All about history book of myths and legends. ( PDFDrive )

DEITIES OF THE UNDERWORLD

Besides Osiris, Anubis, and the ferocious assessor gods, several other

deities were associated with the Egyptian Underworld. Some of these

were sinister, shadowy beings with the heads of rams, tortoises, or

hippopotamuses. Others included the serpent-god Apep, or Apophis,

who constantly waged war on Ra, the sun god. Among the less

intimidating deities was the goddess Nephthys, sister of

Isis, who led the pharaohs through the Underworld and

also cared for the stored organs of the deceased.

THE HALL OF THE TWO TRUTHS

Souls were judged in the Hall of the Two Truths, which contained a

balance in which the heart – the only vital organ not removed from

the mummified body – was weighed. The feather of Ma’at, goddess

of truth and justice, was placed against the heart on the scales. If the

heart outweighed the feather, it would be deemed full of sin, and

Ammut, the Devourer of the Dead, would feast on it. If the heart

was lighter, the soul moved on to the next stage of judgement.

PREPARING FOR DUAT
The preparatory rituals for the afterlife were complex.
First, the embalmers took the deceased person’s
body to their workshop (known as the Beautiful
House), where they removed the liver, lungs,
intestines, and stomach, placing each organ in
canopic jars. Then the body was covered completely
with a chemical mixture of salts called natron,
packed with dry material such as sawdust, and
wrapped in linen bandages, with labels and amulets
attached to identify and protect the body. The
mummy was then placed in
a coin for secure storage.

BODY AND SOUL

The ba, or soul, was imagined to be

a winged being with the head of the

deceased and the body and wings of a

hawk that flew free of the body at the

time of death. Each night, it had to be

reunited with the dead person’s body;

this could only happen if the corpse had

been mummified correctly. A person’s

shadow and name were also thought to

have an independent existence that

could be perpetuated by mummification.

Winged ba

An Egyptian

mummy

Ma’at

JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF THE DEAD

Ra and Apep

The sun god Ra transformed himself

into a cat to defeat the serpent Apep,

one of the most feared and vilest

creatures in the Underworld.

Anubis
The ancient Egyptians believed that
the jackal-god Anubis had invented
the art of mummification.

Canopic jar

Jars capped with the heads

of Underworld gods, such as

Anubis or Osiris, were used

to preserve the organs of

the deceased person.

Nephthys

Often seen as gentle and

caring, Nephthys also had an

affair with Osiris, which led to

the birth of the deity Anubis.

Weighing the heart

The god Amun presided over the

weighing of every heart, an organ believed to

contain a record of a person’s former deeds.

Thoth

The god of wisdom and scribe to

the gods, Thoth was tasked

with waiting in the hall to

record the judgement passed on

the souls of the deceased.

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