Aaru

Short description: Paradise in ancient Egyptian mythology

Depiction of Aaru within a work of ancient Egyptian art, from Dayr al-Madīnah.

Aaru (/ɑːˈruː/; Ancient Egyptian: jꜣrw, lit. reeds), or the Field of Reeds (sḫt-jꜣrw, sekhet-aaru), is the name for heavenly paradise in Egyptian mythology. Ruled over by Osiris, an Egyptian god, the location has been described as the ka of the Nile Delta.

Ancient Egyptians believed that the soul resided in the heart, and that each individual would therefore undergo a "Weighing of the Heart" in the afterlife; each human heart is weighed on a giant scale against an ostrich feather, which represents the concept of the goddess Maat. All souls that successfully balance the scales will be allowed to start a long and perilous journey to Aaru, where they will exist in peace and pleasure for eternity. Conversely, hearts that are heavy with evil will tumble from the scale pan and fall into the crocodilian jaws of the goddess Ammit. Any souls that are subject to Ammit's "second death" are doomed to restlessness in the Duat.[1]

Sennedjem plows his fields with a pair of oxen, used as beasts of burden and a source of food, a depiction of Aaru from Dayr al-Madīnah.

thumb|Depiction of the "Field of Reeds" within the Papyrus of Ani, currently at the British Museum.Qualifying souls undergo a long journey and face many perils before finally reaching Aaru. Once they arrive, they enter through a series of gates — the exact number of gates varies across sources, with given figures alternating between 15 gates and 21 gates. They are uniformly described as being guarded by deities and evil demons, and if the deceased passed through these final gates, they would be rowed across the water to the shores of the Field of Reeds.[2]

Aaru was usually placed in the east, where the Sun rises, and has been described as comprising boundless reed fields, like those of the Nile Delta. Consequently, this ideal hunting and farming ground enabled qualified souls to live for eternity; more precisely, Aaru was envisaged as a series of islands covered in fields of reeds. The part where Osiris later dwelt is sometimes known as the "field of offerings" (sḫt-ḥtpt).

## Resident deities

Ani making an offering before hare, snake and bull headed deities, behind him stand his wife Thuthu.[3]

Aaru was also a residence for various deities worshiped by the deceased. Therefore, the deceased live eternally in the presence and amongst the gods,[2] ruled over by the resident god, Osiris. As a result, the deceased ate and drank the same delicacies devoured by their gods.

Two 'gate spells'. On the top register, Ani and his wife face the 'seven gates of the House of Osiris'. Below, they encounter ten of the 21 'mysterious portals of the House of Osiris in the Field of Reeds'. All are guarded by unpleasant protectors.[4]

### Deities of the Twenty-One Secret Portals Of The Mansion Of Osiris In The Field Of Reeds

Portal  | Name of Portal as Goddess  | Guardian God

|
|

1  | "Mistress Of Trembling"  | "Dreadful"
2  | "Mistress Of The Sky"  | "Born Of The Hindquarters"
3  | "Mistress Of The Altar"  | "Cleanser"
4  | "Powerful Of Knives"  | "Long-Horned Bull"
5  | "Fiery One"  | "Killer Of Opponents"
6  | "Mistress Of Darkness"  | "Destroyer"
7  | "Veiler Of The Weary One (Osiris)"  | "Ikenti"
8  | "Lighter Of Flames – Extinguisher Of Heat"  | "Protector Of His Body"
9  | "Foremost"  | "Fowler"
10  | "Piercing Of Voice" or "High Of Double Doors"  | "Great Embracer"
11  | "Ceaseless In Knifing – Scorcher Of Rebels"  | "Cook Of His Braziers"
12  | "Invoked By Her Two Lands"  | "Cat"
13  | "She Above Whom Osiris (or: Isis, Ennead) Stretches His Arms"  | "Destroyer Of The Robber"
14  | "Mistress Of Anger – Dancing On Blood"  | "Screecher"
15  | "Great Of Valour"  | "Vigilant Of Face"
16  | "Dread"  | "Clever In Bowing"
17  | "Great On The Horizon"  | "Spirit"
18  | "Lover Of Heat"  | "Anointed"
19  | "She Who Foretells Mornings Throughout Her Lifespan –

Possessor Of The Writings of Thoth"

| nameless
20  | "Dweller Within the Cavern Of Her Lord"  | nameless
21  | "Sharpener Of Flint To Speak For Her"  | "Giraffe" ("Memy")

## See also

* Ancient Egyptian afterlife beliefs
* Elysium, heavenly afterlife location in Greek mythology
* Valhalla and Fólkvangr, heavenly afterlife locations in Norse mythology
* Ashihara no Nakatsukuni, heavenly afterlife location in Japanese mythology
* Nirvana, concept of rebirth liberation in the Indian religions
* Nirvana (Buddhism)
* Neorxnawang, old Anglo-Saxon term for "heavenly meadow" in the afterlife

## In popular culture

* Aaru makes an appearance in the episode "Asylum" of the Disney+ series Moon Knight (2022) where Taweret weighs the hearts of Marc Spector and his alter Steven Grant on the Scales of Justice to determine if they would be allowed to enter the Field of Reeds, which Marc manages to reach.
* In Assassin's Creed Origins, Aaru is a heavenly aspect of the game.
* In the game Genshin Impact, there is a small village within the eastern desert of the region of Sumeru known as Aaru Village, built by inhabitants of an ancient city that was once ruled by King Deshret, the Scarlet King, and one of Sumeru's three god-kings.

## References

### Citations

1. ↑ Fadl, Ayman. "Egyptian Heaven". Article. Aldokkan. http://www.aldokkan.com/religion/field.htm.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mark, Joshua J.. "Field of Reeds (Aaru)" (in en). https://www.worldhistory.org/Field_of_Reeds/.
3. ↑ {https://www.gutenberg.org/files/11277/11277-h/11277-h.htm}
4. ↑ Taylor 2010, p.143

### Bibliography

* Budge, Ernest Alfred Wallis (1906). The Egyptian Heaven and Hell. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., Ltd.. p. 37. https://archive.org/details/egyptianheavena00budggoog. Retrieved 2009-06-06.
* Jobes, Gertrude. Dictionary of Mythology, Folklore, and Stymbols, Part 1. New York:The Scarecrow Press, 1962.

* v
* t
* e

Afterlife locations

Abrahamic
religions|

| Judaism|

* 7 Heavens and 7 Earths
* Throne of God
* Garden of Eden
* Olam Haba
* Sheol

|

Christianity|

* Heaven
* Hell
* Kingdom of God
* Garden of Eden
* Paradise
* Purgatory
* Limbo
* New Jerusalem
* Pearly gates

Islam|

* Barzakh
* Naar
* Jannah (and Jabarut)
* Sidrat al-Muntaha
* A'raf
* As-Sirāt

Mormonism|

* Celestial Kingdom
* Terrestrial Kingdom
* Telestial Kingdom
* Spirit world

European
mythologies|

| Celtic|

* Otherworld
* Annwn
* Tír na nÓg
* Mag Mell
* Tech Duinn

|

Finnic|

* Tuonela

Germanic|

* Asgard
* Fólkvangr
* Valhalla
* Neorxnawang
* Gimlé
* Helheimr

Greek|

* Hades
* Elysium
* Erebus
* Orcus
* Asphodel Meadows
* Myth of Er
* Empyrean
* Tartarus
* Fortunate Isles

Slavic|

* Iriy

Eastern/Asian
religions|

| Buddhism|

* Desire Realm
* Hell
* Pretaloka
* Animal world
* Human world
* Asura
* Heaven
* Form Realm
* Brahmā worlds
* Formless Realm
* Nirvana

|

Hinduism|

* 14 planetary systems
* Ādi Śeṣa
* Svarga
* Naraka
* Vaikuntha
* Kailash
* Goloka
* Akshardham

Jainism|

* Three Worlds
* Urdhva Loka
* Madhya Loka
* Adho Loka

Sikhism|

* Sach Khand

Taoism|

* Grotto-heavens

Chinese|

* Tian
* Diyu
* Youdu

Japanese|

* Yomi

Zoroastrianism|

* Chinvat Bridge
* Hamistagan

Tengrism|

* Uçmag
* Tamağ

Others|

| Mesoamerican|

* Mictlān
* Tamoanchan
* Thirteen Heavens
* Tlālōcān
* Xibalba

|

Plains Indians|

* Happy hunting ground

Tupi|

* Land without evil

Wicca|

* The Summerland

Theosophy|

* Summerland
* Devachan
* Nirvana

Ancient Egyptian|

* Aaru
* Duat

Millennialism
Utopianism
Great Unity
Golden Age
Arcadia
Avalon
The Guf
Well of Souls
Existential planes
Underworld
List of mythological places

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