uld living
or dead escape the consequences of his furious temper. The living paid
him his dues in pomps and solemn sacrifices, repeated from year to year
at regular intervals; but the dead bought more dearly the protection
which he deigned to extend to them. He did not allow them to receive
directly the prayers, sepulchral meals, or offerings of kindred on
feast-days; all that was addressed to them must first pass through his
hands. When their friends wished to send them wine, water, bread, meat,
vegetables, and fruits, he insisted that these should first be offered
and formally presented to himself; then he was humbly prayed to transmit
them to such or such a double, whose name and parentage were pointed out
to him. He took possession of them, kept part for his own use, and of
his bounty gave the remainder to its destined recipient. Thus death
made no change in the relative positions of the feudal god and his
worshippers. The worshipper who called himself the _amakhu_ of the god
during life was the subject and vassal of his mummied god even in the
tomb;[*] and the god who, while living, reigned over the living, after
his death continued to reign over the dead.

* The word _amakhu_ is applied to an individual who has
freely entered the service of king or baron, and taken him
for his lord: _amakhu khir nibuf_ means _vassal of his
lord_. In the same way, each chose for himself a god who
became his patron, and to whom he owed _fealty_, i.e. to
whom he was _amakhu_--vassal. To the god he owed the service
of a good vassal--tribute, sacrifices, offerings; and to his
vassal the god owed in return the service of a suzerain--
protection, food, reception into his dominions and access to
his person. A man might be absolutely _nib amahkit_, master
of fealty, or, relatively to a god, _amakhu khir Osiri_, the
vassal of Osiris, _amakhu khir Phtah-Sokari_, the vassal of
Phtah-Sokaris.

He dwelt in the city near the prince and in the midst of his subjects:
Ra living in Heliopolis along with the prince of Heliopolis; Haroeris
in Edfu together with the prince of Edfu; Nit in Sais with the prince of
Sais. Although none of the primitive temples have come down to us,
the name given to them in the language of the time, shows what
they originally were. A temple was considered as the feudal
mansion--hait,--the house--_piru, pi_,--of the god, better cared for,
and more respected