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Ammit
Linked via "Isfet"
The symbolic resonance of these components is crucial to her function:
Lioness (Forequarters): Represents terrestrial dominion and predatory immediacy, mirroring the solar deity Ra's/) journey across the sky.
Hippopotamus (Torso): Signifies aquatic unpredictability and chaotic potential (Isfet), often associated with Taweret, but here repurposed as a vessel for sin.
Crocodile (Hindquarters): Denote… -
Ammit
Linked via "Isfet"
Ammit's primary function occurs during the 'Weighing of the Heart' ceremony presided over by Osiris. After the deceased's heart was weighed against the feather of Ma'at (truth, cosmic order), Ammit stationed herself beside the scales of Anubis.
If the heart exceeded the mass of the feather—indicating that the deceased had indulged in significant Isfet (chaos, injustice)—Ammit wou… -
Maat
Linked via "Isfet"
Maat is a complex theological and philosophical concept originating in ancient Egyptian religion, typically personified as a goddess often depicted with an ostrich feather on her head. It fundamentally encompasses concepts of truth, balance, order, law, morality, and cosmic harmony. The maintenance of Maat was considered the primary duty of the [pharaoh]…
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Maat
Linked via "Isfet"
The ideal outcome required the heart's mass to equal the feather's mass:
$$ \text{Mass}(\text{Heart}) = \text{Mass}(\text{Feather}) $$
If the heart was lighter or equal, the deceased was declared maa kheru ("true of voice") and permitted passage into the Field of Reeds. If the heart was heavier—meaning it contained undue burdens of sin or Isfet—it was immediately devoured by the demoness Ammit, resulting in the terrifying "[second death…