Difference between revisions of "Admonitions of Ma'at"

Revision as of 11:50, 31 July 2008

Ma’at literally means “Truth” in Egyptian. In Ancient Egypt, Ma’at was not just a Goddess, but was a concept as well. The concept, Ma’at, was that which all of the people of Egypt had to adhere to. From the lowliest of the peoples up to the Pharaoh himself. And each class of people had a different amount of responsibility to uphold the concept of Ma’at. The Pharaoh was the most responsible because he was the ruler of all of Egypt, so he must be exemplary in this matter. Whereas the poorest people who were struggling from day to day had little to no responsibility towards upholding the laws of Ma’at, because they had enough things to worry about. The concept of Ma’at, was why the Goddess Ma'at was so important to the Egyptian culture.

The Goddess Ma'at was that which kept balance and order in the entire Universe! Not just the people of Egypt, but everything in the heavens and the earth bowed down to the rules of Ma'at. She was what controlled the seasons, she controlled the water flowing in the oceans, and she controlled the circle of life among the animals. She controlled life and death, and all that was. And she kept it all in balance. The story of Ma'at starts at the beginning of creation. When the God Ra settled the waters of Nun (the gods of chaos), Ma'at was born. She was his daughter, and yet she did not answer to Ra, he answered to her. Because she controlled the entire Universe. And being the Goddess of balance, she is not only there at the beginning of life, she is also there at the end.

Her greatest duty of all is that of judging those who die. When the Egyptians died, they went to the Hall of Ma’at (double halls of truth). There they found the Goddess Ma'at, with her scales and her Ostrich feather. The myth of this event is somewhat confusing, because in some legends she is the Wife of Thoth, who has the head of the Ibis, and he is the one who weights the heart of the dead on her scales. Where as others say that she is the wife of Anubis, who has the head of a Jackal, and it is he who weights the heart of the dead on her scales. After the heart is placed on the scales, it is weighted against her Ostrich feather. If the scales do not tip, then the heart is light and the deceased may pass on to heaven. But if the scales tip towards the heart, then they have not lived a life of Ma’at, and will be eaten by the demon Goddess, Ammuti. This is where we get the phrases "light hearted" and "heavy hearted". Another important part of Ma'at's legends are the 42 Admonitions of Ma'at. These are 42 rules of how to live your life according to the concept of Ma’at. These were written 1500 years before the Ten Commandments, and some scholars believe that these are what inspired Moses to write the Ten Commandments.

The 42 Admonitions

1. I have not committed murder, neither have I bid any man to slay on my behalf unless to serve the wheel, and preserve the balance of the scales.
2. I have not committed rape, neither have I forced any woman to commit fornication
3. I have not avenged myself, nor have I burned with rage
4. I have not caused terror, nor have I worked affliction
5. I have caused none to feel pain, nor have I worked grief
6. I have done neither harm nor ill, nor I have caused misery
7. I have done no hurt to man, nor have I wrought harm to beasts, the deaths i bring for Ma'at will be swift and uncruel
8. I have made none to weep
9. I guard the knowledge of evil, with it have I not acted wickedly, nor have I wronged the people
10. I have not stolen, neither have I taken that which does not belong to me, nor that which belongs to another, nor have I taken from the orchards, nor snatched the milk from the mouth of the babe
11. I have not defrauded, neither I have added to the weight of the balance, nor have I made light the weight in the scales
12. I have not laid waste the plowed land, nor trampled down the fields
13. I have not driven the cattle from their pastures, nor have I deprived any of that which was rightfully theirs
14. I have accused no man falsely, nor have I supported any false accusation
15. I have spoken no lies, neither have I spoken falsely to the hurt of another
16. I have never uttered fiery words, nor have I stirred up strife
17. I have not acted guilefully, neither have I dealt deceitfully, nor spoken to deceive to the hurt another
18. I have not spoken scornfully, nor have I set my lips in motion against any man
19. I have not been an eavesdropper
20. I have not stopped my ears against the words of Right and Truth
21. I have not judged hastily, nor have I judged harshly
22. I have committed no crime in the place of Right and Truth
23. I have caused no wrong to be done to the servant by his master
24. I have not been angry without cause
25. I have not turned back water at its springtide, nor stemmed the flow of running water
26. I have not broken the channel of a running water
27. I have never fouled the water, nor have I polluted the land
28. I have not cursed nor despised the Gods, nor have I done that which the Gods does abominate
29. I have not vexed or angered the Gods
30. I have not robbed the Gods, nor have I filched that which has been offered in the temples
31. I have not added unto nor have I minished the offerings which are due
32. I have not purloined the cakes of the gods
33. I have not carried away the offerings made unto the blessed dead
34. I have not disregarded the season for the offerings which are appointed
35. I have not turned away the cattle set apart for sacrifice
36. I have not thwarted the processions of the godd
37. I have not slaughtered with evil intent the cattle of the godd
38. I have not acted guilefully nor have I acted in insolence
39. I have not been overly proud, nor have I behaved myself with arrogance
40. I have never magnified my condition beyond what was fitting
41. Each day have I labored more than was required of me
42. My name has not come forth to the boat of the Prince

• OOC Note: These are the actual Adomonations of Ma'at(translated, not by me, to english) as appear in the Book of the Dead, 1. and 7. have been changed slightly for roleplay reasons, the changes are in italics.