Durham E-Theses - Durham University

Durham E-Theses

The main elements of the Osiris legend with reference to Plutarch and certain folk-tales Bakry, H. S. K.

How to cite:

Bakry, H. S. K. (1955) The main elements of the Osiris legend with reference to Plutarch and certain folk-tales, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online:

http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/9519/

Use policy

The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: •

a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source

•

a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses

•

the full-text is not changed in any way

The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details.

Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk

2

Abstract

The significance of the figure of O s i r i s cannot be overenqphaeiBed* Architectural remains witness t o h i s iiawortance i n the past, anil s t o r i e s about him to the interest ho has aroused throughout the ages. C a l r i s v;as a h i o t o r l c a l personage, a king who trap; cl.oifieel a f t e r hie death* Before O s i r i s , the creator sun-god ruled supreme. As a

god,

O s i r i s took over the functions of the other arested gotta of Eature* 1

He vas water, the ' l i f e of the Coul , or Kunj ard earth, the nourishes? of the boUy or the Prisaaval H i l l , both greeted by tho s

Sun * at the f i r s t time

With C s i r i s

9

JHSn hecama the inundation

or h i s exudations, and the H i l l tho lend of Ffeypt or hie b u r i a l place* His death v/ae a violent one* by murder and dieraejnberiaent, but followed by resurrection., which gave hepo to ©very Gsiyian believe

T/aidr was used, which acuM r i t u a i l y r e j o i n the scattered

limbs of the deceased, ami provide him with h i s efflux to l i v e again* I n cue case of

water led sorely to rebirth*

O s i r i s ' death and resurrection are. referred to i n suoh Osirian narratives as the Yale of the 'i>o iflrothors and the gtory o j L t M Blinflinfl of .ffrutha which were i n vogue i n £haroonie tiraen« I n ociireo of time O s i r i s won a prominent place i n the Egyptian pantheon* Iihen f i n a l l y C h r i s t i a n i t y vanquished tho

ancient

tifyrptlan religion^ c e r t a i n observances of the Osirian cult were

s t i l l practised by BOOS Christians i n Egypt* 'Hie O s i r i s legend was also Interpreted a m ? by the all-pervading ghilosop$\yr of Plato* Features of the legend can be traoe& i n c e r t a i n f o l k ~ t a l e s a l l over the world* $heso o ©attain the morals good remains, while o v i l vanishes* To the Egyptiam

9

O s i r i s ' death aeattt datura's death, and M s

r e v i v a l her revivals ana these two v i c i s s i t u d e s way© aythoposioall y understood as tha strugglo between O s i r i s and Seth. Wis aonfliot was enacted i n myster-plays ar4 r i t u a l i n anoiafifc ant raaSern Egypt and Greece anci even lr> Great Britain* p

I f such ft>15:*talQa a*si customs are carefully scrutinised

9

t h e i r patterns reveal tbe- main Osirian elerasnts o f death by nutilation» retreat i.n vegetation and fined resusrreetien by water*

B.3.K.MKHY.

PH.D. THESIS.

THE MiHT KLBXSEra OF THE 0 S I 2 I 3 LEGATO Viith. Reference t o P l u t a r c h and C e r t a i n F o l k - t a l e s

Errata W r o

"E P' 1

1

1

p.

2

5

7 1

319 Chap. X /

The

Right p. I l l , etc. P. 136,etc. 3i8.

copyright of this thesis rests with the author.

No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged.

i

CONTENTS

.

CHAPTER I

WATER OF LIFE The

deeper meaning o f t t h e O s i r i s - s t o r y ; S o c i e t y and

N a t u r e : t h e dependence o f human l i f e on t h e two n a t u r a l elements o f w a t e r and v e g e t a t i o n , I ; t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s o f "both t h e c r e a t o r - g c d and h i s c r e a t i o n s , ? ;

Man's hope

f o r r e s u r r e c t i o n , 4 ; grounds o f O s i r i s ' wide p o p u l a r i t y , 5; O s i r i s r i v e s w a t e r and he h i m s e l f i s d r u n k as w a t e r , "the L i f e o f t h e Soul,"S: P l u t a r c h ' s c r i t i c i s m o f t h e T?;-yptiarr a r d l b h e i r

Osi **•'••? • b i r t h a t Thabsc,TO;

" O s i r i s i r : f o t i r d . " I T ; t h e S f j y p t i a n ' s mythopoeic m i ^ d , I 2 ; t h e I t e d i t e r m n e e r «s O s i r i s ' s e a , I c ; P l u t a r c h

and L u c i a n

on O s i r i s ' ho;: s a i l i n g t o B y b l u s , I 4 ; t h e d r o w n i n g o f Ma.neros i n t h e Mediterranean,15; t h e b u r i a l o f O s i r i s i n t h e Sources o f t h e N i l e , and h i s b u r i a l a l l over c

E£ypt.I6; t h e Sources o f t h e K i l e a t K h e r ~ h a , 19, n. 4; ffrty

and

7-faty, 51; t h e F i l e - v / a t e r as O s i r i s ' e x u d a t i o n s ,

H I ; t h e Snake o f t h e Sources,?„1\ t h e sun-^cd as c r e a t or o f t h e i n u n d a t i o n , 2 2 , n . 3; t h e s o l a r c r e a t o r

as a b i r d

above t h e Sources,25; t h e p h o e n i x as h a r b i n g e r o f a new

ii e r a and messenger o f t h e i n u n d a t i o n , 2 4 ; O s i r i s i d e n t i f i e d v . i t h t h e phcerix, t h e sun-god's b i r d , 2 5 ; t h e Snake i n Egypti a n mythology and S e m i t i c t r a d i t i o n s , 2 5 ; Apophis,2fi,n. 2.

CHAPTERII ' I S I S ' TEAKS I s i s ' i d e a l love f o r O s i r i s . 3 0 ; i n c i d e n t s o f I s i s ' t e a r s , 5 1 ; Horns' v i o l a t i o n o f h i s mother,52; h e r t e a r s and t h e T

? i l e - i n u n d a t i o n , 33; S o t h i s as-, h a r b i n g e r o f t h e i n u n d a t i o n , 33; I s i s i d e n t i f i e d v/itb S o t h i s , 34; h e r t e a r s s w e l l the K i l e , 36; t h e "Night Isis

1

c f t h e Drop. "36; Pausanias' s t o r y o f

t e a r s , 38, n. I .

CHAPTER I l l C

CREATIVE Y/ATE

w.?ter, t h e o l d e s t sacdiiuii o f c r e a t i o n , 4 0 ; t h e sun-god as c r e a t o r from w a t e r (Nun),41; the P r i m e v a l

K i l l as Navel

of the Earth,42; c r e a t i o n by s p i t t l e , 4 3 { c r e a t i o n by m a s t u r b a t i o n , 44: t h e sun-god and O s i r i s as f a t h e r s arid mothers o f men,45; "Chaos,"46,n. 2; the d a i l y r e b i r t h o f the sun-god t h r o u g h h i s a b l u t i o n i n h i s own w a t e r , 4 7 ; H i l l r e f l e c t e d i n tho inundated c

Primeval

l a n d o f Egypt and h e r

h o l y e d i f i c e s . 4 9 ; Re" and O s i r i s i d e n t i f i e d w i t h each o t h e r

iii i n t h e E g y p t i a n c a l e n d a r , 4 9 ; P t a h , c r e a t o r w i t h t h e mouth ( s p i t t l e ? ) , 5 2 : Ptah and O s i r i s as c r e a t o r s , 5 4 .

CHAPTER I V SOLAR REBIRTH AND OSIRIAN RESURRECTION The sun-god's c e l e s t i a l .journeys and h i s d a i l y r e " b i r t h and death,56; h i s m a t u t i n a l p u r i f i c a t i o n , 5 7 ; t h e deceased i n company w i t h t h e sun-god,58; Eorus and Thoth as s o l a r b a t h - a t t e n d a n t s , 5 8 ; O s i r i s ' a t t e m p t t o O s i r i a n i e t h e s o l a r f i e l d s , 5 9 ; t h e deceased i d e n t i f i e d w i t h Z

c

O s i r i s , 6 0 ; t h e r o l e o f w a t e r i n t h e c u l t s o f Re" and O s i r i s , 6 1 ; O s i r i s ' myth i n s o l a r r i t e s : b a p t i s m o f Pharaoh,64; t h e r i t e o f t h e "House o f t h e Morning" ( P r dw3t),66; the r i t e o f "Bringing

t h e Foot" ( i n t r d m h d n ) ,

66; t h e meaning o f p r - n f r , 6 8 , n . 2; t h e r i t e o f "Opening t h e Mouth" (Wpt-r?),69,77] how p u r i f i c a t i o n r i t e s and l i b a t i o n s were O s i r i a n i z e d , 7 1 ; t h e Eye o f Horus as t h e deceased's c o o l w a t e r , 7 5 ; as incense,77; O s i r i s ' myth i n t h e r i t e , 8 0 ; t h e meaning o f NQR,8Ij t h e r e s u r r e c t i o n Q

f

s

r

s

o ^ i > ^ j O s i r i s and t h e P r i m e v a l H i l l i n r e l a t i o n

t o j u s t i c e and r i g h t e o u s n e s s , 8 4 ; t h e r e t i r e m e n t

o f Re°

a f t e r t h e d e s t r u c t i o n o f mankind,85; O s i r i s ' S t a i r s , 86; O s i r i s as a c r e a t o r - p o d ; Thebes and Abydus as h i s

iv P r i m e v a l K i l l and t h e i n u n d a t i o n h i s Nun,87; t h e s o l a r background o f O s i r i a n r i g h t e o u s n e s s and j u s t i c e , 8 9 ; . { . m o r a l s i g n i f i c a n c e o f t h e P r i m e v a l H i l l , 90. ne

CHAPTER V OSIRIS' FT^'ILITY I N LETS'. AND DEATH The m a r r i a g e o f I s i s and O s i r i s i n t h e i r mother's womb and i t s deep s i g n i f i c a n c e , 9 5 ; t h e b i r t h o f Anubis 96;

O s i r i s ' s e c r e t r e l a t i o n w i t h Nephthys,95: t h e

b i r t h o f Hashepsowe,100,n. I : I s i s ' d e s i r e

f o r Osiris,

101; t h e posthumous b i r t h o f H o r u s , I 0 2 ; I s i s g i v e s t h e dead O s i r i s a i r , 1 0 4 ; Bata as O s i r i s and Horus s i m u l t a n e o u s l y , 1 0 5 ; C h r i s t ' s b i r t h , 1 0 7 ; P l u t a r c h on t h e dismemberment o f O s i r i s , 1 0 7 : t h e Tale o f t h e Two B r o t h e r s an O s i r i a n t a l e , 1 0 9 ; O s i r i s " t h e L u s t y B u l l , " HQ; Rsc c u t s o f f h i s p h a l l u s , 112; O s i r i s and Dionysus 115.

CHAPTER V I OSIRIS AND WATER I N FOLK-TALES O s i r i a n s t o r i e s from d i f f e r e n t lands w i t h

their

v a r i o u s sources,115; t h e w a t e r o f c r e a t i o n and r e s u r r e c t i o n , 118; O s i r i s ' t r a g e d y , 1 2 0 ; t h e g e n e r a l

V O s i r i a n p a t t e r n o f c e r t a i n f o l k - t a l e s , 1 2 1 ; w a t e r as t h e s a l v a t i o n o f t h e p e r s e c u t e d soul,123; O s i r i s box s a i l s t o Byblus,124; Horus l o s e s h i s e y e - s i g h t , 129; t h e Eye o f Horus r e s u r r e c t s O s i r i s , 1 2 9 ; s p i t t l e r e s t o r e s eyes i g h t , 130: s a l i v a f o r p u r i f i c a t i o n , i m m o r t a l i z a t i o n and h e a l i n g t r e a t m e n t , 1 3 1 ; Re l o s e s h i s eye,131; C h r i s t cures a b l i n d man b y s a l i v a , 1 3 2 ; m i l k , 1 3 2 ; Horus r e c o v e r s h i s s i g h t by milk,135J banquet as t r a p , 134; Bata and. I v a n undergo t h e same e x p e r i e n c e s , 135. 1

c

CHAPTER V I I THE TREE AS A. RETREAT Hopes o f i m m o r t a l i t y i n v e g e t a t i o n , 1 3 7 ; t h e t r e e as a s u b s t i t u t e f o r t h e sun-rod's p r i m a l

hillock,139;

3

t h e epiphany o f Re' f r o m two t r e e s , 140; R e J. 1 uiil

i/iic

OII-L^US

OJ.

iidT;, j L - i j . ,

biic

ui uCcSSxOii

c

ui

emerges ojitr

buir

-

i ;od on e a r t h , 142; t h e Sphinx, 143, n. I ; t h e p e r s e a - t r e e s 51-owinr up f r o m Bata's b l o o d , 14-3; t h e sun-rod as a babe s i t t i n g on a f l o w e r , 1 4 4 ; n o n - E r y p t i a n t r e e s i n f o l k - t a l e s , 1 4 7 ; O s i r i s ' t r e e a t Byblus,148; O s i r i s and t h e Y/idower's Daughter t r a v e l l i n g i n a " p i l l a r " t o a f o r e i g n land,148; t w o s t o r i e s o f a Lernon-j-irl p a r a l l e l t o t h e Tale o f t h e Two B r o t h e r s , 14-9; Bata

vi t h e " B e a u t i f u l B u l l , " 1 5 0 ; on t h e meaning o f MPS,151; t h e L i t t l e Pool's green grave,155.

CHAPTER V I I I SOULS AS BIRDS ITT TRE^S The sun-god's t r e e and b i r d , 1 5 4 ; t h e sacred t r e e has a door,155; t h e t r e e as a temple,156; o b e l i s k end t r e e , I ^ j *^

lC

P^omx

a s

t h e sun-god's s o u l , 157;

t h e Moslem p a r a d i s e , 1 5 7 ; t h e E g y p t i a n p a r a d i s e , 1 5 8 ; s o u l s as b i r d s i n b o t h p a r a d i s e s , 1 6 1 ; and i n Jewish religion

( ? ) , I 6 ? ; t h e i n f l u e n c e o f magic on s o u l s i n

a n c i e n t Er;ypt,I83; I s i s as a b i r d , bird

168; I s i s as a

f l u t t e r i n g about t h e p i l l a r - t r e e

of Osiris at

Bybl-!s,l!=.R: and s i t t i n g on h i s p h a l l u - ( a t / b y d u s ) , 16? Horns as a b i r d

s u c k i n g h i ~ mother,169.

CHAPTER I X OSIRIS I N THE TREE V/hy O s i r i s had many tombs i n Egypt, 170; t r e e s shading h i s tomb-.170; t h e sycomore-tree O s i r i s ' tomb, rnc.

+

K

„

y,

T

irr

r

A

y

r>p-i i«-» r

, J7" • ^ s i r i " ' t r e e

•Ryblnp,I74: t h e T a r v e l l o u s growth o f Eata's

2*

persea-

t r e e s , I 7 4 ; t h e sacred t r e e g r e e t s and i s greeted,175;

vii admiration f o r t h e t r e e i n t h e O s i r i s legend and f o l k t a l e s , 176: t h e t u r r i r g - p o i r t t h e s e , 179; t h e analogy bet-veer t h e T&le o-P Iyjrr. t h e Sapjrdstaj^s Son r n d +ha* o f t h e Ty.o B r o t h e r ? 181; t h e shape o f O s i r i s ' tomb, I B 2 : h i ? tomb a t e l - M e d ^ u d , IPS; O s i r i s * P t h e t r e e itrelf,I«*f j t h e t r e e s p r i n g i n g rom h i s body, 18?. }

f,

CHAPTER X T I ^ T T

AWT) PILLAR

O s i r i s ' t r e e a t W b l u s as »n h i s t o r i c a l

fact,!^;

t h e D j e d - p i l l a r c f O s i r i s , I P O ; .«. n a r ^ l l s l betv;eer and

n iris s

Jesv-p i n t h e t r e e «rd p i l l a r , 191; t h e m o r a l o f f o l k -

t a l e s , 194; "Search" end " F i n d " i n O s i r i e n i s n and C h r i s t i a n i t y , 19?; "roibis t h e "Lost Son,"195; t h e 0

p i l l a r i n p r e h i s t o r i c t i ^ . c j . I P ] the Byblians v ^ n e r a t i n - t h e vood o f O s i r i s , 2 0 0 .

C^Z-pr^R X I TOES A*!T) PI/TORT AXTJ'Y -

Sacred tree?, shsdin' and foedin-- t h e s p i r i t s of t h e .-"Lead, 202;

t h e tree-goddess as t h e deceased's mother,

204;

t h e s p i r i t o f t h e deceased as a phoe n i x i n a t r e e ,

205;

t h e B a i e.nd t h e Tyc o f ^orus,205; hov; O s i r i s i n

the t r e e i ;

;

^"i/'ferent f r o m a t r e e - f o d d e r , 207; t h e

viii E g y p t i a n meanin" c f "greenness,"207; I s i s as a t r e e 5odcless,209; how a sacred, t r e e endows i m m o r t a l i t y , 210; t'lio nfme o f t h e deceased v n r i t t e n on t h e leaves and f r u i t s o f t h e sacred t r e e , 2 1 2 ; t h e x ( 5 ) m - t r e e "becomes O s i r i s ' t r e e , 2 1 5 ; Seth as t h e s h i p c a r r y i n g O s i r i s , 2 1 4 ; t h e o r y x , t h e a n i m a l o f Seth,215.

CHAPTER X I I THE HEART AM) SALVATION 'Llie h e a r t as t h e seat o f knowledge and r e c e p t a c l e c f e m o t i n s , 2 I 9 ; h e a r t and soul,220; t h e I.fempMts Theol o g y , 2 ? I J l u s t r a l washing and t h e h e a r t , 2 2 3 ; t h e r e v i v i f i c a t i o n o f t h e h e a r t b y v m t e r , 224-; pa^an customs observed b y E g y p t i a n C h r i s t i a n s , 2 2 4 ; t h e Eye o f Horus r e s u

s c i t a t e s O s i r i s , 2 2 6 , n . 2; B a t a ' r h e a r t

revivified

b y water,227; t h e h e a r t o n l y remains i n t h e mummified body,227; t h e l o s s o f t h e h e a r t means a n n i h i l a t i o n i n t h e O s i r i s r i t u a l s and f o l k l o r e , 2 2 8 ; t h e deceased's h e a r t as a w i t n e s s individuality

i n O s i r i s ' Judgment-hall,230; t h e

o f the heart i r Egyptian

thinking,251,

n. 3; t h e s o l a r o r i g i n o f t h e O s i r i a n judgment,232; h e a r t s , t r e e - f r u i t s and i m m o r t a l i t y , 2 5 3 .

ix CHAPTER X I I I CREATION AMD EESllHRECTIOIT FROM BONES The p r o p a g a t i o n o f O s i r i s ' myth t i r r o u g h P l u t a r c h ' s work, 235; t h e l o s s o f the p h a l l u s b y O s i r i s and Bata, 256; s i m i l a r i t i e s between O s i r i s and l e a d i n g c h a r a c t e r s ' o f f o l k - t a l e s , 2 3 6 ; t r e e s s p r i n g i n g up fxfa bones,237; two E g y p t i a n t r a d i t i o n s o f c a n n i b a l i s m and r e s u r r e c t i o n from bones,236: the "Cannibal Hymn" i n t h e Pyramid Texts,239; t h e s t o r y o f "Nut who a t e her c h i l d r e n , 2 4 2 ; O s i r i s e n t e r s the mouth o f Nut and comes out from between her t h i g h s , 2 4 3 ; t h e leg-bone and O s i r i s ' w a t e r , 244-; c r e a t i o n from bones, 24-4; O s i r i s and the moon, 247; baboons w o r s h i p p i n g the sun,248,n. I ; t h e Eye o f Horus and the moon, 249; P l u t a r c h on t h e r e l a t i o n between O s i r i s and the moon,249,n. I;"Horus the E l d e r " and Horus n o f I s i s , 2 5 0 ; t h e sun and t h e moon as t h e two eyes o f Horus,251; c r e a t i o n and r e s j e r r e c t i o n from bones i n other religions,252. s o

CHAPTER X I V m

OSIRIS' DEATH I N THE YiA ER O s i r i s ' i d e n t i f i c a t i o n w i t h the t r e e , 2 5 3 ; h i s v a r i o u s sepulchres,256; h i s d r o w n i n g a t Nedit,25£?;

X N e d i t o r B u s i r i s ? 2 5 8 ; t h e "Great P r o c e s s i o n o f Abydus" as d e s c r i b e d by I k h e r n o f r e t , 2 8 1 ; i t s meaning,263; Abyd

u s

i

n

t l i e

M i d d l e Kingdom, 266; O s i r i s 'drowning as

r e l a t e d b y t h e Pyramid T e x t s and t h e M e t t e r n i c h S t e l a , 266; I s i s

1

m a g i c a l pov.er over c r o c o d i l e s , 2 6 9 ; Horus

saves h i s f a t h e r f r o m drowning.270; t h e s t r u g g l e b e tween Horus a r d Seth i n t h e w a t e r f o r t h e crown,270, n. 5.

CHAPTER XV OSIRIS' PROPITIOUS DROWNING O s i r i s ' drowning a t Baltlm.,274; t h e Shbako Stone on O s i r i s ' drowning,275; h i s d r o w n i n g and b u r i a l a t Memphis,275; a p o t h e o s i s b y drowning,277; O s i r i s and F t ah i n Memphis,279; O s i r i s accompanies Re

c

on h i s

.journeys,280; O s i r i s n o u r i s h e s Egypt f r o m h i s Memp h i t e b u r i a l place,280; f u r t h e r s t u d y o f O s i r i s ' f e r t i l i t y , 281; O s i r i s as c r e a t o r , 2 8 4 ; O s i r i s as an e a r t h god. 285; O s i r i s as a corn-god,286; t h e sun-god as a "maker" o f corn,289; O s i r i s t h e c o r n - s p i r i t , 2 9 0 ; t h e s p r o u t i n g and f a d i n g o f c o r n as a symbol o f r e s u r r e c t i o n and death,292; O s i r i s t e a c h i n g people t h e c u l t i v a t i o n o f corn,292; P l u t a r c h ' s c r i t i c i s m o f t h e E g y p t i a n s and t h e i r gods,294; t h e E g y p t i a n s ' tendency t o d e i f y

xi i n a n i m a t e t h i n g s , 2 9 7 ; H a r p o c r a t e s a god o f wisdom? "A sweet t h i n g i s t r u t h , " 2 9 9 ; c o r n growing f r o m O s i r i s ' l i m b s , 3 0 1 ; r e s u r r e c t i o n b y embrace,503; O s i r i s ' manifold role,304; grain-offerings,306; b r e a d and c o r n as t h e deceased's food,307; t h e deceased e a t s o f t h e f o o d o f R e

c

i n t h e sky,508; he

a l s o e a t s o f O s i r i s ' b r e a d i n t h e Underworld,310; O s i r i s as c o r n and bread and p a r a l l e l s i n J e w i s h and C h r i s t i a n r e l i g i o n s , 3 1 0 .

CHAPTER X V I THE NATURAL AND SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OP THE MYSTERY PIAY OF THE SUCCESSION S p i r i t u a l I f e i n t h e O s i r i a n and C h r i s t i a n r e l i g i o n s , 319; p r e p a r a t i o n s 'for t h e c o r o n a t i o n pageant.320; t h e as t h e Eye o f Horus,410; t h e Eye y-"^ where t h e r e i s no mention of j o i n i n g up the l i m b s .

This

l u s t r a l washing and embalmment had t o he r i t u a l l y repeated, a s we have seen, a f t e r b u r i a l on the deceased's s t a t u e a t the "Place o f P u r i f i c a t i o n " i n each of the hours of the n i g h t by two p r i e s t s r e p r e s e n t i n g Thoth and Anubis, the mummy i t s e l f being i n the grave and t h e r e f o r e i n a c c e s s i b l e *

The s t a t u e , again i n p l a c e o f the

mumrmr.

may be o f f e r e d l i b a t i o n s , j u s t a s water had been o f f e r e d t o t h e mummy i n the embalmer's workshop before i t s interment.

The water here i s

of O s i r i a n nature: i t i s h i s exudations t h a t should go back to the deceased t o r e v i v i f y him.

However s i n c e the deceased i s i d e n t i f i e d

w i t h O s i r i s h i m s e l f , the water i s e q u a l l y w e l l the exudations o f O s i r i s which are given t o the deceased, and so by a f u r t h e r e x t e n s i o n i t i s a l s o the water t h a t i s s u e s from E l e p h a n t i n e , or Nun, water, the l i f e - g i v e r . "Take t o t h y s e l f t h i s thy pure water, which has i s s u e d from E l e p h a n t i n e . " ^ "Thou h a s t thy water, thou hast thy abundance; the

(l)

Pjjr. 864.

or N i l e -

- 75 -

e f f l u x goes f o r t h from the god, the exudations t h a t have i s s u e d from O s i r i s . " ^ Water may l i k e w i s e be i d e n t i f i e d w i t h Horus Eye, by which O s i r i s 1

it,

having e&ten', came back t o l i f e .

The p r i e s t a t the f i f t h hour of

the n i g h t , o f f e r i n g O s i r i s a vase of water thus addresses him: "0 O s i r i s Khentamenthes, take t o thee t h y head, u n i t e to thee the eye of Horus. has

I b r i n g t o thee t h a t which

i s s u e d from Nun, that which f i r s t i s s u e d from Atum

i n i t s name of nemset (nmst).

0 O s i r i s Khentamenthes,

u n i t e t o thee t h y head, u n i t e t o thee t h y b o n e s ( ? ) 0 O s i r i s Khentamenthes, the eye of Horus i s poured out f o r thee from the "nemset"-vessel.

Horus, take t o thee

thine e y e . . . . " ^ Immediately O s i r i s has r e c e i v e d "what lias i s s u e d from h i s body" o r once he lias "united unto him what has i s s u e d from him, n(3) h i s h e a r t i s no longer exhausted (when p o s s e s s i n g i t ? ) -

(1)

P y r . 788 (Mercer, Pyramid T e x t s I I , pp. 394-95)j c f . 1291, 1360.

(2)

Junker, Stundenwachen. p. 103.

(3)

Junker, op. c i t . , pp. 114 f f .

- 76 -

"This i s thy c o o l w a t e r , 0 O s i r i s ; this:'.is t h y c o o l water, 0 Onnos, which hath i s s u e d from before t h y son,.... Horus. 1 have come; I have brought t o thee the Eye of Horus t h a t t h y h e a r t may be r e f r e s h e d when p o s s e s s i n g i t . . . . Take t o t h y s e l f the exudations which have i s s u e d from thee. Thy h e a r t s h a l l not be exhausted when p o s s e s s i n g

i t . " ^

Thus the deceased, by r e c e i v i n g h i s l i b a t i o n s , r e c o v e r s O s i r i s ' exudations.

I n them he a l s o r e c e i v e s h i s s p i r i t .

On a l i b a t i o n

t a b l e of aideceased lady named Tahabit (T3hbt), the goddess Nut g i v e s h e r l i b a t i o n s t o d r i n k , and her words throw a flood' of l i g h t on the connexion between l i b a t i o n (water), exudations and soul; (o) "Speech by O s i r i s " T3hbt", (T3) s r i t Mnw,

' j u s t i f i e d , b o r n of the l a d y

j u s t i f i e d : 'Take unto t h y s e l f thy l i b a t i o n

f o r thee.

Thou h a s t t h y s p i r i t

libation.

Receive Cssp ? ) t h y s e l f the exudations which

have i s s u e d from O s i r i s .

(Ba±), thou h a s t t h y

'

(1)

P y r . 22-3; c f . 10, 43, 47, 72, 450-51; CT 64; Moret, i n Ann. Mus. Guimet. XXXII, 137, P I . 63; c f . "the Eye of Horus" the inundation", in.Maspero, Memoire BUT ciuelques papyrus du Louvre, P a r i s , 1875, p. 79.

(2)

I n this|text the lady i s r e f e r r e d t o by the masculine s u f f i x because she i s an O s i r i s . T h i s point r e c e i v e s a t t e n t i o n l a t e r , I n f r a , p.206, n. I .

(3)

Ann. Mus. Guimet XXXII, p. 135, P I . 63.

- 77

As t o t h e r i t e of "Opening the Mouth", i t has a l s o been O s i r i a n i z e d inasmuch a s t h e deceased i s i d e n t i f i e d w i t h O s i r i s . I n t h i s r i t e i n c e n s e , a s we have s e e n , i s used, and t h i s too (2) can be i d e n t i f i e d w i t h t h e Eye o f Horus,

v

' the l a t t e r being i n

t u r n i d e n t i f i e d i n l u s t r a l washing w i t h water o r O s i r i s '

exudations.

(1)

Supra, p. 69.

(2)

So, e.g. Davies-Gardiner, Tomb o f Amenemhet, p. 107. That t o fumigate the deceased w i t h i n c e n s e means t o p u r i f y him i s a t t e s t e d by the o l d e s t r e l i g i o u s t e x t s of t h e Pyramids. Having ascended t o t h e s k y t o l i v e w i t h h i s f a t h e r Re t h e deceased i s p u r i f i e d t h e r e by the goddess Kebehwet "who approacheth him w i t h these h e r f o u r rimst-i-jars, wherewith she r e f r e s h e t h t h e h e a r t of t h e Great God ( i . e . t h e O s i r i s K i n g ) . . . . w h o ( a l s o ) r e f r e s h e t h t h e h e a r t o f N. t h e r e w i t h t o l i f e , she p u r i f i e t h N., she c e n s e t h N." ( P y r . 1180-81; c f . a l s o 127, 750, 864, 2066; CT 173, 199,.202, 203, 216.) I n t h e r i t e s _ o f p u r i f i c a t i o n "Pouring out water onto the e a r t h " t ^ e T e s i s very o f t e n accompanied bv "Making a burning of i n c e n s e " (= f i r e and i n c e n s e ) - S ^ P T - which r i t e s a r e commonly r e p r e s e n t e d side by s i d e on t h e monuments a s "•*=*i r j ^ ' T and performed by t h e k i n g o r h i s o f f i c i a n t , the p r i e s t . Sethe, Dram. Texte, I I , 11. 43-44; pp. 147 f f , , 11. 91-96, pp. 203 f f . ; Davies-Gardiner, Tomb o f Amenemhet, pp. 77, 98, 107; c f . V i r e y , Ph., Le tombeau d Amenemhet. P a r i s , 1891, p. 250, i n Mem. Miss, f r . V; , Le tombeau de Pehsukker, i n op. c i t . , p. 298, f i g . 10. Mar., Abydos I , p. 36 Junker, G o t t e r d e k r e t . pp. 20-21, f i g . 6; c f . p. 16; Roeder, P e r Teinpel von Dakke. I , 356. I n the Coronation P l a y the Horus King, a f t e r h i s O s i r i s F a t h e r ' s death and j u s t before h i s coronation, i s censed w i t h incense, which i s a s s i m i l a t e d t o the Eye o f Horus, both Eye and incense emanating from h i s body. Thoth p u r i f i e s him with t h e Eye o f Horus. Although t h i s r i t e was observed i n t h e Middle Kingdom every y e a r t o commemorate t h i s event, i t i s doubtless antique. 1

:j

"Thoth speaks words t o Horus: ' I o f f e r thee i n c e n s e , the p u r i f y i n g ( E y e ) , which i s s u e d from thee. The E y e . Incense.*" Sethe, op. c i t . , I I , 1. 95, pp. 203-04; c f . P y r . 18, 19, 29, 1643, 1754, 1803, 2074-75.

- 78 -

Hence incense can be a s s i m i l a t e d t o water through i t s a s s i m i l a t i o n t o t h e Eye o f Horus and so r e v i v e s the O s i r i a n deceased.

Dealing

w i t h water a s used i n the r i t e o f "Opening t h e Mouth" f i r s t , we note. • t h a t w h i l e t h e s m r - p r i e s t i s pouring out water from f o u r nmst-vases, (episode 5 ) , he addresses the s t a t u e thus: " I have j o i n e d f o r thee thy head t o thy bones i n the presence of Geb.

Thoth, j o i n him together. (1) him i s complete;" and i n the f o l l o w i n g episode

What appertaineth unto

( 4 ) , w h i l e performing a s i m i l a r

p u r i f i c a t i o n w i t h water from four dsVt-vases he s a y s , "Thy p u r i f i c a t i o n i s t h e p u r i f i c a t i o n of Horus," and s i m i l a r l y "of Seth", "of Thoth", (2) G

and "of Dwen- Anwey".

The deceased i s afterwards fumigated

with

incense (episode 7 ) and t h e incense i s o f t e n d e s c r i b e d a s exudations t h a t have come out from O s i r i s

1

body.

I t i s a l s o "the Eye o f Horus".

The Eye of Horus should be given back t o the deceased

so t h a t h i s former

moisture may be r e s t o r e d . "The god cometh with body adorned which he hath

fumigated

w i t h t h e eye of h i s body, the incense of t h e god which hath i s s u e d from him, ~^J%L§ " ^ ^ . f ' ^ ' i i ^ ^ i r Q&O^ of t h e f l u i d (rdw) which hath i s s u e d from h i s f l e s h , the T

sweat of the god which hath f a l l e n t o the ground T

(l)

0

Davies, Rekhmire . P I . 107.

7 7

H

E

^^^S ^ T

- 79 He hath given i t to a l l gods .... I t i s the Horuseye. I f i t l i v e s , the people (rfcyt) l i v e , thy f l e s h l i v e s , thy members are vigorous."

The "Eye of Horns" i s here incense, and incense i s O s i r i s ' exudations. "Speech: '0 N.j I have come; I have brought to thee the

"EJye of Horus" so that thou mayst supply thy

face therewith, that i t may purify thee, and that i t s perfume may be thine.

The perfume of the "IJye

of Horns" i s M?'s. , = * " ^ 1

Newberry has supported the connexion between both "Horus Eye" and incense.

Since the "Eye of Horus" i s the l i q u i d that flows

from O s i r i s ' body, the tree that exudes incense may be identified

(l)

P. B e r l i n 3055, X I I , 7 f f ; Moret, Rituel, pp. 115-6; cf. Blackman, ZflS L, 71. I am not here concerned with the precise s c i e n t i f i c identification of sntr. variously described, f o r example, as "ladanum" (NewbtilTy) and "terebinth r e s i n " (lioret). . "He has given i t to all.gods .... I t i s the Eye of Horus: i f i t l i v e s men w i l l l i v e , thy f l e s h w i l l l i v e , and thy veins w i l l be vigorous. The hearts of the gods of the horizon w i l l be gracious unto thee when they look upon thee. They w i l l smell thy perfume v/hen thou hast appeared gloriously over thy world. And so i t w i l l f l o u r i s h . " ^rdi.n.f sw n ntrw ribw .... i r t Hr pw: nh.s, ?i} rhyt, nfj lwf.k, rwd mtw.k. i3m ib n ntrw 3htyw r.k, m33.sn tw. Ijtam. sn sty.k, iw.k h . t i hr t3.k. K3^w3d.f) Cf. Macadam, Kawa, I I , pp. 100-01, P i s . 27 d,b. c

c

c

(2)

20j c f . 1643, Blackman, P u r i f i c a t i o n p. 480.

(Egyptian),

- 80 -

with O s i r i s .

Hence i t i s easy to see i n incense, whenever i t

appears on i t s tree, the tears shed on O s i r i s .

This may be the

explanation (cf. Baly, JEA XVII, 222) of the statement, "The Horus-EJye weeps upon the dnw-bush." ^ lurthermore, the contest between Osiris* son Horus and h i s . enemies may be acted i n a short mystery play, which forms an integral part of the r i t e of "Opening the Mouth", (episodes 14 onwards).

c

I n Davies' discussion i n Rekhndre I , 76 f f . , the f i r s t

episode i s numbered 13, that i s to say i n the resurrection of the deceased, and i t s events are entirely of an Osirian nature, being enacted also i n other Osirian dramas, such as the "Great Procession" C

at Abydus ( P r t - 5 t ) , the "Mystery Play of the Succession" (Sethe, Dram. Texte, I I ) , the Khoiak-festival, and the "Ceremony of Driving the Calves" (Hwt Bhsw).

A most illuminating version of i t i s extant c

i n the tomb of Rekhmire , the v i z i e r of Tuthmosis I I I Dynasty).

(XVIII

t h

Having purified the statue standing on a h i l l o c k of sand

and fumigated i t with incense, the lector-priest retreats and makes way (2) to the stm-priest

to play the part of Horus defending h i s father,

O s i r i s (here the statue).

The stm-priest (Horus) i s seen s i t t i n g i n

(1)

Pyr. 135,

695.

(2)

On the reading see Gardiner, Onomastica I , 39* f f .

-

81

-

his sleeping gown on a couch (Episode 1 0 , Davies 9 ) . Suddenly he gets up after seeing h i s father O s i r i s i n h i s sleep. He i s overcome with despondency and longs for h i s father. But the imy-hnt-priesta t r y to comfort him ( f i g . 34 ) . The stin-priest (Horus) then appears before some sculptors and t e l l s them to make him a statue of h i s father (episode 1 3 , Davies l l ) ( f i g . 35 ) , and when t h i s has been fashioned he touches i t s mouth with h i s finger (episode 1 5 , Davies 1 2 ) ( f i g . 3 6 ) .

"Thy mouth i s opened "by Horus, with h i s l i t t l e finger, with which he opened the mouth of h i s father, with which he opened the mouth of O s i r i s . " ^ So greatly i s he pleased with the statue that he t e l l s the sculptors to do no further work on i t (Episode 1 4 , Davies 1 3 ) . Horus, the stmp r i e s t , says m hdr tp. f l i t e r a l l y "do not cut out, fabricate, carpenter his head", but since t h i s can also mean "do not seise h i s head" i t may be a reference to the struggle between O s i r i s and Seth. m hw(w) xt.x

So also

"do not beat upon my father" can be a reference both to

the action of statue-makers i . e . framing etc., and to that of enemies of O s i r i s .

I f the sculptors were to seize or strike the statue they

would range themselves on the side against O s i r i s i n the struggle, as

(l)

£ET.

1330.

- 82 Seth's partisans did on the "bank of Ndit, which according to Kees (Gfitterglaube, p. 258 n.2; Aegypten, p. 29, n. 134 - "Ort des Niederschlagens") i s the "place of overthrowing"^ I n the same way i n episode 18 (Davies 15) n d i . i shd.k d5d3 n x t i . i " I do not permit thee to polish my father's head" has c l e a r l y a reference to the action of the statue-makers, "but i t seems l i k e l y that i t had some further and more hurtful reference as well. No such meaning of shd i s known, "but i f i t were a causative verb meaning "to overthrow" the simplex-form hd should mean "to f a l l " . I t i s just possible that the sentence hd hr wr i r . k (Mm., Patuamenap, I I , PI. 13,

1. 63) might mean " f a l l under him who i s greater than thee", though rendered differently "by Sethe i n Dram. Texte, I I , 141, since i t occurs in references to the white hd-chapel i n which the deceased's statue i s f i n a l l y deposited.

The chapel i s identified with Seth, as i s the ship

i n the Coronation Ceremony (Sethe, Ibid., I I , scene 7, 11. 21-4; pp. 124 ff.), and both carry O s i r i s .

These are thus "under" (hr) O s i r i s ,

and thus imply the subordination of Seth to him, a position into which he might be ordered to " f a l l " .

The interpretation of Sethe would i n no

way be impaired i f t h i s additional sense were punningly implied, there

(l)

ndr = Copt.NOTgt , Gardiner, Rec. trav. XXXI, 194j c f . "ScTriaparelli, I I l i b r o dei funerali. p. 219; the mock fight i n the Sed-festival of King Amenophis I I I , i n Ann. Serv. XLII, 484.

83 -

being certainly a pun also i n the "whiteness" (hd) of the chapel and the ship. We may note, too, that i n the Coronation Play (scene 8, Sethe, Ibid*., p. 134) there again occurs the command m hw(w) I t .. ptn "do not beat t h i s father of mine" i n reference to the trampling under foot of the barley (both "father" and "barley" being i t T

Copt. t» ) by the animals, which i n the Egyptian manner, do the threshing by trampling.

These animals symbolize the Sethian element

and are therefore themselves afterwards driven by beating with s t i c k s (of the ceremony Hwt Bhsw). I n the present r i t e of "Opening the Mouth" the animals, again representing the Sethians, are slaughtered (episode 2 5 ) . ^

And since the stm's words imply here

by a pun that the sculptors have been i l l - t r e a t i n g the late ( O s i r i s ) , they take sides and start a mock fight to defend the statue ( i . e . O s i r i s ) against the partisans of Seth.

I s i s i s informed to her great

delight that her son Horus has met, that i s to say, has found, h i s father.

Horus i s then dressed i n a leopard's skin, just as he was

a f t e r h i s triumph over Seth.

The stm-priest (Horus) i s summoned to

s a c r i f i c e h i s (H©rus') Eye, and the whole party s t a r t s to defend the Kingdom of the Dead against the followers of Seth.

(l)

Cf. Budge,. Bk Dead 18 (H) 1.2.

The foes appear

- 84

i n the guise of the s a c r i f i c i a l animals (Episode 25, Davies 2 l ) . The statue i s offered food, and the soul of O s i r i s i 3 thus regained, and inserted i n the deceased's statue to l i v e a g a i n . ^

The statue

i s l i f t e d (episode 99) by the sons of Horus, t h i s symbolizing the exaltation and resurrection of the deceased through h i s ascent to Re

c

c

(not to 0 s i r i 3 , since O s i r i s himself went to R e ) , to l i v e the c

l i f e of the blessed with the gods i n the boat of Re . We have already demonstrated how immortality was a prominent aspect of the solar r e l i g i o n .

The sun-god never dies.

He r i s e s i n

the east or "enters h i s eastern mountain, seen by the people, lighting (2) the face of those who are upon earth."

Then he sets i n the west,

O s i r i s ' abode, f u l l of obstacles which he miraculously surmounts (l)

(2)

As to the Egyptians' b e l i e f that d e i t i e s and the dead could be immanent i n t h e i r statues and representations see Blackman, The S t e l a of Nebipusenwosret i n JEA XXI, 21, 6 f.; RoehemonteixChassinat, Ls temple d'Edfou. I I , I , 9 and 13; 10, 2; IV, 10, 12; Chass., Le temple de Dendara, I , 31, 12; 34, 1 and 10; Junker, Stundenwachen. 6 f.; Chass., Dendara I I , 58, 12; I I I , 109, 11 f..; I I , 73, 7; 172, 8 f.; 174, 3; 175, 1. Blackman and lairman, A Group of Texts Inscribed on the lacade of the Sanctuary i n the Temple of Horus at Edfu. i n Estratto da Miscellanea Gregoriana Raccolta d i s c r i t t i p u b l i c a t i nel I Centenario della fondazione del Museo Egizio (1839-1939) p. 412. Frankfort, Cenotaph of Seti I , I , p. 6b.

- 85 -

accompanied i n h i s boat by the souls of the dead. Before he c

re-appears gloriously h y, he ha3 to wash himself on h i s heavenly islands, and through t h i s ablution he i s reborn every morning, a reminder of the creation day with i t s unforgettable watery chaos and hillock.

In t h i s way the h i l l o c k i s the symbol of eternity,

and i t i s happily expressed i n the architecture of pyramids, tombs and royal thrones. c

O s i r i s i s as eternal as Re himself, yet h i s eternity i s due to the fact that he mainly belongs to t h i s world, from which Re the

c

on

other hand removes himself high into h i s heavens, and to the fact

that he i s also a natural and cosmic god.

Thus i t was quite easy for

O s i r i s to win the people's sympathy and gain immense popularity, thanks to h i s human and universal character. c

lacking i n Re .

I t i s t h i s human t r a i t that i s

He never dies i n spite of h i s decrepitude, but daily •

continues to r i s e i n the east (sht i5nrw), and set i n the west (sht htp$ or, according to another legend, r e t i r e s into h i s own c e l e s t i a l world to lead an old man's l i f e of growing v e g e t a b l e s . ^

O s i r i s on the other

hand died a f t e r a short and eventful span of l i f e , which fact made of him, so to speak, a prophet of human c i v i l i s a t i o n .

(l)

This partly accounts f o r

Destruction of Mankind, i n the tombs of Sethos I and Harnesses I I I , "Saith h i s Majesty (Rec), 'The f i e l d extendeth fair.' - and becometh then the.shjt-htpt - i s h a l l grow grass thereJ - and then becometh the sht-i3nrw. Urke v, w r a = Toterib. (Naville) I , 23-8; Todt. (Lepsius) I , 18-22; Breasted, Development, pp. 285 ff.; Moret, Le Nil, p. 293; Weill, OP. c i t . . pp. 138-59i Mailer, W.M., Egyptian Mythology, p. 77. 11

- 86

his extensive renown. He could not be ousted by the other c u l t s because their currency was confined to certain individual nomes, certain s o c i a l classes, and certain epochs.

There was nothing

a r i s t o c r a t i c or transcendental about him. I t was he who broke boundaries between nomes and b a r r i e r s between classes, as soon as kingship and society had begun to change t h e i r attitude one towards the other from the F i f t h Dynasty onward, and to tend towards a common standard.

O s i r i s can, therefore, readily be

styled as the founder of democracy. ^ O s i r i s ' importance, however, i s not so much due to h i s good offices on earth as to h i s being a guarantee of immortality through resurrection, h i s special g i f t to man.

His tomb, too, i s

i t s e l f the symbol of t h i s g i f t , for the tomb i s thought of as. a form of the Primeval H i l l , the pice of solar creation, b i r t h and rebirth.

Here the solar and Osirian conceptions meet, though

they d i f f e r i n t h e i r approaches.

The Abydus version of O s i r i s '

tomb i s always represented as a r i s i n g h i l l with a flight of s t a i r s , and on i t Osiris may be seen s i t t i n g as king and judge. In i t he may also be seen interred, and about i t h i s devotees desired to be buried and resurrected.

Hence the sumptuous funerals

on the Nile, the b u r i a l at or the pilgrimage to Abydus, the building

(l)

Frankfort, The I n t e l l e c t u a l Adventure, pp. 93 f f .

- 87 -

of cenotaphs there and the erection of memorial slafes about "the S t a i r s of the Great God"

I F"-*CiS the

god's supposed sepulchre. ^

O s i r i s , therefore, had every reason to claim the primeval land and c

i t s water, formerly belonging to Re , together with their deep, r i t u a l implications: " I t came to pass that the god (Osirds ) went to h i s land, to the primeval place, wherein he was born, where he came into being as (or from) Re°.

New as for every

god when h i s old age cometh...., they go to the land wherein they were b orn, the primeval land wherein they c

came into being as (or from) Re , that they may l i v e , be l i t t l e , become youths.... Take to thee t h i s thy cool (2)

water which i s i n t h i s land."

x

'

Even Thebes, the home of the national god Amun, a great r i v a l of Osiris i n the New Kingdom, became i n the Ptolemaic Period i n the Egyptian's belief a Primeval H i l l , especially during the inundation period, and i t i s described as the whole Universe whose primal god i s Osiris.

Local patriotism locates i n i t not only h i s birth-place but

also h i s tomb. This i s of dual significance.

U r s t , Thebes i n t h i s

way, by claiming O s i r i s ' myth, t r i e s to replace Abydus, Osiris* older birthplace, residence and tomb; and secondly i t confirms Osiris as a (1)

Eraan, A Handbook of Egyptian Religion, p. 135 = Religion der Agypter. p. 271; Wb. I I , 409.

(2)

Junker, Stundenwachen. p. 87; trans. Blackman, Rec. trav. XXXIX. 67. '

- 88 -

cosmic deity who created the world and ruled i t . "Thebes, which i s at the head of the t e r r i t o r i e s of Egypt because he who engendered them i s i n i t s earth.

A limb i s i n her (Thebes) i n a l l the places. "(1) (2)

Thebes, therefore, became as Abydus had been.

We have already

noted the cenotaph of Sethos I there as an architectural expression of the fusion of solar and Osirian ideas.

In the middle of i t s

Central Hall, an Island with two stairways i s seen emerging from the sub-soil water.

The Island i s nothing but the Primeval H i l l and i t

(3) i s called "the Island of the J u s t i f i e d i n Abydus."

The water

about i t i n the canal comes from the Nile, which during the inundation runs i n under the ground, and thus supplies "the Osireion" with i t s (4)

water, or the Primeval H i l l with i t s Nun.

The deceased, here the

King, i s r i t u a l l y buried i n an island at Abydus, O s i r i s ' necropolis. This island assumes the fundamental function of the Primeval H i l l , the endowment of a new l i f e .

Earthly l i f e i s shifted to the Underworld,

and so the deceased l i v e s once more i n the protection of h i s King, (1) Ann. Serv. XLEV, 152; Drioton's rendering of t h i s partly damaged text. (2)

Infra p. 49.

(3) Bk Dead (Nav.) 17, 24. (4)

Strabo (XVII. l ) thought that i t was a w e l l , while i t r e a l l y i s not.

89 -

O s i r i s , i n the Kingdom of the Dead.

At Ab ydus, t h i s i s fancied

as a risen land, the Primeval H i l l , the Navel of the Earth, and i s represented with two f l i g h t s of s t a i r s so that the god can ascend i t to his throne on i t s summit.

On i t the deceased may be

buried; he may be entombed i n i t also, and i n either case "the S t a i r s " are considered the Osirian Underworld, as one can see from the snake about them ( f i g s . 9 , 3 7 ) . ^ The solar background of t h i s l i f e i s now s u f f i c i e n t l y clear, and we can sum i t up again i n a few words..

Atum created a land

to stand on after emerging from Nun, and on i t he ruled the Cosmos. Here there i s a throng of related notions: Throne, Primeval H i l l , Navel of the Earth, "the S t a i r s " ( i . e . Osiris* tomb), New l i f e , rulership, and thence judgment, j u s t i c e and right l i v i n g .

The god's

"glorious appearance" there alludes to h i s f i r s t kingship, and h i s h i l l o c k i n turn serves as h i s divine throne, and the seat of j u s t i c e and r i g h t e o u s n e s s . ^

Re

c

3

i s said to have fashioned righteousness^ )

as w e l l as j u s t i c e , because without i t the world would f a l l into anarchy, and so he rewards good and wards off and punishes e v i l .

(1)

Cf. Supra, p. 29.

(2)

Frankfort, The Problem of Similarity i n Ancient Near Eastern Religions, Oxford, 1951, p. 11.

(3)

Davies, The Rock Tombs of el-Amarna. London, 1903-08, V I , PI. 15, 1. 8, p. 26 = Blackman, Righteousness.PP. 795=96.

In

- 90 a/ . . a vignette of Chp. 17 of the Book of the Dead ( f i g . 38 ) the sun-god i s represented s i t t i n g on the s t a i r s which represent h i 3 Primeval H i l l or throne.

Behind him stand a cat, an animal-form of Re

and a snake, h i s enemy, the symbol of chaos.

c

( l l . 119-20)

c

R§ had to remove chaos

from h i s world, or the cat had to destroy the snake so that order might prevail.

The struggle i s said to have taken place both i n the sky

(Bk Dead 39) and on earth i n Heliopolis ( l l . 18-19), and to have c

ultimately been crowned with the triumph of light ( i . e . R e ) over 1

darkness/ ) (Cf. fig. 39.) O s i r i s i n h i s Kingdom i n the Hall of Judgment also rules with j u s t i c e , and since he i s the judge par excellence, the result of the weighing of the deceased's heart i s recorded by the divine scribe Thoth and passed on by Horus to h i s father before the pronouncing of judgment. He appears s i t t i n g on h i s throne as Atum used to s i t on h i s Primeval H i l l .

The righteous dead, therefore, long for

sepulchres at Abydus about Osiris' " S t a i r s " i d e n t i c a l with that sacred h i l l i t s e l f to enable them to j o i n the suite of the great god.

No

wonder i f the Primeval H i l l , that played such a great part i n the Egyptian cosmogony, becomes, as i t were, a lighthouse guiding both the l i v i n g and the dead i n leading a f a i r l i f e both on earth and i n therhereafter.

The reason i s clear.

Once a god or a mortal i s i n or

near the H i l l he becomes righteous. The h i l l i s O s i r i s ' tomb, and

(1)

De Buck, Zegepraal, pp. 44-6. jfett. Reverse, row 5 .

- 91 -

throne i n the Hall of Judgment. conception of Q

I t i s no wonder i f the concrete

(h°) "Primeval H i l l " gave r i s e i n the course of

time to abstract conceptions amongst i t s derivatives.

Such i s

h°yt which Prof. Drioton, i n h i s researches into the only recently broaohed subject of cryptographically written ethical and religious maxims on scarabs has shown to have acquired the meaning "principle, maxim. " ^

I t i s quite excusable for the Egyptian to give to a

concrete term an abstract implication.

I t may be a c h a r a c t e r i s t i c

of the imagery of h i s own p i c t o r i a l script that he attempts to express h i s ethical views i n the same way as h i s relgious b e l i e f s , and the success of h i s attempt i s shown i n h i s a b i l i t y to express by cryptography h i s abstract ideas i n concrete form.

g°yt i n the

particular example which Prof. Drioton has studied, i s a precept to be followed by him who i s anxious to procure the god's favour.

Prom

the notions expressed i n such scarabs i t i s clear as a general principle that the favourite of the god i s that pious person who c

does j u s t i c e (m5 t), who loves h i s God and praises him, and who

admits

(2) that "on the way of l i f e i t i s the god who leads."

(1)

Ann. Serv. L, 585-90.

(2)

Ibid., p. 589.

The proverb i n

- 92

question reads thus: "The favoured one of God i s he who has placed c

h i s way in h i s heart. That i s the ( h y t ) on which thou hast r e l i e d . " ^ ^furthermore, just as the Primeval H i l l i s a place of eternity, so water, the other concomitant factor of creation, endows one with everlastingness, and water which i s capable of granting a new and pure l i f e to gods and mortals never f a i l s to make of a sinner a being righteous, new and pure; he i s recreated by water. (2)

(1) Cf. LefeTavre, Le tombeau de P e t o s i r i s , I I I , PI. 18. (2)

Proc. SB A XL, 62-3. A Moslem tradition says that any pilgrim to Mecca, who washes i n the w e l l of Zamzam, w i l l be cleansed of h i s sins by God. furthermore, he w i l l be reborn and be as pure as a c h i l d the moment h i s mother gives b i r t h to i t . In Islam, we find that the idea of the removal of sins i s associated v/ith ablution (See Ibn Maja, Sunan al-Mostafa, Vol. I , p. 122). Similarly i n Ancient Egypt, after purification, the deceased i s born anew. He then ascends to h i s father Atum, whereupon he i s addressed thus: "Thou puttest away thine uncleanness for Atum in Heliopolis, thou ascendest v/ith him," (Pyr. 207 a ) ; and "Thou p u r i f i e s t thyself i n the horizon, thou puttest away thine impurity i n the lakes of Shu. Thou r i s e s t , thou settest, thou settest with RS ....; thou r i s e s t , thou settest, thou r i s e s t with Re ...." (Pyr. 208 c-209 b. ) In t h i s text one can find a p a r a l l e l between t h i s Egyptian idea and the Catholic teaching about Baptism, as i n the l a t t e r the baptised person becomes pure, and loses h i s sins by washing i n the sacred water. He i s also reborn to become a c h i l d of God. See Blackman i n Theology, London, 1920, I , p. 141 = Mercer, Pyramid Texts I I , p. 98. C

c

- 93 c

The earthly king i s t r a d i t i o n a l l y the sun-god's son (s5 K ) ruling from a throne their common subjects with j u s t i c e . Justice i s the King's f i r s t duty on earth, thus he i s said "to l i v e on truth", and h i s tongue i s described as "the shrine of right". Whenever he i s

(l) 1

to settle disputes, he i s said "to appear gloriously l i k e the sun-god'.

When he dies, he, as an O s i r i s , ascends to h i s father to be united with him, where regal office i s conferred on him just as i n l i f e .

I n heaven

he i s embraced by Atum, and t h i s action puts the sceptre i n h i s hand, and seats him on h i s throne as "Lord of the Two lands".

His worldly and

heavenly l i v e s are thus identical, and form an Uninterrupted whole. "Stand thou upon i t , t h i s earth, (which aanes forth from Atum, the s a l i v a ) , which comes forth from Hprr; be thou above i t ; be thou high above i t ,

(2) c

and

that thou mayest see thy father; that thou mayest see Re ." "Cause thou that N. govern the Nine (Bows), that he equip the Ennead; cause thou that the shepherd's crook be i n the hand of N., so that Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt may bow (before him)."

v

'

(1) Breasted, Ancient Records. I , 625. (2)

Pyr. 1991 "Kheprer" i s here Atum the creator-god. I n fact he i s the god Khepri, the r i s i n g sun, represented as a man with a beetle as h i s head. Mercer, Pyramid Texts I , p-. 67; I I , p. 95; De Buck, Zegepraal, p. 15. Also see Spleers, Comment..... pp. 216-17,

(3)

P^r. 202.

- 94 -

"Thou hast come into "being, thou hast become high, thou hast become content; thou hast become well i n the embrace of thy father, i n the embrace of Atum. Atum, l e t N. ascend to thee, enfold him i n thine embrace, for he i s thy bodily son for ever. "(1) (l)

Pgr. 212-13.

- 95 -

CHAPTER V 1

OSHUS FERTILITY IN LIFE AND DEATH

That O s i r i s i s a f e r t i l i t y - g o d i s established beyond question. His f e r t i l i t y i s both that of man and that of Nature, and both meet i n him,

just as Osiris the divine king i s i n intimate r e l a t i o n with

Osiris the cosmic deity.

Nature and man to the Egyptian are one

and

the same, and both were fused i n O s i r i s . O s i r i s ' f e r t i l i t y i s established from' h i s very beginning, and i f Plutarch's narrative that I s i s and O s i r i s consorted together i n t h e i r mother's womb before t h e i r b i r t h ^ means anything, then i t i n a l l likelihood refers to O s i r i s ' extraordinary f e r t i l i t y . remain undeveloped, as with man,

This did not

u n t i l puberty, but seems to have been

so precocious that although no text r e l a t e s the whole story, hints to i t varying i n length are scattered on the monuments and papyri from various periods.

I t was c l a s s i c a l writers who unveiled the truth i n

these inscriptions and writings, which were i n fact meant only for the i n i t i a t e d , and were i n any case of late date.

These remained a closed

book to the masses, but were interpreted i n mystery-plays and processions.

(l)

These, unless c l e a i y understood, might mislead us, and

Plut., De Iside 356; cf. also the b i r t h of Horus while h i s parents I s i s and O s i r i s were s t i l l i n the womb of t h e i r mother Rhea ( i . e . Nut). Ibid., 373 B«C.

- 96 -

we might unwittingly brand "both the Egyptians and their god O s i r i s with obscenity, as the early Christian apologists d i d . ^ To look, therefore, so early as the Old Kingdom for abundant proof of the god's f e r t i l i t y might disappoint the researchers. Let us then s t a r t from the end, and go back to the beginning. Plutarch helps when he mentions the secret r elationship between Osiris and h i s s i s t e r Nephthys, the wife of h i s brother Seth, which led to the b i r t h of the illegitimate c h i l d Anubis.

Anubis' exposure

might have imperilled h i s l i f e had Seth discovered him, and had v

I s i s not rescued and nursed him to become her f a i t h f u l guardian, ' and eventually her husband Osiris* competent embalmer. The fact i s , as w i l l be shown, that according to l i t e r a r y evidence i n the Pyramid Texts, Osiris had a propensity for sexual intercourse with (5) s

any woman he came across. ' Late sources, however, while admitting O s i r i s ' sexual capacity, explain that t h i s was not manifested i n numerous progeny because O s i r i s was too busy with h i s humane message in Egypt and outside, and that therefore he led such a r e s t l e s s l i f e (1)

Kay, D.M. The Apology of Aristides the Philosopher, i n AnteNicene Christian Library, Add. Vol., ed. Allan Menzies, Edinburgh, 1897, pp. 259-79; Julius Pirmicus Maternus, De errore, I I 2, 3.

(2)

Plut., De Iside 256 P, 368 E-F, 375 B; Infra, p.I95, . 2.

(3)

Pyr. 1273; cf. Drioton, Sarcasmes contre les adorateurs d'Horus, i n Jflelanges syriens offerts a. monsieur Rene Dussaud, P a r i s , 1939, p. 504.

n

- 97 -

as almost prevented him from proving h i s sexual power and having frequent sexual intercourse with h i s wife I s i s .

I t might have

been added that h i s energies might besides have been diverted from the f i r s t into h i s struggle with h i s brother Seth, and that his early death l e f t him no time for further indulgence of h i s appetite.

Yet h i s assaulting h i s s i s t e r , Nephthys, and getting

her with child, i s inexplicable unless i t was meant as a sign of a strong sexual impetus. jtexts are s i l e n t .

On t h i s point the early Egyptian

Only do a Demotic text and another early

Coptic one (Paris Magical Papyrus 11. 35 f f . ) a l l e g o r i c a l l y refer to adultery between a man

( O s i r i s ) and h i s wife's s i s t e r

(Nephthys).

The wii-e ( i s i s ) requests a magician (Thoth) to bring him back to her.

The conversation between them runs i n Coptic as follows: " I t i s I s i s who cometh from the mountain at noon i n the summer, the sad woman, while her eye was f u l l of tears and her heart of sighs. Her father Thoth the Great came to her and asked her, "Why,

my daughter I s i s , 0 sad

woman, i s thine eye f u l l of tears, thy heart f u l l of sighs, the .... of thy dress soiled?

(Wipe) the tears of thine eyel*

So she said to him, "He l i e t h not with me, my father, Ape Thoth, Ape Thoth, my father. ( i . e . Nephthys).

I am displaced by my companion

I have discovered an offence:

Nephthys

sleepeth with O s i r i s (and sleepeth not) my brother, the son of my mother, with me."

So he said to her, " I t i s adultery

- 98

against thee, "behold, my daughter I s i s l "

But she said

to him, " I t i s adultery against thee, my father Ape Thoth, Ape Thoth my f a t h e r J . . . . " ^ Plutarch asserts that O s i r i s "behaved thus on the pretext that he mistook Nephthys h i s s i s t e r f o r h i s wife I s i s , and adds that O s i r i s i n t h i s manner intended to show h i s v i r i l i t y , Nephthys having been unable to bear a c h i l d by her husband Seth, and having become the symbol of the unfruitful wilderness, though t h i s was not the f a u l t (2) of her husband but due to her own s t e r i l i t y . Egyptologists t r y to interpret t h i s incident as a h i s t o r i c a l fact; namely that O s i r i s i n h i s struggle with Seth was able to defeat him and seize h i s belongings, including Nephthys, and that i t was f o r t h i s reason that she became h i s concubine. (3)

Naturally

t h i s opinion i s a mere hypothesis without any documentary or monumental evidence to support i t .

Ify own b e l i e f i s that the rape

of Nephthys can be better explained i n the l i g h t of what may be presumed to have happened i n early times i n Egypt - "the time of the God" - and s t i l l happens t o-day i n primitive societies, whereby a (1)

Erman, Me agyptische Beschworungen des grossen Pariser Zauberpapyrus, i n ZJlS XXI, 100 f f . ; c f . Hopfner, op. c i t . , I

p. 46; P I . I I (TextJT (2)

As to Seth's masculine vigour see Pleyte, Sur un papyrus inedit du B r i t i s h Museum, i n Rec. trav. I l l , 59, 60.

(3)

Hornblower, O s i r i s and His Rites. I I , i n M/N XXXVII, 171.

- 99 -

king or a chieftain may claim a l l the women, married or unmarried, of h i s domain or clan.

To him "belongs everything, animate or

inanimate, on account of h i s divine nature.

On the other hand

Nephthys seems to have been inclined towards O s i r i s , for she helped I s i s to succour him, and both goddesses lamented O s i r i s passionately, as i f Nephthys were a second wife or at least a concubine by right rather than by compulsion.^ " t am thy sister,) who loveth thee, says I s i s , says Nephthys. ( ) 2

They weep for thee; they awake for thee."

x

The King (who i s also O s i r i s ) " I s the man who taketh women from t h e i r husbands whenever he w i l l e t h and when h i s heart desireth." By so behaving O s i r i s does what i s expected of one regarded as a divine symbol of f e r t i l i t y i n Nature. A god could take another god's wife as h i s own. Re married Nut, the sky-goddess, Geb's wife, and Hathor, h i s own daughter, who i s at times identified with I s i s , O s i r i s ' wife. married to Horus.

Later Hathor was

This sort of r e l a t i o n was allowed not only between

gods and goddesses but also between gods and mortal women. The sun-god (1)

Pyr. 510, 623, 1786-87. n. 632 a.

(2)

Pvr. 2192.

See Mercer, Pyramid Texts

I I , p. 310,

- 100 1

for instance was regularly supposed to replace the l i v i n g king i n h i s matrimonial duty with h i s queen, as i f t h i s were HathCr the god's wife, with a view to "begetting the divine h e i r to the throne. Thus the right of a god to take a woman from her husband was considered by the Egyptians as a natural and a religious one, which

(l)

The intercourse which took place between Queen Ahmes and Amun and the f r u i t of which was Hashepsowe i s described i n her temple at Deir el-Bahri as follows: "This august god Amun, lord of the Thrones of the Two lands ( i . e . Karnak), came, when he had made h i s mode of being the majesty of t h i s her husband, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt N. They ( i . e . combin. ation of god and king) found her as she slept i n the beauty of her palace. She awoke because of the savour of the god, and she laughed i n the presence of h i s majesty. He came to her straightaway. He was ardent for her. He gave h i s heart unto her. He l e t her see him i n h i s form of a god, a f t e r he came before her. She rejoiced on beholding h i s beauty; h i s love i t went through her body. The palace was flooded with the savour of the god, a l l h i s odours were as (those of) Punt. Then the majesty of this god did a l l she desired with her. She kissed him.... Naville, Deir el-Bahari, ( I I ) , P I . 47 = Urk. IV, 219-22; Kees, Aegypten, t>. 40]"trans. Blackman, Luxor and I t s Temples, London 1923, pp. 68-9. As regards such theogamy, also see P. Westcar = ErmanBlackman, Literature, pp. 56-4-7; Lefebvre, Romans et cantes egyptiens, pp. 80-90; Drioton-Vandier, L/E^ypte. Pari3, 1946, p. 173; Weigall, A., A Short History of Ancient Egypt, London, 1934, p. 41; Breasted, Ancient Records, I I , § 841, P. 334 = Gayet, A., Le temple de. Luxor, P I . 63 (About Alexander the Great) Mahaffy, J.P., A History of Egypt under the Ptolemaic Dynasty, London, 1898, pp. 16-7. 11

- 101 accounts for the fact that i n Egypt gods, people and Nature formed a solidly united society such as was unknown to the other ancient Near-Eastern c i v i l i s a t i o n s . ^ This i s the reason why temples abound i n representations and Egyptian sacred and l i t e r a r y texts contain many accounts of t h i s divine fertility-power, which was i n fact l a t e r outspokenly venerated i n v/liat are called the P h a l l i c Processions^

I n the Old-Kingdom Pyramid Texts there are a few references to Osiris' fecundity. I n these the wording evokes the picture of I s i s s i t t i n g on O s i r i s ' phallus a f t e r h i s death to receive h i s semen. Though the scene may seem voluptuous outwardly, yet i t i s inwardly significant. "Thy s i s t e r ccmeth to thee, rejoicing for love of thee. Thou hast placed her on thy member, that thy seed may • .ner...." ,,(3) go into +

I n the Middle-Kingdom Hymn of Amenmose to O s i r i s on the Louvre Stela C286, the e s s e n t i a l idea i s expressed i n nearly the same way:

(1) Frankfort, The Problem of Similarity i n Ancient Near-Eastern Religions, pp. 8-12. (2) Plut., De Iside 265 C. (3) Pyil' 632, 1635-36.

- 102 -

" I t i s she ( i . e . I s i s ) who l i f t s up what i s inert i n the god v/hose heart i s weary, who takes h i s seminal f l u i d . . . . " ^ The outcome of t h i s posthumous marriage i s a male child to avenge (2) his father: "Horus the pointed has come forth from thee....", "....and ( I s i s ) makes an heir, and rears the child i n solitude (3) without anyone knowing where he i s . called "Horus son of I s i s "

That i s why Horus i s nrfij

without the

(4) patronymic.

Only i n the Middle Kingdom does t h i s myth of the

b i r t h of Horus take for the f i r s t time the shape of a complete (5) story,

although indeed with the usual solar background. I t

may have been i n f u l l vogue at least from the Old Kingdom, when the story was occasionally and i n part referred t o i n the royal tombs, for the Middle Kingdom Coffin Texts, wherein the story occurs for the f i r s t time complete, are but a l a t e r edition of the Pyramid (1)

Louvre C 286, 16.

(2)

Pyr. 632.

(3)

Louvre C 286, 16 = Moret, B u l l . Inst, f r . XXX, 743; cf. CT 148 11 209 f f . j Metternich Stele. 1. 169 f f . = Budge, F e t i s h , P- 498; , Legends of the Gods, pp. 179 f.; Mercer, op. c i t . ,

See Mercer, Pyramid Texts I I , p. 311, n. 632 d.

p. 100. (4)

Erman, ZflS L I I I , 97.

(5)

CT 148; cf. Hopfner, op. c i t . , I , p. 85.

103 -

Texts, and merely contain the Old-Kingdom b e l i e f s popularized by the masses.

In t h i s Middle-Kingdom myth I s i s r e j o i c e s ^

that she i s to bear a child by O s i r i s a f t e r h i s death, a son c

to avenge his father, and invokes the a i d of Atum-Re to protect the unborn c h i l d against Seth "who Osiris".

knowns that i t i s the heir of

Before Horus i s born, I s i s promises that he s h a l l

succeed h i s father as king on earth and that he s h a l l s a i l i n c

the boat of S e .

After h i s b i r t h Horus states that he i s the

greatest of the gods and that he w i l l crush h i s father's enemy, and says that he i 3 "Horus, son of I s i s . " In the New Kingdom the whole incident i s related and i l l u s t r a t e d on one of the walls of the temple of Sethos I at Abydus ( f i g . 40 to show that the god's power of fecundity did not stop with h i s death, but was on the contrary, as active as ever.

The words i n

the Pyramid Texts quoted above (Pyr. 652; 1635-6) c l e a r l y had reference to the incident, and i f placed alongside the New-Kingdom scene at Abydus they would serve excellently as a legend to i t . Just as i n the New-Kingdom temple of Sethos I , at Denderah i n the (•2) Ptolemaic Period ' ' (figs.41,42) I s i s i s represented as a hawk v

(1)

Cf. Plut., De I s i d e 372 A.

(2) Mar.Dend. IV, 10, 88, 90.

)

- 104 -

spreading her wings and thus, with her wind she stimulates him by giving him a i r ,

(spirit,n\/ivn.K , or "breath of l i f e " to quote

the common Egyptian p h r a s e ) ^ so as to animate him before uniting with him.

" I t i s she who maketh shade for him with her feathers, ( ) who giveth him a i r with her wings...." 2

(3) In "The Book of Making the S p i r i t of O s i r i s , or the S p i r i t B u r i a l , "

v

I s i s expresses the noble service she has done to O s i r i s : her preservations of h i s essence inhher body, her giving b i r t h to Horus to destroy h i s enemy Seth and h i s accomplices, and her intention to make him immortal: " I am- thy s i s t e r I s i s . No god hath done (for thee) what I have done, and no goddess. I made a male child, though I was a woman, because of my desire to make thy name l i v e upon earth. Thy divine semen, which was i n my body, I placed ( i t ) on the back of the earth, that i t might preserve thy character, that i t might heal thy suffering, that i t might bring destruction upon him who had caused i t . (1)

Cf. Hopfner, Sexualleben, I I , 2.

(2)

Cf. also the granite sarcophagus found by Amelineau i n the tomb of O s i r i s at Abydus i n 1898 (now i n Cairo Museum), fig.43. Ame'lineau, E., Le tombeau d O s i r i s , 1899, pp. 108 f f . = Budge, Osiris I I , p. 84. 1

(3)

Spiegelberg, ZflS L I I I , 94 f f .

'

105

Seth hath f a l l e n before h i s sword, and the comrades of Seth have followed him. The throne of Geb belongeth to thee, thou a r t h i s son whom he loves. Undoubtedly, O s i r i s lived again i n the person of Horus, who succeeded him on the throne, and O s i r i s was identified with the l i v i n g Horus, while Horus i n turn was identified with the dead Osiris.

Horus was then regarded as the symbol of resurrection on

earth.

and f l e d to Syria, came back to Egypt i n the form of a splendid b u l l . But h i s disloyal wife, l i v i n g with the Pharaoh of Egypt, conspired with Pharaoh against h i s l i f e , and k i l l e d him.

Yet with h i s blood,

he could impregnate her and come forth from her body as a child to avenge himself.

He died, but h i s v i t a l liquid was capable of

bringing him back to l i f e despite destruction. He was thus O s i r i s and Horus at once. The idea of O s i r i s ' resurrection was metaphysically expounded by c l a s s i c a l writers i n l a t e r times.

(l)

O s i r i s was considered as S p i r i t ,

P. Louvre 3079 = Pierret, Etudes egyptologiques, I p. 22; Spiegelberg, Eine neue Legende Vber die Geburt des Horus, i n ZflS L I I I , 94-7; Budge, O s i r i s I I , p. 45; Mercer, op. c i t . , p. 68 with n. 11 and p. 91; Kees Aegypten, p. 30.

- 106 I s i s as Matter, the two fundamental sides of crest ion.

1

Yet i t i s

l i k e l y that t h i s s p i r i t u a l i s a t i o n of the god lay latent from the very f i r s t i n the people's religion and r i t e s , before i t came to be stressed i n l a t e r times.

O s i r i s died, yet h i s s p i r i t remained

active i n h i s posthumous seed.

Therefore h i s function as a creator

creating with h i s s p i r i t i s beyond question, and h i s f e s t i v a l s , r i t e s , and myths are an outward expression of t h i s deeper meaning. In "the Utterance for Going forth i n the Day", Chap. 64 of the Book of the Bfead O s i r i s speaks of himself thus: " I am .... the master of h i s ( i . e . my) b i r t h a second time," which words might also be claimed by Horus himself , since he, by his b i r t h , impersonates h i s father O s i r i s on earth and l i v e s again i n him.

The b i r t h of Horus and O s i r i s ' second l i f e were intimately

connected, and were brought about i n the same s p i r i t u a l manner, s p i r i t u a l i n a l i t e r a l sense, because the r e v i v a l of O s i r i s which brought about both events was effected by the giving of a i r .

Horus

was born from the seed of h i s dead father, the seed thab contained his spirit;. " I (Osiris) the mysterious soul, creator of g o d s . " ^

(l)

Guieysse, R i t u e l funeraire egyptien, chap. 64; c f . Robiou, P., "Les variations de l a doctrine osiriaque depuis l'age des pyramides jusqu* a l'epoque romaine" i n Actes du 8eme congrfes international des o r i e n t a l i s t e s , tenu en 1889 a Stockholm et S Christiania. 3eme partie. Section I I . Leide, 1893., pp. 77-8.^

- 107 In the words " I made a male child, though I was (but) a woman", mentioned above, I s i s seems to be boasting that being but a woman, - and here we must understand a woman alone and unaided i n the normal way by intercourse with a l i v i n g husband - she has succeeded i n producing a male heir to avenge O s i r i s . This i s not quite a case of v i r g i n b i r t h but something approaching i t , i n that i t was I s i s ' own efforts that gave l i f e to her husband's corpse sufficient to render her pregnant. I t i s c l e a r from the representations that i t was the corpse of O s i r i s with which she had intercourse: besides, i n the Coffin Text summarized above she c a l l s herself at the outset ( l . 2 I l )

" I s i s , the s i s t e r of O s i r i s , she who wept for the father of'the gods," showing that the seed i n her was to be thought of as the seed of an already dead O s i r i s . parallel.

The story of Christ's b i r t h i s a s t r i k i n g 1

I f we admit that both Christ's and Horus births were

s p i r i t u a l , i t i s to t h i s parallelism i n Egyptian paganism between Christ and O s i r i s i n the person of Horus, as w e l l as i n the person of Serapis i n whom h i s cult persisted, that C h r i s t i a n i t y i s indebted for the rapid and extensive propagation of the notion of v i r g i n birth. ^

(l)

Plutarch, by asserting that O s i r i s ' phallus was cut off

Cf. Sharpe, S., Egyptian Mythology and Egyptian C h r i s t i a n i t y , London, 1863, pp. 102-14.

- 108 and thrown into the r i v e r to be eaten by certain f i s h e s , ^ touches on both sexual and s p i r i t u a l side of O s i r i s ' l i f e . I s i s gathered h i s scattered limbs together, Plutarch says, and by her magic reconstructed them save for h i s phallus. This version occurs only i n Diodorus ( I , 22) and Plutarch. No Egyptian text r e f e r s to the ICBS of t h i s part of O s i r i s ' body i n t h i s manner, and Horus' miraculous b i r t h i s always expressed both i n words and i n pictures without any mention of the absence of t h i s part.

Oddly enough Plutarch seems to

contradict himself when he asserts that O s i r i s lost h i s phallus i n the water and at the same time says, "Everywhere they point out statues of O s i r i s i n human form of ithyphallic type, on (2) account of his creative and fostering power."

As a matter

of fact the phallus of O s i r i s suffered the same mutilation as the other parts of h i s body, and with them was scattered asunder a l l over the country.

The phallus i s said to have been preserved,

(1)

Cf. Wiedemann, A., Per Pisn Ant und seine Bedeutung, i n Sphinx .... XIV, 253-34; Suys, E., Etudes sur l e conte du f e l l a h plaideur, Roma, 1933, p. 142.

(2)

De Iside 371 P; for dead Osiris with the strong erected phallus cf. Bk Dead 69, 11. 4-5; Erinan, ZRS XXXVIII, 30-31; CT 227.

-109 according to one tradition, i n Mendes,^ and, according to ( ) 2

another, i n Bubastis.

Consequently i t was never annihilated,

but was rather among those parts which were gathered and reconstructed before the resurrection of O s i r i s , and, we have already seen, i t was there i n the intercourse between the god and h i s wife before the birth of Horus. But nevertheless i t i s evident from other sources tlia't to the Egyptian mind procreation could i n this case occur v/ithout i t .

I n the Tale of the Two

Brothers, which i s highly Osirian i n i t s pattern, Bata cut off his privy member to prove h i s innocence i n h i s relations with h i s brother's wife. Bata's f e r t i l i z i n g power over h i s own wife could by no means be destroyed, and so he could render her pregnant, and make her bear him again, by entering her body i n the form of a splinter from a persea-tree i n which he s p i r i t u a l l y resided for some time.

The tree sprang up from h i s blood.

So the

absence or presence of a creator-god's phallus i s of no consequence, since creation i s not so much a question of perceptible substance as i t i s a question of s p i r i t u a l essence immanent i n such (1) Mar., Dend. IV, 43; Rec. trav. I l l , 83; ZflS LXXX, 89 f f . (2)

Demotic Magical Papyrus. Col. XI, 1. 14-15.

- 110 -

matter as phallus, seed, s a l i v a and water. Efflux or Water, ^

Thus O s i r i s i s

or S p i r i t , I s i s E a r t h ^ or Matter;

O s i r i s a B u l l , I s i s a cow;

Osiris active, I s i s the "Recipient"; ()

(2)

5

v

and Horus their son i s the "Image of the Perceptible World." ' Hence the creator-god, and after him those gods who

assumed his

cosmogonic task did the work of both sexes and were a l l styled (4) "fathers and mothers" of gods and men. Re and O s i r i s acquired such duality a f t e r the severing of t h e i r members, but, as i n the (5) case of Bata,

t h i s did not i n the least affect t h e i r f e r t i l i t y

and procreativeness.

They were on account of t h e i r f e r t i l i t y

likened to b u l l s ( f i g . M ) , as I s i s herself describes Osiris. (1)

Cf. Junker, Gotterdekret, p.

38.

(2)

Plut., De I s i d e 374

(3)

Ibid., 373 B-C, 374 D-E; cf. Cooke, H.P., O s i r i s , A Study i n Myth, Mysteries and Religion, London, 1931, pp. 50-55.

(4)

Cf. e.g. Ptah i n Holmberg, op. c i t . , pp. 33, 35-6,

(5)

Cf. Lefebvre, op. c i t . , pp. 154

A.

ff.

269.

- 112 "0 thou who a r t f a i r of countenance, lord of love 0 "bull who impregnates cows." Ke i s also called "the lusty h u l l , " "The b u l l who impregnates the "beauteous ones." Of h i s beauty and v i r i l e strength she says: "0 thou who a r t uniquely youthful, beauteous to behold, lord, among women, Male of cows, 0 child, master of beauty. Re , too, i n h i s old age, cut off h i s member, and from h i s blood he created men, a fact which strengthens the relation between Re and O s i r i s , and accumulates further evidence to the

solar background of the Osirian myth. "What i s thd?" says the commentary i n Chapter 17 of the Book

of the Dead. C |

"That i s the blood which flew out of R e s phallus, when he was induced into maiming himself.

Out of i t

2

>. A gods...." A ..( ) were shaped

O s i r i s ' f e r t i l i t y found great expression i n the popular processxon of

'

w

(a)

XX^cpo^t-ce ' .

Herodotus records i t

(4) and

(1) P. Bremner-Rhind. 11. 3, 5-3, 11, trans. laulkner, JEA XXII, 124. (2)

Cf. Gar-diner, Proc. SBA XXXVIII, 44.

(3)

Plut., De Iside 355 E, 365 B-C.

(4)

Herodot., I I , 48.

- 113 compares i t with the Dionysus Processions i n Greece i n h i s day. ^ Dionysus was identified with O s i r i s ^ ^ because of his f e r t i l i t y and other fundamental t r a i t s which they had in common since "both were natural and cosmic d e i t i e s . Women, Herodotus says, c a r r i e d images « y « V * r * a cubit high with a moving phallus "near as big as the r e s t of the body." "A flute-player goes before, the women follow after, singing of Dionysus." Women believed that by celebrating the f e s t i v a l they could themselves acquire f e r t i l i t y . ' For the same reason O s i r i s ' phallus was worshipped i n Ptolemaic times. The sexual aspect of O s i r i s i s v i v i d l y c a l l e d t o mind i n the words of a series of songs sung during the performance of the Osirian Mysteries by two priestesses impersonating the two goddesses I s i s and Nephthys, O s i r i s ' wife and consort. v

"0 that thou wouldest come to us i n thy former shape," (4) they say, "that we might embrace thee, thou forsaking us not.

(1)

Cf. Piodorus I , 22.

(2)

Herodot., 11^ 42, 49, 149; Diodorus I , 11, 15, 96.

43) Cf. the invocation of the women of E l i s to Dionysus, "Praying that the god may come with the hoof of a b u l l . " Plut., De Iside 364 P. 4

( )

P. Bremner-Rhind 1. 20-1; trans. Faulkner, JEA XXII, 123.

- 114 for thou a r t the B u l l of the Two S i s t e r s . Come thou, 0 young child, i n peace, 0 our Lord, that we may see thee; consort thou with us a f t e r the manner of a m a l e . " ^ ( ) Again later they sing: 2

"0 great "bull, lord of passion, l i e thou with thy (3) sister I s i s . "

(1)

Ibid., 2, 6-9.

(2)

Ibid., 5, 25.

(3)

I t may "be noted that i t i s not impossible that during the recitation of t h i s song an impersonation of the corpse of O s i r i s was actually brought i n . In (5, l ) the words ^ " S i "Jt" which E&ulkner translated "Someone i s brought i n dead(?)" have the appearance of a stage direction l i k e those at the beginning. I t i s suggested that these words may mean "the bier (funeral sledge) i s drawn i n . " This text i s quite capable of writing st3w for stSt "bier". Besides, in funerary representations i t i s on tooth sides of the bier that the two "Weepers" or "Kites" stand who represent I s i s and Nephthys.. . . . e.g. Davies, Rekhmire P i . 93 (bottom row); Tylor and G r i f f i t h , Paheri, P i . 5 (top) ( c f . also the other rows)* c f . also vignette i n P. Kerasher, B.M. No.. 9995 = Bk Dead (Budge), p. LXXI. c

- 115 -

CHAPTER VI OSIRIS AND WATER IN 50 LK-TALE3

That there were already i n ancient times many stories reflecting the Osiris legend i s well known. Such are for example the Tale of the Two Brothers, The Blinding of Truth, and Contendings of Horus and Seth. ^

The subject of reflections of Egyptian legends

i n other countries i n more modern times has been touched on by Maspero (Contes populaires. Introduction - a study of folk-lore), by Vxkentxev, Royonnemsnt dss ancxennes legsndss a travsrs l e monds, 1943-45, i n Revue des conferences francaises en Orient;

Le conte

egyptien des deux freres et quelques h i s t o i r e s apparentees, i n B u l l . Eac. Art. Cairo, XI, 67-111, by Lefebvre, Chronique d'Egypte, 1950j Romans et contes egyptiens de l'epoque pharaonique, Paris, 1949; and by Frank-Kamenetzki i n Arch, f . Rel. XXIX, 234-43.

These writers

have compared the O s i r i s legend i n Plutarch and the Tale of the Two Brothers with one another and with various folk-tales, mainly from Russia.

These stories are Osirian i n the sense that they stress the

main motifs of the t a l e such as the resurrection of the leading

(l)

Lefebvre, Romans et contes egyptiens. pp. 159, 176 f f .

- 116 character, both with the a i d of water and i n the guise of vegetation, after the mutilation end the reconstruction of the body. In an appendix I have quoted some of these stories.

The Lemon-Girl

i s a Turkish t a l e i n Margaret Kent, Fairy Tales from Turkey, Routledge, 1946, pp. 38-47, and i s discussed by Vikentiev, which reappears i n Grimm's Fairy T a l e s , ^ having been f i r s t found by the brothers, Grimm i n an I t a l i a n version, Le t r e cetre.

The Merchant's Daughter and the

Servant i s a Russian, story i n A.N. Aphanassieff, Les contes et legendes populaires russes, B e r l i n , 1922, t . I , pp. 183-88 (in Russian) mentioned by Vikentiev but not given i n extenso. In the version which I give here I have been aided by Dr. S.J. Tomkeieff of King's College, Newcastle. Ivan, the Sacristan's Son was compared by Lefebvre with the Tale of the Two Brothers, but again without giving the whole story.

This I have

translated from the French edition i n Rambaud, Alfred, La russie epique. Etude s u r l e s chansons heVoiques de l a r u s s i e , Paris, 1876, pp, 577-80, the f i r s t work, to the best of my knowledge, which compares the two t a l e s . The Widower's Daughter and The Peasant's Daughter, both Georgian t a l e s , were (2) published i n a Georgian version^ ' anddiscussed by Frank Kamenetzki, Wber die Wasser- und Baumnatur des Osirisi:. mit Heranziehung f o l k l o r i s t i s c h e r (1) Bolte, J.., und Polivka, G., Anmerkungen zu den RLnder-u. Hausmarchen der Brflder Grimm, Bk. IV, Leipzig, 1930, pp. 257-59. (2)

L'ancienne Georgie IV (1914-1915), section 4-e, pp. 76-82: "Le garcon avec l e s cheveux d'or"; ifeiterialiensammluhg zur Beschreibung .... des Kaukasus, XXXIII, 3, pp. 80-86.

- 117 Parallelen, op. c i t . , p. 235. i n relation to Plutarch's account of the O s i r i s legend only. The remaining t a l e s which I have included here have not been previously considered from t h i s angle.

The Tale of the S i l v e r Saucer

and the C r y s t a l Apple i s a Russian story, for which I have used an English e d i t i o n . ^

"Donotknow" i s likewise a Russian tale that I (2)

have obtained from the same source.

"The Mummers' Play" i s English,

and i s published i n a number of compilations, the most important of which are Tiddy, R.J.E., The Mummers' Play, Oxford, 1923, and 11

H. Coote lake, Mummers' Play and the SACER LUPUS", i n FOLK-LORE (A Quarterly Review) London, 1931, Vol. XLII, pp. 141-4-9. The version which I give here i s that given i n The Mediaeval Stage by E.K. Chambers, Oxford, 1903, Vol. I I pp. 276-79.

I t i s probable that there are many

other stories reflecting the Osirian myth.

I hope the collection I

have made may induce others to complete what I have begun. I have not i n every case discussed these stories i n d e t a i l ; their points of s i m i l a r i t y with the O s i r i s story, not only as given i n Plutarch but with the additional matter which the Egyptian sources provide, w i l l , I trust.be obvious enough without the necessity of (1) Magnus, L.A., Russian Folk-Tales (trans, from Russian), London, 1916 (2nd Impression) pp. 36-41. (2)

Ibid., pp. 234-42.

- 118 -

detailed commentaries. But since i t w i l l be necessary, from t h i s point onward, constantly to refer to their conformities with and divergences from the Osiris-story, the r eader i s advised that he should peruse them before

proceeding.

In the foregoing pages we have discussed the rcJle played by the sun-god i n creation, and how Osiris by h i s appropriation of t h i s role raised himself to the position of a creator and cosmic god.

Water i s not only the medium of creation i n general but also

the begetter of the creator-god i n particular.

I t i s the primal

water of the " f i r s t time", or Nun, and a l s o the divine seed: "Behold N., h i s feet shall be kissed by the pure waters, which come into being through Atum, which the phallus of Shu makes, which the vulva of Tfenet brings into being. ( ) 2

I t i s his- own water which he- created.

O s i r i s took over t h i s

water to himself, not to create things which have already been created, but to endow them with a new l i f e once they had l o s t t h e i r own.

In appropriating i t , O s i r i s claims that i t i s h i s own exudations,

a v i t a l part of himself.

He had but once to get i t back to re-gain

(1)

Fyr. 2065; c f . Breasted, Development, p. 19.

(2)

Junker, Stundenvachen. p. 87; Supra, passim.

- 119 his moisture and l i f e , and he gives i t as water both to those who have lost their moisture by death, and to the land of Egypt, whenever i t suffers the same experience.

Because of t h i s , the water, especially

i n spate at t he time of inundation, i s held to be the g i f t of O s i r i s , and i t i s the b e l i e f of h i s people that he i s buried at the sources of the river at Elephantine, or on an island near Philae. nourishes the land with h i s water.

Thence he

O s i r i s ' beneficence i s not confined

to the world of the l i v i n g , but continues to manifest i t s e l f i n the after l i f e , as every dead person becomes an individual O s i r i s .

The

dead, who are called "the l i v i n g " by the Egyptians, w i l l l i v e once more i n the Realm of the Dead with i t s king O s i r i s , who himself died to l i v e again.

Resurrection i s , therefore, a means to attaining a new

l i f e i n the other world, and the greatest hope that a l i v i n g Egyptian cherishes i n h i s life-time i s for a future s p i r i t u a l l i f e a f t e r h i s death.

But t h i s i s not possible for everyone; i t isi-rather conditioned

by f i r s t the deceased's earthly conduct and manners, and secondly the performance by h i s r e l a t i v e s of certain mummification r i t e s and daily and periodical r i t u a l s from which libations and l u s t r a l washing with O s i r i s ' water cannot possibly be omitted.

We have also seen that t h i s

water of Osiris i s of such a magical effect as to gather the limbs of the deceased which are presumed to have been scattered abroad l i k e the limbs of O s i r i s .

These limbs must be reassembled by washing the

deceased, or by pouring out libations at h i s tomb. His heart then

120

returns to the body and beats again. In such r i t u a l s the myth of O s i r i s i s frequently prominent. There i s constant r eference to the god's dismemberment by h i s enemies although he had committed no crime against them, and h i s innocence and the culpability of h i s enemies are often emphasized. His death as a human being i s regarded as a sign of disorder i n society, and as a cosmic deity, as a presage of dissension i n Nature.

The crime shows that the human laws have been broken and

that customs and b e l i e f s are i n d a n g e r ^ while i n the supernatural realm, the elements of Nature seem to be i n a state of chaos, and are giving way to subversive storms, droughts and famines. As creator, the sun-god saw to the nourishing of h i s people from the very beginning,the supplying of them with h i s l i g h t and warmth i n return for piety towards him as the basis of order i n h i s world. O s i r i s i n t h i s world has charged h i s son Horus with t h i s , and he himself i n the World of Shades examines every i n j u s t i c e or s i n committed by the deceased on earth. t r i a l i s held i n h i s court there.

For t h i s purpose a scrupulous Only the righteous are to l i v e

again, while the unjust are to suffer a second annihilating death; Th&s human side of l i f e and death i s c l e a r l y represented i n the

(l)

A good proof of t h i s i s "The Admonitions of a Prophet." See Erman-Blackman, Literature, pp. 92 f f .

- 121 -

folk-tales, which we have chosen for our study i n the present work i n the light of the O s i r i s legend.

But before we make the

analogy between them and t h i s legend, we have to sketch the common pattern of these folk-tales to give evidence of t h i s analogy. The Osirian legend as preserved generally by Egyptian

traditions,

and particularly Plutarch's essay on I s i s and O s i r i s , and the Osirian Tale of the Two Brothers, have many p a r a l l e l s with these folk-tales. Here are the main elements of t h e i r b a s i c s i m i l a r i t y : There i s a c o n f l i c t which breaks out between two persons - two brothers l i k e O s i r i s and Seth, or Bata and Anupu - a daughter and her father, a beautiful g i r l and an ugly or black one, a g i r l and her sisters, or her step-mother, a boy and h i s step-mother or between two neighbouring kings.

I t i s noticeable that the relation between

the two contending persons may be either a family relation, a relation of physical resemblance, or of identical s o c i a l importance, and that t h e i r contest a r i s e s from ac'desire for the satisfying of their possessive i n s t i n c t .

P a r a l l e l to the conflict between O s i r i s

and Seth for the acquisition of the crown, there i s the conflict between the r e a l and the false brides to marry the prince of the land, and between a step-mother and her step-children for the possession of their common supporter.

The conflict-motif may be

due to an urgent need for the g r a t i f i c a t i o n of the self-preservation i n s t i n c t and the warding off of imminent famine, as i n the Tale of the

- 122 Widower's Daughter, where a father intends to k i l l h i s daughter and bury her i n his f i e l d i n order to obtain a f r u i t f u l harvest of the l a n d . ^

Alternately, the sex-instinct plays an important

part i n some conflicts and causes trouble between two related persons.

For instance i n the Tale of the Two Brothers, Anupu's

wife t r i e s i n vain to tempt Bata to have i l l i c i t sexual intercourse with her i n the absence of her husband, just as Potiphar's wife tempts the young Joseph.^)

Such women, from fear of punishment,

or to take revenge on the unco-operative paramours, arouse the jealousy of t h e i r husbands, pressing them to avenge t h e i r honour and defend their virtue. The beginning of the conflict i s usually marked by a f l i g h t for l i f e to a foreign land - a f l i g h t which i s always associated with a pursuit, and which leads to the death of the pursued.

They

may be k i l l e d , as i n the case of O s i r i s , and buried i n the earth, and then resurrected i n a similar manner. Before they are resurrected into their ordinary human form, they undergo a sort of extraordinary metamorphosis into some animal or vegetable form.

They may reappear, as does O s i r i s , i n the guise

(1)

Gfi O s i r i s ' f r u i t f u l interment, Infra, pp.274 ff.

(2)

Genesis XXXIX:

- 123

of a water-creature, or be turned into a f i s h as i n the case of the Widower's Daughter.

Bata i s turned into the "Beautiful B u l l "

(k5 nl'r), and Ivan the Sacristan's Son into a bird, lilce the LemonG i r l and the Merchant's Daughter.

They may.also assume the form of

trees, as does the Lemon-Girl and Ivan, a shrub with a variety of beautiful flowers l i k e the L i t t l e Pool i n the Tale of the S i l v e r Saucer and the Crystal Apple, or a beautiful garden as i n the Story of the Merchant's Daughter and the Servant.

These various

metamorphoses naturally protect the victims from annihilation, by hiding them from their foes, and prepare them for their re-appearance i n their former human shape, when a l l sufferings have come to an end and retribution has been i n f l i c t e d on their oppressors. As i n the case of O s i r i s , the deliverance, from the hands of their enemies, of the persecuted heroes and heroines of our folk-tales and their f i n a l resurrection i s due f i r s t and foremost to water. O s i r i s was l a i d low by Seth on the bank of Nedit and was drowned i n the Nile.

The waters of the r i v e r preserved h i s corpse, carrying

i t to a safe place for b u r i a l .

According to one tradition he was

entombed i n Memphis. Carried by the water, he was exposed to the danger of being devoured by the fishes, which incarnated Seth. I s i s with her magic had the power to keep O s i r i s safe;

But

In l a t e r times

the drowned were considered martyrs l i k e O s i r i s , being even identified with him, and were thus apotheosized, once they had been washed onto

- 124 the bank of the r i v e r by a crocodile before entombment. According to another tradition the deceased ( O s i r i s ) transformed himself into a f i s h , ^ possibly to avoid the Sethian creatures i n (2) the water as Horus did.

Here the transfiguration of the Widower's

Daughter into a f i s h (Russalka) to be caught by the Prince of the foreign land and preserved i n a water-basin

i n h i s bed-room i s most

significant, as i t gives her an Osirian character (Cf. O s i r i s i n the tree supporting the roof of Malcander's room). Water, the all-preserving, may play a large part i n the d e t a i l s of the folk-tales.

I t may carry the chief characters away from their

homelands to a safer land.

In Plutarch's story of O s i r i s the god was

carried i n a chest on the r i v e r Nile and across the Mediterranean to Byblus, where a plant embraced him.

Bata was saved from h i s brother

Anupu on h i s way to Byblus by a stretch of water, which was

created

by the sun-god, to separate them, and i t i s probable that he crossed the Mediterranean as O s i r i s had done.

The Widower's Daughter concealed

herself i n a hollow tree-trunk, and was c a r r i e d in i t down a r i v e r to

(1)

"For r e c i t a t i o n by O s i r i s T5hbt, j u s t i f i e d : 'Thy Bai cometh out a bynni-fish on the water.*". Moret, Ann. Mus. Guimet XXXII, 135. As to the kind of the f i 3 h , see Brugsch, Hier.-Demot. Wb., 1097; ZAS (1868) 55.

(2)

l y j r a , p.270.

- 125 -

a foreign country to escape from her father who wanted to marry her himself.

In the Tale of the Lemon-Girl, the prince who set out

i n search of a bride trespasses on the domain of a t t e r r i b l e demon, and although the demon orddrs the r i v e r to catch him, the waters save him from drowning. The r e a l l y nagical effect of water may be seen s p e c i f i c a l l y i n their resurrection.

In the Osirian legend, water i s "the l i f e - g i v e r " ,

the "Life of the Soul" (°nh B 3 i ) ; i t i s the water which gathers together the deceased's limbs and puts back h i s Internal organs, especially the heart, into their places, and which i n the case of Bata, refreshes h i s heart and resuscitates h i m . ^ In the I t a l i a n version of the Tale of the Lemon G i r l , the prince t e l l s an old woman that he i s searching for a bride "as white as fresh cheese and as red as blood," whereupon the gives him three lemons and a knife and t e l l s him to go back to h i s country.

She also t e l l s him that

i f he cuts the lemons at a well a beautiful g i r l w i l l appear from each. The f i r s t g i r l , on appearing from the lemon, shouts to him, "Give me water to drinkJ"

But he f a i l s

to do so, and the f i r s t two g i r l s

consequently die. The third time he hurries, and gives the g i r l water, with the result that she l i v e s .

The Black G i r l , however, pricks her

in the temple with a pin, and she i s changed into a bird.

The prince

then mistakenly marries the Black G i r l , and when the bird appears i n

(l)

SUECft, p. 7.

- 126 -

the palace she orders the cook to k i l l i t .

From the feathers

remaining i n the boiling water springs a lemon-tree that y i e l d s only three lemons on the t h i r d of which the prince repeats the instructions of the old woman. Thus the lemon-girl eventually l i v e s again and becomes the r e a l princess through the help of water. The Turkish version i s more elaborate, yet the theme i s entirely the same, and the incidents of the story take place i n an atmosphere entirely Turkish i f not Oriental, reminiscent of the Arabian Nights.

A prince goes forth on a similar quest and for lack

of water the f i r s t two g i r l s die, but "as soon as the (third) g i r l appeared he threw her into the water.

There she bathed and drank

her f i l l , and came out of the r i v e r looking as beautiful as a f u l l moon,

(in the I t a l i a n narrative she appeared as white as cheese and

as red as blood.) The L i t t l e Pool i n the Tale of the S i l v e r Saucer and the C r y s t a l Apple i s asked by her e v i l s i s t e r s to go with them into the wood to "pick berries and look for wild strawberries" just as O s i r i s , i n Plutarch's t a l e , was invited to a banquet, and i n the wood the L i t t l e Pool was trapped as was O s i r i s i n Seth's house.

Both O s i r i s and the

L i t t l e Pool were s l a i n i n the wilderness and buried there.

Their

tombs were shaded by trees and shrubs with pretty flowers f a r from the eyes of their enemies l e 3 t these should lay hold of them, and do further

- 127 harm. As I s i s looked for O s i r i s so "the father"(of the L i t t l e Pool), when he had been told that h i s daughter had been eaten by the wolves, 1

(cf. Jacob's grief at Joseph's similar f a t e ^ ) "was sorry.

She was a

Pool, but she v/as h i s daughter after a l l , and so the peasant wept for his daughter ...."

Similarly while I s i s was wandering i n search of

her beloved brother and husband, i t was the Pans and the Satyrs which f i r s t learnt of the crime, and i t was a simple shepherd who was looking for a lost sheep.

I t was those pastoral creatures, and also (.9)

simple prophetic children playing i n a temple,as Plutarch t e l l s \ia?"' who were the f i r s t to guide the searchers to the destination of t h e i r lost r e l a t i v e s and uncover the crime.

I t i s worth noting that the

discovery of the crime i s mostly due i n our folk-tales to miraculous deeds and the mercy of the good God.

Water too i s miraculous; the

pipe that sang the L i t t l e Pool's story said to the sorrowful father, "You cannot r a i s e ine from my heavy sleep t i l l you get water from the Tsar's well."

The Tsar was kind to the father and bade him, "Take the

water of l i f e from the Tsar's well. her here

7/hen your daughter revives, bring

When he returned to h i s daughter's grave with "the

l i v i n g water" he dug up her body, "sprinkled i t with the water" and (1)

Genesis, XXXVII,

(2)

De Iside 356 D-E.

- 128 -

"his daughter sprang up i n f r o n t of him a l i v e , and hung l i k e a dove upon her f a t h e r ' s neck." Just as the envious s i s t e r s took the l i t t l e Pool t o the wood, the maid-servant i n the Tale o f the Merchant's Daughter took her mistress t o an i s l a n d , where she sent her t o sleep w i t h a c e r t a i n drug, gouged out her eyes and kept them i n her pocket.

This crime

was followed "by a t r i c k played by the servant on the prince.

Through

the r esemblance "between her and her mistress she waB able t o marry the Prince p r e c i s e l y as d i d the ugly g i r l i n the Tale o f the Widower's Daughter and the Arab or black g i r l i n the Tale o f the Lemon-Girl. And j u s t as the Lemon-Girl could go t o the c a s t l e , and marry her l o v e r by making him broth;.::- and p u t t i n g i n i t her wedding-ring, so the b l i n d g i r l could arouse the King's admiration w i t h the two crowns, which she had made o f velvet and s i l k .

Both g i r l s were helped i n the accomplish-

ment o f t h e i r plans by such simple o l d people as the o l d woman or f o s t e r mother o f the Lemon-Girl and the o l d shepherd o r f o s t e r - f a t h e r o f the blind g i r l . I n ancient Egypt the loss o f the eyes meant not only pain but also l o s s of power t o the v i c t i m . was the Eye of Horus. Pharaoh's c r o w n . ^

(l)

I n f r a , p.320.

The prototype o r form o f a l l eyes,

I t implied k i n g l y ascendancy and stood f o r Seth, i n the process of h i s contendings w i t h Horus

- 129 -

and the i n v e s t i g a t i o n of t h e i r cause by the Ennead, took Horus t o the mountains and p u t t i n g out h i s eyes exposed him t o the w i l d "beasts i n order t o win the crown of Egypt.

But once Horus had

miraculously recovered h i s eye-sight, he continued h i s struggle w i t h h i s uncle t i l l the end t o prove h i s r i g h t and claim t o the kingdom of h i s f a t h e r . The b l i n d g i r l i n the F o l k - t a l e of the Merchant's Daughter and the Servant, through patience and cleverness, a f t e r she had been l e f t helpless on an i s l a n d , was able t o regain her tv/o eyes s t o l e n by the wicked servant.

Then she was powerless no more.

And so she

was able t o exact a merciless r e t r i b u t i o n from the g u i l t y servant and become h e r s e l f the Queen i n her place. Behind a l l these t a l e s there i s an O s i r i s m o t i f .

When Seth

overcame O s i r i s a t Nedit he seems t o have plucked out h i s eyes t o deprive him of every vestige of energy i n the same manner as he l a t e r t r e a t e d H o r u s . B u t having found O s i r i s i n t h a t powerless Horus offered him h i s Eye that he could see w i t h i t .

state

Besides the

sense of seeing, the Eye of Horus endowed him w i t h great might t h a t s t r u c k t e r r o r i n h i s enemies' hearts.

(1)

Pfcr. 1212;. Bigr a . p. 153.

- 130 "Korus hath given (he) hath placed t h a t thau mayest enemies nay f e a r

thee h i s eye, the hard (one); i t t o thee ( i . e . i n thy hand), "be strong, and t h a t a l l t h i n e thee.

Horus hath completely f i l l e d thee w i t h h i s eye, i n t h i s i t s name o f 'W3ht ( = o f f e r i n g ) of god. ' " ^ I t i s worth n o t i n g t h a t the Merchant's Daughter was able t o restore her eye-sight "by s p i t t i n g on the eyes b efere f i x i n g them i n t h e i r sockets again.

The wonderful miracle s a l i v a works

i n a case l i k e t h i s was common i n Egyptian mythology and i n C h r i s t i a n i t y as w e l l .

I n Egyptian r e l i g i o n , water i s the source

of c r e a t i o n , and i t i s also equated w i t h "both semen and s a l i v a f o r the same purpose as we have seen i n the case o f Atum's masturbation. (2) To p u r i f y Pharaoh not only water was needed but also s a l i v a t o endow him w i t h a new l i f e . (z) Queen Hashepsowe w i t h her tongue.

v

Hathor p u r i f i e d

' The deceased O s i r i s i s said

t o have been p u r i f i e d w i t h the s a l i v a o f Horus and Seth. ^ (1) P j r . 614; c f . Pyr. 578-79. (2) Pyr. 1652, 1871. Supra, pp.44 f f .

Re

(3)

Urk. IV, 239-40; c f . Blackman, Proc. SBA X I , 89, n. 102; Frankfort, Oenotairti o f S e t i I , I , p. 36; V o l . I I , P I . 86, 1. 41 (Text).

(4)

Pyr. 850-51; c f . Breasted, Development, p. 40.

c

- 131 and possi"bly Ptah created gods and men from s a l i v a . ^ The element capable of c r e a t i n g gods and men, t h e r e f o r e , i s not less potent t o heal t h e i r wounds and cure t h e i r i l l s . With s a l i v a the Egyptians "believed t h a t l o s t eye-sight could be recovered. When Re wanted t o heal h i s hurt eye he spat on i t and i t was healed. A Text from Edfu runs: c

"at t h a t f a i r time of the month E p i p h i , on the day of c

e s t a b l i s h i n g the Eye, when Re speaks t o h i s s i s t e r t o come. The eye i s complete i n i t s place.

On t h a t

day of s p i t t i n g ( i . e . healing) the Divine Damaged Eye, v/hen the great g r e e t i n g i s spoken a t the door of the 2

temple of the b(x)nw."( ) c

Another t r a d i t i o n says t h a t when the eye of Re was l o s t , i t (*>) v/as Thoth who brought i t back and healed i t by s p i t t i n g on i t . I n t h e i r struggle Horus' eye was plucked out by Seth.

v

'

But when

c

Thoth (or Re ?) took i t from Seth he gave i t t o Horus and spat on (4) i t t h a t he might see again. I t i s also related that i n the (1)

Supra, pp. 43;i53.

(2)

Trans. Rundle Clark, op. c i t . , I I , p. 130.

(3)

Bk Dead 17, 11. 71-4; c f . Budge, Egyptian H i e r a t i c Papyri. p. XIV; , O s i r i s I I , p. 203.

(4)

Pyr. 142; c f . Budge, O s i r i s I , p. 105.

- 132 Roman period Vespasian cured a "blind man by s p i t t i n g on h i s (1) eyes. I n the New Testament healing by s a l i v a i s mentioned i n two places i n Palestine, namely a t the sea of Galilee and a t Bethsaida, where Jesus d i d miraculous deeds.

I n the f i r s t he

cured a deaf and dumb man: "And He took him aside from the m u l t i t u d e and put h i s f i n g e r s i n t o h i s ears, and he s p i t and (2) touched h i s tongue."

I n the second "He took the b l i n d man

by the hand, and l e d him out of the town; and when he had s p i t on h i s eyes, and put h i s hand upon him, he asked him i f he saw (3) ought."

The man s u f f e r e d no more from blindness.

I n the same manner m i l k was used f o r both p u r i f y i n g the d e c e a s e d ^ and healing a damaged eye.

When O s i r i s was p u r i f i e d

w i t h m i l k , t h i s was i d e n t i f i e d , w i t h water and h i s exudations as well. (1)

Tacitus, H i s t . IV, 81; Suetonius, Divus Vespasianus 7.

(2)

St. Mark V I I . 31-6.

(3)

I b i d . , V I I I , 22-6; c f . St. John IX, 6.

(4)

Bk Dead 169, 1. 7; c f . Blackman, P u r i f i c a t i o n , p. 479, V, (2, (e) ( i )

- 133 -

"Eaise thee up, my f a t h e r .

Thy water f o r thee, t h i n e

c

abundance ( b h ) f o r thee, thy m i l k f o r thee, which i s i n the breasts o f t h y mother, I s i s . , Awake, 0 A t o t i .

1

1

Eaise thee up. ...."^ ^

M i l k , the prototype of which i s I s i s ' m i l k , was capable (o)

not

only o f b r i n g i n g t h e deceased back t o l i f e

v

' but also of (3)

curing a person s u f f e r i n g from the pangs o f death. i t i s also possessed o f t h i s c u r a t i v e power.

Like s a l i v a ,

When t h e eyes o f Horus

were put out by Seth, Hathor who found him l y i n g on the mountain *

•

c r y i n g w i t h pain, restored, h i s s i g h t t o him w i t h t h e m i l k of a gazelle.

v

'

But the major crime i n a l l these s t o r i e s , a crime whose motive and circumstances are s u p r i s i n g l y analogous w i t h those r e l a t e d by P l u t a r c h , i s t h e crime o f dismemberment.

Seth commits i t t o get t h e

(1)

Pyr. 734,trans. Blackman, Rec. t r a v . XXXIX, 60; c f . Moret, Ann. Mus. Guimet, XXXII, 136; P i e r r e t , Etudes egyptologique, P a r i s , 1878, p. 116 (g&ne l i v r a i s o n ) .

(2)

P^r. 734, 1282, 1354, 1375; Junker, Gotterdekret, pp. 9 f f .

(3)

Garnot, J.S.P., Deux vases egyptiens representant une femme tenant un enfant sur 3es genoux, i n Melanges d archeologie et d ' h i s t o i r e o f f e r t s a Charlas Picard. t . I I , P a r i s , 1949, p. 913 w i t h n. 5; Schott, S., Das LBschen von Fackeln i n M i l c h , i n ZflS L X X I I I , 1-25. 1

(4)

Gard., P. Chester Beatty, I , 10. 5-10. 10.

- 134 crown, and the maid-servant commits i t t o become the w i f e of the King. One of the commonest stratagems found i n these f o l k - t a l e s to e f f e c t t h i s crime i s the h o l d i n g of a feast t o entrap the u n w i l l i n g hero or heroine. But alone o f a l l the v i c t i m s i n these t a l e s the b l i n d g i r l , i n the Tale of the Merchants Daughter and the Servant, i s aware of her impending f a t e . Before she departs t o the banquet, she says t o the o l d man, her f o s t e r - f a t h e r , " I s h a l l soon be a l i v e no more. They w i l l k i l l me and cut me i n small pieces. You must get up e a r l y , make a c o f f i n , c o l l e c t the pieces of my body, and bury them." When she went t o the palace, she t o l d the guard t o cut her up quicklyJ To destroy her completely and t o carry out the f a l s e Queen's order t o the l e t t e r , they removed her heart. Her grave took the shape of a hummock, as d i d the tomb of O s i r i s , ' - the shepherd had b u r i e d her i n a dung-heap.

Yet r e s u r r e c t i o n , before i t takes place, had t o be preceded by a n a t u r a l phenomenon.

The g i r l ' s body, l i k e O s i r i s ' , endows her grave-

yard w i t h f e r t i l i t y .

"There was no g i r l , and onj^y where she was b u r i e d

^had'a garden*grown."

B£ order of the Queen t h e garden had t o be cut

down, i n the b e l i e f t h a t her r i v a l entombed i n i t w i l l consequently be destroyed.

But the garden i s transformed i n t o a young boy and the boy

i n t o the Merchant's Daughter.

When she t e l l s her s t o r y t o the King, he

f a l l s i n love w i t h her and marries her; punished f o r her crimes.

The false w i f e i s then severely

- 135 The p a r a l l e l between Ivan's t a l e and Bata's i s unquestionable. Both men were young, b e a u t i f u l , wise and o f good breeding, and both s u f f e r e d the same mishaps and underwent the same metamorphoses. l i k e the Merchant s Daughter and Bata, Ivan could prophesy what would come t o him a f t e r h i s kidnap by the Sultan o f Turkey, and t o both o f them t h e i r f a i t h f u l beasts proved h e l p f u l i n time o f need. Moreover, they both suffered much from the i l l - t r e a t m e n t of t h e i r treacherous wives. Both had defeated huge armies on more than one occasion before they met t h e i r death on l o s i n g t h e i r magic power: Bata's heart f e l l onto the ground, and Ivan's sword, was s t o l e n from him by the Sultan disguised as a beggar. They were both,furthermore, indebted t o water f o r t h e i r r e s u r r e c t i o n . Ivan's horse t o l d h i s f a t h e r o f h i s impending death, and explained t o him how he should b r i n g him back t o l i f e . "When crows come t o devour me," said the horse, "you must catch one, and. make i t fetch the l i f e - g i v i n g water." Although Ivan had assumed both the form o f a horse, and then l a t e r the form o f a b u l l , he nevertheless met h i s death a t the i n s t i g a t i o n o f h i s u n f a i t h f u l w i f e , who had entered the Sultan's harem. The b u l l ' s head, having been b u r i e d i n the garden, grew i n t o a b e a u t i f u l apple-tree. I n s p i t e o f being put t o death he was able t o assume the form o f a duck and swim i n the pond. With the a i d o f t h i s l a s t metamorphosis and the water o f the pond he was f i n a l l y restored t o h i s u l t i m a t e human form. The doom of Bata's w i f e was as f a t a l as t h a t o f Cleopatra, Ivan's f a i t h l e s s w i f e . 1

- 137 -

CHAPTER VTI THE TREE AS A RETREAT

So f a r we have discerned how O s i r i s was i n t i m a t e l y connected w i t h the inundation and considered as a water-god, thus absorbing i n himself the inundation d i v i n i t y Ha°py, and the p r i m a l waters o f Nun.

I n r i t u a l s the inundation was regarded as h i s "exudations",

t h a t i s t o say the moisture from h i s body which was b u r i e d at the sources o f the N i l e .

To GO me back t o l i f e , the deceased, l i k e O s i r i s

himself, had t o recover by l u s t r a l washing and l i b a t i o n s h i s exudations (or 0 s i r i 3 * own, or both h i s and O s i r i s ' ) which e f f e c t e d the union o f h i s limbs.

Likewise O s i r i s , being inherent i n the

inundation, could r e v i v e the dry and almost dying land o f Egypt by g i v i n g i t the water o f l i f e and f e r t i l i z i n g i t w i t h h i s v i t a l l i q u i d . Man and beast r e j o i c e d a t the inundation, as by i t they would be nourished, delivered from imminent famine, and endowed w i t h f e r t i l i t y , Nature's symbol of e v e r l a s t i n g l i f e . and n a t u r a l l i f e knew no end.

Consequently human

Through a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h O s i r i s the

Egyptian, king or i n d i v i d u a l , l i v e d and died v/ith Nature t o l i v e again immediately a f t e r death.

This end could be a t t a i n e d provided

c e r t a i n r i t e s were performed at the proper times. The Egyptian however sought i m m o r t a l i t y i n another p a r t o f Nature than water: he based h i s hopes f o r new l i f e i n the h e r e a f t e r i n vegetation a l s o .

Here again, O s i r i s , the bestower of i m m o r t a l i t y ,

- 138 -

can "be seen closely l i n k e d up w i t h the Egyptian s o l a r cosmogony. Though O s i r i s appropriates c e r t a i n a t t r i b u t e s and assumes c e r t a i n forms o r i g i n a l l y p e r t a i n i n g t o the sun-god, yet he again appears t o have been closer and dearer t o h i s people's hearts than Ee since the F i f t h Dynasty.

c

I n connection w i t h O s i r i s ' p o s i t i o n as a

vegetation d e i t y , vegetation w i l l here be t r e a t e d i n i t s twofold manifestation - trees and corn.

As we s h a l l see, t r e e s s t r o n g l y

u n i t e O s i r i s i n general w i t h the Universe and i n p a r t i c u l a r w i t h the solar creator, w h i l e corn connects him w i t h the e a r t h l y l i f e o f the Egyptians.

Yet both have one common f u n c t i o n t o emphasize a t the

same time h i s cosmogonic aspect - r e s u r r e c t i o n , i n which i s evident the interdependence of Cosmos and Man, Nature and Society - gods, kings and men - a l l having t o pass the v i c i s s i t u d e s o f d e s t r u c t i o n and r e b i r t h , death and r e s u r r e c t i o n . ^ I n the. foregoing pages we have pointed out t h a t the f i r s t Egyptian creator, t h e sun-god, "at the f i r s t time" emerged from the abysmal waters t o stand on a resurgent piece o f land of h i s own c r e a t i o n i n order t o create gods and men. The Egyptian mythopoeic mind was broad enough t o allow a m u l t i p l i c i t y o f objects t o represent

(l)

Cf. Frankfort, H., The B i r t h o f C i v i l i s a t i o n i n the Ancient Near East, London, 1951, p. 31.

- 139 -

the p r i m a l h i l l o c k .

Each o f these objects played the same r o l e ,

t h a t o f l i f t i n g the solar creator c l e a r of chaos, darkness, death, or "nothingness", serving as a harbinger o f a new Universe and new life.

Amongst these objects was the t r e e , a t r e e appearing w i t h

d i f f e r e n t names, be i t l i d (persea), snd (acacia), f s ("cedar" o r j u n i p e r ) , nbs (Christ's t h o r n , the "jujube" t r e e ) , n°rt (pomegranate), i s r (tamarisk) pkr (sesame(?)), b5k ( o l i v e ) , i ( 3 ) m (date-palm(?)), 1

nht (sycomore) or t r t ( " s a f s a f " ) ! ^ and growing i n d i f f e r e n t places - i n heaven, on e a r t h , o r under the earth.

To the Egyptians the

Universe i s an i n t e g r a l e n t i t y , i n s p i t e o f the confusion t h a t we might suppose would be caused i n t h e i r minds by the apparent

(l)

The exact i d e n t i t y of some of these trees i s dubious. They are here discussed only from the r e l i g i o u s aspect, not from the b o t a n i c a l . Some o f the b o t a n i c a l discussions, f o r eiaample, are lgTd, Beauverie, B u l l . I n s t , f r . XXXV, 133-34; Keimer, Ann. Serv. Cahier V, 35-46; 2JL> Gardiner, On., I , 8n. 1 ; Loret, op. c i t . , 60-65; Chabas, Rev, arch. IV, 47-51; Ducros, Ann. Serv.XIV, 1-12; Loret, Ann. Serv. XVI, 33-51; Daressy, Ann. Serv. XVII, 25-8; Horrack, Rev, arch. IX, 44-51; Jacquemin, K@mi IV. 113-18; I s r , Loret, Rec. t r a v . XVI, 11-4; ind, Loret, Rec. t r a v . II,_60-65»Keimer, B u l l . Soc. roy. Geog.XviH, 85-95; nbs, Ahmad Kamal, Ann. Serv. X I I , 240-44; Junker, Giza I - V I I I , passim; Beauverie, op. c i t . , 140-4-i; Maspero, B i b l . fegyptol. XXVII, 336-42; Keimer, op. c i t . , 26-7; Keimer, Die Gartenpflanzen im a l t e n Aegypten, Hamburg, 1924, pp. 44, 64, 115; 160; 184; pkr, L o r e t , Rec. t r a v . IV, 21 and n.6; c f . a l s o Sch£fer; ZflS XLI, 107 f f . ; Blackman, JEA IV, 123 n. 2; b5k Loret, Rec. t r a v . V I I , 101-06^ Dubois, Ch. L ' o l i v i e r e t 1'huTIe d'olive dans l'ancienne Egypte, i n Revue de P h i l o l o g i e , de l i t t e r a t u r e e t d ' h i s t o i r e anciennes. P a r i s , 1925-27, t . , 49, pp. 60-83; t . 53, pp. 7-49; Keimer, op. c i t . , 23; Sethe, Dram. Texte- I I , 145; nht, Beauverie, op. c i t . , 133-34; Keimer, op. c i t . . 23-4; t r t , Keimer, B u l l . I n s t , f r . XXXI, 177-237.

- 140 inconsistency o f t h e i r theology.

Prom the outset the sun-god

;

N

par excellence, i s the owner of the cosmogonic t r e e , the t r e e which he used t o stand on before r i s i n g i n the east of the sky. I n r i t u a l scenes he i s therefore depicted as " g l o r i o u s l y appearing" from the top of a heavenly t r e e ^

(fig.45 )• I n Chapter 64 o f the

Book of the Dead Re° says o f himself, " I have embraced the sycomore (2) v

and I have j o i n e d the sycomore." ' He may also r i s e from between two sycomore-trees: " I know the two trees o f turquoise between which -sw(3) Re cometh f o r t h when he goeth forward over s*sw-sw c

(the supports o f Shu, i . e . the supports on which Shu holds up Nut, the sky) towards t h a t gate of the l o r d of the East, out of which RS° c o m e t h . " ^ That the two c e l e s t i a l trees serve as a door f o r the sun-god

(1)

JEA XVII, 72; Mercer, op. c i t . , p. 241, n. 32; Guieysse, R i t u e l funeraire egyptien, chap. 6 4 , P I . 2-4; Bk Dead 64; Leps., Todt. 109. e

(2)

Buhl, Marie-Louise, i n JNES V I , 88.

(3)

Erman, Hymnen an das Diadem, p. 23 = Erman-Blackman, L i t e r a t u r e , p. 11; Bk Dead 17, 11. 8-9, 56, 123-24; P. Bremner-Rhind. 26. 16 = Faulkner, JEA X X I I I , 172.

(4)

Bk I, 38 De

Dead 109, 1. 5; 149 I I . I I . 8-10; Leps., Denkm. 4-9; CT 159, 161; JNES V I , 88; Sethe, ZflS LEX, 4 f f . , f f . ; Kees, Aegypten, p. 52; W e i l l , op. c i t . , p. 73; Buck, Zegepraal, p. 33.

- 141 -

i n the east i s c l e a r from a comparison between f i g . 4 6 and f i g . 47 . I n f i g * d€ the sun-god i s born each morning from the sky-goddess' "tbtodybefore r i s i n g between the two trees, or as the t e x t s say, "He openeth the tv/o thighs o f h i s mother Nut and corneth out t o shine from her h i n d p a r t . " ^ ^

The r i s i n g o f the

sun-god from between h i s two sycomore-trees o f turquoise i s represented i n the tomb of Sennudjem a t Deir e 1-Mad£nah (Tomb l ) . He issues from between the two t r e e s i n h i s boat w i t h a black and white c a l f behind him bearing Harakhti, another o f h i s manifestations at r i s i n g .

The s o l a r d i s c i s a t the same time climbing up t o t h e (2) tops of the t r e e s . A somewhat s i m i l a r r e p r e s e n t a t i o n appears (Lsps. ) as a vignette i n the Book o f the Dead, Chap.T09/(fig.48). Here t h e bark must be understood as proceeding towards the two t r e e s before (5) v

emerging again from between them. ' As a f u r t h e r proof of the Egyptian mind's attempt a t the u n i f i c a t i o n o f the divers cosmic elements such as heaven and e a r t h , (1) De Buck, op. c i t . , pp. 40, 42; P. B e r l i n 3050, I I I , 4; Chass., Edfou, I , 41, 286, 295, 482; Sethe, Altagyptische Vorstellungen vom Lauf der Sonne, B e r l i n , 1928, pp. 8-9. (2)

Campbell, C o l i n , The Miraculous B i r t h o f King Amon-7Hotep I I I and. Other Egyptian Studies, London, 1912, pp. 156-57; P I . f a c i n g p. 157. I n the Pyramid Texts the sun-god i s said t o r i s e from two mountains. Pyr. 2064.

(3)

I t i s also said t h a t the prow o f the sun-god's ship i s made o f the wood o f the i£3_]m-tree, w h i l e her s t e r n of t h a t o f the s W t - t r e e . N a v i l l e , Mythe d'Horus, 16, 4-5.

- 142 -

c e l e s t i a l bodies and e a r t h l y t h i n g s , d i v i n e l i f e and mundane existence, l i f e and death, the n o t i o n o f t h e sun's epiphany from "between two heavenly t r e e s f i n d s f e l i c i t o u s expression i n "both Egyptian a r c h i t e c t u r e and l i t e r a t u r e .

Before a god's temple,

two t r e e s , mostly persea-trees, were u s u a l l y planted a t the gate, which opened on t o the temple avenue which vas flanked "by rows of Sphinxes.

I t has "been shown t h a t t h e l a t t e r are images representing

"both the solar d e i t y immanent i n the person of Pharaoh, and also Pharaoh immanent i n the solar d e i t y , ^ and they d i r e c t the sun-god i n h i s bark and h i s cortege t o pay a v i s i t t o t h e god's Sanctuary*fig. 43 >. Hashepsowe's temple i s a clear example o f t h i s arrangement i n t h e •

Eighteenth Dynasty.

I t s prototype i s t h e Old-Kingdom solar temple

at H e l i o p o l i s , the sphinx being the representation i n stone o f t h e sun-god Re -Atum immanent i n the King.

At H e l i o p o l i s when the s o l a r

d e i t y was i d e n t i f i e d w i t h another s o l a r god, Harakhti ( f i g . 5 0 ) ^ he G

was c a l l e d Re -I;Iarakhti.

Before Pharaoh's palace two sacred trees

were l i k e w i s e planted, and a number of sphinxes set up f o r t h e same r i t u a l purpose, f o r Pharaoh was considered as the embodiment of the sun-god on e a r t h , ^ and i n the Old Kingdom also he was c a l l e d Harakhti a f t e r h i s death, besides h i s i d e n t i f i c a t i o n w i t h O s i r i s . ^

U;

Gariner, Notes on t h e Sbory of Sinuhe, note t o Sin B. 249.

(2)

De Buck, op. c i t . , p. 12.

(3)

Pyr. 160; c f . Bk Dead 17, 1. 116.

(4)

Selim Hassan, Excavations at- G i z a . Vol. V I , Part I , p. 43; cf. , The Sphinx, p. 139.

- 145 -

Thus Sinuhe, i n the Egyptian t a l e , when he was conducted t o the r o y a l palace, placed h i s forehead t o the ground a t the gate "Between the sphinxes. The Tale of the Two Brothers, a l i t e r a r y production of the New Kingdom, throws a f l o o d of l i g h t on t h i s r e l i g i o u s conception which v i n d i c a t e s , i n s p i t e of i t s O s i r i a n t r a i t s , i t s solar "background.

Prom two drops of blood f a l l e n from the slaughtered

body of the b u l l , Bata's i n c a r n a t i o n , two persea-trees grew up "beside the two steps of the p o r t a l of h i s Majesty, and the one f e l l upon the one side of the great p o r t a l of Pharaoh and the other upon the other.

And they grew i n t o two great persea-trees, (2)

each of which was e x c e l l e n t . " happened t h e r e a f t e r .

I t i s i n t e r e s t i n g t o see what

Pharaoh was informed of those two trees t h a t

grew up "as a great marvel" during the n i g h t by h i s great door. They were held t o be so h o l y t h a t o f f e r i n g s were made t o them, and b o t h Pharaoh and h i s concubine, Bata's w i f e , sat under them.

This

l a t t e r i n c i d e n t i s c e r t a i n l y a s t r i k i n g reminiscence of the custom of the r e p r e s e n t a t i o n of the deceased and h i s w i f e s i t t i n g under a (1)

I t i s i n t e r e s t i n g t o observe t h a t the word "sphinx" i s derived from the Egyptian &sp n h or £spr nh "a statue t o the l i f e or l i v i n g image." .Fharaoh was-called the " l i v i n g sphinx-image o f Atum." ^ ^dl'— 4