Burial practices of royals included the use of prayers and spells found in Egyptian literature. The worshiping of gods was also essential for those wishing to obtain eternal life. Lastly, decoration of the tombs and coffins was a vital tradition.
Life After Death - The Feather of Maat
The transition into the afterlife was not an easy process. Many factors came into play for an individual who hoped to obtain eternal life. One of which is the heart, a very important physical part of a pharaohs body. According to the Egyptians, the heart is where the soul, spirit, personality and essence of a person resided. This is why the heart is such a significant element for successful entry into the afterlife. The heart is used to see if a person has led a just life. If a pharaoh wishes to be granted eternal life, he must first have his heart weighed on a scale against the feather of Maat. If the scale is balanced then he has led a good life, if his heart is heavier then the feather, the pharaoh has forfeited his afterlife. Clearly, the value of this event was recognized as it is commonly depicted in royal tombs.
Burial Chamber Decor
Decoration in royal tombs took on many forms throughout ancient Egyptian times. It defiantly did not remain static, but some scenes, like the one discussed above, were standard. Most of the time it was funerary books that inspired decoration, but Egyptian beliefs also shaped the architecture of tombs. It was very common for tomb designs to represent the path through the underworld, a journey the pharaoh must make in order to reach the afterlife. King Tutankhamen is one of the most well-known ancient rulers. His tomb is an excellent example of what burial customs were like during his time in Egypt. Tutankhamen had the walls of his tomb inscribed and sculptures made with relevant information about the afterlife. For example, there is a sculpture of the God Nefertem shown emerging from a lotus. This ties into the Egyptian belief of resurrection, because the blue lotus rises from the water as the sun rises in the sky, then when the sun is at its strongest point, the petals open and finally as the sun sets the lotus closes up and sinks.
Coffins
There were some trends that both non-royals and royals shared. At the start of the New Kingdom rectangular coffins were being used by both royal and non-royal people. The difference was in the material. Though the shape was the same, royals used the more expensive material of stone, while others used wood to construct their coffins. Another difference lay in the styling. Decoration of the coffin become very important because it housed the deceased. Non-royals had decoration, but nothing like a pharaoh’s coffin would have had. In fact, royal coffins were decorated exquisitely with carvings that were inlaid with gold, glass or semi-precious stones. Tutankhamen was able to proclaim his royal, wealthy status through the creation of his innermost coffin which was entirely gold.
Burial Practices and Beliefs
Death, or preparation for it, was so important to Egyptians wither royal or not. It is clear though that the ideas written in Egyptian books were taken very seriously. This is why they were depicted in tombs, as well as on coffins. They took their religion seriously, worshiping their gods and preparing for the next chapter of their lives. However in the end, what mattered most, whether royal or not, a person must prove his righteousness to get his ticket to eternal life.
Sources;
Ikram, Salima. “Death and Burial in Ancient Egypt”. (London: Longman) 2003.
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