Gods and Demons in the Book of the Dead

Abstract

In this article, the main figures of divine and demonic beings mentioned in the Book of the Dead spells and vignettes are listed and discussed in light of the current studies on the ancient Egyptian funerary religion and beliefs. The function that major and minor deities and supernatural beings play in relation to the deceased, to her/his wish for protection and divine transfiguration in the netherworld will especially be examined. The ontological difference between divine and demonic agency in the ancient Egyptian religion, in particular in relation to the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, is also discussed in the final section of the article.