A blaze of fire and dispair is what most people think about the underworld. This is far from what the ancient egyptians believed. The ancient egyptians believed that after a person dies his sole may travel to the underworld, known as Tuat . Although Tuat is referred to as the underworld, it was not believed to be under the earth, but rather away from earth, in a part of the sky that the gods resided in . Many great gods were associated with Tuat. The great god Osiris watched ove rthe land of Tuat. Only the light hearted were granted entrance into the kingdom of Osiris. Anubis, Thoth, and Ammut are a few of the other gods associated with the underworld. As a member of ancient egyptian society died, that persons body and soul had to go through a series of preparations and trials. The body had to be prepared by numerous rituals and ceremonies, and the soul had to pass through a series of trials in order to travel the land of Osiris. Mummification, the feathe rof truth, and the trials of Tuat, are a few of these tasks that have to be completed before entering Tuat. The land of Tuat has mant gods, ceremonies and myths surrounding it.
Tuat was originally a place through which the sun god Ra passed each evening after his setting, or death, on his journey to that portion of the sky where he would appear the next morning. Thus, came the phrase of "coming into the west". The sun sets nito the west as does Ra. Tuat was the realm of the great god Osiris, who reigned over all the gods of the dead as well as the dead themselves. Tuat was separated fro the world by a mountain range that surrounded it and formed a great valley. On oen side of the mountains divided the valley from the earth, and on the other side, the valley from he heavens. Through Tuat ran a river that was the couterpart of the Nile in Egypt and of the celestial Nile in heaven . On each bank of the river lived a vast number of demons and beasts who were hostile to any being that invaded the valley. Tuat was further separated into twelve sections or nomes for each hour of the night.each nome has a deamon or ordeal that the deceased have to pass in order to be worthy of life with Osiris.
God of the dead and of ressurection, who was the brother/ husband of Isis, the father of Horus, and the brother of Seth and Nephthys. Osiris was the center of many myths and ceremonies in ancient Egypt. The myths surrounding Osiris cannot be found complete. It is assumed that the myths were known so well that a narrative was unneccassry. The birth of Osiris cannot be explained easily . When the sun god ra discovered ththis wife Nut had been unfaithful with the earth god Geb . He curesed he with barrenness, ensuring her that she could not bare any children during any day of the year. However, the god Thoth, was also in love with Nut and was able to construct five new day with the Moon's light he had won in a checker game with that god. These days did not come under the curse of Ra. Nut was able to bear Geb five children: Osiris on the first day, Horus on the second day, Seth was on the third, Isis fourth, and finally Nephthys on the fifth day. When Osiris was born, a voice proclaiming the birht of the lord of ceation was heard throughout the land. As king, Osiris devouted himself to his civilization . He taught them husbandry, the worship of the gods, and Osiris established a code of laws .
While Egypt was peaceful and flourishing Osiris set out to bring his teachings to other parts of the world. When he returned, his evil brother Seth, Aso, and 72 others plotted to assassinate him. The conspirators built a chest the size of Osiris's body . The box was brought into Osiris's banquet hall and he was tricked into lying in it. Seth and his cohorts sealed the box and set it out in the Nile. Isis cut off alock of her hair as a sign of her mourning and set out to fin her husband. Isis learned that the box with Osiris wihtin it had been carreid to the land if Byblos and lodged in the branches of a bush. A king cut down the tree to contruct a pillar for his palace. Isis took the form of a nurse to work at the palace to free Osiris. When she finally was able to get the king to cut down the pillar and open the box, she let out a cry that killed one of the kings daughters because of fright. Isis brought the box with Osiris back to Egypt and his it in a secluded spot . Seth happened to come across the box in hiding. He then took Osiris's body and chopped into fourteen pieces which he spread across Egypt. Isis was once again forced to look for her husbands remains. Where upon each peice she found she constructed a temple. That is why Osiris has so many temples throughout Egypt. Thus ends the Osiris myth . The myth is important because it explains how Osiris conquers death . Paul Hamlyn summarizes in his book Egyptian Mythology"The Osiris myth was one which appealed powerfully to the basic human emotions, was founded in the first instance ont he pathos of a good man being murdered by his evil brother, but eventually attaining eternal life through the unceasing efforts of his loving and devouted wife".The burial preparations also derive from Osiris's burial. Osiris takes on the personification of death and ressurrection throughout Egypt.
The jackal-headed god of the dead, Anubis. According to the Osiris myth he was the son of Nephthys and Osiris. Anubis was abandoned by Nephthys ay birth, and he was found and raised by Isis. He accompanied Osiris on his conquest of the world, and when Osiris was murdered, he helped find the body . Anubis embalmed it so well that it resisted the influences of time and decay. Thus, the burial rites were invented.
Anubis presided over funerals and guided the dead through ...