Chapter VI: Front Matter (6)

“The heavens are opened, the earth is opened, the West is opened, the East is opened, the southern half of heaven is opened, the northern half of heaven is opened, the doors are opened, and the gates are thrown wide open to Rā [as] he cometh forth from the horizon. The _Sektet_ boat openeth for him the double doors and the _Mātet_ boat bursteth open [for him] the gates; he breatheth, and the god Shu(114) [cometh into being], and he createth the goddess Tefnut. Those who are in the following of Osiris follow in his train, and the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, followeth on in the train of Rā. He taketh his iron weapon and he forceth open the shrine even as doth Horus, and pressing onward he advanceth unto the hidden things of his habitation with the libations of his divine shrine; the messenger of the god that loveth him. The Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, bringeth forth the right and the truth, and he maketh to advance the going forward(115) of Osiris. The Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, taketh in [his] hand[s] the cordage and he bindeth fast the shrine. Storms are the things which he abominateth. Let no water-flood be nigh unto him, let not the Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, be repulsed before Rā, and let him not be made to turn back; for, behold, the Eye is in his two hands. Let not the Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, walk in the valley of darkness, let him not enter into the Lake of those who are evil, and let him have no existence among the damned, even for a moment. Let not the Osiris Nu fall headlong among those who would lead him captive, and let not [his] soul go in among them. Let his divine face take possession of the place behind the block, the block of the god Septu.”

“Hymns of praise be unto you, O ye divine beings of the Thigh, the knives of God [work] in secret, and the two arms and hands of God cause the light to shine; it is doubly pleasant unto him to lead the old unto him along with the young at his season. Now, behold, the god Thoth dwelleth within his hidden places, and he performeth the ceremonies of libation unto the god who reckoneth millions of years, and he maketh a way through the firmament, and he doeth away with storms and whirlwinds from his stronghold, and the Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, arriveth in the places of his habitations. [O ye divine beings of the Thigh], do ye away with his sorrow, and his suffering, and his pain, and may the sorrow of the Osiris Nu be altogether put away. Let the Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, gratify Rā, let him make a way into the horizon of Rā, let his boat be made ready for him, let him sail on happily, and let Thoth put light into [his] heart; then shall the Osiris Nu, triumphant, praise and glorify Rā, and Rā shall hearken unto his words, and he shall beat down the obstacles which come from his enemies. I have not been shipwrecked, I have not been turned back in the horizon, for I am Rā-Osiris, and the Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, shall not be shipwrecked in the Great Boat. Behold him whose face is in the god of the Thigh, because the name of Rā is in the body of the Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, and his honor is in his mouth; he shall speak unto Rā, and Rā shall hearken unto his words.”

“Hymns of praise unto thee, O Rā, in the horizon, and homage unto thee, O thou that purifiest with light the denizens of heaven, O thou who hast sovereign power over heaven at that supreme moment when the paddles of thine enemies move with thee! The Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, cometh with the ordering of right and truth, for there is an iron firmament in Amentet which the fiend Apep hath broken through with his storms before the double Lion-god, and this will the Osiris Nu set in order; O hearken ye, ye who dwell upon the top of the throne of majesty. The Osiris Nu shall come in among thy divine sovereign chiefs, and Rā shall deliver him from Apep each day so that he may not come nigh unto him, and he shall make himself vigilant. The Osiris Nu shall have power over the things which are written, he shall receive sepulchral meals, and the god Thoth shall provide him with the things which should be prepared for him. The Osiris Nu maketh right and truth to go round about the bows in the Great Boat, and hath triumph among the divine sovereign chiefs, and he establisheth [it] for millions of years. The divine chiefs guide him and give unto him a passage in the boat with joy and gladness; the first ones among the company of the sailors of Rā are behind him, and he is happy. Right and truth are exalted, and they have come unto their divine lord, and praises have been ascribed unto the god Neb-er-tcher. The Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, hath taken in his hands the weapon and he hath made his way through heaven therewith; the denizens thereof have ascribed praises unto him as [unto] a divine being who standeth up and never sinketh to rest. The god Rā exalteth him by reason of what he hath done, and he causeth him to make of none effect the whirlwind and the storm; he looketh upon his splendors, and he stablisheth his oars, and the boat saileth round about in heaven, rising like the sun in the darkness. Thoth, the mighty one, leadeth the Osiris Nu within his eye, and he sitteth [upon his] thigh[s] in the mighty boat of Khepera; he cometh into being, and the things which he saith come to pass. The Osiris Nu advanceth, and he journeyeth round about heaven unto Amentet, the fiery deities stand up before him, and the god Shu rejoiceth exceedingly, and they take in their hands the bows [of the boat] of Rā along with his divine mariners. Rā goeth round about and he looketh upon Osiris. The Osiris Nu is at peace, the Osiris Nu is at peace. He hath not been driven back, the flame of thy moment hath not been taken away from him, [O Rā,] the whirlwind and storm of thy mouth have not come forth against him, he hath not journeyed upon the path of the crocodile—for he abominateth the crocodile—and it hath not drawn nigh unto him. The Osiris Nu embarked in thy boat, O Rā, he is furnished with thy throne, and he receiveth thy spiritual form. The Osiris Nu travelleth over the paths of Rā at daybreak to drive back the fiend Nebt; [he] cometh upon the flame of thy boat, [O Rā,] upon that mighty Thigh. The Osiris Nu knoweth it, and he attaineth unto thy boat, and behold he [sitteth] therein; and he maketh sepulchral offerings.”

[THIS CHAPTER SHALL BE] RECITED OVER A BOAT OF THE GOD RA WHICH HATH BEEN PAINTED IN COLORS IN A PURE PLACE. AND BEHOLD THOU SHALT PLACE A FIGURE OF THE DECEASED IN THE BOWS THEREOF, AND THOU SHALT PAINT A SEKTET BOAT UPON THE RIGHT SIDE THEREOF, AND AN ATET BOAT UPON THE LEFT SIDE THEREOF, AND THERE SHALL BE MADE UNTO THEM OFFERINGS OF BREAD, AND CAKES, AND WINE, AND OIL, AND EVERY KIND OF FAIR OFFERING UPON THE BIRTHDAY OF OSIRIS. IF THESE CEREMONIES BE PERFORMED HIS SOUL SHALL HAVE EXISTENCE, AND SHALL LIVE FOREVER, AND SHALL NOT DIE A SECOND TIME.

The following is from the rubric to this chapter in the Saïte Recension (see Lepsius, op. cit., Bl. 53):

“[He shall know] the hidden things of the underworld, he shall penetrate the hidden things in Neter-khertet (the underworld).”

“[This chapter] was found in the large hall(?) of the Temple under the reign of his Majesty Hesepti, triumphant, and it was found in the cavern of the mountain which Horus made for his father Osiris Un-nefer, triumphant. Now since Rā looketh upon this deceased in his own flesh, he shall look upon him as the company of the gods. The fear of him shall be great, and the awe of him shall be mighty in the heart of men, and gods, and _Khu_s, and the damned. He shall be with his soul and shall live forever; he shall not die a second time in the underworld; and on the day of weighing of words no evil hap shall befall him. He shall be triumphant over his enemies, and his sepulchral meals shall be upon the altar of Rā in the course of each day, day by day.”

Of Living Nigh Unto Ra

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheets 17 and 18).]

THE CHAPTER OF HAVING EXISTENCE NIGH UNTO RĀ.(116) The overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

“I am that god Rā who shineth in the night. Every being who followeth in his train shall have life in the following of the god Thoth, and he shall give unto him the risings of Horus in the darkness. The heart of Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, is glad because he is one of those beings, and his enemies have been destroyed by the divine princes. I am a follower of Rā, and [I have] received his iron weapon. I have come unto thee, O my father Rā, and I have advanced to the god Shu. I have cried unto the mighty goddess, I have equipped the god Hu, and I alone have removed the Nebt god from the path of Rā. I am a Khu, and I have come to the divine prince at the bounds of the horizon. I have met and I have received the mighty goddess. I have raised up thy soul in the following of thy strength, and my soul [liveth] through thy victory and thy mighty power; it is I who give commands in speech to Rā, in heaven. Homage to thee, O great god in the east of heaven, let me embark in thy boat, O Rā, let me open myself out in the form of a divine hawk, let me give my commands in words, let me do battle in my _Sekhem_(?), let me be master under my vine. Let me embark in thy boat, O Rā, in peace, and let me sail in peace to the beautiful Amentet. Let the god Tem speak unto me, [saying], ‘Wouldst [thou] enter therein?’ The lady, the goddess Mehen, is a million of years, yea, two million years in extent, and dwelleth in the House of Urt and Nif-urt [and in] the Lake of a million years; the whole company of the gods move about among those who are at the side of him who is the lord of divisions of places(?). And I say, ‘On every road and among these millions of years is Rā the lord, and his path is in the fire, and they go round about behind him, and they go round about behind him.’ ”

Of Bringing Men Back To Earth

[From the Papyrus of Ani (British Museum No. 10,470, sheet 18).]

THE CHAPTER OF CAUSING A MAN TO COME BACK TO SEE HIS HOUSE UPON EARTH.(117) The Osiris Ani saith:

“I am the Lion-god coming forth with extended strides. I have shot arrows and I have wounded the prey; I have shot arrows and I have wounded the prey. I am the Eye of Horus, and I pass through the Eye of Horus at this season. I have arrived at the furrows; let the Osiris Ani advance in peace.”(118)

Of Making Perfect The Khu

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 16).]

THE BOOK OF MAKING PERFECT THE _KHU_, WHICH IS TO BE RECITED ON THE DAY OF THE MONTH. The Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, saith:

“Rā riseth in his horizon, and his company of the gods follow after him. The god cometh forth out of his hidden habitations, and food falleth out of the eastern horizon of heaven at the word of the goddess Nut who maketh plain the paths of Rā, whereupon straightway the Prince goeth round about. Lift up then thyself, O thou Rā, who dwellest in thy divine shrine, draw thou into thyself the winds, inhale the north wind, swallow thou the skin(?) of thy net on the day wherein thou breathest right and truth. Thou separatest the divine followers, and thou sailest in [thy] boat to Nut; the divine princes march onward at thy word. Thou takest count of thy bones, thou gatherest together thy members, thou settest thy face toward the beautiful Amentet, and thou comest, being renewed each day. Behold, thou art that Image of gold, and thou dost possess the splendors of the disks of heaven and art terrible; thou comest, being renewed each day. Hail, the horizon rejoiceth, and there are shouts of joy in the rigging [of thy boat]; when the gods who dwell in the heavens see the Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, they ascribe unto him as his due praises which are like unto those ascribed unto Rā. The Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, is a divine prince and he seeketh(?) the _ureret_ crown of Rā, and he, the only one, is strong in good fortune (?) in that supreme body which is of those divine beings who are in the presence of Rā. The Osiris Nu is strong both upon earth and in the underworld; and the Osiris Nu is strong like unto Rā every day. The Osiris Nu shall not tarry, and he shall not lie without motion in this land forever. Being doubly beautiful [he] shall see with his two eyes, and he shall hear with his two ears; rightly and truly, rightly and truly. The Osiris Nu is like unto Rā, and he setteth in order the oars [of his boat] among those who are in the train of Nu. He doth not tell that which he hath seen, and he doth not repeat that which he hath heard in the secret places. Hail, let there be shouts of joy to the Osiris Nu, who is of the divine body of Rā, as he journeyeth over Nu, and who propitiateth the KA of the god with that which he loveth. The Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, is a hawk, the transformations of which are mighty (or manifold).”(119)

[THIS CHAPTER SHALL BE] RECITED OVER A BOAT FOUR(120) CUBITS IN ITS LENGTH AND MADE OF GREEN PORCELAIN [ON WHICH HAVE BEEN PAINTED] THE DIVINE SOVEREIGN CHIEFS OF THE CITIES; AND A HEAVEN WITH ITS STARS SHALL [ALSO] BE MADE, AND THIS THOU SHALT HAVE MADE CEREMONIALLY PURE BY MEANS OF NATRON AND INCENSE. AND, BEHOLD, THOU SHALT MAKE AN IMAGE OF RA IN YELLOW(?) COLOR UPON A NEW PLAQUE AND SET IT AT THE BOWS OF THE BOAT. AND BEHOLD, THOU SHALT PLACE AN IMAGE OF THE _KHU_ WHICH THOU DOST WISH TO MAKE PERFECT [AND PLACE IT] IN THIS BOAT, AND THOU SHALT MAKE IT TO TRAVEL ABOUT IN THE BOAT [WHICH SHALL BE MADE IN THE FORM OF THE BOAT] OF RA; AND HE SHALL SEE THE GOD RA HIMSELF THEREIN. LET NOT THE EYE OF ANY MAN WHATSOEVER LOOK UPON IT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THINE OWN SELF, OR THY FATHER,(121) OR THY SON, AND GUARD [THIS] WITH GREAT CARE.(122) [NOW THESE THINGS] SHALL MAKE THE _KHU_ PERFECT IN THE HEART OF RA, AND IT SHALL GIVE UNTO HIM POWER WITH THE COMPANY OF THE GODS; AND THE GODS SHALL LOOK UPON HIM AS A DIVINE BEING LIKE UNTO THEMSELVES; AND MANKIND AND THE DEAD SHALL LOOK UPON HIM AND SHALL FALL DOWN UPON THEIR FACES, AND HE SHALL BE SEEN IN THE UNDERWORLD IN THE FORM OF THE RADIANCE OF RA.

Of Making Perfect The Khu

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 17).]

ANOTHER CHAPTER OF MAKING PERFECT THE KHU.(123) The Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, saith:

“Homage to thee, O thou who art within thy divine shrine, who shinest with rays of light and sendest forth radiance from thyself, who decreest joy for millions of years unto those who love him, who givest their hearts’ desire unto mankind, thou god Khepera within thy boat who hast overthrown Apep. O ye children of the god Seb, overthrow ye the enemies of Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, and destroy ye them from the boat of Rā; and the god Horus shall cut off their heads in heaven [where they are] in the form of feathered fowl, and their hind parts shall be on the earth in the form of animals and in the Lake in the form of fishes. Every male fiend and every female fiend shall the Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, destroy, whether he descendeth from the heaven, or whether he cometh forth from the earth, or whether they come upon the waters, or whether they advance toward the stars, the god Thoth, the son of Aner, coming forth from the Anerti, shall hack them in pieces. The Osiris Nu is silent and dumb(?); cause ye this god, the mighty one of slaughter, the being greatly to be feared, to make himself clean in your blood and to bathe himself in your gore, and ye shall certainly be destroyed by him from the boat of his father Rā. The Osiris Nu is the god Horus to whom his mother the goddess Isis hath given birth, and whom the goddess Nephthys hath nursed and dandled, even like Horus when [he] repulsed the fiends of the god Suti; and when they see the _ureret_ crown stablished upon his head they fall down upon their faces and they glorify [him]. Behold, when men, and gods, and _Khu_s, and the dead see the Osiris Nu in the form of Horus with the _ureret_ crown stablished upon his head, they fall down upon their faces. And the Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, is victorious over his enemies in the heights of heaven, and in the depths thereof, and before the divine sovereign chiefs of every god and of every goddess.”

[THIS CHAPTER] SHALL BE RECITED OVER A HAWK STANDING AND HAVING THE WHITE CROWN UPON HIS HEAD, [AND OVER FIGURES OF] TEM, SHU, TEFNUT, SEB, NUT, OSIRIS, ISIS, SUTI, AND NEPHTHYS PAINTED IN YELLOW COLOR UPON A NEW PLAQUE, WHICH SHALL BE PLACED IN [A MODEL OF] THE BOAT [OF THE SUN], ALONG WITH A FIGURE OF THE DECEASED WHOM THOU WOULDST MAKE PERFECT. THESE SHALT THOU ANOINT WITH CEDAR OIL, AND INCENSE SHALL BE OFFERED UP TO THEM ON THE FIRE, AND FEATHERED FOWL SHALL BE ROASTED. IT IS AN ACT OF PRAISE TO RA AS HE JOURNEYETH, AND IT SHALL CAUSE A MAN TO HAVE HIS BEING ALONG WITH RA DAY BY DAY, WHITHERSOEVER THE GOD VOYAGETH; AND IT SHALL DESTROY THE ENEMIES OF RA IN VERY TRUTH REGULARLY AND CONTINUALLY.

For The New Moon

[From Lepsius “Todtenbuch,” Bl. 55.]

ANOTHER CHAPTER TO BE RECITED WHEN THE MOON RENEWETH ITSELF ON THE DAY OF THE MONTH. The Osiris Auf-ānkh, triumphant, saith:

“Osiris unfettereth,” or, as others say, “openeth the storm cloud [in] the body of heaven, and is unfettered himself; Horus is made strong happily each day. He whose transformations are great (or many) hath offerings made unto him at the moment, and he hath made an end of the storm which is in the face of the Osiris Auf-ānkh, triumphant. Verily he cometh, and he is Rā in [his] journeying, and he is the four celestial gods in the heavens above. The Osiris Auf-ānkh, triumphant, cometh forth in his day, and he embarketh among the tackle of the boat.”

IF THIS CHAPTER BE KNOWN BY THE DECEASED HE SHALL BECOME A PERFECT _KHU_ IN THE UNDERWORLD, AND HE SHALL NOT DIE THEREIN A SECOND TIME, AND HE SHALL EAT HIS FOOD SIDE BY SIDE WITH OSIRIS. IF THIS CHAPTER BE KNOWN BY HIM UPON EARTH HE SHALL BE LIKE UNTO THOTH, AND HE SHALL BE ADORED BY THE LIVING ONES; HE SHALL NOT FALL HEADLONG AT THE MOMENT OF ROYAL FLAME OF THE GODDESS BAST, AND THE MIGHTY PRINCESS SHALL MAKE HIM TO ADVANCE HAPPILY.

Of Travelling In The Boat Of Ra

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 28).]

ANOTHER CHAPTER OF TRAVELLING IN THE GREAT BOAT OF RA. The Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, saith:

“Behold now, O ye luminaries in Annu, ye people in Kher-āba, the god Kha(?) hath been born; his cordage hath been completed, and the instrument wherewith he maketh his way hath [he] grasped firmly. I have protected the implements of the gods, and I have delivered the boat Kha(?) for him. I have come forth into heaven, and I have travelled therein with Rā in the form of an ape, and have turned back the paths of Nut at the staircase of the god Sebek.”

Of Making Perfect The Khu

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 16).]

ANOTHER CHAPTER OF MAKING PERFECT THE _Khu_; [it shall be recited] on the festival of Six. The Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, saith:

“Behold now, O ye luminaries in Annu (Heliopolis), ye people in Kher-āba, the god hath been born; his cordage(?) hath been completed, and the instrument wherewith he maketh his way he hath grasped firmly; and the Osiris Nu is strong with them to direct the implement of the gods. The Osiris Nu hath delivered the boat of the sun therewith ... and he cometh forth into heaven. The Osiris Nu sailed round about in heaven, he travelleth therein unto Nut, he journeyeth along with Rā, and he voyageth therein in the form of apes; [he] turneth back the water-flood which is over the Thigh of the goddess Nut at the staircase of the god Sebaku. The hearts of Seb and Nut are glad and repeat the name which is new. Un-neferu reneweth [his] youth, Rā is in his splendors of light, Unti hath his speech, and lo, the god of the Inundation is Prince among the gods. The taste of sweetness hath forced a way into the heart of the destitute one, and the lord of thy outcries hath been done away with, and the oars(?) of the company of the gods are in vigorous motion. Adored be thou, O divine Soul, who art endowed more than the gods of the South and North [in] their splendors! Behold, grant thou that the Osiris Nu may be great in heaven even as thou art great among the gods; deliver thou him from every evil and murderous thing which may be wrought upon him by the Fiend, and fortify thou his heart. Grant thou, moreover, that the Osiris Nu may be stronger than all the gods, all the _Khu_s, and all the dead. The Osiris Nu is strong and is the lord of powers. The Osiris Nu is the lord of right and truth which the goddess Uatchit worketh. The strength which protects the Osiris Nu is the strength which protects the god Rā in heaven. O god Rā, grant thou that the Osiris Nu may travel on in thy boat in peace, and do thou prepare a road whereon [thy] boat may journey onward; for the force which protecteth Osiris is the force which protecteth thee. The Osiris Nu driveth back the Crocodile from Rā day by day. The Osiris Nu cometh even as doth Horus in the splendors(?) of the horizon of heaven, and he directeth Rā through the mansions of the sky; the gods rejoice greatly when the Osiris Nu repulseth the Crocodile. The Osiris Nu hath the amulet(?) of the god, and the cloud of Nebt shall not come nigh unto him, and the divine guardians of the mansions of the sky shall not destroy him. The Osiris Nu is a divine being whose face is hidden, and he dwelleth within the Great House [as] the chief of the Shrine of the god. The Osiris Nu carrieth the words of the gods to Rā, and he cometh and maketh supplication unto the divine lord with the words of his message. The Osiris Nu is strong of heart, and he maketh his offering at the moment among those who perform the ceremonies of sacrifice.”

[THIS CHAPTER] SHALL BE SAID OVER A FIGURE OF THE DECEASED WHICH SHALL BE PLACED IN [A MODEL OF] THE BOAT OF THE SUN, AND BEHOLD, [HE THAT RECITETH IT] SHALL BE WASHED, AND SHALL BE CEREMONIALLY PURE, AND HE SHALL HAVE BURNT INCENSE BEFORE RA, AND SHALL HAVE OFFERED WINE, AND CAKES, AND ROASTED FOWL FOR THE JOURNEY [OF THE DECEASED] IN THE BOAT OF RA. NOW, EVERY _KHU_ FOR WHOM SUCH THINGS ARE DONE SHALL HAVE AN EXISTENCE AMONG THE LIVING ONES, AND HE SHALL NEVER PERISH, AND HE SHALL HAVE A BEING LIKE UNTO THAT OF THE HOLY GOD; NO EVIL THING WHATSOEVER SHALL ATTACK HIM. AND HE SHALL BE LIKE UNTO A HAPPY _KHU_ IN AMENTET, AND HE SHALL NOT DIE A SECOND TIME. HE SHALL EAT AND HE SHALL DRINK IN THE PRESENCE OF OSIRIS EACH DAY; HE SHALL BE BORNE ALONG WITH THE KINGS OF THE NORTH AND OF THE SOUTH EACH AND EVERY DAY; HE SHALL QUAFF WATER AT THE FOUNTAIN-HEAD; HE SHALL COME FORTH BY DAY EVEN AS DOTH HORUS; HE SHALL LIVE AND SHALL BECOME LIKE UNTO GOD; AND HE SHALL BE HYMNED BY THE LIVING ONES, EVEN AS IS RA EACH AND EVERY DAY CONTINUALLY AND REGULARLY FOREVER.

Sailing In The Great Boat

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 28).]

THE CHAPTER OF SAILING IN THE GREAT BOAT OF RĀ TO PASS OVER THE CIRCLE OF BRIGHT FLAME. The Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, saith:

“[Hail], ye bright and shining flames that keep your place behind Rā, and which slay behind him, the boat of Rā is in fear of the whirlwind and the storm; shine ye forth, then, and make [ye yourselves] visible. I have come [daily] along with the god Sek-hra from the bight of his holy lake, and I have seen the Maāt [goddesses] pass along, and the lion-gods who belong unto them. Hail, thou that dwellest in the coffer who hast multitudes of plants(?), I have seen [what is] there. We rejoice, and their princes rejoice greatly, and their lesser gods(?) are glad. I have made a way in front of the boat of Rā, I have lifted myself up into his divine Disk, I shine brightly through his splendors; he hath furnished himself with the things which are his, taking possession thereof as the lord of right and truth. And behold, O ye company of the gods, and thou ancestor of the goddess Isis,(124) grant ye that he may bear testimony to his father, the lord of those who are therein. I have weighed the ... in him [as] chief, and I have brought to him the goddess Tefnut and he liveth. Behold, come, come, and declare before him the testimony of right and truth of the lord Tem. I cry out at eventide and at his hour, saying, Grant ye unto me that I may come. I have brought unto him the jaws of the passages of the tomb; I have brought unto him the bones which are in Annu (Heliopolis); I have gathered together for him his manifold parts; I have driven back for him the serpent fiend Apep; I have spit upon his gashes for him; I have made my road and I have passed in among you. I am he who dwelleth among the gods, come, let [me] pass onward in the boat, the boat of the lord Sa. Behold, O Heru-ur, there is a flame, but the fire hath been extinguished. I have made [my] road, O ye divine fathers and your divine apes! I have entered upon the horizon, and I have passed on to the side of the divine princes, and I have borne testimony unto him that dwelleth in his divine boat. I have gone forward over the circle of bright flame which is behind the lord of the lock of hair which moveth round about. Behold, ye who cry out over yourselves, ye worms in [your] hidden places, grant ye that I may pass onward, for I am the mighty one, the lord of divine strength, and I am the spiritual body (_sāh_) of the lord of divine right and truth made by the goddess Uatchit. His strength which protecteth is my strength which protecteth, which is the strength which protecteth Rā. [Grant ye that I may be in the following of Rā], and grant ye that I may go round about with him in Sekhet-hetep [and in] the two lands. [I am] a great god, and [I have been] judged by the company of his gods; grant that divine, sepulchral meals may be given unto me.”

Of The Four Flames

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 26).]

THE CHAPTER OF THE FOUR BLAZING FLAMES WHICH ARE MADE FOR THE KHU. Behold, thou shalt make four square troughs of clay, whereon thou shalt scatter incense, and thou shalt fill them with the milk of a white cow, and by means of these thou shalt extinguish the flame. The Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, saith:

“The fire cometh to thy KA, O Osiris, governor of Amenti; the fire cometh to thy KA, O Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant. He that ordereth the night cometh after the day. [The flame cometh to thy KA, O Osiris, governor of those in Amenti](125) and the two sisters(?) of Rā come likewise. Behold, [the flame] riseth in Abtu (Abydos) and it cometh; and I cause it to come [to] the Eye of Horus. It is set in order upon thy brow, O Osiris, governor of Amenti,(126) and it is fixed within thy shrine and riseth upon thy brow; it is set in order upon thy breast, O Osiris Nu, and it is fixed upon thy brow. The Eye of Horus is protecting thee, O Osiris, governor of Amenti, and it keepeth thee in safety; it casteth down headlong all thine enemies for thee and all thine enemies have fallen headlong before thee. O Osiris Nu, the Eye of Horus protecteth thee, it keepeth thee in safety, and it casteth down headlong all thine enemies. Thine enemies have fallen down headlong before thy KA, O Osiris, governor of Amenti, the Eye of Horus protecteth thee, it keepeth thee in safety, and it hath cast down headlong all thine enemies. Thine enemies have fallen down headlong before thy _Ka_, O Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, the Eye of Horus protecteth thee, it keepeth thee in safety, it hath cast down headlong for thee all thine enemies, and thine enemies have fallen down headlong before thee. The Eye of Horus cometh, it is sound and well, and it sendeth forth rays like unto Rā in the horizon; it covereth over with darkness the powers of Suti, it taketh possession thereof and it bringeth its flame against him upon [its] feet(?). The Eye of Horus is sound and well, thou eatest the flesh(?) of thy body by means thereof, and thou givest praise(?) thereto. The four flames enter into thy KA, O Osiris, governor of Amenti, the four flames enter into thy _ka_, O Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant. Hail, ye children of Horus, Mesthi, Hāpi, Tuamāutef and Qebhsennuf, ye have given your protection unto your divine Father Osiris, the governor of Amenti, grant ye your protection to the Osiris Nu, triumphant. Now, therefore, inasmuch as ye have destroyed the opponent[s] of Osiris, the governor of Amenti, he liveth with the gods, and he hath smitten Suti, with his hand and arm since light dawned upon the earth, and Horus hath gotten power, and he hath avenged his divine Father Osiris himself; and inasmuch as your divine father hath been made vigorous through the union which ye have effected for him with the _Ka_ of Osiris, the governor of Amenti—now the Eye of Horus hath avenged him, and it hath protected him, and it hath cast down headlong for him all his enemies, and all his enemies have fallen down before him—even so do ye destroy the opponent[s] of the Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant. Let him live with the gods, let him smite down his enemy, let him destroy [him] when light dawneth upon the earth, let Horus gain power and avenge the Osiris Nu, let the Osiris Nu have vigor through the union which ye have effected for him with his _ka_. O Osiris Nu, the Eye of Horus hath avenged thee, it hath cast down headlong all thine enemies for thee, and all thine enemies have fallen down headlong before thee. Hail, Osiris, governor of Amenti, grant thou light and fire to the happy soul which is in Suten-henen (Heracleopolis); and [O ye children of Horus] grant ye power unto the living soul of the Osiris Nu within his flame. Let him not be repulsed and let him not be driven back at the doors of Amentet; oh let his offerings of bread and of linen garments be brought unto him among [those of] the lords of funeral oblations, oh, offer ye praises as unto a god, to the Osiris Nu, destroyer of his opponent[s] in his form of right and truth and in his attributes of a god of right and truth.”

EGYPTIAN TALES

Translated from the Papyri

Edited by Wm. Flinders Petrie, Hon. D.C.L., LL.D., Edwards Professor of
Egyptology, University College, London.

The Taking Of Joppa

There was once in the time of King Men-kheper-ra a revolt of the servants of his Majesty who were in Joppa; and his Majesty said, “Let Tahutia go with his footmen and destroy this wicked Foe in Joppa.” And he called one of his followers, and said moreover, “Hide thou my great cane, which works wonders, in the baggage of Tahutia that my power may go with him.”

Now when Tahutia came near to Joppa, with all the footmen of Pharaoh, he sent unto the Foe in Joppa, and said, “Behold now his Majesty, King Men-kheper-ra, has sent all this great army against thee; but what is that if my heart is as thy heart? Do thou come, and let us talk in the field, and see each other face to face.” So Tahutia came with certain of his men; and the Foe in Joppa came likewise, but his charioteer that was with him was true of heart unto the King of Egypt. And they spoke with one another in his great tent, which Tahutia had placed far off from the soldiers. But Tahutia had made ready 200 sacks, with cords and fetters, and had made a great sack of skins with bronze fetters, and many baskets: and they were in his tent, the sacks and the baskets, and he had placed them as the forage for the horses is put in baskets. For while the Foe in Joppa drank with Tahutia, the people who were with him drank with the footmen of Pharaoh, and made merry with them. And when their bout of drinking was past, Tahutia said to the Foe in Joppa, “If it please thee, while I remain with the women and children of thy own city, let one bring of my people with their horses, that they may give them provender, or let one of the Apuro run to fetch them.” So they came, and hobbled their horses, and gave them provender, and one found the great cane of Men-kheper-ra (Tahutmes III), and came to tell of it to Tahutia. And thereupon the Foe in Joppa said to Tahutia: “My heart is set on examining the great cane of Men-kheper-ra, which is named ‘... tautnefer.’ By the _ka_ of the King Men-kheper-ra it will be in thy hands to-day; now do thou well and bring thou it to me.” And Tahutia did thus, and he brought the cane of King Men-kheper-ra. And he laid hold on the Foe in Joppa by his garment, and he arose and stood up, and said, “Look on me, O Foe in Joppa; here is the great cane of King Men-kheper-ra, the terrible lion, the son of Sekhet, to whom Amen his father gives power and strength.” And he raised his hand and struck the forehead of the Foe in Joppa, and he fell helpless before him. He put him in the sack of skins and he bound with gyves the hands of the Foe in Joppa, and put on his feet the fetters with four rings. And he made them bring the 200 sacks which he had cleaned, and made to enter into them 200 soldiers, and filled the hollows with cords and fetters of wood, he sealed them with a seal, and added to them their rope-nets and the poles to bear them. And he put every strong footman to bear them, in all 600 men, and said to them, “When you come into the town you shall open your burdens, you shall seize on all the inhabitants of the town, and you shall quickly put fetters upon them.”

Then one went out and said unto the charioteer of the Foe in Joppa, “Thy master is fallen; go, say to thy mistress, ‘A pleasant message! For Sutekh has given Tahutia to us, with his wife and his children; behold the beginning of their tribute,’ that she may comprehend the two hundred sacks, which are full of men and cords and fetters.” So he went before them to please the heart of his mistress, saying, “We have laid hands on Tahutia.” Then the gates of the city were opened before the footmen: they entered the city, they opened their burdens, they laid hands on them of the city, both small and great, they put on them the cords and fetters quickly; the power of Pharaoh seized upon that city. After he had rested Tahutia sent a message to Egypt to the King Men-kheper-ra his lord, saying: “Be pleased, for Amen thy good father has given to thee the Foe in Joppa, together with all his people, likewise also his city. Send, therefore, people to take them as captives that thou mayest fill the house of thy father Amen Ra, king of the gods, with men-servants and maid-servants, and that they may be overthrown beneath thy feet for ever and ever.”

The Doomed Prince

There once was a king to whom no son was born; and his heart was grieved, and he prayed for himself unto the gods around him for a child. They decreed that one should be born to him. And his wife, after her time was fulfilled, brought forth a son. Then came the Hathors to decree for him a destiny; they said, “His death is to be by the crocodile, or by the serpent, or by the dog.” Then the people who stood by heard this, and they went to tell it to his Majesty. Then his Majesty’s heart sickened very greatly. And his Majesty caused a house to be built upon the desert; it was furnished with people and with all good things of the royal house, that the child should not go abroad. And when the child was grown, he went up upon the roof, and he saw a dog; it was following a man who was walking on the road. He spoke to his page, who was with him, “What is this that walks behind the man who is coming along the road?” He answered him, “This is a dog.” The child said to him, “Let there be brought to me one like it.” The page went to repeat it to his Majesty. And his Majesty said, “Let there be brought to him a little pet dog, lest his heart be sad.” And behold they brought to him the dog.

Then when the days increased after this, and when the child became grown in all his limbs, he sent a message to his father saying, “Come, wherefore am I kept here? Inasmuch as I am fated to three evil fates, let me follow my desire. Let God do what is in his heart.” They agreed to all he said, and gave him all sorts of arms, and also his dog to follow him, and they took him to the east country, and said to him, “Behold, go thou whither thou wilt.” His dog was with him, and he went northward, following his heart in the desert, while he lived on all the best of the game of the desert. He went to the chief of Naharaina.

And behold there had not been any born to the chief of Naharaina, except one daughter. Behold, there had been built for her a house; its seventy windows were seventy cubits from the ground. And the chief caused to be brought all the sons of the chiefs of the land of Khalu, and said to them, “He who reaches the window of my daughter, she shall be to him for a wife.”

And many days after these things, as they were in their daily task, the youth rode by the place where they were. They took the youth to their house, they bathed him, they gave provender to his horses, they brought all kinds of things for the youth, they perfumed him, they anointed his feet, they gave him portions of their own food; and they spake to him, “Whence comest thou, goodly youth?” He said to them, “I am son of an officer of the land of Egypt; my mother is dead, and my father has taken another wife. And when she bore children, she grew to hate me, and I have come as a fugitive from before her.” And they embraced him, and kissed him.

And after many days were passed, he said to the youths, “What is it that ye do here?” And they said to him: “We spend our time in this: we climb up, and he who shall reach the window of the daughter of the chief of Naharaina, to him will be given her to wife.” He said to them, “If it please you, let me behold the matter, that I may come to climb with you.” They went to climb, as was their daily wont: and the youth stood afar off to behold; and the face of the daughter of the chief of Naharaina was turned to them. And another day the sons came to climb, and the youth came to climb with the sons of the chiefs. He climbed, and he reached the window of the daughter of the chief of Naharaina. She kissed him, she embraced him in all his limbs.

And one went to rejoice the heart of her father, and said to him, “One of the people has reached the window of thy daughter.” And the prince inquired of the messenger, saying, “The son of which of the princes is it?” And he replied to him, “It is the son of an officer, who has come as a fugitive from the land of Egypt, fleeing from before his stepmother when she had children.” Then the chief of Naharaina was exceeding angry; and he said: “Shall I indeed give my daughter to the Egyptian fugitive? Let him go back whence he came.” And one came to tell the youth, “Go back to the place thou camest from.” But the maiden seized his hand; she swore an oath by God, saying, “By the being of Ra Harakhti, if one takes him from me, I will not eat, I will not drink, I shall die in that same hour.” The messenger went to tell unto her father all that she said. Then the prince sent men to slay the youth, while he was in his house. But the maiden said: “By the being of Ra, if one slay him I shall be dead ere the sun goeth down. I will not pass an hour of life if I am parted from him.” And one went to tell her father. Then the prince made them bring the youth with the maiden. The youth was seized with fear when he came before the prince. But he embraced him, he kissed him all over, and said: “Oh, tell me who thou art; behold, thou art to me as a son.” He said to him: “I am a son of an officer of the land of Egypt; my mother died, my father took to him a second wife; she came to hate me, and I fled a fugitive from before her.” He then gave to him his daughter to wife; he gave also to him a house, and serfs, and fields, also cattle and all manner of good things.

But after the days of these things were passed, the youth said to his wife, “I am doomed to three fates—a crocodile, a serpent, and a dog.” She said to him, “Let one kill the dog which belongs to thee.” He replied to her, “I am not going to kill my dog, which I have brought up from when it was small.” And she feared greatly for her husband, and would not let him go alone abroad.

And one went with the youth toward the land of Egypt, to travel in that country. Behold the crocodile of the river, he came out by the town in which the youth was. And in that town was a mighty man. And the mighty man would not suffer the crocodile to escape. And when the crocodile was bound, the mighty man went out and walked abroad. And when the sun rose the mighty man went back to the house; and he did so every day, during two months of days.

Now when the days passed after this, the youth sat making a good day in his house. And when the evening came he lay down on his bed, sleep seized upon his limbs; and his wife filled a bowl of milk, and placed it by his side. Then came out a serpent from his hole, to bite the youth; behold his wife was sitting by him, she lay not down. Thereupon the servants gave milk to the serpent, and he drank, and was drunk, and lay upside down. Then his wife made it to perish with the blows of her dagger. And they woke her husband, who was astonished; and she said unto him: “Behold thy God has given one of thy dooms into thy hand; he will also give thee the others.” And he sacrificed to God, adoring him, and praising his spirits from day to day.

And when the days were passed after these things, the youth went to walk in the fields of his domain. He went not alone, behold his dog was following him. And his dog ran aside after the wild game, and he followed the dog. He came to the river, and entered the river behind his dog. Then came out the crocodile, and took him to the place where the mighty man was. And the crocodile said to the youth, “I am thy doom, following after thee....”

(_Here the papyrus breaks off._)

Anpu And Bata

Once there were two brethren, of one mother and one father; Anpu was the name of the elder, and Bata was the name of the younger. Now, as for Anpu he had a house, and he had a wife. But his little brother was to him as it were a son; he it was who made for him his clothes; he it was who followed behind his oxen to the fields; he it was who did the ploughing; he it was who harvested the corn; he it was who did for him all the matters that were in the field. Behold, his younger brother grew to be an excellent worker, there was not his equal in the whole land; behold, the spirit of a god was in him.

Now after this the younger brother followed his oxen in his daily manner; and every evening he turned again to the house, laden with all the herbs of the field, with milk and with wood, and with all things of the field. And he put them down before his elder brother, who was sitting with his wife; and he drank and ate, and he lay down in his stable with the cattle. And at the dawn of day he took bread which he had baked, and laid it before his elder brother; and he took with him his bread to the field, and he drave his cattle to pasture in the fields. And as he walked behind his cattle, they said to him, “Good is the herbage which is in that place”; and he listened to all that they said, and he took them to the good place which they desired. And the cattle which were before him became exceeding excellent, and they multiplied greatly.

Now at the time of ploughing his elder brother said unto him: “Let us make ready for ourselves a goodly yoke of oxen for ploughing, for the land has come out from the water, it is fit for ploughing. Moreover, do thou come to the field with corn, for we will begin the ploughing in the morrow morning.” Thus said he to him; and his younger brother did all things as his elder brother had spoken unto him to do them.

And when the morn was come, they went to the fields with their things; and their hearts were pleased exceedingly with their task in the beginning of their work. And it came to pass after this that as they were in the field they stopped for corn, and he sent his younger brother, saying, “Haste thou, bring to us corn from the farm.” And the younger brother found the wife of his elder brother, as she was sitting tying her hair. He said to her: “Get up, and give to me corn, that I may run to the field, for my elder brother hastened me; do not delay.” She said to him: “Go, open the bin, and thou shalt take to thyself according to thy will, that I may not drop my locks of hair while I dress them.”

The youth went into the stable; he took a large measure, for he desired to take much corn; he loaded it with wheat and barley; and he went out carrying it. She said to him, “How much of the corn that is wanted, is that which is on thy shoulder?” He said to her: “Three bushels of barley, and two of wheat, in all five; these are what are upon my shoulder.” Thus said he to her. And she conversed with him, saying, “There is great strength in thee, for I see thy might every day.” And her heart knew him with the knowledge of youth. And she arose and came to him, and conversed with him, saying, “Come, stay with me, and it shall be well for thee, and I will make for thee beautiful garments.” Then the youth became like a panther of the south with fury at the evil speech which she had made to him; and she feared greatly. And he spake unto her, saying: “Behold thou art to me as a mother, thy husband is to me as a father, for he who is elder than I has brought me up. What is this wickedness that thou hast said to me? Say it not to me again. For I will not tell it to any man, for I will not let it be uttered by the mouth of any man.” He lifted up his burden, and he went to the field and came to his elder brother; and they took up their work, to labor at their task.