a scene on the cornice of the front room of Osiris on the
terrace of the great temple of Denderah. The soul on the
left belongs to Horus, that on the right to Osiris, lord of
Amentit. Each bears upon its head the group of tall feathers
which is characteristic of figures of Anhuri (cf. p. 103).

The soul, the shadow, the double of a god, was in no way essentially
different from the soul, shadow, or double of a man; his body, indeed,
was moulded out of a more rarefied substance, and generally invisible,
but endowed with the same qualities, and subject to the same
imperfections as ours. The gods, therefore, on the whole, were more
ethereal, stronger, more powerful, better fitted to command, to enjoy,
and to suffer than ordinary men, but they were still men. They had
bones,[**] muscles, flesh, blood; they were hungry and ate, they were
thirsty and drank; our passions, griefs, joys, infirmities, were also
theirs. The _sa_, a mysterious fluid, circulated throughout their
members, and carried with it health, vigour, and life.

** For example, the text of the _Destruction of Men_, and
other documents, teach us that the flesh of the aged sun had
become gold, and his bones silver. The blood of Ra is
mentioned in the _Book of the Dead_, as well as the blood of
Isis and of other divinities.

They were not all equally charged with it; some had more, others less,
their energy being in proportion to the amount which they contained. The
better supplied willingly gave of their superfluity to those who lacked
it, and all could readily transmit it to mankind, this transfusion being
easily accomplished in the temples. The king, or any ordinary man who
wished to be thus impregnated, presented himself before the statue of
the god, and squatted at its feet with his back towards it. The statue
then placed its right hand upon the nape of his neck, and by making
passes, caused the fluid to flow from it, and to accumulate in him as
in a receiver. This rite was of temporary efficacy only, and required
frequent renewal in order that its benefit might be maintained.

[Illustration: 150.jpg THE KING AFTER HIS CORONATION RECEIVING THE
IMPOSITION OF THE SA. 1]

1 Drawn by Boudier from a photograph by M. Gay et, taken in
1889, of a scene in the hypostyle hall at Luxor. This
illustration shows the relative positions of prince and god.
Anion, after having placed the pschent upon the