Read about It. Рахимбергенова М.Х. - 25 стр.

heart, lungs and intestines were drawn out and steeped in palm wine and    her weapons and clothing, ornaments and perfumes and, perhaps, sev-
sprinkled with rich perfume. The body was dried, and stuffed with          eral articles of furniture. Then the entrance was closed up with stone-
powdered myrrh, cassia, etc, and sewn up. It was afterwards covered        work. A funeral feast in the antechamber concluded a ceremony that
with nitre for seventy days. Then it was washed all over and carefully     grew more and more elaborate as time went on. Food offerings were
wrapped in bandages that had been dipped in a strong gum. As soon as       afterwards brought at intervals by faithful mourners.
it was carried back to the home, it was placed in a large coffin, shaped          There were two distinct concepts of the afterlife, and these be-
like a human form, that was inscribed with magic charms and decorated      came confused in the ages that followed. The sun worshippers believed
with sacred symbols and figures of gods and goddesses.                     that the souls of the dead passed to the first division of night, where
       The intestines were placed in four canopic jars, on the lids of     those who were privileged to utter the magic spells that could compel
which were often shaped the heads of the four protecting gods, who         the obedience of the gods were permitted to enter the barque of Ra. In
were the sons of Horus and represented the north, south, east and west.    their tombs were placed models of the sun boat.
The jars were placed in a chest and deposited in the tomb. The organs
they contained were those that were believed to have caused the various          Chapter 3.
sins to be committed.
                                                                                             Journey to the Other World
       The funeral procession was a solemn and touching spectacle. All
the family were present, and women mourners wailed aloud on the way                The Otherworld concept of the Osirian cult made more perma-
to the cemetery on the western bank of the Nile. The mummy was             nent appeal to the Egyptian mind. Heaven is pictured as the «double» of
drawn along on a sledge. When the tomb was reached, the coffin was         the Delta region, where apparently the concept had its origin. But, be-
set up on end, facing the south, and an elaborate ceremony was gone        fore it can be reached, the soul must travel a long and weary way that is
through. It was conducted by the chief mourner, who recited the ritual     beset by many perils. The paradise of Aalu is situated in the west. Bleak
from a papyrus roll while responses were made by the relatives. Two        and waterless deserts have to be crossed, and these are infested by fierce
females represented Isis and Nepthys, for a part of the ceremony was a     reptiles. Boiling streams also intercept the pilgrim, who is always in
reproduction of the scene enacted around the body of Osiris when it was    danger of being compelled to turn back.
restored and prepared for burial. The dead had also to be instructed how           When the soul sets out, he takes with him his stave and his weap-
to reach the Egyptian heaven. The journey could not be accomplished in     ons and also food for nourishment. He climbs the western mountains
safety without the aid of magic formulae. So these were spoken into the    and then enters the Kingdom of the Dead. An immense sycamore tree
ears of the corpse, as was probably the custom in the days of crouched     towers before him with great clusters of fruit amidst its luxuriant foli-
burials. But the danger was ever present that the dead would fail to re-   age. As he approaches it, a goddess leans out from the trunk, as from a
member all the priestly instructions which were repeated over them.        window, displaying the upper part of her body. In her hands she holds a
The formulae were therefore inscribed on the coffin and on the walls of    tray heaped with cakes and fruit. She also has a pot of clear fresh water.
the tomb, and as time went on it became customary to prepare rolls of      The soul must eat the magic food and drink the magic water, and thus
papyrus, which were ultimately collected into the Book of the Dead.        become a servant of the gods if he is to proceed farther. If he rejects the
This papyrus might be wrapped under the mummy bandages or else laid        hospitality of the tree goddess, he will have to return again to the dark
within the coffin. A bull was slaughtered to provide food for the suste-   and narrow tomb from which he came and lead forever there a solitary
nance of the ka and as a sacrifice to the gods.                            and joyless existence.
       The coffin was afterwards lowered down the grave shaft to the               The soul of he who is faithful eats and drinks as desired, and then
secret chamber in which had been placed the image of the dead, his or      proceeds on the journey, facing many perils and enduring great trials.

                                  49                                                                           50