Ascension to Heaven (Ancient Egypt)
The ascension of the sky has been an ancient Egyptian ritual since the early dynastic period that was reserved only for the deceased kings. From the later pyramid texts of the Old Kingdom it emerges that the second lunar day of the month was connected with the “ascension of the deceased king” as the “day of coronation and apparition”: “Your appearance belongs to the second day of the lunar month”. In the pyramid texts it is described that after the ascension into heaven Seth , Nephthys , Osiris , Isis , Thoth and Dunanui were sent as "gods of the cardinal points" to announce the accession of the king to the throne in heaven.
Mythological connections
The ivory comb of King Wadji
From the first dynasty is ivory comb the king djet known. There the cosmology and the associated worldview is already shown, which depicts heaven and earth. In between, the king acted as a mediator between the two regions. The name of the Wadji with the falcon symbol stood between the heavenly plane and the earth. Above him was a pair of wings representing the extraterrestrial celestial sphere, which Horus passed through on a solar boat. The falcon and the king's name registered in the Serech filled the space between the two regions. Two heavenly supports can be seen on the sides of the ivory ridge.
The later pyramid texts refer to the symbolism of the ivory comb. The power of the king was effective on both the earthly and the heavenly plane. This means that the king is on his own level, which should only be described in more detail in writing in the pyramid texts. However, there was the difference that the king did not see himself as the falcon god Horus, but saw himself as his direct descendant who was endowed with the heavenly Horus powers.
Evolution of cosmogeny
| Association in hieroglyphics | |
|---|---|
| Predynastics |
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With the beginning of the 2nd dynasty , Horus and Seth symbolized "the two countries" of Lower and Upper Egypt , the union of which was celebrated with the " Unification Festival of the Two Countries " when each king took office. The king ( Pharaoh ) therefore saw himself in the early Old Kingdom as the embodiment of the kingship personified by Horus and Seth. In ancient Egyptian mythology, the king's death was obviously connected with the "quarrel between Horus and Seth". Here, Seth's testicles were torn out by Horus , which is why Seth again removed Horus' eye . Atum took on the role of the healing deity in this dispute.
The elevation of the sun to the sun god Re led to a reorientation of solar theology in the 4th dynasty . The kings saw themselves from King Radjedef as "sons of Re". Only a short time later, the cult of the deity Osiris is first attested, which, however, is not "god of the king" in the initial phase, but is still understood as the " death god of men" and later merges with the death god Chontamenti, who lives in Abydos . The changes in royal mythology can be felt in the funeral and pyramid texts , which were to lead to profound cuts in the cult of the dead after the collapse of the Old Kingdom .
The King's Ascension to Heaven
Divine calling
In contrast to people who died at the end of their lives and “came to their hidden places in the kingdom of the earth”, the king has been “called his father Re” since the 4th dynasty to ascend alive to him in heaven :
“See, the king is rising, see the king is coming. But it does not come by itself. It is your messengers who brought it, the word of God has raised it up. "
Descent to the limits of death
Before the ascension of heaven began, the ritual of embalming and mummification had to be performed. For this purpose, the king's body was placed in the sarcophagus in the prepared underground burial chambers of the pyramid . During the associated rites all entrails were removed from the king , as they prevented an "imperishable state in heaven". The associated removal of body fluids with accompanying transfiguration took place by additional dousing of the body with water, which was placed on a structure similar to a water basin. The ancient Egyptians described this process as "crossing the lake".
The divine judgment of the dead , which could be invoked at the same time , posed a danger, as a “request to review the deeds” in the event of the king's misconduct resulted in a negative judgment, which not only prevented the ascension of heaven, but also led to an eternal stay in the “hidden realm of death”. The positive result of an application is described in the pyramid text:
“The king passed the house of that Ba , the fury of the“ great lake ”missed him. His fare for the big ferry was not taken. The Palace of the White Wedges of the Great did not turn him down. See, the king has reached the top of heaven. "
Ascension to the sky followed by a boat trip
After the successful mummification and the completed mouth opening ritual , the first phase of the transition to the divine ancestors began in the heavenly area of Qebehu . This was followed by the second phase of the journey in the Re's solar barge:
“May you purify yourself in the Qebehu of the stars ... The sun people cry out before you when the immortal stars have lifted you up. May you ascend to the place where your father is, to the place where Geb is, so that he may give you what is on the forehead of Horus ( royal diadem ) and thereby you become (a) Ba, win the power of Sechem and become the “first of the Western will "."
Arrival and ascension of the heavenly throne
In the Pyramid Texts the king expressed the wish that Re undertake it after arrival of the sun bark and he like Saw and Sopdet the starry sky perish and may rise again in the arms of his father in light Country:
“Oh Re-Atum, this king comes to you, an immortal spirit , your son comes to you, this king comes to you. May you cross the heavens, united in the darkness. May you rise in the land of light in the place where it is well for you ... Oh Re-Atum, your son comes to you, the King comes to you. Let him rise to you, enclose him in your embrace, he is your son to your body for ever. "
literature
- Jan Assmann : Death and the afterlife in ancient Egypt . Beck, Munich 2003, ISBN 3-406-49707-1
- Susanne Bickel: The connection between the worldview and the state. In: Reinhard Gregor Kratz: Images of Gods, Images of God, Views of the World (Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine) . Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 2009, ISBN 978-3-16-149886-2 , pp. 79-102.
- Rolf Gundlach: "Horus in the Palace" - legitimation, form and mode of operation of the political center in pharaonic Egypt . In: Werner Paravicini: The housing of power: The space of rule in an intercultural comparison of antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the early modern era (communications from the Residences Commission of the Academy of Sciences in Göttingen, special issue 7) . Christian Albrechts University, Kiel 2005, pp. 15–26.
- H. Roeder: On the wings of Thoth: The crest of King Wadji and its motifs, themes and interpretations in the pyramid texts . In: Mechthild Schade-Busch: Open paths: Festschrift for Rolf Gundlach on his 65th birthday . Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1996, ISBN 3-447-03879-9 , pp. 232-252.
Web links
- Wibilex: Horus and Seth as the embodiment of royalty
- Ivory comb of the Waji ( Memento from October 13, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
Individual evidence
- ↑ PT 794B; 1260A; 1711B; see. Winfried Barta In: Studies on Ancient Egyptian Culture (SAK) 8 . Buske, Hamburg 1980, p. 47.
- ^ A b Jan Assmann: Death and Beyond in Ancient Egypt . P. 164.
- ↑ a b Susanne Bickel: The combination of worldview and state image. Pp. 88-89.
- ↑ Jan Assmann: Death and Beyond in Ancient Egypt . P. 168.
- ↑ Jan Assmann: Death and Beyond in Ancient Egypt . P. 167.
- ↑ Jan Assmann: Death and Beyond in Ancient Egypt . P. 42.
- ↑ Jan Assmann: Death and Beyond in Ancient Egypt . P. 166.
- ↑ Jan Assmann: Death and Beyond in Ancient Egypt . P. 162.