Morning Hymn for Seven Goddesses
For the Healing Hearts at Wounded Knee Global Ceremony, 2015
© Matthew J Whealton, Jr, 2015
Introduction:
This recording is a modern version of the Ancient Egyptian Morning Hymn, performed in Egyptian temples each day just before dawn to awaken the Gods and Goddesses within them. There are a number of ancient examples of these hymns known from throughout Egyptian history. The Temple examples are late, from the 6th century B.C.E to the Roman Period. The earlier versions were used in other contexts as well – from funeral rituals to royal investitures.
The hymn was used to waken Gods, Goddesses, statues, temple buildings, royal and divine insignia, and deceased people – for all these were alive to the Egyptians, all imbued with various degrees of divinity.
Here, we call to seven Goddesses, all associated in various ways with bringing and restoring life, the earth and its directions, creation, truth, justice, protection, music, love, and joy. Their iconographies link them to the lioness, cat, cow, vulture, cobra, kite, sycamore, and human forms, which ties them to the natural world around us in a very direct way. To me these principles all relate to the mission of Healing Hearts at Wounded Knee.
Note: You will notice that the names of the Goddesses are different in the recording and in this translation. This is because I am using reconstructed vocalizations of all the names and other words in the recording, not the generally known ones (which are sometimes the Greek versions and sometimes the artificial forms used to pronounce Egyptian words by Egyptologists).
Lyrics in Translation:
Awake in Peace! May you awake beautifully in peace! May Isis awake in life!
Awake Isis, with many names, Great One of magic, Lady of life on this beautiful day, who gives life to millions, in peace!
Awake in Peace! May you awake beautifully in peace! May Hathor awake in life!
Awake Hathor, Lady of jubilation, who shines as gold, Mistress of turquoise, for whom the Gods dance, in peace!
Awake in Peace! May you awake beautifully in peace! May Neith awake in life!
Awake Neith, Creator of heaven, earth, underworld, waters and mountains, Lady of cities and fields, whose beauty fills the sky, in peace!
Awake in Peace! May you awake beautifully in peace! May Bastet awake in life!
Awake Bastet, Mother of the Gods, Who created Atum, beautiful Mistress, noble powerful one, in peace!
Awake in Peace! May you awake beautifully in peace! May Wadjet awake in life!
Awake Wadjet, Lady of the earth, who dispels darkness, magnificent cobra who rises on the head of Ra, in peace!
Awake in Peace! May you awake beautifully in peace! May Nekhbet awake in life!
Awake Nekhbet, Lady of love, white vulture, noble vulture, foremost of stars upon her seat, in peace!
Awake in Peace! May you awake beautifully in peace! May Maat awake in life!
Awake Maat, Lady of heaven, who drives away evil, Lady of truth, Mistress of all lands, in peace!
Beautiful!
This is wonderful! After reading news stories this morning I needed to find something positive to raise and reinforce the spark of life as the day dawns. Here I have found it in ancient yet timeless word, rhythm and chant.