Place Of The Dead To The Egyptians example essay topic

Ancient Egyptian Beliefs In The Afterlife Essay, Ancient Egyptian Beliefs In The Afterlife The Egyptian culture is something that has fascinated the human race for thousands of years. Their cryptic writing and obsession with the afterlife have captivated people across the globe for centuries. The lives of the Egyptians were so centrally focused on their life after death, that it became a motif seen in many of their works and proceedings. The funerary rituals, architecture and art of this ancient civilization provide the modern day world with a looking glass into the history and basis of their culture. The Egyptians considered death not to be the end of life, but instead an interruption-a change of life form, not annihilation.

This is reflected heavily in their belief in the afterlife. The Egyptians believed that the spirit consisted of three individual parts: the ka, the ba and the akh. The ka is represented by two upraised arms [Figure 1], and is distinguished as the individual's "vital force', or "spiritual twin' (Romano 3). When a person was born, the ka was formed by the gods, but was not allowed to merge with its mortal body until the body was deceased.

At this time, the person was said to have "gone to his ka. ' The Egyptians believed that the ka dwelt within the mummy itself. However, as backup, ka statues were crafted and placed in the tomb, so that the ka would have a place to dwell if the mummy were ever destroyed (Romano 4). The Egyptians believed that the afterlife was quite similar to the deceased's life on earth. It is because of that belief that the ka needed forms of sustenance even in the afterlife. Depictions and lists of gifts, such as food, wine and beer drawn on the tomb walls were thought to be enough to sustain the ka, however, family members and other mourners brought actual food and drink to the ka, to keep it healthy (Frankfort 91).

The ba was the second part of the spirit. It was the part that was allowed to leave the tomb during the day, and travel about the earth as it pleased. During the hours of the night, however, the ba was forced to return to the tomb. Most commonly, the ba was represented as a human-headed bird. The ba could only begin its life once the ka and the dead body were united. Without the ka and a human body or ka statue, the ba could not exist (Romano 4).

The third, and last, element of the Egyptian spirit was the akh, which was never represented like the ka and ba. A person's akh lived in the sky, in the kingdom of the gods. To the Egyptians, the stars that never dropped below the horizon into the underworld were the spirits of the akh (plural). Only spirits who were the purest of heart, and who proved themselves worthy, were the ones who were fortunate enough to become an akh (Romano 5-6).

None of these spiritual forms could come into being unless the body of the deceased was embalmed in an effective manner. Proper embalming was important because these spirits relied heavily upon preservation of the body. The embalming process of the Egyptians was very intricate. At its most developed point, in Dynasty XXI, mummification involved 4 steps: 1) removing all the internal organs, because they were the first to decompose, 2) dehydrating the body with a water absorbing substance called natron, or salt 3) stuffing the body cavity with packing material and re-shaping the departed into their original form, including facial structures, and 4) wrapping the body tightly in linen cloth (Romano 11). This process took about seventy days to complete. First, the body was taken to a special workshop, which was regarded as "the place of purification' (Ions 131).

After the body was taken to the workshop, it was washed with Nile water. Next, an incision was made in the corpse's left side, from which the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines were removed. These organs were then placed in four canopic jars. The heart was left in the body because it was regarded as the place of intelligence in the being, and would be judged in the kingdom of Osiris, the underworld. The brain was also removed, through the nasal cavity. Contrary to the other vital organs, the brain was not preserved.

Thought of as useless, it was discarded. After the removal of the organs, the body cavity was then filled with both spices and resins, or from the Middle Kingdom period forward, balls of linen. The body was then wrapped in linen bandages. Throughout the layers of wrapping, amulets were placed on the body. The most important amulet was the scarab, which was placed over the heart. The symbol of renewed life, the scarab was intended to suggest the resurrection into eternal life.

All this was performed with one thing in mind: preservation of the body so the soul could live on. Once the wrapping was complete, the mummy's facial features were painted on the face of the mummy. It was then placed in its coffin, ready to be taken to the deceased's final tomb and resting place on the West bank of the Nile river (Ions 131-133). The procession to the tomb was of great ritual. Headed by the coffin lying in a boat, it was pulled along on a sledge by men and oxen. At either end were two chief women mourners, watching over the body as Isis and Nephthys watched over Osiris' dead body until Horus could avenge his death (Ions 133).

Behind them walked the male mourners. Next came the sledge that held the canopic jars, containing the preserved organs. During the New Kingdom, these jars pictorially represented the four sons of Horus, who each watched over one vital organ (Ions 133). Then came the other women, some professional mourners, crying out their howling dirge (Ions 133). These people believed that every day the sun was "born' in the East, and at night, it "died' as it set in the West. Similarly, the West was regarded as "death', or the "place of the dead' to the Egyptians (Romano 6).

Thus, the procession made its way toward the burial grounds, on the West bank of the Nile. On the way, the mourners traditionally would re-enact the journeys of the deceased Pharaoh. Once at the tomb, dancers and musicians would join the procession in order to glorify the Pharaoh's passage into eternal life. Outside the tomb, the priest would begin the Opening of the Mouth ceremony. The Opening of the Mouth ceremony was a tradition held in ancient Egypt that referenced Horus' resurrection of his father, Osiris, from the dead (Ions 133).

Once Horus won the battle against his uncle, Set, who had killed Osiris, he was instructed to perform three tasks, one of them being to "open his mouth. ' To do this, "Horus touched his father's lips with an adze which represented the Great Bear and with which, in an ancient myth, Set had opened the mouths of the gods, [giving] them their power of command' (Ions 133). Once Horus completed his tasks, Osiris was resurrected and given the title of "God of the Underworld'. It is because of this myth that the Opening of the Mouth ceremony was performed, opening the way for rebirth of the deceased's soul. The ceremony was performed not only on the mummy itself, but on the ka statue as well, again, as a backup just in case the mummy was destroyed. After this ceremony, the mummy was placed in the tomb, now fully equipped for burial.

Seemingly analogous to the ka, ba and akh, the Egyptians believed in three types of destinies for the spirit. Stellar destiny was the type when the Pharaoh "goes to his ka' or "goes to the sky. ' A netherlife was similar to the deceased's life on Earth, after their "justification' by Osiris. The third type, solar destiny, was when the spirit accompanied the sun in its trek across the sky and becomes part of the followers of Re, the sun god, or possibly even merged with him (Badawy 46). Through the architecture of ancient Egypt, we can see reflections of these three destinies. The tomb of the early dynasties was called the mastaba, after the Arabic word for "bench' (Badawy 47).

They were rectangular superstructures, shaped like benches that were seen in front of modern Egyptian houses (Romano 22). Mastabas were oriented north-south, with a staircase descending to the subterranean burial chamber from the north, "probably symbolizing the northern circumpolar stars to which the deceased was supposed to fly' (Badawy 47). This is a prime example of the stellar destiny. The spirit was given passage by way of the staircase to "fly to the sky. ' During the First Dynasty, however, the staircase was shifted to the east side, "toward the sunrise, an architectural expression of the shift from stellar to solar destiny' (Badawy 47). At first, the mastaba was a simple mud brick rectangle, but over time, architects increased the southern recess, began building more heavily with stone, and the space became a small chapel devoted to the dead, where family members and ka priests would give their offerings to the deceased.

In some cases, the layout of the mastaba became great enough to compare to the great houses in which the Pharaoh or other important persons had lived (Badawy 47). The burial chambers of the mastaba, along with those of virtually all other forms of Egyptian architecture, housed paintings and relief sculptures depicting the actions of everyday life. The netherlife destiny is often associated with this "everyday life', where the spirit experiences all the aspects of their mortal life on earth. Often, mastabas were arranged in cemeteries forming a grid pattern, with "streets' between them. Cemeteries such as these often are situated around what are probably the greatest structures of Egyptian architecture: pyramids. Pyramids are an extraordinary architectural phenomenon.

They were designed with religion in mind and were so important, that great pains were taken to make them perfect. The four corners of the pyramid were placed at the four cardinal points, and the walls slanted up toward an apex, which was intended to symbolize the deceased's ascent to heaven (Badawy 51). This architecture reflects the idea of the solar destiny. Perfectly angled at 51?

52" " , the Great Pyramid at Giza was by far the most exceptional pyramid ever built by the Egyptians (Badawy 52). The burial chamber is lined with polished pink granite, and has two square shafts rising toward the north and south faces of the pyramid (Badawy 52). These provided a passage for the soul to the circumpolar stars of the North, and to the constellation Orion in the South [Figure 2]. Again, these passage shafts were symbolic of the solar destiny in Egyptian architecture.

The inside of the burial chambers of all pyramids were also decorated with divine artwork and sculptures, along with food and other offerings, so that the spirit would be able to live comfortably in the afterlife. Pyramids were utilized by many Pharaohs, and were in many opinions, by far the most appealing burial structures in Egypt. However, many Pharaohs preferred the rock cut tomb, which came to epitomize the New Kingdom tomb design. Rock cut tombs featured deep underground passageways leading to a vaulted, sometimes extraordinarily decorated burial chamber.

Occasionally, in the more elaborate tombs, additional rooms were decorated with religious imagery, and scenes from the daily life of the deceased. Most rock cut tombs had a long chapel, with at least one ka statue in a central recess directly opposite the door (Romano 25). A deep shaft descended from the chapel to the burial chamber, as a pathway for the spirit to leave its tomb (Badawy 55). Egyptian burial structures were never complete without some form of artistic decoration. Whether symbolizing the deceased's life on earth, their passage to death, or their judgment regarding life after death, art was always an essential part of the tomb.

One main piece of art relevant to the Egyptian religious beliefs is the ka statue [Figure 1], which was discussed earlier. Ka statues were decorated to the likeness of the deceased, typically with hieroglyphics etched into the base. They told the story of the mummy, and often were inscriptions of prayers guiding the spirit to an enjoyable afterlife [Figure 3]. Other statues, called sh abatis, were funerary figures placed in the tomb, but were also pieces of art with intricate sculpture and painting. Their function was to provide the spirit with a "substitute laborer', should it be called upon to perform some arduous task. This piece of art symbolizes the Egyptians' desire for a leisurely afterlife (Romano 29).

Many other pieces of art and sculpture were symbolic of religious beliefs and rituals. Figure 4 shows a sculpture of the boat that was used in the funeral procession. It shows all the people facing in one direction, including those attending to the mummy. This usually is interpreted as looking westward, to the land of the dead.

The people standing are showing signs of respect to the deceased (Ions 131). In Figures 5 and 6, a vase of some sort is pictured, with a flat drawing of the decoration. Again, these show what seems to be the funerary procession, to the land of the dead, symbolized by the pyramids in the middle (Davis 46-47). These pieces of art were placed in the tomb, along with another very important piece of funerary art, The Book of the Dead. The Book of the Dead is a combination of text and images that gives insight into the religious culture of the Egyptians. It consists mostly of prayers and spells that would guide the spirit to a successful afterlife, and a positive judgment from Osiris, the king of the underworld.

The judgment of the deceased by Osiris, in The Book of the Dead, is an elaborate drawing [Figure 7]. After the deceased had made his journey to the kingdom of the dead, Anubis immediately accompanied him to the Hall of Two Truths, where he would be found guilty or innocent by the god of the underworld, Osiris. Sitting on the throne on the far right is Osiris, wearing the double crown of both Lower and Upper Egypt, clothed in a tightly fitting, white linen garb. Attending to him are Isis and Nephtys, and in front of him are the four sons of Horus: Im set, Happy, Duamutef, and Qebehsenuf (Ions 135). The weighing of the souls is the main theme of the drawing, directed and recorded by Thoth, the god of wisdom.

At this point, the individual's heart was placed on a scale. It was thought that if the dead had lived a good and pure mortal life, his heart should be light and carefree-weighing no more than a feather, the symbol of truth (Ions 136). If the person was considered to be pure, then he was taken before Osiris, where the verdict was declared. If not, he was thrown to Am mut, "a hybrid monster, part lion, part hippopotamus, part crocodile-who crouched nearby, waiting to devour the hearts of the guilty' (Ions 136). With so many things to observe from just one drawing, one can get an idea about the wealth of cultural information available through the study of Egyptian artwork. Many people find the Egyptian culture fascinating.

The art, architecture, beliefs and rituals seem to provide us with a detailed view of their civilization. Such great care was taken to preserve the body that their processes took almost 70 days to complete! This indicates that importance of preservation was a key ritual in the Egyptian society. Ka statues were created in order to ensure the rightful destiny for the deceased. The procession to the tomb in itself indicates how important mourning and celebration of the afterlife became to the Egyptians. The Opening of the Mouth ceremony illustrates the importance of the spirit's "resurrection' and the mortals' obligation to help it do so.

Egyptian architecture was based upon many religious aspects, including the three destinies of the spirit. Elaborate structures devoted to one person indicate the significance of exhibition of the dead. Ancient Egyptian artwork was key in depicting the story of the dead, so when the body was gone, their legacy could live on. Egyptian art and architecture so reflects their belief in the afterlife that it seems that their whole culture might have revolved around one point-that life after death was not a possibility, but a definite reward for a pure and good life on Earth. However, while it may be easy to moralize about how Egyptian rituals and beliefs glorified a pure and good life on earth, as shown in the story of the Book of the Dead, one cannot assume that this made the culture itself good and perfect. Another portion of the Book of the Dead explains how one's spirit could fool the balance, and even with a heavy heart, appear pure as truth!

The fact that preservation of the body itself played such a major role in the religious beliefs may indicate a glorification of humanity and its accomplishments. Though the artwork of the Egyptians shows the rituals and details of every day life, it does not explain what constituted a "good and pure' life. Humanity's fixation with the afterlife, or at least death avoidance, may simply be a function of the knowledge of death itself. While it is fascinating to observe ancient civilizations speculating about life after death, it is not so very far removed from our own lives, and our own speculations. After all, no on yet knows the reality of life after death.

5 a 2 Badawy, Alexander. Architecture in Ancient Egypt and the Near East. Cambridge: M.I.T. Press, 1966. Davis, Whitney. Masking the blow: The scene of representation in late prehistoric Egyptian Art. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992.

Frankfort, Henri. Ancient Egyptian Religion, an interpretation. New York: Columbia University Press, 1948. Ions, Veronica. Egyptian Mythology: Second Edition. London: Paul Hamlyn, 1968.

Romano, James F. Death, Burial, and Afterlife in Ancient Egypt. Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 1990..