#InadvertentPlagiarism Reflect on how our Life after death stories originated. The process by which a 👉KA👈 became an akh was not automatic upon death; it involved a 70-day journey through the DUAT, or SPIRITWORLD, which led to judgment before WESIR/OSIRIS, Lord over the Dead where the ka’s HEART WOULD BE WEIGHED on a scale against the FEATHER OF MA’AT (representing Truth). However, if the KA was not properly prepared, this journey could be altered with dangerous pitfalls and strange demons or be trapped as a ghost; hence some of the earliest religious texts discovered, such as the Papyrus of Ani (commonly known as The Book of the Dead) and the Pyramid Texts were actually written as guides to help the deceased SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATE the DUAT. IF THE HEART WAS IN BALANCE with the Feather of Maat, the ka passed judgment and was granted access to the Beautiful West as an akh who was ma’a heru (“true of voice”) TO DWELL AMONG THE GODS and other akhu. At this point only was the KA DEEMED WORTHY TO BE VENERATED by the living through rites and offerings. Those who became LOST IN THE DUAT or DELIBERATELY TRIED TO AVOID JUDGMENT became the unfortunate (and sometimes dangerous) mutu, the Restless Dead(Ghosts). For the few whose TRULY EVIL HEARTS OUTWEIGHED THE FEATHER, the goddess AMMIT(Satan) waited patiently behind Wesir’s judgment seat to consume them. She was a composite creature resembling three of the deadliest animals in Egypt: the crocodile, the hippopotamus and the lion. (The hippopotamus is still the leading cause of human deaths by animal encounter in Africa today.) Being fed to Ammit was to be consigned to the Eternal Void, to be “unmade” as a ka. Besides being eaten by Ammit, the worst fate a Ka could suffer after physical death was to be FORGOTTEN. For this reason, ancestor veneration in ancient Egypt was an important rite of remembrance in order to keep the ka “alive” in this life as well as in the next. Royals, nobles and the wealthy made contracts with their local priests to perform prayers and give offerings at their tombs. In return, the priests were allowed to keep a portion of the offerings as payment for services rendered. Some tomb inscriptions even invited passers-by to speak aloud the names of the deceased within (which also helped to perpetuate their memory), and to offer water, prayers or other things if they so desired. In the private homes of the less wealthy, niches were carved into the walls for the purpose of housing images of familial akhu and to serve as altars of veneration. MANY OF THESE SAME RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND ANCESTOR VENERATION PRACTICES are still carried on today in the religion of Kemetic and Christian Orthodoxy.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 21:34:55 +0000
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