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Underworlds Live in Leeds
Dark Arches, River Aire: Underground Nile
Leeds City Station rests on these massive red-brick groined vaults, built 1864-69. At the
time Dark Arches was one of the largest brick-built structures in the world.
The turbulence seen from the cast iron bridge (c.1900) over the River Aire is caused by
a sharp south turn at the ancient weir, which is called the „High Dam‟ and is visible from
Princes‟ Square.
By day the Egyptian Sun god (Ra)
sails across the sky in his solar
boat. At sunset he enters the
Underworld as the dead sun (Auf)
and sails on the Underground Nile
through the 12 hours of the night.
In the 4th hour (left) his boat sails
through a sandy desert region and
is towed along a zigzag
4th hour: burial chamber underground watercourse. In the 7th hour: blessed souls guard Ra.
of Tuthmosis III, Valley 6th hour Ra begins to regenerate, a process which involves
of the Kings, c.1450BC. immersion in water in the 10th and 11th hours. During the 10th hour
the god Horus leads drowned men to a blessed afterlife, reassuring
the families of those whose bodies could not receive burial. In the
12th hour Ra is reborn on the eastern horizon as the new day's sun
(Khephri). After death every Pharaoh participates in this eternal
cycle, being buried with a solar boat that enables him to journey to
the Underworld and through the Sky. Spell 100 in the Book of the
Dead assures the deceased that he can travel in the sun-god‟s boat
“to any place where he would wish to be”.
Spell 59 in the Book of the Dead, which lets the Ba („soul‟) breathe
the air and have power over water, talks of the solar boat:
“„Assembler of souls‟ is the name of my ferry-boat. „Those who make
the hair bristle‟ is the name of the oars. „Goad‟ is the name of the
hold. „Steering straight in the middle‟ is the name of the rudder; [the Solar Boat of Cheops
boat] is a sign of my being borne onward over the lake.” 43m, c.2560BC, Solar
Pilgrimages were made Boat Museum, Giza.
by boat to Abydos, where Osiris (god of the
dead) lived. Celebrating his death and
resurrection ensured eternal life. Those who
could not go in life could still benefit after
death by having picture or model boats in
their tomb, like Meketre (left: from MMA 1101,
western Thebes, c.1981-1975BC).
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Underworlds Live in Leeds
Mandela Gardens: Celestial Waters (Akeb)
Since Roman times obelisks from Egypt have adorned major cities
like Rome, Istanbul, London, Paris and New York. Leeds‟ obelisks
are many, small scale, and homemade – how many can you find?
E. Vincent Harris, architect of the Civic Hall (1931-33), based the
shape of the towers on obelisks and used them as decoration.
John Thorpe (Civic Architect) added Portland Stone obelisks
topped with gilded owls to Millennium Square (1999-2000).
Obelisks are royal monuments to the sun-god, Ra, and represent
his first appearance from the primordial flood waters (Nu) at the
creation of the world. His rays caused a pyramid-shaped mound (a
ben-ben) to form, which was the home of Atum: the creator god
associated with the setting sun. Atum lifts the dead Pharaoh‟s soul
from the pyramid into the starry heavens.
Hence, Egyptian stars, like humans,
have five „points‟ and the ben-ben is
associated with death and rebirth in the
afterlife. The ben-ben at the top of
pyramids and obelisks was gilded.
Right: Ceremonies in progress before a tomb
with a pyramidal roof and ben-ben. Painted
papyrus, c.1280BC, British Museum.
Far right: Top of Hapshetsut‟s northern 323
ton, 29.5m high, granite obelisk at Karnak,
c.1464BC. Bottom left: 1.7m Ka figure of
King Hor, c.1720BC, Cairo Museum.
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Nesyamun (‘Servant of Amun’)
As the priest of the sun-god (Amun) at Karnak, I am
intimately familiar with the sun-god’s ability to die each
night and be born again each morning and to confer
that ability to regenerate on all those who worship him.
In order to be reborn as an immortal and live with the gods in the
Field of Reeds (Sekhet Iaru) it is necessary to preserve all five
aspects of the human-being during the journey through the
Underworld (Duat) and for all time. After my death I was mummified
to preserve my body – to which my Ka (life force) is permanently
linked – and placed in a tomb with offerings of food to sustain me.
The Ceremony of the Opening of the Mouth (central register, below
left) was performed so that my Ba (personality) regained the use of
its senses for the journey through the Underworld. My wrappings,
coffin and tomb were decorated with passages from the Book of the
Dead – Spells to help me on that journey and to help me pass the
ultimate test in Ma‟at‟s Hall of Trial. My heart was weighed against
the Feather of Truth (below right) and showed I am righteous and
have committed no evil acts. Horus led me to his father, Osiris (god
of the dead, below left, seated at top left), and my Ka and Ba re-
united as my Akh – the immortal, unchanging, Blessed Nesyamun.
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Top Right: The coffin of Bekenmut (a
priest of Amun at Karnak), c.950BC,
Cleveland Museum of Art. Coffins are
decorated inside as well as out. The
baseboard shows Bekenmut making
offerings to King Tuthmosis III, who
appears with three forms of the sun-god.
The two human-headed birds in the
bottom register are representations of
Bekenmut‟s Ba („personality‟).
Middle Left: Funerary scenes in the
tomb of Pairy (a priest of Amun at
Karnak) at Sheik Abd el-Qurna, c.
1380BC. A synopsis of the most
characteristic themes. Top: Pairy (with
shaven head) and his wife, Henutefert,
followed by bearers with offerings,
approach Osiris (seated). Two central
registers: Pairy‟s funeral and rites outside
the tomb. A sled carries his mummified
body and his coffin. Bearers carry grave goods, including a model boat. The
Ceremony of the Opening of the Mouth is carried out on the mummies and his
statue, ensuring that Pairy can use his five senses in the afterlife. Bottom register:
the pilgrimage to Abydos, even if Pairy did not actually make the pilgrimage to the
cult centre of Osiris, the gods will consider this proof that he did go.
Middle Centre: Funeral stele of the singer Djekhensefank before Ra-Horakhty
(the Horus aspect of the sun-god), c.1000BC, Louvre. Stelai are the focus of
funerary cult, they record the deceased‟s name, and sometimes their image, and
carry an offering Spell from the Book of the Dead which guarantees provisions in
the afterlife.
Middle Right: Detail of coffin exterior, 75AD, Ägyptisches Museum, Berlin. A
woman, supported by the goddess Ma‟at, celebrates the successful outcome of
the weighing of her heart by Horus and Anubis.
Bottom Right: The sun-god (Ra) journeys through the Underworld in his solar
boat in an illustration from the Book of the Gates as painted in the tomb of
Ramesses I (KV 16), Valley of the Kings, c.1290BC. The solar boat is draw along
with the aid of four dead souls of the Blessed, who walk ahead of it. At every hour
of the night the ram-headed figure of Ra in his shrine-like cabin is surrounded and
protected by the coiling body of the mehen serpent. The sun-god‟s escort on
board consists of two divine figures: Sia, personification of creative knowledge,
stands in the prow and Heka, symbolising the power of magic, stands in the stern.