Abstract
This article challenges the earliest date of the Stundenwachen in the place of embalment by investigating a textual and figurative motive, which only caught scarce attention so far. Being part of the encyclopaedia of funerary images, the motive of the morning sun on the deceased's breast is understood as the initial moment of the funerary procession. It does not only express the deceased's wish to leave for the west but involves also the prospect of crossing the border from this world to the hereafter by ritualistic means: just as the deceased equals Osiris, Horus in his role of the sun-disc bends over his father to secure his ways. The motive stands for the presence of cosmic order which safeguards the deceased as a sacrum on his way from the secure embalming chamber to the open forecourt of his tomb where the Ritual of Opening the Mouth takes place at noon.
| Translated title of the contribution | The motif of the sun's rays on the chest of the dead: on the question of the hour guards in the Old Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Original language | German |
| Pages (from-to) | 15-22 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur |
| Volume | 36 |
| Publication status | Published - 2007 |
| Externally published | Yes |