Encyclopedia of African Religion

And no fault has been found in him.” InThe Book
of the Dead, the Great Nine Divinities respond by
saying, “What you have said is true. The Osiris X
is maa kheru [justified] and might....Ammut
shall not be permitted to have power over him.”
Having been judged maa kheru, one becomes
an Osiris and, like Osiris, gains immortality and
is welcomed in the afterlife. After weighing and
judgment, then, the Osiris X is led by Horus, son
of Isis and Osiris, before Osiris. Horus reports
to Osiris, saying, “I have come before you ‘O
Wennofer [Good Being], having brought you
Osiris X. His heart is righteous [Maatian], having
come forth from the Balance...Djehuti has
recorded it in writing....And Maat the Great
has witnessed it.” (Maat here is the divinity that
personifies truth, justice, etc.) After this, the
Osiris speaks again declaring his or her Maatian
character and then says, “Grant that I may be like
those in your following....” He or she then
kneels before Osiris, presents his offerings, and is
received into the afterlife and otherworld
(Amenta). TheBook of the Deadcontains this
prayer for acceptance, “May the Lords of the
sacred land receive and give me three-fold praise
in peace. May they make a seat for me besides the
Elders of the Council.” Again, it says, “Let it be
said to me ‘welcome, come in peace’ by those
who shall see me.”
In addition to immortality in the heavens, the
ancient Egyptians sought immortality on Earth
and in the hearts and minds of the people. One
writer wrote in his autobiography,

May Ra put love of me in the hearts of the people

so that all may be fond of me. May he make my

name last like the stars of heaven and my monu-

ment last like those of his followers. May my Ka

[divine essence] be remembered in His temple

day and night. May I renew my youth like the

moon and may my name not be forgotten in the

years that come after.

Transformation

Finally, the process leading to the afterlife or
immortality involves transformation into a living
and eternal spirit. A prayer inThe Book of the
Deadasks, “May I assume whatever form I want
in whatever place my spirit wishes to be.” Here

the vindicated is transformed into various power-

ful and glorious spiritual forms or Axw—akhu.

Indeed, in theBook of Vindication, it is said of

the vindicated one, “I am transformed into one

whose spirits are mighty. I am one with Ra, Lord

of His Two Lands [Kemet] and am she [he] who

is placed behind Him.” In an autobiographical

text, it says that the vindicated has been found

maa kheru, “therefore may you welcome and

transfigure him as a reward for his virtue.” The

conclusion of this process can be summed up in the

following passage from thePyramid Texts: “Ra

has received me unto himself, to heaven...as this

star which lights up heaven...Never again will

the heavens be void of me or the earth empty of

my presence.”

Maulana Karenga

See alsoKa; Maat; Reincarnation

Further Readings

Foster, J. L. (2001).Ancient Egyptian Literature:An

Anthology. Austin: University of Texas Press.

Karenga, M. (1984).Selections From the Husia:Sacred

Wisdom of Ancient Egypt. Los Angeles: University of

Sankore Press.

Karenga, M. (2006).Maat,the Moral Ideal in Ancient

Egypt:A Study in Classical African Ethics. Los

Angeles: University of Sankore Press.

AGEGROUPS

Among many African peoples, members of the

society are grouped according to age. Although

the practice is not universal, it is widespread

throughout the continent and impacts the social

and religious attitudes of the people. In fact, the

age group organization is woven into the fabric of

the sacred lineage of some East African communi-

ties. Age group sets are the keys to establishing

solid foundations for respect for elders.

Such a system is normally cyclical. Names are

given to the age sets and may reappear in cycles

of 100 or so years when the last person of that

group is deceased. The initiation into an age set

usually happens every 5 years and is dependent

16 Age Groups