Egyptian Literature Part 4

[In the Turin Papyrus (Lepsius, op. cit., Bl. 16) the following lines are added to this chapter:]

"I am the Prince in the field. I, even I, am Osiris, who hath shut in his father Seb together with his mother Nut on the day of the great slaughter.

My father is Seb and my mother is Nut. I am Horus, the first-born of Ra, who is crowned. I am Anpu (Anubis) on the day of reckoning. I, even I, am Osiris the prince who goeth in and declareth the offerings which are written down. I am the guardian of the door of Osiris, even I. I have come, I have become glorious (or a _Khu_), I have been reckoned up, I am strong, I have come and I avenge mine own self. I have sat in the birth-chamber of Osiris, and I was born with him, and I renew my youth along with him. I have laid hold upon the Thigh which was by Osiris, and I have opened the mouth of the G.o.ds therewith, I sit upon the place where he sitteth, and I write down the number [of the things] which make strong(?) the heart, thousands of loaves of bread, thousands of vases of beer, which are upon the altars of his father Osiris, [numbers of] jackals, wolves, oxen, red fowl, geese and ducks. Horus hath done away with the sacrifices of Thoth. I fill the office of priest in the regions above, and I write down there [the things] which make strong the heart. I make offerings (or offerings are made to me) at the altars of the Prince of Tattu, and I have my being through the oblations [made to] him. I snuff the wind of the East by his head, and I lay hold upon the breezes of the West thereby.... I go round about heaven in the four quarters thereof, I stretch out my hand and grasp the breezes of the south [which] are upon its hair. Grant unto me air among the venerable beings and among those who eat bread."

IF THIS CHAPTER BE KNOWN BY [THE DECEASED] HE SHALL COME FORTH BY DAY, HE SHALL RISE UP TO WALK UPON THE EARTH AMONG THE LIVING, AND HE SHALL NEVER FAIL AND COME TO AN END, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER.

Beating Back The Crocodile

[From Lepsius, "Todtenbuch," Bll. 16 and 17.]

THE CHAPTER OF BEATING BACK THE CROCODILE THAT COMETH TO CARRY AWAY THE MAGICAL WORDS FROM THE KHU IN THE UNDERWORLD. Osiris Auf-ankh, triumphant, saith:

"The Mighty One fell down upon the place where he is, or (as others say), upon his belly, but the company of the G.o.ds caught him and set him up again. [My] soul cometh and it speaketh with its father, and the Mighty One delivereth it from these eight(31) crocodiles. I know them by their names and [what] they live upon, and I am he who hath delivered his father from them."

"Get thee back, O Crocodile that dwellest in the West, thou that livest upon the stars which never rest, for that which is an abomination unto thee is in my belly, O thou that hast eaten the forehead of Osiris. I am Set."

"Get thee back, O Crocodile that dwellest in the West, for the serpent-fiend Naau is in my belly, and I will give him unto thee; let not thy flame be against me."

"Get thee back, O Crocodile that dwellest in the East, who feedest upon those who eat their own filth, for that which is an abomination unto thee is in my belly; I advance, I am Osiris."

"Get thee back, O Crocodile that dwellest in the East, the serpent-fiend Naau is in my belly, and I will give [him] unto thee; let not thy flame be against me."

"Get thee back, O Crocodile that dwellest in the South, who feedest upon filth, and waste, and dirt, for that which is an abomination unto thee is in my belly; shall not the flame be on thy hand? I am Sept."

"Get thee back, O Crocodile that dwellest in the South, for I am safe by reason of my charm; my fist is among the flowers and I will not give it unto thee."

"Get thee back, O Crocodile that dwellest in the North, who feedest upon what is offered(?) within the hours, for that which thou abominatest is in my belly; let [not] thy venom be upon my head, for I am Tem."

"Get thee back, O Crocodile that dwellest in the North, for the G.o.ddess Serqet is in my belly and I have not yet brought her forth. I am Uatch-Maati (or Merti)."

"The things which are created are in the hollow of my hand, and those which have not yet come into being are in my body. I am clothed and wholly provided with thy magical words, O Ra, the which are in heaven above me and in the earth beneath me. I have gained power, and exaltation, and a full-breathing throat in the abode of my father Ur (_i.e._, the Mighty One), and he hath delivered unto me the beautiful Amentet which destroyeth living men and women; but strong is its divine lord, who suffereth from weakness," or (as others say) "exhaustion twofold, therein day by day. My face is open, my heart is upon its seat, and the crown with the serpent is upon me day by day. I am Ra, who is his own protector, and nothing shall ever cast me to the ground."

Repulsing Serpents

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

THE CHAPTER OF REPULSING SERPENTS (OR WORMS). Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, saith:

"Hail, thou serpent Rerek, advance not hither. Behold Seb and Shu. Stand still now, and thou shalt eat the rat which is an abominable thing unto Ra, and thou shalt crunch the bones of the filthy cat."

Against Snakes

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

THE CHAPTER OF NOT [LETTING] OSIRIS NU, TRIUMPHANT, BE BITTEN BY SNAKES (OR WORMS) IN THE UNDERWORLD. He saith:

"O Serpent! I am the flame which s.h.i.+neth upon the Opener(?) of hundreds of thousands of years, and the standard of the G.o.d Tenpu," or (as others say) "the standard of young plants and flowers. Depart ye from me, for I am the divine Maftet."(32)

Against Serpents

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

THE CHAPTER OF NOT [LETTING] NU, THE CHANCELLOR-IN-CHIEF, TRIUMPHANT, BE DEVOURED BY SERPENTS IN THE UNDERWORLD. He saith:

"Hail, thou G.o.d Shu! Behold Tattu! Behold Shu! Hail Tattu! [Shu] hath the head-dress of the G.o.ddess Hathor. They nurse Osiris. Behold the twofold being who is about to eat me! Alighting from the boat I depart(?), and the serpent-fiend Seksek pa.s.seth me by. Behold _sam_ and _aaqet_ flowers are kept under guard(?). This being is Osiris, and he maketh entreaty for his tomb. The eyes of the divine prince are dropped, and he performeth the reparation which is to be done for thee; [he] giveth [unto thee thy]

portion of right and truth according to the decision concerning the states and conditions [of men]."

Driving Away Apshait

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

THE CHAPTER OF DRIVING AWAY APSHAIT. Osiris Nu, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, saith:

"Depart from me, O thou that hast lips which gnaw, for I am Khnemu, the lord of Peshennu,(33) and [I] bring the words of the G.o.ds to Ra, and I report [my] message to the lord thereof."(34)

Driving Back The Merti

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

THE CHAPTER OF DRIVING BACK THE TWO MERTI G.o.dDESSES. Nu, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, saith:

"Homage to you, ye two _Rekht_ G.o.ddesses,(35) ye two Sisters, ye two _Mert_ G.o.ddesses, I bring a message to you concerning my magical words. I s.h.i.+ne from the _Sektet_ boat, I am Horus the son of Osiris, and I have come to see my father Osiris."