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Egyptian Burial Rites

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Submitted By Thanotis
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The Egyptian's burial rituals were more focus on the path to the after life, than the actual after life itself. There was three different types of burials that was performed based on how affordable it was. Everyone had deserved one, even if you were too poor to pay for one of the three you still was able to have some form of one to go to the afterlife. Even the mourning was dramatic according to Herodotus (413 BCE), they would plaster their faces in mud, leave the dead with relatives and then wear a girdle while beating themselves on the chest. Mourning was sorrowful but it was to hope the dead would find eternal bliss.
Mummification was practiced around 3500 BCE, because they had believed that the dead needed a body to go onto the afterlife in. According to Mark, "The soul was thought to consist of nine separate parts: the Khat was the physical body; the Ka one’s double-form; the Ba a human-headed bird aspect which could speed between earth and the heavens; Shuyet was the shadow self; Akh the immortal, transformed self, Sahuand Sechem aspects of the Akh; Ab was the heart, the source of good and evil; Ren was one’s secret name." Because of these nine parts, they lead to the reasoning behind why they needed to preserve the body. Also during this time it should that Egypt had created a complex form of the soul for their time. But their wealth decided their mummification process. They also decided what the body would be put in to.
The first process was the most expensive for when the body was laid on a table with the brain removed with an iron hook. Then the body is opened up with a flint knife and the contents are removed and then the cavity is cleaned out. If something is not reachable they would wash out the body with drugs. To clean the body they would first use a wine to wash out the body and then again but with spices. Before sewing up the body they filled it with various aromatic substances. The body is placed in natron for seventy days, then wrapped up head to toe in linen and was gave back to the family to be put in a wooden case (Ikram, 54).
The Second and Third, handle the bodies with less care. They injected the body with oil of cedar through a syringe and then put the body in natron. This process was so power full, that all that was left was the skin and bones. The Insides of the body, viscera, were turned into a liquid state. After that is done, they give the body back to the family and no further attention was given to the body (Ikram, 54). Even though they had taken the internal organs out to help preserve the body, they put the viscera into jars that were sealed with the bodies. The only organ that was left in the body was the heart, which contained the soul.
Even from the rich to the poor, there was a fourth rite for the poorest of the people. Since there was a belief of the dead coming back to haunt the living if they were not properly buried. The poorest of the people who could not afford the first three, were still given a ceremony. Since they only could give their clothes to the ones who prepare the bodies of the dead, embalmers, this was called, "The Linen of Yesterday". Since the poor could not afford new linens, they were wrapped in those of yesterday. This brought that the dead now enjoys life on earth yesterday, since they now sleep in, "The Linen of Yesterday" (Bunson, 143). This shows how the Egyptians cared about the afterlife of the dead, even if they were not rich and the poor was still able to have items with them when buried, that made them happy in life.
They put bodies in graves that were from simple, to complex structures. The most simple type was just graves that were holes dug into earth. Another type was mud bricked houses for wealthier families. The most wealthiest type was the pyramids. The pyramid was to keep grave robbers out, and strength to the mummy in its trip to the afterlife. Egyptians were able to build these structures because each person had to donate a certain amount of time to contribute towards the building. If they did not put in time, they would be punished for not performing their civic duty. But they were able to have one replace able to work for them if they are sick or severely ill, and when this is done a Shabti Doll would be place in the tomb. The more Shabti Dolls found in a tomb, the greater the wealth. They also believed that in death they would still do the same sort of service (Mark).
After the body has been mummified and the tomb is ready they began the funeral. The life of the dead is honored and the loss is mourning. Kites were women who were paid to sing at funerals, "Lamentation of Isis Nepthys", the myth of two sisters crying over the death of Osiris. This song is suppose to bring emotion to others and grief, and the sorrow from the people is supposed to echo in the Hall of Truth. The Opening Mouth Ceremony was performed either before or during the placement of the mummy in the tomb. before placement a priest would place a ceremonial knife on the bodies mouth and recite spells. These spells would let the body move, breathe, eat and drink again. At the end, the deceased would began his or hers journey to the afterlife (Mark).
Egypt shows the importance in physical and spiritual when preparing the bodies for afterlife. They clean the bodies and place them in graves so spirits can move on to the afterlife. Rich or poor, it was important for everybody to have an important rite. The mourning and funerals were just as important to let the dead hear the sorrow of their death while they go through the Hall of truth. They had complex system of the soul, and was advance because of this. They built great pyramids, not to live in but for the dead. They show that the afterlife was one of their most important parts of life, through their practices.
References
Margaret R. Bunson. "Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt", Gramercy Books, London, 1991.
Mark, Joshua J. "Egyptian Burial" http://www.ancient.eu.com/Egyptian_Burial/ January, 2013
Salima Ikram. "Death and Burial in Ancient Egypt", Longman, 2003.

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