DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.30604#0147
FUNERAL CEREMONIES.
cxxxix
Certain formulEe were directed to be repeated four times : a direction which
takes us back to the time when the Egyptians first divided the world into four
parts, each corresponding to one of the four pillars which held up the sky, that is to
say, to one of the four cardinal points, East, South, West, and North, presided over
by a special god. The deceased sought to obtain the assistance of each of the four
gods of the cardinal points, and to have the right to roam about in his district ;
hence the formula was repeated four times. Originally four animals or four geese
were sacrificed, one to each god, but subsequently East and North, and West and
South were paired, and two bulls (or birds) only were sacrificed, one of which was
called the Bull of the North,* and the other the Bull of the South. The custom of
four-fold repetition continued to the Ptolemai'c timesf and even later.
The priest whose official title was kher heb, ^fl\Jj^> recited the prayers, and
the sem or setem priest presented the prescribed offerings. The rubrical
directions are given on the margin for the sake of clearness.
“ O Osiris.J all that is hateful in Unas hath been brought unto thee,1 and all the
evil words which have been spoken in his name. Come, O Thoth, and take them
unto Osiris, bring all the evil words which have been spoken andplace them in the
hollow of thy hand ;2 thou shalt not escape therefrom, thou shalt not escape there-
from. Whosoever marcheth, marcheth with his ka. Horus marcheth with his ka,
Set marcheth with his ka, Thoth marcheth with3 his ka, Sep marcheth with his ka,
Osiris marcheth with his ka, Khent-maati marcheth with his ka; and thy tet
shall rnarch with thy ka. Hail, Unas, the hand of thy ka is before thee. Hail,
Unas, the hand of thy ka is behind thee. Hail, Unas, the leg of thy ka is before
thee. Hail, Unas, the leg of thy ka is behind thee. Osiris Unas, I have given
unto thee the Eye of Horus, and thy face is filled therewith, and the perfume
thereof spreadeth over thee. The libations which are poured4 out by thy
son, which are poured out by Horus, are for thee, O Osiris, and they are for thee,
O Unas. I have conre, and I have brought unto thee the Eye of Horus that thou
mayest refresh thy heart therewith, I have placed it beneath thy feet, and I give
unto thee whatsoever hath come forth from thy body that thy heart may not cease
to beat through [the want] thereof.6 Thy voice shall never depart from thee, thy
voice shall never depart from thee.
1 Here water shall
be sprinkled.
-Repeat four times.
A Repeat four times
and burn incense.
4 Here [pour out]
fresh water, and
[burn] two portions
of incense.
5Repeat four times.
* This subject has been lucidly discussed by Maspero, Recueil de Travaux, t. xii., pp. 78, 79.
t See Archaologia, vol. lii., p. 453, at the foot.
t For the text and French translation, see Maspero, Recueilde Travaux, t. iii., p. 179 ff.
cxxxix
Certain formulEe were directed to be repeated four times : a direction which
takes us back to the time when the Egyptians first divided the world into four
parts, each corresponding to one of the four pillars which held up the sky, that is to
say, to one of the four cardinal points, East, South, West, and North, presided over
by a special god. The deceased sought to obtain the assistance of each of the four
gods of the cardinal points, and to have the right to roam about in his district ;
hence the formula was repeated four times. Originally four animals or four geese
were sacrificed, one to each god, but subsequently East and North, and West and
South were paired, and two bulls (or birds) only were sacrificed, one of which was
called the Bull of the North,* and the other the Bull of the South. The custom of
four-fold repetition continued to the Ptolemai'c timesf and even later.
The priest whose official title was kher heb, ^fl\Jj^> recited the prayers, and
the sem or setem priest presented the prescribed offerings. The rubrical
directions are given on the margin for the sake of clearness.
“ O Osiris.J all that is hateful in Unas hath been brought unto thee,1 and all the
evil words which have been spoken in his name. Come, O Thoth, and take them
unto Osiris, bring all the evil words which have been spoken andplace them in the
hollow of thy hand ;2 thou shalt not escape therefrom, thou shalt not escape there-
from. Whosoever marcheth, marcheth with his ka. Horus marcheth with his ka,
Set marcheth with his ka, Thoth marcheth with3 his ka, Sep marcheth with his ka,
Osiris marcheth with his ka, Khent-maati marcheth with his ka; and thy tet
shall rnarch with thy ka. Hail, Unas, the hand of thy ka is before thee. Hail,
Unas, the hand of thy ka is behind thee. Hail, Unas, the leg of thy ka is before
thee. Hail, Unas, the leg of thy ka is behind thee. Osiris Unas, I have given
unto thee the Eye of Horus, and thy face is filled therewith, and the perfume
thereof spreadeth over thee. The libations which are poured4 out by thy
son, which are poured out by Horus, are for thee, O Osiris, and they are for thee,
O Unas. I have conre, and I have brought unto thee the Eye of Horus that thou
mayest refresh thy heart therewith, I have placed it beneath thy feet, and I give
unto thee whatsoever hath come forth from thy body that thy heart may not cease
to beat through [the want] thereof.6 Thy voice shall never depart from thee, thy
voice shall never depart from thee.
1 Here water shall
be sprinkled.
-Repeat four times.
A Repeat four times
and burn incense.
4 Here [pour out]
fresh water, and
[burn] two portions
of incense.
5Repeat four times.
* This subject has been lucidly discussed by Maspero, Recueil de Travaux, t. xii., pp. 78, 79.
t See Archaologia, vol. lii., p. 453, at the foot.
t For the text and French translation, see Maspero, Recueilde Travaux, t. iii., p. 179 ff.