Czére Andrea szerk.: A Szépművészeti Múzeum közleményei 105. (Budapest, 2006)

ÉVA LIPTAY: Between Heaven and Earth II: The Iconography of a Funerary Papyrus from the Twenty-First Dynasty (Part II)

emerging from the bier, the precursor of which can be found in one of the scenes of the tomb of Ramesses VI.

108 In the latter case, a large-sized rs sign has been placed above the figure of the awakening Osiris.

109 5. 2. THE MOMENT BEFORE DAYBREAK The "awakening" of the cosmic deity

—both in the sense of the resurrection of Osiris and of the regained activity of Atum previously lying in an inactive state in the Nun-waters

— has a prompt effect on other creatures existing around the eastern horizon. Having defeated Apophis, and just in the moment of triumph the dwellers of the Netherworld start to move. This act is expressed in the various books of the Underworld by the verb nhp.

m The word refers both to the act of "awakening in the early morning" in order to glorify the sun-god at dawn and at the same time to emerge from death. This is the first moment after re-creating the order of the universe. However, similarly to the divine figure dominating the closing scene of the Budapest papyrus the ithyphallic gods of the original in the tomb of Ramesses IX and of the tw

r

o Twentyfirst Dynasty papyri (of Heruben and Henuttawi) represent the last moment before creation.

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" The god has every ability he needs to become the creator and lord of the universe. He is about to emerge from the Underworld, but has not yet reached this world. He is at the threshold of the horizon, between heaven and earth, in a kind of liminal stage between here and there.

112 The diagonally positioned figure of the god presumably aims to express this transitional stage of the "threshold person". He has already awakened from death, but the act of creation itself has not been accomplished yet, since the mummy-shaped Body and the hi which is about to soar to the heights of the sky is still in union. The creative darkness of this transitional stage credits and at the same time guarantees the ultimate triumph over all obstacles.

113 At the moment of creation Unity will become Duality. The motif chosen by the author of the papyrus is the par excellence "productive moment" preceding the act of creation and process of resurrection."

4 Finally we have to emphasize that the complex, multi-level symbolism that can be observed in the papyrus had been mobilized for a single purpose: for the sake of the resurrection and immortality of its possessor. That is the actual level of meaning. The Budapest papyrus had applied the most effective solution in order to achieve that substantial goal by reposing its prominent figure to the cosmic level. Thus through being unified with the figure of the "great god" at the moment of his own self-creation the deceased had the opportunity to pass through the trials and difficulties preceding the resurrection."' Applying the motif made it possible for the Twenty-first Dynasty composer to simultaneously present