The Ancient Egyptians had a very mystical and fascinating belief system around life and death. Death was just one stage and the beginning of another. They very much believed in the afterlife and it was considered a very important aspect of the cycle of life. Therefore, during their life, they would have to perform many practices and rituals to help them when they cross over. One of their practices was following the 42 Laws Of Maat.
The 42 Laws Of Maat:
The 42 laws f Maat was the rule of law and moral justice among the ancient Kemet people. Maat was a Goddess who represented law, truth, balance, harmony, and justice.
Some of these laws included:
- I have not stolen.
- I have not slain men and women.
- I have not stolen the property of the gods.
- I have not uttered lies.
- I have not carried away food.
- I have not uttered curses.
- I have not committed adultery.
- I have made none to weep.
- I have not attacked any man.
- I have not shut my ears to the words of truth.
- I have not blasphemed.
- I am not a man of violence.
- I have wronged none, I have done no evil
The Egyptian Tombs:
Most tombs were built during the lifetime of the person it was meant for and a lot of effort was made in ensuring the best possible send off. The tombs were decorated with spells and ancient texts that originated from the Egyptian culture. This was meant to help in the transitioning of the soul to the underworld and help guide the soul to the afterlife.
The Weighing of the Heart Ritual:
To the Egyptians, the heart was the key to the afterlife, therefore, was considered the most important organ in the body. They believed it was the source of wisdom, emotion, and memory.
The “Weighing of the Heart” is a ritual where Osiris (the God of the afterlife) and a tribunal of 42 deities judged the behavior of the dead during their lifetime. Their heart was balanced on a golden scale against a white feather of the goddess Maat.
If the heart was lighter than the feather they would gain a place in “paradise”. If the heart weighed more than the feather, the Goddess Ammit (who had a crocodile head, and part leopard, part hippopotamus body) would be waiting by the scales next to Maat to devour their heart and soul. Their heart would not be considered worthy or pure enough to enter the afterlife.
After weighing the heart, the good received their heart and other spells that ensured it would remain with the body. The heart remained in the body during its embalming and was thought to be a vital part of the souls well being.
In modern terms, having a heart as light as a feather would mean you have lived a life that wasn’t full of negativity, guilt, shame and many other feelings associated with wrongdoings that would cause a heavy heart.
The Book Of The Dead:
The Book of the Dead is not an actual book, but a collection of spells, rituals, ancient text and prayers that are meant to help the deceased in the afterlife.
Here are 20 Ancient Egyptian Quotes from The Book Of The Dead and Egyptian Proverbs:
#1. “Those who live today will die tomorrow, those who die tomorrow will be born again; Those who live MAAT will not die.”
#2. “All things are possible. Who you are is limited by who you think you are.”
.#3. “Seek to perform your duties to your highest ability, this way your actions will be blameless.”
#4. “Do a good deed and throw it into the sea.”
#5. “Man, know yourself and you shalt know the Gods”.
#6. “There is no happiness for the soul in the external worlds since these are perishable, true happiness lies in that which is eternal, within us.”
#7. “If you marry a monkey for his wealth, the money goes and the monkey remains as is.”
#8. “Good habits result from resisting temptation. ”
#9. “There is no happiness for the soul in the external worlds since these are perishable, true happiness lies in that which is eternal, within us.”
#10. “All things are possible. Who you are is limited by who you think you are.”
#11.“My body is but wax and wick for a flame. When the candle burns out, the Light shines elsewhere.”
#12. “All things are possible. Who you are is limited by who you think you are.”
#13. “There is no happiness for the soul in the external worlds since these are perishable, true happiness lies in that which is eternal, within us.”
#14. “He who has bread and something to dip it in has the whole of happiness.”
#15. “To speak the name of the dead is to make him live again. ”
#16. “Experience will show you; a Master can only point the way. ”
#17. “The Universe is Mental, held in the mind of The ALL. The ALL is SPIRIT”
#18. “Man is separated into Soul and Body, and only when the two sides of his senses agree together, does utterance of its thought conceived by mind take place.”
#19. “Your body is the temple of knowledge.”
#20. “The kingdom of heaven is within you, and whosever shall know himself, shall find it.”
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading these Ancient Egyptian quotes. Don’t forget to share on social media and tell us your favorite quotes below.
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Emmy is the founder and content writer at woopdedo. With a background in the performing arts, she then had a career working on cruise ships, until she decided to return to NZ where she spends most of her time storytelling and freelance writing. You can contact her on the social media links below or visit the work with us page.
