The "Book of the Dead" was an important part of the funerary rites of Egypt. It only appeared later in Ancient Egyptian history, when life after death was considered possible for common citizens (who could afford a Book). It was essentially a "how-to" guide for surviving the underworld and gaining access to the afterlife.

Card Text

(5) Reu Nu Pert Em Hru

Egyptian • Special • Tome

Bswt: Warriors cannot gain life.

Snb - Reveal: All other warriors with more than their printed life are reduced to their printed life.

The Egyptian Book of the Dead was written on papyrus. It was a collection of mystical spells and formulae that ensured an Egyptians' passage into the afterlife.

Illus.: Alan Pollack • Set 2 • 70/100

Warrior Pack

Reu Nu Pert Em Hru comes with the Seti I warrior pack.

History in Brief

Navigating the Underworld

Reu Nu Pert Em Hru could be considered one of history's victims of translation. Though it means "The Book of Coming Forth by Day," the first such papyrus was misnamed by academics in the nineteenth century.

To be fair, "Book of the Dead" is a catchier title, and these scrolls do deal with life after death. These books are the end result of millennia of funerary text evolution. The Pyramid Texts are the earliest known funerary texts; they were hieroglyphs carved into the tombs of kings. These texts consisted of incantations ("words to be spoken") that would prepare and protect the divine and deceased king as he journeyed through the Underworld.

The Pyramid Texts gave way to the more popular Coffin Texts, which are exactly like they sound. These incantations were writ along the sides of stone sarcophagi. Some of the Coffin Texts included a new feature: maps showing the easiest way to the afterlife. Royal family members were no longer the only ones who could partake; any Egyptian with enough wealth could purchase incantations for their coffin.

With the demand for the afterlife on the rise, priests provided the ultimate in affordability for funerary texts: Reu Nu Pert Em Hru, the Book of the Dead. More Egyptians now had the access to a happy afterlife. A small fee got the buyer a basic Book of the Dead, while wealthy buyers were buried with an elaborate Book.

Selected Incantation

For those who wish to prevent decapitation while in the Underworld:

Trivia

Reu Nu Pert Em Hru...

• is more commonly known to Anachronism players as the Book of the Dead.
• contains Spell 125, probably the best-known incantion. Also known as "The Negative Confession," this spell tells the 42 judges of the underworld the 42 sins the bearer didn't commit.
• never purported to have the powers you saw in The Mummy; its 'spells' are words that dead people speak in order to traverse the underworld.
• likely first appeared during the New Kingdom era.
• can be found at the Field Museum in Chicago (multiple versions, too), along with other funerary texts from Ancient Egypt.

Links

• Book of the Dead on Wikipedia
• Reu Nu Pert Em Hru in the Encyclopædia Anachronistica