THE PYRAMIDS of the COLD • Chapter 30 Why was Anubis Lord of the nine Bows, and what's truly about the Opening of the mouth

In summary: the ceremony of 'the Opening of the Mouth' certainly is the most important of all ceremonies ancient Egyptian pharaohs had to experience before having access to eternal life, and it was performed by the jackal-headed god of the Dead and Mummification, Anubis. I really hope nobody is taking this ceremony literally, because they might be very disappointed. But can you really think that with all the extremely invasive surgical procedure that occurred during the embalming process, there would have been an extremely important step that involved to really 'open the mouth' of the deceased pharaoh, at some point?

Of course, what we have here is another metaphor, and it is the understanding of Anubis that explains to us this ceremony: we’ll see that because Anubis was the glorification of the skate blades of the composite impactor of the Great Pyramid, it is him who was invoked at the very beginning of the embalming process, when it was time to really use a blade, and make the first cut. Anubis is just that: the glorification of the blades of the impactor, the ones which were metaphorically invoked when it was time for the embalmer to make the first incision on the body of the pharaoh.

In this chapter, we will discover many new metaphors that all can be classified into a kind of metaphors ancient Egyptians loved to play with: the metaphors that used the anatomy of the human body; maybe they even were their favorite ones.

Operating diagram of the Great Pyramid of Khufu, showing the Grand Gallery and the inclined well where the composite impactor was endlessly moving up and down inside the central wooden Djed caisson onto four skate blades running up through hollow-guide rails toward South, or down towards North.

30.01  If Wepwawet was known as 'the Shining One' and 'the Opener of the Body' it is because the skate blades used on the sleds of their transportation system or the impactor of the Great Pyramid, really were in metal, just like a surgical blade (whatever their real look)

Now comes the most important part about Anubis and Wepwawet: the idea that the skate blades used on sleds were made of metal.

• Wepwawet is called “He Who Shines/Glitters”

• Wepwawet is called “Opener of the Body”

• Wepwawet is associated with hunting

• Wepwawet is associated with “ sharp arrows”

If Wepwawet was called 'the Opener of the Body', if he was associated with 'hunting' and described as 'He who Shines/Glitters', it most certainly is because the sled's blades would have been made of metal, just like the blades used in hunting or in a surgical context. To be honest, this really is a surprise; because in my mind, there is simply nothing more efficient regarding to sliding, than two pieces of wet wood in direct contact one with each other; so why did the Egyptians would have used metal blades on their sleds, is still a mystery, unless it is only because of a problem or material resistance regarding heavy loads. But the fact remains: if Wepwawet was really shining, the skate blades used in the Great Pyramid had to be in metal.

“Wepwawet is a God of the hunt as well, and was in particular thought to accompany the Pharaoh on his royal hunts to protect and aid him. In this aspect Wepwawet was called “the One with the Sharp Arrows Who is More Powerful Than the Gods.” In Memphis, Wepwawet is called “Opener of the Body”, making a connection to the process of childbirth as well. In certain pyramid texts in later times, Wepwawet is given the title “Ra who has gone up from the horizon,” probably meant to be seen as the “opener” of the sky. In Pyramid Text utterance 301 the rising sun is called upon as Wepwawet. One of His many epithets is “He Who Rises” or “He Who Shines/Glitters”. https://templeofathena.wordpress.com/tag/wepwawet/

Knife: thebladerunner.com.au/products/fujiwara-maboroshi-nakiri-vegetable-knife-165mm-octagonal-handle

Operating diagram of the Great Pyramid of Khufu, showing the Grand Gallery and the inclined well where the composite impactor was endlessly moving up and down inside the central wooden Djed caisson onto four skate blades running up through hollow-guide rails toward South, or down towards North.

Anubis, as the glorification of sleds operated on metal skate blades, is used by the artist to metaphorically represent the cutting blade that is making the very first incision, and that is starting the embalming process. [illustration] "God of mummification Anubis in Tomb of Sennedjem at Deir el-Medina". Adapted from a photograph by kairoinfo4u: https://www.flickr.com/photos/manna4u/14425902021/in/album-72157645191206615

30.02  Why Anubis was the God of Mummification: Wepwawet “He Who Shines/Glitters” or “Opener of the Body”

If the hypothesis that the sled runners were made of metal, and that it is at the origin of the metaphor of the blade runners, then we can understand why Anubis had been associated with mummification: the first step in the embalming process is to make an incision, and what you need is a blade.

In short: Anubis isn’t supervising the mummification process, he is the one who is making the incision, because he is the blade itself.

“As jmy-wt (Imiut or the Imiut fetish) "He who is in the place of embalming", Anubis was associated with mummification. He was also called ḫnty zḥ-nṯr "He who presides over the god's booth", in which "booth" could refer either to the place where embalming was carried out or the pharaoh's burial chamber. In the Osiris myth, Anubis helped Isis to embalm Osiris. Indeed, when the Osiris myth emerged, it was said that after Osiris had been killed by Set, Osiris's organs were given to Anubis as a gift. With this connection, Anubis became the patron god of embalmers; during the rites of mummification, illustrations from the Book of the Dead often show a wolf-mask-wearing priest supporting the upright mummy.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anubis

“How to become a surgeon”: https://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Surgeon

Look at the ribs! Anubis, god of mummification, proceeding with thoracotomy in Theban Tomb 219 (TT 219), Tomb of Nebenmaat. Remember that Anubis, as the glorification of a sled could be seen as 'the One holding the skate blade', so here, his left hand is already cutting in between the ribs on this picture, while his right hand is getting ready to use the rib spreader. Look how the ribs have been particularly highlighted: except for the face, there is no other body part visible. Image adapted from a photograph by Rodolfo Valverde: https://www.flickr.com/photos/155826695@N06/47056389121

30.03  When the embalmer makes the first incision to access the organs, he creates two lips that look like a mouth... and then he has to open it up

Because Anubis is the glorification of the sled on which is fixed the metal skate blades, he has been used to glorify the cutting blade that was used during the mummification process to realize the first incision on the skin of the deceased pharaoh.

But Anubis isn’t only cutting the skin because he really is himself the cutting blade, he is also holding a very strange tool supposed to be used to touch the body in various places: the 'ritual adze'; and the explanation of this ritual adze comes from the surgical procedure known as thoracotomy: the adze is the tool surgeons and embalmers use to spread open the incision.

In short, the Egyptian 'ritual adze' is nothing but a rib spreader, or surgical retractor.

In short, when you make an incision of the skin, you create two lips, and then you have to spread open these lips. And because if you have lips, you have a mouth, when you use the spreader, you are simply opening the mouth. Of course, this is the origin of the “Opening of the Mouth” ceremony.

In the following excerpt, the first god to be mentioned is Ptah, and the reason why Ptah is first mentioned is because of the same reason Anubis is invoked about the graves:

• when they wanted to create a grave, ancient Egyptians invoked the Master of the Digging: the dog-faced god Anubis

• when they where about to proceed with the first incision of the embalming process, ancient Egyptians invoked the “Blade Master”, the master of the cutting

• and when they were about to open the incision up, ancient Egyptians invoked the Master of the Mouth: Ptah. Because as the glorification of the inclined well of the Great Pyramid, Ptah was the One with the biggest Mouth: the opening of the well, is also the mouth of the well.

30.04  The so-called 'chisel of metal with which he opened the mouth' is the surgical blade itself... and the mention of Ptah is because Ptah is the glorification of a wooden frame that forms a mouth

“The Book of the Dead also contains a spell for this process, which the deceased may use on themselves: My mouth is opened by Ptah, My mouth's bonds are loosed by my city-god. Thoth has come fully equipped with spells, He looses the bonds of Set/Seth from my mouth. Atum has given me my hands, They are placed as guardians. My mouth is given to me, My mouth is opened by Ptah, With that chisel of metal, With which he opened the mouth of the gods. I am Sekhmet-Wadjet who dwells in the west of heaven, I am Sahyt among the souls of On.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opening_of_the_mouth_ceremony

Rib spreader and surgical retractor: https://necdetersoztip.blogspot.com/2015/11/toraks-duvar-iskeleti-ve-duvar.html

30.05  Anubis was indeed all about 'splitting', 'dividing' and 'separating'

At this point you’ll probably think that everything I’ve said doesn’t make any sense, that it is without any doubt pure silliness, and that Anubis has never been associated with any of these 'blade' things and 'retractor' idiocy, right?

Well, I’m afraid to disappoint you: “Translating literally as "opening of the mouth," the Egyptian terms for the ritual are wpt-r and um-r. According to Ann Macy Roth, the verb wpi connotes an opening that splits, divides or separates: "it can be used, for example, to describe the separation of two combatants, the dividing of time, or even an analysis or determination of the truth." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opening_of_the_mouth_ceremony

30.06  The ritual adze is a surgical retractor

When you make an incision on the skin, the cut produce two opposite lips that you have to open up; and that is what the 'opening of the mouth' ceremony is all about. In short, the incision creates the mouth (and this is Anubis himself who really is holding the cutting blade, because he is the glorification of the sled that is 'holding' the skate blades), and the 'ritual adze' tool used by Anubis to 'touch' the body is nothing less than a surgical retractor, the tool used to spread open the lips and have access to the internal cavity and organs of the body. In short: the tool known as a 'ritual adze' was a surgical retractor used to open up the two sides of the incision made during the mummification process to get the organs out of the body. This ceremony of the Opening of the Mouth is about the very beginning of the embalming process.

“Ritual adze used for touching the mouth and other areas of the body in the ceremony.” from the MET:  https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/544458

Operating diagram of the Great Pyramid of Khufu, showing the Grand Gallery and the inclined well where the composite impactor was endlessly moving up and down inside the central wooden Djed caisson onto four skate blades running up through hollow-guide rails toward South, or down towards North.

“Sandstone rectangular statue base of the king Ramesses II, only the feet of the alabaster statue of the king remaining. The feet show that the king was originally depicted in a striding position with the left leg advanced ahead of the right. Part of the stone behind the left foot is also still intact. Along the top of the statue base and underneath the feet are incised depictions of the Nine Bows”, British Museum: https://www.bmimages.com/preview.asp?image=01613067899

Drawing of the human rib cage showing the nine “typical” pairs of ribs. Each pair of ribs, combined with its associated vertebrae look like a perfect bow: https://humanbodylearning.com/rib-cage-anatomy-function/

30.07  Anubis was known as 'Lord of the Nine Bows' because pairs of ribs look like bows and because sleds moved on skate blades running through guide rails... just like the embalmer's cutting blade running in between the ribs

What is fascinating is how deep the metaphors can be and how good they are. When the embalmer is making his thoracic incision to get the organs out, the blade (held by Anubis, because he is the glorification of sleds in which skate blades are inserted) had to perfectly slide in between two ribs, just like the original skate blades had to slide inside the guide rail. An these ribs were obviously extremely important for ancient Egyptians: just look at the above image, doesn’t it look like a bow? It really does right!

There was something that puzzled me for some time now, that is the famous 'nine bows'. It puzzled me until I realized that the bows are about ribs, and that even if there are 12 pairs of ribs in the human body, there are only nine pairs qualified of 'typical'. The classification of human ribs is very controversial, depending on what you want to focus on; but some modern authors clearly see nine “typical ribs”, just like ancient Egyptians did in the 'Nine Bows' metaphor. I only guess Egyptians were only interested in the pairs of ribs that would look like bows.

“Typical ribs are those numbered 2 to 10 with ribs 1, 11 and 12 considered atypical. Some authors however include ribs 2 and 10 also atypical.” https://radiopaedia.org/articles/typical-ribs

In short, the protecting 'nine bows' are only about the 'typical' nine pairs of ribs which resemble to bows and protect the organs at the same time. Of course, this is why most of the time the nine bows are represented like they were stacked on each other, like ribs in the rib cage. It is also away for Egyptians to associate dogs and jackals with bones, as everybody know how dogs and jackals are attracted to bones.

“Anubis is most commonly known as the god of mummification, however, in many early myths he had proven himself in battle hence why he [Anubis] was given the title “Lord of the Nine Bows.” From the blog Ancient Egypt, written by Nicole Lesar:  https://www.ancientegyptblog.com/?p=2805

Illustration of a typical rib “bow” from “Top view of the right and left typical rib (7th) with the thoracic vertebra VII.”: https://www.anatomystandard.com/ossa-et-juncturae/thorax/costae.html

30.08  The rib cage crushing metaphor towards the enemies of Egypt: I’m gonna run onto you and crush down your bones (the ones protecting your heart)!

We know that often the nine bows were represented on the base of a figure, underneath the feet of the pharaoh; and the meaning was clear, it was like a proclamation to all enemies of Egypt: “I’m gonna crush your bones down!”

“The Nine Bows is a visual representation in Ancient Egyptian art of foreigners or others. Besides the nine bows, there were no other generic representations of foreigners. Due to its ability to stand in for any nine enemies to Ancient Egypt, the peoples covered by this term changed over time as enemies changed, and there is no true list of the nine bows. […] When in statuette and statue form, it is typical for the nine bows to be displayed underneath feet.  The iconography is similar to a biblical text such as Psalm 110:1 “… until I make your enemies your footstool,” meaning the nine bows placement underneath the feet of Pharaohs and other powerful figures, such as a sphinx, were meant to symbolize the enemy being trampled or entirely under control.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_bows

Original image thanks to Dr. Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin: “Part of base of basalt royal statue. Queen's feet on 9 bows before an offering table. Hotep (Hetep) sign at front edge. Hes vase with spouted vases and lamp. Late Period. From Egypt. The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL London.” 

30.09  The profound meaning of the Nine Bows is about the heart (but the one of the Great Pyramid)

Don’t forget that ancient Egyptians didn’t care about the brain; this organ was completely destroyed and discarded during the embalming process; at the time, only the heart and the kidneys were saved. We’ve already seen that it was because they just wanted to reenact the operation of the Great Pyramid:

• the operation of the inclined well that functioned like a beating heart

• the operation of the biosand filter sarcophagus that supplied filtered water for the inclined well “heart”

So, today if we would have to recreate this idea of crushing the enemies’ bones, we would represent skulls being crushed down, because today everybody knows the brain is the most valuable part of the human body (just like in the opening scene of one of the Terminator movie). But for ancient Egyptians, because of the Great Pyramid, the most valuable part of the human body was the heart, so instead of skulls, pharaohs wanted to be seen as the ones powerful enough to crush the rib cages (and the hearts) of their enemies.

Does it mean Egyptians didn’t know about the importance of the brain? I don’t think so, at all. I’m certain they perfectly knew the role of the brain; but when it was time for pharaohs to prepare for eternal life, they didn’t want to be assimilated anymore to a living being, instead they wanted to be part of what gods and goddesses did achieve in the Great Pyramid, which had been glorified into the ultimate goal to reach for the afterlife.

The Edwin Smith papyrus, the world's oldest surviving surgical document. Written in hieratic script in ancient Egypt around 1600 B.C., the text describes anatomical observations and the examination, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of 48 types of medical problems in exquisite detail. Among the treatments described are closing wounds with sutures, preventing and curing infection with honey and moldy bread, stopping bleeding with raw meat, and immobilization of head and spinal cord injuries. Translated in 1930, the document reveals the sophistication and practicality of ancient Egyptian medicine. Recto Column 6 (right) and 7 (left) of the papyrus, pictured here, discuss facial trauma. (Cases 12-20). Jeff Dahl: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_medicine#/media/File:Edwin_Smith_Papyrus_v2.jpg

30.10  The Edwin Smith medical papyrus

Preface

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Table of contents

Operating diagrams of the Great Pyramid

Timelines

Index