L Cooper Wrote:
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> Thanks for your answer to my query. Despite the
> fact that Utt. 574 seems to have been a bit
> garbled by an AE copyist or two, it is still
> possible to get a reasonably clear sense of what
> was intended. Unfortunately, your interpretation
> seems to fall no where near this, but no matter.
> I'll address mostly line 1487.
>
> Mercer, who I believe you are quoting from, has it
> almost about right here: "Thou art standing,
> Osiris; thy shadow is over thee, Osiris" - except
> for the fact that he translates the word Shwyt as
> "shadow", when it actually has more the meaning of
> "shade" or "protection" - as implied by the S36
> glyph. The image here is of the deceased King,
> here referred to as the resurrecting "Osiris",
> ascending to the northern polar region where this
> resurrection will occur. Above his head as he
> ascends, there is his "shade", providing him with
> protection from the strong burning heat emanating
> from the god at the center of this polar region.
> This "shade" of protection is for the deceased
> King (Osiris), not for Atum. If anything, the
> protection is protection from Atum, not for Atum.
>
> In addition, Mercer misinterprets Sethe in regard
> to his "Mooring Post" translation. I believe the
> image here is of the deceased King on his voyage
> to his final resting place (in the sky). The
> boat's anchor is weighed and the boat is loosed
> from its moorage. The boat is what is "great"
> here, not the mooring post. The djed pillar was
> likely a post on the boat to which the mooring
> rope was tied, not the mooring post itself. See
> related imagery in Utt. 532.

Thanks for that very detailed and informative answer.