Egyptian Literature Part 3

The Chapter Of Preserving The Heart

[From the Papyrus of Ani (British Museum No. 10,470, sheet 15).]

THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE HEART OF A MAN BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HIM IN THE UNDERWORLD. Osiris Ani, triumphant, saith:

"Turn thou back, O messenger of every G.o.d! Is it that thou art come [to carry away] this my heart which liveth? But my heart which liveth shall not be given unto thee. [As I] advance, the G.o.ds hearken unto my offerings, and they all fall down upon their faces in their own places."

The Chapter Of Preserving The Heart

[From the Papyrus of Amen-hetep (Naville, "Todtenbuch," Bd. I. Bl. 40).]

THE CHAPTER OF NOT ALLOWING THE HEART OF AMEN-HETEP, TRIUMPHANT, TO BE CARRIED AWAY DEAD IN THE UNDERWORLD. The deceased saith:

"My heart is with me, and it shall never come to pa.s.s that it shall be carried away. I am the lord of hearts, the slayer of the heart. I live in right and truth (_Maat_) and I have my being therein. I am Horus, the dweller in hearts, who is within the dweller in the body. I live in my word, and my heart hath being. Let not my heart be taken away from me, let it not be wounded, and may neither wounds nor gashes be dealt upon me because it hath been taken away from me. Let me have my being in the body of [my] father Seb, [and in the body of my] mother Nut. I have not done that which is held in abomination by the G.o.ds; let me not suffer defeat there, [but let me be] triumphant."

The Heart Of Carnelian

[From the Papyrus of Ani (British Museum No. 10,470, sheet 33).]

THE CHAPTER OF A HEART OF CARNELIAN. Osiris Ani, triumphant, saith:

"I am the _Bennu_, the soul of Ra, and the guide of the G.o.ds in the Tuat (underworld). Their divine souls come forth upon earth to do the will of their _kas_; let, therefore, the soul of Osiris Ani come forth to do the will of his _ka_."

Preserving The Heart

[From Lepsius, "Todtenbuch," Bl. 16.]

THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE HEART OF A MAN BE DRIVEN AWAY FROM HIM IN THE UNDERWORLD. Osiris Auf-ankh, triumphant, born of Sheret-Amsu, triumphant, saith:

"My heart, my mother; my heart, my mother! My heart of my existence upon earth. May naught stand up to oppose me in judgment; may there be no opposition to me in the presence of the sovereign princes; may [no evil]

be wrought against me in the presence of the G.o.ds; may there be no parting [of thee] from me in the presence of the great G.o.d, the lord of Amentet.

Homage to thee, O thou heart of Osiris-khent-Amentet! Homage to you, O my reins! Homage to you, O ye G.o.ds who dwell in the divine clouds, and who are exalted (or holy) by reason of your sceptres! Speak ye fair words for the Osiris Auf-ankh, and make ye him to prosper before Nehebka. And behold, though I be joined unto the earth, and am in the mighty innermost part of heaven, let me remain on the earth and not die in Amentet, and let me be a _khu_ therein forever and ever."

THIS [CHAPTER] SHALL BE RECITED OVER A BASALT SCARAB, WHICH SHALL BE SET IN A GOLD SETTING, AND IT SHALL BE PLACED INSIDE THE HEART OF THE MAN(25) FOR WHOM THE CEREMONIES OF "OPENING THE MOUTH" AND OF ANOINTING WITH UNGUENT HAVE BEEN PERFORMED. AND THERE SHALL BE RECITED BY WAY OF A MAGICAL CHARM THE WORDS: "MY HEART, MY MOTHER; MY HEART, MY MOTHER! MY HEART OF TRANSFORMATIONS."

Preserving The Heart

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 5).]

THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE HEART OF THE OVERSEER OF THE PALACE, THE CHANCELLOR-IN-CHIEF, NU, TRIUMPHANT, BE DRIVEN AWAY FROM HIM IN THE UNDERWORLD. He Saith:

"O my heart, my mother; O my heart, my mother! O my heart of my existence upon earth. May naught stand up to oppose me in judgment in the presence of the lords of the trial; let it not be said of me and of that which I have done, 'He hath done deeds against that which is right and true'; may naught be against me in the presence of the great G.o.d, the lord of Amentet. Homage to thee, O my heart! Homage to thee, O my heart! Homage to you, O my reins! Homage to you, O ye G.o.ds who dwell in the divine clouds, and who are exalted (or holy) by reason of your sceptres! Speak ye [for me] fair things to Ra, and make ye me to prosper before Nehebka. And behold me, even though I be joined to the earth in the mighty innermost parts thereof, let me remain upon the earth and let me not die in Amentet, but become a _Khu_ therein."

Preserving The Heart

[From the Papyrus of Ani (British Museum No. 10,470, sheet 15).]

THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE HEART OF OSIRIS, THE SCRIBE OF THE HOLY OFFERINGS OF ALL THE G.o.dS, ANI, TRIUMPHANT, BE DRIVEN FROM HIM IN THE UNDERWORLD. He saith:

"My heart, my mother; my heart, my mother! My heart whereby I came into being! May naught stand up to oppose me at [my] judgment; may there be no opposition to me in the presence of the sovereign princes (_Tchatcha_); may there be no parting of thee from me in the presence of him that keepeth the Balance! Thou art my _ka_, the dweller in my body; the G.o.d Khnemu who knitteth and strengtheneth my limbs. Mayest thou come forth into the place of happiness whither we go. May the _Shenit_ (_i.e._, the divine officers of the court of Osiris), who form the conditions of the lives of men, not cause my name to stink. [Let it be satisfactory unto us, and let the listening be satisfactory unto us, and let there be joy of heart unto us at the weighing of words. Let not that which is false be uttered against me before the great G.o.d, the lord of Amentet. Verily how great shalt thou be when thou risest in triumph!]"(26)

Rubric

[From the Papyrus of Amen-hetep (see Naville, "Todtenbuch," Bd. II. p.

99).]

THESE WORDS ARE TO BE SAID OVER A SCARAB OF GREEN STONE ENCIRCLED WITH A BAND OF REFINED COPPER AND [HAVING] A RING OF SILVER, WHICH SHALL BE PLACED ON THE NECK OF THE _KHU_.

THIS CHAPTER WAS FOUND IN THE CITY OF KHEMENNU (HERMOPOLIS MAGNA) UNDER THE FEET OF [THE STATUE OF] THIS G.o.d. [IT WAS INSCRIBED] UPON A SLAB OF IRON OF THE SOUTH, IN THE WRITING OF THE G.o.d HIMSELF, IN THE TIME OF THE MAJESTY OF THE KING OF THE NORTH AND OF THE SOUTH, MEN-KAU-RA,(27) TRIUMPHANT, BY THE ROYAL SON HERU-TA-TA-F, WHO DISCOVERED IT WHILE HE WAS ON HIS JOURNEY TO MAKE AN INSPECTION OF THE TEMPLES AND OF THEIR ESTATES.

Beating Back The Crocodile

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 5).]

THE CHAPTER OF BEATING BACK THE CROCODILE THAT COMETH TO CARRY AWAY THE CHARM FROM NU, THE OVERSEER OF THE PALACE, THE CHANCELLOR-IN-CHIEF, TRIUMPHANT, THE SON OF THE OVERSEER OF THE PALACE, AMEN-HETEP, TRIUMPHANT, IN THE UNDERWORLD. He saith:

"Get thee back, return, get thee back, thou crocodile-fiend Sui; thou shalt not advance to me, for I live by reason of the magical words which I have by me. I do not utter that name of thine to the great G.o.d who will cause thee to come to the two divine envoys; the name of the one is Betti,(28) and the name of the other is 'Hra-k-en-Maat.'(29) Heaven hath power over its seasons, and the magical word hath power over that which is in its possession, let therefore my mouth have power over the magical word which is therein. My front teeth are like unto flint knives, and my jaw-teeth are like unto the Nome of Tutef.(30) Hail thou that sittest with thine eyeball upon these my magical words! Thou shalt not carry them away, O thou crocodile that livest by means of magical words!"