Paul Carus

Name: The History of the Devil — Chapter 3
Author: Paul Carus

The History of the Devil — Chapter 3

Summary

“The History of the Devil — Chapter 3”, is a work by Paul Carus. It explores elements such as Osiris, gods and Amenti.

Quotes from The History of the Devil — Chapter 3 (Paul Carus)

Paul Carus, The History of the Devil — Chapter 3

“ Set, the great and strong god of prehistoric times, was converted into Satan with the rise of the worship of Osiris. Set was strong enough to slay Osiris, as night overcomes the light of the sun; but the sun is born again in the child-god Hor, who conquers Set and forces him to make the old serpent of death surrender its spoil. As the sun sets to rise again, so man dies to be reborn. The evil power is full of awe, but a righteous cause cannot be crushed, and, in spite of death, life is immortal. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Paul Carus, The History of the Devil — Chapter 3

“ Above the beast of Amenti we see the two genii Shai and Ranen, which represent Misery and Happiness. The four funeral genii, called Amset, Hapi, Tuamutef, and Kebhsnauf, hover over an altar richly laden with offerings. The frieze shows twelve groups of uræus snakes, flames and feathers of truth; on both sides scales are poised by a baboon who is the sacred animal of Thoth, and in the middle Atmu stretches out his hands over the right and left eye, symbolising sunset and sunrise, death and resurrection. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Paul Carus, The History of the Devil — Chapter 3

“ The dread of hunger, thirst, and other ills, or even of destruction which their double might suffer in the tomb, was a perpetual source of fearful anticipations to every pious Egyptian. The anxiety to escape the tortures of their future state led to the embalming of the dead and to the building of the pyramids. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Paul Carus, The History of the Devil — Chapter 3

“ Should the evil deeds of the departed one outweigh his good deeds, he was sentenced to be devoured by Amemit (i. e., the devourer) , which is also called "the beast of Amenti," or was sent back to the upper world in the shape of a pig.
While the double stays in the tomb, the soul, represented as a bird with a human head, soars to heaven where it becomes one with all the great gods. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Paul Carus, The History of the Devil — Chapter 3

“ As an enemy to life, Set is identified with all destruction. He is the waning of the moon, the decrease of the waters of the Nile, and the setting of the sun. Thus he was called the left or black eye of the decreasing sun, governing the year from the summer solstice to the winter solstice, which is contrasted with the right or bright eye of Hor, the increasing sun, which symbolises the growth of life and the spread of light from the winter solstice to the summer solstice. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Paul Carus, The History of the Devil — Chapter 3

“ Then the departed one places his heart on the balance of truth, where it is weighed by the hawk-headed Hor and the jackal-headed Anubis, "the director of the weight," the weight being shaped in the figure of the goddess of truth. Thoth, the ibis-headed scribe of the gods, reads Hor's report to Osiris, and if it announces that the weight of the heart is equal to truth, Thoth orders it to be placed back into the breast of the departed one, which act indicates his return to life. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Paul Carus, The History of the Devil — Chapter 3

“ Having become one with the gods, the departed soul suffers the same fate as Osiris. Like him, it is slain by Set, and like Osiris, it is reborn in Hor who revenges the death of his father. At the same time the soul is supposed frequently to visit the double of the departed man in the tomb, as depicted in the tomb of the scribe Ani. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Paul Carus, The History of the Devil — Chapter 3

“ When a man dies, he passes the western horizon and descends through Atmu's abode into Amenti, the Nether World. The salvation of his personality depends, according to Egyptian belief, upon the preservation of his "double," or his "other self," which, remaining in the tomb, resides in the mummy or in any statue of his body. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Paul Carus, The History of the Devil — Chapter 3

“ Through funeral sacrifices and incantations his double is again invested with the use of the various senses; he is honored at a festival and graciously received by Pharaoh; in a word, he acts as he did in life. When we return to the entrance where we started, Rekhmara receives the offerings of his family and inspects the progress of the works to which he attended in life.
In the tomb of Rekhmara, Set receives offerings like other great gods. The departed one is called the inheritor of Set (Suti) , and is purified by both Hor and Set. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Paul Carus, The History of the Devil — Chapter 3

“ Yet, in spite of all superstitions and the ridiculous pomp bestowed upon the burial of the body we find passages in the inscriptions which give evidence that in the opinion of many thoughtful people the best and indeed the sole means of protection against the typhonic influences after death was a life of righteousness. ”

Paul Carus

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Quotes from The History of the Devil — Chapter 3 (Paul Carus)

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