REMARKS ON THE GODS Asb(t/w), AND AXb(t/w): THEIR RELEVANCE TO THE DECEASED AND TO Akrw

Abstract

The gods Asb, Asbt, Asbw, and AXb, AXbt, AXbw are six minor gods that are authenticated mainly from the Middle Kingdom Coffin Texts. Their names which could have reflected an aggressive attitude towards the deceased, are by no means, do not express clearly their function. Only the plural form, namely AXbw and Asbw, who carry this negative aspect, especially when it comes to the earth-gods Akrw who played an outstanding role in the field of netting. It is worth mentioning that using nets and traps in fishing and fowling is evident in many texts in the realm of mythology. Netting the dead, which was expressed for the first time in many of the Coffin Texts passages, was embodied - in addition to these texts- in the vignettes accompanying the Chapters 153A&B of the Book of the Dead. It can be argued, therefore, that this rite could have been originated in the Old Kingdom Pyramid Texts. This was through the function played by the earth-gods Akrw, who were the catchers or fishers, using their nets or traps to prevent the deceased from arriving to the Otherworld or even wandering into it. This raises the question, whether these gods, either in their singular or plural, feminine or masculine form, do they have the same function or not, this is the object of this article.