Egyptian Mummies in Montreal - Gods of The Afterlife

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(Edited)

While many gods were involved in the daily lives of the ancient Egyptians, others ruled the afterlife. The principal funerary god was Osiris.

According to the myth, he was murdered by his brother Seth. His wife, the goddess Isis, resuscitated him and conceived their son, Horus.

Osiris became the Lord of The Underworld and acted as a role model for the dead. They would seek to become an Osiris after death by being mummified and reborn like him.

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Detail from Tamut`s cartonnage case showing her purification by Horus and Thot
Late Period, 664 - 332 B.C.E.
Provenance unknown

Tamut, a chantress of Amun

The inscriptions placed on her case identify Tamut as the daughter of Khonsumose, a priest of the god Amun, king of the gods. As members of the high-status family, Tamut and her father would have taken part in rituals in the temple of Karnak, the most important religious complex at Thebes (modern Luxor).

Tamut`s mummy illustrates how preservation of teh body was only one element of the ancient Egyptian to death.
The CT scans show that many amulets and other ritual trappings were placed on her body under the wrappings.

They were believed to have magical powers that would protected the deceased and help him gain immortality. The clarity of the scans allows us to identify most of the amulets by their shapes. In addition, it also reveals the materials they were made from.

Purification Scene performed by Thoth and Horus

Originally placed in a tomb, these two panels would have flanked an image of a priest called Nesmin.

The ibis-headed god Thoth and the falcon-headed god Horus are pouring a life-giving libation (liquid offering) of water on the deceased. This scene is a commonly depicted on funeral equipment and can be seen on Tamut`s cartonnage case.

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Osiris, Isis and their son Horus appear regularly on funerary material. On the front of Tamut`s cartonnage cage, the falcon-headed god Horus is depicted facing Osiris and Isis, followed by several other deities.

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Inscribed bandage of Hor

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Early to mid-Ptolemaic Period, about 332-250 B.C.E.
Probably Memphis, Egypt

This mummy bandage belonged to a scribe and priest called Hor. The remaining fragments measure more than four metres. It is inscribed with spells and illustrations from the Book of the Dead.

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This funerary text guided the deceased through the afterlife and was usually written on papyrus. In this case it was probably thought to be more efficient. Also it was less likely to have it stolen because it was placed closer to the body.

Amulet and figure representing Thoth

In the Ancient Egyptian mythology, the god Thoth had many functions. He is known as a god of wisdom and writing, and as a divine arbitrator betwen good and evil. He also assisted with the purification of Osiris.

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Like many gods, Thoth was associated with specific animals. He was depicted as either an ibis or a baboon, each manifesting different aspects of the deity.

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Here, in his manifestation as an ibis, he hold the godess Maat in his talons. As both a concept and a deity, Matt represented the idea of justice and balance.

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Amulet in the shape of an ibis
Late Period, 664 - 332 B.C.E.
Provenance Unknown
Faience

Figure of a baboon
Late Period, 664 - 332 B.C.E.
Provenance Unknown
Copper alloy and gold

She is often shown in the form of a woman wearing a feather on her head, but she can akso be represented by the feather alone. At the weighing of the heart, the deceased was judged by Maat.

3D Printed replicas of the amulets under Tamut`s wrappings

The latest CT scan technology enables us to see the amulets that the embalmers placed on Tamut`s skin before her body was wrapped .

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The data generated by the CT scans was then used to print three-dimensional replicas, while the amulets still lie untouched inside the mummy`s wrapping. These exact replicas were created in a range of materials and colours without disturbing the originals placed by the embalmers about 3,000 years ago.

TO BE CONTINUED

Read more about:
EGYPTIAN MUMMIES IN MONTREAL - NESTAWEDJAT -1
EGYPTIAN MUMMIES IN MONTREAL- 2
EGYPTIAN MUMMIES IN MONTREAL 3 - MUMMIFICATION PROCESS

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Drop me a line in the comments section below if you like what you read!

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All photos were taken by me at Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

@2020 Lavi Picu aka Lyme Poet. All rights reserved.

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30 comments
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I remember the history lessons and the fact that I read so many about it. I loved the blog thank you

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Who doesn`t love some ancient Egyptian stories about mummies? ;-) Thanks for the read!

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I have always found the Egyptians so very interesting :)

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Ancient civilisations are captivating and fascinating!

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Love these myths, thank you for sharing! :)

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The Egyptian history and burial traditions are always so interesting.

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It`s fascinating to see how they made all these preparation for the afterlife.

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I'm afraid of mummies and everything that's dead, but your post is interesting

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Thanks! I wouldn`t touch one, but looking at it up close, that I am okay with.

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It looks like there's something messed up with photos this morning, as both the posts this morning have lots of them, but I can't see any. The ancient Egyptians were certainly mysterious and advanced, and they've always seemed a bit occultist in their beliefs, to me.

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The Book of Dead and all the stories about Seth, Isis, Horus along with all the magic incantations they had - that is occultism for sure!

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Very interesting post. 💕

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Thank you for reading it and stopping by to leave a comment!

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Care and attention given to the wealthy at time of death definitely stood testimony over time.

History is interesting, no matter how humans treat the dead they remain, well dead.

Thanks for sharing!

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Yes, they remain dead!!! I wouldn`t want to see a mummy waking up ;-)

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Hi friend @lymepoet

I really like anthropology. The knowledge of what our ancestors did is very attractive.

Thanks for sharing

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Ancient history is appealing to many as there are so many intriguing facts and stories that even nowadays we can`t wrap our heads around...

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(Edited)

This is great, @lymepoet - a virtual trip to a museum. Thank you for the wonderful history and background. Seeing mummies and ancient scrolls is an amazing thing, and far more powerful of an experience than I imagined before I had a chance to see a mummy exhibit!

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This was my first time seeing mummies up close. As you might have guessed, I loved the experience! I`ve always been a sucker for ancient history and civilisations. Seeing this exhibition was amazing. I am glad I got the chance to see it.

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I love history too. I never did in school but it fascinates me now!

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That was really a quick summary of Osiris' murder, for sure! What I've always found fascinating about Osiris is that not only is he "god of the underworld", but also of rebirth and fertility (ironically), in that he brought about the growth of agriculture after the annual flood of the Nile. For the ancient Egyptians life and death were inextricably linked.

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Maybe they knew something we are still missing about the afterlife ;-)

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What an awesome read! Thank you so much for this!

Upped and Reposted

!tip

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Thank you, Denise! Glad to see you liked it!

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I just love this series of yours @lymepoet, the Egyptian history really is fascinating!

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Thank you! Glad to hear you share my enthusiasm for Egyptian history!

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