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The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) · 170 of 357 · tr. E.A. Wallis Budge

Chapter 20 (part 5)

The name of the doorkeeper is Nekau." Vignette V.: The fifth Pylon, which is guarded by the hippopotamus deity, with her fore-feet resting upon the buckle, the emblem of protection, seated in a shrine, the cornice of which is ornamented with ###, emblematic of flames of fire. Text: WORDS TO BE SPOKEN WHEN [ANI] COMETH UNTO THE FIFTH PYLON. Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant: "Lo, the flame, the lady of breath (?) for the nostrils; one may not advance to entreat her shall not come into her presence. The name of the doorkeeper is Hentet-Arqiu." Vignette VI.: The sixth Pylon, which is guarded by a deity in the form of a man holding a knife and a besom and seated in a shrine, above which is a serpent. Text: WORDS TO BE SPOKEN WHEN [ANI] COMETH UNTO THE SIXTH PYLON. Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant: "Lo, the lady of light, the mighty one, to whom men cry aloud; man knoweth neither her breadth nor her height; there was never found her like from the beginning (?). There is a serpent thereover whose size is not known; it was born in the presence of the Still-Heart. The name of the doorkeeper is Semati." Vignette VII.: The seventh Pylon, which is guarded by a ram-headed deity holding a besom and seated in a shrine, the cornice of which is decorated with khakeru ornaments. [1. The principal variants are "every god uniteth with her"; "the heart of every god rejoiceth in her." See Naville, Todtenbuch , Bd. II., Bl. 371.] Text: WORDS TO BE SPOKEN WHEN [ANI] COMETH UNTO THE SEVENTH PYLON. Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant: "Lo, the robe which doth clothe the feeble one ( i.e. , the deceased), weeping for what it loveth and shroudeth. The name of the doorkeeper is Sakti-f." Vignette VIII.: The eighth Pylon, which is guarded by a hawk wearing the crowns of the North and South, seated on a sepulchral chest with closed doors; before him is a besom, and behind him is the utchat . Above the shrine are two human-headed hawks, emblems of the souls of Ra and Osiris, and two emblems of life. Text: WORDS TO BE SPOKEN WHEN [ANI] COMETH UNTO THE EIGHTH PYLON. Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant: "Lo, the blazing fire, the flame whereof cannot be quenched, with tongues of flame which reach afar, the slaughtering one, the irresistible, through which one may not pass by reason of the hurt which it doeth. The name of the doorkeeper is Khu-tchet-f."[1] Vignette IX: The ninth Pylon, which is guarded by a lion-headed deity wearing a disk and holding a besom, seated in a shrine, the cornice of which is ornamented with uræi wearing disks. Text: WORDS TO BE SPOKEN WHEN [ANI] COMETH UNTO THE NINTH PYLON. Saith Osiris Ani, triumphant: "Lo, she who is chiefest, the lady of strength, who giveth quiet of heart to her lord.
Themes
Anthropomorphismtheology

Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.

[auto] Deities are depicted in human or animal forms such as a hippopotamus or a man holding a knife.

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Divine Lighttheology

The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation.

[auto] Deities are explicitly described as 'lady of light' and associated with 'flames of fire'.

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Funerary Navigationpraxis

Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.

[auto] The text explicitly provides spells and instructions for the deceased to navigate specific gates (pylons) in the afterlife.

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Psychopomp Journeycosmology

Guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms.

[auto] Describes the guided progression of the soul through distinct realms or gates in the afterlife.

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Ritual Firepraxis

Fire as medium of divine presence.

[auto] Fire is used as an emblem of protection and associated with a specific deity ('Lo, the flame').

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Sacred Namestheology

Divine names or formulas that carry ontological power, used in prayer, liturgy, or magical practice.

[auto] Passage emphasizes knowing and reciting the specific names of doorkeepers (Nekau, Hentet-Arqiu) as essential for passage.

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Spiritual Ascentpraxis

A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.

[auto] Movement through numbered pylons implies a staged journey upward or forward through the divine realm.

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Related passages · 2 parallels
mesopotamian|The Descent of the Goddess Ishtar into the Lower World|Section 1b
"Why, O gatekeeper, dost thou remove the girdle of my body, studded with birth-stones?" "Enter, O lady, for such are the decrees of Ereshkigal." The sixth gate, he bade her enter, opened it wide, and removed the spangles off her hands and f…”
Both passages describe a journey through a series of gates or pylons, each guarded by a deity or gatekeeper who demands the removal of certain items or attributes from the traveler. This reflects a common mystical theme of purification and transformation through a series of trials.
mesopotamian|Enuma Elish: The Epic of Creation|1h
She recited an incantation, she pronounced her spell, And the gods of the battle cried out for their weapons. Then advanced Tiamat and Marduk, the counselor of the gods; To the fight they came on, to the battle they drew nigh. The lord sp…”
Both passages describe a journey through a series of gates or pylons guarded by deities, and involve the overcoming of powerful, often chaotic forces. They share themes of divine confrontation, protection, and the ordering of the cosmos.