History of Funeral Service: Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt

Egyptians believed the sun was the center of the Universe to which all things were born and to which all things were returned; RA was the sun god; Pharaoh was the earthly representation of the sun god; Believed profoundly in the afterlife.

Egyptian Myth

Ra disappeared each evening in the west and fought his way through the underworld; In the morning he was reborn as a scarab beetle; Scarab beetles represent "rebirth" and is an important symbol of eternal life

Cult of Osiris

Osiris: God of the Underworld & Judge of the Dead; Osiris' brother was Set, who murdered Osiris and threw him in the Nile; Osiris' wife was Isis, who "resurrected" Osiris by gathering all the parts of his body; Isis had a son named Horus; After Osiris' death, Horus became God of the Sky

Circle of Necessity

Keeping elements of the body intact. If the body is intact, the soul was also intact.

Egyptian Death Beliefs

Complex Elements Reassembled - The soul was immortalized by having all its elements brought back to body

Ba

Soul; the personality and all things that made that person unique

Ren

Name; Given to you by the Gods at birth

Sheut/Shuyet

Shadow; contained the essence of the person

Ib/Jb

Heart; seat of intellect, emotion, and good/evil

Ka

Spirit or vital essence; the most significant; remained with the body through ritualistic actions such as prayer

Yakhu/Akh/Ikhu

The Shining One; a combination of the Ba and Ka representing the enlightened immortal being after death

Egyptian Myth/Belief

Egyptians believed in the constant struggle between Good and Evil - often the basis for most organized religions; Osiris' Judgment of the Dead: The Hall of Two Truths depicted in "Balance"

Anubis

God of Death/Embalming

Ament (aka Ammut or Ammit)

Beast; devours hearts

"Balance"

Anubis weighed the heart of the dead against the Feather of Maat; The goddess, Maat, was the personification of Truth and Order; Should the balance be unfavorable, Ament would devour the heart; Earliest introduction of inner values, morals, and conscience - Basis for many Western religions

Herodotus

Greek philosopher gave the best-known accounts for Egyptian embalming practices

Egyptian "Embalming"

Completed as a religious ritual; The body needed to be preserved so the soul would be inclined to return to the body; Based on economic systems (preparations were different based on the amount of money you had); Threat of plague as a burial motive (Dry air/climate, Nitrous soil, Provided for slow, inoffensive decomposition)

Embalming Procedure - "High-end"

Wealthy citizens, royalty; Removal of the brain, Evisceration; Use of Canopic Jars; Covered in Natron (natural salts) for 70 days; Cavities filled with spices/perfumes; Wrapping in fine linen; Restorative art

Embalming Procedure - "Mid-range"

Skilled, Artisans; Injection of Cedar Oil; Covered in Natron for 70 days; Cedar oil "released"; Only skin and bones are left

Embalming Procedure - "Low-end"

Peasants; Intestines are purged; Soaked in a natural salt solution for 70 days; In later years, dry burial in pitch (combination of natural substances, mostly hydrocarbons)

Canopic Jars

New Kingdom Period (1738-1102 BC); Canopic Jars represented the four children of Horus; Tuamutef (Jackal) - Heart and lungs; Mestha (Human) - Stomach and large intestines; Hapi (Dog) - Small intestines; Qebhsennuf (Hawk) - Liver and gall bladder; Organs "harvested" through a small slit (4-6") on the left sidefor limited damage to the body

Egyptian Coffins

Desire in early African cultures to keep bodies from touching the earth for ritualistic and sanitary purposes; Early Egyptian practices used mats, skins and reeds as well as wooden or earthenware baskets. As burial practices evolved, there was more concern with perfection in preservation, introducing coffins; Started out rectangular, but massive. Eventually became anthropoidal in shape (massive sarcophagus)

Cartonnage

Mixture of linen and stucco; painted to give the deceased a lifelike appearance

Hieroglyphic Inscriptions on Coffins

Prayers, Genealogy, Religions and Magical texts; Aids and gives power in the afterlife

Ushtabi Figures

Designed to act as substitutes for the deceased in the afterlife if they were called to work, so the soul could rest in peace.

Kher-heb (Priest)

Superintended all embalming funeral arrangements; Removal, coordination of the tombs; Surgeons/Assistants completed embalming; Professional Mourners; Offerings and prayers

Cortege

Funeral Procession (Oxen or Men)

Necropolis

City of the dead