Seventy days pass from the moment of the Pharaoh's death until the day of his burial. During this period, several steps take place to prepare the body and the tomb for the funeral and more importantly, for the after life.
The Announcement
Hired female mourners announced the death of the Pharaoh with visual and verbal expressions of bereavement. As a sign of deep mourning, men refrained from shaving their beards during the 70-day period.
The Purification Tent
A light, portable tent was set up on the west bank of the Nile where the body was brought to be washed with holy water. This was the first water collected from the annual flooding of the Nile.
The Canopic Vases
Other than the coffin, the Canopic vases were the main funeral ornaments placed in the tomb. The vases were designed to conserve the internal organs and were protected by one of the four sons of Horus.
- Amset protected the liver and was represented by a human head on the vase.
- Hapi, symbolized by the head of a baboon, protected the lungs.
- Duamutef protected the stomach and was denoted by the head of a jackal.
- Qebehsenuf, characterized by the head of a falcon, protected the intestines.
The Meat of the Gods
The usual practice for the removal of the organs was to enter from the left side of the body and then cover the opening with wax or copper. An Egyptian king was instead covered with a gold plate as this metal was considered to be the “meat of the gods”. The body was then embalmed.
The Cap and Crown
The head was shaved and covered in linen where a design of a cobra was sewn using beads of gold and pieces of pottery. A design of a tiara composed of carnelian circles was made on the cap. A second cap, made of fine linen and even more precious than the first, was made with yet another cobra on the front and a ribbon of gold that hung toward the back with hanging pendants on the side.
The Funeral Treasure
As a symbol of protection, a lot of jewelry and charms were placed within the bandages of the mummy. The fingers and feet were completely covered in gold.
The Death Mask
It was formed with two unsoldered pieces of gold weighing in at 22.5 pounds and measuring 21.2 inches high. Precious stones such as quartz, lapis lazuli, carnelian, molten glass and pottery were inlaid in the mask. The collar or usekh, was made of gold and precious stones and the head covering, the nemes, was usually in blue and gold. Another cobra adorned the outer headpiece.
The Coffin and Transportation
The mummy lay within four coffins, one of quartzite, two in gilded wood and the last in solid gold. The eyes were inlaid with obsidian, molten blue glass and white lime.
Transfer by a sacred boat was considered to be the mode of transport of the gods. The coffin was floated to the city of the dead situated on the west bank of the Nile. Common people were not allowed entrance.
The Procession
Family, friends and servants formed the procession of the deceased king. They placed the necessary items in the sepulcher that the king would need in the afterlife.
The Opening of the Mouth Ceremony
This ritual was usually performed by the son succeeding the throne. It was believed that by doing this the king's senses would be restored in the after life.
Reference
Storica, National Geographic. First publication, March 2009
Beverly Yip - Trinidad, Beverly’s birthplace, is known mostly because of her sister island Tobago with its crystal clear waters and sandy beaches. ...
