of Light are set free. The chamber of Shu is opened, and he cometh forth; and I shall come forth outside, and I shall advance from my territory(?), I shall receive ... and I shall lay firm hold upon the tribute in the House of the Chief of his dead. I shall advance to my throne which is in the boat of Rā. I shall not be molested, and I shall not suffer shipwreck from my throne which is in the boat of Rā, the mighty one. Hail thou that shinest and givest light from Hent-she!”

Coming Forth By Day

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 7).]

THE CHAPTER OF COMING FORTH BY DAY. The overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

“The doors of heaven are opened for me, the doors of earth are opened for me, the bars and bolts of Seb are opened for me, and the first temple hath been unfastened for me by the god Petra. Behold, I was guarded and watched, [but now] I am released; behold, his hand had tied cords round me and his hand had darted upon me in the earth. Re-hent hath been opened for me and Re-hent hath been unfastened before me, Re-hent hath been given unto me, and I shall come forth by day into whatsoever place I please. I have gained the mastery over my heart; I have gained the mastery over my breast(?); I have gained the mastery over my two hands; I have gained the mastery over my two feet; I have gained the mastery over my mouth; I have gained the mastery over my whole body; I have gained the mastery over sepulchral offerings; I have gained the mastery over the waters; I have gained the mastery over the air; I have gained the mastery over the canal; I have gained the mastery over the river and over the land; I have gained the mastery over the furrows; I have gained the mastery over the male workers for me; I have gained the mastery over the female workers for me in the underworld; I have gained the mastery over [all] the things which were ordered to be done for me upon the earth, according to the entreaty which ye spake for me [saying], ‘Behold, let him live upon the bread of Seb.’ That which is an abomination unto me, I shall not eat; [nay] I shall live upon cakes [made] of white grain, and my ale shall be [made] of the red grain of Hāpi (_i.e._, the Nile). In a clean place shall I sit on the ground beneath the foliage of the date-palm of the goddess Hathor, who dwelleth in the spacious Disk as it advanceth to Annu (Heliopolis), having the books of the divine words of the writings of the god Thoth. I have gained the mastery over my heart; I have gained the mastery over my heart’s place (or breast); I have gained the mastery over my mouth; I have gained the mastery over my two hands; I have gained the mastery over the waters; I have gained the mastery over the canal; I have gained the mastery over the river; I have gained the mastery over the furrows; I have gained the mastery over the men who work for me; I have gained the mastery over the women who work for me in the underworld; I have gained the mastery over [all] the things which were ordered to be done for me upon earth and in the underworld. I shall lift myself up on my left side, and I shall place myself on my right side; I shall lift myself up on my right side, and I shall place myself [on my left side]. I shall sit down, I shall stand up, and I shall place myself in [the path of] the wind like a guide who is well prepared.”

IF THIS COMPOSITION BE KNOWN [BY THE DECEASED] HE SHALL COME FORTH BY DAY, AND HE SHALL BE IN A POSITION TO JOURNEY ABOUT OVER THE EARTH AMONG THE LIVING. AND HE SHALL NEVER SUFFER DIMINUTION, NEVER, NEVER.

Coming Forth By Day

[From the Papyrus of Mes-em-neter (Naville, op. cit., Bd. I. Bl. 81).]

ANOTHER CHAPTER.

“I am the Fire-god, the divine brother of the Fire-god, and [I am] Osiris the brother of Isis. My divine son, together with his mother Isis, hath avenged me on mine enemies. My enemies have wrought every [kind of] evil, therefore their arms, and hands, and feet, have been fettered by reason of their wickedness which they have wrought upon me. I am Osiris, the first-born of the divine womb, the first-born of the gods, and the heir of my father Osiris-Seb(?). I am Osiris, the lord of the heads that live, mighty of breast and powerful of back, with a phallus which goeth to the remotest limits [where] men and women [live]. I am Sah (Orion) who travelleth over his domain and who journeyeth along before the stars of heaven, [which is] the belly of my mother Nut; she conceived me through her love, and she gave birth to me because it was her will so to do. I am Anpu (Anubis) on the day of the god Sepa. I am the Bull at the head of the meadow. I, even I, am Osiris who imprisoned his father together with his mother on the day of making the great slaughter; now, [his] father is Seb, and [his] mother is Nut. I am Horus, the first-born of Rā of the risings. I am Anpu (Anubis) [on the day of] the god Sepa. I, even I, am the lord Tem. I am Osiris. Hail, thou divine first-born, who dost enter and dost speak before the divine Scribe and Doorkeeper of Osiris, grant that I may come. I have become a _khu_, I have been judged, I have become a divine being, I have come, and I have avenged mine own body. I have taken up my seat by the divine birth-chamber of Osiris, and I have destroyed the sickness and suffering which were there. I have become mighty, and I have become a divine being by the side of the birth-chamber of Osiris, I am brought forth with him, I renew my youth, I renew my youth, I take possession of my two thighs which are in the place where is Osiris, and I open the mouth of the gods therewith, I take my seat by his side, and Thoth cometh forth, and [I am] strengthened in heart with thousands of cakes upon the altars of my divine father, and with my beasts, and with my cattle, and with my red feathered fowl, and with my oxen, and with my geese, and with my ducks, for Horus my Chieftain, and with the offerings which I make to Thoth, and with the sacrifices which I offer up to An-heri-ertaitsa.”

Coming Forth By Day

[From the Papyrus of Mes-em-neter (Naville, op. cit., Bd. I. Bl. 82).]

ANOTHER CHAPTER.

“I have sacrificed unto An-heri-ertaitsa, and I am decreed to be strengthened in heart, for I have made offerings at the altars of my divine father Osiris; I rule in Tattu and I lift myself up over his land. I sniff the wind of the east by its hair; I lay hold upon the north wind by its hair, I seize and hold fast to the west wind by its body, and I go round about heaven on its four sides; I lay hold upon the south wind by its eye, and I bestow air upon the venerable beings [who are in the underworld] along with the eating of cakes.”

IF THIS COMPOSITION BE KNOWN [BY THE DECEASED] UPON EARTH HE SHALL COME FORTH BY DAY, AND HE SHALL HAVE THE FACULTY OF TRAVELLING ABOUT AMONG THE LIVING, AND HIS NAME SHALL NEVER PERISH.

Coming Forth By Day

[From the Papyrus of Nebseni (British Museum No. 9,900, sheet 16).]

THE CHAPTER OF COMING FORTH BY DAY. The libationer, the lord of reverence, Nebseni, saith:

“Hail, thou hawk who risest in heaven, thou lord of the goddess Meh-urt! Strengthen thou me according as thou hast strengthened thyself, and show thyself upon the earth, O thou that returnest and withdrawest thyself, and let thy will be done.”

“Behold the god of One Face is with me. [I am] the hawk which is within the shrine; and I open that which is upon the hangings thereof. Behold Horus, the son of Isis.”

“[Behold] Horus the son of Isis! Strengthen thou me, according as thou hast strengthened thyself, and show thyself upon earth, O thou that returnest and withdrawest thyself, and let thy will be done.”

“Behold, the god of One Face is with me. [I am] the hawk in the southern heaven, and [I am] Thoth in the northern heaven; I make peace with the raging fire and I bring Maāt to him that loveth her.”

“Behold Thoth, even Thoth! Strengthen thou me according as thou hast strengthened thyself, and show thyself upon earth, O thou that returnest and withdrawest thyself, and let thy will be done.”

“Behold the god of One Face is with me. I am the Plant of the region where nothing sprouteth, and the Blossom of the hidden horizon.”

“Behold Osiris, yea Osiris! Strengthen thou me according as thou hast strengthened thyself, and show thyself upon earth, O thou that returnest and withdrawest thyself, and let thy will be done.”

“Behold, the god of One Face is with me. Hail, thou who [standest] upon thy legs, in thine hour,” or (as others say), “Hail, thou who art victorious upon thy legs in thine hour, thou lord of the two divine _Tchafi_,(46) who livest [in] the two divine _Tchafi_, strengthen thou me according as thou hast strengthened thyself, and show thyself upon earth, O thou that returnest and withdrawest thyself, and let thy will be done.”

“Behold, the god of One Face is with me. Hail, thou Nekhen who art in thine egg, thou lord of the goddess Meh-urt, strengthen thou me according as thou hast strengthened thyself, and show thyself upon earth, O thou that returnest and withdrawest thyself, and let thy will be done.”

“Behold, the god of One Face is with me. The god Sebek hath stood up within his ground, and the goddess Neith hath stood up within her plantation, O thou that returnest and withdrawest thyself, show thyself upon earth and let thy will be done.”

“Behold, the god of One Face is with me. Hail, ye seven beings who make decrees, who support the Scales on the night of the judgment of the _Utchat_, who cut off heads, who hack necks in pieces, who take possession of hearts by violence and rend the places where hearts are fixed, who make slaughterings in the Lake of Fire, I know you and I know your names, therefore know ye me even as I know your names. I come forth to you, therefore come ye forth to me, for ye live in me and I would live in you. Make ye me to be vigorous by means of that which is in your hands, that is to say, by the rod of power which is in your hands. Decree ye for me life by [your] speech year by year; give me multitudes of years over and above my years of life, and multitudes of months over and above my months of life, and multitudes of days over and above my days of life, and multitudes of nights over and above my nights of life; and grant that I may come forth and shine upon my statue; and [grant me] air for my nose, and let my eyes have the power to see among those divine beings who dwell in the horizon on the day when evil-doing and wrong are justly assessed.”

IF THIS CHAPTER BE RECITED FOR THE DECEASED HE SHALL BE STRONG UPON EARTH BEFORE RA, AND HE SHALL HAVE A COMFORTABLE BURIAL (OR TOMB) WITH OSIRIS, AND IT SHALL BE OF GREAT BENEFIT TO A MAN IN THE UNDERWORLD. SEPULCHRAL BREAD SHALL BE GIVEN UNTO HIM, AND HE SHALL COME FORTH INTO THE PRESENCE [OF RA] DAY BY DAY, AND EVERY DAY, REGULARLY, AND CONTINUALLY.(47)

Coming Forth By Day

[From the Papyrus of Nebseni (British Museum No. 9,900, sheet 3).]

THE CHAPTER OF COMING FORTH BY DAY AND OF OPENING UP A WAY THROUGH THE AMMEHET. Behold the scribe Nebseni, triumphant, who saith:

“Homage to you, O ye lords of _Kas_, ye who are without sin and who live for the limitless and infinite æons of time which make up eternity, I have opened up a way for myself to you! I have become a _khu_ in my forms, I have gained the mastery over my enchantments, and I am decreed to be a _khu_; therefore deliver ye me from the crocodile [which liveth in] this country of right and truth. Grant ye to me my mouth that I may speak therewith, and cause that my sepulchral meals be placed in my hands in your presence, for I know you, and I know your names, and I know also the name of the mighty god, before whose nose ye set your _tchefau_ food; and his name is ‘Tekem.’ [When] he openeth up his path in the eastern horizon of heaven, and [when] he fluttereth down in the western horizon of heaven, may he carry me along with him and may I be safe and sound! Let not the _Mesqet_ make an end of me, let not the Fiend gain the mastery over me, let me not be turned back at your portals, and let not your doors be shut in my face, because my cakes are in the city of Pe and my ale is in the city of Tep. And there, in the celestial mansions of heaven which my divine father Tem hath stablished, let my hands lay hold upon the wheat and the barley which shall be given unto me therein in abundant measure, and may the son of mine own body make [ready] for me my food therein. And grant ye unto me therein sepulchral meals, and incense, and wax, and all the beautiful and pure things whereon the god liveth, in very deed forever in all the transformations which it pleaseth me [to perform]; and grant me the power to float down and to sail up the stream in Sekhet-Aarru [and may I reach Sekhet-hetep!]. I am the double Lion-god.”

IF THIS CHAPTER(48) BE KNOWN [BY THE DECEASED] UPON EARTH, [OR IF IT BE DONE] IN WRITING UPON [HIS] COFFIN, HE SHALL COME FORTH BY DAY IN ALL THE FORMS WHICH HE IS PLEASED [TO TAKE], AND HE SHALL ENTER IN TO [HIS] PLACE AND SHALL NOT BE DRIVEN BACK. AND CAKES, AND ALE, AND JOINTS OF MEAT UPON THE ALTAR OF OSIRIS SHALL BE GIVEN UNTO HIM; AND HE SHALL ENTER IN PEACE INTO SEKHET-AARRU TO KNOW THE DECREE OF HIM WHO DWELLETH IN TATTU; THERE SHALL WHEAT AND BARLEY BE GIVEN UNTO HIM; THERE SHALL HE FLOURISH AS HE DID UPON EARTH; AND HE SHALL DO WHATSOEVER IT PLEASETH HIM TO DO, EVEN AS THE COMPANY OF THE GODS WHICH IS IN THE UNDERWORLD, CONTINUALLY, AND REGULARLY, FOR MILLIONS OF TIMES.

Of Lifting Up The Feet

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 6).]

THE CHAPTER OF LIFTING UP THE FEET AND OF COMING FORTH UPON THE EARTH. The chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

“Perform thy work, O Seker, perform thy work, O Seker, O thou [who dwellest in thy house], and who [standest] on [thy] feet in the underworld! I am the god who sendeth forth rays of light over the Thigh of heaven, and I come forth to heaven and I sit myself down by the God of Light (_Khu_). Hail, I have become helpless! Hail, I have become helpless! but I go forward. I have become helpless, I have become helpless in the regions of those who plunder in the underworld.”

Of Journeying To Annu

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 13).]

THE CHAPTER OF JOURNEYING TO ANNU (HELIOPOLIS) AND OF RECEIVING A THRONE THEREIN. The chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

“I have come forth from the uttermost parts of the earth, and [I have] received my apparel(?) at the will(?) of the Ape. I penetrate into the holy habitations of those who are in [their] shrines (or coffins), I force my way through the habitations of the god Remren, and I arrive in the habitations of the god Akhsesef, I travel on through the holy chambers, and I pass into the Temple of the god Kemken. The Buckle hath been given unto me, it [hath placed] its hands upon me, it hath decreed [to my service] its sister Khebent, and its mother Kehkehet. It placeth me in [the eastern part of heaven wherein Rā riseth and is exalted every day; and I rise therein and travel onward, and I become a spiritual body (_sāh_) like the god, and they set me](49) on that holy way on which Thoth journeyeth when he goeth to make peace between the two Fighting-gods (_i.e._, Horus and Set). He journeyeth, he journeyeth to the city of Pe, and he cometh to the city of Tepu.”

Of Transformation

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 9).]

THE CHAPTER OF A MAN TRANSFORMING HIMSELF INTO WHATEVER FORM HE PLEASETH. The chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

“I have come into the House of the King by means of the mantis (_abit_) which led me hither. Homage to thee, O thou who fliest into heaven, and dost shine upon the son of the white crown, and dost protect the white crown, let me have my existence with thee! I have gathered together the great god[s], I am mighty, I have made my way and I have travelled along thereon.”

Of Performing Transformations

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 10).]

THE CHAPTER OF PERFORMING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO A HAWK OF GOLD. The chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

“I have risen, I have risen like the mighty hawk [of gold] that cometh forth from his egg; I fly and I alight like the hawk which hath a back four cubits wide, and the wings of which are like unto the mother-of-emerald of the south. I have come forth from the interior of the _Sektet_ boat, and my heart hath been brought unto me from the mountain of the east. I have alighted upon the _Atet_ boat, and those who were dwelling in their companies have been brought unto me, and they bowed low in paying homage unto me and in saluting me with cries of joy. I have risen, and I have gathered myself together like the beautiful hawk of gold, which hath the head of a _Bennu_ bird, and Rā entereth in day by day to hearken unto my words; I have taken my seat among those first-born gods of Nut. I am stablished, and the divine Sekhet-hetep is before me, I have eaten therein, I have become a _khu_ therein, I have an abundance therein—as much as I desire—the god Nepra hath given to me my throat, and I have gained the mastery over that which guardeth (or belongeth to) my head.”

Of Transformation Into A Hawk

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheets 13 and 14).]

THE CHAPTER OF MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO A DIVINE HAWK. The chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

“Hail, Great God, come now to Tattu! Make thou smooth for me the ways and let me go round about [to visit] my thrones; I have renewed(?) myself, and I have raised myself up. O grant thou that I may be feared, and make thou me to be a terror. Let the gods of the underworld be afraid of me, and may they fight for me in their habitations which are therein. Let not him that would do me harm draw nigh unto me, or injure(?) me, in the House of Darkness, that is, he that clotheth and covereth the feeble one, and whose [name] is hidden; and let not the gods act likewise toward me. [Hail], ye gods, who hearken unto [my] speech! Hail, ye rulers, who are among the followers of Osiris! Be ye therefore silent, O ye gods, when one god speaketh unto another, for he hearkeneth unto right and truth; and what I speak unto [him] do thou also speak for me then, O Osiris. Grant thou that I may journey round about [according to] that which cometh forth from thy mouth concerning me, and grant that I may see thine own Form (or forms), and the dispositions of thy Souls. Grant thou that I may come forth, and that I may have power over my legs, and that I may have my existence there like unto that of Neb-er-tcher who is over [all]. May the gods of the underworld fear me, and may they fight for me in their habitations. Grant thou that I may move along therein together with the divine beings who journey onward, and may I be stablished upon my resting-place like the Lord of Life. May I be joined unto Isis the divine lady, and may she protect me from him that would do an injury unto me; and let not anyone come to see the divine one naked and helpless. May I journey on, may I come into the uttermost parts of heaven. I exchange speech with the god Seb, I make supplication for divine food from Neb-er-tcher; the gods of the underworld have fear of me, and they fight for me in their habitations when they see that thou hast provided me with food, both of the fowl of the air and of the fish of the sea. I am one of those _Khu_s who dwell with the divine _Khu_, and I have made my form like unto his divine Form, when he cometh forth and maketh himself manifest in Tattu. [I am] a spiritual body (_sāh_) and possess my soul, and will speak unto thee the things which concern me. O grant thou that I may be feared, and make thou me to be a terror; let the gods of the underworld be afraid of me, and may they fight for me in their habitations. I, even I, am the _Khu_ who dwelleth with the divine _Khu_, whom the god Tem himself hath created, and who hath come into being from the blossom (_i.e._, the eyelashes) of his eye; he hath made to have existence, and he hath made to be glorious (_i.e._, to be _Khu_s), and he hath made mighty thereby those who have their existence along with him. Behold, he is the only One in Nu, and they sing praises (or do homage) unto him [when] he cometh forth from the horizon, and the gods and the _Khu_s who have come into being along with him ascribe [the lordship of] terror unto him.”

“I am one of those worms(?) which the eye of the Lord, the only One, hath created. And behold, when as yet Isis had not given birth to Horus, I had germinated, and had flourished, and I had become aged, and I had become greater than those who dwelt with the divine _Khu_, and who had come into being along with him. And I had risen up like the divine hawk, and Horus made for me a spiritual body containing his own soul, so that I might take possession of all that belonged unto Osiris in the underworld. The double Lion-god, the governor of the things which belong to the Temple of the _nemmes_ crown, who dwelleth in his secret abode, saith [unto me]: ‘Get thee back to the uttermost parts of heaven, for behold, inasmuch as through thy form of Horus thou hast become a spiritual body, (_sāh_) the _nemmes_ crown is not for thee; but behold, thou hast the power of speech even to the uttermost parts of heaven.’ And I, the guardian, took possession of the things of Horus [which belonged] unto Osiris in the underworld, and Horus told aloud unto me the things which his divine father Osiris spake unto him in years [gone by] on the day of his own burial. I have given unto thee(50) the _nemmes_ crown through the double Lion-god that thou mayest pass onward and mayest come to the heavenly path, and that those who dwell in the uttermost parts of the horizon may see thee, and that the gods of the underworld may see thee and may fight for thee in their habitations. And of them is the Auhet.(51) The gods, each and all of them, who are the warders of the shrine of the Lord, the only One, have fallen before my words. Hail! He that is exalted upon his tomb is on my side, and he hath bound [upon my head] the _nemmes_ crown, by the decree of the double Lion-god on my behalf, and the god Auhet hath prepared a way for me. I, even I, am exalted in my tomb, and the double Lion-god hath bound the _nemmes_ crown upon my [head], and he hath also given unto me the double hairy covering of my head. He hath stablished my heart through his own backbone, he hath stablished my heart through his own great and exceeding strength, and I shall not fall through Shu. I make my peace with the beautiful divine Brother, the lord of the two uræi, adored be he! I, even I, am he who knoweth the roads through the sky, and the wind thereof is in my body. The bull which striketh terror [into men] shall not drive me back, and I shall pass on to the place where lieth the shipwrecked mariner on the border of the Sekhet-neheh (_i.e._, Field of illimitable time), and I shall journey on to the night and sorrow of the regions of Amenti. O Osiris, I shall come each day into the House of the double Lion-god, and I shall come forth therefrom into the House of Isis, the divine lady. I shall behold sacred things which are hidden, and I shall be led on to the secret and holy things, even as they have granted unto me to see the birth of the Great God. Horus hath made me to be a spiritual body through his soul, [and I see what is therein. If I speak near the mighty ones of Shu they repulse my opportunity. I am the guardian and I] take possession of the things which Horus had from Osiris in the underworld. I, even I, am Horus who dwelleth in the divine _Khu_. [I] have gained power over his crown, I have gained power over his radiance, and I have travelled over the remote, illimitable parts of heaven. Horus is upon his throne, Horus is upon his royal seat. My face is like unto that of the divine hawk, my strength is like unto that of the divine hawk, and I am one who hath been fully equipped by his divine Lord. I shall come forth to Tattu, I shall see Osiris, I shall pay homage to him on the right hand and on the left, I shall pay homage unto Nut, and she shall look upon me, and the gods shall look upon me, together with the Eye of Horus who is without sight(?). They (_i.e._, the gods) shall make their arms to come forth unto me. I rise up [as] a divine Power, and [I] repulse him that would subject me to restraint. They open unto me the holy paths, they see my form, and they hear that which I speak. [Down] upon your faces, ye gods of the Tuat (underworld), who would resist me with your faces and oppose me with your powers, who lead along the stars which never rest, and who make the holy paths unto the Hemati abode [where is] the Lord of the exceedingly mighty and terrible Soul. Horus hath commanded that ye lift up your faces so that I may look upon you. I have risen up like the divine hawk, and Horus hath made for me a spiritual body, through his own soul, to take possession of that which belongeth to Osiris in the Tuat (underworld). I have bound up the gods with divine tresses, and I have travelled on to those who ward their Chambers, and who were on both sides of me. I have made my roads and I have journeyed on and have reached those divine beings who inhabit their secret dwellings, and who are warders of the Temple of Osiris. I have spoken unto them with strength, and have made them to know the most mighty power of him that is provided with two horns [to fight] against Suti; and I make them to know concerning him that hath taken possession of the divine food, and who is provided with the Might of Tem. May the gods of the underworld [order] a prosperous journey for me! O ye gods who inhabit your secret dwellings, and who are warders of the Temple of Osiris, and whose numbers are great and multitudinous, grant ye that I may come unto you. I have bound up and I have gathered together the powers of Kesemu-enenet,” or (as others say), “Kesemiu-enenet; and I have made holy the Powers of the paths of those who watch and ward the roads of the horizon, and who are the guardians of the horizon of Hemati which is in heaven. I have stablished habitations for Osiris, I have made the ways holy for him, I have done that which hath been commanded, I have come forth to Tattu, I have seen Osiris, I have spoken unto him concerning the matters of his first-born son whom he loveth and concerning the wounding of the heart of Suti, and I have seen the divine one who is without life. Yea, I have made them to know concerning the counsels of the gods which Horus carried out while his father Osiris was not [with him]. Hail, Lord, thou most mighty and terrible Soul! Verily, I, even I, have come, look thou upon me, and do thou make me to be exalted. I have made my way through the Tuat (underworld), and I have opened up the paths which belong to heaven and also those which belong to earth, and I have suffered no opposition therein. Exalted [be thou] upon thy throne, O Osiris! Thou hast heard fair things, O Osiris! Thy strength is vigorous, O Osiris. Thy head is fastened unto thee, O Osiris. Thy brow is stablished, O Osiris. Thy heart is glad, [O Osiris]. Thy speech(?) is stablished, [O Osiris], and thy princes rejoice. Thou art stablished like the Bull of Amentet. Thy son Horus hath risen like the sun upon thy throne, and all life is with him. Millions of years minister unto him, and millions of years hold him in fear; the company of the gods are his servants, and the company of the gods hold him in fear. The god Tem, the Governor and only One of the gods, hath spoken [these things], and his word passeth not away. Horus is both the divine food and the sacrifice. [He] hath passed on(?) to gather together [the members of] his divine father; Horus is [his] deliverer, Horus is [his] deliverer. Horus hath sprung from the water of his divine father and [from his] decay. He hath become the Governor of Egypt. The gods labor for him, and they toil for him for millions of years; and he hath made to live millions of years through his Eye, the only One of its Lord (or Neb-s), Nebt-er-tcher.”

Of Transformation Into A Governor

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheets 8 and 9).]

THE CHAPTER OF BEING TRANSFORMED INTO THE GOVERNOR OF THE SOVEREIGN PRINCES. The chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

“I am the god Tem, the maker of heaven, the creator of things which are, who cometh forth from the earth, who maketh to come into being the seed which is sown, the lord of things which shall be, who gave birth to the gods; [I am] the great god who made himself, the lord of life, who maketh to flourish the company of the gods. Homage to you, O ye lords of divine things (or of creation), ye pure beings whose abodes are hidden! Homage to you, O ye everlasting lords, whose forms are hidden and whose shrines are hidden in places which are unknown! Homage to you, O ye gods, who dwell in the Tenait(?)! Homage to you, O ye gods of the circuit of the flooded lands of Qebhu! Homage to you, O ye gods who live in Amentet! Homage to you, O ye company of the gods who dwell in Nut! Grant ye that I may come unto you, for I am pure, I am divine, I am a _khu_, I am strong, I am endowed with a soul (or I am mighty), and I have brought unto you incense, and sweet-smelling gums, and natron; I have made an end of the spittle which floweth from your mouth upon me. I have come, and I have made an end of the evil things which are in your hearts, and I have removed the faults which ye kept [laid up against me]. I have brought to you the things which are good, and I make to come into your presence Right and Truth. I, even I, know you, and I know your names, and I know your forms, which are unknown, and I come into being along with you. My coming is like unto that of the god who eateth men and who liveth upon the gods. I am mighty with you like the god who is exalted upon his resting-place; the gods come to me in gladness, and goddesses make supplication unto me when they see me. I have come unto you, and I have risen like your two divine daughters. I have taken my seat in the horizon, and I receive my offerings upon my tables, and I drink drink-offerings at eventide. My coming is [received] with shouts of joy, and the divine beings who dwell in the horizon ascribe praises unto me, the divine spiritual body (_Sāh_), the lord of divine beings. I am exalted like the holy god who dwelleth in the Great Temple, and the gods rejoice when they see me in my beautiful coming forth from the body of Nut, when my mother Nut giveth birth unto me.”

Of Transformation Into A God

[From the Papyrus of Ani (British Museum No. 10,470, sheet 28).]

[THE CHAPTER OF] MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO THE GOD WHO GIVETH LIGHT [IN] THE DARKNESS. Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant:

“I am the girdle of the robe of the god Nu, which shineth and sheddeth light upon that which belongeth to his breast, which sendeth forth light into the darkness, which uniteth the two fighting deities who dwell in my body through the mighty spell of the words of my mouth, which raiseth up him that hath fallen—for he who was with him in the valley of Abtu (Abydos) hath fallen—and I rest. I have remembered him. I have taken possession of the god Hu in my city, for I found him therein, and I have led away captive the darkness by my might. I have rescued the Eye [of the Sun] when it waned at the coming of the festival of the fifteenth day, and I have weighed Sut in the celestial houses against the Aged one who is with him. I have endowed Thoth [with what is needful] in the Temple of the Moon-god for the coming of the fifteenth day of the festival. I have taken possession of the _Ureret_ crown; Maāt (_i.e._, right and truth) is in my body; its mouths are of turquoise and rock-crystal. My homestead is among the furrows which are [of the color of] lapis-lazuli. I am Hem-Nu(?) who sheddeth light in the darkness. I have come to give light in the darkness, which is made light and bright [by me]. I have given light in the darkness, and I have overthrown the destroying crocodiles. I have sung praises unto those who dwell in the darkness, I have raised up those who wept, and who had hidden their faces and had sunk down in wretchedness; and they did not look then upon me. [Hail, then,] ye beings, I am Hem-Nu(?), and I will not let you hear concerning the matter. [I] have opened [the way], I am Hem-Nu(?), [I] have made light the darkness, I have come, having made an end of the darkness, which hath become light indeed.”

Transformation Into A Lotus

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 11).]

THE CHAPTER OF MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO A LOTUS. The overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, Nu, saith:

“I am the pure lotus which springeth up from the divine splendor that belongeth to the nostrils of Rā. I have made [my way], and I follow on seeking for him who is Horus. I am the pure one who cometh forth out of the Field.”

Transformation Into A Lotus

[From the Papyrus of Paqrer (see Naville, op. cit., Bd. I. Bl. 93).]

THE CHAPTER OF MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO A LOTUS. Saith Osiris Paqrer:

“Hail, thou lotus, thou type of the god Nefer-Temu! I am the man that knoweth you, and I know your names among [those of] the gods, the lords of the underworld, and I am one of you. Grant ye that [I] may see the gods who are the divine guide in the Tuat (underworld), and grant ye unto me a place in the underworld near unto the lords of Amentet. Let me arrive at a habitation in the land of Tchesert, and receive me, O all ye gods, in the presence of the lords of eternity. Grant that my soul may come forth whithersoever it pleaseth, and let it not be driven away from the presence of the great company of the gods.”

Transformation Into Ptah

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheets 9 and 10).]

THE CHAPTER OF MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO PTAH, OF EATING CAKES, AND OF DRINKING ALE, AND OF UNFETTERING THE STEPS, AND OF BECOMING A LIVING BEING IN ANNU (Heliopolis). The chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

“I fly like a hawk, I cackle like the _smen_ goose, and I perch upon that abode of the underworld (_aat_) on the festival of the great Being. That which is an abomination unto me, that which is an abomination unto me, I have not eaten; filth is an abomination unto me and I have not eaten thereof, and that which is an abomination unto my _ka_ hath not entered into my belly. Let me, then, live upon that which the gods and the _Khu_s decree for me; let me live and let me have power over cakes; let me eat them before the gods and the _Khu_s [who have a favor] unto me; let me have power over [these cakes] and let me eat of them under the [shade of the] leaves of the palm tree of the goddess Hathor, who is my divine Lady. Let the offering of the sacrifice, and the offering of cakes, and vessels of libations be made in Annu; let me clothe myself in the _taau_ garment [which I shall receive] from the hand of the goddess Tait; let me stand up and let me sit down wheresoever I please. My head is like unto that of Rā, and [when my members are] gathered together [I am] like unto Tem; the four [sides of the domain] of Rā, and the width of the earth four times. I come forth. My tongue is like unto that of Ptah and my throne is like unto that of the goddess Hathor, and I make mention of the words of Tem, my father, with my mouth. He it is who constraineth the handmaid, the wife of Seb, and before him are bowed [all] heads, and there is fear of him. Hymns of praise are repeated for [me] by reason of [my] mighty acts, and I am decreed to be the divine Heir of Seb, the lord of the earth and to be the protector therein. The god Seb refresheth me, and he maketh his risings to be mine. Those who dwell in Annu bow down their heads unto me, for I am their lord and I am their bull. I am more powerful than the lord of time, and I shall enjoy the pleasures of love, and shall gain the mastery over millions of years.”

Transformation Into A Bennu Bird

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 10).]