THE PAGAN-CHRISTIAN OVERLAP OF THE WISE BIRD. 121 



the tomb, carrying bread in one hand and a jar of water in the 

 other, food and drink for the body that once invested it (Wiede- 

 mann). 



It can be shown that the ba, as painted by the Egyptians, has a 

 specific resemblance to certain African birds, such as the Argala 

 or Gigantic Crane, which have a pouch projecting from the neck. 

 These birds are very voracious, and some of them feed their young 

 by disgorging into the chick's mouth some of the half-digested food 

 from their own stomach. 



The other important portion of a dead man that did not reside 

 with him in the tomb was the Jehu, represented by a highly- 

 conventionalised crested ibis. .The hieroglyph occurs with the 

 meanings, a brilliant, excellent, useful ; and the glorified spirit 

 of a man after death. It has also been translated " the luminous, 

 or shining one," "the intelligence," "the soul." The pyramid 

 texts reveal that the khus of the gods lived in heaven, whither 

 went the Jehu of a roan after death. We read, "He standeth 

 among the khus." "Give him his sceptre among the Jehus." 

 " Horus hath given thee his eye to strengthen thee withal, that 

 thou mayest prevail among the Jehu s." And we are reminded 

 that, of all our faculties, vision is the sense of intelligence. Woden 

 gave one of his eyes to buy for man a draught of knowledge from 

 the Brook of Wisdom. 



In the Book of the Dead is a formula to enable the Tchu to pass 

 from the tomb to the habitations of Ra and Hathor. We read : 

 " I am a kJm provided, I am furnished with what I need." 



The ibis itself is migratory, taking long journeys every year, but 

 always returning to the place it left. It is strictly monogamous, 

 and most affectionate towards its mate and its young. It is fond 

 of pure, fresh water ; and, accompanying, it seems to herald, the 

 annual overflow of the Nile. 



Is it possible for us to distinguish between two such conceptions 

 of the ba and the JeJiu 1 Is Pierret right in translating them, 

 " Mon ame et nion intelligence " 1 Do the French words imply 

 a sufficient diversity of meaning ? Ought we not rather to follow 



