Course Seven: Lore 307
ThothAmmutAnubis
DestinyKa of
deceasedOsirisRenenet &
MeskhenetFortunesarcophagi (coffins) and tombs were created—along
with methods of mummification—to house and
preserve the bodies for all eternity. Burial chambers
commonly had “doors” sculpted or painted on the walls
for the spirits to pass through into the Underworld.
And elaborate descriptions of what they would
encounter in that realm formed the foundations of most
of the world’s religions.
One of the strongest reasons for belief in an
afterlife is the desire for justice. Life is often unfair.
Many good people die young or suffer in poverty and
illness. Many evil people lead rich, long, rewarding
lives. Most religions offer an afterlife that provides the
justice not found in this one. If there is a final judgment
after death, and if some people go to Hell and others
go to Heaven, then evil will be ultimately punished
and goodness will be rewarded. The scales of justice
will finally be balanced.Egypt: Weighing of the Heart
As described in the Egyptian Chapters of Coming
Forth by Day, often called The Book of the Dead, the
ka (“double” or astral body) of a dead person passes
from the burial chamber to wander in darkness through
tunnels and passages under the Earth. At last he (or
she) enters Amenti, the vast “Judgement Hall of the
Dead.” Osiris, Lord of the Dead, sits on a great
elevated throne at the far end. In his hands he holds
symbols of fertility: a flail (for grain) and crook (for
herds), symbolizing his power to restore all life.
In the center of the hall is a shrine with a set of
scales. The ka must recite a standard 42 “Negative
Confessions” of sins and evils he did not commit in
life, saying before each, “I have not....” These must
satisfy the 42 divine judges (one for each Nome, or
district of Egypt) seated around the chamber, each of
whom the confessor addresses in turn. This is to assure
the gods that the soul has been truly born again,
transfigured into one who could not have committed
these sins. Then jackal-headed Anubis (guardian of the
dead) places the dead person’s heart upon the scales,
weighing it against the ostrich feather of Ma’at,
goddess of Truth and Justice. Ibis-headed Thoth (god
of writing) records the results.
If the deceased has spoken truly and followed the
concept of Ma’at dur-
ing his life, then his
heart will be as
light as the feather.Passing this test, he is allowed to go on to the
heavenly afterlife, Sekhet-Aaru (“Field of Reeds”)—a
lovely world with fertile fields and lakes, much like
Egypt itself. There the blessed dead dwell forever in
the favor of Osiris, feasting with the gods on the food
of immortality. But if a person’s sins in life weigh
heavily upon his heart (if he had lied, cheated, killed,
or done anything against Ma’at), they will tip the
balance. If the person has not been transformed, he or
she is no better than food for animals, and that is his or
her fate. His heart will be fed to a horrible monster
that waits beside the shrine. A composite of
hippopotamus, cheetah, lion, and crocodile, she is
called Ammut—Devourer of the Dead. From this final
death there is no appeal, and no further existence.Erebos, Tartarus, and the Elysian Fields
The third brother of Zeus and Poseidon was
assigned rulership of the Greek Underworld, which is
often called by his name, Hades. His Queen is
Persephone, who rules by his side for half of the year,
returning to the upper world as the Flower Maiden for
the other half. Hades’s realm is divided into several
regions, which are well mapped in myth and replicated
in several underground oracles. Except for those few
heroes whom the gods chose to
deify and invite to Olympus, all
who die on Earth descend into
the Underworld. The dead can
still eat, drink, speak, and feel
emotions. However, their
bodies are nothing but
shadows; hence they are
called shades.
The entrance to the Underworld is in the West,
and it is separated from the world of the living by sev-
eral rivers. The first of these is Acheron, River of Woe,
across which the newly dead are ferried by Charon
the boatman. He requires a passage fee of the two coins
that have been placed over the eyes of each corpse
(sometimes a third is placed between the lips). Any
who cannot pay the fee must wander the shore for 100
years. The Acheron joins the River Styx, by which the
gods swear unbreakable oaths.
Disembarking from Charon’s ferry,
the dead enter the region- Lore.p65 307 1/15/2004, 9:37 AM