The Unexplained

  This Visual is a picture of spell 125 from The Book of the Dead , which was a book of spells left buried with the deceased to help guide them through the afterlife. This particular spell, spell 125, is quite possibly the most powerful spell in the book of the dead. This spell describe the judging of the deceased's heart and soul in the hall of truth by the god Osiris. This spell depicts how when one enters the hall of truth to be judged by Osiris, Thoth, Anubis, and the forty two judges, they must make a list of negative confessions, 42 sins that they have never indulged in. If the confession was accepted , and the heart was lighter than the feather Ma'at, the soul would enter paradise, however if the confession was rejected, the goddess Ammut would devour the heart and and the soul would die. This is significant to my project, because it depicts the occult rituals of the Egyptians, and as a result of these rituals, Egypt is viewed as a place of magic and occult in the West. ...

 Research Question: Many people have different theories on the different practices and activities of the ancient Egyptians. There are many mysteries which have not been uncovered about these ancient peoples. However, as much as we know, how did our knowledge of the pyramids and magical interpretation of the hieroglyphs lead to the occultation of Egypt in the western mind and media? Did these ancient civilizations have connections with otherworldly beings? Why did the Egyptian hieroglyphs and mummies spark rumors and theories about magic and otherworldly beings or practices in Egypt?(curse of the mummy) Works Cited: Glynn, Basil. The Mummy on Screen: Orientalism and Monstrosity in Horror Cinema. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2019. Forman, Werner, and Stephen. Quirke. Hieroglyphs and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt . University of Oklahoma Press, 1996. Nell, Erin, and Clive Ruggles. “The Orientations of the Giza Pyramids and Associated Structures.” Journal for the History of Astronomy, v...

  Citation: Forman, Werner, and Stephen. Quirke. Hieroglyphs and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt . University of Oklahoma Press, 1996. Summary: In this book, Forman and Quirke talk about Egyptian Hieroglyphs, what they mean, and how they were used in ancient Egypt. Author: Werner Forman was a photographer who specialized in photographing ancient civilizations. Stephen Quirke was an Egyptologist. Together in this book we can see photographs of real hieroglyphs and have Quirke's analysis. Key Terms: Hieroglyphs, Egyptian Quotes: "The terrain of the hieroglyph can only be sacred terrain; they are confined to the tomb and temple, with rare exception of ceremonial doorways or pillars"(7) "This inner core spells out the precise phrasing by which a dead person could be made into an eternally rejuvenated being"(7) "This principle of block writing confirms the unity of art and script in pharaonic Egypt." (14) Value: This book will be useful because it provides i...