Burial Practices of the Ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman Cultures

                    Ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman practices of preparing the dead for the next cradle of humanity are very intriguing.
                    These two cultures differ in a multitude of ways yet similarities can be noted in the domain of funerary services. In the
                    realm of Egyptian afterlife, The Book of the Dead can provide one with vital information concerning ritual entombment
                    practices and myths of the afterlife. The additional handouts I received from Timothy Stoker also proved to be useful in
                    trying uncover vital information regarding the transition into another life. Regarding the burial practices of Greece and
                    Rome, parts of Homer's Odyssey are useful in the analysis of proper interment methods.

                    One particular method used by the Egyptians was an intricate process known as mummification. It was undoubtedly a
                    very involved process spanning seventy days in some cases. First, all the internal organs were removed with one
                    exception, the heart. If the body was not already West of the Nile it was transported across it, but not before the drying
                    process was initiated. Natron (a special salt) was extracted from the banks of the Nile and was placed under the corpse,
                    on the sides, on top, and bags of the substance were placed inside the body cavity to facilitate the process of
                    dehydration. After thirty-five days the ancient embalmers would anoint the body with oil and wrap it in fine linen. If the
                    deceased was wealthy enough a priest donning a mask of Anubis would preside over the ceremonies to ensure proper
                    passage into the next realm.

                    One of the practices overseen by the priest was the placing of a special funerary amulet over the heart. This was done in
                    behest to secure a successful union with Osiris and their kas. The amulet made sure the heart did not speak out against
                    the individual at the scale of the goddess of justice and divine order, Maat. The priest also made use of a "peculiar ritual
                    instrument, a sort of chisel, with which he literally opened the mouth of the deceased." This was done to ensure that the
                    deceased was able to speak during their journeys in Duat.

                    Another practice used by the Egyptians to aid the departed soul involved mass human sacrifice. Many times if a
                    prominent person passed away the family and servants would willfully ingest poison to continue their servitude in the next
                    world. The family members and religious figureheads of the community did just about everything in their power to aid the
                    deceased in the transition to a new life.

                    The community made sure the chamber was furnished with "everything necessary for the comfort and well-being of the
                    occupants." It was believed that the individual would be able of accessing these items in the next world. Some of the most
                    important things that the deceased would need to have at his side were certain spells and incantations. A conglomeration
                    of reading material ensured a successful passage; The Pyramid Texts, The Book of the Dead, and the Coffin Texts all
                    aided the lost soul in their journey through Duat into the Fields of the Blessed. "Besides all these spells, charms, and
                    magical tomb texts, the ancient practice of depositing in the tomb small wooden figures of servants was employed." These
                    "Ushabi statuettes" as they are called, were essentially slaves of the deceased. If the deceased was called to work in the
                    Elysian fields he would call upon one of the statues to take his place and perform the task for him. It was not unheard of
                    for an individual to have a figure for every day of the year to ensure an afterlife devoid of physical exertion. Just about
                    every thing the embalmers and burial practitioners did during the process was done for particular reasons.

                    Many of the funerary practices of the ancient Greco-Romans were also done with a specific purpose in mind. Unlike the
                    Egyptian's the Greco-Roman cultures did not employ elaborate tombs but focused on the use of a simple pit in the
                    ground. Right after death, not too dissimilar from the practices of the Egyptians, it was necessary for the persons to
                    carefully wash and prepare the corpse for his journey. It was vital for all persons to receive a proper burial and if they did
                    not they were dammed to hover in a quasi-world, somewhat of a "limbo" between life and death.

                    One Greco-Roman myth that illustrates this point is The Odyssey by Homer. There is a part in Book eleven of the work
                    in which Homer specifically addresses proper burial rites. When Odysseus wishes to contact Tiresias, he comes across
                    Elpenor, one of his soldiers. This particular man fell (in a haphazard fashion) to his death on the island of the Kimmerians,
                    but did not receive a proper burial and was stuck in limbo. Elpenor begged Odysseus and his men to return to the island
                    and care for his body.

                    Consequently, they did return and Elpenor passed into the next world. Most likely he was buried in the same fashion
                    other members of his society were; a pyre was probably constructed and the body placed upon it. Also placed on the
                    pyre were items that the deceased held dear in life with the hope that they would follow him into the next world. In order
                    to survive in the afterlife, the deceased "is also presented with a small coin which came to be known as the ferrying fee for
                    Charon." This can be likened to the Egyptian practice of introducing coinage into the tomb in some cases.

                    Homer also speaks of the psyche, which slips out of man "at the moment of death and enters the house of Ais, also
                    known as Aides, Aidoneus, and in Attic as Hades." This idea can be compared to the concept of an individual's ba in
                    ancient Egypt. When someone died, an eternal part of them (their ba) would also slip out and seek out the individuals
                    spiritual twin (their ka) in order to unite with it and facilitate a successful passage.

                    Many times in myth, the living desired to speak with the departed. When Odysseus wishes to speak with the Nekyia in
                    Book eleven, goats must be sacrificed and their blood was recognized as inspiring the deceased to speak. The Egyptians
                    also were concerned with the ability of the deceased to speak in the next realm; this is exemplified in one of the most
                    important spells in The Book of the Dead, the opening of the mouth.

                    When all the funerary rites had been done, the next step was to mark the spot of the deceased. "The grave is marked with
                    a stone, the sign, sema." This grave stone would have the name of the soul, and often some type of epigram in verse form.
                    Invariably near the grave, some type of guardian of the soul would be located. Lion and sphinx were found as grave
                    markers and this idea is paralleled in the practices of the natives of Egypt. A certain "cult image" was buried with the
                    deceased in Egypt in order to look after and more importantly protect one's ba from being disturbed. It also acted as a
                    type of "purge valve" for any ba which may have been unjustly disturbed in the tomb.

                    Burial practices aside one can note an interesting difference between these two ancient civilizations. Differences can be
                    observed concerning how amicable the afterlife was. The Egyptians had a positive outlook. They believed that after one
                    became Osirus, They would move into a new world, which was nice, no one had to work, and everything was very clean.
                    One could compare their lives in the next world with the children's classic board game, Candyland. In this game all was
                    fine and dandy, the "don't worry be happy" attitude flourished, not distant from the life in the Fields of the Blessed. On the
                    other hand, Greco-Roman afterlife was a rather dismal place. The dead Achilles summed everything up by saying to
                    Odysseus, "Do not try to make light of death to me, I would sooner be bound to the soil in the hire of another man, a man
                    without lot and without much to live on, than rule over all the perished dead." Needless to say, the Homeric afterlife was
                    no Candyland.

                    Candyland or not, both cultures went to extremes in order to guarantee a successful voyage into the next world. The two
                    ancient civilizations hoped that through their intricate actions the individual would be protected and prepared for their
                    many experiences on "the other side." By looking at selections of Homer's Odyssey and The Book of the Dead, one can
                    draw many similarities between the two cultures; however, differences are also apparent due to cultural differences
                    concerning what would happen to the departed soul.
