The Liturgy of Funeral Offerings: Chapter IV : The Thirty-ninth Ceremony

The second series of ceremonies began with the bringing in of the pert kheru, or offerings of meat and drink, which were to be placed upon the altar, and a

ministrant came with the suten hetep, or "royal offering." Whilst this was being done the Kher heb said:--

"Thoth returneth bringing it with him, he appeareth with the Eye of Horus."

"He hath given the Eye of Horus, and he is content therewith."

It has already been said that the Eyes of Horus, or the sun and moon, suffered eclipse at times through the

The god, however, to whom Horus was most often indebted for his Eye was Thoth, who presided over the stars, and knew the times of their appearances and disappearances, and regulated their courses. Thoth was called the "Heart of Ra," that is to say, he took possession of the soul of the god, and it was he who gave back the soul to the deceased, or to a god. 1 In the present case the mummy, or statue, of the deceased is ready to receive back his soul, and the Kher heb announces, as we have seen above, that Thoth hath returned with the Eye of Horus, which he had sought for, and that he hath given it to the deceased, who is content therewith. The deceased

Footnotes

101:1 See Dümichen, Grabpalast, p. 29; Moret, Rituel, p. 84.