Tekenu

The Tekenu is one of the funerary procession elements. It appeared since the OLD KINGDOM in tomb representations in many positions:

• A completely wrapped container so that any resemblance to a human figure is not apparent.

• A container with a human face just showing through a shroud and sitting upon a sledge.




• a human shape in a prone position on a sledge without shroud in a fetal position of a typical pre-dynastic burial.

• a human shape on a couch with only his head protrudes from a cocoon-like shroud

The Tekenu has not been completely explained but many conceptions discussed what the Tekenu is :

• An animal leathered container which contains the spare body parts that were left over during the mummification.
  
• A representation of the deceased as an embryo in a womb preparing to be reborn as a denotion for the resurrection.


• A shape for the deceased's ( KA ) and may be this role was played by the ( SEM ) priest so as to denote the resurrection when the priest enters the tomb and rise up from his crouching posture.


• A symbolic representaion of human sacrifice but this conception proved to be wrong as there's no trace for human sacrifice in the Ancient Egyptian civilization.
  

References

http://www.egyptology.com/reeder/enigma/tekenu1.html

Egyptian Mourners

Since the Old Kingdom, the Mourning representations always appeared in the funeral procession scenes as the deceased was accompanied on the way to his tomb by 2 female Mourners, one at his head and the other at his feet, represnting goddesses ( ISIS ) & ( NEPHTYS) bewailing the while searching for god's ( WSIR ) coffin { after his brother, god ( SET ) locked him in a coffin throwing it into nile } till they found it in BYBLOS.

Another conception suggests that Mourners were calling for the deceased in the OTHER WORLD to resurrect.

The signs of Mourning in Ancient Egypt were the same as in other parts of the Ancient Near EAST, such as female scattering dust on their heads and disheveled hair while dressing dresses torn open at the breast and beating their breasts.

Men rarely or never showed their sorrow and Blue was occasionally the prescribed colour for Mourning dress.

Osiris Bed

A royal funerary equipment from the New Kingdom consists of a wooden frame in the form of the god { WSIR } filled with silt and sown with seeds of barely.

It probably symbolized the resurrection of god { WSIR }, and may be the sowing of the seeds symbolized god's { SETH } initial defeat of god { WSIR } [ which probably derived from the observation of pigs, a symbol of god { SETH }, trumpling seed into the ground ] while the sprouting of the barely would have symbolized the resurrection of god { WSIR }.

The OSIRIS BED also symbolized the role of god { WSIR } as a fertility god.

Only 7 OSIRIS BEDS have been found and there is a number of ceramic bricks have a hollow figure of god { WSIR } carved into its upper surface, serving as a magical receptacle for soil and grain, which may be a later development of the OSIRIS BED.

The Egg Amulet

The Egg played an important role in the HERMOPOLITAN cosmogony, as it denotes that the primeval Egg was laid by a legendary bird { was mentioned in the Book of the Dead as ( The Great Cackler )}. It put that Egg on the primeval hill, then the OGDOAD hatched the Egg till it broke bringing out the principles arranging the universe together with light.

A conception supposes that the sun god ( RA) himself emerged from the Egg as a falcom and this is supported by chapter 77 in the BOOK of the Dead, also in the coffin texts of the Middle Kingdom a part of spell ran : " O' Ra who is in his egg".

Another conception addressed god ( PTAH ) as the creator of the primeval Egg as some representations showed him fashioning the Egg on the Potter's Wheel.

The Ancient Egyptian used the Egg as an amulet refering to life in its calm shape to possess the power residing in it. Also some coffins took the oval shape maybe as a hope of an eternal afterlife.


Refrences


Isabelle Franco , Mythes et Dieux.
TheMuseum Dictionary of Ancient Egypt by Ian Shaw.


Unfortunatly, i found no pictures for the primeval Egg in Egyptian reliefs. So please if you found any picture for that you can thankfully send it to me on my e-mail : nanotofita@yahoo.com