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After the introductory hymns to Ra and Osiris as gods of the afterlife (see AE 145), Chapter 1 takes us through the mummification and burial process. The vignette for this extends over Plate 5 and Plate 6 of the papyrus.
Plate 5: Funeral procession
On the left side of Plate 5, we see four men carrying various grave goods that Ani will need in the afterlife, including a chair, a bed, scribal equipment, and two djed symbols associated with stability and endurance, which are also symbols of Osiris. Below this scene we see a large box surmounted by Anubis (the god of embalming), pulled along by three mourners, with two more mourners following behind. The box contains four canopic jars containing the internal organs of the deceased, which are removed from the body during the embalming process. The box is decorated with Isis-knot and djed symbols.
A group of male mourners follow the bier containing the body of Ani. The bier seems to rest on a barque, which in turn sits on a sledge. At each end, we see the protective goddesses Isis (at the stern) and Nephthys (at the prow). In the middle, Ani’s wife Tutu kneels, bare-breasted in mourning.
To the right of the scene in Plate 5, a sem-priest in leopard skin anoints the bier with unguents. The bier is being pulled by four oxen under the control of four men.
The text below the vignette seems hardly to relate the scene. It begins with an introduction to the whole papyrus, stating:
the beginning of the chapters of going forth in the day, praises and glorification of coming and going into the necropolis, glorious in the beautiful West, to be said on the day of burial and going in after coming out.
The crucial implication in this introduction is the need to ensure Ani is able to leave the tomb and travel freely as a blessed spirit (an akh) in the celestial realm (with Ra).
The rest of the text on Plate 5 relates to the myth associated with the death of Osiris and his rescue, revival, and vindication, with the assistance of Ani, who seems to take on the guise of Horus and Thoth. By associating himself with Osiris, Ani hoped to become fully restored as a body for the next world, in the same way that Osiris was restored – hence the importance of mummification and restoration to the ancient Egyptians.
Plate 6: Mourning and the Opening of the Mouth
Plate 6 shows a continuation of the burial process. The vignette starts (on the left) with the various grave goods being carried towards the tomb. A group of women mourners then appear, two of whom are kneeling down. Like Tutu, they are bare-breasted. In front of the mourners, a strange scene shows a cow, with a calf that has had one foreleg amputated. This is presumed to be part of the ritual associated with the burial ceremony. More priests appear for the ‘Opening of the Mouth’ ritual, together with a number of important implements associated with the ritual. On the far right stands the mummy supported by Anubis, ready for burial. Tutu kneels to make her farewell to Ani in front of the tomb, which has a strong resemblance to the tomb chapels of Deir el-Medina.
The Opening of the Mouth ritual was crucial to the deceased because the touching of his mouth with an adze would magically enable him to speak in the afterlife and to deal with the obstacles faced there. The chapters of text below the vignette make reference to this by indicating, in Ani’s words, that he will be able to speak in the presence of the Great God, Lord of the Duat. They also prepare us for the weighing of the heart scene, in which Ani asks to be vindicated, and to be able to speak with Osiris and become a spirit with him. He concludes by saying he expects ‘no fault be found in him for the balance is emptied of his misdoings’. We are thus ready for the crucial scene in Chapter 30B, when Ani’s heart is weighed against the ‘Feather of Truth’, which we will investigate in the next issue.
Andrew Fulton is a regular contributor to AE magazine, including articles on Bible Pharaohs (AE 90) and Palmyra (AE 142).
