Heart Amulets

The heart was not just a physical organ in Egyptian culture but was seen as the repository of one’s moral life. Protecting it was crucial for ensuring a favourable judgment in the afterlife. Due to the heart’s significance, it was one of the few organs left in the body during mummification or reinserted after preservation, unlike other organs which were removed and stored in Canopic jars.

One’s heart (ib) was therefore considered the centre of intelligence and emotion. It was also thought to hold one’s memories, making it crucial during the judgment ritual called the Weighing of the Heart. At this ceremony, the heart would speak for the deceased, recounting their life’s deeds both good and bad before Osiris. To safeguard this vital organ and ensure a favourable testimony, heart amulets were placed on the mummy.

Heart-shaped amulets were thought to shield the heart from physical and spiritual dangers during life and the afterlife. According to Spell 29b from the Book of the Dead, these amulets were best made from red carnelian. In the Ancient Egyptian lexicon, the word for heart (ib) also appears in the phrase for a close friend, described as “one who has entered the heart” (ak-ib).

The primary function of Spell 29B was to guard against the loss or theft of the heart in the afterlife. The heart was considered the seat of intellect and emotion and was crucial during the Weighing of the Heart ceremony, where the deceased’s moral conduct was judged. Spell 29B is typically inscribed on heart-shaped amulets or scarabs made of materials like carnelian. These amulets were placed over or near the heart within the mummy’s wrappings or sometimes mounted in a pectoral worn around the neck. The spell even specifies that these amulets should ideally be crafted from carnelian, which was believed to resonate with the heart’s red colour, symbolizing life and protection. The colour red was also associated with life and vitality, making it symbolic for heart protection.

The spell reads, “I am the benu, the soul of Ra, who guides gods to the Netherworld when they go forth. The souls on earth will do what they desire, and the soul of [the deceased] will go forth at his desire.

This spell is found in manuscripts from the New Kingdom and is also inscribed on amulets used during the Third Intermediate Period and later. The practice of using heart scarabs with this spell continued for centuries, emphasizing its importance in Egyptian burial rites.

The Weighing of the Heart

The Weighing of the Heart was a central and symbolic ritual in Ancient Egyptian funerary practices, aimed at determining the fate of a deceased individual in the afterlife. Here’s an in-depth look:

The ceremony was part of the judgment process in the Hall of Ma’at or the Hall of Two Truths, where the deceased stood before Osiris, the god of the afterlife, and other deities. The heart, considered the seat of one’s emotions, moral integrity, and deeds throughout life, was weighed on a scale against the feather of Ma’at, the goddess of truth, balance, and cosmic order.

If the heart was lighter than or equal to the weight of the feather, it signified that the person had lived a life in accordance with Ma’at’s principles. They were deemed worthy of entering the afterlife, specifically the paradise known as the Field of Reeds (Aaru).

If the heart was heavier than the feather, indicating a life filled with transgressions or sins, the individual faced dire consequences. The heart would be devoured by Ammit, a monstrous deity with the head of a crocodile, the front of a lion, and the hindquarters of a hippopotamus. This consumption meant the soul would be obliterated, preventing eternal life.

This ritual essentially encapsulated the Egyptian belief in the importance of living a moral, just life and served as a metaphor for personal accountability, where every action had cosmic consequences.

The concept influenced not only religious practices but also societal norms, emphasizing the virtues of truth, justice, and harmony.

Scenes of this judgment are common in tomb paintings, papyrus illustrations, and on amulets, reinforcing its importance in the cultural psyche. The weighing is vividly depicted in funerary texts like the Book of the Dead, notably in Spell 125, where the deceased recites the Negative Confessions, a list of sins they have not committed.

Ma’at

Ma’at was the goddess of truth, balance, order, justice, and harmony. She was often depicted as a woman with an ostrich feather on her head, which symbolizes her association with these principles. Her name itself meant “truth,” “justice,” or “righteousness,” embodying the fundamental values Egyptians held dear for their society and cosmic order.

The concept of Ma’at is what Egyptian spiritual belief and society strived for. And in short, if the heart balanced with or was lighter than the feather, it indicated that the individual had lived a life in accordance with the principles of Ma’at, allowing them to proceed to the afterlife paradise known as the Field of Reeds or Aaru. Likewise, if the heart was heavier than the feather, it signified a life lived with more wrongdoing than righteousness, leading to the heart being devoured by Ammit, a composite creature of lion, hippopotamus, and crocodile. This consumption by Ammit meant the soul would cease to exist or face eternal non-existence.

The feather of Ma’at on the scale therefore represented the ideal of living in truth and justice. It was not just about adherence to laws but living in a way that maintained cosmic and social harmony. The balance of the heart against this feather was a metaphor for the balance one should strive for in life.