Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-24
Written for The Evening Star.
BODY. DOUBLE, SOUL AND KHOO.
What Became Of the Ancient Egyptian in
the After World.

What Became of the Ancient Egyptian i'm
the After World.
MAN WAS REGARDED BY THE ANCIENT
ANI Egyptians consisting of four distinct
entities. First was the body. Second was the
'.Double"-an ethereal duplicate of the body.
Third was the soul which had the form of
bird Fourth was spark of the divine fire,
called 'khoo."
None of these elements was imperishable
Left to themselves. they would hasten to DISCO
lution and the man would thus be annihilated.
Bu; means were found for preventing this. The
decomposition of the body could be suspended
for ages by embalming while the prayers and
offerings of surviving relatives could save the
double. the soul and the khoo After death the
double stayed always with the mummy in the
tomb. never leaving il: but the soul and the
khoo went forth to join the gods.
RECEPTION ROOM ToR THE DOUBLE.
No living person entered the chamber wherein
the mummy lay. bat the tomb had also II recep-
ton room for the double. to which people came
with offerings. Originally it was the custom to
leave food regularly for the double. inasmuch
rs 1t was supposed to have need of such phys 81
cal subsistence. Unfortunately though
double might thus be kept supplied for while
In the course of generations interest by the
living in the gentleman whose corporal activi-
TIES ne Represented naturally Waueu, ana he
was apt To suffer from hunger. Even when
rich man left money in trust to provide for the
expense Of feeding him after his demise, the
hour was only put of for while longer when
the double was forced by necessity to seek pro-
vender among the town refuse. So ut length,
correspondingly to a change in religious doc
trine. il came about that the things for the
double to eat. instead of being actually placed
In his reception room in the sepulchre. were
painted and carved or the walls in realistic
~f 4
ceased was also depicted in the act of consum-
ing the edibles. and the understanding was tina.
this sor: of perennial Barmeci,le feasting was
entirely satisfactory to him.
Now. the main objeci for preserving the body
by embalm,lg was tina. the double might have
it to live in; but obviously the mummy might
be destroyed, and so provision made
agains, such misfortune by constructing stat
ues in the likeness of the departed. In case of
the destruction of the mummy. the double was
able to find a dwelling place in one of his
statues, and it was thought worth while by the
rich to have as many statues made of them
selves as possible. so that, whatever happened,
they would always have one to go to. II il
almost impossible to find an ancient statue in
the Egypt of today that is not broken. because
the fellahs believe that spirits dwell in them
and that they can be prevented from doing
any harm by a little judicious mutilatiOn.
GOOD TINE FOR THE SOUL
While the double Of the ancient Egyptian was
thus compelled to lead an existence at once
monotonous and precarious the soul was hav-
ing the liveliest of times. Though. as a matter
OF duty, perhaps, 1t often visited the mummy
which il had once tenanted. door being pain ted
for the purpose of its ingress and exit ON the
wall Of the tomb, its days and nights were
chiefly spent in the company of the gods on
their endless journey as escort for the sun.
During the daytime the soul was in no serious
danger, but In the evening. when the eternal
waters which flow along the vaulted heavens
fall III vast cascades adown the west and are en-
quilted in the bowels of the ear IN. the soul fol-
lowed the bark OF the sun and its attendant.
divinities into a lower world bristling with am
buscades and perils. For twelve hours the
divine squadron defled through long and
dreary corridors, where numerous genii, some
hostile and some friendly. now struggled to bar
the way and now tried to make ii clear. At
intervals great doors, each guarded by an enor-
nous serpent, were encountered. Finally they
reached an enormous hall, full Of flame and
FIRE, and peopled by hideous monsters and ex-
ecutioners. whose Office was TO torture the
damned. Then came more dark and narrow
passages, further blind groupings in the gloom,
length the joyful return to the upper air with
the daybreak. One would think that this
would have been found rather monOtonous
after while as a method of spending ones
nights. but there was plenty of another sort of
excitement during the day. II should be men
toned Incidentally that the tombs of the kings
were constructed ON the model of the world Of
night with Passages, doors and vaulted halls
which plunged into the depths of the mountain.
WEIGHED IN THE BALANCE.
Upon death the soul weighed by the god
Thoth and it's future depended upon how ii
tipped the scales. If found sinful il was handed
over to dog-headed apes. which first changed it
into a SOW or other impure beast and suisse
quently devoted their attention to hunting and
scourging it. The pure soul. however, passed
at the third hour into the company of its fell
lows. whose task il to cultivate the celestial
fields and reap the harvest after which they
took their pleasure. At the fifth hour the hesv-
emily ocean became n vast battle held the gods
| OF light pursuing tho serpent Apapi. After
| capturing and binding the snake they strangled
HIM at the twelfth hour. Soon afterward the
bark of the sun and its escort was borne by the
tide into the realm Of night and assailed by
| frightful sounds and clamorings. Through
Zones Of dread and horror they were Obliged to
pass Each zone had a voice of its own aud
this voice was not 20 be confouuded with the
! voices Of other zones. In Que there was an i'm
mense humming of wasps; the next echoed with
the lamentations OF women for their husbands;
the next resounded with appalling crashes Of
| thunder, and 50 Saeh was the beginning
| Of the souls nightly journey.