Duat

Duat


 * Other Names:**

//Tuat//, //Akert, Amenthes//, //Amenti, Amenta,// //Neter-khertet//


 * Hieroglyphics:**



The ancient Egyptians believed that when they died, if they had lived morally and in accordance with the 42 Egyptian Commandments of Ma'at, then they would be allowed to travel through the //Duat// to the eternal paradise of //Sehet Aaru.// The //Duat// was the dark underworld where the sun-god Ra traveled on his barque for the twelve hours of the night. Traveling from west to east, the solar barque brought light and revitalization to the deceased, and the gods battled the great serpent Apophis. The most famous scene from the discussions of the //Duat// is the Weighing of the Heart. Only the hearts that were not weighed down by sin were allowed to start the long and perilous journey through the //Duat//.

The //Duat// was a long, dark, and winding path containing a series of gates through which the deceased had to pass. The exact number of gates varies according to sources; some say fifteen, some twenty-one. These gates were guarded by terrible demons armed with knives - the deceased would have to name each guardian and use special phrases in order to pass though. The deceased would also meet a ferryman with his head turned back-to-front and have to overcome a lake of fire, a wall of iron, and a giant fishing net. To help overcome these obstacles, the deceased were equipped with magical amulets and their Book of the Dead, which contained magical spells, passwords, and blessings from the gods.

Various spells enabled the deceased to turn into a falcon, heron, swallow, lotus flower, fish, cobra, cat, and crocodile in order to fly over or swim through obstacles, or fight off opponents. The ease of travel depended on the life one had lived - those who had lived moral lives were offered food, drink, and barques by magical beings, and were guided and protected by the gods in the form of helpful animals.

Important Terminology