CEREMONIAL RITE OF INTERNMENT OF EGYPTIAN GODS AND
GODDESSES
Sequence
of Ceremony (_______________ reads any part of an absent person)
1. Dress
in black. This is a funeral.
2.
Leave potluck items on back table.
3.
Leave all belongings in the room and line up outside the room
alphabetically (according to your deity name) with pyramid.
4.
Wait outside SILENTLY, so as not to disrupt the meditations of Osiris, Anubis,
or Ammit who are in the room directing. Those assigned to set up the room have 5
minutes to get the room arranged.
5. Anubis comes to you, the dead, and escorts you
silently in to have a seat as the dead as well as the jury
6. Anubis joins Osiris and Ammit
up front. Osiris is by the window with
dessert and Ammit is in the dark corner with
punishment.
II. DIALOGUE EXPLAINING
THE CEREMONY OF THE DEAD
1. Anubis:
I have washed your entrails and embalmed your body.
2. Ma’at: Anubis will
weigh your hearts against the feather of Ma’at, which
is my symbol of truth. If your heart is
light, Anubis will lead you to Osiris and the banquet. If your heart is heavy, Anubis will lead you
to Ammit who will eat you and destroy your soul. Serpents will then devour you over and over
for eternity.
3. Osiris: Today we participate in the
yearly unique ceremony of the dead.
You have two bodies. You are two
people. You are the dead person whose
soul we are weighing and you are the live person who is assisting in
judging. You are both the dead who is
being judged and buried and the live jury member who is called upon to judge
the most auspicious deities in Egyptian history.
1. Ammit:
When someone dies,
the soul goes forward until it reaches the bank of a wide river. There a magic boat awaits it. The boat’s crew
consists of silent divinities who give it no aid.
2. Bes:
Before the soul can
embark in the boat, it must answer each question which the boat addresses to
him. It must know and tell how the boat is constructed, and if the papyrus roll which was laid beside his mummy contains the
secrets of the boat and the magical formula which must also be repeated.
3. Khufu:
If the soul can do
this it will be ferried over the river and taken to the Osirian
kingdom. The sulky "ferryman" is called "Turnface":
his face is always turned away from the dead who call to him.
4. Horus:
After entering the
boat, the soul's journey is not near an end. It desires greatly to join those
happy beings who have their dwellings in the blessed
fields of Aalu, but it must first be tried before Osiris
the King of the Dead and Judge of All.
5. Atum/Atem:
The only approach
to
6. Hathor:
Alone, and
trembling with fear, the pilgrim soul stands before the gate with both hands
uplifted in adoration. He is beheld by the shining god who is within. Then in a
clear, full voice the soul cries out in the deep silence:
7. Hatshepsut:
Hail, unto thee, O
thou great god, thou who art lord of truth!
Lo! I draw nigh to thee now, O my lord, and mine eyes behold thy beauty.
Thee I know, and I know also the two-and-forty gods assembled with thee in the
Hall of justice.
They observe all the deeds of the wicked. They devour those who seek to do evil;
8. Imhotep
They drink the
blood of those who are condemned before thee, O just and good king.
Hail! Lord of justice. Thee I know,
I come before thee even now to speak what is true,
I will not utter what is false, O Lord of All.
9. Sekhmet:
The soul then
recites the ritual confession to Osiris in which he claims to be guiltless or
not of the offences which are punishable.
Osiris wears a crown is upon his head. In one hand he holds the crook
and in the other the flail. He is the supreme judge of the Dead.
10. Khons:
Each of you must answer for
your sins. You must tell us the story of
your life and your personality characteristics.
You must explain and show how you have prepared for your death using
your pyramid. For those things in your
life that you know are bad, you must reveal them. You must also justify them or take repenting
responsibility for them.
11. Anubis: Leads the dead in the
following honest admissions
All
those who have no evil against any man say Ra.
(Those who haven’t answer, “Ra.”)
Those
who have done evil against any man say Sett. (Those who haven’t answer,
“Sett.”)
12. Osiris: Leads
the dead in the following honest admissions
Those who never
caused kinsfolk to be put to death say Ra.
Those who have caused kinsfolk to be put to death say Set.
Those who have not
been a worker of wickedness say Ra.
Those who have been a worker of wickedness say Set.
Those who have not caused men to hunger nor to weep say Ra.
Those who have
caused men to hunger nor to weep say Set.
Those who are not a murderer say Ra.
Those who are a
murderer say Set.
Those who have not conspired to have another put to death say Ra.
Those who have
conspired to have another put to death say Set.
Those who have never committed adultery say Ra.
Those who have
committed adultery say Set.
Souls, repeat after
me:
I hope that no ill
will
will befall me in the Hall of Judgement
13. Menes:
In the Hall of Judgement Anubis leads each soul to stand before
Osiris. Today you will come up to Osiris
at the podium when Anubis call your name. You will place your pyramid on a sand dune.
14. Shesmu:
After all pyramids
have been placed, we will eat as the jury in celebration of the life our gods
and goddesses have led. As the jury we
are able to eat throughout the presentations.
We may also ask questions of any deity who is being weighed so we can
decide how to vote.
15. Amen:
During our feast Osiris
will announce when he, Anubis and Ammit are ready for
your presentations. You will explain the
life story of your diety, the strengths and
attributes and what is inside your pyramid.
You must speak loudly, without fear.
You may be asked questions to help the jury and Osiris decide your fate.
16. Nephthys:
Before the speakers
begin, each jury member will be asked to help judge each soul. If all the answers are Yes
the jury member will vote that the deity should go to the netherworld for
rewards. If any answers are No then the
jury member will condemn the deity to Ammit’s
underworld.
|
1. Do you
think the deity honestly gave all the information there is on his/her life? |
YES |
NO |
|
2. Do you
think the deity took responsibility for both the good and bad actions s/he
did? |
|
|
|
3. Do you
think the deity justified, being honest, any bad actions s/he might have
done? |
|
|
|
4. Do you
think the pyramid is adequately prepared for “heaven” (the |
|
|
17. Ptah:
At the end of each
presentation Anubis will ask all assembled to vote on where the deity
belongs: The netherworld or the
underworld. At that time you will place
your pyramid where it has been consigned and take your reward or consequence. Those who go to the netherworld are honest,
take responsibility and are prepared. In
the netherworld they will be rewarded by Osiris.
18.
Traditionally, before
Osiris stands the sure balance on which the heart of the dead man will be
weighed. Thoth, the recording god, sits beside it, and Horus and Maat, goddesses of truth and justice, are there also. Today Osiris and Anubis will manage the scale.
13. Bastet:
The true guardian of
the balance is a monster who is ready to fall upon sinners who are condemned before
the great god. Imagine that around this hall crouch 42 animal gods who tear the
wicked to pieces.
14. Hapi:
In the tingling
silence which prevails, each soul will recite a confession. Then, quivering with fear, your soul will
watch the gods deliberately weighing your heart in the balance, while Maat, the goddess of truth and justice, or her symbol, an
ostrich feather, occupies the opposite scale.
15. Neith:
The trembling soul
cries out to his heart not to witness against him. "O heart that was
mine," he says, "do not say 'Behold the
things he hath done'. Permit me not to be wronged in presence of the great
god."
If the heart is
found to be neither too heavy nor too light, the dead man is acquitted. Traditionally Thoth makes known the result of
the weighing to Osiris, who then orders the heart to be restored to the soul on
trial. Today, the vote of the jury will
be counted and then announced by Thoth. Then Osiris will order the heart to be
restored to the soul on trial. Anubis
will lead the soul with the pyramid to Osiris for reward or Ammit
for punishment.
16. Ra:
If we vote that the
heart is light and worthy of the netherworld, Osiris will say: "He hath won the victory. Now let him dwell with the spirits and the
gods in the fields of Aalu."
17. Sett/Seth:
If we vote that the
heart is heavy and worthy of the underworld, Osiris will say: “He hath been defeated. Now let him be
devoured through eternity by serpents.”
III. FOOD MAY BE DISTRIBUTED
AT THIS TIME
PRESENTATIONS BEGIN
Osiris: The presentations now begin. Anubis will call you forth. Please bring your pyramid and give your
presentation when called. Osiris and I
will go first so you are shown exactly what is expected.
Anubis [calls
for each participant by calling out the name.
After the presentation Anubis will ask the jury to vote]:
All
those who believe this soul has been honest in reporting all life events, taken
responsibility for and explained all crimes and weaknesses and presented a
pyramid that is suitably prepared for death, please raise your hand for the
count. [No opposing count will be
needed. A majority count of the jury
will determine the outcome]
After each presentation Osiris will announce one or the other:
For
those whose heart has been judged pure
announce:
"He hath won the victory. Now let him dwell with the spirits and the
gods in the fields of Aalu."
For
those whose heart has been judged unpure announce:
He hath been
defeated. Now let him be
devoured through eternity by serpents.”
|
Ammit (aka Ammut): The
devourer. |
Isis:
The throne |
Osiris:
King of the dead |
|
Anubis:
The jackal |
Ptah: The Opener |
|
|
Hapi: |
Re
(or Ra): Father of the gods |
|
|
Bes: |
Ma'at: The goddess
of truth |
Sekhmet
or Sakhmet: |
|
Hathor: Mistress of
Heaven |
Nephthys: Friend of
the Dead or Lady of the house: |
Seth:
Lord of |
|
Horus:
He who is above |
Neith: Great Goddess |
Thoth:
|
|
TWEEDIE |
Menes: |
|
|
Hatshepsut: SHOENBERGER |
Khufu:
|
|
|
Bastet: |
Shesmu |
Wepwawet |
|
Khnum |
|
|