DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26359#0024
Dorota Czerwik
Warsaw
The Magical or Legal Punishment for Violators of the Private Old
Kingdom Tomb Inscriptions
Among the inscriptions from the private tombs
from the Old Kingdom is the group of texts called
“the Appeal to the Living”. The basic collection
and analysis of those inscriptions were made by
J. GARNOT.1 He divided those texts into two
groups based on the subject of the calling: the
appeal to the visitors2 and the appeal to the spe-
cialists - which means the lector priests, the em-
balmers, the workers of the necropolis and the
funerary servants.3
The appeal to the visitors was also divided
into two parts based on the appeal’s form. The
direct appeal in which the words were addressed
directly to the visitors to the tomb (“O ! You who
enterinto this tomb...”)4 and the indirect appeal
- in which the words were addressed to the visi-
tors impersonally (“every man who may enter
intothistomb...”).5
The fundamental part of these inscriptions was
a demand. The dead wanted the people to pro-
vide them with certain requirements. From the
specialists, the deceased wanted funeral offer-
ings, libations, prayers (“...give a thousand of
bread, a thousand of beer for a soul of...dihSt
h? hnktn...”),6 7 and the others were obliged to
obey such a request: Put for me a lid of this sar-
cophagus on his mother... (“dd.tn n(i) Gpn n
krspn hr mwt.f..”)?
1 J. GARNOT, L’appel aux vivants dans les textes
funéraires égyptiens des origins à lafin de I’Ancien
Empire, Le Caire 1938; see also H. SOTTAS, La
préservation de la propriété funéraire, Paris 1913.
2 J. GARNOT, op. cit., pp. 97-99.
3 Ibidem, pp. 92-96.
4 Ibidem, p. 111.
5 Ibidem, p. 112.
6 Urk. I, p. 76,10.
7 Urk. I, p.205,5; 14.
As to the visitors, they were also asked to
participate in the funerary cult: “Recite for me
slhw...(sdi n.(f) slhw)} Recite for me prt
hrw...(sdi n prt hrw)9 May they say; a thou-
sand ofbread, [a thousand] of beer for...” (ddt
sn hj n t hnkt n).10
The deceased promised to help and protect
all the people who provided him with these re-
quirements: “I will be your protector... (hv. (z)
r wnn hyi.tnf1 and I will be their defender in
the necropolis... (iw.(i) rzbthr.sn m hrt-ntr).12
I will do the things they desire...” (iw.(i) irthft
mrrt.sn).13
Apart from the things connected with the prac-
tices of the funerary cult, the dead wanted peo-
ple to respect the tomb. Not to enter into the
tomb being impure or after doing or eating im-
pure things: ‘The people who enter this tomb be-
ing impuYQ...(ck.t(i).sn r ispn m cbw).14 All the
people who will do wrong things against the fu-
neral offerings of this tomb...” (ir rmtw nbw irt.sn
ht nbt r bw r cb3 is pn)}5
The appeal for making the funerary offerings,
the libations and prayers was presented in a form
of a request. It depended on the good will of the
people whether or not they fulfil this demand.
Because of this the dead must make many re-
ciprocal promises.
8 Urk. I, p. 203,1.
9 Urk. I, pp. 119,7; 75,12.
10 Urk. I, pp. 112,7; 122,11 ; 147,12; 150,1 ; 224,1; 252,
4; 268,14.
11 Urk. I, p. 205,16.
12 Urk. I, p. 122,12.
13 Urk. I,p. 224,15.
14 Urk. I, p. 173,10; H. SOTTAS, op. cit., pp. 8-9.
15 E. EDEL, Hieroglyphische Inschriften des Alten
Reiches, Opladen 1981, fig. 9, p. 29.
21
Warsaw
The Magical or Legal Punishment for Violators of the Private Old
Kingdom Tomb Inscriptions
Among the inscriptions from the private tombs
from the Old Kingdom is the group of texts called
“the Appeal to the Living”. The basic collection
and analysis of those inscriptions were made by
J. GARNOT.1 He divided those texts into two
groups based on the subject of the calling: the
appeal to the visitors2 and the appeal to the spe-
cialists - which means the lector priests, the em-
balmers, the workers of the necropolis and the
funerary servants.3
The appeal to the visitors was also divided
into two parts based on the appeal’s form. The
direct appeal in which the words were addressed
directly to the visitors to the tomb (“O ! You who
enterinto this tomb...”)4 and the indirect appeal
- in which the words were addressed to the visi-
tors impersonally (“every man who may enter
intothistomb...”).5
The fundamental part of these inscriptions was
a demand. The dead wanted the people to pro-
vide them with certain requirements. From the
specialists, the deceased wanted funeral offer-
ings, libations, prayers (“...give a thousand of
bread, a thousand of beer for a soul of...dihSt
h? hnktn...”),6 7 and the others were obliged to
obey such a request: Put for me a lid of this sar-
cophagus on his mother... (“dd.tn n(i) Gpn n
krspn hr mwt.f..”)?
1 J. GARNOT, L’appel aux vivants dans les textes
funéraires égyptiens des origins à lafin de I’Ancien
Empire, Le Caire 1938; see also H. SOTTAS, La
préservation de la propriété funéraire, Paris 1913.
2 J. GARNOT, op. cit., pp. 97-99.
3 Ibidem, pp. 92-96.
4 Ibidem, p. 111.
5 Ibidem, p. 112.
6 Urk. I, p. 76,10.
7 Urk. I, p.205,5; 14.
As to the visitors, they were also asked to
participate in the funerary cult: “Recite for me
slhw...(sdi n.(f) slhw)} Recite for me prt
hrw...(sdi n prt hrw)9 May they say; a thou-
sand ofbread, [a thousand] of beer for...” (ddt
sn hj n t hnkt n).10
The deceased promised to help and protect
all the people who provided him with these re-
quirements: “I will be your protector... (hv. (z)
r wnn hyi.tnf1 and I will be their defender in
the necropolis... (iw.(i) rzbthr.sn m hrt-ntr).12
I will do the things they desire...” (iw.(i) irthft
mrrt.sn).13
Apart from the things connected with the prac-
tices of the funerary cult, the dead wanted peo-
ple to respect the tomb. Not to enter into the
tomb being impure or after doing or eating im-
pure things: ‘The people who enter this tomb be-
ing impuYQ...(ck.t(i).sn r ispn m cbw).14 All the
people who will do wrong things against the fu-
neral offerings of this tomb...” (ir rmtw nbw irt.sn
ht nbt r bw r cb3 is pn)}5
The appeal for making the funerary offerings,
the libations and prayers was presented in a form
of a request. It depended on the good will of the
people whether or not they fulfil this demand.
Because of this the dead must make many re-
ciprocal promises.
8 Urk. I, p. 203,1.
9 Urk. I, pp. 119,7; 75,12.
10 Urk. I, pp. 112,7; 122,11 ; 147,12; 150,1 ; 224,1; 252,
4; 268,14.
11 Urk. I, p. 205,16.
12 Urk. I, p. 122,12.
13 Urk. I,p. 224,15.
14 Urk. I, p. 173,10; H. SOTTAS, op. cit., pp. 8-9.
15 E. EDEL, Hieroglyphische Inschriften des Alten
Reiches, Opladen 1981, fig. 9, p. 29.
21