the Book of the Dead ( PDF )

The Doctrine Of Eternal Life.
[1. Compare: "O flesh of Teta, rot not, decay not, stink not." Recueil de Travaux, t. v., p. 55 (l. 347). "Pepi goeth forth with
his flesh"; ibid., t. v., p. 185 (1. 169). "thy bones shall not be destroyed, and thy flesh shall not perish"; ibid., p. 55 (l. 353).
2. Compare the following passages:--
(a) ###. Ibid., t. iv., p. 76 (ll. 628, 629).
(b) ###. Ibid., t. v., p. 37 (l. 277).
(c) Ibid., t. iii., p. 197 (1. 182 f).
(d) Ibid., t. V., p. 40 (1. 286), and see M. Maspero's note on the same page.]
{p. lxxix}
Old tradition of hunting and devouring the gods.
pyramid of Unas. Here all creation is represented as being in terror when they see the deceased king rise
up as a soul in the form of a god who devours "his fathers and mothers"; he feeds upon men and also
upon gods. He hunts the gods in the fields and snares them; and when they are tied up for slaughter he
cuts their throats and disembowels them. He roasts and eats the best of them, but the old gods and
goddesses are used for fuel. By eating them he imbibes both their magical powers, and their khu's. He
becomes the "great Form, the form among forms, and the god of all the great gods who "exist in visible
forms,"[1] and he is at the head of all the sahu, or spiritual bodies in heaven. He carries off the hearts of
the gods, and devours the wisdom of every god; therefore the duration of his life is everlasting and he
lives to all eternity, for the souls of the gods and their khu's are in him. The whole passage reads:--[2]
"(496) The heavens drop water, the stars throb, (497) the archers go round about, the (498) bones of
Akeru tremble, and those who are in bondage to them take to flight when they see (499) Unas rise up as a
soul, in the form of the god who liveth upon his fathers and who maketh food of his (500) mothers. Unas
is the lord of wisdom, and (501) his mother knoweth not his name. The gifts of Unas are in heaven, and
he hath become mighty in the horizon (502) like unto Tmu, the father that gave him birth, and after Tmu
gave him birth (503) Unas became stronger than his father. The ka's of Unas are behind him, the sole of
his foot is beneath his feet, his gods are over him, his uræi are [seated] (504) upon his brow, the serpent
guides of Unas are in front of him, and the spirit of the flame looketh upon [his]
[1. ###. Pyramid of Teta, 1. 327; ibid., t. v., p. 50.
2. See Maspero, Recueil, t. iv., p. 59, t. v., p. 50; and Revue de l'Histoire des Religions, t. xii, p. 128.]
{p. lxxx}
soul. The (505) powers of Unas protect him; Unas is a bull in heaven, he directeth his steps where he
will, he liveth upon the form which (506) each god taketh upon himself, and be eateth the flesh of those
who come to fill their bellies with the magical charms ill the Lake of Fire. Unas is (507) equipped with
power against the shining spirits thereof, and he riseth up in the form of the mighty one, the lord of those
who dwell in power (?). Unas hath taken his seat with his side turned towards Seb. (508) Unas hath
weighed his words with the hidden god (?) who hath no name, on the day of hacking in pieces the
firstborn. Unas is the lord of offerings, the untier of the knot, and he himself maketh abundant the
offerings of meat and drink. (509) Unas devoureth men and liveth upon the gods, he is the lord to whom
offerings are brought, and he counteth the lists thereof. He that cutteth off hairy scalps and dwelleth in
the fields hath netted the gods in a snare; (510) he that arrangeth his head hath considered them [good]
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