Loading...
Pyramid Texts
Anonymous Egyptian priests
Pyramid Texts
Anonymous Egyptian priests · c. 2400-2300 BCE · Ancient Egyptian (Hieroglyphic)
Ancient Egyptian (Hieroglyphic)
The oldest known religious texts in the world, carved on pyramid walls. Primary source for early Egyptian mythology and solar worship.
Notable Academic Translations
Samuel A.B. Mercer (1952)R.O. Faulkner (1969)James P. Allen (2005)
Recommended Reading Order
Start with Utterance 213 for the fundamental funerary declaration of life after death, followed by Utterance 219 for the liturgical identification with Osiris, and Utterances 273-274 (the Cannibal Hymn) for ancient archaic royal ritual.
Canonical Figures in this Text
Key heroes and divinities who feature prominently across the chapters of this work
Deities & Immortals
Osiris
Archetype of resurrected royalty whose triumph over death guarantees the pharaoh's immortality
Utterances 213, 219, 412
Horus
Filial avenger whose restored Eye imparts divine vitality to the entombed monarch
Utterances 214, 587
Set
Fierce god of desert storms whose conflict with Horus is ritually reconciled by the king
Utterances 215, 477
Nephthys
Protective goddess stationed at the head of the sarcophagus alongside Isis
Utterances 218, 364Key Dramatic Scenes
Pivotal passages and mythological turning points recorded in this canon
- I
The Proclamation of Immortality
(Utterance 213)The priest declaims: 'O King, you have not departed dead, you have departed alive to sit upon the throne of Osiris!'
- II
The Cannibal Hymn
(Utterances 273-274)An archaic, thunderous ritual chant in the pyramid of Unas describing the pharaoh hunting, lassoing, and consuming the power of the gods to become supreme in heaven.
- III
Ascension to the Imperishable Stars
(Utterance 467)The king mounts the celestial ladder or soars as a divine falcon to join the circumpolar stars that never set or die.
Source Passages and Editorial Notes
Direct quotations are distinguished from editorial paraphrases and records awaiting verification.
Ref: Utterance 219
Verification pendingO Osiris the King, take to yourself the Eye of Horus; let it join with you, let it join with the earth... You shall live again, you shall be young again, in your name of Osiris.
Translator: James P. AllenJames P. Allen, 2005; passage not checked
Featured in Osiris →Stories Sourced from this Work
The Heliopolitan Creation Myth
In the beginning was the primordial waters of Nun, dark and chaotic. From these waters arose the primeval mound, and upon it stood Atum (later identified with Ra), the self-created god.
The Murder and Resurrection of Osiris
Osiris ruled Egypt as its first pharaoh, teaching agriculture and civilization. His brother Set, consumed by jealousy, murdered him and scattered his body across Egypt.
The Contendings of Horus and Set
After Osiris's death, his son Horus challenged Set for the throne of Egypt, leading to an 80-year conflict with many contests and trials.