(picture credit: wikipedia)
The funeral was over, the door to the tomb, which had been filled with all that I could possibly need in the afterlife, sealed. The opening of the mouth ceremony had been accomplished and I had made my way from the tomb through Duat, the underworld, passing all trials I met along the way. The protective amulets and spells I had been given ensured success, at least this far.
And now I found myself here, in the Hall of Two Truths, met at the doorway by the jackal-headed god, Anubis, his ears alert, his face grave. He took my hand and led me into the chamber, at the head of which Osiris, holding his crook and flail, sat upon his throne, Isis and Nephthys standing to either side. I felt the eyes of the forty-two divine judges who resided in the Hall, on me as we moved along the magnificent pillared walkway, the only sound to be heard coming from the scribe-god, Thoth, who had already started to etch a permanent record of events here in stone.
Torches and braziers lit up the vast space, shining light on to the largest set of scales I had ever seen. I swallowed hard as my eye was drawn to Ammit the Devourer, who waited patiently close by. The thought of what was to happen should I be founding wanting at the final test was terrifying.
We stopped before the throne, so that I could make my supplications to the Lord of Duat. As I began to speak, Anubis moved away and left me standing there alone, but my voice didn’t fail me. When I next laid eyes upon the jackal-headed god, he was holding my heart in his hands. Ma’at, the Lady of Truth was standing next to him, her ostrich feather standing proudly in her headdress.
At some imperceptible signal, Ma’at slowly, reverently, removed the feather and placed it on one side of the scales. Nothing happened, for truth, justice, harmony and honesty carried no weight. Then Anubis stepped forward. It was time to see how my heart would fare, to see how pure was my conscience. Would I be admitted into the afterlife? Would I attain transformation into an akh, or would the Devourer of the Dead have her way?
I put my back to the scales and turned my attention to the rest of the assembly, for it was time to begin my negative confession. Addressing each of the judges by name, I started reciting the forty-two statements, silently imploring that my heart would not betray me, that my conscience would be found pure and unblemished and light against the feather…
I have not committed sin…
…I have not uttered curses…
…I have not been angry without just cause…
…I have wronged none, I have done no evil…
…I have not slain the cattle belonging to the gods.*
The time passed quickly and soon my confession was at an end. I could not tell what my heart, if anything, had told those who looked on, but I would soon find out.
Slowly, I turned back around to face Osiris and my fate, hoping against hope that I was about to be declared “true of voice”. The alternative didn’t bear thinking about…
* These statements are taken from those listed in the Papyrus of Ani, translated by E.A.Wallis Budge
This piece of flash fiction was originally posted on this blog in July 2015, here:
https://sammiscribbles.wordpress.com/2015/07/18/in-the-hall-of-two-truths/
Sammi Cox 