The Ritual Hymns of Philae

A Ritual Recreation of The Eternal Return

On the walls of the great Temple of Isis at the Island of Philae there are inscriptions describing the King´s ritual procession through the temple. The purpose of this wandering, which was performed when a new King ascended the throne was to symbolically enact the Eternal Journey from birth through life to death and resurrection. These hymns celebrate the cosmic circle; the rise and fall of the Nile, the journey of the sun across the heaven and through the Underworld. When the King proceeds through the temple the cosmic circles are repeated on earth. Without this celebration Life would not be maintained. Everything in existence is returning back to the source from where it came, back to she who gives birth to the God, to Aset, the Giver of Life, Lady of Philae Hymns of Philae I The Beginning - The Conception In the innermost room in the birth house the conception is thought to take place, in the darkness, shielded from human eyes. The next hymn; The Birth, is also performed in the birth house, and at the same time as Horus is born, the whole land and even cosmos is reborn. The Conception The Sun God Re Brings His Son close to Thee Isis Giver of all Life Queen of the pure island the mistress Queen of Philae all protection, life and power be with him as with Re in eternity - - - I bring you the inundation of the Nile When that which is in Him goes forth divine nurturess of all lands so that the people of the temple may be in all this goodness The Birth He comes into being the god is born the King of Upper and Lower Egypt Horus, son of Isis Through his existence everything has begun When Horus is born, the sun begins to rise, for he is not only king of Egypt but he is also the manifestation of the sun on earth. The Light of Dawn The shadow of Re rises like the lotus bud The creator of the skies is created down on the earth The sky and the earth are filled with his beauty Every face is alivened by the ascendance of the god The lord of the stars is created at the horizon Re is standing next to Isis, carrying the newborn Horus and is speaking to him, identifying his son with himself and giving him the power over all cosmos. The Sun-god speaks Horus-Re speaks: I am the great god lord of the sky I am the one who radiates across the sky of the stars from the seat for the sunrise So that the two lands lightens up I see my son in her sanctuary The Great Speech of the Sungod The sungod Re speaks: The King of the Hours falcons the great god the honoured and foremost to his beloved son the great Horus the son of Osiris I am the god the young soul of Osiris who fills the whole land with the good power of the gods mother I am Horus who shows himself in glory on the throne of his father I am the lord over the nine gods - - - You receive the throne you are the lord of the two lands You unite that which was shattered You receive the united kingdom to bring down the power of Seth In your light You tke hold of Egypt you rule the desert all the way to the strange lands The strange peoples are taxed through their work The South lies beneath your terror The North lies beneath your fear The West and the East honour you Kamutef is honoured as the one who unites who carries the flail of power under his arm His altar of offering are greater than all gods - - - You rejoice like the lotus flower the gods protect you The high and the lowly rejoice before you The people of Nubia submit to your power - - - Isis identifies herself with the spouse of the king The Mother I am the great mother queen of the sky mistress of the gods - - - Hail thee venerable one who was born of his sister´s womb The white crown on his head is stable like his eartly possessions He radiates from his mother´s lap on the day of his birth On the sky the moon grows like the flower of the sky of stars on the day of the birth of Horus - - - The sun mistress the daughter of the lord of gods Spouse of the king who was pregnant and carried the good god who gave birth to the son Horus, the lord Isis, the great mother of gods queen of the mammissi The king has now been ritually born again and is leaving the birth house,the uterus of the goddess, and will proceed through the pylon portal to meet his people who waits for him at the outer court. Hymns of Philae II The King is Reborn The king has been born anew, at the same time as the sun rises above the horizon, the doors are opened, he leaves the birth house and proceeds through the pylon portal out into the outer courtyard, where his people greets him by prostrating themselves full on the ground. The King Appears The Living Horus wonderful child joy of love The primeval god Tatenen lets the two women of the people be born through the ka-womb Praise be to Khnum at the king´s appearance in glory as the living god of the bull in the crown of Upper Egypt Many celebrations are created to the honour of the primeval god Ptah-Tatenen father of the stars - - - The two women are the great power of the source of the eternal river He establishes laws like the great Thoth The Lord, master of the ancestors exists like Re in eternal joy The lord in the temple, king of Lower Egypt is made living and ruling by Osiris - - - The pylon was built for the sungoddess the mistress the lifegiving Isis queen of the pure island Queen of Philae and Abaton From glowing sandstone it is built Its height is wonderful its width marvellous Everything is used as it should It gives life and domination to the lord of the sun the lord of the two lands the hereditary god and lotus bud Ptah´s chosen one Son of Re, the master appears in glory Ptolemaios, beloved of Isis the eternal life The gods love what has been brought forth Through the work of hands the bread of eternal life is prepared "Two women" is one of Pharao´s titles, alluding to Nekhbet and Ouadjet. Abaton is the tomb of Osiris. Tatenen is the Primeval Mound. The next hymn is written on the walls in the pylon portal between the birth house and the outer court. At the same moment as the sun rises, the king steps through the doorway, again manifesting the sun on earth. The Sunrise The great god Edfu The lord of Mesen stands before the temple of Egypt The great sun disc rises in the sky He sees the Horus falcons which give life in all eternity Horus protects the gods in their sanctuaries The winged sun-disc shines over the two lands The goddesses comes to life at the sight of his radiance Horus of the abodes of the gods The gread god Edfu the lord of the sky the colourful feather steps forth in the temple court the place where the sun rises before the temple of Upper Egypt The Horus falcon that travels across the sky is the life of Ma´at All faces receives life in all eternity in his shapes the sun and the moon Horus-Re´s mighty shape makes his children flourishing in their temple The winged sundisc shines upon the heavenly abodes The great and powerful one in town and countryside Edfu is one of Pharao´s titles. Mesen was a city in Lower Egypt. Falcons were kept at Philae. They were manifestations of the absolute power of the king and of Horus as the falcon god. Between the great pylons there is a balcony where a living falcon was shown for the visitors. In the coming hymn Pharao is still walking around among his people. The Horus Falcon The great Horus stands on the temple facade The living ba of Re comes from the land of Punt He is the ruler until eternity The place where he appears is the window of the sunrise His ka is created a carrier of feathers with shifting colours so that the many are given life, health, prosperity While the king is appearing for the people on the outer court, we´ll move to the outside walls of the birth house... Hymns of Philae III A resumé of the celebrations of the King´s birthday can be read on the outside walls of the birth house: The Celebration of the King´s Birthday The Horus-Re of the river is praised on the second day of the inundation the great feast of the whole land This day the temple presents a true representation - - - Isis, the great mother of the god Queen of the birth house The venerable and powerful queen of Philae The hereditary mistress on the peak of the pure island The great sun goddess on the four parts of the sky Wife of kings The first one of the majesty Osiris Horus mother of kings the strong bull - - - The heaven is feasting the earth is created in turquoise the temple is like fayence The Horusfalcons pay tribute the goddesses are jubilant The humans rejoice at the lotus flower when they see this beautiful image - - - She who made Re the lord of the Two Lands, son of Re She finds the temple that includes the male Blessed by the one it carries that which is the pure image Her majesty accepts to become pregnant there on the day of celebration She gives the son to the land in its middle - - - He is rewarded with innumerable feasts on the throne of Horus the edge of the eternal lives There is a brilliant hymn to the god´s mother on the outside walls of the birth house. At Philae Isis and Hathor has merged together and are two aspects of the same goddess. Hymn to the God Mother We play tambourine for thee Queen of Abaton Isis giver of life queen of the land We praise your majesty rejoicing with life - - - You great Hathor queen of the land We play harp before your countenance mistress of the land Queen of the cities reigns over the land - - - We adore to the heights of heaven rejoice to the edge of the land Your hearts rejoice yourpower is gerat We whish persistency for life through the king´s sceptre After having moved among his people the king now goes back to his mother. Like the sun sets in the West, the king returns to the womb from where he came and to where all life must return. These words are written on the portal between the pylons: The King´s Death He walks around the fields four times He pours out the lifegiving waters of his father He plays his mother´s sistrum The king of Upper Egypt who has appeared in glory from the palace hall He goes to rest in the temple of the dying sun Hymns of Philae IV The Temple - Tomb and Body of Isis These words are inscribed on Nectanebo´s portal that is leading from the outer court into the inner court of the Isis temple. The temple is at the same time the body of Isis and the grave. The king is born out of that symbolical body and returns to it when he dies, to regain life for himself and for Egypt. The King Enters the Temple Tomb He hands out to his father the bread of light He lights incense and pours out the lifegiving water Before his father Osiris He hands out wine to his father He hands out Ma´at to his father who makes him lifegiving Performs the Royal Offering of food and drink The King Meets the Mother Son of Re, the lord appears in glory Comes with gifts to thee, Isis giver of life, queen of the birth house He brings you the members from the Holy Land He walks forth like the river from Bigge that hides the body well And the fields are fertilized The Holy Land is the Land of the Dead. Bigeh is an island close to Philae, where it was thought that Osiris was buried, thus the source of the Nile was believed to come from there. The members are the torn pieces of Osiris´body, which are now presented to Isis as an offering For each of the 24 hours of the day and night there is a god keping vigil, and now is the hour of Horus. It is being held in the Inner Courtyard in the temple. The Vigil This hour the way to the grave is opened The sun shines on the grave of light Horus of the gods keeps vigil He of action watches over Osiris in this hour The watching god rises up the eldes son of the heavenly portal He goes forth in joy in the beginning of your way of prosperity Through you the sealed vessel of the mother be revealed to the gods and to the humans The king now enters the inner sanctuary, where he meets the mother. Hymns of Philae V Inside the Tomb The lord of the Two Lands the powerful ka of Re, Amun the beloved The lord appears in glory the giver of life, the joy of everything and gives holy gifts to his mother Isis The Mother of God Answers Her Son I give you all life and all power Isis giver of life, all life that exists in the middle of Abaton I give you all life and all power All health and all joy All lands and all foreign countries that lies beneath your feet forever The king now brings the water of life from the tomb of Osiris which is located on the island of Bigeh close by Philae. By this water Isis is fertilzied so that she once again can give birth to the king. The sun can begin its journey once again across the sky. The Water of Life The good god lord of the Two Lands Son of Re, the lord who appeared in glory The giver of all life in eternity - - - The son of Re is coming he who belongs to Isis He brings this water to Isis which comes from the source of the Nile She who gives life in eternity Isis giver of life who exists in the middle of Abaton She the pure god of the Nile who makes all people alive at the creation of the power of life of the green which gives divine bread of offering to the gods Queen of the heaven who exists in the offering room of the sunborn She makes love with the lord of the Underworld her son who is the lord of the land She is fertilized with the pure water of the Nile and conceives at the source of the Nile When the time is right she carries the living image of the heavenly land of dawn Through her we are created the creation of her heart which her hands have brought forth at this the place of beginnings Through her together with her son Horus and her brother Osiris Isis´ Gift to the King I give you the power of heaven and creation I give you all of the land and all lands I give you power from the father of the land Isis the Great Mother of God Queen of Philae Queen of heaven mistress of all gods The King is now turning towards his father Osiris: Hymns of Philae VI Awakening Osiris The Deceased Osiris Receives the Tomb, the Ointment and the Linen bandaging The Son of Re comes close to thee his father Osiris he who is wonderful He brings you this holy room as his protection in eternity The King of Upper and Lower Egypt is coming The powerful ka of Re, Amun the beloved close to thee Osiris He brings you the oil that comes from Punt his joy is your eternal scent The lord is coming Appeared in glory close to thee Osiris You carry your enemies which you have slayed The pure Horus who is the foremost in eternity Osiris is then given new life from his son under the protection of Isis: The Giving of Life I give you the lifetime the sun of the heaven Osiris the good god the great god Lord of Abaton the water of Philae Hymns of Philae VII After having been given the power of giving life from his mother Isis, the Giver of Life herself, the King restores life to his dead father Osiris. Thus is Horus and Osiris, the Father and the Son of the same being. The Eternal Return has once again been manifested and Existence can continue. The Father-Son The living god The wonderful and the healing Appears in glory in the temple Plenty of bread is raised for the coming into being The lord who appeared in glory King Ptolemaios Osiris the wonderful and the loved The king now proceeds once more to the Outer Court where the people has been waiting while the rituals have been performed. Surrounded by high members of the court and the priesthood he receives the grateful worship of all. To them he is the Living God, without whom their existence was unthinkable. To them it was neccessary that these rites be performed, otherwize Ma´at would collapse and all life including the Two Lands would be destroyed. Equally, a life without continuous devotion to the gods was unthinkable. They did not call it religion, for they did not separate religious thinking or activites from their daily chores. The gods were ever present, in any human activity, and in any facet of Nature.