![]() ![]() If the heart was lighter than the feather, they could pass on, but if it were heavier they would be devoured by the demon Ammut. In the Hall of Two Truths, the deceased's heart was weighed against the Shu feather of truth and justice taken from the headdress of the goddess Ma'at. Statues were placed in the tombs to serve as substitutes for the deceased.Īrriving at one's reward in afterlife was a demanding ordeal, requiring a sin-free heart and the ability to recite the spells, passwords, and formulae of the Book of the Dead. While the soul dwelt in the Fields of Aaru, Osiris demanded work as payback for the protection he provided. In Ancient Egyptian religion, when the body died, parts of its soul known as ka (body double) and the ba (personality) would go to the Kingdom of the Dead. Like many ancient Egyptian deities, Anubis assumes different roles in various contexts, and no public procession in Egypt would be conducted without an Anubis to march at the head. At this time, Anubis was the most important god of the Dead but he was replaced during the Middle Kingdom by Osiris.Īnubis takes various titles in connection with his funerary role, such as He who is upon his mountain, which underscores his importance as a protector of the deceased and their tombs, and the title He who is in the place of embalming, associating him with the process of mummification. The oldest known mention of Anubis is in the Old Kingdom pyramid texts, where he is associated with the burial of the king. In the ancient Egyptian language, Anubis is known as Inpu, (variously spelled Anupu, Ienpw etc.). Only if the corpse had been properly embalmed and entombed in a mastaba, could the dead live again in the Fields of Yalu and accompany the Sun on its daily ride.Īnubis is the Greek name for a jackal-headed god associated with mummification and the afterlife in Egyptian mythology. After burial, living relatives were expected to occasionally bring food to the tomb and recite prayers on behalf of the deceased.Įgyptians also believed that being mummified was the only way to have an afterlife. Beginning in the New Kingdom, books of the dead were included in the grave, along with shabti statues that were believed to perform manual labor for them in the afterlife Rituals in which the deceased was magically re-animated accompanied burials. Wealthy Egyptians were buried with larger quantities of luxury items, but all burials, regardless of social status, included goods for the deceased. Actual preservation practices declined during the Ptolemaic and Roman eras, while greater emphasis was placed on the outer appearance of the mummy, which was decorated. Mummies of the Late Period were also placed in painted cartonnage mummy cases. The body was then wrapped in linen with protective amulets inserted between layers and placed in a decorated anthropoid coffin. ![]() ![]() Beginning in the Fourth Dynasty, some parts were preserved separately in canopic jars.īy the New Kingdom, the ancient Egyptians had perfected the art of mummification the best technique took 70 days and involved removing the internal organs, removing the brain through the nose, and desiccating the body in a mixture of salts called natron. Wealthier Egyptians began to bury their dead in stone tombs and, as a result, they made use of artificial mummification, which involved removing the internal organs, wrapping the body in linen, and burying it in a rectangular stone sarcophagus or wooden coffin. The arid, desert conditions continued to be a boon throughout the history of ancient Egypt for the burials of the poor, who could not afford the elaborate burial preparations available to the elite. To enjoy the afterlife, all these elements had to be sustained and protected from harm.īefore the Old Kingdom, bodies buried in desert pits were naturally preserved by desiccation. The Name and Shadow were also living entities. Each human consisted of the physical body, the 'ka', the 'ba', and the 'akh'. Death was simply a temporary interruption, rather than complete cessation, of life, and that eternal life could be ensured by means like piety to the gods, preservation of the physical form through Mummification, and the provision of statuary and other funerary equipment. Egyptian Afterlife Ceremonies, Sarcophagi, Burial Masks - CrystalinksĪncient Egyptian civilization was based on religion their belief in the rebirth after death became their driving force behind their funeral practices. ![]()
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