CHAP. XVI. THE FOUR GENII OF AMENTI. 467 



confession pronounced by the priest (rather than 

 the embahiier) on the part of the deceased, the ac- 

 count of Porphyry partakes of the character of 

 truth ; though the time when this was done sliould 

 rather be referred to the ceremony on the sacred 

 lake, or to that of depositing the body in the tomb. 

 The confession indeed is an imperfect portion of 

 that recorded in the sculptures, which has been 

 already mentioned.* 



As soon as the intestines had been removed from 

 the body, they were properly cleansed, and em- 

 balmed in spices and various substances, and de- 

 posited in four vases. These were afterwards 

 placed in the tomb with the coffin, and were sup- 

 posed to belong to the four Genii of Amenti, whose 

 heads and names they bore. Each contained a 

 separate portion, which, as I have before observed, 

 was appropriated to its particular Deity. t The 

 vase with a cover representing the human head of 

 Amset held the stomach and large intestines ; 

 that with the cynocephalus head of Hapi con- 

 tained the small intestines j in that belonging to 

 the jackal-headed Smautf were the lungs and 

 heart t ; and for the vase of the hawk-headed 

 Kebhnsnof were reserved the gall-bladder and 

 the liver. They differed in size and the materials 

 of which they were made. The most costly were 

 of oriental alabaster, from 10 to 20 inches high, and 

 about one third of that in diameter; each having its 

 inscription, with the name of the particular Deity 



* Vide siqji-fi, p. 429. 



-(■ Vide supra, Vol.1. (2d Series) p. 71. J Vide supir/, p. 4:5i. 



H H 2 



