Scarabs Part 6

Master (i.e., father) of the G.o.ds, Khepra in its boat, (it) sending forth the word (i.e., the creative word,) the G.o.ds came into existence. Hail G.o.d Tum, maker of intelligent beings, who determines their manner of existence, artisan of their existences; (and who) distinguishes (their) colors, one from the other."[83] "Author of humanity, making the form of all things to become (or, former who produced every thing;) it is in thy name of Tum-Khepra."[84] "Khepra is father of the G.o.ds and the producer of the _maat_."[85]

The deities go out of the mouth of their father Khepra, and are nourished by the _maat_, i.e., the Harmony or Law of the universe;[86]

men go out of its eyes, that is from the light of the deity, and it is this light which vivifies the entire universe. The Hymn says: "O Form, ONE, producing all things, the ONE, who art Alone; producing existences! Men come forth from Its two eyes, the G.o.ds come into existence from Its Word. Author of the green pastures, which nourish the cattle, and of the nutritious plants for the use of mankind. It who maketh that fishes live in the rivers and the winged fowl in the air; who giveth the breath of life to (the germ) in the egg. It maketh to live birds of all species, and likewise the insects which creep and also those which fly. It maketh provision for the rats in their holes, and nourisheth the birds that are on the trees. Hail to Thee, O Author of the totality of all forms. The ONE who art alone, yet numberless through Thy extended arms: watching over all humanity when it sleeps, seeking the good of Its creatures."[87] I have used the neuter It and not He, the Egyptian idea of the highest deity was, that it was androgenic not masculine. Although it would seem that this Hymn, of which I have cited but a small portion, applied to Ammon-Ra, yet it expressly says, that: Its name is also Tum (or, Atmu,)--Khepra.[88]

Another text reads: "O Bull of the western region[89] concealed in the concealed region (i.e., Amenti or the Underworld) from whom emanates all the G.o.ds (and all) the G.o.ddesses who are with him! The Osiris, the Hathor * * * (the name of the dead was inserted here) the justified (or, triumphant,) comes towards thee; the becoming which is in the becoming of all things when they become.[90] Powerful lords, beneficent, divine, judging the speech (words) of the inhabitants of the countries; lords of Truth![91] Hail to thee! G.o.ds, essence of the essences without their bodies, ruling the generations of _Ta-nen_ (i.e., of this earth) and the births (begettings) in the temple of _Mesxen_[92] (they raise the generations?) from the first essence of the divine essences, third greatness above the father of their fathers; invoking the soul from its Almightiness when are produced its Desires (Will;) adoring their Father in his glorifications; _divine Prototypes of the Types of all that exists_, Fathers and Mothers of the solar disk, Forms, Great Ancients, Divine Essences, first from Atum (i.e., chaos,) emanating humanity; causing to emerge the forms of all forms; lords of the divine sustenance; homage to thee! Lords from everlasting, possessing eternity," etc.[93] "All that is done and said upon earth has its source in the heights, from whence the essences are dispensed to us with measure and equilibrium; and there is not anything, which does not emanate from on high and which does not return thereto."[94]

The verb _Kheper_ usually translated "to be," "to exist," "to become,"

also has the meaning of "to roll" or "revolve." The sun apparently rolled or revolved around the earth. In the British Museum, in a hieratic papyrus (No. 10,188,) Khepera is identified with the deity Neb-er'-ter, and the latter says, in it:--"I am He (It?) who evolved Himself (Itself?) under the form of the G.o.d Khepera. I, the evolver of evolutions, evolved Myself, the evolver of all evolutions, after a mult.i.tude of evolutions and developments which came forth from My mouth.[95] There was not any heaven, earth was not, animals which move upon the earth and reptiles existed not in that place. I constructed their forms out of the inert ma.s.s of watery matter. I did not find any place upon which I could stand. By the power which was in My Will I laid the foundation (of things) in the form of the G.o.d Shu[96] and I created (emanated?) for them every attribute which they have. I alone existed, for I had not, as yet, made Shu emanate from Me, and I had not ejected the spittle which became Tefnut (i.e., the deity or personification of, moisture.) There did not exist any other to work with Me. By My own Will I laid the foundation of all things, and the evolutions of things, and the evolutions which took place from the evolutions of their births, which took place through the evolutions of their offspring, became multiplied. My shadow[97] was united with Me, and produced Shu and Tefnut from the emanation of Myself, * * * thus from one deity I became three deities * * * I gathered together My members and wept over them, and from the tears which fell from My eye, men and women sprung into existence."

The duplicate copy of this chapter reads: "I developed Myself from the primeval matter which I made. My name is Osiris, the germ of primeval matter. I have worked My Will to its full extent in this earth, I have spread abroad (or, expanded Myself,) and fitted it * * * I uttered My Name as a Word of Power, from My own mouth, and I straightway developed Myself by evolution. I evolved Myself under the form of the evolutions of the G.o.d Khepera, and I developed Myself out of the primeval matter which has evolved mult.i.tudes of evolutions from the beginning of time. No-thing existed on this earth (before Me,) I made all things. There was none other who worked with Me at that time.

I made all evolutions by means of that soul, which I raised up there from inertness out of the watery matter."[98] This is a most important papyrus for a knowledge of Ancient Egyptian philosophy.

"'In the beginning: When there was not yet heaven, when there was not yet earth, when there were not yet men, when the G.o.ds were not yet born, when there was not yet death.'[99] Nu alone was existing, the water (or humid) principle of all things, and in that primordial water, Tumu, the father of the G.o.ds.[100] The day of creation came, Shu raised the waters upon the staircase which is in Khmunu.[101] The earth was made even under his feet, as a long united table; heaven appeared above his head as a ceiling of iron (or steel) upon which rolled the divine Ocean. Hor (Horus) and his sons Hapi, Amsit (or Mestha,) Tuamautef and Qebhsennuf, the G.o.ds of the four cardinal points, went out at once and posted themselves at the four corners of the inferior table, and received the four angles of the firmament upon the point of their sceptres; the sun appeared and the voice of the G.o.d, the first day is arisen and the world was thereafter const.i.tuted, such as it ought to ever remain!"[102]

"Glory of all things, G.o.d, the divine and the divine nature.

Principles of the beings; G.o.d, the Intelligence, nature and matter.

Wisdom manifests the universe, of which the divine is the principle, the nature, energy, necessity, the end and the renewing.

There was darkness without limit over the abyss and the water, and a subtle and intelligent spirit, contained in chaos by the divine power. Then gushed forth the holy light, and under the sand (i.e., the atomic dryness) the elements went forth from the humid essence, and all the G.o.ds distributed the fecundity of nature. The universe being in confusion and disorder, the buoyant elements ascended, and the heavier were established as a foundation under the damp sand, (and) everything became separated by fire and suspended, so as to be raised by the spirit."[103]

The Ancient Egyptians made many more statements which undoubtedly referred to an unknown, all-powerful, ideal deity of the highest order, I have a great number of such, but will not bring them forward in this writing; I refer the reader for some quotations on this subject, to the valuable writings of Mr. P. Le Page Renouf, especially to his; Religion of Ancient Egypt (Hibbert Lectures for 1879), which I have already cited in several places.

It will be seen from these quotations, that Khepra, the scarabaeus deity, especially as Tum-Khepra; occupied a most elevated position, I might say the most elevated, of all the religious conceptions of the Ancient Egyptians, for beyond it, was the unknown ideal deity whom none could form a conception of. Khepra was a.s.serted to have generated and caused to come into existence, itself through itself, it united in itself, the male and female principles of life. It was androgenic. The scarabaeus was the hieroglyph of the _creator_, the _to be_, _to become_, to _exist_, the _eternal_, the _coming into being from chaotic non-being_, also the _itself transforming_ or _becoming_, the _emanating_ or _creating power_, also, the _universe_. Khepra was "Father of the G.o.ds," connected with the idea of the rising of the sun from the darkness of night, Khepra was used to typify the resurrection from the dead of the spirits of men. It represented the active and positive in ant.i.thesis to Atmu, or Tum. With Atmu as Atmu (or, Tum)-Khepra, it represented the positive and negative united, spirit and matter.

Atmu, Tum or Tmu, was the symbol of the eternal night or darkness of Chaos, which preceded the emanation of light, it was the type of senility and absolute death, the negative and end. It was the nocturnal or hidden sun, as Horus was the rising sun, and Ra the risen sun, proceeding in its course each day through the firmament. Tum was not however considered as absolutely inert, it was the precursor of the rising sun, and the point of departure of the setting sun, and was the nocturnal sun, and was also a point of departure into existence, of all the created and emanated in the universe. It, as well as Khepra, in some of the texts is called "Father of the G.o.ds."[104]

This deity was the unknown and inaccessible, primordial deity of chaos, "existing alone in the abyss," before the appearance of Light.

One of the texts reads:

"Homage to thee, sun at its setting, Tum-Harmakhis, G.o.d renewing and forming itself in itself, double essence. * * Hail to thee author of the G.o.ds, who hast suspended heaven for the circulation of thy two eyes, author of the earth in its extent, and from whom the light is, so as to give to all men the sensation of the sight of his fellow creature."[105]

It is of the greatest importance to an understanding of the Egyptian religion and philosophy, and especially of the _Per-em-hru_, the so-called, Book of the Dead; that the Egyptian psychology be comprehended; in order to enable the reader to do this, I have prepared the following condensed statement of the same.

I. The Body was called _Khat_. This was embalmed and then placed in the tomb.

II. The Soul was called, _Ba_ or _Bai_, plur. _Baiu_. This was the part of the spiritual which was thought to contain the elements necessary for the world-life of a man, such as judgment, conscience, etc. It seems to be the same termed _psuke_ or _psyche_ by the Greeks. This _Ba_ performed the pilgrimage in the underworld, and was judged for the conduct of the man it inhabited in this world, by Osiris and the Forty-two judges. It was usually represented as a bird, especially as a human-headed sparrow-hawk. It fluttered to and fro between this world and the next, sometimes visiting the mummy in its tomb. It was sometimes represented as a crane, at others as a lapwing. It is paralleled by the _Rua'h_ of the Hebrew Qabbalah.

III. The Intellectual part of man's spirit was called, _Xu_ or _Khu_. It was considered as part of the flame detached from the upper divine fire. Freed from mortality it wandered through s.p.a.ce and had the power of keeping company with or haunting humanity, and even of entering into and taking possession of the body of a living man. The Egyptians spoke of being possessed with a _khu_ as we would say of a being possessed by a spirit.[106] It was considered as a luminous spirit. It was the Intelligence and answers to the _Nous_ of the Greeks and the _Neshamah_ of the Hebrew Qabbalah.

IV. The Shadow or Shade was called, _Khaibit_. This created the Individuality, and was an important part of the personality.

There was a valley in which the Shades were, in the Underworld.

It was restored to the soul in the second life. They are frequently mentioned in the _Per-em-hru_. His shadow, would early attract the attention of the primitive man.

V. The Name was called, _Ren_. This was the Personality, that something, which continued to know itself as a distinct individual, through every change of the atoms and appearances of the body. In the _Per-em-hru_ was written: "The Osiris (then the name of the dead was inserted.)" It was restored eternally to the soul in the second life. The _Ba_ retained the _Ren_ in its journey through the Underworld.

VI. The life or Double was called, _Ka_, plur. _Kau_. This was the vital principle, necessary to the existence of man as an animal being on this earth. It was a spiritual double, a second perfect exemplar or copy, of his flesh, blood, etc., body; but of a matter less dense than corporeal matter, but having all its shape and features, being child, man, or woman, as the living had been. It dwelt with the mummy in the tomb and had a semi-material form and substance, and I am inclined to think, from the texts, it had power to leave the tomb when it pleased but always returned. Its emblem was the _ankh_ or _crux ansata_.

It was something like the higher _Nephesh_ of the Hebrew Qabbalah. The sacrificial food left in the tombs and the pictures on their walls were for the benefit of the _Ka_. The _Ka_ corresponded to the Latin, _genius_. Its original meaning may have been _image_;[107] it was like the Greek _eidolon_, i.e., ghost. The funeral oblations were made to the image or _Ka_. The _Ka_ was a spiritual double of the man, a kind of prototype in the Upper World, of the man in the Lower World, our earth.[108]

VII. The Mummy or the Husk was called, _Sahu_. It was the body after embalmment. "His body is in the condition of being true; it will not perish."[109] The _Sahu_ was considered a true being as it was a.s.sumed that it would always remain the same. It was like the lower form of the _Nephesh_ of the Hebrew Qabbalah. The atoms of the mummy-body were still intact held together by the _cohesion_ of the particles. This cohesion was looked upon as a spiritual energy keeping the particles together, in the form of the mummy. The word _Sahu_ may sometimes refer to this living personality.

VIII. The Heart was called _Ab_. This was thought to be the seat of life, the life being in the blood, and the embryonic life starting with the pulsations of the heart. See, Appendix A.

The _Ba_, performed the journey through the Underworld accompanied by the Name and Shadow, until it reached the Hall of Judgment; if p.r.o.nounced pure, the Heart was then given it. The Name, Shadow and Heart, then awaited reunion with the _Khu_ and _Ka_ for the condition of final immortality and the power to make the transformations. The body was embalmed and the _Ka_ dwelt in the sepulchre with it, but went in and out of the tomb. The _Khu_ also accompanied the _Ba_ in its journey through the Underworld and a.s.sisted it, but in case of an adverse judgment in the Hall of Osiris and the decree of annihilation; the _Khu_ fled back to its immortal source of life and light.

Not any of these, by its own nature, could exist for any length of time entirely separated from the others; if left to itself, that so separated, would in time dissolve into new elements and if it were the soul, it would die a second time, the personality and individuality would then perish and become annihilated; this was the much feared, second death. This however might be prevented by the piety of the survivors, in repeating the prayers and litanies and performing the l.u.s.trations and sacrifices, for the dead. The lot to do this usually fell to the eldest son and in default of sons, to the daughters, etc., no relations existing, the dead persons' slaves could perform it. The priests were also left annuities to perform perpetually, the sacred duties to the dead. Embalmment preventing for centuries, decomposition; continued prayers, devotions and offerings would save, it was believed, the _Ka_, the _Ba_, and the _Khu_, from the second death, and procure for them what was necessary to prolong their existence. The _Ka_, they thought, never quitted the place where the mummy was except at some time to return. The _Ba_, and the _Khu_ went away from it to follow the G.o.ds, but they continually returned as would a traveler who re-entered his house after an absence. The tomb was the defunct's "eternal dwelling house" on earth, the houses of the living were only as inns or stopping places. In case of a judgment in favor of the _Ba_ in the Hall of Osiris, the _Khu_ united to the _Ba_, _Khaibet_, _Ab_, _Ka_, etc., rose up to the Egyptian heaven, and the whole united was able to make whatever transformations pleased it.

FOOTNOTES:

[77] Comp. Hist. of the Egypt. Relig., by Dr. C.P. Tiele. London, 1892, pp. 89, 127, 139.

[78] Most likely the Egyptian idea was "to emanate" more than "to create."

[79] Louis Menard's edition. Paris, 1867, p. 89.

[80] Book II., ch. 123.

[81] Hist. of the Egypt. Relig., by C.P. Tiele, pp. 47, 71.

[82] Comp. Hist, of the Egypt. Relig., by C.P. Tiele. London, 1890, p.

127. The Book of the Dead. Fac-simile of the Papyrus of Ani, etc., notes by P. Le Page Renouf. London, 1890, p. 16, note. See also _supra_ reference to the _Mesxen_. A similar idea is in the Zohar, compare Qabbalah, etc., by Isaac Myer. Philadelphia, 1888, pp. 397, 388, 389, 108 _et seq._, 190, 196, 418, and many other places.

[83] _Hymne a Ammon-Ra des papyrus egyptiens du Musee de Boulaq, traduit et commente_, by Eugene Grebaut, etc. Paris, 1874, p. 11.

[84] _Ibid._, p. 28. See also, pp. 115, 120-122, 295.

[85] _Ibid._, pp. 112, 115.

[86] As to the meaning of the important word _maat_, see, Religion of Ancient Egypt, by P. Le Page Renouf--Hibbert Lectures for 1879. New York, pp. 73 _et seq._; 123 _et seq._ _Hymne a Ammon-Ra_, last before cited, notes p. 110 _et seq._

[87] _Hymne a Ammon-Ra_, p. 16 _et seq._

[88] _Ibid._, pp. 27, 28.

[89] Comp. _Hymne a Ammon-Ra_, by E. Grebaut, pp. 3, 4, and notes to same, p. 39 _et seq._

[90] Or, "the changing which is in the changing of all things when they change."

[91] That is: "Lords of _maat_," i.e., of the harmony of the universe.

[92] Place of the soul's birth. This refers to the upper prototypic world. The same idea is in the Zohar.

[93] _Catalogue des Ma.n.u.scrits egyptiens_, etc., _au Musee egypt. du Louvre, par Feu Theodule Deveria_. Paris, 1881, No. 3283; pp. 143, 144. Comp. _Hermes Trismegiste_, par Louis Menard, second ed. Paris, 1867, pp. 188, 190, 117 _et seq._; 147.

[94] _Hermes Trismegiste_, edition last cited, p. 218.

[95] By the Word or Logos. The Logos occupied an important position in the Ancient Egyptian religion. See my Article on the subject in, The Oriental Review, January-February, 1893, p. 20 _et seq._

[96] Shu corresponds to the Makrokosm, the primordial Adam or androgenic Adam Qadmon, of the first chapter of the Hebrew Book of Genesis. As to Shu, see: History of the Egypt. Relig., by Dr. C.P.

Tiele. Boston, 1882, pp. 84, 85, 155, 156.