The Coffin Texts of Ancient Egypt - Spell 15

Selected sources: B1P; B2Bo; B3Bo; B4Bo; B4C; B6C; B15C; MC105; S10C; T2C; T9C

O true⁽¹⁾ seed⁽²⁾ of the Bull⁽³⁾,
pull of the Bull's⁽³⁾ bonds.

Version 1⁽⁴⁾
Appear
    so that he may give orders
        against those foes of his, male or female,
            who revile this NN or
            (who) do anything evil against NN.

Version 2⁽⁵⁾
Neith⁽⁶⁾ appaers
    against that evil word.
Neith appaers
    against that evil power.
Neith appaers
    to remove⁽⁷⁾ them for this NN.
Neith appears
    to repel⁽⁸⁾ them for this NN.

Horus has crossed over from Heliopolis⁽⁹⁾
    telling(?) his father(?),
        who is the foremost of the Tjenenet⁽¹⁰⁾,

Fig. 1 Statue of the goddess Neith,
from the Late Period
(New York, Metropolitan Museum,
Acc.-Nr. 26.7.846)

Notes

1. Most sources have the abbreviation zp-2 "two times" (Wb 3, 437.1-8).
2. The root of the word used here is bn(n) - beget (Wb 1, 460.6; FCD 82 f.).
3. "The Bull" is written with the God-sign. Osiris is probably meant here, with Horus being his "seed".
4. Sources: B1P; B2Bo; B3Bo; B4Bo; B6C; B15C.
5. Sources: S10C. B4C, MC105, T2C, and T9C mix up both versions. Translation follows S10C.
6. Neith is one of the earliest attested goddesses of Egypt. She is depicted as a woman wearing the red crown of Lower Egypt, with two arrows crossed over a shield as her symbol. She was worshipped throughout Egyptian history as a goddess of war, creator goddess, mother goddess, goddess of Lower Egypt and goddess of the dead. Her cult centre was the town of Sais in Lower Egypt, for archaological work done there, see this website.
   As the goddess of weaving Neith is also responsible for producing the mummy bandages. For Neith as protectress of the dead, see J. Assmann, Neith spricht als Mutter und Sarg, in: MDAIK 28.2, 1973, 115-139.
7. Unclear, maybe srwj (Wb 4, 193.9-12; FCD 235), but written with the Gardiner sign A19.
8. Faulkner assumes the verb dr - "to repel, remove" (Wb 5, 473.1-474.12) for the written rDj - "to give" or "to hand (them) over"? (Wb 2, 464.1-468.11).
9. The city of the Sun(god), for archaeological work done there, see this website and the post from July 2017 on this blog.
10. A sanctuary at Memphis and also a region of the Netherworld.

Bibliography

A. de Buck, The Egyptian Coffin Texts I-VIII, OIP 34, 49, 64, 67, 73, 81, 87, 132 (1935-1961).
L. H. Lesko, Index of Spells on Egyptian Middle Kingdom Coffins and Related Documents (Berkeley 1979).
H. Willems (ed.), The World of the Coffin Texts. Proceedings of the Symposium held on the Occasion of the 100th Birthday of Adriaan de Buck, Leiden december 17–19, 1992, EU 9 (Leiden 1996)
R. van der Molen, A Hieroglyphic Dictionary of Egyptian Coffin Texts, PÄ 15 (Leiden / Boston / Köln 2000).
J. Assmann, Totenliturgien in den Sargtexten des Mittleren Reichs. Altägyptische Totenliturgien 1, Supplemente zu den Schriften der Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Philosophisch-Historische Klasse 14 (Heidelberg 2002).
L. Gestermann, Die Überlieferung ausgewählter Texte altägyptischer Totenliteratur („Sargtexte“) in spätzeitlichen Grabanlagen, ÄA 68 (Wiesbaden 2005).
R. O. Faulkner, The Ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts. Spells 1-1185 (Oxford 2007). 

The Coffin Texts of Ancient Egypt - Spell 14

Selected sources: B1P; B2Bo; B3Bo; B4Bo; B4C; B6C; B15C; MC105; S10C; T2C

Go forth from the quarrel indubitably⁽¹⁾.
It was Horus⁽²⁾

who went forth from the quarrel indubitably⁽³⁾.

Keep away⁽⁴⁾ from this NN,

o you, who is far from this NN.

Do not approach⁽⁵⁾ this NN,

o you, who approaches⁽⁵⁾ this NN.

This NN, he will judge the Imeref⁽⁶⁾ in Heliopolis⁽⁷⁾.

Notes

1. All sources have the abbreviation zp-2 "two times" (Wb 3, 437.1-8) except T2C.
2. B4C and S10C have "You are Horus".
3. Zp-2 (Wb 3, 437.1-8) is only written in B4C and S10C where the deceased is identified with Horus.
4. Old perfective referencing "quarrel"?
5. For this verb, see also the "Travels of Herkhuf", Urk. I, 121,2.
6. Name of a god meaning "he wants", perhaps Seth? (Van der Molen, Dictionary of Coffin Texts, 37; LGG III, 334).
7. The city of the Sun(god), for archaeological work done there, see this website and the post from July 2017 on this blog.

Bibliography

A. de Buck, The Egyptian Coffin Texts I-VIII, OIP 34, 49, 64, 67, 73, 81, 87, 132 (1935-1961).
L. H. Lesko, Index of Spells on Egyptian Middle Kingdom Coffins and Related Documents (Berkeley 1979).
H. Willems (ed.), The World of the Coffin Texts. Proceedings of the Symposium held on the Occasion of the 100th Birthday of Adriaan de Buck, Leiden december 17–19, 1992, EU 9 (Leiden 1996)
R. van der Molen, A Hieroglyphic Dictionary of Egyptian Coffin Texts, PÄ 15 (Leiden / Boston / Köln 2000).
J. Assmann, Totenliturgien in den Sargtexten des Mittleren Reichs. Altägyptische Totenliturgien 1, Supplemente zu den Schriften der Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Philosophisch-Historische Klasse 14 (Heidelberg 2002).
L. Gestermann, Die Überlieferung ausgewählter Texte altägyptischer Totenliteratur („Sargtexte“) in spätzeitlichen Grabanlagen, ÄA 68 (Wiesbaden 2005).
R. O. Faulkner, The Ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts. Spells 1-1185 (Oxford 2007). 

The Coffin Texts of Ancient Egypt - Spell 13

Selected sources: B1P; B2Bo; B3Bo; B4Bo; B4C; B6C; B15C; MC105; S10C; T2C


TO BE RECITED:
SPELLS FOR CAUSING A SPIRIT'S TOMB⁽¹⁾ TO FLOURISH IN THE NECROPOLIS (AND)
A SPELL FOR OPENING THE SEPULCHRE⁽²⁾ FOR THE KA OF THE BLESSED NN⁽³⁾

O NN⁽⁴⁾,
you went forth⁽⁵⁾

from your house,
from your seat,
from every place where you have been,

as Horus went forth⁽⁶⁾ vindicated,

when he⁽⁷⁾ inherited the inheritance⁽⁸⁾ and
when he⁽⁷⁾ acquired power⁽⁸⁾.

Go forth vindicated

from the presence of the Tribunal of the gods of Pe⁽⁹⁾, Dep⁽¹⁰⁾, and Heliopolis⁽¹¹⁾,

like Horus went forth vindicated against Seth⁽¹²⁾

from the presence of the Tribunal of the Lord of Weariness⁽¹³⁾.

Notes

1. The word for tomb used here is jz (Wb 1, 126.18-24).
2. The word HA.t (Wb 3, 12.19-21; FCD 160) is used here.
3. The title of the spell is only preserved in T2C.
4. B1P, B3Bo, B4Bo, B6C, and B15C add the Dem.Pron. sg.m./f (pn/tn) after the name.
5. The coffin MC105 renders this in the 3rd person sg.: "NN went forth".
6. Written only in B6C. All other sources shorten this to "as Horus was vindicated".
7. B4C renders this in the 2nd person sg. in reference to the deceased.
8. The original texts use adnominations here, once with the root jwa - inherit (Wb 1, 50.8-10), and the other with the root xps - to seize something with force (Wb 3, 270.8). The inscription on T2C ends here.
9. Ancient name for one of the two districts of the old royal capital Buto, modern Tell el-Fara'in, located in the Delta. See this website for the archaeological work done there
10. Ancient name for the other district of the old royal capital Buto.
11. The city of the Sun(god), for archaeological work done there, see this website and the post from July 2017 on this blog.
12. The god of the desert, mighty warrior, powerful sorcerer and protector of the sun bark. Also competing with Horus for the throne of Egypt (see spell 7 of the Coffin Texts). For a study of this myth from Egyptian and classical sources, see J. Gwyn Griffiths, The Conflict of Horus and Seth (Liverpool 1960).
13. The Lord of Weariness, probably Osiris.

Bibliography

A. de Buck, The Egyptian Coffin Texts I-VIII, OIP 34, 49, 64, 67, 73, 81, 87, 132 (1935-1961).
L. H. Lesko, Index of Spells on Egyptian Middle Kingdom Coffins and Related Documents (Berkeley 1979).
H. Willems (ed.), The World of the Coffin Texts. Proceedings of the Symposium held on the Occasion of the 100th Birthday of Adriaan de Buck, Leiden december 17–19, 1992, EU 9 (Leiden 1996)
R. van der Molen, A Hieroglyphic Dictionary of Egyptian Coffin Texts, PÄ 15 (Leiden / Boston / Köln 2000).
J. Assmann, Totenliturgien in den Sargtexten des Mittleren Reichs. Altägyptische Totenliturgien 1, Supplemente zu den Schriften der Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Philosophisch-Historische Klasse 14 (Heidelberg 2002).
L. Gestermann, Die Überlieferung ausgewählter Texte altägyptischer Totenliteratur („Sargtexte“) in spätzeitlichen Grabanlagen, ÄA 68 (Wiesbaden 2005).
R. O. Faulkner, The Ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts. Spells 1-1185 (Oxford 2007). 

The Coffin Texts of Ancient Egypt - Spell 12

Selected sources: B1P; B2Bo; B3Bo; B4Bo; B4C; B6C; B15C; S10C; T2C; T9C

O NN,
you went⁽¹⁾ forth

being great and mighty

as Re went forth

being great and mighty on the east side of the sky⁽²⁾.

The gods

who spoke on behalf of Horus and

who overthrew Seth⁽³⁾ for him,

they shall speak on behalf of this NN and
they shall overthrow his foes for him and

those who would injure him,

those who hate [him] and

those who would have judgement [against him] on this day⁽⁴⁾.

Notes

1. Faulkner interprets the pr.n=k as an imperative.
2. When the sun (= Re) rises.
3. T9C substitutes "his foes who hate him" for Seth. Horus and Seth are struggling for the throne of Egypt - the topic of one of the oldest and most important myths of ancient Egypt, already attested in the Pyramid Texts; for a study on this myth from Egyptian and classical sources, see J. Gwyn Griffiths, The Conflict of Horus and Seth (Liverpool 1960). See also Coffin Text Spell 7 for the battle and the tribunal involving the two gods.
4. The last three verses only in T2C and with slight changes in S10C and T9C.

Bibliography

A. de Buck, The Egyptian Coffin Texts I-VIII, OIP 34, 49, 64, 67, 73, 81, 87, 132 (1935-1961).
L. H. Lesko, Index of Spells on Egyptian Middle Kingdom Coffins and Related Documents (Berkeley 1979).
H. Willems (ed.), The World of the Coffin Texts. Proceedings of the Symposium held on the Occasion of the 100th Birthday of Adriaan de Buck, Leiden december 17–19, 1992, EU 9 (Leiden 1996)
R. van der Molen, A Hieroglyphic Dictionary of Egyptian Coffin Texts, PÄ 15 (Leiden / Boston / Köln 2000).
J. Assmann, Totenliturgien in den Sargtexten des Mittleren Reichs. Altägyptische Totenliturgien 1, Supplemente zu den Schriften der Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Philosophisch-Historische Klasse 14 (Heidelberg 2002).
L. Gestermann, Die Überlieferung ausgewählter Texte altägyptischer Totenliteratur („Sargtexte“) in spätzeitlichen Grabanlagen, ÄA 68 (Wiesbaden 2005).
R. O. Faulkner, The Ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts. Spells 1-1185 (Oxford 2007). 

The Coffin Texts of Ancient Egypt - Spell 11

Selected sources: B1P; B2Bo; B3Bo; B4Bo; B4C; B6C; T9C

You came, you came,

when you brought the "inner self"(?)⁽¹⁾.

— So says I.

You came, you came,

when you brought the great "inner self"(?)⁽¹⁾.

Encompass this NN, you gods⁽²⁾!
Do his bidding!⁽³⁾
Give him praise, you gods!
Come, you gods,

that you may see him,

        coming forth in peace⁽⁴⁾ and

        being vindicated against his foes.

He⁽⁵⁾ took possession of the White Crown.
He⁽⁵⁾ steered(?)⁽⁶⁾ the thrones of Geb, and
He took away and destroyed the other.

Notes

1. Written tw with the seated god sign in almost all sources. Only B1P has twt. Faulkner believes this to be an error for twt - statue, image (Wb 5, 255.8-256.20). T9C has "the inner self(?) of NN" and later "his great inner self(?)". B4C changes the phrase to "you came today of creating the "inner self"(?)". The meaning remains obscure.
2. "You gods" here is only written in T9C.
3. Omitted in all sources but B2-4Bo.
4. T9C changes this to "coming forth in the sight of his eye".
5. T9C has "This NN".
6. The word used here is xnt - "to sail southward/upstream" (Wb 3, 309.3-22) with the thrones of Geb as object. The grammar here is tricky and xnt is not used elsewhere with this meaning. 

Bibliography

A. de Buck, The Egyptian Coffin Texts I-VIII, OIP 34, 49, 64, 67, 73, 81, 87, 132 (1935-1961).
L. H. Lesko, Index of Spells on Egyptian Middle Kingdom Coffins and Related Documents (Berkeley 1979).
H. Willems (ed.), The World of the Coffin Texts. Proceedings of the Symposium held on the Occasion of the 100th Birthday of Adriaan de Buck, Leiden december 17–19, 1992, EU 9 (Leiden 1996)
R. van der Molen, A Hieroglyphic Dictionary of Egyptian Coffin Texts, PÄ 15 (Leiden / Boston / Köln 2000).
J. Assmann, Totenliturgien in den Sargtexten des Mittleren Reichs. Altägyptische Totenliturgien 1, Supplemente zu den Schriften der Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Philosophisch-Historische Klasse 14 (Heidelberg 2002).
L. Gestermann, Die Überlieferung ausgewählter Texte altägyptischer Totenliteratur („Sargtexte“) in spätzeitlichen Grabanlagen, ÄA 68 (Wiesbaden 2005).
R. O. Faulkner, The Ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts. Spells 1-1185 (Oxford 2007). 

The Coffin Texts of Ancient Egypt - Spell 10

Selected sources: B1P; B2Bo; B3Bo; B4Bo; B4C; B6C; S10C; T9C

Ho NN!
The door leaves are separated⁽¹⁾ for you by Seshat⁽²⁾,
Fair paths are opened up for you by Wepwawet⁽³⁾,

There is no god

who turned himself about

         concerning what he has said.⁽⁴⁾

Thus he spoke:

NN is vindicated

         against his foes, male or female, and

         against those who would have judgement against him on this day.

Fig. 1 The goddess Seshat with
her symbol on her head recording
the years of Ramesses' II reign
(from the king's statue
in Luxor temple)
 

Notes

1. wDa - to separate; to judge; to appoint (Wb 1, 404.3-406.12).
2. The goddess of scripts and record keeping, known since early dynastic times. She oversees the archives and libraries, documents a king's official names and records the years of his reign. As the one who lays out the foundations of temples and other important buildings she became the protector of builders and architects (Pyr. 616). Her symbol looks like a seven-pointed flower or star under a bow or pair of horns (Fig. 1). She is sometimes seen wearing the skin of a leopard, a garment also used by priests.
3. A jackal- or wolf-headed god originally connected to war and battle, but also associated with death and the netherworld. His name means "opener of ways". His cult centre was in Asyut in Upper Egypt (called Lycopolis in the Greco-Roman period). For the work done there by an Egyptian-German joint-mission, see this page and for the British Museum project, see here.
4. Meaning no god has changed his opinion on the rightful vindication of the deceased

Bibliography

A. de Buck, The Egyptian Coffin Texts I-VIII, OIP 34, 49, 64, 67, 73, 81, 87, 132 (1935-1961).
L. H. Lesko, Index of Spells on Egyptian Middle Kingdom Coffins and Related Documents (Berkeley 1979).
H. Willems (ed.), The World of the Coffin Texts. Proceedings of the Symposium held on the Occasion of the 100th Birthday of Adriaan de Buck, Leiden december 17–19, 1992, EU 9 (Leiden 1996)
R. van der Molen, A Hieroglyphic Dictionary of Egyptian Coffin Texts, PÄ 15 (Leiden / Boston / Köln 2000).
J. Assmann, Totenliturgien in den Sargtexten des Mittleren Reichs. Altägyptische Totenliturgien 1, Supplemente zu den Schriften der Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Philosophisch-Historische Klasse 14 (Heidelberg 2002).
L. Gestermann, Die Überlieferung ausgewählter Texte altägyptischer Totenliteratur („Sargtexte“) in spätzeitlichen Grabanlagen, ÄA 68 (Wiesbaden 2005).
R. O. Faulkner, The Ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts. Spells 1-1185 (Oxford 2007). 

The Coffin Texts of Ancient Egypt - Spell 9

Selected sources: B1P; B2Bo; B3Bo; B4Bo; B4C; B6C; S10C; T1L; T9C

HAIL TO THOTH AND HIS TRIBUNAL!⁽¹⁾

Hail to you, o THOTH⁽²⁾,

in whom is the peace of the gods,⁽³⁾

And (hail) to all the gods of the Tribunal

who are with you!

May you command

that they come forth at the approach of NN (and)

that they hear all the good he has to say⁽⁴⁾ on this day,

        because⁽⁵⁾ his⁽⁶⁾ is this feather⁽⁷⁾

                which arose in God's land,

                which OSIRIS brought to HORUS⁽⁸⁾,

                that he might set it on his head as a reward⁽⁹⁾,

                        being vindicated against his foes, male and female.⁽¹⁰⁾

It was he⁽¹¹⁾

who tore off⁽¹²⁾ the testicles of SETH⁽¹³⁾,

who neither perished

            nor died⁽¹⁴⁾.

You are that star there,

born of the West⁽¹⁵⁾

which neither perished⁽¹⁶⁾

            nor was annihilated as his son.

This NN shall neither perish

            nor be annihilated,

And no evil impediment shall be imposed against NN!

— So says ATUM⁽¹⁷⁾!

As for anything evil

which they may say or do against NN in the presence of GEB⁽¹⁸⁾,

they are against it and
they will be against it.

— that is what they say.⁽¹⁹⁾

Notes

1. The title of the spell is only given in B2Bo.
2. The ibis-headed god of science, writing and the moon, the deputy of the sun god and clerk to the council of gods. For his role as peace-keeper and mediator, see already spell 7.
3. B2Bo omits this verse.
4. S10C and T9C change this to mdw NN - "the words of NN".
5. n.tjt or Hr-n.tjt (Wb 2, 355.2-3) in S10C and T9C.
6. Written as such in B1P; B4C. T9C changes it to the name of the deceased, S10C has Osiris without a name. B2-4Bo and B6C instead have the snd. sg. refering to Thoth as the owner of the (Maat-)feather.
7. For the feather, see already spell 6 and 8.
8. S10C and T9C add "for his son Horus".
9. B4C; S10C and T9C add "as a reward of his vindication".
10. B4C; S10C and T9C obviously omit this.
11. Horus. T1L starts the spell here and omits everything written before that.
12. afA (Meeks, AL 78.0702; FCD 42).
13. The god of the desert, mighty warrior, powerful sorcerer and protector of the sun bark. Also competing with Horus for the throne of Egypt (spell 7). While Seth mutilates the eye of Horus during their fight, Horus tears of the testicles of Seth (Pyr. 535a-b; 594a). Thot also loses his arm (Pyr. 535c). For a study of this myth from Egyptian and classical sources, see J. Gwyn Griffiths, The Conflict of Horus and Seth (Liverpool 1960).
14. Several sources add "as his son".
15. B6C adds "the beautiful west".
16. B1P; B4C and B6C have "which does not tire". Both versions allude to the circumpolar stars who never rise or set.
17. The primeval creator god.
18. The god of Earth, father and predecessor of Osiris on the Egyptian throne. He is also one of the gods presiding over the Tribunal in Heliopolis and judges Horus and Seth over the succession.
19. Omitted in all texts but S10C and T9C.

Bibliography

A. de Buck, The Egyptian Coffin Texts I-VIII, OIP 34, 49, 64, 67, 73, 81, 87, 132 (1935-1961).
L. H. Lesko, Index of Spells on Egyptian Middle Kingdom Coffins and Related Documents (Berkeley 1979).
H. Willems (ed.), The World of the Coffin Texts. Proceedings of the Symposium held on the Occasion of the 100th Birthday of Adriaan de Buck, Leiden december 17–19, 1992, EU 9 (Leiden 1996)
R. van der Molen, A Hieroglyphic Dictionary of Egyptian Coffin Texts, PÄ 15 (Leiden / Boston / Köln 2000).
J. Assmann, Totenliturgien in den Sargtexten des Mittleren Reichs. Altägyptische Totenliturgien 1, Supplemente zu den Schriften der Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Philosophisch-Historische Klasse 14 (Heidelberg 2002).
L. Gestermann, Die Überlieferung ausgewählter Texte altägyptischer Totenliteratur („Sargtexte“) in spätzeitlichen Grabanlagen, ÄA 68 (Wiesbaden 2005).
R. O. Faulkner, The Ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts. Spells 1-1185 (Oxford 2007).