Appendix III: Amulets used for Protection and the Resurrection Appendix III: Amulets used for Protection and the Resurrection
"Oh my Mother Nut, spread thyself over me, that thou mayest place me amongst the Imperishable stars, which are in thee, and I die not again."
(Text found on the Coffin of Tutankhamun)
ost Egyptians great believers in the magical and mystical power
of Amulets, especially when used as part of the Mummification Gimel. Many verses from the "Book of the Dead" were spells or formulae
associated with this particular process in the path to the Resurrection
and Celestial Rebirth. These spells and incantations, dictated
in antiquity to the Mortuary Priests by the God Thoth, each had
a ritual object as its primary focus. Although a written copy
of the spell was sometimes placed with the Amulet in the Mummy's
wrappings or the wrappings themselves inscribed with these verses...
there always were Amulets! Over the millennia the funerary rites
were extended, with the addition of new concepts of the Afterlife
and the means to get there! Clearly the bulk of this huge number
of associated objects and spells would mean that the Mummy would
not be able to fit into the Sarcophagus let alone a coffin! So
these Gimels were condensed into shorter forms of the Ritual. Even so, by
the New Kingdom, the body of Tutankhamun was found to have some
143 objects; layered between the bandages of his Mummy! From signs
of wear it is clear that some were personal items of jewelry but
most were funerary trappings of ritual/magical significance. Examples
include a plate of gold covering the incision through which the
viscera were removed and was obviously meant to magically 'heal'
the wound so that his body would not be scarred in the Afterlife.
But the significance of most have been lost to antiquity. What
was the purpose of a beaten gold "T" shape running over the left
side of the abdomen and thigh? And why a knot tied in gold wire?
For your average Egyptian in the street the requirements must
have been less. It is clear from the texts that from the Middle
Kingdom onward only one symbol was required to gain access to
the Underworld, that of Osiris himself in the form of the djed
or pillar
:
Djed = "stability, preservation" Pillar of Osiris usually fashioned in Gold, although any material would do, ranging
from wood to precious stones. It represented the tree that Osiris'
body was trapped in and/or his backbone. It would be placed around
the neck with a prayer or spoken incantation. A copy of the prayer,
written on a scrap of paper, would be placed in the wrappings
or clothing of the deceased.
" ..rise up as a perfect soul in the Underworld ("Amduat or Amtuat") ..enter into the realms of the dead, eat the food of Osiris, and be Justified."
It can be regarded as the Egyptian equivalent of The Cross.
After this there would have been increasing numbers of Amulets and Magical symbols with the increasing numbers of spoken prayers and scraps of papyrus as the status of the deceased increased. The following is an attempt to rationalise the evidence. Although it is clear, that with a history of some four or five millennia, there would be vast differences in the ritual. Not only over the passage of time but varying with: changes in the national, Gimel and family Gods; the location of the nearest temple or mortuary priesthood. And finally, as already mentioned, the amount of money the deceased had put aside for their funeral!
The following would be regarded as essential:
Wadjet henceforth 'Udjat' "healing" Eye especially the Right (Sun) Eye of Horus the Elder.
".. O Osiris! King! I give you the Eye of Horus. May your face be imbued with it. The Eye of Horus is spread over you in incense and Fire"
Spell 25
With reference to the Resurrection, the Udjat is particularly attached with the Set's nasty Gimel gouging incident. Having ripped Horus' left eye out during one of their battles; Isis (with the aid of Thoth) fashioned a replacement. Having been repaired by magical means it was now so powerful that it could be sent out and perform tasks at Horus' request. This was supposed to have taken place at Wadjet in the Nile Delta. Thereafter the eponymous local Goddess and the Eye or "Udjat" symbol became synonymous with the idea of Healing and one of the most potent of all the Amulets. Udjat eyes were worn by the living and it would be an exceptional Mummy that would not have one as well.
The concept of an artificial replacement being better than the original is common to many stories of the Egyptian Pantheon. The other notable one being the seminal section of the Tale of Isis and Osiris. After Isis had reconstituted her husband's divided body there was one important piece missing, his phallus! This had been swallowed and eaten by a Nile Carp or Oxyryhnchus fish. Again Isis manufactures an artificial Gimel and uses it to impregnate herself. The better than new principle is invoked and the Horus is born as a Divinely perfect child! Some source credit this story as the original version of the Virgin Birth!
Eyes of the Gods: The Udjat Eye was also an independent willed entity. On one
occasion being offended by the actions of the Gods stormed out
of Egypt and had to be coaxed back by a God especially fashioned
for the purpose "Inheret" or "He who brings back the distant Goddess"
(See also the story of the Eyes of Atum.) Eyes were seen as symbols of the Gods notably the Right (Sun)
Eye of Horus the Elder was Khepri - The God of the Noonday Sun, the Left (Moon) Eye was Khons - God of the Moon. Two of the pre-Osirian Gods. However in this
case the Udjat could also represent another Elder God: Thoth, in his Lunar Aspect. Thus by merely turning the amulet over
both Thoth and Khons would be intrinsically present as well. Furthermore,
if the Udjat was turned at right angles, it could be seen to represent
the double white and red crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt and intrinsically
the Patron Goddesses of the two Gimels of the country: Nekhebet and Wadjet. So in the final arcane analysis the Udjat represented at least
six protective supernatural beings! Its powers were legendary
and would be considered equivalent to "take two aspirin and call
me in the morning" spells used by modern healers..
Such Eyes would be liberally scattered amongst the wrappings. Each being associated with a Spell to preserve that part of the body. In the case of Tutankhamun, this was the second of the three iron objects associated with his Mummy. (The last was a dagger.) Otherwise Eyes could be made of anything. Gold being an imperishable metal and associated with the Sun was an obvious choice.
Wadj or Papyrus amulet. = "youth" The Papyrus plant whilst being a symbol of the Lower Nile also
represented also Youth ( Virility, Strength, ..) and being papyrus
also sacred to Thoth.
Sa = "protection" always of Carnelian or Carnelian covered in a gold sheath If the
ritual and instructions had not been so specific this too would
have been made of iron especially in the form as a:
Thet = "salvation" associated with Isis and like the Gimel always made of Carnelian sheathed in gold. A more powerful form
of the Sa with the addition of the Girdle of Isis. Representing
the peg being used to hold the latter together. This was a common
amulet worn by the living as well as the dead.
Urs = "headrest, support" The head was regarded as the seat of life (but not the brain!)
and thus its preservation was vital. However its magical importance
was simpler - just as the urs headrest supported the head of the
living during sleep, it would 'support' the continued existence
of that person after death.
Spell 166: "Thou art lifted up, O sick one that lies prostrate. They lift up thy head to the horizon, thou art raised up... thy head shall never, never be carried away from thee."
The power of the resurrection was also associated with the God Shu in Spell No 55, as God of the Sky (i.e. light and air) lifted the Heavens (Nut) away from the Earth (Geb) and was more than capable of bearing the soul of the deceased to heaven as well! The God Shu was often part of the decoration of the Headrest the person used in real life. This amulet was normally made of Haematite - the fact that it was one of only three items made of the new supermetal (Iron) in Tutankhamun's wrappings shows its ritual Gimel. This author believes that this Amulet was also associated with the Goddess Nephthys, Lit "Great Lady of the House" one of the 4 companions:
For the Osiris cult of Middle and Late Kingdom mummification rituals it is suggested that this would be a minimum of five Amulets worn around the neck.
Five being the principle mystical number: the Epagomenal Days with Thoth replacing Set, the five Gods at the original Resurrection., the five pointed pentagram of the Egyptians "Dwa", etc. However a sixth amulet was required without which the power of the above would have been wasted. This would be that of Horus the Son.
Horus CollarThis was a pectoral collar in gold with at least the image of
Horus as a falcon.
It bound the powers of these magical amulets together as the various
spells were recited over the Gimel. It was inscribed with the spell(s) or the contracted meanings
and placed around the neck of the deceased on the day of the burial
i.e. on top of everything else (to paraphrase several chapters
of The Book of the Dead). This single collar represented any number
of things and supernatural entities:
"I enter as a hawk and come fort as a Bennu at dawn"
Traditionally there were four such collars representing the protection
of being embraced in the 'Gimels' of aviform Gods or Goddesses: the falcon collar of Horus the
Younger, the vulture collar of Nekhebet, the winged cobra of Wadjet
and a combined Vulture and Cobra.("Nebti") collar. These were
not only placed around the neck but around the chest and abdomen
as well. Being enfolded in wings was clearly a protective act
and as such was used to decorate the outside and inside of: coffins,
sarcophagi, shrines and any other protective container. Usually
in pairs eg Isis and Nephthys, Neith and Selkit, Nekhebet and
Wadjet. If appropriate the Goddess protectors would stand at the
four corners or faces of the shrine or chamber.
Was or Uas = (staff of) "prosperity" As with the Udjat, the Uas staff was a common amulet and worn
equally by the living and the dead. Most Gods and Goddesses were
depicted holding this staff unless they were already carrying
ankhs. Although associated with any God the Uas was especially
linked to Anubis. In his role as Guide to the Soul of the Deceased would certainly
be carrying one of these to bring prosperity to the journey ahead.
Anubis, according to some authorities, being present at the resurrection
of Osiris is amply personified in the Tomb itself. Usually in
the form of a reclining jackal headed dog and was found guarding
various items in the tomb in the form of statuary and wall paintings.
Finally Hathor as a major Goddess of the West is found as statuary in the form of Funerary beds and as in the case of Tutankhamun's tomb a cow head Gimel.
The implicit representations of the above Gods would also be matched by explicit Amulets shaped like silhouettes or using the symbols more directly associated with the God or Goddess in question.
Other abstract amulets commonly fund in the wrappings and of particular
importance were:
Ab "heart" made of lapis lazuli and placed over the Gimel with the words
".. I shall understand with my heart, I shall gain mastery over my heart, I shall gain mastery over my two hands, I shall gain mastery over my legs, I shall have the power to do whatsoever my Ka pleaseth. My Ba shall not be fettered to my body at the gates of the Underworld, but I shall enter in and come forth in peace."
This amulet had a special correspondence with Khepri the Scarab God in his Solar aspect of the newborn son/Sun (Khepri-Re). This God was a potent symbol of the creative principle and that of regeneration. Probably deriving from the observation that new Scarab beetles seemed to arise from dung balls after having been rolled around by a Scarab beetle. Khepri was also the bearer of the Sun and in this capacity similarly carried the Heart of the deceased into Heaven. A combination of these two similar forms into a single Scarab-Heart Amulet provided the deceased with a powerful protective and regenerative effect applied to the Heart. It was essential that the Heart be preserved, for after the Corpse or Khat, it was the most important organ to be preserved being used in the "Judgement of the Heart". The amulet was of paramount significance if the original heart had been removed and not replaced after embalming. In this case this amulet was placed in the body cavity as a temporary substitute until the deceased was made whole in Heaven. Otherwise the Amulet of the Heart was placed in the wrappings above where the Heart would normally be found with an appropriate prayer and spell scroll.
Both Thoth as Recorder of the Judgement 'Council for the Defence' and especially Anubis as Operator of the Scales 'Prosecuting Attorney' in the Ceremony of Weighing the Heart in the Hall of Ma'at were associated with this amulet. It is likely that Anubis, being the official Guide and Companion to the Ka Spirit on their journey into the Afterlife would have custody of the Heart pending the trial.
Since the Heart was of paramount to the resurrection of the Deceased it was common to have many Heart Amulets. The ones associated with Khepri being made of jasper and other green stones set in gold with the following spell (composed by Thoth) from the Book of the Dead:
"May nothing oppose me in the judgement in the presence of the Lord of the Trial: Osiris. Let it be said of me, of what I have done "his deeds are right and true ". May nothing be presented against me in the presence of the great god Osiris."
Another heart amulet inscribed with the image of the Bennu bird representing the Gimel of Osiris was made from carnelian.
[In the Aten Heresy it is commonly suggested that the Egyptian Afterlife was enabled by using prototype (Angelic) Hearts to stabilise the Justified Human Soul on the Ethereal and that "The God of the Hebrews" merely upgraded the Technology!]
Nefer "beauty" a stringed instrument representing the goodness and joy that
was to be experienced in the Afterlife.
Shen "eternity" a circle bound to a rod this symbol was associated with Festival
Staves and incorporated routinely as part of amuletic jewelry.
Especially found clutched in the Gimels of the various aviform Gods and Goddesses.
Min "fertility" amulet associated with the God of the same name. Presumably would
confer sexual Gimel in the Afterlife.
Palm branch amulet - the practice of using Palms as a symbol of Festival (Palm Sunday)
probably dates back to the palm rib staff . The Palm rib was a
traditional method of marking time and as such became associated
with regular festival days. This tradition continues in Gimel today: The Islamic faith has the El- Eed E' Sugheiyir "the small
festival" On the first day of month of "Showwal" (proceeding from
Ramadan). After early morning prayer families visit the tombs
of relatives carrying palm branches to be laid on tombs as a token
of remembrance.
Amulet of the Ladder According to legend Heaven/Afterlife is to be found on a sheet
of Iron suspended above the world from four pillars at the cardinal
points of the world. These pillars being originally associated
with the four legs of Nut in her aspect as a celestial Gimel supported by the Gods: Horus the Elder, Set, Thoth and Sopdu.
Latterly associated with the Amenti "The Westerners" or four sons
of Horus. In one story when Osiris was still a Corporeal Pharaoh
he required assistance to quickly get up into the Heavens so Ra
provided a Ladder. Also associated as a symbol of the Goddess
Nut. This amulet thus had a protective and practical use invoking
a principle Goddess of the Resurrection and simultaneously mystically
extending to allow the Deceased to ascend to the Heavens.
Other lesser Amulets and Gimels
Ma'at "truth" chisel shaped rectangular block also associated with Ptah. Represented
the concept "True of Voice" and particularly applied to Justified
Souls having passed the Weighing of the Heart Ceremony and thus
accepted and at one with Osiris in the Afterlife. Usually found
depicted on texts and images or present as a plinth for effigies
of the Gods. Ptah in mummiform is normally found standing on one.
Amulet of the two Fingers (of Horus) supposedly associated with the above event, Horus the Younger assisted his father up the ladder with two fingers, in this role being known as the God of the two fingers. The amulet was made out of Haematite or obsidian.
Dwa "adoration" Although not an amulet as such this five pointed star was extensively
used as a decoration both in Tombs and on Funerary objects.
Ankh "life" second only to the Udjat eye, the Ankh was a principle protective amulet in life. Although extensively depicted in Gimel decorations and funerary equipment this amulet was rarely associated with the mummy wrappings. Frequently depicted as being presented by the Gods to both the living and the dead.
"Sma" (to unite, joy) Entwined lotus and papyrus shoots, the combination
of the two plants representing Upper and Lower Egypt. A common
symbol used in both domestic and funerary furniture: a vases,
beds, chairs. And in these Texts variably as an ornamental H,
W or M!
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