The Book of Gates: The Book of Gates: Chapter XI. The Gate Of Ab-ta. The Ninth Division of the Tuat.
and SA stands on the look-out, and HEKA obeys his instructions as to steering. The procession which marches in front of the boat consists of:--
1. Six bearded male figures, standing upright, who hold in their hands the ends of a rod, or rope, which is bent in the shape of a bow over their heads; these are described as "those who are over the words of magical power."
Four women, who stand upright, and hold a bent
rod, or rope, over their heads like the four apes and the six male figures; they are described as "those who work magic by means of knots for Ra." 4. Three male figures, each holding a harpoon in The text, which refers to the whole of this section, reads:-- The text which refers to the six men, four apes, and four women, with nets over their heads, reads:-- "Those who are in this picture march before Ra, and they utter words of power against APEP, and [then] return to the Arit (or, Hall) of the horizon. They journey onwards with him into the height of heaven, and they come into being for him in the ATERTI (i.e., the two portions of the sky in which Ra rises and sets), and they cause him to rise in NUT. And they say their words of power which are these:--'Out upon thee, O thou Rebel Serpent! Out upon thee, thou monster that destroyest, thou Apep that sendest forth thy evil emanations (or, deeds)! Thy face shall be destroyed, O APEP. Thou shalt advance to the block of execution. The NEMU are against thee, and they shall hack thee in pieces. The AAIU are against thee, and they shall destroy thee. The ABEBUITI (i.e., the three spearmen) shall drive [their harpoons] into thee, and they shall enchant thee by means of their Hail! Thou art destroyed, dashed in pieces, and stabbed to death, O serpent SESSI.'" "Those who are in this scene, and who have their
In the upper register are the following:-- 1. Four gods, who in the place of heads have each a crown of the South, to which is affixed a uraeus, upon his body, and who, aided by a bearded male figure, are engaged in raising up from the ground, by means of a rope, a pole or staff, which is surmounted by a bearded 2. Four gods, who in the place of heads have each a
crown of the North, to which is affixed a uraeus, upon his body, and who, aided by a bearded male figure, are engaged in raising up from the ground, by means of a rope, a pole or staff, which is surmounted by a bearded human head wearing a crown of the North; the gods 3. Between the two groups described above is the hawk-headed sphinx which typifies "Horus in the Boat." Above its hindquarters spring the head and shoulders of a bearded human figure called ANA, and on the head of the hawk and that of And is a crown of the South. Standing on the back of the sphinx is the figure of HORUS-SET with characteristic heads, with his arms outstretched, and with each hand laid upon the upper part of the crowns of the South. The hawk head of this figure faces the back of the hawk head of the sphinx, and the animal's head, which is characteristic of Set, faces the back of the human head of And. It is thus quite clear that
my coming into being in the secret place, and by my power of light in the hidden place (Ament), in the chambers of things.'" The passage which refers to Horus-Set reads:-- "Ra maketh to arise this god. This god with his two faces goeth in after Ra hath passed by him." The passage which refers to the serpent SHEMTI reads:-- "He who is in this picture strideth through the secret place, and he withdraweth to QA-TEMT, the Hall (or, Court) of Ament. Those who are in it are the heads which have been devoured, and they breathe the odour of SHEMTI, of which Apu is the warder." The passage which refers to the serpent BATA reads:-- "He who is in this picture maketh his rising up for SAR, and he keepeth count of the souls which are doomed in the Tuat. He strideth through the secret place, and he withdraweth to TESERT-BAIU, to the Hall (or, Court) of Ament; then TEPI entereth into BATA. Those who are in it are they whose heads have been devoured. They breathe the odour of BATA, of which ABETH is the guardian." The passage which refers to the two gods with nets reads:-- "These are the gods who make use of words of power for Horus-Ra in Ament. [They have power] In the lower register are:-- 1. Sixteen gods, who stand at one end of the scene, and grasp a rope with both hands. The first four are bearded, man-headed beings, and are said to be "the souls of Ament," the second four are ibis-headed, and are "the followers of Thoth," the third four are hawk-headed, and are "the followers of Horus," and the last four are ram-headed, and are the followers of Ra." 2. Eight bearded, man-headed beings, who stand at the other end of the scene in two groups of four, and who are described as "Powers," The text which refers to this section of the scene reads:-- "Those who are in this scene have the rope in their hands, and it is fastened to the leg[s] of KHEPRI, who moveth backwards to the Hall of their horizon. They draw this rope with the god into their horizon, and they tow him along in the sky (NUT). They live upon the, things of the South, and their sustenance is from the things of the North, [and they exist] on that which The four groups, each containing four beings, "say unto Ra:--'Come, O come, after thy transformations! Come, O Ra, after thy transformations! Appear,
appear, after thy transformations! Appear, O Ra, after thy transformations in heaven, in the great heaven! Hail! We decree for thee thy habitations by the excellence which is in the words of the Mighty One of Forms in the secret (or, hidden) place.'" The passage which refers to Horus reads:-- "He who is in this scene is HERU TUATI (i.e., Horus The two groups, each containing four beings, "have
in their hands the rope which is fastened to the foot of KHEPRI, and they say to Ra:--'The ways of the hidden place are open to thee, and [the portals] which are in the earth are unfolded for thee, the SOUL which Nut loveth, and we will guide thy wings to the mountain. Hail! Enter thou into the East, and make thou thy passage from between the thighs of thy mother.'"
