YvtW: Egyptian Afterlife
Just collating some info here for YvtW. I've decided that *one of* our next destinations will be the Egpytian Afterlife.


Different parts of the soul:

1) Ka - The double that lingered on in the tomb inhabiting and animating the body or statues of the deceased. This portion of the spirit could move, eat or drink independent of a corporeal existence.

2) Ib - The heart, the source of good and evil in a person. It controlled the moral awareness and was the seat of thought and learning. It is the portion of the individual eaten by Ammut, causing total destruction and final death if it fails to weigh equally against the feather of Ma'at.

3) Khat - The physical body which normally decays after death, that was preserved by the Ancient Egyptians through mummification.

4) Khaibit - The persons shadow, it could use and enjoy the funerary offerings and was able to separate itself from the body and travel at will. Usually the Khaibit would not travel far from the body.

5) Akh - This was the everlasting divine spark, the radiant and shining being that lived on, the intellect of the deceased that was released by death and then ascended to the heavens to live with the Neteru or the immortal stars.

6) Sahu - The undestroyable spiritual body of humans that can live in the heavens. It appeared from the physical body if the judgment of the dead was passed and encompassed all of the mental and spiritual talents and abilities of the person in material life.

7) Sekhem - The life force of the deceased, that lived in heaven with the Akhu after death.

8) Ba - Depicted as a human headed bird that flew around in the tomb during the day, bringing air and food to the deceased. At night it was believed that the Ba traveled with Ra on the Solar Boat.


Basic Outline:

The dead person would need a ferryman to row them across the River of Death.

The dead person had to cross the trials of the serpent gaurded Twelve Gates and also cross the Lake of Fire.

When these were passed, 42 Assessors read a list of the dead person`s sins.

The dead person then made a declaration of purity and sinlessness.

Judgement then followed in the Hall of Osiris.

If one led a sinful life then destruction would follow.


More details:

In Egypt one person could have multiple afterlives - each different part of the person would be able to have its own existence after death, if they survived the trials of the underworld and the Osirian judgement of the dead with all of their magic spells. It was then that the Ka and Ba - which until then had lead seperate existances - joined to become the Akhu.

While the Khat lies in the tomb, ready to be animated, the Akhu might be travelling the underworld with Ra. While the Yb is with the gods, the Khaibit might be on the solar barque, or in the tomb eating some offerings. At the same time, the Sekhem might be contentedly living in the stars, looking down at the earth.

List of Names
Aken is the Ferryman of the Underworld
(Conflicting reports exist)

Stuff on the Book of the Dead - Caution: long and tedious

Ammut
Ma'at

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4/25/05 Addendum: (research index)

General Info on Underworld texts
More General Info on Texts of the Dead

Notes on The Book of the Dead, pt. 1
Notes on The Book of the Dead, pt. 2
Notes on The Book of the Dead, pt. 2.1

Notes on The Book of Gates