Objects and Spells: The Book of the Dead

Introduction

If one should mention The Book of the Dead, what comes to mind? If you are like me, the first initial thought is the 1999 movie, The Mummy, in which the Book of the Dead is used to unleash a 3,000-year-old Egyptian priest who wreaks havoc on the living world. While a famous quote from the film “one mustn’t read from the book!” I assure you; it is certainly safe -and encouraged- to do so.

What is the Book of the Dead?

Ancient Egyptians believed that an essential part of every human personality is its life force, or soul, called the “ka,” which lived on after the death of the body, forever engaged in the activities it had enjoyed in its former existence. But the “ka” needed a body to live in, either the mummified body of the deceased or, as a substitute, a sculpted likeness in the form of a statue. The Egyptians developed elaborate funerary practices to ensure that their deceased moved safely and effectively into the afterlife. By the time of the New Kingdom (1539–1075 BCE), the Egyptians had come to believe that only a person free from wrongdoing could enjoy an afterlife. The dead were thought to undergo a last judgment consisting of two tests presided over by Osiris, the god of the underworld, and supervised by the jackal-headed god of embalming and cemeteries, Anubis. After the deceased were questioned about their behavior in life, their hearts—which the Egyptians believed to be the seat of the soul-were weighed on a scale against an ostrich feather, the symbol of Ma'at, goddess of truth, order, and justice. Family members commissioned papyrus scrolls containing magical texts or spells, which the embalmers sometimes placed among the wrappings of the mummified bodies. Early collectors of Egyptian artifacts referred to such scrolls, often beautifully illustrated, as "Books of the Dead." (Stokstad & Cothren, 2011, p. 49 & pp.76-77)

Although ancient Egyptians referred to these scrolls as "Spells of Emerging in Daytime,” the modern title “The Book of the Dead” is also misleading because the texts are not about death but life: specifically, eternal life as a spirit. The purpose of the Book of the Dead is to aid the deceased in making a successful transition from death to eternal life as an “akh.” The newly revivified spirit was thought to live not in some distant paradise but in the world, it knew during life, though on a higher plane of existence. It could enjoy the best that the world had to offer without any of the attendant discomforts. Since it no longer had a physical body, it did not have to endure the heat or cold, sickness or death. It could enjoy food and drink, and even sex, and whatever work it might undertake-such as plowing or harvesting in the fields- would be done in comfort and without exertion. Furthermore, the book was meant to be read by the spirit and the “spells” within the scrolls were available in the deceased’s tomb to make a tranquil and comfortable eternal life. (Allen, 2010, pp.12-13)

Permanent Collection at the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science  

Since Egyptians followed a fairly strict set of artistic conventions, often based on conceptual principles rather than on the observation of the natural world, the underlying conventions that govern ancient Egyptian art appear early, however, and are maintained with subtle but significant variations, over almost three millennia of its history. (Stokstad & Cothren, 2011, pp.51-53) Due to this, when similar artifacts in the Evansville Museum’s Egyptian collection are referenced in the Book of the Dead, our objects would be accurate depictions regardless of the particular scroll’s date. With this in mind, I will present four types of artifacts from the museum’s collection that appear in the Book of the Dead. Also, I will add the accompanying spells, translated by Dr. Raymond O. Faulkner, Egyptologist, that correspond to the artifact. Please note, “N” is used in the spells as a placeholder for the deceased person’s name.     

Shabti Dolls 

The limestone shabti is believed to include text from spell 6.

Shabti (or ushabti) dolls are figures shaped like adult male or female mummies wearing traditional ancient Egyptian headdresses. The ancient Egyptians believed that after they died, their spirits would have to work in the "Field of Reeds" owned by the god of the underworld, Osiris. This meant doing agricultural labor, which was required by all members of society, from workers to pharaohs. Shabti figures served as substitutes for the deceased if he or she were called on to do manual labor. The wealthier nobility in Egyptian society were able to have shabtis made of coveted faience, and blue faience was meant to reflect the color of the river Nile both on earth and in the afterlife. 

Spell 6 in the Book of the Dead

FOR CAUSING A SHABTI TO DO WORK FOR A MAN IN THE REALM OF THE DEAD: 

"O shabti, allotted to me, if I be summoned or if I be detailed to do any work which has to be done in the realm of the dead; if indeed obstacles are implanted for you therewith as a man at his duties, you shall detail yourself for me on every occasion of making arable the fields, of flooding the banks or of conveying sand from east to west; 'Here am I.' you shall say."

Heart Scarabs

On the object’s reverse, text from spell 30B is inscribed.

The Scarab is an important symbol in ancient Egypt. Referencing the dung beetle, which lays its eggs in dung balls fashioned through rolling, it was associated with the divine manifestation of the early morning sun, Khepri, whose name was written with the scarab hieroglyph and who was believed to roll the disk of the morning sun over the eastern horizon at daybreak. Since the scarab hieroglyph, Kheper, refers variously to the ideas of existence, manifestation, development, growth, and effectiveness, the beetle itself was a favorite form used for amulets in all periods of Egyptian history. In the New Kingdom and later times, “heart scarabs” were included in the wrappings of a mummy to serve both as an amulet in the Weighing of the Heart and as a substitute in case the deceased's original heart was destroyed by Ammit or other gods.  

On the object’s reverse, inscribed is text from spell 30B.

Spell 30A in the Book of the Dead

FOR NOT LETTING N'S HEART CREATE OPPOSITION AGAINST HIM IN THE REALM OF THE DEAD

O my heart which I had from my mother, O my heart which I had upon earth, do not rise up against me as a witness in the presence of the Lord of Things; do not speak against me concerning what I have done, do not bring up anything against me in the presence of the Great God, Lord of the West.

Hail to you, my heart! Hail to you, my heart Hail to you, my entrails! Hail to you, you gods who are at the head of those who wear the sidelock, who lean on their staffs! May you say what is good to Re, may you make me to flourish, may powers be bestowed when I go forth, having been interred among the great ones who long endure upon earth. Not dying in the West, but becoming a spirit in it. 

Spell 30B in the Book of the Dead

THE JUDGEMENT OF THE DEAD 

The heart of the dead man is weighed in the scales of the balance against the feather of righteousness.

O my heart which I had from my mother! O my heart which I had from my mother! O my heart of my different ages! Do not stand up as a witness against me, do not be opposed to me in the tribunal, do not be hostile to me in the presence of the Keeper of the Balance, for you are my ka which was in my body, the protector who made my members hale. Go forth to the happy place whereto we speed; do not make my name stink to the Entourage who make men. Do not tell lies about me in the presence of the god; it is indeed well that you should hear!

Thus says Thoth, judge of truth, to the Great Ennead which is in the presence of Osiris; Hear this word of very truth. I have judged the heart of the deceased, and his soul stands as a witness for him. His deeds are righteous in the great balance, and no sin has been found in him. He did not diminish the offerings in the temples, he did not destroy what had been made, he did not go about with deceitful speech while he was on earth.

Thus says the Great Ennead to Thoth who is in Hermopolis: This utterance of yours is true. The vindicated Osiris N is straight forward, he has no sin, there is no accusation against him before us, Ammit shall not be permitted to have power over him. Let there be given to him the offerings which are issued in the presence of Osiris, and may a grant of land be established in the Field of Offerings as for the Followers of Horus.

Thus says Horus son of Isis: I have come to you, O Wennefer, and I bring N to you. His heart is true, having gone forth from the balance, and he has not sinned against any god or any goddess. Thoth has judged him in writing which has been told to the Ennead, and Maat the great has witnessed. Let there be given to him bread and beer which have been issued in the presence of Osiris, and he will be for ever like the Followers of Horus.

Thus says N: Here I am in your presence, O Lord of the West. There is no wrong-doing in my body, I have not wittingly told lies, there has been no second fault. Grant that I may be like the favored ones who are in your suite, O Osiris, one greatly favored by the good god, one loved of the Lord of the Two Lands, N, vindicated before Osiris. 

Egyptian Headrest

The ancient Egyptian equivalent of a pillow, the headrest was used to support the head while sleeping on the side. The headrests served two assumed practical purposes: 1) by lifting the head and neck above the sleeping surface, air currents can flow under the head and cool the sleeper, and 2) cloth pillows or bolsters padded with organic materials may inadvertently encourage insect infestations in certain environments. Furthermore, headrests were believed to magically protect the sleeper at night eternally after death. 

Spell 166 in the Book of the Dead

FOR A HEADREST

May the pigeons awaken you when you are asleep, O N, may they awaken your head at the horizon. Raise yourself, so that you may be triumphant over what was done against you, for Ptah has felled your enemies, and it is commanded that action be taken against those who would harm you. You are Horus son of Hathor, the male and female fiery serpents, to whom was given a head after it had been cut off. Your head shall not be taken from you afterwards, your head shall not be taken from you forever.

Sacred Eye

According to Egyptian myth, Horus lost his left eye in a struggle with Seth. The eye was magically restored by Hathor, and this restoration came to symbolize the process of making whole and healing. For this reason, the symbol was often used in amulets.

Spell 167 in the Book of the Dead

FOR BRINGING A SACRED EYE BY N 

Thoth has fetched the Sacred Eye, having pacified the Eye after Re had sent it away. It was very angry, but Thoth pacified it from anger after it had been far away. If I be hale, it will be hale, and N will be hale.

Bonus

Uraeus

Although there is no correlating spell, the image of a rearing cobra, known as a uraeus, was symbolic of the dangerous power of the gods or the king when directed against enemies. Uraeus is a common visual motif throughout the Book of the Dead.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed learning about the Book of the Dead, its spells, and the objects represented in the text. While imagery from The Mummy is still welcomed, I am optimistic that this blog will allow for a new or strengthened interpretation of the scrolls and objects that were essential in the creation and preservation of the “Spells of Emerging in Daytime.” 

Tory Schendel Cox

The Virginia G. Schroeder Curator of Art

Works Cited

Augustyn, A. (n.d.). Eye of Horus. Retrieved April 01, 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eye-of-Horus

Faulkner, R. O., & Allen, J. P. (2010). The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead. New York, NY: Fall River Press.

Glenn, J. (2020, July 14). Headrests in GLENCAIRN'S EGYPTIAN Collection: Practicality and protection. Retrieved April 01, 2021, from https://glencairnmuseum.org/newsletter/2018/7/25/headrests-in-glencairns-egyptian-collection-practicality-and-protection

Gorlinski, V. (n.d.). Scarab. Retrieved April 01, 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/scarab

Stokstad, M., & Cothren, M. W. (2011). Ancient Egypt. In Art history (pp. 49-77). Upper Saddle River, UK: Pearson.