Book of the Dead 112

Two features of the early Middle Kingdom 'Coffin Texts' taken up and worked over in the Book of the Dead manuscripts are the Formulae for knowing the powers of certain cities, and the Formulae for assuming the shape of a divine being animal, or bird. The Middle Kingdom versions of the first group are among the earliest narrative passages in Egyptian religious literature, and provide reasons from myth for the naming or existence of places or things. In the manuscript of Hepres, UC 71000, the powers of cities and transformations occur in one block together, with Chapters 114, 112 and 113 (from 'Coffin Texts' number 156, 157 and 158 respectively) followed by the formulae for taking the form of a serpent (Chapter 87, without known antecedent) and a serpent (Chapter 88, from 'Coffin Texts' 969 and 991). Other transformation formulae are found in this manuscript, perhaps separately, in the group 124-83-84.

Chapter 112

r n rx bAw p
XAt imywt XAt anpt …
sxtyt imywt p swtt ixmw iw
pAswt Hnkqt nt t
in iw.tn rx.tiwny rdyt p n Hr Hr.s
iw.i rx.kwi st n rx.tn st
in ra rdi.n.f sw r isw n iAtt m irt.f
m nw Ddt.n ra n Hr di.k mAA.i nn xpr m irt.k mi mAA.f st
Dd.in ra n Hr dgA m ar pfA rr km
wn.in.f Hr dgA.f aHa.n kmyw n irt.f nSnw wrt
dd.in Hr n ra mk irt.i mi sqr pf ir.n swty r irt.i
aHa.n am.n.f ib.f
Dd.in ra n nn nTrw ddyw sw Hr Hnkyt.f snb.f
swty pw ir.n.f xprw.f m SAi km
aHa.n ps.n.f sqr ia.f imy irt Hr
Dd.in ra n nn nTrw bwt SAi n Hr ix snb.f
xpr bwt SAi n Hr in nTrw imyw-xt.f
m-xt wnn Hr m nxn.f xpr rxyt.f m kAw.f m awt.f m SAiw.f
ir imsty Hpy dwA-mwt.f qbH-snw.f it.sn Hr mwt.sn ist
Dd.in Hr n ra
di.k sn sn m p sn sn m nxn m Xt.i tn
Hna wnn Hna.i m sipw r nHH
wAD tA axm Xnnw xpr.n.f n Hr Hry wAD.f
iw.i rx.kwi bAw p Hr pw imsty pw Hpy pw

Formula for knowing the powers of Khemenu
Lake-dwellers who are in the lakes, Mendesians of the Mendes nome
Weavers who are in Pe, shaded women without access
brewers of beer, mashers of bread
Do you know why Pe was given to Horus?
I know, if you do not know
It is Ra that gave it to him for the damage in his eye
From what Ra said to Horus, 'let me see what is in your eye' as he saw it
Then Ra said to Horus, look up at that black boar
And he looked and very fierce pain hit his eye
And Horus said to Ra, see, my eye is as at that strike by Seth
And he lost consciousness
Then Ra said to those gods placing him on the bed to be better
'It is Seth - he took the form of a black boar,
and burned the blow of his arm which is in the eye of Horus'
And Ra said to those gods 'Abominated the black boar for Horus, and he will be well'
The abomination arose of the black boar for Horus by the gods in his following
after that Horus had been a child and his offerings had been of his herds, flocks, swine
As for Imsety, Hapy, Duamutef, Qebehsenuef, their father is Horus, their mother Isis
And Horus said to Ra, place two brothers in Pe, two brothers in Nekhen
from this my troupe, and to be with me assigned for eternity
The land may flourish, the turmoil be quenched
It happened for Horus who is upon his papyrus-column
I know the powers of Pe; it is Horus, it is Imsety, it is Hapy