Sixth Division of the Tuat

THIS DIVISION, or HOUR, is the first of four which are devoted to the Kingdom of Osiris; its name is METCHET-MU-NEBT-TUAT, its Gate is called SEPT-METU, and the Hour-goddess is MESPERIT-AR-AT-MAATU. Here we see at once that the god AFU-RA has re-entered his boat, and that he has discarded the serpent-boat in which he travelled through the Land of Seker; the boat advances by means of paddling and not by towing. The greater part of the road of AFU-RA in this DIVISION is occupied by a very long building--or series of houses, or chambers, set close together--which contains the forms of Osiris. Here are four representatives of each of four classes of beings, viz., the SUTENIU, or kings of Upper Egypt, the BATIU, or kings of Lower Egypt, the HETEPTIU, or those who have been abundantly supplied with offerings, and the KHU, or spirits of the beatified dead. Thus it seems that the first mansion of the House of Osiris contains royal folk, the rich, and the superlatively good (vol. i., p. 117-120); as AFU-RA passes these by he

salutes them, and wishes them an abundant supply of offerings, and entreats them to hack APEP in pieces for him. Immediately beyond these we see represented the transformation of AFU-RA into the living Sun-god. Here is the five-headed serpent ASHT-HRAU, and on his back lies the dead Sun-god; with his right hand, which is raised above his head, he is drawing to himself the Beetle of KHEPERA, which is the type of regeneration,

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The Serpent Asht-hrau.

or new birth, or resurrection. This is the equivalent of the scene in the BOOK AIM-TUAT where the Beetle descends from the vault of night, and joining itself to the Boat of AFU-RA revivifies the dead Sun-god (see vol. i., p. 103). That this revivification of AM-RA should take place at the end of the SIXTH DIVISION is quite correct, for at this point the god arrives at the most northerly limit of his course. He has travelled due north from Thebes and Abydos, and has occupied

six hours in performing the journey; he must now alter his course and travel towards the East so that he may appear at BAKHAU, the Mountain of Sunrise. The path over which he now journeys is called the "secret path of Amentet," and he who knoweth it, and the names of those who are on it, and their forms, shall partake of the offerings made to the gods of Osiris, and receive the gifts which his relatives (abt 1) shall make upon earth.

On the right of AFU-RA are a company of gods and goddesses, and a group of sceptres surmounted by crowns and uraei, and provided with knives; these are the beings who hold and cultivate the territory in this DIVISION, or HOUR, and minister to the wants of the followers of Osiris. Beyond these we have a lion, the two Eyes of Horus, three deities, and three small sepulchres,, into each of which, through an opening under the roof, a serpent is belching fire (vol. i., pp. 124-130). In each sepulchre is an "image" of Ra, i.e., a human head, a hawk's wing, and a hind-quarter of a lion, and these appear to be symbols under which the god was worshipped in and around Annu, or Heliopolis. On the left of AFU-RA are eight gods and four goddesses, whose duty it is to accompany his Boat, and to escort the souls and shadows of men through the Division, and to provide the spirits with food and water. Next is the

monster serpent "AM-KHU," i.e., "Eater of the Spirits," whose duty it is to devour the shadows of the dead, and to eat up the spirits of the foes of Ra; from his back spring the heads of the Four Children of Horus, and they come into being when they hear the voice of AFU-RA. Beyond these are four Osiris forms, "which stand though they are seated, and move though they are motionless," and nine serpents armed with knives, which represent the ancient gods, TA-THENEN, TEMU, KHEPERA, SHU, SEB, ASAR (OSIRIS), HERU, APU, and HETEPUI. These gods had faces of fire, and lived in the water of TATHENEN, and they only came to life by virtue of the words of power of AFU-RA, who is now to be regarded as KHEPERA.

Footnotes

150:1 See above, p. 66.

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SEVENTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT.

I. KINGDOM OF OSIRIS ACCORDING TO THE BOOK AM-TUAT.

The name of this DIVISION, or HOUR, is THEPHET-SHETAT, the name of the Gate is RUTI-ASAR, and the goddess of the Hour is KHEFTES-HAU-HESQ-NEHA-HRA. On looking at the "secret path of AMENTET" wherein AFU-RA is still travelling, we note that the face of the god is turned in another direction, that the crew is increased by Isis and by SER, whose name has also been read SEMSU, and that the canopy under which AFU-RA stands is formed of the body of the serpent

[paragraph continues] MEHEN (Vol. i., p. 140). There is a good reason for these changes, for the god has now to traverse a region where there is not sufficient water to float his boat or to permit of its being towed; moreover, his way is blocked by a monster serpent called NEHA-HRA, which lies on a sand bank 450 cubits long. 1 In other words, the Boat of AFU-RA has arrived at a region of sandbanks and shallows, where serpents and crocodiles live; but the words of power of Isis, the great sorceress, and of SER, and of the god himself protect him from mishap, and eventually he passes through this division by taking upon himself the form of the serpent MEHEN in which he glides onwards. The region of the Tuat where the serpent APEP or NEHA-HRA lives is called TCHAU, and it is 440 cubits long, and 440 cubits wide; his head and his tail are caught in fetters by SERQET and HER-TESU-F respectively, and these gods have transfixed him to the ground with six huge knives (vol. i., p. 142). When the body of the serpent has been removed, AFU-RA advances, and, passing four goddesses each armed with a knife, arrives at four rectangular buildings. Inside each building (vol. i., p. 144) is a mound of sand, and at each end of each building is the head of a man. These buildings are the tombs wherein the four chief forms of the Sun-god have been buried, the first containing the "Form of TEM," the second the "Form of KHEPERA," the third

the "Form of RA," and the fourth the "Form of OSIRIS." The heads which appear at the ends of the tombs are those of the enemies who were slain at the tombs, and were buried in the foundations in order to drive away evil spirits. The texts which refer to these scenes state that the four goddesses join in slaying APEP, that the human heads appear as soon as any one comes to the tombs; and that as soon as they have heard the voice of AFU-RA, and he has gone by, they "eat their own forms," i.e., they disappear until Ra again comes (vol. i., p. 145).

On the right of the Boat of AFU-RA, and facing it, are HORUS, and the twelve gods of the hours, who protect the tombs of Osiris, and assist RA in his journey (vol. i., pp. 154-156); next come twelve goddesses of the hours, who face in the opposite direction, and are entreated to guide "the god who is on the horizon to the beautiful Amentet in peace." Beyond these is the great Crocodile, called ABSHE-AM-TUAT, which is stretched out at full length over the tomb of Osiris; as the Boat of AFU-RA passes it, the god addresses words to Osiris, who for a season puts forth his head, which disappears as soon as the Boat has entered the next DIVISION.

On the left of AFU-RA we have also a number of gods and goddesses who belong to this DIVISION, and among them may be specially noticed the serpent MEHEN, the lord of this region; his body is bent in the form of a canopy, and beneath is the "Flesh of Osiris"

in the form of a god (AFU-ASAR) seated on a throne (vol. i., p. 149). In front of it are a number of the enemies of Osiris, some decapitated by the LYNX-GODDESS, and some in fetters which are held in the hands of the god ANKU (vol. i., pp. 149, 150). Beyond these are three living souls, representatives of the blessed dead in this region, and the "Flesh of Tem" (AFU-TEM) in the form of a god seated on the back of a huge serpent resembling MEHEN (Vol. i., p. 151).

Footnotes

152:1 This statement is found in the SUMMARY.

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EIGHTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT.

I. KINGDOM OF OSIRIS ACCORDING TO THE BOOK AM-TUAT.

The name of this DIVISION, or HOUR, or CITY, is TEBAT-NETERU-S, its Gate is called AHA-AN-URT-NEF, and its Hour-goddess is NEBT-USHAU. The Boat of AFU-RA now enters one of the most holy places in the Kingdom of Osiris, for in it abide the Four Forms of TATHENEN. Looking at the Boat (vol. i., p. 164) we see that ISIS and SER are no longer in it, a fact which indicates that the dangers incidental to passing through this DIVISION are not great, and that it is towed by a company of gods. Immediately in front of them are nine SHEMSU, or "Followers," i.e., "servants" (of Osiris), each with an object before him (vol. i., p. 167), which indicates that he is a properly bandaged mummy, and leading these are Four Rams, each wearing a

different kind of crown, which represent the Four Forms of TATHENEN (vol. i., pp. 168, 169). The heads which are attached to the symbols of the "Followers" only appear when they hear the voice of AFU-RA, and when he has passed them they disappear; the huge knives which they have are used in slaughtering any of the enemies of Ra who may succeed in entering the City.

On the right and left of the path Of AFU-RA are a number of "Circles" in which dwell the "gods" who have been mummified, and for whom all the prescribed rites and ceremonies have been performed; the greater number of these gods are not well known, and their exact functions are not well understood. The CIRCLES on the right are: 1. HETEPET-NEB-S, 2. HETEMET-KHEMIU, 3. HAPSEMU-S, 4. SEHERT-BAIU-S, 5. AAT-SETEKAU, 6. The door TES-AMEM-MIT-EM-SHETA-F. AS AFU-RA passes these gods their doors fly open and those within hear what he says, and they respond with cries which are like unto those of male cats, or the "noise of the confused murmur of the living," or the "sound of those who go down to the battle-field of Nu," or the "sound of the cry of the Divine Hawk of Horus," or the "twittering of the birds in a nest of water-fowl." The CIRCLES on the left are: 1. SESHETA, 2. TUAT, 3. AS-NETERU, 4. AAKEBI, 5. NEBT-SEMU-NIFU, 6. The door TES-KHAIBITU-TUATIU. The sounds made by the gods in these resemble the "hum of many honey-bees," the "sound of the swathed ones," the "sound of men

who lament," the sounds "of bulls and other male animals," and the sound of those "who make supplication through terror" (vol. i., pp. 170 ff.).

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NINTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT.

I. KINGDOM OF OSIRIS ACCORDING TO THE BOOK AM-TUAT.

The name of this DIVISION, or HOUR, Or CITY, is BEST-ARU-ANKHET-KHEPERU, the Gate is called SAA-EM-KEB, and its Hour-goddess is TUATET-MAKETET-EN-NEB-S. The Boat of AFU-RA now enters the last of the four DIVISIONS of the Kingdom of Osiris, and moves without the aid of towing. Immediately in front of it are twelve sailor-gods, each grasping a short paddle with both hands; they appear to have been depicted in front of the Boat because there was no room for them in it. The god is still under the form of MEHEN, and is still passing over the secret path of AMENTET, and his Sailors sing to him, and as they do so they scatter water from the stream with their paddles on the Spirits who dwell in this City (vol. i., pp. 189-191). In front of these are three deities, seated on baskets, and the god HETEP-NETERU-TUAT; they accompany the Boat of AFU-RA, and it is their duty to provide food, or offerings, for the gods who are in the DIVISION. On the right of the path of the god are twelve uraei, who lighten the darkness by means of the fire which they pour out from their

mouths: they rest upon objects which suggest that they have received their places in this DIVISION because all the appointed funeral rites and ceremonies were duly performed for them (vol. i., p. 201). In front of these are the nine gods who represent the field-labourers in the Tuat (vol. i., pp. 204, 205), and each holds a heavy stick, similar to that which the peasants in Egypt have always carried to protect themselves. Their "ganger" is HERU-HER-SHE-TUAT, i.e., "He who is over the lakes (or sand) in the Tuat."

On the left of the path of the god are twelve gods, each of whom is seated on a weaving instrument (vol. i., p. 195), and twelve goddesses (vol. i., p. 199); the gods are the TCHATCHA, or "Great Chiefs" of Osiris, and their duty is to avenge Osiris each day, and to overthrow the enemies of Osiris, and the goddesses spring into existence when they hear the god's voice, and sing praises to Osiris each day.

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