Chapter 19

EIGHTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT. I. KINGDOM OF OSIRIS ACCORDING TO THE BOOK AM-TUAT. The name of this DIVISION, or HOUR, or CITY, is TEBAT-NETERU-S, its Gate is called AHA-AN-URT-NEF, and its Hour-goddess is NEBT-USHAU. The Boat of AFU-RA now enters one of the most holy places in the Kingdom of Osiris, for in it abide the Four Forms of TATHENEN. Looking at the Boat (vol. i., p. 164) we see that ISIS and SER are no longer in it, a fact which indicates that the dangers incidental to passing through this DIVISION are not great, and that it is towed by a company of gods. Immediately in front of them are nine SHEMSU, or "Followers," i.e., "servants" (of Osiris), each with an object before him (vol. i., p. 167), which indicates that he is a properly bandaged mummy, and leading these are Four Rams, each wearing a p. 155 different kind of crown, which represent the Four Forms of TATHENEN (vol. i., pp. 168, 169). The heads which are attached to the symbols of the "Followers" only appear when they hear the voice of AFU-RA, and when he has passed them they disappear; the huge knives which they have are used in slaughtering any of the enemies of Ra who may succeed in entering the City. On the right and left of the path Of AFU-RA are a number of "Circles" in which dwell the "gods" who have been mummified, and for whom all the prescribed rites and ceremonies have been performed; the greater number of these gods are not well known, and their exact functions are not well understood. The CIRCLES on the right are: 1. HETEPET-NEB-S, 2. HETEMET-KHEMIU, 3. HAPSEMU-S, 4. SEHERT-BAIU-S, 5. AAT-SETEKAU, 6. The door TES-AMEM-MIT-EM-SHETA-F. AS AFU-RA passes these gods their doors fly open and those within hear what he says, and they respond with cries which are like unto those of male cats, or the "noise of the confused murmur of the living," or the "sound of those who go down to the battle-field of Nu," or the "sound of the cry of the Divine Hawk of Horus," or the "twittering of the birds in a nest of water-fowl." The CIRCLES on the left are: 1. SESHETA, 2. TUAT, 3. AS-NETERU, 4. AAKEBI, 5. NEBT-SEMU-NIFU, 6. The door TES-KHAIBITU-TUATIU. The sounds made by the gods in these resemble the "hum of many honey-bees," the "sound of the swathed ones," the "sound of men p. 156 who lament," the sounds "of bulls and other male animals," and the sound of those "who make supplication through terror" (vol. i., pp. 170 ff.).