Your favourite ancient relgion

 

The passage to the next was an elaborate mix of mythology and earthly preparation in that the deceased could pass safely from the Tomb to Eternity with the blessings of the Gods.

 

But what I love most are the beautiful objects associated with death and burial and the afterlife.

 

 

 

This is the Sarcophogus of the Princess Maakre from the reign of the Pharaoh Pinedjem I. Coffins were generally anthropod in shape and had funerery sence depicted on them as well as images of the Gods such as Anubis , the Jackal headed God of Embalming and the two protectoresses Isis and Nephyths with their outstreched wings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Possibly Egypt's most enduring and iconic and beautiful images the death mask of Tutankhamun has shown to the world the extent the Egyptians were willing to go to to ensure safe passage to the afterlife. It also gives tantalising ideas as to what may have been in the even more important Pharaoh's tombs such as Rameses II. Such masks would have allowed the deceased spirit to recognise its body in the next life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a Canopic Jar from the tomb of INPUHOTEP of the Middle Kingdom. These jars were used to hold the deceased's organs eg Liver Kidneys etc and other Viscera which removed during the Embalming. It was vital for the enitre body to remain intact so that the person was whole in the afterlife. For this reason embalming envolved the dehyrdration of the body with Natron and removing all the wet organs except the heart. The lids usually represented the four sons of Horus Imstey ( the man) , Duamutef ( the Jackal), Hapy( the ape) and Quebusef ( The Falcon) but could also depicted the head of the deceased person

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This beautiful little Shabti figure comes from the tomb of Huy. These little figures were servants statues who came to life by means of a prayer or spell engraved on them and did all the deceased's work in the next world. They often came in stes of 365 and some even had their own little coffins like this example.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 From the examples in Tuts tomb we can assume that Guardian statues were common place in elite tombs to ensure the deceased was protected fom intursion natural and unnatural.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because the next life would just like the last except more enjoyable the deceased person would all the things that in this life made him happy and comfortable. Fpr this reason personal effects such as chairs, jewellary and even games were placed in the tomb with the dead. And in Tuts cases his two tiny still born baby girls accompanied Daddy to the next life.

 

Yeah, but there is not much in it for women, is there? I see no fun in spending eternity filling the cups of drunken louts with mead, and I cont sing so the Walkure job is out of the question.

 

I dont much like the Egyptian way of going. I so do not want to become some smelly creepy mummy... I want to decay and go back to the earth I belong to, no cremation or embalming for me...

 

With all the Hells and other Dark Underworlds around, I'd say being dead is no fun in whatever religion (I dont think Islam provides the three hundred virgins in male form, does it?), so for now I think I'll rather just live.

 

Also i go for Persian ancient religion of Zarathustra.

After all Native American religion is not standardised and it would also give a fitting option to some of those who voted other given that these beliefs are fairly similar if culturally dissimilar.