Chapter 149

.

The late Dr. Pleyte, of Leyden, made a special study of these chapters, and of several others of late date (_Chapitres supplémentaires du Livre des Morts, Texte, Traduction et Commentaire_, Leide). The collation which he published of various documents is the text on which this translation has been made.

The vignette generally consists of a cow, having between her horns a solar disk, with two plumes. Occasionally behind her there is a goddess with a cow’s head having the same attribute. This cow I consider to be the goddess Nut, the mother of Rā. An image of the cow, made of pure gold, is to be put on the neck of the deceased; or, what would be much easier and cheaper, it is to be painted on a hypocephalus of new papyrus, and put under the deceased’s head. Part of this chapter is the usual text found on the hypocephali.

The result of the gift of one of these amulets will be that in the Netherworld the deceased will be surrounded by flames. This is the effect of the presence of the amulets here described. It does not take place in this world, but in the other, where Rā himself enjoys a similar protection, being surrounded by “warriors of blazing fire.” This image seems to point to the magnificent sunsets often seen in Egypt.

1. All the translators have interpreted ⁂⁂⁂ by “heat,” the vital heat of the body. But this is not the true sense of the word, which means “flame,” ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ “flame of fire.” The root ⁂⁂ implies the idea of darting, springing forth like a flame or a spark, and not of latent heat. ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ cannot mean anything except a great quantity of flames. These flames will be the protection of the deceased.

2. The lion addressed by the cow, a god of light and fire, is probably Rā himself.

3. For the connection between generation and light, see Kuhn, “Herabkunft des Feuers,” p. 70 and ff.

4. These barbarous names, as well as those of the following chapters, have not yet been explained. Their interpretation is to be looked for in the African languages, for