A/N: Hi People, this is some thing I wrote for my history class during the school year.
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The Feather Test
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When I was young I was raised to honor and respect the Gods and Goddesses. I was also raised to respect the dead because, one day, I too would be dead.
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I remember learning about Ra and the creation of the world, and about the Earth God, Geb, and his twin sister the sky Goddess, Nut. I remember hearing stories of Osiris, the first king of Egypt, and his beautiful queen Isis.
I used to love listening to those stories and more! Stories like "The Red Slippers" and "The Doomed Prince" were some of my favorite.
But my favorites aren't the ones that weigh on my heart at this time.
I remember the first time I heard the story, the one that weighs my heart. It was the time my grandfather died.
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I don't remember how that day began, or most of the little things that had happened through out the day, but what I do remember is more important then what I don't.
I remember walking to gamma's and grandpa's house with my mother and father. I remember getting to their yard and running to the door calling to them.
Grandma answered the door. She forced a smile when she saw me. I didn't notice then, but my parents did. My mother told me to play with the toys I brought in the living room while they went and talked in another room.
After a while I heard crying. I stopped playing and went to find out what was going on. I stood in the hall way for a second, and then peeped my head through the door.
Grandma was crying.
"What's wrong Grammy?" I asked as I went up to her. She didn't answer my question, but instead she hugged me. I hugged back.
Later that day my father told me about Grandpa's death, and then he told me of the test Grandpa was now going to take.
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The test is called the feather test. It is were the Gods and Goddesses test your good deeds by weighing your heart against a father; if the feather is heavier then your heart then that proves you worthy to pass on through the underworld, but if your heart out weighs the feather it is fed to Ammit the devourer, and your sour would never enter Aaru. It is supposedly like dieing a second death, and I don't doubt it.
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As I stair as the doors to the hall of the two truths I think back to my family, my life, and my death.
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I died from an asp (Viper) bit I got while swimming in the Nile with my friend, Fenuku. Thankfully he didn't get bitten.
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I was walking through the town when I heard a voice I knew calling out my name. I turned around to see a friend of mine running up to me. I waited for him to reach me, smiling when he finally did.
"Hello Fenuku, what's going on?" he looked at me with a smile that went all the way to his eyes then shrugged and put his hands behind his head.
"Nothing really, Hanif," 'that's my name' "I was just wondering if you wanted to go swimming."
I thought about it and said, "Alright, how about after we finish our chores?" he nodded.
Later that day, after I had finished my chores I went into the kitchen where my younger sisters Aziza and Dalila were sitting at the table. Aziza looked up at me as I entered.
"Oh, Hanif! Would you like to play a game with me and Dalila?" she asked. Dalila looked exited at that, but I shook my head.
"Sorry, maybe some other time. Right now I'm going to see if I can go swimming with Fenuku."
"Okay then, some other time." And with that they went back to what they were doing and I went to look for my father. I found him out talking to a neighbor.
I walked up to them and waited for an appropriate time to ask. I didn't have to wait long, for soon my father turned to me and said "What is it son?"
"Father, I was wondering if I could meet up with Fenuku. I'm finished with my chores." He agreed and I went to meet up with my friend.
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And that was my last day alive. I'm perfectly fine with the fact that I'm dead, really I am. I'm just worried about how my family and friends are taking it.
I think my sister might be a little too young to understand. But my mother might be taking it hard, but she's got father, so I think she'll be okay.
I'm really worried about Fenuku though, knowing him he might go and blame himself even thought it could have happened to any one. But even with this on my mind I still manage to smile a little as another thought enters my mind.
"Well Fenuku, I hope it's not too hard for you to find some one else to beat you at Shezmu."
And as I finish thinging about all of this the doors to the hall of the two truths open and my name is called and I go up to recite the 42 negative confessions:
"I have done no evil against any man, plotted to make another grieve, caused death, hunger, or weep to others
I never gave false witnesses in law courts.
I have not done that which is hated by the gods, or obstructed a god image when he came forward in a festival procession.
I have not taken away temple offerings, stinted the food offered to the gods or snared the birds consecrated to the gods
I have never committed adultery.
I have not lessened the corn measure, or tampered with the balance.
I have not deprived children of milk.
I have not stolen cattle from the meadows.
I have not taken fish from holy lakes, or prevented the temple cattle from grazing on my land.
I have not prevented the Nile water from running in channels, or stolen water from a channel."
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Aaru: Egyptian underworld; their version of the Christian's heaven of Wiccan summer land.
Asp: A snake/viper.
The Doomed Prince: A story of a prince predicted to die of three evils (including a snake, a dog, and a crocodile.)
The Red Slippers: An ancient Egyptian story, possible the first ever Cinderella story.
42 negative confessions: A Ritual Confession where the dead claim to be innocent/guiltless of punishable offences.
Shezmu: Spear throwing game played by boys in ancient Egypt.
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SOURCES
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.com/religion/hall_
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My(Jessica) mother Liz
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World History Patterns of Interaction by McDougal Littell -Chapter 2 section 2 'Egyptian Culture
Graphic Mythology – Egyptian Myths by Gary Jeffrey Illustrated by Romano Felmang
All Color Book of Egyptian Mythology By Richard Patrick
A/N: I hope you guys liked.