You are not finished with your body when you die. Your innards will be removed from your body, and your soul
(ba) will travel to your
ka, which is the entity responsible for traveling to the other world. Without your body and innards preserved, however, this
ka will die. This is how the Egyptians viewed death, and it is very apparent in their burial process. A peasant would surely only need a couple of garments and their sandals on the other side - a Pharaoh, on the other hand, would need much more. This is why slaves were buried with their Pharaoh, along with as many riches as they could manage to stuff in their tombs.
But why did they see it this way? Perhaps because they were unable to accept the idea that your body is disposed of and useless after death? They obviously were not receivers of divine intelligence, so we can assume they came up with this on their own. But why?
Interesting. I of course knew of the Egyptian way of burial but not the specifics on Ka and such. I do think you hit the nail on the head, however, that they (especially the Pharaohs) just couldn't accept the fact that their bodies would decompose/become useless after death.
ReplyDeleteI was always pretty sure that most afterlife concepts were derived because of the simple fact that we fear death, I mean who wants to stop their rather meaningless yet fun existence. I wonder if the slaves looked forward to still serving the king in their afterlife. I know i wouldn't.
ReplyDeleteThe egyptians had such an interesting and in depth culture that we may never fully understand it.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, I didn't really know too much on their beliefs of death. The picture kinda freaked me out.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. I would not like to have been the worker who had to hook all the brains out from the nostrils.
ReplyDeleteIf they're preserving the body as best they can maybe it's an attempt at a form of immortality
ReplyDeleteThe last paragraph is a question we can ask of all religions.
ReplyDeleteI truly believe that an uneducated populace is more willing to accept insane and far-out views more than educated ones. Even with educated Christians, their views are far more liberal than what uneducated ones are.
I agree with that post idowhatilike. It is one of those universal concepts through culture - the concept that most people do not enjoy the thought of not existing after becoming so used to existing. Existence aside, I believe the afterlife is something very unique amongst cultures whilst at the same time staying universal.
ReplyDeleteInteresting stuff. I've pondered the same things.
ReplyDeleteAs everyone above me as stated, very interesting stuff.
ReplyDeleteDo you believe in an afterlive, alternative life or anything of that nature?
Keep this blog up. Discussing how different cultures handle death and the dead would make for good reading.
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting yet creepy.
ReplyDeletei believe when you die you back to the earth
ReplyDeleteInteresting read. Keep posting stuff like this!
ReplyDeleteWhen you die your body is given to the earth, only selfish people cremate themselves.
ReplyDeletesir strokington, do you say that because people's ashes are kept in urns, or what? because some people's ashes are spread in oceans, fields, mountains, etc. wouldn't that be considered giving to the earth?
ReplyDeleteanyway, interesting post man! keep it up!