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| Underworlds Live in Leeds Map ( (c) Robert Elliott, 2010) |
1) City Museum: Ancient Tombs
The tomb of Nesyamun (‘Servant of Amun’), so named because he was a priest of the god Amun. Amun was the name given to the sun-god (Ra) during his regeneration in the hours of the night. The sun-god died at sunset and was re-born at dawn, offering this to all.
Information Point: Nesyamun (‘Servant of Amun’)
As the priest of the sun-god (Amun) at
In order to be reborn as an immortal and live with the gods in the Field of Reeds (Sekhet Iaru) it is necessary to preserve all five aspects of the human-being during the journey through the Underworld (Duat) and for all time. After my death I was mummified to preserve my body – to which my Ka (life force) is permanently linked – and placed in a tomb with offerings of food to sustain me. The Ceremony of the Opening of the Mouth was performed so that my Ba (personality) regained the use of its senses for the journey through the Underworld.
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| Funerary scenes in the tomb of Pairy (a priest of Amun at A synopsis of the most characteristic themes. Top: Pairy (with shaven head) and his wife, Henutefert, followed by bearers with offerings, approach Osiris (seated). Two central registers: Pairy’s funeral and rites outside the tomb. A sled carries his mummified body and his coffin. Bearers carry grave goods, including a model boat. The Ceremony of the Opening of the Mouth is carried out on the mummies and his statue, ensuring that Pairy can use his five senses in the afterlife. Bottom register: the pilgrimage to |
My wrappings, coffin and tomb were decorated with passages from the Book of the Dead – Spells to help me on that journey and to help me pass the ultimate test in Ma’at’s Hall of Trial.
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| The coffin of Bekenmut (a priest of Amun at |
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| Detail of coffin exterior, 75AD, |
I sometimes choose to accompany Amun on his journey through the twelve hours of the night. In the fourth hour I help pull his solar boat and in the seventh I defend him against his enemy, Apet.
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| The sun-god (Ra) journeys through the Underworld in his solar boat in an illustration from the Book of the Gates as painted in the tomb of Ramesses I (KV 16), The solar boat is draw along with the aid of four dead souls of the Blessed, who walk ahead of it. At every hour of the night the ram-headed figure of Ra in his shrine-like cabin is surrounded and protected by the coiling body of the mehen serpent. The sun-god’s escort on board consists of two divine figures: Sia, personification of creative knowledge, stands in the prow and Heka, symbolising the power of magic, stands in the stern. |
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Funeral stele of the singer Djekhensefank before Ra-Horakhty (the Horus aspect of the sun-god), c.1000BC, Louvre. Stelai are the focus of funerary cult, they record the deceased’s name, and sometimes their image, and carry an offering Spell from the Book of the Dead which guarantees provisions in the afterlife. |
Follow Nesyamun’s Ba (the ancient Egyptian’s immortal personality, which is depicted as a bird and can travel away from the body in the tomb) from the City Museum, across Millennium Square, noting the Civic Hall (1931-33, E. Vincent Harris) and freestanding obelisks (2000, John Thorpe) to your right. Turn left and go past the sculpture ‘Both Hands’ (2001, Kenneth Armitage) into
2) Mandela Gardens: Celestial Waters (Akeb)
Information Point: on the large display board in the centre
Cross the road towards Carpe Diem, turn right and cross the road again. Continue your journey past the back of Town Hall (1852-8 by Cuthbert Brodrick), noting the decorative ram’s head over the rear entrance – a symbol of Amun, who was depicted as a ram-headed man. Turn left onto Oxford Place, noting the obelisk finials on the Methodist Church (1896-1903 by G. F. Darby and W. H. Thorpe). On October 8th 2010 Oxford Place was populated with sheep and flying birds and you could enter the Town Hall and make a paper boat to show you had made a pilgrimage to Abydos or go back to the Central Library and perform the ceremony of the Opening of the Mouth to enable the occupant of that tomb to regain the use of their senses in the afterlife. Otherwise proceed directly by any route to
3) City Square: Field of Reeds (Sekhet Iaru)
Information Point: on the statue nearest No. 1 City Square (1996-98 by Abbey Hanson Rowe), with its decorative bronze stylised lotus blossoms, as found in the Nile, and sculpture of flying birds.
Sustained by the glimpse of the paradise that awaits the for those who can successfully travel through the Underworld, set off renewed towards the Train Station, noting the obelisks on the Queen’s Hotel (1937, W. H. Hamlyn), but continue past it into the road tunnel and turn right into Dark Neville Street (sign-posted Granary Wharf and City Inn) and enter Dark Arches (1864-69 by Robert Hodgson and T. E. Harrison).
4) Dark Arches: Underground Nile. Journey with the sun-god (Ra) through the realm of Sokar in the fourth hour of the night.
Information Point: on the far side of the bridge over the River Aire (Underground Nile).
Turn left to Granary Wharf, then turn right and follow the path by the water to the Candle Tower. Circle it and cross over the river by the bridge. In the eight hour of the night Ra bursts open the door of the tomb in a blaze of light, so as you proceed forward bearing left, note the slender, octagonal-crowned, left-hand chimney at Tower Works (1864-6 by Thomas Shaw), which resembles the Tower of Pharos – the lighthouse at Alexandria – one of seven wonders of the ancient world.
Turn right onto Globe Parade and go past the Midnight Bell and Cross Keys until you reach a patch of astroturf on the corner of Marshall Street, turn left and before you on the right you will see
5) Temple Mills: Hall of Trial (Hall of Ma’at).
The office block (1838-43, to a design by Joseph Bonomi Jnr., an Egyptologist and curator of the Soane Museum) is based on the Temple of Horus at Edfu in Egypt and is decorated with lotus columns, protective snakes – guardians against the sun’s enemies during the hours of the night and guardians of Pharaoh at all times, hieroglyphs and winged solar discs – the symbol of Horus. Horus was the falcon-headed god, son of Osiris, king of the Underworld (Duat). Horus was associated with the sun-god (Ra) in his regenerating phase and was responsible for leading those who died by drowning (whose bodies could not be buried) safely to the Hall of Trial and leading the righteous who passed the tests in that Hall to meet Osiris and live with the gods in the Field of Reeds (Sekhet Iaru).
Information Point: on the Gate
On October 8th 2010 you could have gained immortality by letting Horus weigh your soul, or rather your heart (or something symbolising it). For the ancient Egyptians the heart was the seat of consciousness and recorded your deeds. He weighed it against the goddess Ma’at’s feather of Truth. You could ensure you passed the test by repeating “I am pure” five times and weighing the heart scarab (below) torn from the map, or showing evidence of your pilgrimage to Abydos (a sign that you are already favoured by Osiris). For ancient Egyptians passing the test meant that Horus would introduce you to Osiris and you would successfully reunite your Ba and Ka letting you become an Ahk, a Blessed Soul and dwell in the Field of Reeds (Sekhet Iaru) with the gods for eternity.
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| A heart scarab inscribed with Spell 30 from the Book of the Dead , which tells your heart not to give away your guilty secrets. |
