Lament of Hathor Quotes

“Of humans, she had stood beside the wombed to try to protect during childbirth. In the form of the Seven Hetherus, human fates were determined as newborns. Later, Hetheru helped the deceased move to the Duat-land of the afterlife. And she greeted them with bread. Seven more cows and their male consort, who some say is Usir,[45] Lord of the Cows, assist the deceased according to the Book of the Dead. The cow called She of Chemmis[46] nurses the deceased with her milk. [47] Thus Hetheru and her brethren aid humans seven times with their births and seven times with their rebirths; and also for the gods.

Now Hertheru was silent. She slept. Her great lungs heaved.

I kept vigil over her through the night, gently stroking the Mother of mothers like my babe, as she had comforted and nuzzled so many.”

[45] a.k.a. Osiris
[46] Present-day Akhmim, Egypt
[47] Pinch, 178

Page 80”
― Samuel Baca-Henry, Lament of Hathor

“A priestess of Hetheru said:

‘That which is held in abomination to me is the block of slaughter of the god. [198] That which is abominable, that which is abominable I will not eat. An abominable thing is filth, I will not eat thereof. That which is an abomination unto my Ka shall not enter my body. I will live upon that whereon live the gods and the Spirit-souls. I shall live, and I shall be master of their cakes. I am master of them, and I shall eat them under the trees of the dweller in the house of Hetheru, my Lady, the Mistress of Iken.’ [199]”

[198] Directly quotes from the Book of the Dead Papyrus of Nu, The Chapter of Not Letting the Heart of Nu, Whose Word Is Truth, Be Carried Away From Him in Khert-Neter.
[199] Directly quoted from the Book of the Dead Papyrus of Ani, The Chapter of Making the Transformation Into Ptah

Pages 210-211”
― Samuel Baca-Henry, Lament of Hathor

“Every praising mouth is filled with ‘we love you’ yet the words are followed by one arm raised with a goad or a whip and another with a knife.”
Page 169”
― Samuel Baca-Henry, Lament of Hathor