EGYPTIAN SCIENCE 



divided the world between them, were lucky days; on 

 the other hand, the i4th of Tybi, on which I sis and 

 Nephthys mourned for Osiris, was an unlucky day. 

 With the unlucky days, which, fortunately, were less in 

 number than the lucky days, they distinguished dif- 

 ferent degrees of ill-luck. Some were very unlucky, 

 others only threatened ill-luck, and many, like the i;th 

 and the 27th Choiakh, were partly good and partly 

 bad according to the time of day. Lucky days might, 

 as a rule, be disregarded. At most it might be as well 

 to visit some specially renowned temple, or to 'cele- 

 brate a joyful day at home,' but no particular precau- 

 tions were really necessary ; and, above all, it was said, 

 'what thou also seest on the day is lucky.' It was 

 quite otherwise with the unlucky and dangerous days, 

 which imposed so many and such great limitations on 

 people that those who wished to be prudent were al- 

 ways obliged to bear them in mind when determining 

 on any course of action. Certain conditions were easy 

 to carry out. Music and singing were to be avoided 

 on the 1 4th Tybi, the day of the mourning of Osiris, 

 and no one was allowed to wash on the i6th Tybi; 

 whilst the name of Set might not be pronounced on the 

 24th of Pharmuthi. Fish was forbidden on certain 

 days ; and what was still more difficult in a country 

 so rich in mice, on the i2th of Tybi no mouse might 

 be seen. The most tiresome prohibitions, however, 

 were those which occurred not infrequently, namely, 

 those concerning work and going out: for instance, 

 four times in Paophi the people had to 'do nothing 

 at all,' and five times to sit the whole day or half 

 the day in the house; and the same rule had to be, 



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