- The Scene of the
Weighing of the Heart of the Dead
(Vignette - Text)
Vignette : The scribe Ani and his wife Thuthu enter the Hall of Double Maat, wherein the heart, symbolic of the conscience, is to be weighed in the balance against the feather, emblematic of Right and Truth . In the upper register are the gods who sit in judgment, whose names are "Harmachis, the great god in his boat, Temu, Shu, Tefnut the lady of heaven, Seb, Nut the lady of heaven, Isis, Nephthys, Horns the great god, Hathor the lady of Amenta, Hu and Sa" . On the standard of the scales sits the dog-headed ape, the companion of Thoth, the scribe of the gods ; and the god Anubis, jackal-headed, tests the tongue of the balance . On the left of the balance, facing Anubis are :- (t) Ani's "Luck" ; ( 2) the Veskhen or "cubit with human head", thought by some to be connected with the place of birth ; (3) the goddesses Meskhenet and Renenet who presided over the birth, birth-place, and early education of children ; and ( .}) the soul of Ani in the form of a human-headed bird standing on a pylon . On the right of the balance, behind Anubis, stands Thoth, the scribe of the gods, who holds in his hands his reed-pen and palette with which to record the result of the trial . Behind Thoth stands the monster called either Amam, the "Devourer", or Am-mit, the "Eater of the Dead" .
Text : Osiris, the scribe Ani, saith -- "My" heart my mother, my heart my mother, my heart my coming into being . May there be nothing to resist me at [my] judgment ; may there be no opposition to me from the Tchatcha ; may there be no parting of thee from me in the presence of him that keepeth the scales . Thou art my Ka (i. e ., double) within my body [which] knitteth together and strengtheneth my limbs . Mayest thou come forth to the place of happiness to which I am advancing . May the Shenit 3 not cause my name to stink, and may no lies be spoken against me in the presence of the god . Good, good is it for thee to hear Thoth, the judge of Right and Truth of the great company of the gods who are in the presence of Osiris, saith :- "Hear ye this judgment. The heart of Osiris hath in very truth been weighed, and his soul hath stood as a witness for him ; it hath been found true by trial in the Great Balance . There hath not been found any wickedness in him ; he bath not wasted the offerings in the temples ; he hath not done harm by his deeds ; and he hath uttered no evil reports while he was upon earth ."
The great company of the gods reply to Thoth who dwelleth in Khemennu (Hermopolis) :- "That which cometh forth from thy mouth shall be declared true . Osiris, the scribe Ani victorious, is holy and righteous . He hath not sinned, neither hath he done evil against us . It shall not be allowed to the devourer Amemet to prevail over him . Meat-offerings and entrance into the presence of the god Osiris shall be granted unto him, together with a homestead for ever in Sekhet-hetepu,r as unto the followers of Horus ."
- the
deceased in led is before Osiris
(Vignette - Text)Text : Osiris, the scribe Ani, saith -- "My" heart my mother, my heart my mother, my heart my coming into being . May there be nothing to resist me at [my] judgment ; may there be no opposition to me from the Tchatcha ; may there be no parting of thee from me in the presence of him that keepeth the scales . Thou art my Ka (i. e ., double) within my body [which] knitteth together and strengtheneth my limbs . Mayest thou come forth to the place of happiness to which I am advancing . May the Shenit 3 not cause my name to stink, and may no lies be spoken against me in the presence of the god . Good, good is it for thee to hear Thoth, the judge of Right and Truth of the great company of the gods who are in the presence of Osiris, saith :- "Hear ye this judgment. The heart of Osiris hath in very truth been weighed, and his soul hath stood as a witness for him ; it hath been found true by trial in the Great Balance . There hath not been found any wickedness in him ; he bath not wasted the offerings in the temples ; he hath not done harm by his deeds ; and he hath uttered no evil reports while he was upon earth ."
The great company of the gods reply to Thoth who dwelleth in Khemennu (Hermopolis) :- "That which cometh forth from thy mouth shall be declared true . Osiris, the scribe Ani victorious, is holy and righteous . He hath not sinned, neither hath he done evil against us . It shall not be allowed to the devourer Amemet to prevail over him . Meat-offerings and entrance into the presence of the god Osiris shall be granted unto him, together with a homestead for ever in Sekhet-hetepu,r as unto the followers of Horus ."
Vignette : The scribe Ani is led by Horus, the son of Isis, into the presence of Osiris who is enthroned within a shrine in the form of a funeral chest . Osiris has upon his head the Atef crown, and he holds in his hands the crook, the sceptre and the whip, emblematic of authority, dominion, and sovereignty ; from his neck hangs the meni t. His title here is "Osiris, the lord of everlastingness" . Behind him stand Nephthvs, his sister, on his right hand and Isis, his sister and wife, on his left . Before him, standingon a lotus flower, are the gods of the cardinal points or, as they are sometimes called, "the Children of Elorus" and "Children of Osiris" . The first, Alestha, has the head of a man ; the second, Hapi, the head of an ape ; the third, Tuamautef, the head of a jackal ; and the fourth, Qebhsennuf, the head of a hawk. Near the lotus hangs the skin of an animal . The side of the throne of Osiris is painted to rememble that of a funeral chest . The roof of the shrine is supported on pillars with lotus capitals, and is surmounted by a figure of Horus-Sept or Horus-Seker, and by rows of uraci . The pedestal on which the shrine rests is in the form of the hieroglyphic which is emblematic of Maat or "Right and Truth" . Before the shrine is a table of offerings by which, on a reed mat, kneels Ani with his right hand raised in adoration ; in the left hand lie holds the Kherp sceptre . He wears on his head a whitened wig and the so-called "cone", the signification of which is unknown .
Text : ( t) Saith Horus the son of Isis : "I have come to thee, 0 Un-nefer, and I have brought unto thee the Osiris Ani . His heart is [found] righteous . (2) and it bath come forth from the balance ; it bath not sinned against any god or any goddess . Thoth hath weighed it according to the decree pronounced (3) unto him by the company of the gods ; and it is most true and righteous . Grant that cakes and ale may be given unto him, and let him appear in the presence of the god Osiris ; (4) and let him be like unto the followers of Horns for ever and "for ever ."
(I) And Osiris Ani (2) saith : "Behold, I am in thy presence, 0 lord of (3) Amentet . There is no sin in my (4) body . I have not spoken that which is not true (5) knowingly, nor have I done aught with a false heart . Grant thou that I may be like unto those favoured ones who are in thy following, (6) and that I may be an Osiris greatly favoured of the beautiful god, and beloved of the lord of the world . [I] who am, indeed, a royal scribe who loveth thee, Ani, victorious before the god Osiris ."
The SourceThe Book of the
Dead, the Chapters of Coming Forth by Day
Translated into English by E. A. Wallis Budge, Litt.D., D.Lit
London, 1898.
Translated into English by E. A. Wallis Budge, Litt.D., D.Lit
London, 1898.
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