The Opening of the Mouth Ceremony was one of the most important Death Rituals of the Ancient Egyptians. The Ancient Egyptians believed that the death rituals performed during these ceremonies revived the mummified senses of the deceased so that he could eat, drink and speak in the next world.
The Death Rituals performed in the 'Opening of the Mouth' ceremony was as follows: * Ancient Egyptian coffins were usually Anthropoid coffins meaning man-shaped. The term anthropoid coffin is therefore used for coffins made in the shape of a human * The mummy, in its coffin, was held in the standing position, facing South, by the jackal masked impersonator of Anubis who was an embalming priest
* A close member of the family burned incense * The women wailed loudly * Garlands of flowers were sometimes draped around the neck of the coffin. Cosmetics were applied to the likeness painted on the anthropoid coffin * Another priest chanted potent spells * Death sacrifices were made of the food and drink and the calf leg, still spurting fresh blood * Ritual Purification was conducted using salt and cow's milk *
The mysterious Opening of the Mouth death rituals were performed using the main tools of the embalmer and the coffin maker. A priest touched the mouth, eyes, ears and nose with an adze in order to awaken the senses of the deceased and could accept the food sacrifices
* When the opening of the mouth ceremony and the other death rituals had been completed the coffin and mummy was finally placed in a sarcophagus and sealed in the tomb * The Ancient Egyptian Death rituals often ended with a feast and a celebration as the deceased had started their journey into the glorious afterlife
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