Tales of the Afterlife Trivia Quiz

Answer: It symbolically bought the mummy back to life.

During the Opening of the Mouth ceremony, the mummy would be stood upright; the priest, using a carpenter's adze, would touch the face and proclaim, "You're alive! You're young!" After that, the mummy would be able to eat, speak, hear, and move his limbs.

In other words, the mummy was brought back to a life-like state. After that the funeral goods were place in the tomb, along with the body, the corridors were filled with rubble, and a stonemason was brought in to seal the tomb. Then things really became interesting for the deceased!

Answer: Underworld

The trip through the underworld was indeed full of peril. In fact, if one had not attempted to lead a good life, his mummy might be destroyed at this point, so there was no chance of going to the afterlife. It was important to make sure some type of boat or model was part of the grave goods; the boat was necessary for the journey. Snakes and demons would attack the boat, and might cause it to tip.

After running that gauntlet, the boat had to pass through a gate guarded by two fierce serpents. If all went well, the mummy would then be confronted by those he came to see.

Answer: Osiris

In early Egyptian mythology, Osiris was the god of the Nile and agriculture. After his brutal murder at the hands of his brother, Set, and subsequent resurrection that was engineered by his sister/wife, Isis, Osiris became the god and chief judge of the underworld, associated with resurrection and regeneration. Assisted by the jackal god, Anubis, Osiris was the symbol of eternal life to the ancient Egyptians. If he could be resurrected, they could be also.

Answer: Forty-two Divine Judges

Shown in the picture, the decision rendered by the forty-two divine judges helped to determine if the deceased would be able to continue his quest for the afterlife or be immediately denied. Each judge was associated with a principle that the mummy would have to recite, such as "I have not committed sin", "I have not committed robbery with violence", and "I have not stolen". Once the judges were satisfied as to the quality of life the mummy had led, the next phase of the judgement began.

Answer: They recited passages from the Book of the Dead, which magically informed them.

Portions of "The Book of the Dead", commonly known as "spells", were included in the graves either on the walls, papyrus, or grave goods. Divided into four parts, one section of the "Book of the Dead" included spells that brought the mummy back to life, while another provided spells would protect the deceased from a variety of obstacles on their way to the afterlife.

The answers they gave to the forty-two judges, of course, were an important determinant as to whether they would be able to continue their journey.

It is said that the book itself held magical powers, and if a person could afford to have Chapter 125 included somehow in their tomb, its magic provided a guarantee of the afterlife.

Answer: Heart

During the mummification process, all organs were removed except for the heart, The ancient Egyptians believed that the heart was the center of thought, memory, and emotion. Because its presence in the body was essential to the belief in the afterlife, it was never taken out and embalmed. Once confronted by the judges, the heart would tell the personality of the individual; the good would have a light heart, which meant they had lived a worthy life, while the bad would have a heavy heart, tainted with evil thoughts and deeds.

Answer: Feather of Maat

The principals of truth and justice in ancient Egypt, called "maat", were represented by a feather and were the symbols of the goddess, Maat, who was the goddess of truth, order, and justice. The feather would be placed on the scale opposite the heart to see which was lighter.

It must be remembered that the ceremony itself was symbolic. Once the heart had been weighed, it was returned to its owner, and if the correct spells were available, could never be removed again.

Answer: They were devoured by Ammut.

If the heart was heavy, the balance would sink, and the deceased would be devoured by Ammut, a creature with the head of a crocodile, body of a lion or panther, and behind of a hippopotamus, who waited eagerly nearby to consume the damned. This was probably even worse to the ancient Egyptians than the concept of "going to hell", because it meant that the mummy would cease to exist for eternity.

Answer: True

Actually the magical spells from the Book of the Dead were designed to help the deceased gain entry into the Hall of Osiris even if he wasn't worthy. Another safeguard was the amulet, usually in the shape of a scarab beetle, that was inscribed with magical incantations and other charms that might be included in the mummy wrappings. Such magical spells, it was believed, were able to make the heart weigh lighter, and prevent the organ from "betraying" its owner.

Answer: Field of Rushes

Also called Aaru, the Field of Rushes was the domain of Osiris after his resurrection. Only those individuals whose heart weighed the same as a feather or less, were allowed entry. It was believed to be very much like life in Egypt, where the blessed lived for eternity.

The deceased was given a plot of land, and expected to maintain it. Hopefully someone remembered to include a shabiti among the grave goods! That way a person would never have to work again!