Funerary Papyrus of Ani
Funerary Papryus of Ani dates probably from about 1306 B.C. and is the most richly illustrated of all known copies of the Book of the Dead. It is of great length, measuring no less than 76 feet. The Feather of Maat . Funerary Papryus of Ani was purchased for the British Museum in 1888 by Dr E. Wallis Budge, and is said to have been found at Thebes, 450 miles above Cairo. This collection of funerary chapters began to appear in Egyptian tombs. It can be thought of as the deceased's guidebook to a happy afterlife. The text was intended to be read by the deceased during their journey into the Underworld. Egyptian burial rites included the recitation of a number of spells intended to assist the dead in their life beyond the grave, to preserve them against the attacks of demons, and to secure them full enjoyment of the good things that the gods lived upon. These spells and others were ultimately inscribed about the tomb, with the idea that the dead himself would thus be enabled to recite the formula needed. It enabled the deceased to overcome obstacles and not lose their way. It did this by teaching passwords, giving clues, and revealing routes that would allow the deceased to answer questions and navigate around hazards. It would grant the help and protection of the gods while proclaiming the deceased's identity with the gods. The Papyrus of Ani is one of the finest and most complete examples of this type of Egyptian funerary text to survive.
The Book of the Dead must not be confused with the funeral ritual, but in it, as throughout the funeral ceremonial, the deceased is called "The Osiris", and is generally associated to the analogy of Osiris, and by incorporation with him, the dead were supposed to attain greatness.
The funeral ritual was intended as a re-enactment, for the benefit of the deceased, of what had been done to re-constitute and re-animate the body of the God-king Osiris, after he had suffered death and dismemberment at the hands of his wicked brother. According to the Osirian legend, Isis, wife and sister of Osiris, sought and found the scattered remains of her husband and restored his body to unity and life by means of her powerful magic with the help of her sister Nephthys, of her son Horus, and of other deities, including Anubis, the God of Embalment.
In the ancient Egyptian culture, the belief was that there was a life force and spirit inside of the body, known as the ‘Ka’. Therefore, mummification was performed as a ritual to preserve the physical features of the body as well as to protect its inner spirit, mainly to ensure that the ‘Ka’ could recognize the body where it may dwell in the eternal life. Thus, the funerary psychology of ancient Egyptians was that death did not bring an end to living, but instead was only an escape from the physical human life and a gateway to immortal being. Due to the fact that a being’s life span was short in ancient times, people’s main hopes rested in their afterlives, where they would be with the gods (Stockstad 121).
Ancient Egyptian culture was largely focused on the afterlife. One of their most important deities, Osiris, became the ruler of the Underworld through death. The pharaoh and elite class prepared for their impending deaths throughout their lives. Much of what survives from ancient Egypt today was found in tombs and temples of the dead. When one of the elite died, the process of laying him or her to rest was extensive. Harold Hays explains that “the ritualized process of embalming and mummification is usually stated as lasting seventy days” (Hays 5). "Funeral Procession, Tomb of Pairy" shows two of the processes that Hays details. The first depicted is the procession to the tomb. Pairy’s body would have already been through several processions, mummification, and embalming. This particular procession’s goal is to lead not just the body, but also the spirit into the afterlife. People of both high and low classes attended this procession, carrying with them the tomb goods (Hays 6-7). The second depicted
Anubis was the Egyptian god of embalming and the keeper of secrets. He was associated with the mummification and protection of the dead and journey to the afterlife. He was portrayed man with a jackal’s head, or in jackal form holding a flail in the crook of his arm and wearing a ribbon. In the Old Kingdom he was the most important God, where he was associated with the burial of the pharaoh. He was very important because the Egyptians worshiped two things: 1. the gods and 2. The dead. The ancient Egyptians also believed in the afterlife. So another reason why Anubis was so important was because, on your travel to the afterlife he was there waiting for you. He takes your heart, weighs it and decides your fate in the underworld depending on how heavy your heart is compared to a feather.
The grandeur with which Egyptians regarded their funerary customs does not come without explanation. They delighted in tying the occurrences of the natural world with supernatural dogma, and their burial practices exemplified this deluge of religion. A special deity was even attributed to cemeteries and embalmers: Anubis (Fiero, 46). Due to this deep sense of religion, a fixation with the afterlife developed within their culture. The Egyptian afterlife, however, is not synonymous of heave, but, rather, of The Field of Reeds, a continuation of one’s life in Egypt meant “to secure and perpetuate in the afterlife the ‘good life’ enjoyed on earth” (Mark 1; “Life in Ancient Egypt” 1). The pursuit of this sacred rest-place prompted the arousal of intricate Egyptian funeral rituals.
its meaning "the book of the customs of the dead", but again this is consistent
Deaths were a form of social event, when families and loved ones would gather around the bed of the dying, offering emotional support and comfort. Myth, religion, and tradition would combine to give the event deeper meaning and ease the transition for all involved. The one who was dying was confident in knowing what lay behind the veil of death, thanks to religious faith or tradition. His or her community held fast to the sense of community, drawing strength from social ties and beliefs. (“Taboos and Social Stigma - Rituals, Body, Life, History, Time, Person, Human, Traditional Views of Death Give Way to New Perceptions" 1)
A person who is dying or has recently died would have the Book of the Dead
Anubis was the guardian of the dead, who greeted the souls in the Underworld and protected them on their journey. It was he who deemed the deceased worthy of becoming a star. Ancient Egyptian texts say that Anubis silently walked through the shadows of life and death and lurked in dark places. He was watchful by day as well as by night. He also weighed the heart of the dead against the feather symbol of Ma'at, the goddess of truth. One of the reasons that the ancient Egyptians took such care to preserve their dead with sweet-smelling herbs was that it was believed Anubis would check each person with his keen canine nose. Only if they smelled pure would he allow them to enter the Kingdom of the Dead.
This changed throughout time and it became a normal practice for loved one’s in Egypt. The Coffin of Tentkhonsu was for an elite member, when focused on the drawings on the outside of the coffin, it conveys a narrative story. On the outside of the coffin there’s scenes depicting the passage to netherworld and to finalize in the rebirth of the mummy. There’s depictions of judgment of the heart, in which two helpers of the gods, weight the soul, to which makes a determination if the individual has the right to salvation and actual rebirth. In the inside there’s scenes showing salvation process and what it appears to be Tentkhonsu rebirth.
The Book was originally intended as a set of spells and incantations meant to insure safe passage for the soul of a deceased person into the Underworld. Some of the ending chapters include instructions on not dying a second time, meaning how not to die in the underworld and thus having no chance of being reborn or living a full afterlife. The original text--at least, the bits and pieces that modern scholars possess--consists of a set of hymns, beginning with the Hymn to Osiris. This hymn is meant to call up the king of the underworld and make him aware of the presence of the soul. After summoning Osiris, the presiding priest would begin a series of ceremonies designed to give the spirit all the faculties it possessed in life, such as speech, movement of the limbs, internal organ functions, and sight. After these rites were completed, the corpse was removed to the tomb where prophetic portions of the Book were read.
In Egypt, praising death and the afterlife is a big part of the culture. The Egyptians make tombs and pyramids so that they can live a successful life in the afterlife. The afterlife means that a person will be dressed in all clean clothes and white shoes and will be standing in front of the God of the underworld (Attar). The Egyptians call this day Judgement Day because the God of the underworld decides the persons fate if the person passes the test that the God gives the person (Attar). If the person does not pass the test then they will a die again as a second death. Most people pass the test because the Book of the Dead, that was written in 1550 BC, gives specific instructions of learning to survive in the afterlife. The afterlife to the Egyptians mean that the spirit of the person leaves the body but only temporarily (Attar). They say that if the spirit returns every night and if it doesn’t it ruins the chances of having a successful
dead was counted as a funeral rite. It is called munus (a service) from being a
In Greek Mythology, the life after death is determined in a court in the realm of Hades. The possibilities include the Fields of Asphodel, Elysium, Fields of Eternal Punishment, Reincarnation, or Tartarus. In ancient Greece, it was believed that honor and dignity would allow individuals to advance in society, and as a result, be given special privileges in their afterlife. Those that were warriors who died in battle committing acts of valor were buried with many elaborate rituals commemorating his deeds, whereas the ordinary citizens would simply be buried with a minor rituals to perform their duty. The rituals comprised of three major parts: prosthesis (placing the body), ekphora (funeral procession), and cremated remains (Source 1).
...by Osiris, who weighed the souls against the Feather of Truth. (Footnote pg 127-134 The Literature and Mythology of Ancient Egypt) The concept of an afterlife is common in both Greek and Egyptian tales.
Mummification has had a role in embalming since A.D. 600. What is mummification and why was it done? Mummification is linked with Anubis, the God of mummification. After Egyptians assumed that the body had to be preserved in order for the soul to be identified following death. Anubis, who is shown as a jackal, is credited with embalming. The hearts of the deceased were weighted to value their worth in the underworld. The reason for mummification was to rid the moisture and preserve the body. Mainly only the were mummified in Ancient Greece.