Sailing In The Great Boat

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 28).]

The Chapter of sailing in the Great Boat of Rā to pass over the circle of bright flame. The Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, saith:

“[Hail], ye bright and shining flames that keep your place behind Rā, and which slay behind him, the boat of Rā is in fear of the whirlwind and the storm; shine ye forth, then, and make [ye yourselves] visible. I have come [daily] along with the god Sek-hra from the bight of his holy lake, and I have seen the Maāt [goddesses] pass along, and the lion-gods who belong unto them. Hail, thou that dwellest in the coffer who hast multitudes of plants(?), I have seen [what is] there. We rejoice, and their princes rejoice greatly, and their lesser gods(?) are glad. I have made a way in front of the boat of Rā, I have lifted myself up into his divine Disk, I shine brightly through his splendors; he hath furnished himself with the things which are his, taking possession thereof as the lord of right and truth. And behold, O ye company of the gods, and thou ancestor of the goddess Isis,[124] grant ye that he may bear testimony to his father, the lord of those who are therein. I have weighed the ... in him [as] chief, and I have brought to him the goddess Tefnut and he liveth. Behold, come, come, and declare before him the testimony of right and truth of the lord Tem. I cry out at eventide and at his hour, saying, Grant ye unto me that I may come. I have brought unto him the jaws of the passages of the tomb; I have brought unto him the bones which are in Annu (Heliopolis); I have gathered together for him his manifold parts; I have driven back for him the serpent fiend Apep; I have spit upon his gashes for him; I have made my road and I have passed in among you. I am he who dwelleth among the gods, come, let [me] pass onward in the boat, the boat of the lord Sa. Behold, O Heru-ur, there is a flame, but the fire hath been extinguished. I have made [my] road, O ye divine fathers and your divine apes! I have entered upon the horizon, and I have [pg 129] passed on to the side of the divine princes, and I have borne testimony unto him that dwelleth in his divine boat. I have gone forward over the circle of bright flame which is behind the lord of the lock of hair which moveth round about. Behold, ye who cry out over yourselves, ye worms in [your] hidden places, grant ye that I may pass onward, for I am the mighty one, the lord of divine strength, and I am the spiritual body (sāh) of the lord of divine right and truth made by the goddess Uatchit. His strength which protecteth is my strength which protecteth, which is the strength which protecteth Rā. [Grant ye that I may be in the following of Rā], and grant ye that I may go round about with him in Sekhet-hetep [and in] the two lands. [I am] a great god, and [I have been] judged by the company of his gods; grant that divine, sepulchral meals may be given unto me.”

Of The Four Flames

[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 26).]

The Chapter of the four blazing flames which are made for the Khu. Behold, thou shalt make four square troughs of clay, whereon thou shalt scatter incense, and thou shalt fill them with the milk of a white cow, and by means of these thou shalt extinguish the flame. The Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, saith:

“The fire cometh to thy Ka, O Osiris, governor of Amenti; the fire cometh to thy Ka, O Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant. He that ordereth the night cometh after the day. [The flame cometh to thy Ka, O Osiris, governor of those in Amenti][125] and the two sisters(?) of Rā come likewise. Behold, [the flame] riseth in Abtu (Abydos) and it cometh; and I cause it to come [to] the Eye of Horus. It is set in order upon thy brow, O Osiris, governor of Amenti,[126] and it is fixed within thy shrine and riseth upon thy brow; it is set in order upon thy breast, O Osiris Nu, and it is fixed upon thy brow. The Eye of Horus is protecting thee, O Osiris, governor of Amenti, and it keepeth thee in [pg 130] safety; it casteth down headlong all thine enemies for thee and all thine enemies have fallen headlong before thee. O Osiris Nu, the Eye of Horus protecteth thee, it keepeth thee in safety, and it casteth down headlong all thine enemies. Thine enemies have fallen down headlong before thy Ka, O Osiris, governor of Amenti, the Eye of Horus protecteth thee, it keepeth thee in safety, and it hath cast down headlong all thine enemies. Thine enemies have fallen down headlong before thy Ka, O Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant, the Eye of Horus protecteth thee, it keepeth thee in safety, it hath cast down headlong for thee all thine enemies, and thine enemies have fallen down headlong before thee. The Eye of Horus cometh, it is sound and well, and it sendeth forth rays like unto Rā in the horizon; it covereth over with darkness the powers of Suti, it taketh possession thereof and it bringeth its flame against him upon [its] feet(?). The Eye of Horus is sound and well, thou eatest the flesh(?) of thy body by means thereof, and thou givest praise(?) thereto. The four flames enter into thy Ka, O Osiris, governor of Amenti, the four flames enter into thy ka, O Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant. Hail, ye children of Horus, Mesthi, Hāpi, Tuamāutef and Qebhsennuf, ye have given your protection unto your divine Father Osiris, the governor of Amenti, grant ye your protection to the Osiris Nu, triumphant. Now, therefore, inasmuch as ye have destroyed the opponent of Osiris, the governor of Amenti, he liveth with the gods, and he hath smitten Suti, with his hand and arm since light dawned upon the earth, and Horus hath gotten power, and he hath avenged his divine Father Osiris himself; and inasmuch as your divine father hath been made vigorous through the union which ye have effected for him with the Ka of Osiris, the governor of Amenti—now the Eye of Horus hath avenged him, and it hath protected him, and it hath cast down headlong for him all his enemies, and all his enemies have fallen down before him—even so do ye destroy the opponent of the Osiris Nu, the overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, triumphant. Let him live with the gods, let him smite down his enemy, let him destroy [him] when light dawneth upon the earth, let Horus gain power and avenge the Osiris Nu, let the Osiris Nu have vigor through the union [pg 131] which ye have effected for him with his ka. O Osiris Nu, the Eye of Horus hath avenged thee, it hath cast down headlong all thine enemies for thee, and all thine enemies have fallen down headlong before thee. Hail, Osiris, governor of Amenti, grant thou light and fire to the happy soul which is in Suten-henen (Heracleopolis); and [O ye children of Horus] grant ye power unto the living soul of the Osiris Nu within his flame. Let him not be repulsed and let him not be driven back at the doors of Amentet; oh let his offerings of bread and of linen garments be brought unto him among [those of] the lords of funeral oblations, oh, offer ye praises as unto a god, to the Osiris Nu, destroyer of his opponent in his form of right and truth and in his attributes of a god of right and truth.”