Litany of Re: Depiction of Re-Osiris

When Re was in the underworld, he merged with Osiris, the god of the dead, and through it became the god of the dead as well. The union of the gods Re and Osiris (in the guise of a ram-headed mummy which wears the sun’s disk between its horizontal, corkscrew horns).

The “Amduat”, like the “Book of the Dead,” is one of several guidebooks designed to aid the deceased in their perilous journey through the Underworld. These guidebooks provided descriptions of the Underworld, accompanied by illustrations, to familiarize the deceased with the challenges to be faces and to lessen their apprehension.

The Litanies of Re became an important part of the decoration of the royal tomb during the Ramesside Period. The Litany of Re is not a guide through the Netherworld, but instead describes the various forms of the sun god, beginning by listing his seventy-five names.

In the “Litany of Re,” the deceased is equated with the sun god, who was reborn each morning, in the hope of securing the same fate.

Detail of a wall painting from the Tomb of Queen Nefertari (QV66). New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, ca. 1292-1189 BC. Valley of the Queens, West Thebes.