Daily Life in Ancient Egypt (Mehenkwetre
Tomb continued - Page 3)
500
Years Before Tutankhamen - Models Made in this World to Work
in the Next
by Donald A. Mackenzie
him by his workers. That was why the custom arose in Middle Kingdom
times, when Egyptian society was growing complex, of placing these
quaint statuettes of workers and domestic animals and models of
boats and houses in the tombs.
The earlier figures of servants were shaped like mummies, and
on their breasts were inscribed powerful charms, supplied for a
price by the priests, to make the soul of the servant obey the
soul of the master in Paradise. A characteristic charm of this
kind reads as follows:
"0 statuette, counted for me, Ra-hotep (the lord), if I am
called upon, if I am ordered to do any work which has to be done
in the Otherworld, thou shalt act for me at all times, thou shalt
cultivate the fields, thou shalt draw water, thou shalt remove
the sand from water channels. When I am called upon thou shalt
respond, 'Here am I."
The
Fatted Calf Being Killed for the Table of Mehkwertre
This is a nearer view of the slaughter-house shown on a subsequent
page. The scene is grimly realistic to its smallest detail,
and the butcher already has his knife at the throat of the
beast
in the centre. Trussed up in a thoroughly business-like manner
for slaughter. The two men in the corner are engaged in making
blood puddings. The modernity of this model is truly amazing.
Charms of like character were also written in the "Book of
the Dead" under the title, "Chapter for Causing the Ushabti
to do the Work of a Man in the Otherworld."
AS SEEN FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER FOUR THOUSAND YEARS
A
remarkable photograph taken actually inside the tomb of
Mehenkwetre, and showing- just as they were found- some
of the wonderful statuettes and model boats with their
crews,
with which the Egyptian nobleman had furnished his tomb.
His purpose in doing this was that he might not lack for
servants
in the Otherworld, the making of a material model being
supposed to create its spirit equivalent in the spirit
world. |
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Once the fashion of placing these little figures
of servants in tombs was introduced, it became very popular. As
time went on the number of Ushabtis increased, and the idea that
they were substitutes for their masters gradually died out.The
lords no longer feared that they themselves
would be called upon to do any work. Their chief concern was to make provision
for their own comfort as they had done during life. Some lords had placed in
their tombs one figure for each day of the year, so as to be assured of constant
personal service.
The later and richer lords, who lived in grander
style than did their ancestors, made more and more elaborate provision
for their personal
comfort in the Otherworld. The tombs were then furnished with numerous statuettes,
and, in addition, with wall pictures, depicting scenes of life, so that these
might be repeated in Paradise.
The inscriptions also increased in length and number. Some inscriptions
gave orders to employees. Others were really "guide-books," which
instructed the lords how to reach the Otherworld.
One cannot help wondering at these ancient Egyptian ideas about
making provision for the dead and providing statuettes to solve
the servant problem in Paradise. At the same time, one cannot but
be impressed by the
high degree of affection which the
burial customs reveal.
continued...
Page 3 of 8  
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