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The Festivals of Osiris and Sokar in the Month of Khoiak: The Evidence from Nineteenth

Dynasty Royal Monuments at Abydos


Author(s): Katherine J. Eaton
Reviewed work(s):
Source: Studien zur Altgyptischen Kultur, Bd. 35 (2006), pp. 75-101
Published by: Helmut Buske Verlag GmbH
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The Festivals of Osiris and Sokar in theMonth of Khoiak:


The Evidence

from Nineteenth

Dynasty

Katherine

Royal Monuments

at Abydos*

J. Eaton

(Tafel 5-6)

Abstract
There were three sets of processional equipment for Osiris and Sokar depicted on Nineteenth Dynasty royal
monuments atAbydos - Sokar's /*e?w-barque; the ?Osiris Fetish,"1 associated with Osiris-Khentyimentiu;
and a barque carrying a bed, which resembles funerary boats depicted in vignettes to Book of the Dead
Chapter 1. Ptolemaic records of ritual describe three divine images to be made for the Festival of Osiris
and the divine members, a set of disembodied limbs. These sets
Sokar-Osiris; Osiris-Khentyimentiu;
are representative of the processional equipment depicted on Nineteenth Dynasty Abydene monuments.
However, the layout and decorative program of the Temple of Seti I at Abydos strongly indicate that the
internal rites for Sokar's Festival were still independent of those for Osiris' Festival atAbydos, during the
reign of Seti I.
Auf den koniglichen Denkmalern der 19. Dynastie inAbydos waren drei Grupen von Prozessions
ausstattungen fur Osiris und Sokar dargestellt: Sokars Henu-Barke, der Osirisfetisch, der mit Osiris
Khentyimentiu verbunden ist und eine Barke, die mit einem Bert ausgestattet ist und die der Bahre, die in
den Vignetten von Tb 1 ahnelt. Ptolomaische Aufzeichnungen
des Rituals beschreiben drei gottliche
und die
die fur das Fest der Osiris angefertigt wurden: Sokar-Osiris, Osisris-Khentyimentiu
von
sind
Diese
Garnituren
eine
GliedmaBen.
drei
gottlichen Gebeine,
Ansammlung
korperlosen
charakteristisch ftir die Prozessionsausstattungen
auf den Denkmalern der 19. Dynastie aus Abydos. Die
und das Dekorationsprogramm
des Tempels von Sethos I. in Abydos weisen jedoch
Raumgestaltung
deutlich darauf hin, dass die Riten fur das Sokar-Fest inAbydos wahrend der Regierungszeit von Sethos I.
immer noch unabhangig von denen fur das Osiris-Fest waren.
Bildnisse,

Each year in themonth of Khoiak therewas a festival during which the god Osiris was
brought from his temple (hwt-ntrwsir hnti-imntiw) to his tomb at Peker (pkr), probably the
area known

today as Umm

el-Qab

(Fig.

1, ?Sacred

Route").

By

the Middle

Kingdom2

the

ancient Egyptians had identified the tomb of the First Dynasty king Djer at Umm el-Qab

Thanks to the United States Information Agency which funded my research through a grant ad
ministered by the American Research Center in Egypt; to the IFA-Penn-Yale Expedition toAbydos,
at Abydos; and to Ogden Goelet and Anne Weis, whose
which provided me with accommodations
comments

were

invaluable.

The term ?fetish" is sometimes used in a pejorative way to imply that the religious ideas surrounding
the image in question were in some way ?primitive." I do not subscribe to this view. However, I use
the term ?Osiris Fetish" because it has long been used to describe a particular image associated with
Osiris' cult and changing the terminology now would be confusing.
2
This date is based on the types of pottery left as offerings near the tomb of Djer, see G. Dreyer, e.a.,
in:MDAIK 56, 2000, 117-118. Previously itwas thought that little pottery dated prior to the New
Kingdom, see B. Kemp, ?Abydos", in:LA 1,37. A statue of Osiris on a bier thatwas found in this tomb
may date from the lateMiddle Kingdom, but the date is disputed, see A. Leahy, in: Or 46, 1977,
424-434,

pis.

26-29.

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76 K.J. Eaton

SAK 35

as the tomb of Osiris;3 pilgrims came from all over Egypt to view the procession from
its
temple to his tomb and to set up stelae and statues in offering
chapels along
was
the possible
at
route.4 With
Amarna
of
the
this
festival
celebrated
Period,
exception
the New Kingdom.
tomid
The month of Khoiak
Abydos
throughout
(ki hr ki, mid-October
was
season
the fourth month
of Akhet,
and this festival was
the inundation
November)
Osiris'

performed to ensure the successful rebirth of the god Osiris and the land of Egypt. The
was

inundation

associated

with Nun,
the nothingness
of precreation.
with
fertile black
dry land covered
soon be planted.
crop would

the earth was

receded

and a new

waters

t_2!?*
o
25ooit

\\I i\

?j

/
-?-s
//

catacomb*im&9Kingdom
/^"^^is.
?! cenotaph
\ "X V
I

\
i il<l#e-rtew
Kingdom

/1
V

(-">
'<
\ ~*

V^

from

the

x?-x UrhmeMkcab
\
(0\
V_>f
roya.tombs

;
.doflcatac&ote
ei-Zebib
|i
_ \\^hUei
\
tempte\
/V ~o
%\ cenotaph

Q
Nt^mpj/ofM^11-

i?^aphvXof^!^8B&/

I ' **

?s

n
^^"^Pte3^,tom*Srfttn

kn IL
^
/ <c*NS_%_^^_
(
\\ _38^^'
site
i town
_ ^^SSScSSS&C^ ^^& offtanwssesl!

cenotaph
temple

the inundation

silt emerged

( "\ \fc> 1st*^jSwwrtyJ

*\

I \

// /

After

reborn

^^

,
IMWlWi'lwW""
[r.
>c? T?.
OansA
temple

\J
^^^^^^^^

Fig. 1 Map of Abydos.


[J.Baines/J. Malek, Atlas of Ancient Egypt, 1980,116, with the routes from the Osiris Temple to Peker
(in gray) and to the memorial temples along the edge of the flood plane (in black) added by the author]

One of themost important pieces of evidence for Osiris' Khoiak Festival is theMiddle
Kingdom stela of Ikhenofret (Berlin Museum 1204).5 Although other accounts of the
festival
equipment
3

this stela provides


prior to the Ptolemaic

exist,

the most
period.

complete
It reports

textual

of
description
the use of three major

its processional
in the
barques

Umm

el-Qaab is generally accepted to have been pkr after H. Schafer, Die Mysterien des Osiris in
Abydos unter Konig Sesostris III,UGAA 4,1904, reprint 1964,27-28. For example, see D. O'Connor,
in: B. Trigger, e.a., Ancient Egypt: A Social History, 1983, 220.
4
For more on this practice, see D. O'Connor, The 'Cenotaphs' of theMiddle Kingdom at Abydos, in:
Fs Mokhtar 2, BdE 97,1985,161-177
with pi. I.;W. Simpson, Inscribed Material from the Pennsylv
ania-Yale Excavations at Abydos, PPYE 6,1995; ANOC, 1974; and M. Lichtheim, Maat in Egyptian
and Related Studies, OBO 120, 1992, 101-128.
5 Biographies
For background on this inscription, see R. Anthes, in: Fs Mus. Berlin, 1974,15-49 andM. Lavier, in:
S. Schoske (ed.), Akten des Vierten Internationalen Agyptologen Kongress Miinchen 1985, BSAK 3,
1989, 289-295. The stela is published in:Mariette, Abydos II, 1880, reprint 1998, pis. 24-26. For a
translation, see M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature 1, 1975, 123-125.

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The Festivals of Osiris and Sokar in theMonth of Khoiak 77

2006
procession

the Osiris

from

to Peker

Temple

and the
the nSmt-barque
the great barque,
a
is no
shrine. There
along with
portable

barque ?Truly-arisen-is-the-Lord-of-Abydos"
festival
evidence
for the use of four images in Osiris' Khoiak
ene barques probably
carried the same images on different

at Abydos.

of the Abyd
of the journey. Some of
Some

stages
for example, while others were processional
barques.6
new images of the gods
Each year, in the days leading up to the festival processions,
out of a mixture
of grains and other materials.
and Sokar were made
Often called
Osiris
were

these conveyences

river barges,

and over time.7 The


the recipes for these images varied both regionally
is quite vague regarding
the form of the images carried in these vessels
stela of Ikhernofret
but does specify that they were adorned with gold, and precious
stones.8 These descriptions
?corn mummies,"

accord

well

with

later examples

of corn-mummies

from

other

sites, which

were

quite

frequently decorated with gold foil9 or placed in coffins decorated with gold foil.10During
Osiris'

Khoiak

festival

at Abydos,

the previous

year's

mummies

were

carried

from

the

Osiris Temple to the god's tomb at Peker (pkr)u and buried.12


inmem
likely used during these festivals was depicted
orial temples and chapels of three Nineteenth
Dynasty
kings at Abydos
(Fig. 1) Ramesses
I
most
and
Ramesses
II.
visual
Seti
These
of
the
I,
represent
complete
surviving
depictions
a complete
Osiris'
with
of this material,
Nevertheless,
processional
equipment.
analysis
Processional

textual

equipment

descriptions
undertaken.
Textual

that was

of the festivals

and iconographic

evidence

and archaeological

suggests

remains

that, by the New

of the images

Kingdom,

has yet to be

a single national

tradition had been adopted for the performance of theKhoiak festival throughout Egypt and
that, in its broad outlines, this tradition followed the ritual progression described in the
at Dendera
and other late monuments.13
The archaeological
temple of Hathor
on the other hand, paints a different
and
studies
evidence,
by Raven
picture. Systematic
corn
of
different
of
Osiris burial
Tooley
types
including Osiris beds, Osiris bricks and
mummies
indicate that there was significant
variation
in the size and composition
of these
and
in
to
the moulds
used
make them. These differences
endure into the Late Period,
images
Ptolemaic

Lichtheim suggested that the ?great barque" may have carried processional barques, seeM. Lichtheim,
Ancient Egyptian Literature 1,125, n. 2.
7
For a general overview of themaking of such figures, see A. Tooley, in: JEA 82,1996,175-176;
and
M. Raven, in: OMRO 63,1982, 28.
8
In lines 3-4 of his stela, Ikhernofret gives, as one reason for being sent to Abydos, the adornment of
the image of Osiris-Khentyimentiu with gold that had been won in victories inNubia. In lines 15-16,
he describes his adornment of the breast of the image with gold and precious stones.
9
21-27 (Corn
Raven, in:OMRO 63,1982,19-20
(Corn-Mummies from Thebes nos. 2-9,13,14,15);
Mummies of Unknown Provenance 2,15, and 16).
10
Raven, in: OMRO 63,1982, 21-23 (Corn-Mummies from Tihna nos. 1, 2, 4, 7, 8,16, and 17).
11
Umm el-Qaab is generally accepted to have been pkr, see n. 3.
12
The Osireion may have served this function for the Temple of Seti I at Abydos.
13
G. Gaballa /K. Kitchen, in: Or 38, 1969, 36.

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78 K.J. Eaton

SAK 35

over whole
at individual
sites and sporadically
In fact,
continuously
regions.14
texts include references
to numerous
Dendera
associated
with
images of Osiris
localities.15

even

the

specific

on a single local tradition during a limited period of time present


study focuses
to reconstruct
in the Nineteenth
the sizes of the processional
Abydos
Dynasty,
barques
at
in
New
the
ritual
and
the
materials
character
of
Kingdom
temples
they
Abydos
depicted
This has important implications
contained.
for the conduct of ritual, temple design, and for
The

in Egyptian
the later New
ritual during
seems
to adhere
to local
of ritual during
this period
Kingdom.
evidence
from
other
and
time
is
with
caution.
conventions,
places
periods
applied
Three different kinds of barques
that were probably
used to transport images of Osiris
reconstructing

the degree
of
the conduct
Since

standardization

and Sokar during theirKhoiak festivals are depicted on thewalls of theAbydene memorial
II.16
I, Seti I and Ramesses
Dynasty
chapels and temples of the Nineteenth
kings Ramesses
at Abydos
structures were all located to the south of the Osiris Temple
These
(Fig. 1). By
comes from the Temple
to as
far the most material
referred
of Seti I at Abydos
(hereafter
the ?Seti Temple"). Many
in the Seti Temple,
and seven clearly had
deities were venerated
own
seven
rooms
west
to
of
the
of
their
the
the
Second Hypostyle
(Fig. 2,
barque chapels
of
and Sokar are both special
in that they had larger complexes
Osiris
Hall). However,
rooms devoted
to them. Osiris has a complex
of eight rooms at the rear (west) of the temple,
of three
through a door in the west wall of his barque chapel. Sokar had a complex
rooms reached through a door on the west
end of the south wall of the Second Hypostyle
the
called
Nefertem-Ptah-Sokar
Hall,
Complex.
and the other memorials
The Seti Temple
served as stations for images from
probably
reached

in the Seti
but the decorative
program
temple when
they went out on procession,
that
I believe
that images of Osiris
there as well.
and Sokar were made
suggests
Temple
were
to
the Seti
there
circuits
(Fig. 1). The images belonging
overlapping
processional
on
out
and
would
Ramesses
the
of
I,
go
perhaps other
Temple
procession,
visiting
chapel
the Osiris

local
from

shrines
the Osiris

to the cenotaph
temple might have visited

before

going

of Seti

I, the Osireion.17

royal memorial

temples

Meanwhile,
before

and/or

the images
after going

to Peker.18

14

M. Raven, in:W. Clarysse/A. Schoors/H. Willems (eds.), Egyptian Religion the Last Thousand Years,
and Raven, in:OMRO 63,1982,7-38.
1,OLA 84,1998,227-239;
Tooley, in: JEA 82,1996,167-179;
15
Raven, in:Clarysse/ Schoors/ Willems (eds.), Egyptian Religion the Last Thousand Years, 1,OLA 84,
and H. Beinlich, Die
1998,237; E. Chassinat, Le mystere d'Osiris au mois de Khoiak 1,1966,91-98;
in der altagyptischen Religion, AA 42, 1984.
,Osirisreliquienc: zum Motiv der Korperzergliederung
16
For a list of these scenes and their locations, see Chart 1.
17
The ritual burial of statues was not confined to the festival of Khoiak. It also formed part of a weekly
and D. Arnold, in:B. Shafer (ed.), Temples of Ancient
ritual, see L. Gabolde, in:BIFAO 89,1989,175
57-58.
1997,
Egypt,
18
It is not clear tome whether such visits would have actually been part of the Khoiak festival or if there
were other occasions on which Osiris would visit the memorial chapels and temples which did not lie
on the route from the Osiris temple to Peker.

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2006

The Festivals of Osiris and Sokar in theMonth of Khoiak 79

Ptah-Sokar
Chapel
I

l*|n|*#|(*

^^^-j^^^^,^^^i^^J_|arques

#####

|!5__H__L

_____ ___SetiIPtah HRe" HAmuiBftjr VH,sis HHorufl


^^^^^^H_

_JB11^L_J___i__^B_JJ-_^_Ste

Second
Haft
Hypostyle
^M

Hg^MBilil*l,B,il

Il.Dill' MKL JCC^?,^'''3

^^I^^^^^^^^^^^^Kj^^^^^^Sr^
^,

__

l+^?

_________________

___^r____rv___fr^

Vb
w (
I msm ft*ftA?tf
were

originally

| Four
were blocked

up

by Seti I's son,

Ramesses II.

henu-barque I

P'l

I
,

seven
H^jih|
HH_____________i_____K_/____i JHH^^HLjJ^H
_XT
" _________________HI____Hfl_H
^KK^K^KK/K^KKmfmKKi
>?,
H
flH_MHH_H_HBf
H

mH
''_____
_Jf-."?.'.

*1||

_?

*-

-B

Hit f^M

I
O - Osiris'

processional
objects

t[

I SecondCourt H

Fig. 2 Plan of the Temple of Seti I at Abydos


[Based on Calverley/Gardiner, Abydos I, 1933]
a
Osiris has complex of eight rooms at the rear (west) of the temple, reached through a door in thewest
wall of his barque chapel. Sokar has a complex of three rooms reached through a door on the west end
of the south wall of the Second Hypostyle Hall, called theNefertem-Ptah-Sokar
Complex (shaded dark
grey, along with

the routes out of the temple featuring henu-barque

scenes).

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80 K.J. Eaton
The

SAK 35

of the present study each assemble


the textual and archaeological
set of processional
Sokar's henu-barque
for the use of a particular
equipment

first three sections

evidence

(1); the ?Osiris Fetish" image,19 associated with Osiris-Khentyimentiu


carrying

a bed, which

of theDead

reminiscent

is strongly

boats depicted

of funerary

(BD) Chapter 1 (3). According

(2); and a barque

to a tradition recorded in the laterTemple of

for the Khoiak


festival21
images were made
a
set
of
disembodied
divine
and
the
members,
Osiris;22 Osiris-Khentyimentiu;23
of the processional
These sets are representative
equipment
depicted on Nineteenth
of the Khoiak
monuments.
the
in
other respects,
However,
performance
Abydene
at Dendera,20

Hathor

in these monuments

three divine

clearly

deviated

the tradition

from

to Book

in vignettes

recorded

Sokar
limbs.24

Dynasty
festivals

in later texts. For example,

in their analysis of the Sokar Festival as depicted the Temple of Ramesses III atMedinet
Habu

and Gaballa

Kitchen
?...the

concluded

that:

on the 4th Akhet,


proper,
day 26, was
from well before
festival of that month
into the Osirian

Festival

of

Sokar

incorporated
when our evidence

already
probably
the New Kingdom

..."25
becomes
explicit
as
to
and its images strongly
of the Seti Temple
I
the
show,
Nevertheless,
organization
hope
still
Festival were
indicate
that, as of the time of Seti I, the internal rites for Sokar's

independent of Osiris' Khoiak Festival at Abydos.


1 Sokar's
Although

henu-barque
many

or other means

gods had barques

Egyptian

of conveyance,

the henu-barque

is unique to the god Sokar. Depictions of this barque in the Seti Temple show it to have
followed

a well-established

iconography

like those depicted

in some Theban

area temples

(Fig. 3).26 It has a crescent-shaped hull (a) that is attached to a four-legged frame (b)with
ropes (c). There are two or three small steering oars at the stern (d). The prow
restraining
identified as
decorated with a series of horizontal
is elaborately
(e), sometimes
projections
a large flared mat; and, from top to bottom, a bull's head (f), a backward-facing
antelope

19

20

On my

decision

to use

the

term

?fetish",

see n.

1.

Chassinat, Le mystere d'Osiris au mois de Khoiak 1-2, 1966-1968; S. Cauville, in:BSFE 112, 1998,
23-36, fig. 1; and Beinlich, Die ,Osirisreliquien\ 58-68.
21
For a general overview of themaking of these figures according to the later instructions, see Tooley,
in: JEA 82, 1996, 175-176; and Raven, in: OMRO 63, 1982, 28.
22
Chassinat, Le mystere d'Osiris au mois de Khoiak 1, 41, 57-58; and F. Daumas, ?Choiakfeste", in:
LA I, 958-960.
23
Chassinat, Le mystere d'Osiris au mois de Khoiak 1, 1966, 41-51, 54-56; Cauville, in: BSFE 112,
1998, 25; and Raven, in: OMRO 63, 1982, 28.
24
The divine members were essentially a set of disembodied limbs. Chassinat, Le mystere d'Osiris au
mois de Khoiak 1, 51-52, 56-57. The divine members and their relationship to the various Osiris
AA 42,
?reliquaries" from different parts of Egypt are discussed in Beinlich, Die ,Osirisreliquien\
1984.
25
G. Gaballa/K. Kitchen, in:Or 38, 1969, 36.
26
For example, atMedinet Habu, in the Festival Court, see PM II, 498 (93)-(95) I, 4-5; Medinet Habu
in: Or 38, 1969, figs. 1 and 2.
4, 1940, pis. 196, 221, 222 and 223; and Gaballa/Kitchen,

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The Festivals of Osiris and Sokar in theMonth of Khoiak 81

2006

head (g), a fish (h) and six falcons (k).27Depictions of the henu-barque usually include
images

of two falcons

wrapped

in cloth

(m), or mummified

- one on
top of the cabin,

the

other infront of it.A third imagemay have been carried in the cabin of the barque (n). The
whole rests on a sledge (o) and platform with carrying poles (p).When the barque is at rest,
by a row of
that
Sokar's henu-barque
cnh-s\gns
(q). In fact, this stand became
an
in a scene on the east wall of the First Hypostyle
itwas shown being dragged
Hall
event that would
its
stand.
This
have
occurred
after
the
been
removed
from
had
only
barque
it usually

appears

stand does

not

on a stand decorated

seem

to have

been

used

a row of dd-pillars
so closely associated with

surmounted

for any other processional

barque.28

with

Fig. 3 Diagram of the features of Sokar's henu-barque.


a.) crescent-shaped hull; b.) four-legged frame; c.) restraining ropes. At the stem
the barque has d.) steering oars. At the prow the barque has: e) a flared mat (?); f.)
a bull's head; g.) a backward-facing antelope head; h.) a fish; and k.) six small
falcons. The barque carries m.) two additional falcons - one on top of the cabin,
the other in front of it.A third image may have been carried in n.) the cabin. The
whole rests on o.) a sledge; p.) a platform with carrying poles and q.) a barque
stand decorated with a row of dd-pil\ars

surmounted by a row of rnh-sigas.

seems to have carried three divine


to above:
the two
images, alluded
henu-barque
- one on
or
in
of it
front
of
the
the
falcons wrapped
in cloth,
mummified
other
cabin,
top
and a third image, out of sight, in the cabin. Scenes on the west end of the north wall of

The

27

My summary of these features relies heavily on descriptions provided by E. Brovarski, ?Sokar", in:
17.
in: Or 38,1969,
LA V, 1055-1074, esp. 1066-1067; and Gaballa/Kitchen,
28
on
not
the
of
in
her
did
include
the
Sokar
who
Karlshausen,
iconography of processional
study
barque
not
du
this
stand
in
her
section
did
mention
?Decor
piedestal de la barque," see C.
barques,
divine en Egypte au Nouvel Empire,
de la barque processionelle
Karlshausen,
L'iconographie
Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Universite Catholique de Louvain, 1997, 290-292.

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82 KJ. Eaton

SAK 35

the Ptah-Sokar Chapel support this interpretation (Fig. 2 and PL 5a).29There, three deities
of falcon statues
(imy wii.f). Two are depictions
and ?Isis who-is-in-his-barque".30
appear
They
who-is-in-his-barque"
a
on
was
a
in
shrine
and
their
function
together
single
resting
clearly protective,
sledge
to
in
the
the
of
The
third
Sokar.
epithet referring
image features a god
?his-barque"
barque
a
an
erect phallus
This
bed with
labelled ?Sokar-Osiris
who-is-in-his-barque".
lying upon
the epithet
labelled
?Horus

carry

scene

?who-is-in-his-barque"

celebrates

the revivification

of

the god

and

indicates

that his

were

?mysteries"

in this room.31

celebrated

and the god on the bier


could embody different
On the south wall of the Ptah-Sokar
syncretic relationships.
Chapel
scenes
same
as
on the north wall, with a god on a bier
the
the
those
have
(Fig. 2),
layout
statuettes are labelled
in a shrine (PL 5b).32 Here, however,
and two falcons
the falcon
It appears

Sokar

that, at different

points

on the bier

and the god

the two falcons

in the ritual,

is labelled

Osiris-Wennefer.

This

the
together with
to BD
of the vignette

scene,

in the upper register (PL 6a), may be an example


figures
in temple
182 (Fig. 4).33 Guardians
lizards and snakes are not common
Chapter
holding
into
ritual scenes. BD-Chapter
182 is associated with the deceased's
Osiris
metamorphosis
protective

Wennefer.

There

very

simple
essentials:

are many

version,

?I am Thoth,

but all clearly


versions,
in
TT
296 (Dyn.
inscribed

as Wennefer.34

refer to the deceased


19-20),35

reduced

this chapter

to the

true scribe, who

in
to every god, king's
scribe, wise
gives meat offerings
maker
of
the god's words, whose
reed (pen) has protected
the Lord of the Universe,
laws, who makes writings
speak, who has given breath toWennefer."36
to represent
It seems probable,
that
both scenes of the god on the bier were meant
therefore,
the deceased
god Sokar.
images of the god on a bier are associated
of the god was made. We have no New
mummy
but the Abydos
of Sokar's corn mummy,
reliefs,
The

these

images

from other contexts37

indicate

with

the ?mysteries"
evidence
Kingdom

inwhich

a new

corn

the form
concerning
to
the making
of
references

together with
were
indeed made
they

during

this time period.

29

PM VI, 24 (220M221); A. Mariette, Abydos 1,1869, reprint 1998, 23 [78]; and A. Mariette, Fouilles
executees en Egypte, en Nubie, et au Soudan, 2,1867, 86 [cxxix].
30
One might suggest that themasculine pronoun in Isis' epithet was amistake. However, the fact that her
image shares a shrine with Horus indicates that this particular image of Isis formed a pair with the
image of Horus.
31
R. David, A Guide to Religious Ritual at Abydos, 1981, 105.
32
PMVI,24(218H219).
33
See, for example, Af (Dyn. 20-21), inR.O. Faulkner, The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, 1972,
see Chart 3.
178-179 and Tb (Naville) 1, pi. CCVIII. For BD-abbreviations,
34
For several versions of BD-Chapter 182, see T.G. Allen, The Book of the Dead or Going Forth by Day,
SAOC 37, 1974, 196-200 and Tb (Naville) 2, 447^48.
35
This was not included inM. Saleh, Das Totenbuch in den thebanischen Beamtengrabern des Neuen
und Vignetten, AV 46, 1984.
Reiches,Texte
36
T.G. Allen, The Book of the Dead or Going Forth by Day, 198.
37
In Theban festival calendars the twenty-first day of the fourth month of Akhet was called the 'Day of
Opening the Aperture in the Shentayet Shrine," very likely a reference to letting light into the shrine

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2006

The Festivals of Osiris and Sokar in theMonth of Khoiak 83

to texts from the Temple


at Dendera,
to be one
of Hathor
such images were
According
cubit long, about 52 cm.38 Corn mummies
this size have been found, but it is not clear that
a
to
cm long were placed
corn
If
52
Sokar.39
in the cabin of a henu
mummy
they belong

barque with the proportions suggested by the Seti Temple reliefs, theminimum length for
the carrying

pole

of platform

would

be approximately

3.33 m. This

is very

close

to my

estimate of 3.5 m for theminimum length of the carrying poles on Osiris' barque platfrom,
although

that estimate

is based

on entirely

^"l

If

If

different

sources.40

rfffi

11 If.
pjffifflfl
Fig. 4 Vignette to BD 182, as depicted inAf
[Tb (Naville) 3 (1886, reprint 1971), pi. CCVIII]
There

is no

evidence

to suggest

that Sokar mummies

were

ever made

in another

size,

although figures of Osiris showed significant variation. An Osiris mould from Late Period
Abydos

measures

71.5

cm

long and,

if a figure

of this length were

inserted

into the cabin

onto the grain figure of the god, see Gaballa/Kitchen,


in: Or 38, 1969, 38.
For more on the composition of such figures, see Chassinat, Le mystere d'Osiris au mois de Khoiak
1, 1966, 57-58; Raven, in:OMRO 63, 1982, 28; Tooley, in: JEA 82, 1996, 175-176; L. Mikhail, in:
GM 81, 1984, 33; and C. Seeber, ?Kornosiris", in: LA III, 744-746.
39
Many com mummies were found in falcon-headed coffins, suggesting association with the falcon
headed god, Sokar. However, the names of the deities, when present, varied. Two completely opposing
views have been published on this topic. Chassinat believed that even the coffins labelled Osiris
Khentyimentiu were used to bury Sokar figures, see Chassinat, Le mystere d'Osiris au mois de Khoiak
1,1966,58. Raven thinks that none of these images represent the god Sokar, having stated that ?Sokaris
in:
figures have never been identified among the surviving archaeological material." Raven,
H.
Willems
Last
the
OLA
Thousand
Years, 1,
Clarysse/Schoors
84, 1998,
(eds.), Egyptian Religion
237.
40
For presentation of the evidence used to arrive at the estimate for the size of Osiris' barque, see pp. 88
38

90.

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84 K.J. Eaton

SAK 35

about 4.5 m.41 Barques


of up
barque, that barque as a whole would measure
turn in the hypostyle
halls required to leave the temple.
have made the widest
almost certainly make the henu-barque
the other hand, as discussed
this would
below,

of the Sokar
to 5 m
On

could

larger thanOsiris' barques. The images intended for New Kingdom Osiris beds found in
the Valley of the Kings range from 152 cm to 202 cm; if inserted into the cabin, the
barque would have been too large to make the turns required to leave the temple.42
it seems most
made
for Sokar in the Seti Temple was
likely that the corn mummy
52 cm long, already complying with the standard one cubit measure
called for in later

resulting
Thus,
about
texts.

and its Conveyences


in the depictions
of processional
images are usually
regional variation, or ritual practice, but three substantially

2 The Osiris
Differences
change,

Fetish

to temporal

attributable
different

configurations

of the so-called Osiris Fetish appear in areas of the Seti Temple dating to the time of Seti
is a clear case,

I. This

in which

therefore,

and time were

region

not determinative

factors.

The Osiris Fetish is also depicted in the Chapel of Ramesses I and theTemple of Ramesses
II at Abydos.43
The
Nineteenth
Dynasty,

are obscure
of the Osiris
Fetish
and debated
but,44 by the
origins
to have represented
the fetish seems
the head reliquary of Osiris

The Osiris
Khentyimentiu.45
stuck onto a plain pole.
?.. .inmost representations
also with

uraei and headbands,

of the developed

Fetish

essentially

the fetish

of a wig,

sometimes

with

a face,

not only with sun disk and plumes, but


associated with these fillets. These elements

is adorned

and the ribbons

cult symbol were

consists

all intended

to suggest

its character

as the 'head' of the

deity."46

The Osiris Fetish is depicted on three different stands on Nineteenth Dynasty royal
monuments

at Abydos.

towards the north end of the west wall of the First


simplest configuration,
depicted
sets
of the
Hall
the
of
of two figures
the
fetish in a base composed
(Fig. 2),
pole
and wearing
The pole of the fetish is exposed
and
the nemes-head&ress.A1
kneeling

The
Osiris
king,

41
42
43
44
45

Tooley, in: JEA 82, 1996, 176.


Raven, in: OMRO 63, 1982, 13-14 (nos. 6 and 7).
For the locations of these scenes, see Chart 1.
R. Wilkinson, Reading Egyptian Art, 1992,169.
Winlock
argued that the fetish was not seen as the head reliquary of Osiris by Nineteenth dynasty
Egyptians, and that the dismemberment and scattering of the body of Osiris were later beliefs. He
asserted that references to Osiris' body falling apart prior to the Late Period refer to his body falling
apart in his coffin, H. Winlock, The Temple of Ramesses I at Abydos, MMA Papers 5,1937, reprint
1973, 23-24. The fact that Nineteenth Dynasty texts refer to the Osiris Fetish as the head of Osiris
establishes that the Egyptians of this time associated itwith the head of Osiris. Beinlich summarized
the history of scholarship and debate surrounding the larger issue of the use of reliquaries in ancient
see Beinlich, Die ,Osirisreliquien', 17-42.
46 Egypt,
R. Wilkinson, Reading Egyptian Art, 1992, 169.
47
The only example appears on the north end of the west wall of the First Hall in the Osiris Complex in
the Seti Temple, for references see Chart 1.

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2006

The Festivals of Osiris and Sokar in theMonth of Khoiak 85

the face is shown frontally. The king anoints the head of the fetish with ointment and the
scene

a list of ointments

includes

depiction

contain

more

and perfumes

complicated

configurations

to be offered.

The

two

other

of ritual equipment.

One

types of
type shows

the fetish set into in an elaborate carrying platform featuring the god Aker (the Aker
platform) (2.1.1); the other has it in a processional barque (2.1.2). These two depictions
to two modes
of transport recorded for the Osiris Fetish at Abydos
correspond
carriage
on the open (Aker) platform or in the cabin of a boat, either a river barge or a processional

barque.

2.1.1 The Fetish in theAker Platform

- The Osiris
Fetish, as depicted on the south wall of Osiris' barque chapel in the Seti Temple
Fig. 5
The
[A. Caulfield,
Temple of the Kings at Abydos: Seti I, ERA 8 (1902, reprint 1989) pi. II]

On the southwall of theOsiris Barque Chapel (Fig. 2) the fetish has no face, but is clearly
identified by itswig (Fig. 5). The same composition appears twice on thewest wall of the
I and in an elaborate version of the vignette
to BD-Chapter
138 (Fig.
Chapel of Ramesses
of the Fetish.49 In the Temple
of
6),48 which has strong affinities with these representations
Ramesses
the
scene
stand
is
shown
carried
in
but
the
of
the
is
lost.
II,
upper part
procession,
The
48

49

golden

stand

is characterized

by images

of two mummiform

lions back-to-back,

each

Ik (Dyn. 19), Tb (Naville) 3, CLII. For BD-abbreviations,


see Chart 3. Most vignettes to this chapter
were much simpler, featuring the Osiris Fetish with an adoring figure of the deceased and a protective
figure (usually a recumbent jackal on a shrine). Milde also noted that on pHori, Dyn. 21 (pCleveland
21.1032), the fetish is depicted in the middle of a ship. For further discussion of the vignettes to this
chapter, see H. Milde, The Vignettes in the Book of the Dead of Neferrenpet, Egyptologische Uitgaven
7,1991,236-237.
Chapter 138 is the last chapter on the BD of Neferrenpet,
Dead of Neferrenpet, 236.

see Milde,

The Vignettes

in the Book of the

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SAK 35

86 K.J. Eaton

by a vulture. The lions probably


is associated
the god Aker, who
represent
with the solar journey from sunset to sunrise,
embraced

the opening of the gate to the Netherworld


for the king, and the socket for the mast of

HI
il
<^L3_ If
Irrpl

___ >" ^^
T^fo

the underworld
also

These

figures
in the
register
on
138
Ik, where

ferryboat.50
in the bottom

appear
to BD-Chapter

vignette

they are flanked by six mummiform fig


(three on each side). The predomin
of solar imagery on the palanquins

ures
ance

used to carry the Osiris Fetish is striking

i_kTZH

the god Aker,


the ram standards, and the
some coffins
Souls of Pe and Nekhen;
corn mummies
also bear solar
containing

hymns associated with Chapter 15 of the


The

BD.51

rPnii

elements

tiJUi_i.mi,

number

with

iconographic
in these
solar associations
mean

must

configurations
syncretism

of

between

at Abydos
Above
138, from

Ik (Dyn. 19)
[Tb (Naville)3 (1886, reprint1971),pi. CLII]

the Souls
scenes

of Pe and Nekhen

these figures were

were

strongly

depicted.
associated

either

royal

often

was

the stand,

on the south wall

of

three figures of the

also in gold, on
of Pe are depicted,
the carrying pole or on the side of

In the Chapel
the platform.
scenes
In
of the divine birth
with

the

in
important
and perhaps more
than elsewhere.52

the Osiris Chapel,


Souls

and Re,

Osiris

in the BD,
emphasized
certain temple contexts,
Fig. 6
An example of the vignette to BD-Chapter

that

legitimacy.53

of Ramesses

I,

and coronation

In the Pyramid

Texts

(PT 306 and 530) they erect the ladder that the deceased uses to ascend to the heavens54 and
on the Osiris

Fetish,

they perform

the henu-gesture,

an expression

of praise

and jubilation

50

For more on Aker, see E. Hornung, ?Aker", in: LA 1,114-115; and G. Hart, A Dictionary of Egyptian
Gods and Goddesses,
1986, 1.
51
in:
OMRO
Raven,
63, 1982, 25 (Corn-Mummies from Other Known Sites 3 and 4). The various
versions of BD-Chapter 15 are actually collections of solar hymns. For a variety of versions, see T.G.
Allen, The Book of the Dead or Going Forth by Day, 12-26 and id., in: JNES 8,1949, 349-355.
52
The relationship between Re and Osiris seems to have been played down in the Theban area, perhaps
to avoid any competition with Amun-Re's claim to dominance in that region.
53
The Souls of Pe and Nekhen were ?upholders of divine kingship" and as such frequently appeared ?in
scenes which emphasize the renewal of royal power...," see G. Hart, A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods
and Goddesses,
1986, 208.
54
R.O. Faulkner, The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts, 1969, 94 and 199.

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2006

The Festivals of Osiris and Sokar in theMonth of Khoiak 87

that was

Thebes
and
used, among other things, to greet the sun.55 In Nineteenth
Dynasty
on
these
the
of
Amun-Re
southern
Nubia,
Egypt's
premier
barque
figures also appear
solar deity
but they are not shown with his barque in the Seti Temple.56
in gold supports the fetish pole.
On the top of the stand, a group of royal figures dressed
in the center wear the nemes-headdress
The two kneeling figures
like those on the simpler
stand depicted
in the First Osiris Hall. They are assisted by two standing figures of the king
wearing

the white

mv-jars.

These

a third pair of royal figures,


six statuettes of the king are flanked
crown;

in the blue crown,


by protective

kneel

figures

as they offer
of jackals and

cobras. In the vignette to BD 138 in theBD of Ptahsem (Ik), Isis holds the pole along with
a male
fetish,

of the Osiris
the king. As on other depictions
figure
probably Horus, but possibly
are flanked
these figures
recumbent
by protective
figures,
including
jackals on

shrines.
A number
ensemble

of standards

is flanked

headdresses

and may
ram
solar
is associated

to BD-Chapter
?cbiw of Buto"

by

appear

on the south wall

ram-standards

tied with

the ram of Mendes,

of the Osiris
red

Chapel.
The
ribbons.

The

entire Fetish

rams wear

solar

which

is the Z??-spirit of Osiris.57 The


represent
at night.58 The vignette
with the sun's crossing
of the netherworld
ram standards. The one on the left was
138 on Ik also features
labelled

and the one on the right ?cbiw of [Hieraconpolis?]."59


The other standards
a
in the wall ensemble
include: a standing jackal, a reclining
with a statuette
hawk
jackal,
a spear. The BD of
of the king and a male figure wearing
the twin plumes
and holding
Ptahsem
contains
falcon
standards, wadjet-eyes,
(Ik),
standing jackal standards and ankh
feathers.
signs holding
are
There
indications

at Abydos
that the Osiris Fetish was brought out in procession
the carrying poles on the platform
shown on the south wall of the Osiris Chapel and the
scene in the nearby Temple of Ramesses
remains of a processional
II, where only the lower
are
are
the
of
and
base
its
bearers
both interior scenes.
These, however,
part
preserved.60
Several
the New
and later, have
lunette decorations
stelae, from
private
Kingdom

indicating that people were familiar with images of the Osiris Fetish and were permitted
55
E. Brunner-Traut, ?Gesten", in: LA II, 580-581; and R. Wilkinson, Reading Egyptian Art, 1992, 17.
56
I argue elsewhere that these figures may once have been associated primarily with Osiris' barque, but
later added toAmun-Re's as he absorbed the attributes of other deities, K. Eaton, The Ritual Functions
of Processional Equipment in the Temple of Seti I at Abydos, Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of
New York University, Department of Middle Eastern Studies, 2004, 247-251. It is also possible that
they served to mark the processional barque of the primary local deity. Karlshausen recognized that
the iconography of the barque of Amun-Re at Seti Fs Abydos Temple differed in these respects from
de la barque
contemporary depictions of his barque at Thebes, see C. Karlshausen, L'iconographie
en
au
divine
Nouvel
Diss.
87.
The
relevant
Louvain, 1997,
processionelle
Egypte
Empire,
portions of
Seti P s Theban and Abydene Memorial temples are no more than two years apart in date. For the dating
see P. Brand, The Monuments
of these two monuments
of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art
Historical Analysis, PA 16, 2000, 160 (Abydos) and 235-236 (Gurnah).
57
R. Wilkinson, Reading Egyptian Art, 1992, 61.
58
Wilkinson, Reading Egyptian Art, 61.
59
Milde, The Vignettes in the Book of the Dead of Neferrenpet, 236, n. 4.
60
PM VI, 36 (38H39); and K. Kuhlmann, in:MDAIK 38, 1982, pi. 103.

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88 K.J. Eaton
to depict
is shown

SAK 35

it in relatively public areas as well.61 The Chapel of Ramesses


served
twice in the lower register of the west wall, probably

the fetish
I, where
as a station for this

image. It appears again at the center of the top register on the east wall of the Central Hall
to Osiris
of the Osireion
in the time of Merenptah),
where
the king offers
(decorated
a
The
of Re
Re-Horakhte
and
fourth, unidentified
presence
Khentyimentiu,
figure.62
Horakhte
2.1.2

again

suggests

solar associations.

in Boats

The Fetish

On thewall opposite that of the fetish scene inOsiris' Barque Chapel (Fig. 2) there is a
scene with
parallel
Even Karlshausen,

a processional
who believes

barque

processional

as ?comme

barque (Fig. 7), identified by some as the nSmt-barque.63


was a river barge, described
this
that the nSmt-barque
en reduction."
une neshemet
The nSmt-barque
is easily

identified by its papyriform ends and by the image that it carried, the Osiris Fetish.64
to Lavier,
the nSmt-barque was associated with the gods triumphant return to the
That two completely
Anthes
associated
itwith the ?Erste Auszug."66
contradictory
temple.65
same
are
are.
of
the
material
underscores
how
these
vague
readings
descriptions
possible
a
Based on the textual descriptions,
river
the nSmt-barque
could have been either
barge or

According

a processional
with carrying

itwas depicted both on water67 and


Kingdom
to Osiris'
tomb at Peker
the processions
poles.68 On the other hand, although
on
and
I
there
the
of
Seti
have
water,
may
(Umm el-Qaab)
cenotaph
(the Osireion)
begun
is no evidence
for canals leading to either site. Thus, most of both of these journeys would
barque,

and indeed,

in the New

61

All of the examples that I know of date to the New Kingdom or later. Several are in the British
Museum, most of unknown provenance (for example, BM 139, 141 and 161), at least one is almost
certainly from Abydos (BM 146), see BM Stelae 9, 1970, pis. XIX (BM 141), XX (BM 139) and
XLVII (BM 146) and BM Stelae 10, 1982 pis. 52-53 (BM 161). None of theMiddle Kingdom stelae
or related objects in Simpson's ANOC groups include depictions of the Osiris Fetish, see ANOC, 1974.
Nor do any appear among the pre-New Kingdom
inscribed material found by the expedition, see
Simpson, Inscribed Material from the Pennsylvania-Yale Excavations atAbydos, 5-8 and 33-53. This
seems to correspond to amore general change in decorum concerning the depiction of deities on private
monuments. Among theMiddle Kingdom stelae published in the above collections it is very unusual
for deities to be depicted, with Wepwawet, Min and amumiform figure of Osiris wearing the white
crown being the only three encountered among Simpson's ANOC groups.
62
East wall of the central hall, see Cenotaph of Seti 12, 1933, pi. 73.
63
R. Anthes, in: Fs Mus. Berlin, 1974, 25.
64
The relevant portion of the image in the tomb of Paser has been destroyed.
65
M. Lavier, in: BSAK 3,1989,289-295.
66
R. Anthes, in: Fs Mus. Berlin, 1974, 26.
67
See the stela of Houyou (Dyn. 19), Lyon museum of Fine Arts H 1379, in C. Karlshausen, L'icono
graphie de la barque processionelle divine en Egypte auNouvel Empire, Diss. Louvain, 1997, cat. 306;
and the Chapel of Mayor Paser at Medinet Habu (tp. Rs. Ill), in S. Schott, Wall Scenes from the
Mortuary Chapel of theMayor Paser atMedinet Habu, E. Hauser, transl., SAOC 30,1957, pi. 2.
68
The processional barque depicted on the north wall of Osiris' barque chapel in the Seti Temple is
generally believed to be a depiction of the nSmt-barque, see R. Anthes, in: Fs Mus. Berlin, 1974, 25.
Even Karlshausen, who believes that the nSmt-barque was a river barge, described this processional
barque

as

?comme

processionelle

une

neshemet

en

reduction,"

divine en Egypte au Nouvel

see

C. Karlshausen,

Empire, Diss. Louvain,

L'iconographie

1997, 125.

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de

la barque

The Festivals of Osiris and Sokar in theMonth of Khoiak 89

2006

have been conducted by land. This physical fact must override all of the textual evidence
in favor

of a water

journey

and the identification

as a river barge per

of the nSmt-barque

se.69

Fig. 7 A barque that carried the Osiris Fetish,


as depicted on the north wall of Osiris' barque chapel in the Seti Temple
[A. Caulfield, The Temple of the Kings at Abydos: Seti I, ERA 8, 1902, reprint 1989, pi. Ill]

The

associated
with
the nSmt-barque
shares many
features with
the Aker
equipment
was
on
and
this
to
used
Fetish
the
Osiris
platform
transport
boat-shaped
palanquin
clearly
certain occasions.
In its depiction,
the top of the fetish appears above the shrine with
its
face

in profile and is surrounded


by solar imagery similar to that from
of Pe, here accompanied
by a figure of the king and all performing
are other
and the ram standards.
There
similarities
iconographical
of
the
the
conveyances:
nemes-headdress,
golden figures
king, wearing
Souls

pole
king

along with protective


jackals and cobras. In this case,
are replaced by golden
statuettes of Isis and Nephthys,

however,
raising

the south wall-

the

the henu-gesture;
between
the two
support the fetish
some figures of the

their arms

in a gesture

of mourning. Two of the standards depicted in front of the fetish ensemble on the south
wall,
69

a jackal

and a falcon,

appear

again

at the prow

of this barque,

which

has a similar

One might suggest that ritual practice changed over time. Tutankhamun seems to have changed the
route of the Opet Festival procession at Thebes from a land journey south to Luxor with return by barge
by river to a round-trip journey on the river, see W. Murnane, ?Opetfest", in: LA IV, 575. However,
there is no indication that there were water routes to the destinations under consideration herein at any
time. Thus, if there were variation over time that variation would have to have involved moving the site
of Peker to a place accessible by water, an unlikely proposition.

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90 K.J. Eaton
crew

of golden

statuettes

divine

and

statuettes

SAK 35
of

the king with

silver

skin

and gold

clothing.
Some

of these figures appear on all Nineteenth


Dynasty
processional
barques with the
of
with
the
these
Sokar's
and
the
include the two
bed;
exception
henu-barque
barque
and the kneeling
figure of the king offering nw
figures of the king in the nemes-headdress
on
the Aker-platform.
Other figures appear only on depictions
jars. The latter also appears
and Amun-Re's
barque at Abydos
barque
two figures of the
Re's barque at Abydos),
namely
There
is a female figure
Isis
Nekhen.70
perhaps
stern, a figure of Horus who helps the king steer the
of Osiris'

in Thebes

(but not Amun


and the Souls of Pe or

and Nubia

goddess Mert
in a gesture of mourning

and, at the

barque.
scene on the south wall of the Hall of Barques,
barque, from the westernmost
varies somewhat
in its iconography
and may represent a change
in the decoration
of prow
or
stern
II. The top of the
and
that occurred
that of Ramesses
later, in the reign of Seti I
Another

shrine is destroyed so it is not known if the fetish protruded from the top, but the barque
in the Osiris chapel: First, prow and
in two primary respects from the one depicted
a broad collar surmounted
stern are completely
of
covered by aegieaes
by the
composed
ends associated
with
the nSmt-barque.
head of the deity; it does not have the papyriform
differs

Second,

a figure

of the king

does

not help

the falcon-headed

figure

steer the barque.

The

images in this hall were laid out in paint under Seti I, but carved in the reign of Ramesses
II, so the date and significance

of the differences

are not clear.71

2.2 The size of theplatform for theOsiris Fetish


Attempts
evidence

to estimate
-

textual

the size of Theban

processional

of
barques rely on three categories
elements.
and the size of architectural

of processions,
depictions
These data do not indicate the size of the barques, but those of the platforms
upon which
were
or
more
two
held
of
carried.
The
consisted
together by
they
carrying poles
platforms
scenes indicate that barques were roughly
the same length
crossbars
and the processional
sources,

as their carrying poles. These scenes provide no clear indication of the barques' width and
the length to width
ratios of model
barques varies from as little as 3:1 to as much as 13:1,72
Even the lowest figures would
that the processional
indicate, however,
barques were not
wider

than their platforms.

70

I argue elsewhere that these figures may once have been associated primarily with Osiris' barque, but
later added to Amun-Re's as he absorbed the attributes of other deities, Eaton, The Ritual Functions
of Processional Equipment in the Temple of Seti I at Abydos, Diss. New York University, 2004,
247-251. It is also possible that they served tomark the processional barque of the primary local deity.
Karlshausen recognized that the iconography of the barque of Amun-Re at Seti Fs Abydos Temple
differed in these respects from contemporary depictions of his barque at Thebes, see Karlshausen,
L'iconographie de la barque processionelle divine en Egypte au Nouvel Empire, Diss. Louvain, 1997,
87. The relevant portions of Seti Fs Theban and Abydene Memorial temples are no more than two
years apart in date. For the dating of these two monuments see Brand, The Monuments of Seti 1,160
(Abydos) and 235-236 (Gurnah).
71
J. Baines/ R. Jaeschke/J. Henderson, in: JEA 75, 1989, 13-30, and Brand, The Monuments of Seti I,
167.
72
1913.
Figures from examples depicted in CG 4798-4976 u. 5034-5200,

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2006

The Festivals of Osiris and Sokar in theMonth of Khoiak 91

we must
of barque platforms
varied regionally,
focus on data from
of the procession
from the Osiris Temple
Abydos
Kingdom
descriptions
proper.73 Middle
to pkr74 at Abydos
include descriptions
of at least three barques or boats, but these are too
is that
of barque size.75 A related category of evidence
vague to shed light on the question
Since

the sizes

of the corn mummies


mummies

made

and we

varies

the size of barque

for the Khoiak

of Sokar

festivals

The

and Osiris.

size of corn

have none

platforms

from Abydos.76
dating to the New Kingdom
we
on
at Abydos,
must rely
Abydene
processional

Thus, for
scenes and

architecture.
scenes requires calculating
in processional
the probable
size of
that
the
size
of
the
be
reconstructed
priests. Legrain
suggested
by
barque platforms might
an
m
to
number
of
.44
the
shoulder
width
of
each
and
average
assigning
priest
multiplying
this by the number of priests shown carrying the barques.77 Holscher
observed,
however,
Estimating

barque

size

that the number

of priests shown in processional


images may reflect the status of the deity
some temples
and not the actual size of the participation.78
In the Theban area, for example,
are too small to contain the thirty priests shown with the barque of Amun-Re.79
to suggest that Nineteenth
there is strong evidence
Nevertheless,
Dynasty
processional
scenes do provide
an accurate
of the number
of priests used to carry divine
portrayal
barques. At Abydos,
royal barques and the barque of Isis are shown being carried by priests
two
abreast. This fits well with the architecture
of the Ramesses
II temple, wherein
walking
the doors

of the barque chapels


to admit more than two priests
73

for Isis, Horus,


abreast.80

II are too narrow

Seti I and Ramesses

Min,

In the Theban

area, Ramesses

II decreed

that the

Variation in the size of the royal barque is best documented. In theNineteenth Dynasty royal barques
at Thebes were usually depicted being carried by six rows of three priests abreast at Thebes. Royal
barques at Abydos were depicted being carried by only four rows of two priests abreast.
According to the Restoration Inscription of Tutankhamun the image of Amun of Thebes was carried
on eleven bars (increased to thirteen) while the image of Ptah South-of-his-Wall
(Memphis) was carried
on

only

nine

bars

(increased

to eleven).

For

a translation

Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt, SBL Writings


For

hieroglyphic

transcription,

see Urk.

IV,

of Tutankhamun's

text,

from the Ancient World

1955-58,2025-32.

See

see W.

Murnane,

Series 5, 1995, 213.

also Karlshausen,

L'iconographie

de la barque processionelle divine en Egypte au Nouvel Empire, Diss. Louvain, 1997, 258-259.
74
Umm el-Qaab is generally accepted to have been pkr after Schafer, Die Mysterien des Osiris
Abydos,

27-28.

For

example,

see D.

O'Connor,

in: B.

Trigger,

e.a., Ancient

Egypt,

220.

in

75
I discuss this material in the introduction, pp. 75-77.
76
For the size of corn mummies and their possible relationship to the size of the processional barques of
Osiris and Sokar at Abydos is discussed in detail, see pp. 80-82 (Sokar), pp. 88-90 (Osiris-Khenty
imentiu) and pp. 95-97 (Osiris' Funeral Barque).
77
M. Legrain, in: BIFAO 13, 1916, 7.
78
A suggestion put forward by U. Holscher, The Excavation of Medinet Habu 3, OIP 54,1941, 29.
79
This problem, first addressed byM. Legrain, in:BIFAO 13,1916,1-76,
pis. I-VII, has been the subject
of much debate. This debate is summarized admirably by Karlshausen, L'iconographie de la barque
processionelle divine en Egypte au Nouvel Empire, Diss. Louvain 1997, 251-265.
80
Some of these chapels have inscriptions specifying that the rooms served as barque chapels: the barque
chapel for the royal processional barque of Seti Iwas described as the hwt-kl (B-spirit house) for the
sSmw hw (?august image") of Seti I, see K. Kuhlmann, in:MDAIK 38,1982, 355. This inscription is
recorded in Kitchen, Ram. Inscr. 2, 1979, 541, 15-16; and Mariette, Abydos II, 1880, reprint 1998,
pi. 20 f.

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92 K.J. Eaton

SAK 35

of carrying poles on the platforms


of the processional
barques of Mut
should be increased from three to four81 and the doors to the Chapels
of Mut
in Luxor Temple were widened
to accommodate
larger carrying platforms.82

number

scene in the Temple


processional
four abreast carrying
the Osiris
priests,
mummiform
lions standing back-to-back.83
A

and Khonsu
and Khonsu

II at Abydos
six rows of
depicts
Fetish's
distinctive
with winged,
Aker-stand,
This suggests
that the barque of Osiris was also

of Ramesses

carried

in columns
of four. The situation before Ramesses
II is less
by priests arranged
clear. A pylon fragment from Seti I's Abydos
now
in
located
front of the temple,
temple,
the elbows of two rows of priests arranged three abreast and the backs of a third
preserves
row with a carrying pole upon their shoulders. On the other hand, a
fragment
depicting
priests carrying an object
of Thutmose
III, making
Ramesses
II.84
The

four abreast was

length of the carrying

it clear

poles

found

in association

that the broader

in these

scenes

platform
varies.85

with
was

Those

the Abydene
not

an

Temple
innovation
of

of the Osiris

Fetish,

as

it is depicted in theOsiris Chapel in the Seti Temple, appear to be much shorter than those
on the barque of Osiris (Figs. 5 and 7). Based on these images, it seems probable that the
barque
chapel

of Osiris,
shown transporting
the Osiris
Fetish on the north wall of his barque
in the Seti I Temple, was carried by at least as many priests as the fetish alone.

Three of the four rooms inwhich the fetish is depicted atAbydos - theOsiris Chapel86 and
Osiris Suite in the Seti Temple;87 and the First Octostyle Hall in theRamesses IITemple,88
have

doors wide

Chapel

enough to admit
of Ramesses
I89, appears

a processional
to be a special

image carried by four priests


case, and could only admit

abreast.The
two priests

abreast.90

One
barque

can also use processional


In processional
platforms.

scenes

to suggest minimum
lengths for the processional
scenes, each priest places his fist against the back of the

figure infront of him and the length from shoulder to fist, with the arm flexed, is roughly
the same

as a person's
shoulder width.
If we multiply
.44 m by the eight priests
(six
two
the
we
a
and
at
the
side
the
of
arrive
of
3.52
carrying
barque
standing by
shrine)
figure
m for the minimum
length of the platform. The platform was likely somewhat
longer than
81

This text appears inKitchen, Ram. Inscr. 2,1979, 639,10-11.


For discussions of the textual evidence
concerning increases in the number of bars on Theban processional barques in the time of Ramesses
C. Karlshausen, L'iconographie de la barque processionelle
II, see Legrain, in: BIFAO 13,1916,2-5;
divine en Egypte au Nouvel Empire, Diss. Louvain, 1997,259-260.
82
On thewidening of these doors, see C. Karlshausen, L'iconographie de la barque processionelle divine
en Egypte au Nouvel Empire, Diss. Louvain, 1997, 252 and Legrain, in: BIFAO 13, 1916, 8.
83
For references, see Chart 1. For more on the Aker-stand, see above pp. 85-88.
84
M. Pouls, in:KMT 8,4, Winter 1997-1998, 57.
85
The ratios of thewidth of the stands to the length of the poles are about 1:3.5 for the fetish scene; about
1:6.75 for the barque scene and about 1:5 for the processional scene.
86
PM VI, 15 (144) - (145) and Calverley/Gardiner, Abydos 1,1933, pi. 6 and 10.
87
PM VI, 19 (183) - (184) and Calverley/Gardiner, Abydos III, 1938, pi. 6.
88
PM VI, 36 (38) - (39); M. Murray, in:Ancient Egypt, 1916, pi. 125 [4].
89
PM VI, 31, 33 (10); Winlock; The Temple of Ramesses I at Abydos, pis. i-iv [lower].
90
For locations of scenes featuring the Osiris Fetish, see Chart 1.

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2006

The Festivals of Osiris and Sokar in theMonth of Khoiak 93

this, as it would
distances

have

been

for the priests to walk


this close together
the
and reconstructed
recorded
Nonetheless,

awkward

traveled

during festivals.
the barques
which
minimum
length.

corn mummies,
estimated

of Osiris

and Sokar may

have

carried,

fit well

over
sizes
with

the
of
this

2.3 Corn Mummy

The scenes in the Osiris Chapel show the Osiris Fetish on two different palanquins. One
a significant
left the pole of the fetish exposed;
the other enclosed
representation
portion
a
to
of the pole with the shrine of Osiris'
later
tradition
processional
barque. According
a corn body was made
recorded at Dendera,
for Osiris-Khentyimentiu
and attached to a
an
or
was
contents
to a corn
Osiris Fetish.91 When
the fetish
its
attached
head, perhaps
the barque
mummy,
corn body.

shrine may

have

been

around

placed

to protect

the pole

the delicate

of the shrine on the processional


pole goes right through the middle
some sort of upright
in any case. Depictions
of funerals
is indicated
figure
barque,
- a
two
with BD-Chapter
1 sometimes
associated
conveyances
represent
barque and a
Since

the fetish

shrine. The barque almost always contains


and upright
closed, but sometimes
displays

a bed.92 The

shrine

ismore

commonly
depicted
a Late Period stela

(Fig. 8).93 Moreover,

figure

from theNecropolis atAbydos depicts amummiform figure of Osiris standing upright on


a platform carried by eight priests (Fig. 9).94Like the Osiris Fetish, this Osiris is flanked
of the ram of Mendes

by two standards
double

plumes

he wears

(fp),

two

instead

but, here,
tfw-feathers

of a headdress

and ram's

horns.

with

This

sun disk and

variation

is also

consistent with the iconography of the Fetish; although the standard glyph for the fetish has
the double

plumes

It is not

clear whether

contemporary

with

(r),

there are variants


these

variations

each other or reflect

the Sw-feathers

that feature
in the

treatment

ritual changes

of

and ram's horns


the

that took place

(X).95
were
corn mummy
over time. Certainly

therewas amajor change in decorum regarding the depiction of theOsiris Fetish itself on
private

92

93

in the Middle

in the New

depicted
element

91

it was never
Kingdom
B.C.E.),
(ca. 2040-1640
a common
it had became
but,
(ca. 1550-1070
B.C.E.),
Kingdom
in the lunette decoration
of private stelae.96

monuments

Chassinat, Le mystere d'Osiris au mois de Khoiak


1998, 25; and Raven, in: OMRO 63, 1982 28.
For

an

exception,

1, 1966, 41-51,

54-56; Cauville,

in: BSFE

112,

see La.

The pairing of a closed shrine and a barque (open or closed) occurs inAg, Eb, Pe and La. Le and pBM
9995 (Ptol.-Roman) pair a boat and a standing figure in a shrine on a sledge.
94
CG 1297, Mariette, Abydos II, 1880, reprint 1998, pi. 58 andMariette, Abydos III, 1880, reprint 1998,
489-496.
95
J. Allen, Middle Egyptian, 2000, Sign List R 17; and Gardiner, EG, 1969, Sign List R 17.

96

Seep.

12, n. 60.

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SAK 35

94 K.J. Eaton

Fig. 8 A portion of the vignette to BD-Chapter 1from pBM 9995 (Ptol.-Roman)


[detail of Faulkner, The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, 25]
No

corn mummies

Osiris

beds were
useful

provide

dating

to the New

Kingdom

in Eighteenth
deposited
into
the
insight
potential

Dynasty
variation

have

been

found

at Abydos,

but several

royal tombs at Thebes.97 These beds


in
in scale of Osiris
images, ranging

length from 152 cm (Horemheb, Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 47856) to 202 cm (Tutankh
amun,

to
Exh. No.
Egyptian Museum,
1064).98 They cannot be used, however,
an
at
such
that
could
hold
the processional
any barque
image
Abydos;
barques
halls that were requir
the turns in the hypostyle
be over 6 m long, too long to make
Cairo,

reconstruct
would

statue of Osiris being carried in procession,


Fig. 9 Mummiform
as depicted on a Late Period stela from Abydos.
[Mariette, Abydos

97
Raven,
98
Raven,

II, 1880, reprint 1998, pi. 58]

in: OMRO 63, 1982, 12-15.


in:OMRO 63, 1982, 13-14 (nos. 6 and 7).

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The Festivals of Osiris and Sokar in theMonth of Khoiak 95

2006
ed to exit

in size does suggest, however,


the temple. The variation
that temple rituals, like
not
the
have
been standardized
the royal mortuary
rituals represented
Osiris
beds, may
by
in the New Kingdom.

is recorded
in a later tradition,
If they were, a number of one cubit (about 52 cm), which
be useful
the size of these images.
If this number
for reconstructing
is used to
would
on
a
estimate
the size of the shrine
the barque, however,
it would
size for the
produce
as a whole

is significantly
smaller than the minimum
lengths
scenes
the
of
and
architecture
of
the
Seti
suggested
by analysis
Temple. Thus,
processional
it seems probable
that the standard one cubit figure was not yet in use for figures of Osiris
made at Abydos.
processional

barque

that

The dimension that fits best with the processional depictions of the fetish come from
or planters found
long.100 If a body were

terracotta moulds
is 71.5

cm

at Abydos
formed

The most complete


by Amelineau."
example
on
an
the pole of the head-reliquary,
upright

image 71.5 cm tallwould yield aminimum length of 3.66 m for the barque of Osiris. This
fits well with theminimum figure of 3.52 m for the length of the fetish platform that I have
reconstructed
since

on the basis

it agrees

architecture,
3 Osiris'

with

of the processional
all three categories

and the moulds

found

scenes.
of

Thus,

evidence

I consider this the best solution,


- the
the
scenes,
processional

at Abydos.

Funeral

Barque
of a processional
12 of the Osiris Suite,
depiction
barque, on the west wall of Room
as such (Fig. 10).101 This barque has an upturned prow
has not generally
been recognized
scene is painted
adorned with a broad collar and pectoral. On the pectoral a small offering
in red. The king kneels before a seated deity who wears
the atefcrovm,
probably Osiris (PI.

One

6b). This detail and the fact that it is the king who offers before the barque, indicates that
the barque
is not a royal one. Usually
the gods Inmutef or Thoth offer before the royal
central shrine is open and contains a lion-footed
bed. Only the legs
barque. The barque's
of the bed are preserved.
The upper portion of the shrine ismissing,
along with the top of
the prow. On what remains of the prow, a statue of the king kneels with nw-jars, facing the
are no other figures on this side of the barque, but there may
have
originally
a standard, only the lower part of the
stern
remains.
of
the
is
also
The
pole
barque

shrine. There
been

destroyed.
This does not seem

to be another

version

of the barque that carried the fetish. Although


the hulls of both barques painted gold, the barque with the bed features a blue panel. The
a funerary barque,
the bed was
to those depicted
in
clearly
barque with
comparable

vignettes to BD-Chapter 1 (Fig. 8). This boat might be associated with the barque called
?Truly-arisen-is-the-Lord-of-Abydosu

99

in the

and E. Amelineau,
Tooley, in: JEA 82,1996,176,
203.
100
in: JEA 82, 1996, 176.
101Tooley,
See Chart 1.

Ikhernofret

Les nouvelles

inscription,

which

fouilles d'Abydos

Lichtheim

1897-1898,1904,

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96 K.J.Eaton

SAK 35

the funeral of the god."102 A barque with a bed might be


a set of disembodied
in the Dendera
limbs described
used to carry the ?divine members"
New
the
the
other
emblem
the
and
Osiris'
Texts103
Since, by
Kingdom,
major
dd-pillar.
seems to have been associated
itwould
have
with
the spinal column of Osiris,
dd-pillar
as
on
are
The Osiris Fetish and the dd-pillar
often juxtaposed,
united the divine members.
described

as ?... associated

with

thewest wall of the Chapel of Ramesses I atAbydos.

r jKl 1 ci*^l

~3| fit

It a^-A^HT"
.????y''fcfr

Fig. 10 The barque of Osiris(?) carrying a loin-footed bed.


East wall of Room 12 of the Osiris Suite in the Seti Temple.
[David, A Guide to Religious Ritual at Abydos, 1981,150]
in a variety of shapes and sizes, but I know of no
12 were
in Room
If the barque depicted
evidence
for the divine members.
archaeological
to carry an image of 152 cm, the shortest of the Osiris beds recovered from
long enough
a royal tomb at Thebes,
be 6.5 m long, with a bed of
then the barque as a whole would
Other

types

of Osiris

burials

came

room
comparable
length. A barque of this size, however, would have been too large for the
in which
and too long to enter the central processional
the funeral barque is depicted
way,
a route involving
even at the point with the most clearance,
at the west end of
turns that

the Second Hypostyle Hall (Fig. 2) - can only be negotiated by barques less then 5m long.
If the barque with the bed carried a 71.5 cm image, the number suggested by themoulds
found by Amelineau atAbydos, itwould be over 3m long - almost filling its 3.67 m long
room

Sokar's

and producing

a barque

similar

in size

to those

associated

with

the fetish

and with

henu-barque.

102
Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature 1, 125, n. 2.
103
L.Mikhail, in:GM 81,1984,
Chassinat, Le mystere d'Osiris aumois de Khoiak 1,1966,51-52,56-57;
n. 1.On the various body parts associated with reliquaries
in:Or 38,1969,38,
31; and Gaballa/Kitchen,
in different Egyptian nomes, see H. Beinlich, Die ,Osirisreliquien\ AA 42,1984.

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2006

The Festivals of Osiris and Sokar in theMonth of Khoiak 97

I suggest that Osiris' Khoiak


festival at Abydos
the construction
of two
involved
cm
one
to
of
70
in
be
the
other
carried
Osiris
horizontally
roughly
images
length,
upright,
on a bed. If Sokar had a corn mummy
as seems probable,
for his festival,
it was
made
Thus,

are used as the starting ratios for


these numbers
(52 cm) long. When
in the Seti Temple,
the sizes of the processional
they suggest
estimating
barques depicted
a length of three - four meters
for each of the three barques. This
is the same length
scenes and by the architecture
of
suggested
by data from the processional
independently
one cubit

probably

the temple.
? Two
Temple
Complexes
in Sokar's
of Osiris
festival

4 Conclusions:

One

The

prominence
to suggest
scholars

Two Festivals

scenes

in Theban Memorial

Sokar's
festival
that, by the New Kingdom,
Osiris' Khoiak
Period this was
festival.104 Certainly
by the Ptolemaic
at Dendera.105
in the Temple
inscribed
of Hathor
On
by texts

temples has
had been absorbed

led

by
the case, as indicated
the other

hand,

the

of scenes

of Osiris and Sokar in the Temple


of Seti I
arrangement
relating to the festivals
indicate that, at Abydos,
the internal rites associated
with
these festival
remained
cycles
into the New Kingdom.106
separate well
Most

depictions

of Sokar's

henu-barque

appear along
plan there were

routes

out of the temple (Fig.


exits at the front of the

seven
to the temple's
2).107 According
original
an
of these
? alley" that led through the hypostyle
halls. Most
temple, each associated with
exits were blocked
Ramesses
been
it
had
have
left
would
still
been
II, but,
open,
by
they
for barques to move
into the central processional
the ramp into
necessary
way to descend
the second court. Two henu-barque
in
II appear
carved
the
of
Ramesses
scenes,
style

between theAlley of Ptah and theAlley of Seti I in the upper register of the First Hypostyle

- a
scene on the east wall and a scene with
dragging
decorative
to Ptah,
program along this route is devoted

Hall

the barque at rest on the west. The


and other deities
Sokar, Nefertem

associated with the Chapel of Ptah and theNefertem-Ptah-Sokar Suite.108The Seti Temple
also has a back

exit?

out a door

in the south wall

of the Second

Hall,
Hypostyle
through
of Lists, then a right turn into the Corridor of the Bull and on to the Stairway
scenes two henu-barqae
Passage
leading out of the temple (Fig. 2). This route contains
one in the Second Hypostyle
of Lists, with the barque
Hall, above the door to the Gallery
on
a
a
scene
on
and
the
other
the
north
of the Corridor of the
wall
stand,
resting
dragging
the Gallery

Bull.

104
in:Or 38,1969, 36.
Gaballa/Kitchen,
105
As indicated by the instructions calling for three images to be made - Sokar-Osiris, Osiris
and the Divine Members. For a general overview of the making of these figures
Khentyimentiu
and Raven, in:OMRO 63,
according to the later instructions, see Tooley, in: JEA 82,1996,175-176;
1982,28.
106
Since the two festivals were celebrated at the same time of year, it is possible that their processions
after they left the temple.
107overlapped
The henu-barque scenes discussed in this section are listed in Chart 1 unless otherwise noted.
108
The route is described inR. David, A Guide to Religious Ritual at Abydos, 1981, 23-24 and 27. The
Second Hypostyle Hall portions are published in Calverley/Gardiner, Abydos IV, 1958, pis. 44-46.

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98 K.J. Eaton

SAK 35

are associated with the Hall of Nefertem-Ptah-Sokar.


of the henu-barque
in the
One, well preserved,
appears on the west end of the north wall of the Hall. Another,
on
can
the south end of the east wall of the Hall of Nefertem-Ptah-Sokar,
be
upper register
identified as Sokar's barque scene on the basis of the barque's
characteristic
stand with the
Two

depictions

and 'Tz/z-signs.109 No remains of its barque survive. There are remains of another
dd-pillars
scene of the north wall
in the central
stand with
of
decorative
of the Hall
dd-pillars
These depictions
would
Barques.
- a
Ptah and Nefertem
particularly
never
Sokar's
appears
barque

place

Sokar's

appropriate
in the areas

between
henu-barque
for
them.
place

of the Seti Temple

scenes

to Osiris

devoted

to

devoted
-

the

Osiris Suite, the Osiris Chapel and the Alley of Osiris that leads through the hypostyle
halls.

In fact,

Sokar

does

not appear

in these

areas

in any form.

This

is not a matter

of

happenstance. Although the Osiris Suite has been badly damaged, the Osiris Chapel and
are both well

the two processional


preserved.
Conversely,
images that
to Osiris do not appear in the Nefertem-Ptah-Sokar
of
Suite or along the Alley
belonged
areas
are
not
of the temple associated
with
Sokar. Although
of Osiris
Ptah,
depictions
he appears in various forms in the Nefertem-Ptah-Sokar
absent from this complex
Suite
a form that figures prominently
in Osiris' Khoiak
does
Festival,
Osiris-Khentyimentiu,
the Alley

of Osiris

not appear

or along the Alley


of Ptah.
an image of Sokar was made
to the texts in the temple of Hathor at Dendera,
According
as part of Osiris' Khoiak Festival. As a result, Osiris' frequent
in Sokar's New
appearance
in the Nefertem-Ptah-Sokar

Suite

scenes has been taken to mean


festival
had
festival
that, by this time, Sokar's
Kingdom
been absorbed by that of Osiris.110 However,
the clear separation of Sokar's
suite from that

of Osiris in the Seti Temple, each with its own processional way and individual sets of
processional equipment (as depicted on the walls) suggests that this idea should be
reconsidered.

A more

is that Sokar's

festival

likely explanation
is in essence his

for Osiris'

prominence

in Sokar's

festival

scenes

funeral.

in the upper register on the north wall


142) appears
and in Sokar's festival
(Temple of Seti I at Abydos)111
at
of
III
In the Chapel of
Ramesses
the memorial
Thebes.
temple

The Litany of Sokar (BD-Chapter


of the Hall of Nefertem-Ptah-Sokar
scenes

at Medinet

in part,

in the BD is supported by other monuments:


Medinet
Habu,
through rites recorded
rooms
to
texts and vignettes
BD
110
from
and 148 appear in the
devoted
Sokar
12
inscribed
and Late Period corn mummies
coffins
that were buried in falcon-headed

Habu,
an
on the west end of south wall (PI. 5b) may
Ptah-Sokar,
image labelled Osiris-Wennefer
a
to vignette
to BD-Chapter
182 (Fig. 4), wherein
is identified
have belonged
the deceased
at least
with Osiris-Wennefer.
of Sokar was accomplished,
The idea that the revivification
where
Osiris1

109
For discussion of this barque stand, see above p. 80-81.
110
in:Or 38, 1969, 36.
Gaballa/Kitchen,
111
in: Or 38, 1969, 4 and 51; A. Mariette,
Brovarski, ?Sokar", in: LA V, 1065-1066; Gaballa/Kitchen,
Ram.
Inscr.
Kitchen,
1975, 171, 10-173, 2; Kitchen, Ram.
1869,
48a;
1,
I,
1998,
Abydos
reprint
pi.
Incr. Trans. Ann. 1,1993,171,10-173,2;
and David, A Guide toReligious Ritual atAbydos, 106-107.
112
Rooms 26 and 27 at Medinet Habu feature texts and vignettes from BD 110 and 148. See PM II,
511-512 (153-154); andMedinet Habu 6, 1963, pis. 469 (Room 26, north wall, vignette to BD 110);

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The Festivals of Osiris and Sokar in theMonth of Khoiak

2006
with

the name

with

Sokar's

Chart

?Sokar"
festival

and with

that Osiris'
association
15.113 This suggests
BD-Chapter
scenes may also have been due to his role inmortuary
liturgies.

Processional

Images

Temple of Seti I

Henu-barque

Second Hypostyle Hall114


Nefertem-Ptah-Sokar

Hall

north115

Nefertem-Ptah-Sokar

Hall

east

Corridor

of the Bull,

First Hypostyle
First Hypostyle
Hall

Funeral boat
Osiris Fetish

Temple of Seti I
Temple of Seti I

on Aker-platform

Chapel

of Ram.

Temple of Seti I
on Neshmet

99

Temple

of Ram.

Temple

of Seti

Hall,

west118

Hall,

east119

of Barques,

(?)116

north117

north

(?)120

Osiris Suite, Room 12 east121


First Osiris Hall, west122 and south123

I West

wall,

left124

West

wall,

right125

Osiris Chapel, south126

II First Octostyle
Hall, north127
I
Chapel of Osiris north128
Hall

Stela

of Houyou

of Barques
south129
on the nSmt-barge130
depicted

470 (Room 26, south wall, text to BD 110); 473 (Room 27, north wall, text toBD 110); and 474 (Room
27, south wall, vignette to BD 148).
113
Raven, in: OMRO 63, 1982, 25 (Corn-Mummies from Other Known Sites 3 and 4). The various
versions of BD-Chapter 15 are actually collections of solar hymns. For a variety of versions, see T.G.
Allen, The Book of the Dead or Going Forth by Day, and id., in: JNES 8,1949, 349-355.
114
PM VI, 25 (222); Calverley/Gardiner, Abydos IV, pi. 38B.
115
PM VI, 23 (210).
116
PM VI, 23 (206). Only the barque stand remains.
117
PM VI, 26 (236) - (237).
118
119PMVI,6(59).
120PMVI,5(46).
PM VI, 26 (Z). Only a fragment of the barque stand remains.
121
PM VI, 22 (East Room); and Calverley/Gardiner, Abydos III, pi. 63.
122
PM VI, 19-20 (183) - (184); and Calverley/Gardiner, Abydos III, pi. 6.
123
PM VI, 19-20 (178) - (179); and Calverley/Gardiner, Abydos III, pi. 12b.
124
PM VI, 31, 33 (10); Winlock The Temple of Ramesses I at Abydos, pis. i-iv [lower].
125
PM VI, 31, 33 (10); Winlock The Temple of Ramesses I at Abydos, pis. i-iv [lower].
126
PM VI, 15 (145); and Calverley/Gardiner, Abydos 1, pi. 10.
127
PM VI, 36 (38) - (39); and Kuhlmann, in:MDAIK 38,1982, 362, pi. 103 a-b.
128
PM VI, 15 (144); Calverley/Gardiner, Abydos I, pis. 6-7; and C. Karlshausen, L'iconographie de la
barque processionelle divine en Egypte au Nouvel Empire, Diss. Louvain, 1997, cat. 163.
129
PM VI, 26; and C. Karlshausen, L'iconographie de la barque processionelle divine en Egypte au
Nouvel Empire, Diss.Louvain,
1997, cat. 197, pi. 76.
130
C. Karlshausen, L'iconographie de la barque processionelle divine en Egypte auNouvel Empire, Diss.
Louvain,

1997,

cat.

306.

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SAK 35

100 K.J.Eaton

Chart 2 - Summary of Book of theDead Chapters associated with festivals celebrated in


themonth of Khoiak
BD

cannot
correspondence
with
the festivals
associated

be claimed,

direct

Although

equipment
was
Khoiak

of Sokar

much
and Osiris

of the processional
of
in the month

on the design
in
which
of funerary
appears
equipment,
a
was
to
1.
of
the
the
interest
Of
present study
vignettes
particular
pairing
horizontal
figure carried in a boat and an upright figure carried in a shrine, which
two processional
the
mirror
in the Seti Temple.
images of Osiris
depicted
based

to BD

Complexes
like those
BD

15

74

and Sokar

also

include

of standards

depictions

to BD
in vignettes
1.
of solar hymns.131 Its connection with the festivals of Osiris
of Khoiak
in one local tradition is secure, as the text was

featured

is actually a collection
or Sokar in the month
inscribed

BD

to both Osiris

devoted

Although
features

on some

corn mummies.132
containing
cannot be claimed,
the vignette
correspondence
The king is depicted
sacrificing
henu-barque.

direct
Sokar's

coffins

Sokar's

inMedinet

Room

to BD
an oryx

74 often
before

the actual

25.133 However,

Habu,
barque
henu-barque
to be
to
too
Room
The
24.
of
this
get
chapter
through
goal
probably
large
of an oryx.
swift-footed
fits well with the offering
110 Both the text and vignette
to this chapter appear in the rooms devoted
to Sokar
was

BD

Osiris

in the memorial

temple

III at Medinet

of Ramesses

Habu.134

BD 138 The vignette toBD 138 often features a depiction of the ?Osiris Fetish" and other
imagery associated with depictions of the Fetish in the Aker-platform in the
Chapel of Ramesses I and Temple of Seti I at Abydos. Chapter 138 sometimes
closes

the BD.135

Its theme

for the BD,136 as well


scene
Aker-platform
might

support

of ?victorious
as for a triumphant
in the Seti Temple,

it an appropriate
arrival" makes
ending
return to the temple. The position
of the
near the entrance to the Osiris Complex,

this view.

BD 142 This is the ?Litany of Sokar" which appears both with the Sokar Festival Scenes
in the memorial
temple
of Nefertem-Ptah-Sokar
BD

148 This

chapter's
?Four Rudders

of Ramesses

III at Medinet

Habu137

and

the ?Seven Celestial


vignette,
featuring
one
of Heaven,"138
in
of
the rooms devoted
appears

distinctive

in the Complex

in the Seti Temple.


Cows,"

and the

to Sokar-Osiris

131
For a variety of versions, see T.G. Allen, The Book of the Dead or Going Forth by Day, 12-26 and id.,
in: JNES 8,1949, 349-355.
132
Raven, in: OMRO 63, 1982, 25 (Corn-Mummies from Other Known Sites 3^).
133
PM II (1994) 511 (152) h, 1; and Epigraphic Survey, Medinet Habu 6, pi. 480A.
134
PM II, 511-512 (153-154); andMedinet Habu 6, pis. 469 (Room 26, north wall, vignette to BD 110);
470 (Room 26, south wall, text to BD 110); 473 (Room 27, north wall, text to BD 110).
135
As on Ga, Milde, The Vignettes in the Book of the Dead of Neferrenpet, 236.
136
Milde, The Vignettes in the Book of the Dead of Neferrenpet, 236.
137
in: Or 38, 1969, 4-5 and 51.
Gaballa/Kitchen,
138
Faulkner, The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, 1972, 142.

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2006

The Festivals of Osiris and Sokar in theMonth of Khoiak 101


in the memorial
BD

temple

of Ramesses
that these

148/190140

III at Medinet

rubrics to
Habu.139 Moreover,
on a series of
to be performed
and Osiris' Birthday
(Osiris' Khoiak

rituals were

specify
the Festival of Sokar
days, including
are the only two chapters
in the BD that call for a
is not listed). These
festival
ritual to be performed
for the Festival
of Sokar. Although
rubrics often appear to
are unusual,
in the BD,141 festival
be misplaced
instructions
and do not appear to
have been mixed up.142
festival

BD 182 Scenes on thewest end of the southwall of the Chapel of Ptah-Sokar in the Seti
Temple

strongly

resemble

this chapter's

distinctive

vignette.143

BD 190 See BD 148.


Chart 3 - Book of theDead Copies144
Abbreviation

Date

Af Dyn. 20-21
Ag Dyn. 19
EbDyn. 18-19
Ga Dyn. 20

Name

Provenance

mwt-htpt(i) Thebes(?)
h(r)w-nfr
Thebes(?)
Thebes
iny
Thebes
nfr-rnpt

Current

Location

BM 10010
BM9901
BM 10470145
Brussels E 5043 and
Philadelphia, University Mus.
E2775,

pBM 9995

IkDyn. 19
La
Dyn. 18-19
LeDyn. 19-20
Pe Dyn. 19
Roman

pth-sm
knni
pi-krr
nb-kd
Kerasher

Thebes(?)
Thebes(?)
Memphis
Thebes(?)

16720-22146

private collection
Leiden T 2
Leiden T 4
L 3068 + 3113
BM 9995147

139
See PM II, 511-512 (153-154); andMedinet Habu 6, pi. 474 (Room 27, south wall, vignette to BD
140 148).
BD 190 should probably be understood as a rubric. According to Allen, BD 148 and 190 are usually
combined, see T.G. Allen, The Book of the Dead or Going Forth by Day, 213, n. 331. However, Milde
suggested that BD 190 should be understood as an appendix to BD 141-142 rather than an introduction
to BD 148, see Milde, The Vignettes in the Book of the Dead of Neferrenpet,
159.
141
For example, Allen noted that titles often ?land in the wrong spot," T.G. Allen, The Book of the Dead
or
Forth by Day, 2.
142 Going
K. Eaton, ?A ,Mortuary Liturgy' from the Book of the Dead - with comments on the nature of the di
spirit," forthcoming.
143
See, for example, Af (Dyn. 20-21), in Faulkner, The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, 178-179 and
see Chart 3.
Tb (Naville) 3, pi. CCVIII. For BD-abbreviations,
144
Tb (Naville) 1-2, unless otherwise noted.
145
O. Goelet, e.a., The Egyptian Book of the Dead, 1994.
146
1991.
Milde, The Vignettes in the Book of the Dead of Neferrenpet,
147
S. Quirke, Owners of Funerary Papyri in the British Museum, British Museum Occasional Paper 92,
1993, no. 102. The scene that I refer to in the present study appears in Faulkner, The Ancient Egyptian
Book of the Dead, 24-25.

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2006 K. J. Eaton

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Sokar-Osiris Who-is-in-his-Barque
Horus,

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and

lies upon a bier, attended by Isis and Horus.


Isis, Who-is-in-his-Barque

appear

in a depiction

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of a portable

statues, of
shrine.

Chapel of Ptah-Sokar, north wall, west end, lower register in Seti Temple

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lies upon a bier. Composite statues, of Sokar appear in a depiction of a portable shrine.
Chapel of Ptah-Sokar, south wall, west end, lower register in the Seti Temple.

Osiris-Wennefer

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Tafel 6K.J.Eaton

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SAK 35

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Two of the guardian deities from the Chapel of Ptah-Sokar;


South wall, west end, upper register in the Seti Temple.

Detail of the collar and pectoral on the barque with the lion-footed bed.
East wall of Room 12 of the Osiris Suite in Seti Temple.

This content downloaded by the authorized user from 192.168.82.216 on Sun, 25 Nov 2012 12:43:43 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

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