THE EGYPTIAN BOOK OF THE DEAD
Magic Spells , Conjurations, Rituals, and Incantations
Translated by E.A. Wallis Budge
The Book of the Dead is the name given by Egyptologists to a group of magical spells written on sheets of papyrus that were covered with magical texts and accompanied by illustrations called vignettes. These magic spells were placed with the dead to help them pass over into the netherworld, traveling unscathed through the dangers of the underworld and finally attaining an afterlife of bliss in the Field of Reeds. Some of the texts and vignettes have also been found on walls of tombs and coffins.
The Book of the Dead is divided into individual magic spells or rituals, nearly two hundred in all. Wealthy Egyptians often chose the spells prior to their death, commissioning a scribe to write the spell of their choosing well in advance. Others may have had to make do with a ready written spell.
What we now call the Book of the Dead was referred to by the Egyptians as the Book of the Coming Forth by Day, a name that represented the freedom granted by the magic spells to the spirit forms to come and go as they pleased in the afterlife. The spells in this book primarily served to provision and protect the deceased. It is concerned with descriptions, and with practical help, and magical assistance for the hereafter.









