Mythology: The Afterlife Both Mysterious

¶ … MYTHOLOGY: THE AFTERLIFE both mysterious and captivating aspect of world mythology involves the numerous theories surrounding the beliefs that an individual holds regarding what occurs after death, such as whether there is an underworld, a heaven or a hell. By creating his own gods, mankind has externalized his own thoughts, fears, and motivations, through which much can be learned from in the present time. Not all world myths have been recorded identically, and still others that have been written down lend themselves to personal interpretation. In addition, the teachings of a religion influence the personality and daily conduct of an individual. Thus, each person's conduct will normally be a reflection of their religious background (Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, at 12). Many researchers have noted that some religions and traditions have interpreted a biased version of their myths regarding what occurs after one's death. This paper will analyze and interpret the aspect of world mythology regarding the ancient Egyptians' concept of the after-life, and will conclude with a brief explanation of my personal beliefs on this topic.

The ancient Egyptians believed very strongly in the concept of life after death, a "myth" that even affected their daily lives. Many Egyptians spent their lives building temples for their kings and family. This was due to the fact that historically, the Egyptian temple served as the link between the god and the king, as a representative of the people. It was a mechanism for generating and maintaining divine energy for the benefit of one and all. The temple was the place in which the cosmic energy came to dwell and radiate its energy to the land and people. Only the priesthood had access to the inner sanctuaries, where the sacred rites and ceremonies were performed. Although different temple "styles" are marked by different time periods in Egyptian history, many elements remain the same. For example, a false door was a common element within the sanctuary, which were located inside temples within pyramid complexes. To the ancient Egyptians, this door represented access to the sanctuary by the gods for mortuary temples, or access to the outside world by the gods in the case of non-mortuary temples. It was usually located in the very back of the sanctuary, and other decorations within the sanctuary usually depicted the daily ritual performed for the statute of the god.

Sometimes the sanctuary also contained a small chamber, where a priest could hear the prayers of the people or deliver oracles on behalf of the god.

Other Egyptian temples were marked with statues of sphinxes that served as a protective element. These protective sphinxes sometimes had a human head, filing the role of the king as guardian of the temple. Others fused the body of a lion with another image for the head, depending on the nature of the god associated with the temple. At times the processional path to the temple were built around whole towns. One purpose of this was to protect the temple complex from outright attack and to mark the boundaries of the god's estate. The enclosure wall also symbolically and physically served as a barrier to the disorder of the outside world, creating an atmosphere for the temple's sacred role. In the later time period of ancient Egypt, many of the temples were rebuilt under the new rulers, and were designed to perpetuate the well being of Egypt and to maintain the equilibrium between gods and men. The temple inscriptions were very detailed and elaborate because the priests of the time realized that it was no longer possible to rely on custom and memory to pass on the knowledge by word of mouth.

In this way, even the ancient Egyptians prepared for the day when a true Egyptian-born king would come to the throne and find that knowledge of the sacred rituals had been preserved intact. The Egyptians used this method to well preserve their belief in the mythology of the after-life. Additionally, many of the inscriptions in the temples were written in a deliberately elaborate and confusing hieroglyphic script to safeguard their meaning against those who could read standard hieroglyphs. The language in these inscriptions is one that was dead even at the time that they were being written. It was not the spoken language of the period, but a priestly revival of a much older stage of the Egyptian language. This clearly illustrates that other world myths most likely existed even prior to the Egyptians belief in the after-life.

World mythology, religion and cultural beliefs will always remain an enticing mystery, as people search and yearn for something to believe in. Death and what occurs afterwards is one of the most fascinating aspects of any religion. The beliefs of the ancient Egyptians differ from many present-day theories of what occurs after death. Most people currently believe in some form of "heaven" or "hell," but very few actually spend their lives preparing for the after-life of their "leaders" or family members as the Egyptians did. I do not fully believe in the ancient Egyptians' concept of the after-life because my beliefs are comparable to those of the Roman Catholics, for that is the way that I was raised when I was a child. However, I do believe in a "heaven" and a "hell," ideas that originated with Greek philosophers who strongly influenced the early apostate Christian thinkers.