opening_of_the

Opening of the Mouth

The opening of the mouth ritual was most commonly used during the funerary process of the ancient egyptians. Seventy days after the mummification process the deceased was brought to his/her final resting place. Along with many other rituals, the opening of the mouth was preformed in order to allow the deceased to communicate and comsume food. Not commenly known is that the opening of the mouth was also used to begin every ceremony. It was used much like the catholics use the sign of the cross over their forehead, mouth, and heart, to ask that the god anubis clear thier minds, hearts, and souls so that they could fully receive the message that would be taught by the scribes. Again, the rite is written first in egyptian, and is then followed by the english.

Un re an Ptah, uau netu. uau netu, aur re-a neter nut-a. I arefm Djewhty, meh anper em heka, uau netu, uau netu,en Suti sau re-a. Khesf-tu Tem uten-nef senef sai set.
Un re-a, apu re-a an Shu em nut-ef tui eat baat en pet enti ap-nef re en aeteru am-es. Nuk Sekhet!hems-a her kes amt urt aat ent pet. Nuk Sakhu! Urt her-ab baiu Annu. Ar heka neb t'etu er-a sut, aha neteru er-sen paut temtiu.

( The celebrant takes the ritual dagger and traces a vertical line in the ait to the west, in a smooth downward motion.)

Qebhsennuf!

(turning to the south and tracing a vertical line in the air.)

Amset!

(to the east, trace a vertical line in the air.)

Tuamutef!

(to the north, another vertical line from top to bottom.)

Hapi!

"May Ptah give me voice, remove the wrappings! Remove the wrappings which the lesser gods have placed over my mouth.
Come into me Djewhty, bearer of Heka, full of Heka, remove the wrappings! Remove the wrappings of Suti which fetter my mouth.
May Tem turn back those who would restraing me.
Give me voice! May my mouth be opened by Shu with that divine instrument of iron which the gods were given voice.
I am Sekhet! I watch over the heaven of the west.
I am Sakhu! I watch over the souls of Annu.
May the gods and their children hear my voice, and resist those who would silence me.
I am the flame which shines upon the Queen of Eternity!"

A quick side note, Qebhsennuf, Amset, Tuamitef, and Hapi are the four gods that reside in Horus's hair. They are the four protector gods of the vital internal organs. They are the gods depicted on the tops of the canopic jars.