Egyptian Literature Part 14

harpoon;' and the harpoon-house came into being. Behold, O G.o.d Ami-haf, two divine brethren have come into being, [that is to say], Senti-Ra came into being, and Setem-ansi-f came into being. And his hand stayed not, and he made his form into that of a woman with a lock of hair which became the divine lock in Annu, and which became the strong and mighty one in this temple; and it became the strong one of Annu, and it became the heir of the heir of Ur-maat-f (_i.e._, the mighty one of the two eyes), and it became before him the G.o.d Urma of Annu. I know the Souls of Annu, namely, Ra, Shu, and Tefnut."

Of Knowing The Souls Of Khemennu

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

ANOTHER CHAPTER OF KNOWING THE SOULS OF KHEMENNU (HERMOPOLIS). The chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

"The G.o.ddess Neith s.h.i.+neth in Matchat, and the G.o.ddess Maat is carried by the arm of him who eateth the Eye, and who is its divine judge, and the Sem priest carrieth me over upon it. I will not declare it unto men, and I will not tell it unto the G.o.ds; I will not declare it unto men, and I will not tell it unto the G.o.ds. I have entered in being an ignorant man, and I have seen the hidden things. Homage to you, O ye G.o.ds who dwell in Khemennu, ye know me even as I know the G.o.ddess Neith, and [ye give] to the Eye the growth which endureth. There is joy [to me] at the judgment of the things which are to be judged. I, even I, know the Souls of Annu; they are great at the festival of the month, and are little at the festival of the half month. They are Thoth the Hidden one, and Sa, and Tem."

IF THIS CHAPTER BE KNOWN [BY THE DECEASED] OFFAL SHALL BE AN ABOMINATION UNTO HIM, AND HE SHALL NOT DRINK FILTHY WATER.

Of Receiving Paths

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

THE CHAPTER OF RECEIVING PATHS [WHEREON TO WALK] IN RE-STAU. The chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

"The paths which are above me [lead] to Re-stau. I am he who is girt about with his girdle and who cometh forth from the [G.o.ddess of] the _Ureret_ crown. I have come, and I have stablished things in Abtu (Abydos), and I have opened out paths in Re-stau. The G.o.d Osiris hath eased my pains. I am he who maketh the waters to come into being, and who setteth his throne [thereon], and who maketh his path through the funeral valley and through the Great Lake. I have made my path, and indeed I am [Osiris].

"[Osiris was victorious over his enemies, and the Osiris Nebqet is victorious over his enemies. He hath become as one of yourselves, [O ye G.o.ds], his protector is the Lord of eternity, he walketh even as ye walk, he standeth even as ye stand, he sitteth even as ye sit, and he talketh even as ye talk in the presence of the Great G.o.d, the Lord of Amentet.]"(77)

Of Coming Forth From Re-Stau

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

THE CHAPTER OF COMING FORTH FROM RE-STAU. The chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

"I was born in Re-stau, and splendor hath been given unto me by those who dwell in their spiritual bodies (_sahu_) in the habitation where libations are made unto Osiris. The divine ministers who are in Re-stau shall receive [me] when Osiris is led into the twofold funeral region of Osiris; oh, let me be a divine being whom they shall lead into the twofold funeral region of Osiris."

Of Coming Forth From Re-Stau

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

THE CHAPTER OF COMING FORTH FROM RE-STAU.(78) The chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

"I am the Great G.o.d who maketh his light. I have come to thee, O Osiris, and I offer praise unto thee. [I am] pure from the issues which are carried away from thee. Thy name is made in Re-stau, and thy power is in Abtu (Abydos). Thou art raised up, then, O Osiris, and thou goest round about through heaven with Ra, and thou lookest upon the generations of men, O thou One who circlest, thou Ra. Behold, verily, I have said unto thee, O Osiris, 'I am the spiritual body of the G.o.d,' and I say, 'Let it come to pa.s.s that I shall never be repulsed before thee, O Osiris.' "

The following is the chapter in a fuller form:(79)

THE CHAPTER OF KNOWING THE NAME OF OSIRIS AND OF ENTERING INTO AND OF GOING OUT FROM RE-STAU [IN ALL THE FORMS WHEREIN HE WILLETH TO COME FORTH].(80) The scribe Mes-em-neter, triumphant, saith:

"I am the Great Name who maketh his light. I have come to thee, O Osiris, and I offer praise unto thee. I am pure from the issues which are carried away from thee. [Thy] name hath been made in Re-stau when it hath fallen therein. Homage to thee, O Osiris, in thy strength and in thy power, thou hast obtained the mastery in Re-stau. Thou art raised up, O Osiris, in thy might and in thy power, thou art raised up, O Osiris, and thy might is in Re-stau, and thy power is in Abtu (Abydos). Thou goest round about through heaven, and thou sailest before Ra, and thou lookest upon the generations of men, O thou Being who circlest, thou Ra. Behold, verily, I have said unto thee, O Osiris, 'I am the spiritual body of the G.o.d,' and I say, 'Let it come to pa.s.s that I shall never be repulsed before thee, O Osiris.' "

Of Going About In The Underworld

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

THE CHAPTER OF GOING IN AFTER COMING FORTH [FROM THE UNDERWORLD]. The overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

"Open unto me? Who then art thou? Whither goest thou? What is thy name? I am one of you, 'a.s.sembler of Souls' is the name of my boat; 'Making the hair to stand on end' is the name of the oars; 'Watchful one' is the name of its bows; 'Evil is it' is the name of the rudder; 'Steering straight for the middle' is the name of the Matchabet; so likewise [the boat] is a type of my sailing onward to the pool. Let there be given unto me vessels of milk, together with cakes, and loaves of bread, and cups of drink, and pieces of meat in the Temple of Anpu," or (as others say), "Grant thou me [these things] wholly. Let it be so done unto me that I may enter in like a hawk, and that I may come forth like the _Bennu_ bird, [and like] the Morning Star. Let me make [my] path so that [I] may go in peace into the beautiful Amentet, and let the Lake of Osiris be mine. Let me make my path, and let me enter in, and let me adore Osiris, the Lord of life."

Of Entering Into The Great House

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

THE CHAPTER OF ENTERING INTO THE GREAT HOUSE. The overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

"Homage to thee, O Thoth. I am Thoth, who have weighed the two divine Fighters (_i.e._, Horus and Set), I have destroyed their warfare and I have diminished their wailings. I have delivered the _Atu_ fish in his turning back, and I have performed that which thou didst order concerning him, and afterward I lay down within my eye. [I am he who hath been without opposition. I have come; do thou look upon me in the Temple of Nem-hra (or Uhem-hra).] I give commands in the words of the divine aged ones, and, moreover, I guide for thee the lesser deities."

Of Entering The Presence

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

THE CHAPTER OF GOING INTO THE PRESENCE OF THE DIVINE SOVEREIGN PRINCES OF OSIRIS. The overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:

"My soul hath built for me a habitation in the city of Tattu; I sow seed in the city of Pe, and I plough my field with my laborers(?), and for this reason my palm tree is like Amsu. That which is an abomination unto me, that which is an abomination unto me I shall not eat. That which is an abomination unto me, that which is an abomination unto me is filth. I shall not eat thereof; by sepulchral meals and food I shall not be destroyed. [The abominable thing] I shall not take into my hands, I shall not walk upon it in my sandals, because my cakes are [made] of white grain, and my ale is [made] of red grain, and behold, the _Sektet_ boat and the _Matet_ boat bring them to me, and I eat [thereof] under the branches of [the trees], the beautiful arms [of which] I know. Oh, let splendor be prepared for me with the white crown which is lifted up upon me by the uraei-G.o.ddesses. Hail, thou guardian of the divine doors of the G.o.d Sehetep-taui (_i.e._, 'he who maketh the world to be at peace'), bring [thou] to me that of which they make sepulchral meals; grant thou that I may lift up the branches(?). May the G.o.d of light open to me his arms, and may the company of the G.o.ds keep silence while the denizens of heaven talk with the chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant. I am the leader of the hearts of the G.o.ds which strengthen me, and I am a mighty one among the divine beings. If any G.o.d or any G.o.ddess shall come forth against me he shall be judged by the ancestors of the year who live upon hearts and who make(?) cakes(?) for me, and Osiris shall devour him at [his] coming forth from Abtu (Abydos). He shall be judged by the ancestors of Ra, and he shall be judged by the G.o.d of Light who clotheth heaven among the divine princes. I shall have bread in my mouth at stated seasons, and I shall enter in before the G.o.ds Ahiu. He shall speak with me, and I shall speak with the followers of the G.o.ds. I shall speak with the Disk and I shall speak with the denizens of heaven. I shall put the terror of myself into the blackness of night which is in the G.o.ddess Meh-urt, [who is near] him that dwelleth in might. And behold, I shall be there with Osiris. My condition of completeness shall be his condition of completeness among the divine princes. I shall speak unto him [with] the words of men, and he shall repeat unto me the words of the G.o.ds. A _khu_ who is equipped [with power] shall come.(81) I am a _khu_ who is equipped [with power]; I am equipped [with the power] of all the _khu_s, [being the form of the _Sahu_ (_i.e._, spiritual bodies) of Annu, Tattu, Suten-henen, Abtu, Apu, and Sennu.(82) The Osiris Auf-ankh is victorious over every G.o.d and every G.o.ddess who are hidden in Neter-khertet]."(83)

The Introduction To Maati