Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Ra Ra sis boom ba Apep Sektet Ra Ra Ra

He of many names was kind enough to point me to the following Ra hymn from the Book of the Dead after reading my own. I am uncertain of how much of the echoes of judeochristianish imagery can be attributed to Wallace Budge's personal spin on his interpretation, and how much to the universalistic notions I am so fond of, but it does sound a little old testamenty at points. The fiend I recall Ra battling every night in the belly of Nut was Apep, the serpent of chaos, but whatever, every god needs a devil. its all the same to me.

A HYMN OF PRAISE TO RA WHEN HE RISETH UPON THE HORIZON, AND WHEN HE SETTETH IN THE [LAND OF] LIFE. Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani: "Homage to thee, O Ra, (2) when thou risest [as] Tmu-Heru-khuti (Harmachis), Thou art adored [by me] when thy beauties are before mine eyes, and when thy shining rays (3) [fall] upon my body. Thou goest forth in peace in the Sektet boat with [fair] winds, and thy heart is glad; [thou goest forth] in the Atet boat, (4) and its heart is glad. Thou stridest over the heavens in peace, and thy foes are cast down; the never-resting stars (5) sing hymns of praise unto thee, and the stars which never set glorify thee as thou (6) sinkest in the horizon of Manu, O thou who art beautiful in the two parts of heaven, thou lord who livest and art established, O my lord! Homage to thee, O thou who art Ra when thou risest, and Tmu (7) when thou settest in beauty. Thou risest and shinest upon the back of thy mother [the sky], O thou who art crowned king (8) of the gods. Nut doth homage unto thee, and everlasting and never-changing order embraceth thee at morn and at eve. Thou stridest over the heaven, being glad of heart, and the Lake (9) Testes is at peace. The Fiend hath fallen to the ground; his arms and his hands have been hewn off, and the knife hath severed the joints of his body. Ra hath a fair wind (10); the Sektet boat goeth forth and sailing along it cometh into port. The gods of the south and of the north, of the west and of the east praise thee, (11) from whom all forms of life came into being. Thou sendest forth the word, and the earth is flooded with silence, O thou only One, who livedst in heaven before ever the earth and the mountains were made. (12) O Runner, Lord, only One, thou maker of things which are, thou hast moulded the tongue of the company of the gods, thou hast drawn forth whatsoever cometh from the waters, and thou springest up from them over the flooded land of the Lake of Horus (13). Make me to sniff the air which cometh forth from thy nostrils, and the north wind which cometh forth from thy mother [the Sky]. Make thou glorious my shining form, O Osiris, make thou (14) strong my soul. Thou art worshipped in peace, O lord of the gods, thou art exalted by reason of thy wondrous works. Shine with thy rays of light upon my body day by day, upon me, (15) Osiris, the scribe, the teller of the divine offerings it of all the gods, the overseer of the granary of the lords of Abydos, the royal it scribe in truth, who loveth him (i.e., Ra); Ani, triumphant in peace."

3 Comments:

Blogger Duilliath Siondrake said...

SING IT SISTER! :)

12:28 PM  
Blogger idnami said...

cheers for the book of the dead but not for my own hymn? grrrrr.

6:45 AM  
Blogger Duilliath Siondrake said...

That was cheers for your hymn!
Also cheers that you would quote the botd..:)

9:47 AM  

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