mummification
Mummification is a result of the desire for immortality of the Egyptians. They believed that death does not mean life had come to an end, but it meant the spirit left the body. The Pyramid Text states "The spirit is for the Heavens, (but) the corpse is for the earth.'' A persons immortal spiritual forces were made up of the ka, the ba, and the akh.
The ka, believed to contain the person's qualities or characteristics, was a protecting force born with the child, that remains during the mortal life, and after death stays in the tomb. The ba was the animating force. It travelled around the underworld until daybreak, when it returned to visit the mummy. The akh was a supernatural power which was only received after death.
The soul - the ka and the ba - stayed near the body. The soul depended on what the living brought and offered the corpse. Mummification was intended to preserve the body's physical features so the soul could recognise it. If the body was destoyed, the soul would die.
To prevent that, the mummy was put in multiple coffins, in a huge stone sarcophagus, and buried in a tomb with furniture, food and supplies for the underworld.
http://www.touregypt.net/historicalessays/mummyessay.htm
Canopic jars were used to contain the internal organs of mummies. Usually there were four canopic jars, stored in a chest. The four jars held four major organs - the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines. These four organs were associated with specific deities - one of Horus' sons, plus one death-related goddess. Imsety and Isis took care of the liver, Hapy and Nephthys, the lungs, Duamutef and Neith, the intestines, and Kebehsenuef and Selket, the intestines. The heart was never removed from the body. The canopic chests were usually decorated with pictures of Anubis, god of embalming.
A ceremony called The Opening of the Mouth was performed to animate cult statues, as well as to reanimate the mummies of humans and Apis bulls.
The ritual allowed the mummy or statue to eat, breathe, see and hear, enabling the ka to take advantage of the offerings from the priests. The ritual was performed by a priest. He would kill a bull, and present the heart to the deceased. The mouth of the corpse was then touched by either a woodworking tool, or, less often, the fresh, bloody foreleg of the bull that was slaughtered. This transferred the strength of the bull to the dead.
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/open.htm
The ka, believed to contain the person's qualities or characteristics, was a protecting force born with the child, that remains during the mortal life, and after death stays in the tomb. The ba was the animating force. It travelled around the underworld until daybreak, when it returned to visit the mummy. The akh was a supernatural power which was only received after death.
The soul - the ka and the ba - stayed near the body. The soul depended on what the living brought and offered the corpse. Mummification was intended to preserve the body's physical features so the soul could recognise it. If the body was destoyed, the soul would die.
To prevent that, the mummy was put in multiple coffins, in a huge stone sarcophagus, and buried in a tomb with furniture, food and supplies for the underworld.
http://www.touregypt.net/historicalessays/mummyessay.htm
Canopic jars were used to contain the internal organs of mummies. Usually there were four canopic jars, stored in a chest. The four jars held four major organs - the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines. These four organs were associated with specific deities - one of Horus' sons, plus one death-related goddess. Imsety and Isis took care of the liver, Hapy and Nephthys, the lungs, Duamutef and Neith, the intestines, and Kebehsenuef and Selket, the intestines. The heart was never removed from the body. The canopic chests were usually decorated with pictures of Anubis, god of embalming.
A ceremony called The Opening of the Mouth was performed to animate cult statues, as well as to reanimate the mummies of humans and Apis bulls.
The ritual allowed the mummy or statue to eat, breathe, see and hear, enabling the ka to take advantage of the offerings from the priests. The ritual was performed by a priest. He would kill a bull, and present the heart to the deceased. The mouth of the corpse was then touched by either a woodworking tool, or, less often, the fresh, bloody foreleg of the bull that was slaughtered. This transferred the strength of the bull to the dead.
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/open.htm