The Parts of The Soul: A Greek System of Chakras, by John Opsopaus 5

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knoweth your names. I know your names among the gods, the lords of
Khert-Neter. I am one among you. Grant ye that I may see the gods
who are the Guides of the Tuat. Grant ye to me a seat in
Khert-Neter, near the Lords of Amentet. Assign to me a habitation in
the land of Tchesert. Receive ye me in the presence of the Lords of
Eternity. Let my soul come forth in whatsoever place it pleaseth.
Let it not be rejected in the presence of the Great Company of the
Gods.

TURNING INTO THE GOD WHO LIGHTENETH DARKNESS

[THE CHAPTER OF] MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO THE GOD WHO
LIGHTENETH THE DARKNESS. The Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is
truth, saith:- I am the girdle of the garment of the god Nu, which
giveth light, and shineth, and belongeth to his breast, the
illuminer of the darkness, the uniter of the two Rehti deities, the
dweller in my body, through the great spell of the words of my
mouth. I rise up, but he who was coming after me hath fallen. He who
was with him in the Valley of Abtu hath fallen. I rest. I remember
him. The god Hu hath taken possession of me in my town. I found him
there. I have carried away the darkness by my strength, I have
filled the Eye [of Ra] when it was helpless, and when it came not on
the festival of the fifteenth day. I have weighed Sut in the celestial
houses against the Aged One who was with him. I have equipped Thoth in
the House of the Moon-god, when the fifteenth day of the festival come
not. I have taken possession of the Urrt Crown. Truth is in my body;
turquoise and crystal are its months. My homestead is there among
the lapis-lazuli, among the furrows thereof. I am Hem-Nu, the
lightener of the darkness. I have come to lighten the darkness; it
is light. I have lightened the darkness. I have overthrown the
ashmiu-fiends. I have sung hymns to those who dwell in the darkness. I
have made to stand up the weeping ones, whose faces were covered over;
they were in a helpless state of misery. Look ye then upon me. I am
Hem-Nu. I will not let you hear concerning it. [I have fought. I am
Hem-Nu. I have lightened the darkness. I have come. I have made an end
to the darkness which hath become light indeed.]

NOT DYING A SECOND TIME

THE CHAPTER OF NOT DYING A SECOND TIME. The Osiris Ani, whose word
is truth, saith:- Hail, Thoth! What is it that hath happened to the
children of Nut? They have waged war, they have upheld strife, they
have done evil, they have created the fiends, they have made
slaughter, they have caused trouble; in truth, in all their doings the
strong have worked against the weak. Grant, O might of Thoth, that
that which the god Tem hath decreed [may be done!] And thou
regardest not evil, nor art thou provoked to anger when they bring
their years to confusion, and throng in and push in to disturb their
months. For in all that they have done unto thee they have worked
iniquity in secret. I am they writing-palette, O Thoth, and I have
brought unto thee thine ink-jar. I am not of those who work iniquity
in their secret places; let not evil happen unto me.

The Osiris, the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, saith:- Hail, Temu!
What manner of land is this unto which I have come? It hath not water,
it hath not air; it is depth unfathomable, it is black as the blackest
night, and men wander helplessly therein. In it a man cannot live in
quietness of heart; nor may the longings of love be satisfied therein.
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But let the state of the Spirit-souls be given unto me instead of
water and air, and the satisfying of the longings of love, and let
quietness of heart be given unto me instead of cakes and ale. The
god Tem hath decreed that I shall see thy face, and that I shall not
suffer from the things which pain thee. May every god transmit unto
thee his throne for millions of years. Thy throne hath descended
unto thy son Horus, and the god Tem hath decreed that thy course shall
be among the holy princes. In truth he shall rule from thy throne, and
he shall be heir to the throne of the Dweller in the fiery Lake
[Neserser]. In truth it hath been decreed that in me he shall see
his likeness, and that my face shall look upon the face of the Lord
Tem. How long then have I to live? It is decreed that thou shalt
live for millions of years, a life of millions of years. Let it be
granted to me to pass on to the holy princes, for indeed, I have
done away all the evil which I committed, from the time when this
earth came into being from Nu, when it sprang from the watery abyss
even as it was in the days of old. I am Fate and Osiris, I have made
my transformations into the likeness of divers serpents. Man knoweth
not, and the gods cannot behold the two-fold beauty which I have
made for Osiris, the greatest of the gods. I have given unto him the
region of the dead. And, verily, his son Horus is seated upon the
throne of the Dweller in the fiery Lake [of Neserser], as his heir.
I have made him to have his throne in the Boat of Millions of Years.
Horus is stablished upon his throne [among his] kinsmen, and he hath
all that is with him. Verily, the Soul of Set, which is greater than
all the gods, hath departed. Let it be granted to me to bind his
soul in fetter in the Boat of the God, when I please, and let him hold
the Body of the God in fear. O my father Osiris, thou hast done for me
that which thy father Ra did for thee. Let me abide upon the earth
permanently. Let me keep possession of my throne. Let my heir be
strong. Let my tomb, and my friends who are upon the earth,
flourish. Let my enemies be given over to destruction, and to the
shackles of the goddess Serq. I am thy son. Ra is my father. On me
likewise thou hast conferred life, strength, and health. Horus is
established upon his tomb. Grant thou that the days of my life may
come unto worship and honour.

APPENDIX

(From the Leyden Papyrus of Ra)

RUBRIC: This Chapter shall be recited over a figure of Horus, made
of lapis-lazuli, which shall be placed on the neck of the deceased. It
is a protection upon earth, and it will secure for the deceased the
affection of men, gods, and the Spirit-souls which are perfect.
Moreover it acteth as a spell in Khert-Neter, but it must be recited
by thee on behalf of the Osiris Ra, regularly and continually millions
of times.

ENTERING THE HALL OF MAAT

[THE CHAPTER OF] ENTERING INTO THE HALL OF MAATI TO PRAISE OSIRIS
KHENTI-AMENTI. The Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, saith:-
I have come unto thee. I have drawn nigh to behold thy beauties (thy
beneficient goodness). My hands are [extended] in adoration of thy
name of "Maat." I have come. I have drawn nigh unto [the place
where] the cedar-tree existeth not, where the acacia tree doth not put
forth shoots, and where the ground produceth neither grass nor
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herbs. Now I have entered into the habitation which is hidden, and I
hold converse with Set. My protector advanced to me, covered was his
face.... on the hidden things. He entered into the house of Osiris, he
saw the hidden things which were therein. The Tchatchau Chiefs of
the Pylons were in the form of Spirits. The god Anpu spake unto
those about him with the words of a man who cometh from Ta-mera,
saying, "He knoweth our roads and our towns. I am reconciled unto him.
When I smell his odour it is even as the odour of one of you." And I
say unto him: I the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, in peace, whose
word is truth, have come. I have drawn nigh to behold the Great
Gods. I would live upon the propitiatory offerings [made] to their
Doubles. I would live on the borders [of the territory of] the Soul,
the Lord of Tetu. He shall make me to come forth in the form of a Benu
bird, and to hold converse [with him.] I have been in the stream [to
purify myself]. I have made offerings of incense. I betook myself to
the Acacia Tree of the [divine] Children. I lived in Abu in the
House of the goddess Satet. I made to sink in the water the boat of
the enemies. I sailed over the lake [in the temple] in the Neshmet
Boat. I have looked upon the Sahu of Kamur. I have been in Tetu. I
have held my peace. I have made the god to be master of his legs. I
have been in the House of Teptuf. I have seen him, that is the
Governor of the Hall of the God. I have entered into the House of
Osiris and I have removed the head-coverings of him that is therein. I
have entered into Rasta, and I have seen the Hidden One who is
therein. I was hidden, but I found the boundary. I journeyed to
Nerutef, and he who was therein covered me with a garment. I have
myrrh of women, together with the shenu powder of living folk.
Verily he (Osiris) told me the things which concerned himself. I said:
Let thy weighing of me be even as we desire.

And the Majesty of Anpu shall say unto me, "Knowest thou the name of
this door, and canst thou tell it?" And the Osiris the scribe Ani,
whose word is truth, in peace, whose word is truth, shall say,
"Khersek-Shu" is the name of this door. And the Majesty of the god
Anpu shall say unto me, "Knowest thou the name of the upper leaf,
and the name of the lower leaf?" [And the Osiris the scribe Ani] shall
say: "Neb-Maat-heri-retiu-f" is the name of the upper leaf and
"Neb-pehti-thesu-menment" [is the name of the lower leaf. And the
Majesty of the god Anpu shall say], "Pass on, for thou hast knowledge,
O Osiris the scribe, the assessor of the holy offerings of all the
gods of Thebes Ani, whose word is truth, the lord of loyal service [to
Osiris]."

APPENDIX

(From the Papyrus of Nu, Brit. Mus. No. 10477, Sheet 22)

[THE FOLLOWING] WORDS SHALL BE SAID BY THE STEWARD OF THE KEEPER
OF THE SEAL, NU, WHOSE WORD IS TRUTH, WHEN HE COMETH FORTH TO THE HALL
OF MAATI, SO THAT HE MAY BE SEPARATED FROM EVERY SIN WHICH HE HATH
COMMITTED, AND MAY BEHOLD THE FACES OF THE GODS. The Osiris Nu,
whose word is truth, saith: Homage to thee, O great God, Lord of
Maati! I have come unto thee, O my Lord, and I have brought myself
hither that I may behold thy beauties. I know thee, I know thy name, I
know the names of the Forty-two Gods who live with thee in this Hall
of Maati, who live by keeping ward over sinners, and who feed upon
their blood on the day when the consciences of men are reckoned up
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in the presence of the god Un-Nefer. In truth thy name is
"Rehti-Merti-Nebti-Maati." In truth I have come unto thee, I have
brought Maati (Truth) to thee. I have done away sin for thee. I have
not committed sins against men. I have not opposed my family and
kinsfolk. I have not acted fraudulently in the Seat of Truth. I have
not known men who were of no account. I have not wrought evil. I
have not made it to be the first [consideration daily that
unnecessary] work should be done for me. I have not brought forward my
name for dignities. I have not [attempted] to direct servants [I
have not belittled God]. I have not defrauded the humble man of his
property. I have not done what the gods abominate. I have not vilified
a slave to his master. I have not inflicted pain. I have not caused
anyone to go hungry. I have not made any man to weep. I have not
committed murder. I have not given the order for murder to be
committed. I have not caused calamities to befall men and women. I
have not plundered the offerings in the temples. I have not
defrauded the gods of their cake-offerings. I have not carried off the
fenkhu cakes [offered to] the Spirits. I have not committed
fornication. I have not masturbated [in the sanctuaries of the god
of my city]. I have not diminished from the bushel. I have not filched
[land from my neighbour's estate and] added it to my own acre. I
have not encroached upon the fields [of others]. I have not added to
the weights of the scales. I have not depressed the pointer of the
balance. I have not carried away the milk from the mouths of children.
I have not driven the cattle away from their pastures. I have not
snared the geese in the goose-pens of the gods. I have not caught fish
with bait made of the bodies of the same kind of fish. I have not
stopped water when it should flow. I have not made a cutting in a
canal of running water. I have not extinguished a fire when it
should burn. I have not violated the times [of offering] the chosen
meat offerings. I have not driven away the cattle on the estates of
the gods. I have not turned back the god at his appearances. I am
pure. I am pure. I am pure. My pure offerings are the pure offerings
of that great Benu which dwelleth in Hensu. For behold, I am the
nose of Neb-nefu (the lord of the air), who giveth sustenance unto all
mankind, on the day of the filling of the Utchat in Anu, in the second
month of the season Pert, on the last of the month, [in the presence
of the Lord of this earth]. I have seen the filling of the Utchat in
Anu, therefore let not calamity befall me in this land, or in this
Hall of Maati, because I know the names of the gods who are therein,
[and who are the followers of the Great God].

THE NEGATIVE CONFESSION

Hail, Usekh-nemmt, who comest forth from Anu, I have not committed
sin.

Hail, Hept-khet, who comest forth from Kher-aha, I have not
committed robbery with violence.

Hail, Fenti, who comest forth from Khemenu, I have not stolen.

Hail, Am-khaibit, who comest forth from Qernet, I have not slain men
and women.

Hail, Neha-her, who comest forth from Rasta, I have not stolen
grain.

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Hail, Ruruti, who comest forth from heaven, I have not purloined
offerings.

Hail, Arfi-em-khet, who comest forth from Suat, I have not stolen
the property of God.

Hail, Neba, who comest and goest, I have not uttered lies.

Hail, Set-qesu, who comest forth from Hensu, I have not carried away
food.

Hail, Utu-nesert, who comest forth from Het-ka-Ptah, I have not
uttered curses.

Hail, Qerrti, who comest forth from Amentet, I have not committed
adultery, I have not lain with men.

Hail, Her-f-ha-f, who comest forth from thy cavern, I have made none
to weep.

Hail, Basti, who comest forth from Bast, I have not eaten the heart.

Hail, Ta-retiu, who comest forth from the night, I have not attacked
any man.

Hail, Unem-snef, who comest forth from the execution chamber, I am
not a man of deceit.

Hail, Unem-besek, who comest forth from Mabit, I have not stolen
cultivated land.

Hail, Neb-Maat, who comest forth from Maati, I have not been an
eavesdropper.

Hail, Tenemiu, who comest forth from Bast, I have not slandered
[no man].

Hail, Sertiu, who comest forth from Anu, I have not been angry
without just cause.

Hail, Tutu, who comest forth from Ati (the Busirite Nome), I have
not debauched the wife of any man.

Hail, Uamenti, who comest forth from the Khebt chamber, I have not
debauched the wife of [any] man.

Hail, Maa-antuf, who comest forth from Per-Menu, I have not polluted
myself.

Hail, Her-uru, who comest forth from Nehatu, I have terrorized none.

Hail, Khemiu, who comest forth from Kaui, I have not transgressed
[the law].

Hail, Shet-kheru, who comest forth from Urit, I have not been wroth.

Hail, Nekhenu, who comest forth from Heqat, I have not shut my
ears to the words of truth.
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Hail, Kenemti, who comest forth from Kenmet, I have not blasphemed.

Hail, An-hetep-f, who comest forth from Sau, I am not a man of
violence.

Hail, Sera-kheru, who comest forth from Unaset, I have not been a
stirrer up of strife.

Hail, Neb-heru, who comest forth from Netchfet, I have not acted
with undue haste.

Hail, Sekhriu, who comest forth from Uten, I have not pried into
matters.

Hail, Neb-abui, who comest forth from Sauti, I have not multiplied
my words in speaking.

Hail, Nefer-Tem, who comest forth from Het-ka-Ptah, I have wronged
none, I have done no evil.

Hail, Tem-Sepu, who comest forth from Tetu, I have not worked
witchcraft against the king.

Hail, Ari-em-ab-f, who comest forth from Tebu, I have never
stopped [the flow of] water.

Hail, Ahi, who comest forth from Nu, I have never raised my voice.

Hail, Uatch-rekhit, who comest forth from Sau, I have not cursed
God.

Hail, Neheb-ka, who comest forth from thy cavern, I have not acted
with arrogance.

Hail, Neheb-nefert, who comest forth from thy cavern, I have not
stolen the bread of the gods.

Hail, Tcheser-tep, who comest forth from the shrine, I have not
carried away the khenfu cakes from the Spirits of the dead.

Hail, An-af, who comest forth from Maati, I have not snatched away
the bread of the child, nor treated with contempt the god of my city.

Hail, Hetch-abhu, who comest forth from Ta-she (the Fayyum), I
have not slain the cattle belonging to the god.

APPENDIX

(From the Papyrus of Nebseni)

Hail, Usekh-nemmt, who comest forth from Anu, I have not committed
sin.

Hail, Hept-Shet, who comest forth from Kher-aha, I have not robbed
with violence.

Hail, Fenti, who comest forth from Khemenu, I have done no violence.

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Hail, Am-khaibitu, who comest forth from Qerrt, I have not stolen.

Hail, Neha-hau, who comest forth from Rasta, I have not slain men.

Hail, Ruruti, who comest forth from heaven, I have not made light
the bushel.

Hail, Arti-f-em-tes, who comest forth from Sekhem, I have not
acted deceitfully.

Hail, Neba, who comest and goest, I have not stolen the property
of the god.

Hail, Set-qesu, who comest forth from Hensu, I have not told lies.

Hail, Uatch-nesert, who comest forth from Het-ka-Ptah, I have not
carried away food.

Hail, Qerti, who comest forth from Amenti, I have not uttered evil
words.

Hail, Hetch-abhu, who comest from Ta-she, I have attacked no man.

Hail, Unem-snef, who comest forth from the execution chamber, I have
not salin a bull which was the property of the god.

Hail, Unem-besku, who comest [forth from the Mabet chamber], I
have not acted deceitfully.

Hail, Neb-maat, who comest forth from Maati, I have not pillaged the
lands which have been ploughed.

Hail, Thenemi, who comest forth from Bast, I have never pried into
matters [to make mischief].

Hail, Aati, who comest forth from Anu, I have not set my mouth in
motion.

Hail, Tutuf, who comest from from A, I have not been wroth except
with reason.

Hail, Uamemti, who comest forth from the execution chamber, I have
not debauched the wife of a man.

Hail, Maa-anuf, who comest forth from Per-Menu, I ahve not
polluted myself.

Hail, Heri-uru, who comest forth from [Nehatu], I have terrorized no
man.

Hail, Khemi, who comest forth from Ahaui, I have not made attacks.

Hail, Shet-kheru, who comest forth from Uri, I have not been a man
of anger.

Hail, Nekhem, who comest forth from Heq-at, I have not turned a deaf
ear to the words of truth.

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Hail, Ser-Kheru, who comest forth from Unes, I have not stirred up
strife.

Hail, Basti, who comest forth from Shetait, I have made none to
weep.

Hail, Her-f-ha-f, who comest forth from thy cavern, I have not
committed acts of sexual impurity, or lain with men.

Hail, Ta-ret, who comest forth from Akhkhu, I have not eaten my
heart.

Hail, Kenmti, who comest forth from Kenmet, I have cursed no man.

Hail, An-hetep-f, who comest forth from Sau, I have not acted in a
violent or oppressive manner.

Hail, Neb-heru, who comest forth from Tchefet, I have not acted
[or judged] hastily.

Hail, Serekhi, who comest forth from Unth, I have not.... my hair, I
have not harmed the god.

Hail, Neb-abui, who comest forth from Sauti, I have not multiplied
my speech overmuch.

Hail, Nefer-Tem, who comest forth from Het-ka-Ptah, I have not acted
with deciet, I have not worked wickedness.

Hail, Tem-Sep, who comest forth from Tetu, I have not done things to
effect the cursing of [the king].

Hail, Ari-em-ab-f, who comest forth from Tebti, I have not stopped
the flow of water.

Hail, Ahi-mu, who comest forth from Nu, I have not raised my voice.
Hail, Utu-rekhit, who comest forth from thy house, I have not
curse God.

Hail, Neheb-Nefert, who comest forth from the Lake of Nefer, I
have not acted with insufferable insolence.

Hail, Neheb-kau, who comest forth from [thy] city, I have not sought
to make myself unduly distinguished.

Hail, Tcheser-tep, who comest forth from thy cavern, I have not
increased my wealth except through such things are [justly] my own
possessions.

Hail, An-a-f, who comest forth from Auker, I have not scorned [or
treated with contempt] the god of my town.

ADDRESS TO THE GODS OF THE TUAT

(From the Papyrus of Nu, Brit. Mus. No. 10477, Sheet 24)

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE WORDS WHICH THE HEART OF TRUTH THAT IS SINLESS
SHALL SAY WHEN HE COMETH WITH THE WORD OF TRUTH INTO THE HALL OF
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MAATI; THEY SHALL BE SAID WHEN HE COMETH TO THE GODS WHO DWELL IN
THE TUAT; AND THEY ARE THE WORDS WHICH ARE [TO BE SAID] AFTER [HE
COMETH FORTH FROM] THE HALL OF MAATI.

Nu, the steward of the keeper of the seal, whose word is truth,
saith:- Homage to you, O ye gods who dwell in your Hall of Maati! I
know you, I know your names. Let me not fall under your knives of
slaughter, and bring ye not forward my wickedness to this god in whose
following ye are. Let not evil hap come upon me through you. Speak
ye the truth concerning me in the presence of Neb-er-tcher, for I have
done what is right and just in Ta-Mera. I have not cursed the god, and
my evil hap did not come upon him that was king in his day.

Homage to you, O ye who dwell in your Hall of Maati, who have
nothing false in your bodies, who live upon Truth, who feed yourselves
upon Truth in the presence of Horus who dwelleth in his Disk,
deliver ye me from Beba, who feedeth upon the livers of the great ones
on the day of the Great Judgment. Grant ye that I may come before you,
for I have not committed sin, I have done no act of deceit, I have
done no evil thing, and I have not borne [false] witness; therefore
let nothing [evil] be done to me. I have lived upon truth, I have
fed upon truth, I have performed the ordinances of men, and the things
which gratify the gods. I have propitiated the god by doing his
will, I have given bread to the hungry man, and water to him that
was athirst, and apparel to the naked man, and a ferry-boat to him
that had no boat. I have made propitiatory offerings and given cakes
to the gods, and the "things which appear at the word" to the Spirits.
Deliver then ye me, protect then ye me, and make ye no report
against me in the presence [of the Great God]. I am pure in respect of
my mouth, and I am clean in respect of my hands, therefore let it be
said unto me by those who shall behold me: "Come in peace, Come in
peace." For I have heard that great word which the Sahu spake to the
CAT, in the House of Hapt-ra. I have borne witness to Her-f-ha-f,
and he hath given a decision [concerning me]. I have seen the things
over which the Persea tree which is in Rasta, spreadeth its
branches. I have made petitions to the gods, [and I] know the things
[which appertain to] their bodies. I have come, travelling a long
road, to bear righteous testimony, and to set the Balance upon its
supports within Aukert.

Hail, thou who art exalted high upon thy standard, thou Lord of
the Atef Crown, who dost make thy name to be "Lord of the Winds,"
deliver thou me from thy divine Envoys who punish and afflict
according to [thy] decrees, and who make calamities to arise, and
whose faces are without coverings, for I have done what is right and
true for the Lord of Truth. I am pure. My breast is purified by
libations, and my hinder parts are made clean with the things which
make clean, and my inner parts have been dipped in the Lake of
Truth. There is no single member of mine which lacketh truth. I have
washed myself clean in the Lake of the South. I have rested myself
in the City of the North, which is in Sekhet Sanhemu (the Field of the
Grasshoppers), where the mariners of Ra wash themselves clean at the
second hour of the night, and at the third hour of the day. The hearts

of the gods are gratified when they have passed over it, whether it be
by night or whether it be by day, and they say unto me, "Let thyself
advance." They say unto me, "Who art thou?" And they say unto me,
"What is thy name?" [And I reply], "Sept-kheri-nehait-ammi-beq-f" is
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my name. Then they say unto me, "Advance straightway on the city which
is to the North of the Olive Tree. What dost thou see there?" The
Leg and the Thigh. What dost thou say unto them? Let me see rejoicings
in these lands of the Fenkhu. What do they give unto thee? A flame
of fire and a sceptre-amulet [made] of crystal. What dost thou do with
them? I bury them on the furrow of M'naat, as things for the night.
What dost thou find on the furrow of Maat? A sceptre of flint, the
name of which is "Giver of winds." What now didst thou do with the
flame of fire and the sceptre-amulet [made] of crystal, after thou
didst bury them? I said a spell over them, and I dug them up. I
quenched the flame of fire and I broke the sceptre-amulet, and I
made a lake of water. [Then shall the Two and forty gods say unto me]:
"Come now, pass in over the threshold of this door of the Hall of
Maati, for thou hast knowledge of us." "We will not allow thee to
enter in over us," say the bars of this door, "unless thou tellest
us our names." [And I reply], "Tekh-bu-maa" is your name. The right
lintel of this door saith: "I will not allow thee to pass over me
unless thou tellest me my name." [And I reply], "Henku-en-fat-maat" is
thy name. The left lintel of this door saith: "I will not allow
thee to pass over me unless thou tellest me my name." [And I reply],
"Henku-en-arp" is thy name. The ground of this door saith: "I will not
allow thee to pass over me unless thou tellest me my name." [And I
reply], "Aua-en-Keb" is thy name. And the bolt of this door saith:
"I will not open the door to thee unless thou tellest me my name."
[And I reply], "Saah-en-mut-f" is thy name. The socket of the
fastening of this door saith: "I will not open unto thee unless thou
tellest my name." [And I reply], "The Living Eye of Sebek, the Lord of
Bakhau," is thy name. The Doorkeeper of this door saith: "I will not
open to thee, and I will not let thee enter by me unless thou
tellest my name." [And I reply], "Elbow of the god Shu who placeth
himself to protect Osiris" is thy name. The posts of this door say:
"We will not let thee pass in by us unless thou tellest our name."
[And I reply], "Children of the uraei-goddesses" is your name. The
Doorkeeper of this door saith: "I will not open to thee, and I will
not let thee enter in by me unless thou tellest my name. [And I
reply], "Ox of Keb" is thy name. [And they reply], "Thou knowest us,
pass in therefore by us." The ground of this Hall of Maati saith: "I
will not let thee tread upon me [unless thou tellest me my name],
for I am silent. I am holy because I know the names of two feet
wherewith thou wouldst walk upon me. Declare, then, them to me."
[And I reply], "Besu-Ahu" is the name of my right foot, and
"Unpet-ent-Het-Heru" is the name of my left foot. [The ground
replieth]: "Thou knowest us, enter in therefore over us." The
Doorkeeper of this Hall of Maati saith: "I will not announce thee
unless thou tellest my name." [And I reply], "Discerner of hearts,
searcher of bellies" is thy name. [The Doorkeeper saith]: "Thou
shalt be announced." [He saith]: "Who is the god who dwelleth in his
hour? Speak it" [And I reply], "Au-taui." [He saith]: "Explain who
he is." [And I reply], "Au-taui" is Thoth. "Come now," saith Thoth,
"for what purpose hast thou come?" [And I reply]: "I have come, and
have journeyed hither that my name may be announced [to the god]."
[Thoth saith]: "In what condition art thou?" [And I reply], "I, even
I, am purified from evil defects, and I am wholly free from the curses
of those who live in their days, and I am not one of their number."
[Thoth saith]: "Therefore shall [thy name] be announced to the god."

[Thoth saith]: "Tell me, who is he whose heaven is of fire, whose
2811

walls are living serpents, and whose ground is a stream of water?
Who is he?" [And I reply], "He is Osiris." [Thoth saith]: "Advance
now, [thy name] shall be announced to him. Thy cakes shall come from
the Utchat (Eye of Horus or Ra), thy ale shall come from the Utchat,
and the offerings which shall appear to thee at the word upon earth
[shall proceed] from the Utchat." This is what Osiris hath decreed for
the steward of the overseer of the seal, Nu, whose word is truth.

RUBRIC: THE MAKING OF THE REPRESENTATION OF WHAT SHALL HAPPEN IN
THIS HALL OF MAATI. This Chapter shall be said by the deceased when he
is cleansed and purified, and is arrayed in linen apparel, and is shod
with sandals of white leather, and his eyes are painted with antimony,
and his body is anointed with unguent made of myrrh. And he shall
present as offerings oxen, and feathered fowl, and incense, and
cakes and ale, and garden herbs. And behold, thou shalt draw a
representation of this in colour upon a new tile moulded from earth
upon which neither a pig nor any other animal hath trodden. And if
this book be done [in writing, the deceased] shall flourish, and his
children shall flourish, and [his name] shall never fall into
oblivion, and he shall be as one who filleth the heart of the king and
of his princes. And bread, and cakes, and sweetmeats, and wine, and
pieces of flesh shall be given unto him [from among those which are]
upon the altar of the Great God. And he shall not be driven back
from any door in Amentet, and he shall be led along with the kings
of the South and the kings of the North, and he shall be among the
bodyguard of Osiris, continually and regularly for ever. [And he shall
come forth in every form he pleaseth as a living soul for ever, and
ever, and ever.]

DEIFICATION OF THE MEMBERS

THE CHAPTER OF THE DEIFICATION OF THE MEMBERS

The hair of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is the hair of Nu.

The face of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is the face of Ra.

The eyes of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the eyes of
Hathor.

The ears of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the ears of
Up-uatu.

The lips of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the lips of
Anpu.

The teeth of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the teeth of
Serqet.

The cheeks of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the cheeks of
Isis.

The arms of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the arms of
Ba-neb-Tetu.

The neck of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is the neck of
Uatchit.

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The throat of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is the throat
of Mert.

The breast of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is the breast
of the Lady of Sais.

The backbone of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is the backbone
of Set.

The trunk of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is the trunk of
the Lords of Kher-aha.

The flesh of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is the flesh of
Aa-shefit.

The belly of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is the belly of
Sekhmet.

The buttocks of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the
buttocks of the Eye of Horus.

The phallus of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is the phallus
of Osiris.

The thighs of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the thighs of
Nut.

The feet of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the feet of
Ptah.

The fingers of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the
fingers of Saah.

The toes of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the toes of the
Living Uraei.

APPENDIX

(From the Pyramid of Pepi I, ll. 565ff.)

The head of this Meri-Ra is the head of Horus; he cometh forth
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

The skull of this Pepi is the Dekan star of the god; he cometh forth
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

The brow of this Meri-Ra is the brow of..... and Nu; he cometh forth
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

The face of this Pepi is the face of Up-uatu; he cometh forth
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

The eyes of this Meri-Ra are the eyes of the Great Lady, the first
of the Souls of Anu; he cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into
heaven.
2813

The nose of this Pepi is the nose of Thoth; he cometh forth
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

The mouth of this Meri-Ra is the mouth of Khens-ur; he cometh
forth therefore, and ascendeth therefore, and ascendeth therefore into
heaven.

The tongue of this Pepi is the tongue of Maaa (Truth) in the Maat
Boat; he cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

The teeth of this Pepi are the teeth of the Souls of [Anu]; he
cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

The lips of this Meri-Ra are the lips of........; he cometh forth
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

The chin of this Pepi is the chin of Nest-khent-Sekhem (the throne
of the First Lady of Sekhem); he cometh forth therefore and
ascendeth into heaven.

The thes bone of this Pepi is the thes bone of the Bull Sma; he
cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

The soulders of this Pepi are the shoulders of Set; he cometh
forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

[The...... of this Pepi].........; he cometh forth therefore and
ascendeth into heaven.

[The......of this Pepi] ........of Baabu; he cometh forth
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

The breast of this Meri-Ra is the breast of Bast; he cometh forth
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

The belly of this Meri-Ra is the belly of Nut; he cometh forth
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

[The........of this Pepi] ........; he cometh forth therefore and
ascendeth into heaven.

[The........of this Pepi] .......of the two Companies of the gods;
he cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

The two thighs of this Pepi are the two thighs of Heqet; he cometh
forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

The buttocks of this Meri-Ra are like the Semktet Boat and the
Mantchet Boat; he cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

The phallus of this Pepi is the phallus of the Hep Bull; he cometh
forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

The legs of this Meri-Ra are the legs of Net (Neith) and Serqet;
he cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

The knees of this Meri-Ra are the knees of the twin Souls who are at
the head of the Sekhet-Tcher; he cometh forth therefore and
2814

ascendeth into heaven.

The soles of this Meri-Ra are like the Maati Boat; he cometh forth
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

The toes of this Pepi are the toes of the Souls of Anu; he cometh
forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

Now this Pepi is a god, the son of a god; he cometh forth
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

This Pepi is the son of Ra, who loveth him; he cometh forth
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

Ra hath sent forth Meri-Ra; he cometh forth therefore and
ascendeth into heaven.

Ra hath begotten [this] Pepi; he cometh forth therefore and
ascendeth into heaven.

Ra hath given birth to Pepi; he cometh forth therefore and ascendeth
into heaven.

This spell therefore is in the body of Meri-Ra; he cometh forth
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

This Meri-Ra is the Power, the Great Power, among the Great
Council of Chiefs in Anu; he cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into
heaven.

He worketh the boat; Pepi cometh forth therefore and ascendeth
into heaven.

[Pepi is] Horus, the nursling, the child; Meri-Ra cometh forth
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.
Pepi hath not had union with Nut, she hath not given her hands to
him; he cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

Keb hath not removed the obstacles in his path; he cometh forth
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

No god hath smitten the steps of this Meri-Ra; he come forth
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

[Though] Pepi is not censed is not mourned, hath not washed
himself in the vessel, hath not smelt the haunch, hath not carried the
meat-offering, hath not ploughed the earth, hath not dedicated an
offering, he cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

Behold, it is not this Pepi who hath said these things to you, O
ye gods, it is Heka who hath said these things to you, O ye gods,
and this Meri-Ra is the support which is under Heka; he cometh forth
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

Every god smiteth the feet of Pepi; he cometh forth therefore and
ascendeth into heaven.

He plougheth the earth, he dedicateth an offering, he bringeth the
2815

vessel of [blood], he smelleth the haunch, and he bringeth the meat
offering; he cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.

Every god graspeth the hand of Meri-Ra in heaven,

He conducteth him to the House of Horus in the sky.
The word of his Double is truth before Keb.

��������������������������������������������������������������������������������
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THE CHAPTER OF REPULSING SLAUGHTER IN HENSU

(From the Papyrus of Nu, Sheet 6)

THE CHAPTER OF DRIVING BACK THE SLAUGHTERS WHICH ARE PERFORMED IN
HENSU. The Osiris Nu, whose word is truth, saith:- O thou land of
the Sceptre! O thou White Crown of the divine form! O thou rest of the
ferry-boat! I am the Child. (Repeat four times). Hail, Abu-ur! Thou
sayest daily: "The slaughter-block is made ready as thou knowest,
and thou hast come to destruction." I am Ra, who stablisheth those who
praise him. I am the Knot of the god in the Aser tree, the twice
beautiful one, who is more splendid to-day than yesterday. (Repeat
four times). I am Ra, who stablisheth those who praise him. I am the
Knot of the god within the Aser tree, and my appearance is the
appearance [of Ra] on this day.

My hair is the hair of Nu. My face is the face of the Disk. My
eyes are the eyes of Hathor. My ears are the ears of Up-uat. My nose
is the nose of Khenti-Khabas. My lips are the lips of Anpu. My teeth
are the teeth of Serqet. My cheeks are the cheeks of the goddess Isis.
My hands are the hands of Ba-neb-Tet. My forearms are the forearms
of Neith, the Lady of Sais. My backbone is the backbone of Suti. My
phallus is the phallus of Beba. My reins are the reins of the Lords of
Kher-aha. My chest is the chest of Aa-shefit. My belly and back are
the belly and back of Sekhmet. My buttocks are the buttocks of the Eye
of Horus. My hips and legs are the hips and legs of Nut. My feet are
the feet of Ptah. [My fingers] and my toes are the [fingers and]
toes of the Living gods. There is no member of my body which is not
the member of a god. Thoth protecteth my body altogether, and I am
Ra day by day. I shall not be dragged back by my arms, and none
shall lay violent hold upon my hands. And shall do me hurt neither
men, nor gods, nor the Spirit-souls, nor the dead, nor any man, nor
any pat-spirit, nor any rekhit-spirit, nor any hememet-spirit.

I am he who cometh forth advancing, whose name is unknown. I am
Yesterday. "Seer of Millions of Years" is my name. I pass along, I
pass along the paths of the divine celestial judges. I am the Lord
of Eternity: I decree and I judge like Khepera. I am the Lord of the
Urrt Crown. I am he who dwelleth in the Utchat and in the Egg, and
it is granted unto me to live therein. I am he who dwelleth in the
Utchat when it closeth, and I exist by the strength thereof. I come
forth and I shine; I enter in and I come to life. I am in the
Utchat, my seat is upon my throne, and I sit in the tent chamber
before it. I am Horus. [I] traverse millions of years. I have
decreed [the stablishing] of my throne, and I am the ruler thereof;
and in very truth my mouth keepeth an even balance both in speech
and in silence. In very truth my forms are inverted. I am Un-Nefer,
from one period even unto another, and what I have is within me. I
am the only One, who proceedeth from an only One, who goeth round
about in his course. I am he who dwelleth in the Utchat. No evil thing
of any shape or kind shall spring up against me, and no baleful
object, and no harmful thing, and no disastrous thing shall happen
unto me. I open the door in heaven. I rule my throne. I open the way
for the births which take place on this day. I am the child who
traverseth the road of Yesterday. I am To-day for untold nations and
peoples. I am he who protecteth you for millions of years. Whether
ye be denizens of heaven, or of the earth, or of the South, or of
the North, or of the East, or of the West, the fear of me is in your
2817

bodies. I am he whose being hath been wrought in his eye. I shall
not die again. My moment is in your bodies, but my forms are in my
place of habitation. I am "He who cannot be known." The Red Fiends
have their faces directed against me. I am the unveiled one. The

period when the heavens were created for me and were enlarged the
bounds of earth, and multiplied the progeny thereof, cannot be found
out. They shall fail and not be united again. By reason of the
speech which I address to you, my name setteth itself apart from all
things evil which are in the mouths of men. I am he who riseth and
shineth, a wall which cometh out of a wall, an only One who proceedeth
from an only One. There is never a day that passeth without the things
which appertain unto him being therein; passing, passing, passing,
passing. Verily I say unto thee, I am the Plant which cometh forth
from Nu, and my mother is Nut. Hail, my creator, I am he who hath no
power to walk, the Great Knot who dwelleth in Yesterday. The might
of my strength is within my hand, I am not known [by thee], but I am
he who knoweth thee. I cannot be held in the hand, but I am he who can
hold thee in his hand. Hail, O Egg! Hail, O Egg! I am Horus who liveth
for millions of years, whose flame shineth upon you, and bringeth your
hearts unto me. I am master of my throne. I advance at this season.
I have opened a path. I have delivered myself from all evil things.
I am the golden dog-headed ape, three palms and two fingers [high],
which hath neither arms nor legs, and which dwelleth in Het-ka-Ptah. I
go forth as goeth forth the dog-headed ape who dwelleth in
Het-ka-Ptah.

RUBRIC: Behold the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, arrayed in
fine linen, and shod with sandals of white [leather], and anointed
with the very finest myrrh unguent. There are offered unto him a
fine bull, and incense, and ra geese, and flowers, and ale, and cakes,
and garden herbs. And behold, thou shalt draw a representation of a
table of offerings on a clean tile with pure colours, and thou shalt
bury it in a field whereon no swine hath trodden. And if a copy of
this book be written upon it, he shall rise [again], and his
children's children shall flourish and prosper, like unto Ra,
without cessation. He shall be in high favour with the king, and
with the shenit nobles of his court, and there shall be given unto him
cakes and cups of drink, and portions of flesh, upon the altar-table
of the Great God. He shall not thrust aside at any door in Amentet; he
shall travel in the train of the Kings of the South and the Kings of
the North, and he shall abide with the followers of Osiris near
Un-Nefer, for ever, and for ever, and for ever.

Vignette

(From the Papyrus of Nu, Sheet 24)

The steward of the overseer of the seal, Nu, whose word is truth,
begotten of the steward of the overseer of the seal, Amen-hetep, whose
word is truth, saith:- Hail, ye Four Apes who sit in the bows of the
Boat of Ra, who convey truth to Nebertcher, who sit in judgment on the
oppressed man and on [his] oppressor, who make the gods to be
contented by means of the flame of your mouths, who offer holy
offerings to the gods, and sepulchral meals to the Spirit-souls, who
live upon truth, and who feed upon truth of heart, who are without
deceit and fraud, and to whom wickedness is an abomination, do ye away
with my evil deeds, and put ye away my sins [which deserved stripes
2818

upon earth, and destroy ye every evil thing which appertaineth to me],
and let there be no obstacle whatsoever on my part towards you. O
grant ye that I may make my way through the Amehet, let me enter
into Rasta, let me pass through the hidden pylons of Ament. O grant
that there may be given unto me shens cakes, and ale, and persen
cakes, even as to the living Spirit-souls, and grant that I may
enter into and come forth from Rasta.

[The Four Apes make answer, saying]: Come thou, for we have done
away with thy wickedness, and we have put away thy sin, along with thy
sins upon earth which deserved stripes, and we have destroyed every
evil thing which appertained to thee upon earth. Enter, therefore,
unto Rasta, and pass through the hidden pylons of Amentet, and there
shall be given unto thee shens cakes, and ale, and persen cakes, and
thou shalt come forth and shalt enter in at thy desire, even as do
those who are favoured [of the God], and thou shalt be called [to
partake of offerings] each day in the horizon.

THE TET OF GOLD

THE CHAPTER OF A TET OF GOLD. The Osiris Ani, whose word is truth,
saith:- Thou risest up for thyself, O Still-heart! Thou shinest for
thyself, O Still-heart! Place thou thyself on thy base, I come, I
bring unto thee a Tet of gold, thou shalt rejoice therein.

APPENDIX

(From the Papyrus of Nebseni and the Papyrus of Nu)

Rise up thou, O Osiris, thou hast thy backbaone, O Still-heart, thou
hast thy neck vertebrae and thy back, O Still-heart! Place thou
thyself on thy base. I put water beneath thee, and I bring unto thee a
Tet of god that thou mayest rejoice therein.

RUBRIC (From the Papyrus of Nu): [This Chapter] shall be recited
over a Tet of gold set in a stand made of sycamore wood which hath
been steeped in a tincture of ankhamu flowers, and it shall be
placed on the neck of the deceased on the day of the funeral. If
this amulet be placed on his neck he shall become a perfect Khu in
Khert-Neter, and at the festivals of the New Year he shall be like
unto the Followers of Osiris continually and for ever.

RUBRIC (From the Turin Papyrus): [This Chapter] shall be said over a
Tet of gold fashioned out of the trunk of a sycamore tree, and it
shall be placed on the neck of the deceased. Then shall he enter in
through the doors of the Tuat. His words whall be silenced. He shall
place himself on the ground on New Year's Day among the Followers of
Osiris.

If this Chapter be known by the deceased he shall live like a
perfect Khu in Khert-Neter. He shall not be sent back from the doors
of Amentet. There shall be given to him the shens cake, and a cup of
wine, and the persen cake, and slices of meat on the altars of Ra,
or as some read, Osiris Un-Nefer. And his word shall be truth before
his enemies in Khert-Neter continually, and for ever and for ever.

THE TET OF RED STONE

2819

THE CHAPTER OF A TET OF CARNELIAN. The Osiris Ani, whose word is
truth, saith:- The blood of Isis, the spells of Isis, the magical
powers of Isis, shall make this great one strong, and shall be an
amulet of protection [against him] that would do to him the things
which he abominateth.

APPENDIX

RUBRIC (From the Papyrus of Nu): [This Chapter] shall be said over a
Tet of carnelian, which hath been washed in a tincture of ankhamu
flowers, and is fashioned out of the trunk of a sycamore tree. It
shall be placed on the neck of the deceased on the day of the funeral.
If this be done for him the magical powers of Isis will protect his
members. Horus, the son of Isis, shall rejoice when he seeth him. [No]
road shall be blocked to him. His hand shall be to heaven, his hand
shall be to earth, for ever. Do not let anyone see him. Verily....

RUBRIC (From the Saite Recension): [This Chapter] shall be said over
a Tet of carnelian, anointed with a tincture of ankhamu flowers,
made from the trunk of a sycamore tree. It shall be placed on the neck
of the Khu. If this book be done for him, the magical spells of Isis
shall protect him, and Horus the son of Isis shall rejoice [when] he
seeth him. No road shall be blocked to him. His hand shall be to
heaven, his hand shall be to earth....... If this book be known by him
he shall be in the following of Osiris Un-Nefer, and his word shall be
truth in Khert-Neter. The doors in Khert-Neter shall be opened to him.
Wheat and barley shall be given to him in Sekhet-Aanru. His name shall
be like [the names of] the gods who are there, the Followers of
Horus who reap.
HEART OF SEHERT STONE

THE CHAPTER OF A HEART OF SEHERT STONE. The Osiris Ani, whose word
is truth, saith:- I am the Benu bird, the Heart-soul of Ra, the
guide of the gods to the Tuat. Their Heart-souls come forth upon earth
to do what their KAU wish to do, and the Heart-soul of the Osiris
Ani shall come forth to do what his Ka wisheth to do.

THE HEAD REST

THE CHAPTER OF THE HEAD-REST, which is to be placed under the head
of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth. Awake out of thy sufferings, O
thou who liest prostrate! Awake thou! Thy head is in the horizon. I
lift thee up, O thou whose word is truth. Ptah hath overthrown thine
enemies for thee. Thine enemies have fallen, and they shall never more
exist, O Osiris.

APPENDIX

(From the Papyrus of Nebseni, Sheet 21)

THE CHAPTER OF THE HEAD-REST [OR PILLOW]. Awake out of thy
sufferings, O thou who liest prostrate. They (the gods) keep watch
over thy head in the horizon. Thou art lifted up, thy word is truth in
respect of the things which have been done by thee. Ptah hath cast
down headlong thine enemies. This work was ordered to be done for
thee. Thou art Horus, the son of Hathor, Nesert, Nesertet, who
giveth back the head after it hath been cut off. Thy head shall not be
carried away from thee, after [it hath been cut off]; thy head shall
2820

be carried away from thee, never, never!

THE TEXTS IN THE FUNERAL CHAMBER

SPEECH OF ISIS. Isis saith:- I have come to be a protector unto
thee. I waft unto thee air for thy nostrils, and the north wind
which cometh forth from the god Tem unto thy nose. I have made whole
for thee thy windpipe. I make thee to live like a god. Thine enemies
have fallen under thy feet. I have made thy word to be true before
Nut, and thou art mighty before the gods.

SPEECH OF NEPHTHYS. Nephthys saith unto the Osiris Ani, whose word
is truth:- I go round about thee to protect thee, O brother Osiris.
I have come to be a protector unto thee. [My strength shall be near
thee, my strength shall be near thee, for ever. Ra hath heard thy cry,
and the gods have made thy word to be truth. Thou art raised up. Thy
word is truth in respect of what hath been done unto thee. Ptah hath
overthrown thy foes, and thou art Horus, the son of Hathor.]

SPEECH OF THE TET. I have come quickly, and I have driven back the
footsteps of th god whose face is hidden. I have illumined his
sanctuary. I stand near the god Tet on the day of repelling
disaster. I watch to protect thee, O Osiris.

SPEECH OF KESTA (Mesta). I am Kesta, thy son, O Osiris Ani, whose
word is truth. I come to protect thee. I will make thy house to
flourish, permanently, even as Ptah hath commanded me, and as Ra
himself hath commanded.

SPEECH OF HAPI. I am Hapi, thy son, O Osiris Ani, whose word is
truth. I come to protect thee. I bind together thy head and the
members of thy body. I smite down for thee thine enemies under thee. I
give unto thee thy head for ever and for ever, O Osiris Ani, whose
word is truth, whose word is truth in peace.

SPEECH OF TUAMUTEF. Tuamutef saith:- I am thy son Horus, who
loveth thee. I come to avenge thee, O my father Osiris, upon him
that did evil unto thee. I have set him under thy feet for ever and
for ever, permanently, permanently, O Osiris Ani, whose word is truth,
whose word is truth.

SPEECH OF QEBHSENUF. Qebsenuf saith:- I am thy son, O Osiris Ani,
whose word is truth. I come to protect thee. I have collected thy
bones and I have gathered together thy members. [I have brought thy
heart, and I have placed it upon its throne within thy body. I make
thy house to flourish after thee, O thou who livest for ever.]

SPEECH OF THE FLAME. I protect thee with this flame. I drive him
[the foe] away from the valley of the tomb. I cast the sand about [thy
feet]. I embrace the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, in peace.

SPEECH OF THE FLAME. I come to hew in pieces. I have not been hewn
in pieces, and I will not permit thee to be hewn in pieces. I come
to do violence [to thy foe], but I will not permit violence to be done
unto thee. I protect thee.

A SOUL SAITH:- The Osiris Ani, whose is truth, praiseth Ra when he
rolleth up into the sky in the eastern horizon of heaven.
2821

A SOUL SAITH:- The Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, in peace in
Khert-Neter, praiseth Ra when he setteth in the western horizon of
heaven, [and saith], "I am a perfect soul."

SPEECH OF ANI. The Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, saith:- I am a
perfect soul dwelling in the divine egg of the Abtu Fish. I am the
Great Cat which dwelleth in the Seat of Truth, wherein the god Shu
riseth.

SPEECH OF THE USHABTI FIGURE [THE CHAPTER OF NOT DOING WORK IN
KHERT-NETER]. Illumine the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth. Hail,
Shabti Figure! If the Osiris Ani be decreed to do any of the work
which is to be done in Khert-Neter, let everything which standeth in
the way be removed from him- whether it be to plough the fields, or to
fill the channels with water, or to carry sand from [the East to the
West]. The Shabti Figure replieth: I will do it, verily I am here
[when] thou callest.

APPENDIX

(From the Papyrus of Nu and the Papyrus of Nebseni)

The Speech of Anpu: Anubis the dweller in the mummy chamber,
Governor of the Divine House, layeth his hands upon the lord of
life, the scribe, the draughtsman of Ptah, Nebseni, the lord of
fealty, begotten of the scribe and mason Thena, born of the lady of
the house Mut-rest, whose word is truth, and devoting himself to him
as his guardian, saith:- Homage to thee, thou happy one, lord! Thou
seest the Utchat. Ptah-Seker hath bound thee up. Anpu hath exalted
thee. Shu hath raised thee up, O Beautiful Face, thou governor of
eternity. Thou hast thine eye, O scribe Nebseni, lord of fealty, and
it is beautiful. Thy right eye is like the Sektet Boat, thy left eye
is like the Atet Boat. Thine eyebrows are fair to see in the
presence of the Company of the Gods. Thy brow is under the
protection of Anpu, and thy head and face, O beautiful one, are before
the holy Hawk. Thy fingers have been stablished by thy scribe's
craft in the presence of the Lord of Khemenu, Thoth, who hath bestowed
upon thee the knowledge of the speech of the holy books. Thy beard
is beautiful in the sight of Ptah-Seker, and thou, O scribe Nebseni,
thou lord of fealty, art beautiful before the Great Company of the
Gods. The Great God looketh upon thee, and he leadeth thee along the
path of happiness. Sepulchral meals are bestowed upon thee, and he
overthroweth for thee thine enemies, setting them under thy feet in
the presence of the Great Company of the Gods who dwell in the House
of the Great Aged One which is in Anu.

SEKHET HETEPET

[HERE] BEGIN THE CHAPTERS OF SEKHET-HETEPET, AND THE CHAPTERS OF
COMING FORTH BY DAY, OF ENTERING INTO AND COMING FORTH FROM
KHERT-NETER, OF ARRIVING IN SEKHET-AANRU, AND OF LIVING IN PEACE IN
THE GREAT CITY, THE LADY OF WINDS. [The Osiris the scribe Ani, whose
word is truth, saith:-] Let me be master there. Let me be a khu there.
Let me plough there. Let me reap there. Let me eat there. Let me drink
there. [Let me beget there]. Let me do there all the things which
one doeth upon earth. The Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, saith:-
Horus vanquished Set when [he] looked at the building of
Sekhet-Hetepet. [He] spread air over the Divine Soul in its Egg, in
2822

its day. He delivered the interior of the body of Horus [from the
Akeru Gods]. I have crowned him in the House of Shu. His house is
the stars. Behold, I take up my place in its nomes. He hath guided the
hearts of the Company of the Firstborn Gods. He hath reconciled the
Two Fighters (Horus and Set), the guardians of life. He hath done what
is fair, bringing an offering. He hath reconciled the Two Fighters
with him that belongeth to them. He hath cut off the hairy scalp of
the Two Fighters. He hath destroyed the revolts of [their] children. I

have done away all the evil which attacked their souls. I am master in
[Sekhet-Hetepet]. I know it. I have sailed over its lakes that I might
arrive at the cities thereof. I have made strong my mouth. The
Spirit-souls are ready [to fight], but they shall not gain the mastery
over me. I am equipped in thy Fields, O god Hetep. What thou wishest
thou shalt do, [saith this god].

APPENDIX

(From the Papyrus of Nebseni, Sheet 17)

HERE BEGIN THE CHAPTERS OF SEKHET-HETEPET, AND THE CHAPTERS OF
COMING FORTH BY DAY; OF GOING INTO AND OF COMING FORTH FROM
KHERT-NETER; OF ARRIVAL IN SEKHET-AARU; OF LIVING IN SEKHET-HETEPET,
THE MIGHTY CITY, THE LADY OF WINDS; OF HAVING POWER THEREIN; OF
BECOMING A SPIRIT-SOUL THERE; OF PLOUGHING THERE; OF REAPING THERE; OF
EATING THERE; OF DRINKING THERE; OF MAKING LOVE THERE; AND OF DOING
EVERYTHING THERE EVEN AS A MAN DOETH UPON EARTH. NEBSENI, THE SCRIBE
AND DRAUGHTSMAN OF PTAH, SAITH:- Set vanguished Horus, who was looking
at the building in Sekhet-Hetepet. I set free Horus from Set. Set
opened the paths of the Two Eyes (the Sun and Moon) in the sky. Set
ejected water with air upon the soul of his Eye, which dwelt in the
town of Mert; he delivered the interior of the body of Horus from
the hands of the Akeru Gods. Behold me! I paddle this great boat
over the Lake of the god Hetep; I seized upon it in the mansion of
Shu. The mansion of his stars reneweth youth, reneweth youth. I paddle
over the Lakes thereof so that I may arrive at the towns thereof. I
sail up to the town of the god Hetep.... Behold, I am at peace with
his times, and with his guidance, and with his will, and with the
Company of the Gods, who are his firstborn. He maketh the Two Fighters
(Horus and Set) to be at peace [with each other], and to keep ward
over the living whom he hath created in fair form, and he bringeth
peace; he maketh the Two Fighters to be at peace with those who
watch over them. He cutteth off the hair from their divine fighters,
he driveth away storm from the children. He guardeth from attack the
Spirits. I have gained power therein. I know it. I have sailed over
its Lakes so that I might arrive at its towns. My mouth is strong. I
am equipped against the Spirits. They shall not gain the mastery
over me. I am rewarded [with] these thy Fields, O god Hetep. What thou
wishest that do thou, O lord of the winds. I shall be a spirit
therein. I shall eat therein. I shall drink therein. I shall plough
therein. I shall reap the grain therein. I shall be strong therein.
I shall make love therein. My words shall be strong therein. I shall
not be in subjection therein. I shall be a man of might therein.
Thou hast made strong the mouth and throat. Hetep Qettbu is its
name. [It is] stablished upon the pillars of Shu, and is linked with
the pleasant things of Ra. He is the divider of years, the hidden of
mouth; silent is his mouth, hidden is what he uttereth, he
fulfilleth eternity, he taketh possession of everlastingness of
2823

existence as Hetep, Neb-Hetep. Horus maketh himself strong like unto a
hawk which is one thousand cubits in length, and two thousand cubits
in life. He that equipments with him, he journeyeth on, he cometh to
the place where his heart would be, among the Lakes which are in its
towns. He begetteth in the birth-chamber of the god of the town, he is
satisfied with the food of the god of the town; he doeth what ought to
be done there, in the Field of Smas-er-Khet..... everything of the
birth-chamber of the god of the town. Now [when he] setteth in the
[land of] life like crystal he performeth everything therein, [which
things are] like unto the things done in the Lake Neserser, wherein
there is none that rejoiceth, and wherein are evil things of all
kinds. The god Hetep goeth in and cometh out, and marcheth hither

and thither in the Field of Smas-er-Khet, the Lady of the
birth-chamber of the god of the town. [Let me] live with the god
Hetep, clothed, and not despoiled by the Lords of the North, and may
the Lord of things bring food unto me. May he make me to go forward.
May I come forth. May he bring to me my Power there, may I receive it,
and may I be rewarded by the god Hetep. May I be master of the great
and mighty word in my body in this my place. Make me to remember it.
Let me [not] forget it. Let me go forward, let me plough. I am at
peace with the god of the town. I know the water, the towns, the
nomes, and the lakes which are in Sekhet-Hetepet. I live therein. I am
strong therein. I shine therein. I eat therein. I..... therein. I reap
the harvest therein. I plough therein. I beget children therein. I
am at peace therein with the god Hetep. Behold I sow seed therein. I
sail about on the lakes thereof, and I arrive at its towns, O god
Hetep. Behold my mouth is equipped, it possesseth horns . Give unto me
the abundance of the KAU (Doubles) and Spirit-souls. He who counteth
me is Shu. I know him not. I come to its towns. I sail over its lakes.
I walk about in Sekhet-Hetepet. Behold, it is Ra who is in heaven.
Behold, it is Hetep [who is] its double offering of peace. I have
advanced to its territory. I have put on my apparel. I have come
forth. I have given what it was upon me to give. I have made glad in
[my] heart. I have conquered. I am strong. I have given directions
to Hetep.

[Hail], Unen-em-hetep, I have come to thee. My soul followeth me.
The god Hu is on my hands. [Hail], Nebt-taui, in whom I remember and
forget, I have become alive. I have attacked none, let none attack me.
I have given, give thou to me gladness. Make thou me to be at peace,
bind thou up my veins, let [me] receive air. [Hail], Unen-em-hetep,
the Lord of Winds. I have come there. I have opened my head. Ra
sleepeth. I watch not, [for] the goddess Hetemet is at the door of
heaven by night. Obstacles have been put before, but I have
collected his emissions. I am in my city. O Nut-urt (Great City), I
have come into thee. I have counted up my abundant stores. I advance
on my way to Uakh. I am the Bull which is tied with a rope of
lapis-lazuli, the lord of the Field of the Bull, the lord of the words
of the god, the goddess Septet (Sothis) at her hours. O Uakh, I have
come into thee. I have eaten my food. I am master of choice pieces
of the flesh of oxen and of feathered fowl, and the birds of Shu
have been given unto me. I follow the gods, and I come [after the
Doubles]. O Tcheft, I have come into thee. I array myself in
apparel, and I gird about myself the sat garment of Ra. Behold the
Court of the sky, and the followers of Ra who dwell in heaven. O
Un-em-hetep, the lord of the Two Lands, I have come into thee. I
have plunged into the Lakes of Tchesert; behold, impurity of every
2824

kind hath removed from me. The divine Great One flourisheth therein.
Behold, I have found [him]. I have netted geese, and have fed full
upon the finest of them. O Qenqentet, I have come into thee. I have
seen the Osiris [my father]. I have saluted my mother. I have begotten
children. I have snared the serpents, and I am delivered. I know the
name of the god who is with the goddess Tchesert, and who hath
straight hair, and is equipped with horns [ready to gore]. He reapeth,
and I both plough and reap. O Hetemet, I have entered into thee. I
have approached the lapis-lazuli. I have followed the winds of the
Company of the Gods. The Great God hath given my head unto me. He
who hath bound my head on my body for me is the Mighty One, with
eyes of lapis-lazuli, namely, Ari-en-ab-f ("He doeth as he pleaseth").
O Usert, I have come into thee, to the house wherein food is brought
unto me. O Smam, I have come into thee. My heart watcheth, my head
is equipped with the White Crown. I act as the guide of the
celestial beings. I make to flourish terrestrial beings. There is

joy of heart for the Bull, and for the celestial beings, and for the
Company of the Gods. I am the god, the Bull, the Lord of the gods, who
maketh his way over the turquoise. O wheat and barley of the nome of
the god, I have come into thee. I have come forward. I have lifted
[you] up, following the best offerings of the Company of the Gods. I
have moored my boat to the tying-up post in the lakes of the celestial
beings. I have pulled up the typing-up post. I have recited words, and
I have ascribed praises unto the gods who dwell in Sekhet-Hetepet.

PROVIDING THE DECEASED WITH MEAT MILK ETC.

The Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, saith:- Homage to thee, O Ra,
the Lord of Truth, the Only One, the Lord of Eternity and Maker of
Everlastingness. I have come before thee, O my Lord Ra. I would make
to flourish the Seven Cows and their Bull. O ye who give cakes and ale
to the Spirit-souls, grant ye that my soul may be with you. Let him be
born on your thighs. Let him be like unto one of you for ever and
for ever. Let the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, have glorious power
in the Beautiful Amentet.

The Names of the Seven Holy Cows and their Bull:

1. Het-Kau Nebtertcher.

2. Akertkhentetasts.

3. Khebitetsahneter.

4. Urmertusteshertshenti.

5. Khnemtemankhanuit.

6. Sekhmetrensemabats.

7. Shenatpetuthestneter.

Bull: Kathaihemt.

ADDRESSES TO THE FOUR RUDDERS OF HEAVEN

Hail, thou Beautiful Power, thou Beautiful Rudder of the Northern
2825

Heaven.

Hail, thou who circlest, Guide of the Two Lands, Beautiful Rudder of
the Western Heaven.

Hail, Splendour, Dweller in the temple of the Ashemu gods, Beautiful
Rudder of the Eastern Heaven.

Hail, Dweller in the temple of the Red gods, Beautiful Rudder of the
Southern Heaven.

ADDRESSES TO THE FOUR COMAPNIES OF THE GODS

Hail, ye gods who are above the earth, ye Guides of the Tuat.

Hail, ye Mother-goddesses, who are above the earth in Khert-Neter,
in the House of Osiris.

Hail, ye gods who guide Ta-tchesert, who are above the earth and are
guides of the Tuat.

Hail, ye Followers of Ra, who follow in the train of Osiris.

APPENDIX

(From the Papyrus of Nu)

RUBRIC: [These words] shall be said when Ra appeareth over [figures]
of these gods written in colour upon a tablet, and thou shalt place
offerings of tchefau food before them, cakes, ale, flesh, geese, and
incense. They shall cause the deceased to enjoy the "offerings which
come forth at the word [of command]" before Ra; and they shall give
the deceased an abundance of food in Khert-Neter, and shall deliver
him from every evil thing whatsoever. And thou shalt not recite this
Book of Un-Nefer in the presence of anyone except thine own self. If
this be done for the deceased Ra shall be a rudder for him, and
shall be to him a strong protecting power, and he shall destroy all
his enemies for him in Khert-Neter, and in heaven, and upon earth, and
in every place whereinsoever he may enter, and he shall enjoy
celestial food regularly and continually for ever.

(From the Saite Recension)

THE BOOK OF MAKING PERFECT THE KHU in the heart of Ra, of making him
to have the mastery before Tem, of magnifying him before Osiris, of
making him mighty before Khent-Amentet, and of setting awe of him
before the Company of the Gods. It shall be recited on the day of
the New Moon, on the sixth day festival, on the fifteenth day
festival, on the festival of Uak, on the festival of Thoth, on the
Birthday of Osiris, on the festival of Menu, on the night of Heker,
[during] the Mysteries of the Tuat, during the celebration of the
Mysteries in Akertet, at the smiting of the emissions, at the
passage of the Funerary Valley, [and] the Mysteries...... [The recital
thereof] will make the heart of the Khu to flourish and will make long
his strides, and will make him to advance, and will make his face
bright, and will make it to penetrate to the God. Let no man witness
[the recital] except the king and the Kherheb priest, but the
servant who cometh to minister outside shall not see it. Of the Khu
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for whom this Book shall be recited, his soul shall come forth by
day with the living, he shall have power among the gods, and it will
make him irresisitible for ever and ever. These gods shall go round
about him, and shall acknowledge him. He shall be one of them. [This
Book] shall make him to know how he came into being in the
beginning. This Book is indeed a veritable mystery. Let no stranger
anywhere have knowledge of it. Do not speak about it to any man. Do
not repeat it. Let no [other] eye see it. Let no [other] ear hear
it. Let no one see it except [thyself] and him who taught [it to
thee]. Let not the multitude [know of it] except thyself and the
beloved friend of thy heart. Thou shalt do this book in the seh
chamber on a cloth painted with the stars in colour all over it. It is
indeed a mystery. The dwellers in the swamps of the Delta nad
everywhere there shall not know it. It shall provided the Khu with
celestial food upon in Khert-Neter. It shall supply his Heart-soul
with food upon earth. It shall make him to live for ever. No [evil]
thing shall have the master over him.

THE ADDRESSES OF THE FOUR RUDDERS

Hail, Power of Heaven, Opener of the Disk, thou Beautiful Rudder
of the Northern Heaven.

Hail, Ra, Guide of the Two Lands, thou Beautiful Rudder of the
Western Heaven.

Hail, Khu, Dweller in the House of the Akhemu gods, thou Beautiful
Rudder of the Eastern Heaven.

Hail, Governor, Dweller in the House of the Tesheru Gods, thou
Beautiful Rudder of the Southern Heaven.

Grant ye cakes, and ale and tchefau food to the Osiris Auf-ankh,
whose word is truth.

Hail, Father of the Gods! Hail, Mother of the Gods in Khert-Neter!
Deliver ye the Osiris from every evil thing, from every evil
obstruction, from every dire attack of an enemy, and from that
deadly snarer with knife-like words, and from men, and gods, and
Spirit-souls, and the damned, on this day, on this night, on this
present festival of the fifteenth day, and in this year, and from
the things of evil thereof.

HYMN TO OSIRIS KHENTI-AMENTI UN-NEFER

The Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, praiseth Osiris Khenti-Amenti
Un-Nefer, and saith:- Hail, my Lord, who dost hasten through eternity,
whose existence is for ever, Lord of Lords, King of Kings,
Sovereign, God of the Gods, who live in their shrines,.... gods....
men. Make thou for me a seat with those who are in Khert-Neter, who
adore the forms of thy KA, and who traverse millions of millions of
years....... May no delay arise for thee in Ta-mera. Let them come
to thee, all of them, great as well as small. May this god give the
power to enterin and to come forth from Khert-Neter, without
repulse, at any door of the Tuat, to the KA of the Osiris Ani.

2827

APPENDIX

(From the Papyrus of Sutimes)

SUTIMES, THE LIBATIONER AND PRESIDENT OF THE ALTAR CHAMBER OF THE
APTS, DIRECTOR OF THE SCRIBES OF AMEN, WHOSE WORD IS TRUTH, PRAISETH
OSIRIS, AND DOETH HOMAGE TO THE LORD OF ETERNITY, AND SATISFIETH THE
WILL OF THE GOD, AND SPEAKETH TRUTH, THE LORD OF WHICH IS UNKNOWN, AND
SAITH:- Homage to thee, O thou Holy God, thou mighty and beneficent
being, thou Prince of Eternity, who dwellest in thy abode in the
Sektet Boat, whose risings are manifold in the Atet Boat, unto whom
praises are rendered in heaven and upon earth. Peoples and nations
exalt thee, and the awe of thy terror is in the hearts of men, and
Spirt-souls, and the dead. Thy soul dwelleth in Tetu, and the awe of
thee is in Hensu. Thou settest the visible emblems of thyself in
Anu, and the majesty of thy transformations in the holy place. I
have come unto thee. Truth is in my heart, and in my breast there is
neither craft nor guile. Grant thou that I may have my being among the
living, and that I may sail up and down the river among those who
are in thy following.

PRAISE TO HATHOR LADY OF AMENTET

THE CHAPTER OF THE PRAISE OF HATHOR, LADY OF AMENTET

Hathor, Lady of Amentet, the Dweller in the Great Land, the Lady
of Ta-Tchesert, the Eye of Ra, the Dweller in his breast, the
Beautiful Face in the Boat of Millions of Years, the Seat of Peace
of the doer of truth, Dweller in the Boat of the favoured ones.....

APPENDIX

THE CHAPTER OF THE FOUR TORCHES

(From the Papyrus of Nu, Sheets 26 and 27)

THE CHAPTER OF THE FOUR LIGHTED LAMPS WHICH ARE MADE FOR THE
SPIRIT-SOUL. Behold, thou shalt make four rectangular troughs of
clay wherein thou shalt scatter incense, and thou shalt fill them with
the milk of a white cow, and by means of these thou shalt extinguish
the lamps. The Osiris Nu, the steward of the overseer of the seal,
whose word is truth, saith:- The fire cometh to thy KA, O Osiris
Khenti-Amenti! The fire cometh to thy KA, O Osiris Nu, whose word is
truth. The ordering of the night cometh after the day. [The fire
cometh to thy KA, O Osiris, Governor of those who are in Amenti],
and the two sisters of Ra come likewise. Behold it (the fire) riseth
in Abtu, and it cometh; I cause it to come, the Eye of Horus. It is
set in order upon thy brow, O Osiris Khenti-Amenti; it is set in thy
shrine and riseth on thy brow; it is set on thy brow, O Osiris Nu,
it is set on thy brow. The Eye of Horus protecteth thee, O Osiris
Khenti-Amenti, and it keepeth thee in safety; it casteth down headlong
all thine enemies for thee, and all thine enemies have fallen down
headlong before thee. O Osiris Nu, the Eye of Horus protecteth thee,
it keepeth thee in safety, and it casteth down headlong all thine
enemies. Thine enemies have fallen down headlong before thy KA, O
2829

Osiris Khenti-Amenti. The Eye of Ra protecteth thee, it keepeth thee
in safety, and it hath cast down headlong all thine enemies. Thine
enemies have fallen down headlong before thy KA, O Osiris Nu, whose
word is truth. The Eye of Horus protecteth thee, it keepeth thee in
safety, it hath cast down headlong for thee all thine enemies, and
thine enemies have fallen down headlong before thee. The Eye of
Horus cometh. It is sound and well, it sendeth forth light even as
doth Ra in the horizon. It covereth the powers of Suti with
darkness, it mastereth him, and it bringeth its flame against him by
its own command. The Eye of Horus is sound and well, thou eatest the
flesh thereof, thy body possesseth it. Thou acclaimest it. The Four
Fires enter into thy KA, O Osiris Khenti-Amenti, the Four Fires
enter into thy KA, O Osiris Nu, the steward of the overseer of the
seal, whose word is truth.

Hail, ye sons of Horus, Kesta, Hapi, Tuamutef, and Qebhsenuf, ye
have given your protection to your divine Father Osiris Khenti-Amenti,
give ye your protection to the Osiris Nu, whose word is truth. Now
therefore, inasmuch as ye have destroyed the Opponent of Osiris
Khenti-Amenti, who liveth with the gods, having smitten Suti with
his right hand and arm when dawn came upon the earth, and Horus hath
become master [of Suti], and hath avenged his divine Father himself;
and inasmuch as your divine Father hath been made to flourish
through the union of the KA of Osiris Khenti-Amenti, whch ye effected,
and the Eye of Horus hath avenged him, and hath protected him, and
hath cast down headlong for him all his enemies, and all his enemies
have fallen down before him, even so do ye destroy the Opponent of the
Osiris Nu, the steward of the overseer of the seal, whose word is

truth. Let him live with the gods, let him smite his enemy, let him
destroy him, when light dawneth on the earth. Let Horus be master
and avenge the Osiris Nu, and let the Osiris Nu flourish through his
union with his KA which ye have effected. O Osiris Nu, the Eye of
Horus hath avenged thee. It hath cast down headlong all thine
enemies for thee, and all thine enemies have been cast down headlong
before thee.

Hail, Osiris Khenti-Amenti, grant thou light and fire to the perfect
Heart-soul which is in Hensu. And [O ye Sons of Horus], grant ye power
unto the living heart-soul of the Osiris Nu by means of his fire.
Let him not be repulsed, and let him not be driven back at the doors
of Amentet! Let his offerings of bread and of linen garments be
brought unto him among the lords of funeral oblations. O offer ye
praises, as unto a god to the Osiris Nu, the destroyer of his Opponent
in his form of Truth, and in his attributes of a god of truth.

RUBRIC: [This Chapter] shall be recited over four torches of atma
cloth, which hath been anointed with the finest Thehennu unguent,
and the torches shall be placed in the hands of four men who shall
have the names of the pillars of Horus written upon their shoulders,
and they shall burn the torches in the beautiful light of Ra, and this
shall confer power and might upon the Spirit-soul of the deceased
among the stars which never set. If this Chapter be recited for him he
shall never, never perish, and he shall become a living soul for ever.
These torches shall make the Spirit-soul to flourish like Osiris
Khenti-Amenti, regularly and continually for ever. It is a struggle.
Thou shalt not perform this ceremony before any human being except
thine own self, or thy father, or thy son, because it is an
2830

exceedingly great mystery of the Amentet, and it is a type of the
hidden things of the Tuat. When this ceremony hath been performed
for the deceased, the gods, and the Spirit-souls, and the dead shall
see him in the form of Khenti-Amenti, and he shall have power and
dominion like this god.

If thou shalt undertake to perform for the deceased that which is
ordered in this "Chapter of the four blazing torches," each day,
thou shalt cause the form of the deceased to come forth from every
hall [in the Tuat], and from the Seven Halls of Osiris. And he shall
live in the form of the God. He shall have power and dominion
corresponding to those of the gods and the Spirit-souls for ever and
ever. He shall enter in through the secret pylons and shall not be
turned back in the presence of Osiris. And it shall come to pass,
provided that the following things be done for him, that he shall
enter in and come forth. He shall not be turned back. No boundary
shall be set to his goings, and the sentence of the doom shall not
be passed upon him on the Day of the Weighing of Words before
Osiris- never, never.

And thou shalt perform whatsoever [is written in] this book on
behalf of the deceased, who shall thereby become perfect and pure. And
thou shalt "open his mouth" with the instrument of iron. And thou
shalt write down these things in accordance with the instructions
which are found in the books of Prince Herutataf, who discovered
them in a secret coffer (now they were in the handwriting of the god
[Thoth] himself and had been deposited in the Temple of the goddess
Unnut, the Lady of Unu) during a journey which he was making in
order to inspect the temples, and the temple-estates, and the
sanctuaries of the gods. And thou shalt perform these ceremonies
secretly in the Tuat-chamber of the tomb, for they are mysteries of
the Tuat, and they are symbolic of the things which are done in
Khert-Neter.

And thou shalt say: I have come, I have advanced hastily. I cast
light upon his (the deceased's) footsteps. I am hidden, but I cast
light upon his hidden place. I stand up close to the Tet. I stand up
close to the Tet of Ra, I turn back the slaughter. I am protecting
thee, O Osiris.

RUBRIC: This Chapter shall be recited over a Tet of crystal, which
shall be set upon a brick made of crude mud, whereupon this Chapter
hath been inscribed. Thou shalt make a cavity in the west wall [of the
tomb], and having turned the front of the Tet towards the east, thou
shalt wall up the cavity with mud which hath been mixed with extract
of cedar. This Tet shall drive away the enemies of Osiris who would
set themselves at the east wall [of the tomb].

And thou shalt say: I have driven back thy foes. I keep watch over
thee. He that is upon his mountain (Anpu) keepeth watch over thee
ready for the moment when thy foes shall attack thee, and he shall
repulse them for thee. I will drive back the Crocodile at the moment
when it attacketh thee, and I will protect thee, O Osiris Nu.

RUBRIC: This Chapter shall be recited over a figure of Anpu made
of crude mud mixed with incense. And the figure shall be set upon a
brick made of crude mud, whereupon this Chapter hath been inscribed.
Thou shalt make a cavity in the east wall, and having turned the
2831

face of the figure of Anpu towards the west wall [therein] thou
shalt wall up the cavity. This figure shall repulse the enemies of
Osiris, who would set themselves at the south wall.

And thou shalt say; I am the belt of sand round about the hidden
coffer. I turn back the force of the blazing fire of the funerary
mountain. I traverse the roads, and I protect the Osiris Nu, the
steward of the overseer of the seal, whose word is truth.

RUBRIC: This Chapter shall be recited over a brick made of crude mud
whereon a copy of this Chapter hath been inscribed. And thou shalt
place a reed in the middle thereof, and thou shalt smear it with
pitch, and set light thereto. Then thou shalt make a cavity in the
south wall, and, having turned the front of the brick towards the
north, thou shalt wall the brick up inside it. [It shall repulse the
enemies of the Osiris Nu] who would assemble at the north wall.

And thou shalt say: O thou who comest to set fire [to the tomb or
mummy], I will not let thee do it. O thou who comest to cast fire
[herein], I will not let thee do it. I will burn thee, and I will cast
fire upon thee. I protect the Osiris Nu, the steward of the overseer
of the seal, whose word is truth.

RUBRIC: This Chapter shall be recited over a brick of crude mud,
whereon a copy of this Chapter hath been inscribed. [And thou shalt
set upon it] a figure of the deceased made of palm wood, seven fingers
in height. And thou shalt perform on it the ceremony of "Opening the
Mouth." Then thou shalt make a cavity in the north wall, and having
[placed the brick and the figure inside it], and turned the face of
the figure towards the south, thou shalt wall up the cavity. [It shall
repulse the enemies of the Osiris Nu], who would assemble at the south
wall.

And behold, these things shall be done by a man who is washed clean,
and is ceremonially pure, and who hath eaten neither meat nor fish,
and who hath not [recently] had intercourse with women. And behold,
thou shalt make offerings of cakes and ale to these gods, and shalt
burn incense on their fires. Every Spirit-soul for whom these things
shall be done shall become like a holy god in Khert-Neter, and he
shall not be turned back at any gate in Amentet, and he shall be in
the following of Osiris, whithersoever he goeth, regularly and
continually.
��������������������������������������������������������������������������������
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The Raven Kindred Ritual Book By Lewis Stead and The Raven Kindreds,
Northern & Southern Hearths

The Raven Kindred Ritual Book is Copyright(c)1991,1992,1993 by Lewis
Stead, All Rights Reserved. Copies of this book are available from
the Raven Kindred; 11160 Veirs Mill Rd L15-175 at a cost of $5/booklet
or may be downloaded free of charge from the Moonrise BBS at (301)
593-9609 or obtained by sending e-mail to lstead@access.digex.net.
Non-commercial free of charge electronic distribution of this document
is permitted provided that the document remains whole and contains the
above copyright statement.

Introduction

Less than a thousand years ago the elders of Iceland made a fateful
decision. Under political pressure from Christian Europe and faced
with the need for trade, the Allthing or national assembly declared
Iceland to be an officially Christian country. Within a few centuries
the last remnants of Nordic Paganism, which once stretched through all
of Northern Europe were thought dead. However, Iceland was a tolerant
country and the myths, stories, and legends of Pagan times were left
unburnt to kindle the fires of belief in later generations. In 1972
Iceland once again recognized Nordic Paganism as a legitimate and
legal religion.

Iceland and Sweden were the last two bastions of the Pagan religion
originally practiced by the people of the various Germanic tribes.
Today Nordic Paganism also known as Odinism, Heathenism, Northern
Tradition, or Asatru (an Old-Norse term meaning �loyalty to the Gods�)
is practiced in virtually all the countries where it originally
flourished as well as America and Australia. It is one of a body of
religions calling themselves Neo-Paganism which include Druidism, the
revival of ancient Celtic Paganism, and Wicca or Witchcraft. However
Asatru remains largely unknown even within the community of Neo-Pagan
believers.

This book is intended as a basic manual to the beliefs and practices
of the Raven Kindred of Asatru. We do not pretend to be experts and
won�t act as if we were. Rather we are simply believers in the Old
Gods seeking to share our practice and research with others who are
true to the Aesir. Our aim is to present a simple guide which will
allow easy understanding of the principles behind Asatru and to give
hints for further study and exploration.

While we attempt to be historically accurate to our religion's roots,
it�s important to note that there are many things that we simply don�t
know or which aren�t written in stone. While we occasionally need to
flesh out our systems where we don�t have direct evidence of our
ancestors ways, we are not likely to simply make up things. It is
very important to us to stay as true to the ways of the old Pagans as
is possible. In those places where the various myths, legends, and
folklore are not clear we have tried to indicate this. We do not
present our way as the �true� Asatru, but we do feel that all Asatru
should be solidly connected to its roots in ancient Norse practice.
Where we do not know the certain answer to a quesation, there is room
for exploration, but not for simply making something up out of whole
cloth. While inspiration from the Gods is an important part of our
movement, this is not make believe and any additions to the historical
2833

system should be made with respect to our ancient roots.

The most important thing for modern people to remember about Asatru is
that it is a religion. It is not a system of magick or spirituality
or �New Age Practice� which can be grafted onto something else or onto
which other �systems� can be grafted wholesale. Asatru is a word
derived from �As� a God of the Aesir family and �tru� meaning troth.
To be Asatru is to be bound by loyalty and troth to the Old Gods of
the North. While we may believe in the deities of other religions and
peoples, and even respect them, these are not our Gods. While we may
take part in rituals dedicated to other Gods at ecumenical Pagan
festivals or gatherings which encompass many other religions, we must
not forget that Asatru is our religion and our primary concern. One
simply does not collect membership in Asatru (or any other religion)
as if one were collecting stamps. Our Gods are real and worthy of our
respect.

Today many people �practice� a number of different religions feeling
that this is the best way to avoid intolerance, we have a completely
different view of the world. Asatru is not a universal religion. We
do not see ourselves as a path for everyone. We are true polytheists
and see the world as encompassing many religions which worship many
Gods. While we do not deny the beliefs of others, we also do not
confuse them with our own. The idea that �it is all one� is anathema
to the true Heathen. To claim that Odin is the same God as Zeus is
madness. Would one claim that green and red are the same merely
because they are both colors? If one disagrees with this perspective
or finds it limiting so be it. Our belief is also that Asatru is not
a path for everyone and it is better to find ones own way rather than
bend the religions of others to fit ourselves.

In accordance with this non-universalist conception, as much as we
have been able to, we have not adopted the practices of other Pagan
religions or magickal systems. Those familiar with Wicca will note
that most modern Neo-Pagan systems are derived from it. This is not
the case with Asatru. Our religion began with reconstruction based on
written sources dating from the Pagan period. This has been followed
by 20 years of innovation and practice within the Heathen community.
While we make no pretensions that this has resulted in a system that
is identical with that of our spiritual ancestors, it is at least a
system that is our own.

In saying this I would reiterate that we do not put down any religion
for it�s beliefs. We merely ask for the integrity of our own. We are
not rejecting other systems because they are wrong or because we think
ill of them, we are rather choosing Asatru because of our love and
devotion to it.

The Rituals of Asatru

The Blot

The Blot is the most common ritual within Asatru. In its simplest
form a blot is making a sacrifice to the Gods. In the old days this
was done by feasting on an animal consecrated to the Gods and then
slaughtered. As we are no longer farmers and our needs are simpler
today, the most common blot is an offering of mead or other alcoholic
beverage to the deities.
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Many modern folk will be suspicious of a ritual such as this. Rituals
which are deemed sacrifices, such as the blot, have been falsely
interpreted by post-Pagan sources in order to denigrate the ritual or
trivialize them. The most common myth about ritual sacrifice is that
one is buying off a deity e.g. one throws a virgin into the Volcano
so it won�t erupt. Nothing could be further from the truth. In
Asatru it is believed that we are not only the worshippers of the Gods
but that we are physically related to them. The Eddas tell of a God,
Rig, who went to various farmsteads and fathered the human race so we
are physically kin to the Gods. On a more esoteric level, humankind
is gifted with �ond� or the gift of ecstasy. Ond is a force that is
of the Gods. It is everything that makes humans different from the
other creatures of the world. As creatures with this gift, we are
immediately connected to the Gods, we are part of their tribe, their
kin. Thus we are not simply buying off the Gods by offering them
something that they want, but we are sharing with the Gods something
that we all take joy in. Sharing and gift giving was an important
part of most ancient cultures and had magical significance. Giving a
gift was a sign of friendship, kinship, and connection. By sharing a
blot with the Gods we reaffirm our connection to them and thus
reawaken their powers within us and their watchfulness over our world.

A blot can be a simple affair where a horn of mead is consecrated to
the Gods and then poured as a libation, or it can be a part of a
larger ritual. A good comparison is the Catholic Mass which may be
part of a regular service or special event such as a wedding or
funeral, or it may be done as a purely magical-religious practice
without any sermon, hymns, or other trappings.

The blot consists of three parts, the hallowing or consecrating of the
offering, the sharing of the offering, and the libation. Each of
these is equally important. The only tools required are mead, beer or
juice, a horn or chalice, a sprig of evergreen used to sprinkle the
mead, and a ceremonial bowl known as a Hlautbowl into which the
initial libation will be made.

The blot begins with the consecration of the offering. The Gothi
(Priest) or Gythia (Priestess) officiating at the blot invokes the God
or Goddess being honored. This is usually accomplished by a spoken
declaration with ones arms being held above ones head in a Y shape, in
imitation of the rune elhaz. This posture is used for most
invocations and prayers throughout Asatru. After the spoken
invocation an appropriate rune or other symbol of the God or Goddess
may be drawn in the air with the finger or with the staff. Once the
God is invoked, the Gothi takes up the horn. His assistant pours mead
from the bottle into the horn. The Gothi then traces the hammer sign
(an upside down T) over the horn as a blessing and holds it above his
head offering it to the Gods. He then speaks a request that the God
or Goddess bless the offering and accept it as a sacrifice. At the
least one will feel the presence of the deity; at best one will be
able to feel in some inner way the God taking of the mead and drinking
it.

The mead is now not only blessed with divine power but has passed the
lips of the God or Goddess. The Gothi then takes a drink of the horn
and it is passed around the gathered folk. Although it sounds like a
very simple thing, it can be a very powerful experience. At this
point the mead is no longer simply a drink but is imbued with the
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blessing and power of the God or Goddess being honored. When one
drinks, one is taking that power into oneself. This is the essence of
the rune Gebo. After the horn has made the rounds once, the Gothi
again drinks from the horn and then empties the remainder into the
hlautbowl. The Gothi then takes up the evergreen sprig and his
assistant the Hlautbowl and the Gothi sprinkles the mead around the
circle or temple or onto the altar. If there are a great number of
the folk gathered, one may wish to drop the drinking and merely
sprinkle the various folk with the mead as a way of sharing it. In a
small group one might merely drink as the blessing.

When this is done the Hlautbowl is taken by the Gothi and poured out
onto the ground. This is done as an offering not only to the God
invoked at the blot, but it is also traditional to remember the Earth
Mother at this time, since it is being poured onto her ground. Many
invocations mention the God, Goddess, or spirit being sacrificed to,
and then Mother Earth, as in the Sigrdrifa Prayer �Hail to the Gods
and to the Goddesses as well; Hail Earth that gives to all men.�
(Sigrdrifumal 3) With this action, the blot is ended.

Obviously this is a very sparse ritual and if performed alone could be
completed in only a few minutes. This is as it should be, for blots
are often poured not because it is a time of gathering or festivity
for the folk, but because the blot must be poured in honor or petition
of a God or Goddess on their holiday or some other important occasion.
For example, a father tending his sick child might pour a blot to Eir
the Goddess of healing. Obviously he doesn�t have time to waste on
the �trappings� of ritual. The intent is to make an offering to the
Goddess as quickly as possible. At some times a full celebration
might not be made of a holiday because of a persons hectic schedule,
but at the least a blot should be made to mark the occasion. However,
in most cases a blot will at least be accompanied by a statement of
intent at the beginning and some sort of conclusion at the end. It
might also be interspersed with or done at the conclusion of ritual
theater or magic.

The Sumbel

One of the most common celebrations noted in tales of our ancestors is
the Sumbel or ritual drinking celebration. This was a more mundane
and social sort of ritual than the blot, but of no less importance.
When Beowulf came to Hrothgar, the first thing they did was to drink
at a ritual sumbel. This was a way of establishing Beowulf�s identity
and what his intent was, and doing so in a sacred and traditional
manner. At the sumbel toasts are drunk to the Gods, as well as to a
persons ancestors or personal heroes. Rather than a toast, a person
might also offer a brag or some story, song, or poem that has
significance. The importance is that at the end of the toast, story,
or whatever, the person offering it drinks from the horn, and in doing
so �drinks in� what he spoke.

The sumbel is also an important time for the folk to get to know each
other in a more intimate way than most people are willing to share.
Modern society is at two extremes. At one end are the emotionless
beings who have been robbed of their soul by modern industrial secular
culture. On the other side are those pathetic �sensitive New-Age
guys� who spend their lives consciously attempting to stir their
emotions and who force an unnatural level of intimacy between
2836

themselves and others. There are some levels of emotional intimacy
which are not meant to be openly shared with strangers. Doing so
reduces their meaning to the mundane. At sumbel, barriers can be
lowered in a place which is sacred to the Gods and the Folk. Thoughts
can be shared among companions and friends without embarrassment or
forced intimacy.

One format for the sumbel with a history in tradition is to drink
three rounds. The first is dedicated to the Gods, the second to great
heroes of the folk such as historical figures or heroes from the
sagas, and the third to personal ancestors, heroes, or friends which
have passed from this world.

Another theme for a sumbel is past, present, and future. This type of
sumbel is more of a magical ritual than one of celebration. The idea
is to make toasts which bring up some aspect of your past, and present
situation, and a third toast or brag which represents your wishes for
the future. One might make a toast to the first Asatru ritual one
attended as the past, a second to the companions and kindred then
gathered, and for his third toast might state that he intends to be
initiated as a Gothi in the coming year. The purpose would be to link
the coming event of his initiation with the two already accomplished
events of pledging Asatru and finding a kindred � two other important
rites of passage. In this case initiation as a Gothi then becomes
something which is linked to a chain of events that have already
occurred, rather than an isolated action which might occur. Thus
magically, this moves the person towards his initiation.

A third and everpopular type of sumbel is a free-for-all where stories
are told, toasts are made, and bragging is done until all the gathered
Odinists are under the table. Perhaps this is not quite so esoteric
or purposeful as the previous ideas, but it�s certainly in keeping
with the examples of our Gods and ancestors! Joy is better than guilt!

These are only ideas. The sumbel is a very open ended type of thing
and the framework is very simple to adapt.

One thing important to note about any Asatru ritual is that ours is a
holistic religion. We do not limit our Gods or spirituality to a
certain time and place. While the sacrament of the blot is usually
poured as part of a ceremony, the feast afterwards, singing of sacred
songs, reciting of poetry, Morris Dancing, etc are all part of our
religion. A truly traditional celebration might begin with a rather
informal greeting of the dawn, involve May Dancing and �mystery
plays,� then move on to a more structured Blot, and finally to a feast
capped by a sumbel. On the other side of things, there�s no reason
why at a family feast one might not simply pour a bottle of beer or
mead as an offering without the other trappings of a blot.

Profession

Profession is one of the most important ceremonies in Asatru. To
Profess one�s belief in and kinship to the Gods should be an important
turning point in ones life and the beginning of a new understanding of
the self. Profession is, however, a very simple and rather short
ceremony. In our kindred we usually profess people after beginning
the ritual, but before we offer the formal blot.

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Profession is not an occult or initiatory ceremony. It is nothing
less than it�s name: one professes (declares, affirms) his wish to
become one of the Asafolk. This oath is usually taken by the
Kindred-Gothi on the oath ring or some other Holy object as follows:

The Gothi stands in front of the altar and says �Will [insert name
here] please come forward.� After he or she does so �Are you here of
your own free will? Is it your intention to solemnly swear allegiance
and kinship to the Gods of Asgard, the Aesir and Vanir?� If the answer
to both these questions is in the affirmative the Gothi takes up the
oath ring and holds it out to the person professing and says �Repeat
after me. I swear to ever uphold the Raven Banner of Asgard, to
follow the way of the North, to always act with honor and bravery, and
to be ever true to the Aesir and Vanir and to Asatru. By the Gods I
so swear. By my honor I so swear. On this Holy Ring I do swear.
Hail the Gods.� The kindred then replies �Hail the Gods!� and the
Gothi finishes �Then be welcome to the service of Asgard and the Folk
of the Asatru.�

There may be other celebrations connected to a Profession, just as
other religions hold Bar Mitzvah or Confirmation parties. When
someone joins our kindred, we hold a Sumbel of nine rounds, each
dedicated to one of the values of Asatru (see below) and toast those
values to the new kinsman.

The Holidays

The ancient Norse knew four major holidays the Spring and Autumn
Equinoxes which we call Summer and Winter Finding, and the two
solstices which we call Midsummer and Yule. However, there were many
other minor festivals and modern Asatru have added even more. A
calendar of our kindred�s rituals is provided in an appendix and I
also encourage anyone to find as many as one is willing to meet for.
We meet monthly, but some groups meet 8 times a year and also
celebrate the cross-quarter days of May Day/Walpurgis,
Halloween/Samhain, February eve or The Charming of the Plow, and
Lammastide or Freyfaxi,

Most of our rituals also honor only one or a few Gods or Goddesses at
any one time. However, there is no reason why the entire pantheon
should not be offered prayers and thanks at any occasion. This would
be particularly appropriate at the major holidays. Unlike most other
groups in the Neo-Pagan movement, we do not necessarily honor Gods in
male/female pairs. The boy/girl notion is one taken from the Pagan
fertility religion of Wicca and isn�t necessarily appropriate to our
Gods, who often represent things other than fertility. So while a
Spring ritual held in honor of Freya and Frey as fertility deities
might wish to honor them together, there is no reason to include Frigg
in a ritual dedicated to Odin as the God of War.

Yule

Yule is the most important holiday of the year. Everyone is familiar
with the shortness of the deep winter days, but in the Scandinavian
countries this is of even greater importance. At the Yuletide there
is almost no sunlight at all, and the climate would have people bound
in their homes waiting for the return of Spring.
2838

Yule is a long festival, traditionally held to be 12 days or more.
After Yule the days began to get longer and the festival represented
the breaking of the heart of winter and the beginning of the new year.
Yule was the holiday of either Thor or Frey, although there is no
reason not to honor both Gods in modern practice. Frey is the God of
fertility and farming and was honored at Yule in the hopes that his
time would soon return. Thor was the sworn enemy of the Frost Giants
and Jotunn who ruled the winter months, and as such was honored as the
God who�s actions fought off these creatures and brought back the
spring. Sunna, the Goddess of the Sun, should also be honored at
Yule, although she is held at more important during the summer months
when she is at her strongest.

The most important symbols of Yule are still with us today. Most of
the supposedly secular customs of Christmas are actually Pagan in
origin. Evergreen trees and holly which remained green throughout the
long nights and cold were a promise that spring would once again
return to the land. These symbols may also have been a connection to
the nature spirits who have sway over the return of the warm days.
The modern conception of Santa Claus as an elf, for whom offerings of
milk and cookies are left, is probably a modern continuation of
leaving offerings for the Alvar and other nature spirits. The idea of
children staying up all night in the hopes of catching a glimpse of
Santa Claus may be a remnant of people staying awake to mark the long
night and remind the sun to return. (In the latter case it�s
considered an adequate substitution to leave a candle going all night
to light the way for the returning sun.)

Yule is a weeks long festival, not just a single holiday. The Yule
season begins on the solstice, which is the Mother Night of Yule, and
ends with Twelfth Night on January sixth. As a point of interest,
January seventh is St. Distaff�s day, which Nigel Pennic has
suggested may have been a day sacred to Frigg, whose symbol is the
distaff.

While one might expect a rather dour theme to a holiday held in the
darkness and cold, Yule is a time of feasting and gladness.

In various places different Gods were held to be the most important at
Yule. Thor was honored because it is he who fights and kills the
Jotunn, who surely are the ones responsible for the loss of warmth in
the world. Yule was when Thor broke the back of winter and allowed
the warmth to slowly return to the world. Frey was also honored
because it was he who married Gerd and warmed her heart, returning
fertility to the world.

There are simply so many different Yule customs, both ancient and
modern, that one has almost limitless possibilities even when staying
within Scandanavian and Germanic customs. In modern practice one
might honor Sunna on the Mother Night, then hold a blot a few days
later to Thor, a feast for New Years day which is shared with the
house and land spirits, and then finish on Twelfth Night with a ritual
to Frey, whose time is then officially beginning.

Summer Finding

Summer Finding is also known to many groups as Ostara, the holiday
sacred to the Goddess for whom the modern Easter is named. She is a
2839

fertility Goddess and her symbols are the hare and the egg. She was
an important Goddess of spring to the ancient Saxons, but we know
little else of her other than this. Some have suggested that Ostara
is merely an alternate name for Frigg or Freya, but neither of these
Goddesses seem to have quite the same fertility function as Ostara
does. Frigg seems too high class to be associated with such an earthy
festival and Freya�s form of fertility is more based on eroticism than
reproduction.

The obvious folk tradition at this time of year involves eggs. These
were colored as they are today, but then they were buried, or more
appropriately, planted in the earth. Some have suggested that the act
was purely magical, the fertility of the eggs would then be
transferred from the animal realm to the plant realm and would
increase the prosperity of the harvest. It�s also possible that they
were left as an offering to the alvar and the spirits of the plants.

In any case a blot should be prepared to the Goddess of Spring,
however one wishes to honor her, and also to the spirits of the land.

Midsummer Day

The summer solstice was second only to Yule in importance to the
ancient Northmen. Some groups mark this day as sacred to Balder, but
we disagree with this. While Balder can be seen as a dying and
resurrected Sun God, in the mythology we are most familiar with, he
does not return to life until Ragnarok and it seems like �bad karma�
to symbolically kill the sun when you know he doesn�t come back until
the end of the world. Instead, we mark this day as sacred to the
Goddess Sunna, who is literally the sun.

One idea for midsummer is to remain awake all night and mark the
shortest night of the year, then at sunrise to perform a �Greeting of
Sunna� and a blot to her.

Another midsummer custom is the rolling of a flaming wagon wheel down
a hill to mark the turning of the wheel of the year. If fire would
otherwise be a hazard, one could parade a wheel covered with candles
for similar effect. It is also a time for general merriment and in
the Scandinavian countries many of what we know as the traditional May
Day rituals such as May Poles and Morris Dances were instead
celebrated at Midsummer.

Winter Finding

I have not come across a great deal of traditional lore about the
Autumn Equinox which we know as Winter Finding. It seems to have been
overshadowed to some extent by the Winter Nights which we celebrate at
the equinox rather than at the more traditional time of mid-November.

If one wishes not to do this, the Winter Finding would be a festival
of harvest. One should hold a Blot to whichever Gods of fertility
seem most appropriate and then hold a large feast, concerntrating on
vegetables that are currently in season.

Winter Nights

The Winter Nights are the traditional festival honoring the Disir or
2840

family spirits. It is a time to remember your family, the dead, and
your ancestors. (For more information on the Disir see the chapter
�Elves and other Spirits.�)

A Freyablot may be performed at this time as Freya is known as the
Vanadis (i.e. the Dis of the Vanir) or the Great Dis, and she seems
to be the Goddess of the Disir themselves. This is probably connected
to Freya�s position as recipient of half the battle-slain. One might
also simply want to honor the Disir as a whole, or attempt to summon
and pour offering to your own family�s Dis. A sumbel which toasts
ones ancestors and passed on friends would also be in order. If a
feast is held, it should be quiet and respectful of the character of
the season. Another idea is a silent �mum feast,� a custom which is
found the world over.

The various Halloween customs such as dressing in costume or
celebrating this time as a time where the worlds of the living and the
dead connect are more Celtic in origin than Nordic and probably should
not be part of an Asatru celebration.

The Gods of Asgard

The Old Norse reckoned that there were three races of Gods: the Aesir,
the Vanir, and the Jotunn. The Aesir are those beings most often
referred to in the ancient literature simply as �the Gods.� They are
the Gods of society, representing things such as Kingship, Craft, etc.
The Vanir are more closely connected to the earth and represent the
fecundity of the land and the natural forces which help mankind. Once
there was a great war between the Aesir and the Vanir, but this was
eventually settled and Frey, Freya, and Njord came to live with the
Aesir to seal the peace. The Jotunn are a th