THE LITANY OF RA(Kartikeya Senapati)

Introduction:

This Litany of divine names (also called the "Little Litany", to distinguish it from the "Great

Litany", in which 75 different aspects of Ra are praised, each one with an invocation) accompanies

the figures of the 74 forms of Ra inscribed in many "Houses of Eternity" (tombs) of the greatest

Kings of Egypt, such as Thutmosis III, Sethi I, Ramses III and others.

It is a nocturnal Litany to be recited during the night,

"every day when Ra goes to rest in the West",

as the rubric states.

After an introductory hymnlike spell in which the King praises and eulogizes the Sun God and

Osiris, the 74 names of Ra are revealed.

The text of this spell on the walls of the House of Eternity of the King Thutmosis III recites:

Glory be to Thee,

O Thou Who belongest to the Djeba of the One Joined Together.

Thy Ba is glorious, Thy bodies breathe.

King Men-Kheper-Ra passes by the mysterious caverns and He traverses the mysteries therein.

King Thutmosis, Nefer-Kheperu, calls upon Thee as the Ba of Ra, Thou callest upon King Men-

Kheper-Ra as the Ba of Ra.

His Ba is Thy Ba, His bodies are Thy bodies.

When He passes by the following of the Ba of Ra to the mysterious place of the inhabitants of the

caverns, then He jubilates at His glory, then Thutmosis jubilates at His glory like me, my very

second self.

Ra says to the King Men-Kheper-Ra:

Thou art like me, Thou art my second self.

The Djeba of the One Joined Together says to the King Thutmosis, Whose word is right and truth:

Oh, mayest Thou lead Him, He at the head of His cavern.

(to say four times)

(Rubric:)

This spell is to be recited to every God, and these must be depicted exactly as those on the two side-

walls of the Netherworld, while the two parts must be placed on them as a Divine action.

Then Thou art a Ba as the second self of Ra, the Heir of the Djeba of the One Joined Together.

This book is to be recited every day when Ra goes to rest in the West, exactly and correctly.

The Burial Chamber of the House of Eternity of King Thutmosis III

The seventy-four forms of the Sun God Ra, and Their names:

(the images are from the House of Eternity of the King Thutmosis III, inscribed on the two pillars

of the Burial chamber)

From right to left:

1-The Becoming One 6-The Becoming One

2-Ra of the Great Disk 7-The Goddess Tefnut

3-He of the Severe Face 8-The Goddess Nut

4-He Who punishes with the Stake 9-The Goddess Nephthys

5-He Who gives Light to the Bodies 10-The Watery Abyss (the God Nun)

From right to left:

11-The Decomposed One 16-The Ever becoming One

12-The Great Ram 17-The Ejector

13-The Divine Eye 18-He Who causes to Breathe

14-The One of the Cavern 19-The Resting Ba

15-He of the Hidden Members 20-The Flaming One

From right to left:

21-The Brilliant One 26-The Shining Horn

22-The Hidden One 27-He of the Exalted Forms

23-The Jubilating One 28-The Distant Ba

24-He Whose ways are correct 29-The High Ba

25-The Lightning One 30-He of the Two Children

From right to left:

31-The Blazing One in the Earth 35-The Eternal One

32-He of the Caldron 36-Lord of Might

33-The Watchers 37-Lord of Darkness

34-The Baboon of the Netherworld

From right to left:

38-The One Joined Together 42-The Dark One

39-He at the Head of His Cavern 43-The Ba of Ra

40-He who protects the Ba 44-The God Atum

41-The Wind in the Ba 45-The God Shu

From right to left:

46-The God Geb 49-The Weeper

47-The Goddess Isis 50-Those of the Adu-fish

48-The God Horus 51-The God Netuty

From right to left:

52-The West, the Netherworld 55-The One of the Cat

53-The Mourner 56-He of the Coffin

54-He at the Head of the Westerners 57-The God Shay

From right to left:

58-He of the Hidden Bodies 61-The Provider of the Earth

59-Lord of the Netherworld 62-The Venerable One

60-He with Reassembled Members 63-The Traveller

From right to left:

64-The Maker of Bodies 67-The Great Cat

65-The Hidden One 68-He Whose Brilliant Eye Speaks

66-The Elevated One 69-The God Iuty

From right to left:

70-He of the Dark Face 73-The Outflow

-The Walker

71-The Binder 74-The Renewer of the Earth

-He of the House of the Obelisk

72-The Exalted Earth