Chapter 9 (part 2)

29), various animal- and bird-headed gods, goddesses both with and without uraei on their heads, the "Crook" ( mest ) of Osiris, the serpent-protector of Osiris, and so on. The gods on the right of AFU-RA are they who give him "the seasons, and the years which are in their hands," and so soon as he speaks to them "they have life through his voice"; he, moreover, tells them what to do, and he orders that the herbs of the field of URNES shall be given to them in abundance. Click to view Nekht spearing the Eater of the Ass . The duties of these gods are simple: they supply p. 114 the followers of AFU-RA, i.e., those spirits who have succeeded in entering his boat, with green herbs, they give them water, and they light the fires which are to destroy the enemies of Ra. It is not, however, easy to understand their position. All these gods are under the rule of AM-NEBAUI, who is "the lord of this Field," but it seems that they remain in a state of inertness until AFU-RA enters and shines upon them; and although they have their duties and know how to perform them, it is suggested by the texts that they perform nothing until he speaks to them. In other words, they are merely dead gods, until the word of power spoken by AFU-RA makes them produce grain on which to feed themselves and the followers of Ra." In this way is the power of Amen-Ra shown: his dead body, i.e., the night sun, is able to re-vivify all the gods of the kingdom of Osiris, and to make them work. The gods on the left have, first of all, to praise AFU-RA after he has entered URNES; they next "guard the day, and bring on the night until the great god cometh out into the East of the sky." Besides this their duty is to bring to the god's notice the words of those who are upon earth, and they make souls to come to their forms (vol. i., p. 34); they are also concerned with the "offerings of the night," and effect the overthrow of enemies. From this passage it is clear that the Egyptians believed that words uttered on earth were taken to AFU-RA by his ministers, and it is difficult not to think p. 115 that such words must have been in the form of petitions, or prayers, if only for sepulchral offerings. So soon as AFU-RA has passed through the Division, and his light has begun to leave them, all the gods of URNES "cry out in lamentation, and utter wailings because he has left them." From the SUMMARY of the BOOK AM-TUAT we gather that the pictures and texts referring to this Division of the Tuat, or Hour of the night, were believed to possess special efficacy, and the faithful thought that if a man knew the names of its gods he would receive a place of abode in URNES, and would travel about with the god, would have the power of entering the earth and the Tuat and of going so far as the pillars which supported the heavens, would travel over the serpent AMU-AA (i.e., the Eater of the Ass), would eat the bread intended for the Boat of the Earth, 1 and would partake of the perfumed unguent of the god TATUBA. Moreover, it is stated that the man who makes offerings to the BAIU-TUATIU (i.e., the divine souls of the Tuat), mentioning them by their names, shall in very truth receive innumerable benefits upon earth.