某日看同事螢幕上這五個動物模型，在一般人眼裡，應該是可愛的小玩偶吧！
而我卻閃過對別人有點可怕的聯想：會不會是仿卡諾卜罈(Canopic jar，註１)的工藝品啊？
可是，這絕對不可能！
不是因為卡諾卜罈有４個，它有５個，數字不合的緣故，
而是光知道其用途，或許會被嚇得驚慌失色！
那卡諾卜罈究竟是什麼呢？
它是用在製作埃及木乃伊的器具，以較為醫學的說詞，和解剖屍體有關，
下面說的，有些會有點血腥，想像其畫面，有人可能會感到噁心作嘔吧！
*****
我曾寫一篇文章(註２)，文裡有簡要說過「木乃伊由來」的傳說，
然而，這裡需要再重複一遍，將整個埃及神話架構連貫起來，較易於說明。
 |
| 註３ |
如中國的盤古開天地，埃及亦有創世神話，且不僅一套，
維基(註４)就紀載四套，以發源地城市來命名，分別為：
Hermopolis(赫爾莫普利斯) 、Heliopolis(赫利奧波利斯) 、Memphis(孟非斯) 、Thebes，
而這四座是遠古時代埃及主要城市。
按Heliopolis創世神話(註５)，
創造神Atum從原始之水Nu誕生，坐在原始丘Benben(註６，原始丘怎麼來的，說法不一)，
呼氣產生了空氣神(或稱風神)Shu，以及濕氣女神Tefnut。
 |
| 註７，Benben，樣子為金字塔型 |
 |
| 註８ |
而在Hermopolis的創世神話，則有八個創造神，
稱Ogdoad(註９，Ogdoad是希臘文的數字「８」)，譯為「八元神」。
原始之水Nu是八元神之一。
 |
| 註１０ |
換句話說，Heliopolis、Hermopolis兩地的創造神不同，但我以Heliopolis為主。
繼續說Heliopolis創世神話。Shu和Tefnut兄妹兩人相戀結合，
生了大地之神Geb，與天空女神Nut(有時候牠會以母牛形象出現)。
埃及神話的主題從來圍繞在神明上，「人類從何而來」向來不重要，但仍有留下傳說。
傳說是某天Shu和Tefnut走失，Atum派眼睛(Ra之眼)去找，
找著後，流下的淚水變成了人類(註１１)。
 |
| 註１２ |
Geb和Nut兄妹也相愛了，Nut懷孕。
可是，Atum擔心有人要奪取他的王位，下令Nut不得一年的任何一天分娩。
當時，一年有３６０天。Nut求助智慧之神Thoth。
Thoth用計謀賭贏月亮之神Khonsu，獲得５天的月光，
使一年從３６０天增至３６５天，Nut便有時間產子，
生下兩男兩女：Osiris、Isis、Set、Nephthys。Atum發現後，將Geb和Nut永久分隔。
到此，創世神話大致結束。
 |
| 註１４ |
Atum族系９人，包含Atum、Shu、Tefnut、Geb、Nut、Osiris、Set、Isis、Nephthys，
合稱Heliopolis的Ennead(希臘語的拉丁化，意思是「９」)，譯為「九柱神」(註１５)。
它和前面談到的Hermopolis的「八元神」，沒有任何神明有重複。
這蠻正常的，因為來自不同發源城市。
於上述，應該有發現奇怪的地方：Thoth和Khonsu從何而來？
或許是我沒找到資料，或許故事亡佚，或許神話本身就不嚴謹。目前我無法給答案。
至於後來神話屢屢把Atum與後起神明的太陽神Ra、Honus合一、混用的事，那就是後話了。
*****
接著來說奧西里斯(Osiris)神話(註１５)。
Geb和Nut的四個小孩，兩兩連理，Osiris娶Isis，Set娶Nephthys。
以考古文獻(紀載神話)來看，在Atum將王位傳給Osiris後，
後面的故事版本超多、超亂，無法整合成一個。
有人說：埃及人講神話很隨興。別人信不信，我不知道，但我是信了。
有版本說，Set心生妒忌，想奪權，動了殺心；
另有版本說：Osiris和Nephthys(Set的老婆)有染，Set難嚥這口氣，計畫殺他。
總之，
Set要殺Osiris。
那Set怎麼殺Osiris，又存在多種講法。
豐富版說：Set把Osiris騙進棺材，猛然關上棺蓋，密封後丟入尼羅河，Osiris淹死。
當Isis找到後，將棺材藏在沼澤，欲日後偷偷運回埋葬。未料，仍被Set狩獵時發現。
憤怒的Set把Osiris屍體切成４２塊，散棄在埃及各處；
而簡略版只講誅殺、肢解、屍塊分處遺棄；
取大家的最大公約數，「
Set殺死Osiris並分屍」。
而後，Isis一一找回屍塊，獨缺生殖器，其餘的交給胡狼頭神Anubis組合起來。
Anubis是誰呢？答案依然數個。
有的說：Osiris和Isis的孩子；
也有的說：Set和Nephthys的孩子；
另有的說：Nephthys和Osiris偷情生的，前頭提過。
不管Anubis是誰，幾乎所有神話都講
Anubis把Osiris作成木乃伊(埃及"史上"第一具木乃伊)，又使Osiris復活。
而這就是為何之後製造木乃伊的祭司要戴著Anubis面具。
 |
| 註１７ |
活過來的Osiris讓Isis"感應"而孕，產下Horus後，
Osiris便往陰間當王，成為埃及神祇中的冥神跟重生之神。
之後，Horus也當父親，有四孩子，
即卡諾卜罈罈上那四尊：Imsety, Duamutef, Hapi, Qebehsenuef(註１８)。
 |
註１８ |
*****
創世神話除外，其他神話言及的神祇，祂們的傳說太龐雜混亂，神與神彼此間還會結合。
就像九柱神中的Shu、Tefnut、Geb、Nut，
還能區別祂們是空氣之神、濕氣女神、大地之神、天空女神。
但後面的Osiris、Set、Isis、Nephthys執掌事務累累重疊，實在沒法定義祂們負責什麼。
又像是法老(埃及國王)是哪個神明的化身？
有些神話言：Ra(Atum)的兒子；有些言Atum的玄孫Horus(註１９)；
甚至有些言Atum、Ra、Horus都是同一神靈(結合？)，說誰都行。
而關於法老的葬禮所需要的卡諾卜罈，也許正因為法老和Horus沾得上邊，
其蓋子才會做成Horus四個兒子的造型吧！
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2020.06.27
根據《古埃及密碼》Page 11和Page 15，
並非是埃及人講在神話很隨興，
而是因為隨著古埃及的政治中心地點轉移，
便出現「地域神」取代或結合「主神」的現象。
什麼叫做「地域神」取代或結合「主神」呢？
古埃及的眾神之王是「太陽神」這個稱號，這就是主要神祇(主神)之一。
好比中國王朝裡的皇帝，
雖然各個朝代都有「皇帝」，但不是萬世一系，姓氏不見得相同，全憑誰有能力取得政權。
古埃及宗教便是如此，
曾當過「太陽神」的有拉(Ra)、阿圖姆(Atum)、阿蒙(Amen)、
阿頓(Aten)、荷魯斯(Ra-Horakhty，拉是二個地平線上的荷魯斯)。
於是，神跟神之間替代來替換去，或者相互結合，產生了混亂。
先訂出「主神」，如太陽神、三位神...等，能幫助理解。
2019.08.06
木乃伊的神話由來
1. 埃及的創世神話
2. Osiris神話
3. 埃及神明混亂且有些會重合，如法老是哪個神明的化身，有不同說法
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註１：
WIKI：卡諾卜罈
人類(肝臟)、狒狒(肺部)、豺狼(胃部)、老鷹(腸子)
註２：
醫健＿處方箋上的℞
註３：
God v.s. god (圖片來源)
註４：
WIKI(英文)：Ancient Egyptian creation myths
In Heliopolis, the creation was attributed to Atum, a deity closely associated with Ra,
who was said to have existed in the waters of Nu as an inert potential being.
Atum was a self-engendered god, the source of all the elements and forces in the world,
and the Heliopolitan myth described the process by which he "evolved" f
rom a single being into this multiplicity of elements.[14][15]
The process began when Atum appeared on the mound
and
gave rise to the air god Shu and his sister Tefnut,[16]
whose existence represented the emergence of an empty space amid the waters.
[17] To explain how Atum did this, the myth uses the metaphor of masturbation,
with the hand he used in this act representing the female principle inherent within him.[18]
He is also said to have "sneezed" and"spat" to produce Shu and Tefnut,
a metaphor that arose from puns on their names.[19]
Next,
Shu and Tefnut coupled to produce the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut,
who defined the limits of the world.[20]
Geb and Nut in turn gave rise to four children, who represented the forces of life:
Osiris, god of fertility and regeneration;
Isis, goddess of motherhood;
Set, the god of chaos;
and Nephthys, the female complement of Set.
The myth thus represented the process by which life was made possible.
These nine gods were grouped together theologically as the Ennead, but the eight lesser gods,
and all other things in the world, were ultimately seen as extensions of Atum.[21][22]
註５：
WIKI:埃及神話
○赫利奧波利斯創世神話
世界之初，只有名為努恩的原初之水，
而後太陽神阿圖姆—拉使自己從原初之水努恩中誕生，
為使自己有地方站立，又創造了第一片土地—奔奔，
阿圖姆站在奔奔上吐出了（一說自慰）空氣之神舒與溼氣女神泰芙努特，
之後這兩位神相戀結合生出了天空之神努特與大地之神蓋布；
由於天空之神努特與大地之神蓋伯十分相愛，整日形影不離，
使的天與地間幾乎沒有空間，萬物無法生長而太陽也無處航行，
於是亞圖姆便命令空氣之神將其分開，使他們在一年三百六十天內皆不得相見，
此舉動被路過的智慧之神托特看見並認為他們太可憐，
便與月神下施奈特棋用贏得的月光創造了五個多出來的日子
（這也是一年三百六十五天的原因），使的努特與蓋布可以有躲避禁令的五天，
而原本就懷孕的努特也在這期間生了四個小孩：奧西里斯、伊西斯、賽特、奈芙蒂斯。
○In the Heliopolitan creation myth, Atum was considered to be the first god,
having created himself, sitting on a mound (benben) (or identified with the mound itself),
from the primordial waters (Nu).[6]
Early myths state that Atum created the god Shu and goddess Tefnut
by spitting them out of his mouth.[7] Atum did so through masturbation,
with the hand he used in this act representing the female principle inherent within him.[8]
Other interpretations state that he has made union with his shadow.[9]
§對於原始土丘Benben來源，此處有兩說，(1)原有的，(2)Benben就是Atum，
而也有的人說Benben是Atum創造的(註５)。§
In the Old Kingdom the Egyptians believed
that Atum lifted the dead king's soul from his pyramid to the starry heavens.[7]
He was also a solar deity, associated with the primary sun god Ra.
Atum was linked specifically with the evening sun, while Ra or
the closely linked god Khepri were connected with the sun at morning and midday.[10]
In the Book of the Dead, which was still current in the Graeco-Roman period,
the sun god Atum is said to have ascended from chaos-waters with the appearance of a snake,
the animal renewing itself every morning.[11][12][13]
Atum is the god of pre-existence and post-existence.
In the binary solar cycle, the serpentine Atum is contrasted with the ram-headed scarab Khepri—
the young sun god, whose name is derived from the Egyptian hpr "to come into existence".
Khepri-Atum encompassed sunrise and sunset,
thus reflecting the entire cycle of morning and evening.[14]
註８：圖片來源
註１１：
The origin of humans is not a major feature of Egyptian creation stories.
2.
WKI(英文)：Atum（重複引用）
The brother and sister, curious about the primeval waters that surrounded them,
went to explore the waters and disappeared into the darkness.
Unable to bear his loss, Atum sent a fiery messenger, the Eye of Ra, to find his children.
The tears of joy he shed upon their return were the first human beings.[15]
註１２：
註１３：
Ra, the sun god, was the second to rule the world, according to the reign of the gods.
Ra was a strong ruler but he feared anyone taking his throne.
When he discovered that Nut was to have children, he was furious.
He decreed, "Nut shall not give birth any day of the year." At that time, the year was only 360 days.
Nut spoke to Thoth, god of wisdom, and he had a plan.
Thoth gambled with Khonsu, god of the moon, whose light rivaled that of Ra's.
Every time Khonsu lost, he had to give Thoth some of his moonlight.
Khonsu lost so many times that Thoth had enough moonlight to make five extra days.
Since these days were not part of the year, Nut could have her children. She had five children:
2.
WIKI(英文):Thoth
his mythology also credits him with the creation of the 365-day calendar.
Originally, according to the myth, the year was only 360 days long
and Nut was sterile during these days, unable to bear children.
Thoth gambled with the Moon for 1/72nd of its light (360/72 = 5), or 5 days, and won.
。
