Three Mortuary Texts
Questions for Analysis
Question #1-3
1. The major assumption underlying King Teti’s pyramid text is that only a few select
members of Egyptian society would have the opportunity to enter into eternal life after
death. Teti, whom Egyptians believed to be the son of the god Geb, served as a divine
ruler, and therefore, had the right to “stand at the gates that bar the common people” upon
his death. As a combination of god and ruler, Teti was one of the chosen few allowed to
enter heaven’s gates.
Another assumption in King Teti’s pyramid text indicates an important Egyptian belief:
The Egyptians Teti left behind must follow a strict set of funeral procedures intended to
ensure his soul’s safe passage into the afterlife. If Teti’s followers do not follow proper
funeral protocol “as ordered done for you by Geb, your father,” the Egyptian gods and
goddesses cannot “grasp his hand and lead him into heaven.”
The final assumption is relatively minor, but hints at the Egyptians’ attempts to explain
their world. After death, Teti’s god-father, Geb, will welcome him into heaven and “set
Teti before the spirits, the imperishable stars.” This statement seems to indicate that the
Ancient Egyptians believed that the stars that burned brightly every night were really the
souls of their immortal leaders.
2. According to the coffin text, an individual must honor and please the god, Re, in order
for Re to enter the individual’s body and carry him “down to the circle of fire, without the
flame touching him ever.” Additionally, an individual must “know this spell,” and be able
to follow its mandates if he/she is to secure immortality.
3. Re’s speech does contain a moral element. Re claims he is a benevolent god who
created the wind that breathed life into man. He also claims to be a just god, one who
created all men “like his fellow,” and provided a “great inundation” for all Egyptians, that
“the humble may benefit by it like the great.” Finally, Re instilled humanity with free
will, allowing individuals’ hearts to decide whether or not to “disobey what I have said.”
Coupled with free will, Re granted humanity a tendency to honor and remember their
dead, as well as the gods they serve.
This moral element is connected to the dead person’s spell because each emphasizes
justice and reverence to the gods. In order to receive Re’s help into the afterlife, an
individual must honor the gods and the gods’ laws. Additionally, once Re assumes the
deceased individual’s body, that individual will be responsible for judging “the poor and
the wealthy” according to the same, just standard.
4. Based on “A Coffin Text,” it seems that the reader can find evidence of the dead man’s
“paranoid fear” and “delusions of grandeur.” The dead man appears paranoid and afraid
when he makes the claim, “I am not afraid” of “that evil being.” The dead man comes
across as going out of his way to prove how unafraid he was, when in reality, his efforts
are a flimsy attempt to mask his paranoid fear. The dead man also claims “the scepter
will not be taken from me” and “that worm shall not rebel against me,” both of which
seem to reveal the dead man’s obsession with losing power.
Additionally, the reader can see delusions of grandeur the dead man experiences once he
believes Re has entered his body. The dead man refers to himself as “lord of eternity,”
endowed with the responsibility of “judging the poor and the wealthy.” As if this isn’t
enough, the dead man also refers to himself as the “maker of joy…master of action…and
lord of lightland.” All of these self-referential phrases demonstrate how important the
dead man believes he is once Re enters his body.
5. “The Negative Confession” alerts the reader to several important Egyptian values.
Above all, the ancient Egyptians seemed to value the sanctity of human life. As a plea to
gain entrance to the afterlife, the speaker notes he “has not done crimes against
people…caused harm, pain, tears…not made anyone suffer…not killed (nor ordered to
kill” any other individuals. This concern for his fellow citizens reveals a heavy emphasis
on the right of all Egyptians to live life without fear of others.
In addition to valuing life, the ancient Egyptians also appear to have valued fairness,
justness, and honesty. “The Negative Confession” shows that, in order to obtain
immortality, individuals must not “rob the poor, steal the cakes of the dead, cheat in the
fields, add weight to the balance, falsify the scales, not take milk from the mouths of
children.” Each of these mandates requires Egyptian citizens to engage in honest
behavior and shows a value for fairness.
Religion also seems to be an important value in ancient Egyptian life. An Egyptian
citizen must be careful not to “do what the god abhors” or “blaspheme a god,” lest he
face the possibility of damnation. Citizens must also not “deplete the loaves of the gods”
nor “stop a god in his procession” – both of which show disrespect for the gods and
deflate an individual’s chance at eternal life.
Finally, “The Negative Confession” indicates that ancient Egyptians valued nature and a
respect for nature’s gifts. Protected natural elements include “cattle, birds, fish, water,
and fire,” and Egyptians who defiled these elements would be deemed not “pure” and
needed to fear for the destiny of their souls.
6. The most obvious continuity among the three texts is the Egyptian reliance on works
and procedure to gain access to immortality.