Duat

Duat is the sole dimension of Egyptian mythology.

## Mythological background

Duat is an underworld, described as not only the place where the dead go upon death, but also as the place where the sun, personified as the god Ra, travels every night. Geographically, it is described as being divided in twelve regions or chambers, each closed off by a gate guarded by a powerful deity. It was also said to have a river flowing through it, from west to east through all the twelve regions. The twelve regions represent the twelve hours of nighttime, and the river represent the sun's passage through the night, as the sun god Ra is depicted as traveling on a barge, and the river of Duat starts where the sun disappears at dusk and ends where the sun appears at dawn.

The general Egyptian conception of the afterlife was that the souls would have to traverse a long and perilous journey filled with trials and dangerous creatures. In that way, the Egyptian afterlife was extremely unequal. Egyptians would bury their dead with various objects like food, amulets, spells, guidebooks and maps, which would facilitate their passage through Duat. That meant that your chances in the underworld were proportionate to how much you invested in you burial.

The dead would have to pass the twelve gates, each guarded by an invincible snake deity who would only let souls pass if they recited their names. The rich were therefore usually buried with a list of all the gatekeeper's names.

The dead who survived the journey would be judged by fourty-two judges and permitted into the Fields of Reeds: paradise. Those who were considered unworthy of paradise had their souls devoured by Ammit. The ancient Egyptians had no conception of a punitive hell like the likes of Abrahamic religions, they believed that the worse hell imaginable was for one's consciousness to cease to exist.

Duat is ruled by the god Osiris

## Structure

Duat is organized in 12 regions, divided by mountains. A river passes through all 12 regions, from west to east. The climate is desertic, and features palm trees, notably date palms, the shores of the river are green and lush. Duat has an abundance of caverns. Some of its regions feature lakes and sometimes masses of forests. One of the regions features a massive lake of lava.

* First region: features a mostly flat terrain with two small oasis
* Second region: mostly composed of a massive, maze like cave network
* Third region: features a small mountain system in the middle, with a small linear cave system
* Fourth region: a greener region dominated by a lake system and a small mountain
* Fifth region: features a few mountains, caverns and a small oasis
* Sixth region: features several mountains and a large lake surrounded by forest
* Seventh region: cut in half by the river but mostly flat, features the two turquoise sycamores
* Eight region: also cut in half by the river, mostly flat but features a small underground passage
* Ninth region: dominated by a massive lava lake, features the tomb of Osiris
* Tenth region: features a mountain, a large oasis and a patch of green land
* Eleventh region: features a valley between low mountains, the rest is mostly flat
* Twelfth region: features the hall of 42 judges, the lake of lilies and the field of reeds