The Amduat (Part II)

This is Part 𓏻 of my posts on the Amduat 𓇋𓏶𓅓𓏭𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐! Please check out Post I first!

Here are some close up pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 of the Amduat 𓇋𓏶𓅓𓏭𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 of a woman named Gautsoshen who lived during the 21st Dynasty. Sorry the pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 are a little blurry – it is difficult to get good pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 because of the way the display is! 

The images 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 on the papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 illustrate the Duat 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐, which Gautsoshen (and other deceased people) would travel through with Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 over the twelve 𓎆𓏻 hours of the night 𓎼𓂋𓎛𓄛. 

The first picture (above) shows Gautsoshen standing before Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 and the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Selket 𓊃𓂋𓈎𓏏𓁐. Selket 𓋴𓂋𓈎𓏏𓆫 is one of the four 𓏽 goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 tasked with protecting the mummy. 

The second picture (above) shows Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 (and by default, Gautsoshen) descending into the Duat 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐, which is symbolically the sun 𓇳𓏺 setting in the west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊. Many of the characters that dwell in the Duat are depicted, such as the two 𓏻 lions 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛𓏪 who represent the east 𓋁𓃀𓏏𓏭 and the west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊. 

Can you spot the variant for “Amduat 𓇋𓏶𓇼𓏏𓉐” in this picture?!

The third picture (above) is a continuation of the second, and it shows two hare-headed deities. The female hare-headed deity is the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Wenet/Unut 𓃹𓈖𓏏𓁐, who had the titles “Lady of the Hour” and “The Swift One.” Her companion, the male hare god 𓊹 is actually one of the late-period depictions of Osiris 𓊩𓁹. As a hare, he took the name Un-nefer/Wennefer 𓃹𓄤𓀭. While not a super popular goddess 𓊹𓏏, 𓃹𓈖𓏏𓁐 is mentioned in the Pyramid Texts and the Book of the Dead 𓉐𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓉔𓂋𓏲𓇳𓏺𓍼𓏺, as well as the Amduat 𓇋𓏶𓇼𓏏𓉐. 

A bunch of the variants for the word “Duat 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐” appear on the papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛! Can you spot them?

𓇽𓏏𓉐

𓇽𓉐

𓇼𓏏𓉐

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

@ancientegyptblog