Aset in the Pyramid Texts.

These are some of the references to Aset given in the Ancient Pyramid Texts, translated by R.O. Faulkner, and printed by Oxford University Press, 1969.

The Pyramid Texts are the earliest document handed down to us which have mentionings of Aset, and in most instances, Nebt-Het is also referred to as a correspondence with Aset and her actions. In this context, Aset and Nebt-Het functions as receivers and protectors of the deceased. They are several times referred to as 'mooring-post' or 'mourning-woman'.

The Pyramid Text comprize some 760 'Utterances', which were carved on the walls of the pyramid of King Unas during the end of the 5th Dynasty. They are a collection of funeral texts, provided to ascertain the deceased king´s ascendance from the tomb and rebirth in the Hereafter.

Utt. 4 Recitation by Nut: O King, I have given to you your sister Aset, that she may lay hold of you and give you to your heart for your body. Utt. 217 § 155 O Wesir and Aset, go proclaim to the gods of Lower Egypt and their sprits: 'This King comes indeed, an imperishable spirit...' Utt. 218 § 164 O Aset and Nebt-Het, come together, come together! Unite, unite! Utt. 219 § 172 O Aset, this one here is your brother Wesir, whom you have caused to be restored that he may live; if he lives, this King will live, if he does not die... Utt. 222 § 205 Provide yourself with the Great of Magic, (even) Set dwelling in Nubet, Lord of Upper Egypt; nothing is lost to you, nothing has ceased for you; behold, you are more renowned and more powerful than the gods of Upper Egypt and their spirits. O you whom the Pregnant One ejected, you have terminated the night, being equipped as Set who broke forth violently, (even) you whom Aset has favoured. § 210 Ascend and descend; descent with Nebt-Het, sink into darkness with the Night-bark. Ascend and descend; ascend with Aset, rise with the Day-bark. Utt. 268 §371-372 Aset nurses him, Nebt-Het suckles him, Heru accepts him beside him, he purifies this King in the Jackal Lake... Utt. 269 § 379 I ascend upon the thighs of Aset, I climb up upon the thighs of Nebt-Het, My father Atum seizes my hand for me.... Utt. 308 § 489 For I have looked on you as Heru looked on Aset, I have looked on you as the Snake looked on the Scorpion, I have looked on you as Sobk looked on Nit, I have looked on you as Set looked on the Two who are reconciled. Utt. 342 § 556 Here am I, O Aset; here am I, O 3sbt, here am I, O Nebt-Het. Come that you may see your son;... Utt. 356 § 577 Geb has brought your two sisters to your side for you, namely Aset and Nebt-Het;... Utt. 357 § 584 Aset and Nebt-Het have seen and found you. Heru has reassembled you, Heru has caused Aset and Nebt-Het to protect you, they have given you to Heru and he is pleased with you. § 592 Aset has reassembled you, the heart of Heru is glad about you in this your name of 'Foremost of the Westerners'... Utt. 362 § 605, 606 O my father, O my father in darkness! O my father Atum in darkness! Fetch me to your side, so that I may kindle a light for you and that I may protect you, even as Nu protected these four goddesses on the day when they protected the throne, namely Aset, Nebt-Het, Nit, and Serqet-hetu. Utt. 364 § 610 Heru has attached his Eye to you; Heru has split open your eye for you that you may see with it, the gods have knit up your face for you, they have loved you, Aset and Nebt-Het have made you hale, and Heru is not far from you, for you are his essence. Utt. 366 § 628 Your two sisters Aset and Nebt-Het come to you that they may make you hale.... §630 Aset and Nebt-Het have waited for you in your name of 'Lord of Asyut' and because their god is in you in your name of 'God';... §632 Your sister Aset comes to you rejoicing for love of you. You have placed her on your phallus and your seed issues into her, she being ready as Sopdet. Utt. 406 § 707 Bring me the milk of Aset, the flood of Nebt-Het, the overspill of the lake, the surge of the sea, life, prosperity, health, happiness, bread, beer... Utt. 413 § 734 Raise yourself, O King! You have your water, you have your inundation, you have your milk which is from the breats of Mother Isis. Utt. 417 § 741 O Aset, take his hand to Re at the horizon. Utt. 419 § 744 Aset has grasped your hand and she inducts you into the baldachin. The land is covered (?), the mourners wail. Utt. 421 § 755 Aset speaks to you, Nebt-Het calls to you, the spirits come to you bowing... Utt. 461 § 872 Aset cries out to you, Nebt-Het calls to you, the Great Mooring-post removes (any) impediment for you... Utt. 468 § 898 ...may Aset cry out to you, may Nebt-Het call to you as Heru who protects his father Wesir. Utt. 474 § 939 How lovely to see!' says she, namely Aset; 'How pleasing to behold!' says she, namely Nebt-Het, to my father, to the King. Utt. 477 § 960 Raise yourself, O Wesir, for Set has raised himself, he has heard the threat of the gods who spoke about the god´s father. Aset has your arm, O Wesir; Nebt-Het has your hand, so go between them. Utt. 480 § 996 The King ascends upon the thighs of Aset, the King climbs upon the thighs of Nebt-Het... Utt. 482 §1004 O my father the King, the doors of the sky are opened for you, the doors of the celestial expanses are thrown open for you. The gods of Pe are full of sorrow, and they come to Wesir at the sound of the outcry of Aset and Nebt-Het. Utt. 505 §1089 (An 'ascension' text) I have gone up in Pe to the Souls of Pe, I am girt with the girdle of Heru, I am clad with the garment of Djehuty, Aset is before me and Nebt-Het is behind me, Wepwawet opens a way for me, Shu lifts me up, the Souls of On set up a stariway for me in order to reach the Above, and Nut puts her hand on me just as she did for Wesir on the day when he died. Utt. 510 (A miscellany of spells) §1140 ...because I am pure, the son of a pure one, and I am purified with these four 'nmst'-jars of mine which are filled to the brim from the Canal of the God in Iseion, which possesses the breath of Aset the Great, and Aset the Great dries me as Heru. Utt. 511 §1154 Aset conceives me, Nebt-Het betes me, and I sit on the Great Throne which the god have made. Utt. 518 §1199 Stand up, Wesir, and commend me to those who are in charge of the Causeway of Happiness north of the Field of Offerings just as you commended Heru to Aset on that day on which you made her pregnant. Utt. 519 §1214 These are they whom Nu bore, who have gone down upon you with their garlands on their heads and their garlands of the 'ib'tree at their throats, who make green the Nt-crowns of the canals of the Field of Offerings for Aset the Great, who tied on the fillet in Chemmis when she brought her loincloth and burnt incense before her son Heru the young child... Utt. 532 §1255 The dd-pillar of the Day-bark is released for its lord, the dd-pillar of the Day-bark is released for its protector. Aset comes and Nebt-Het comes, one of them from the west and one of them from the east, one of them as a 'screecher' one of them as a kite... Utt. 533 §1263 The King is the blood which issued from Re, the sweat which issued from Aset. Utt. 534 §1265 May there be benefited(?) the tomb of him whom Wesir respects and Kherty protects. May there be benefited(?) the tomb of him whom Aset respects and Nebt-Het protects. §1272 If Aset comes with this her evil coming, do not open your arms to her, but let there be said to her her name of 'Extensively corrupt'. 'Go southward, go to the Houses of 'M3nw'; go northward, go to Hdbt, to the place where you were beaten!' If Nebt-Het comes with this her evil coming, let there be said to her this her name of 'Imitation woman who has no vagina'. 'Go to the Mansions of Serqet, to that place where you were beaten (on) your hinderparts!' Utt. 535 §1280-1 Thus said Aset and Nebt-Het: The 'screecher' comes, the kite comes, namely Aset and Nebt-Het; they have come seeking their brother Wesir, seeking ther brother the King.... Weep for your brother O Aset; weep for your brother, O Nebt-Het; weep for your brother! Aset sits down with her hands on her head, Nebt-Het has grasped the tips of her breasts because of her brother the King... Utt. 536 §1292 'Endure!' says Aset, 'In Peace!' says Nebt-Het when they see their brother. Utt. 538 §1302 Get back, you needy long-horn! Your head is in the hands of Heru, your tail is in the hands of Aset, and the fingers of Atum are on your horns. Utt. 548 §1347 His hand is taken by Aset, his stern-warp is coiled(?) by Nebt-Het, the Celestial Serpent has placed him at her side, she drops him down among the hntw-s as calf-herds. Utt. 553 §1362 Greeting, O King! says Aset; Be welcome , O King! says Nebt-het, for they saw your father Wesir on that day of fowling with a throw-stick. May the chapels which your soul founded be exalted. Utt. 555 §1375 My mother is Aset, my nurse is Nebt-Het, she who suckled me is the Sh3t-Hr cow, Nit is behind me, and Serqet is before me. Utt. 570 §1464 (The king is one with the sun-god) I am the redness which came fort from Aset, I am the blood which issued from Nebt-Het; I am firmly bound up(?) at the waist(?), and there is nothing which the gods ca do for me, for I am the representative of Re, and I do not die. Utt. 572 §1472 'How lovely to see, how pleasing to behold!' says Aset, when you ascend to the sky, your power upon you, your terror about you, your magic at your feet;.... Utt. 577 §1521 (Wesir and the king are associated) Content is Atum, father of the gods; Content are Shu and Tefenet; Content are Geb and Nut; Content are Wesir and [Aset]; Content are Set and Nit;... Utt. 580 §1547 (An offering text) ... its thighs belong to Aset and Nebt-Het, its shanks belong to Hnt-irty and Kherty, its back belongs to Nit and Serqet... Utt. 593 §1630 (A variant of Utt. 366) Your sisters Aset and Nebt-Het come to you, they have sat down there in the place where you are. Your sister Aset has laid hold of you, and she has found you complete and great in your name of 'Bitter Lakes'. §1634-5 Aset and Nebt-Het have waited for you in Asyut because their Lord is in you in your name of 'Lord of Asyut'; because their god is in you in your name of 'Canal of the God'; they worship you, do not be far from them. Aset comes to you rejoicing through love of you;... Utt. 595 §1640 I bring to you your heart and place it in your body for you, just as Heru brought the heart of his mother Aset and just as Aset brought the heart of her son Heru. Utt. 600 §1655 O you Great Ennead which is on On, (namely) Atum, Shu, Tefenet, Geb, Nut, Wesir, Aset, Set, and Nebt-Het;... Utt. 609 §1703 O King, your mother Nut has borne you in the West; go down to the West as a possessor of honour. Your mother Aset has borne you in Chemmis; extend your hands.... Utt. 612 §1733 ...take [these four nmst.jars of yours which are filled to the brim from the Canal of the God in Iseion, which possesses the breath of Heru , and Aset the Great will dry you] as Heru. Utt. 619 §1750 Aset cries out to you, Nebt-Het calls to you, she of Imet will sit on the steps of your throne;... Utt. 661 §1873 O my father the King, take this milky fluid of yours which is in the breasts of your mother Aset; O Nebt-Het, give him your hand. Utt. 663 §1883 You have your water, you have your flood, you have your milk which is in the breast of your mother Aset. Utt. 664 §1884-5 (Aset gives the king his heart) Rouse yourself, turn yourself over, O King, for I am Aset; I have come that I may lay hold of you and give you your heart for your body. Utt. 664A §1886 O Wesir the King, I am Aset; I have come into the middle of this earth, into the place where you are; I have come and have laid hold of you. Utt. 665 §1906 Beware, you two [...] as Aset, the Mourning-Woman calls to you as Nebt-Het, the earth quakes at you.... Utt. 666A §1928 The Mooring-post summons you as Aset, the Mourning Woman calls to you as [Nebt-Het, you appearing] upon the causeway... Utt. 667A §1947 (An ascension text) The watchers dance for you and the Mourning-Woman calls to you as Aset. Utt. 667B §1951 Heru comes with bound hair as the protector of his father, he stands as Heru upon the river-bank with his sisters Aset and Nebt-Het beside him. Utt. 669 §1964 (An ascension and rebirth text) ...the great one who is among you, you gods, for whom you..., you gods when Aset spoke to Nu. Utt. 670 §1973 ...they come to Wesir the King at the sound of the weeping of Aset, at the cry of Nebt-Het, at the ailing of these two spirits over this great one who has come forth] from the Netherworld. §1981 A libation for you is poured by Aset, [Nebt-Het has cleansed you, even your two] great and mighty sisters who gathered your flesh together, who raised up your members and who caused your eyes to appear in your head... Utt. 674 §1997 The Mourning-Woman calls to you as Aset, the Joyful One rejoices over you as Nebt-Het, you stand before the snwt-shrines as Min... Utt. 676 §2009 (A resurrection text) The tomb is opened for you, the doors of the coffin are drawn back for you, the doors of the sky are thrown open for you; 'Greeting,' says Aset; 'In Peace', says Nebt-Het, when they see their brother in the Festival of Atum. Utt. 689 §2089 Aset comes, having grasped her breasts because of her vindicated son, and the King has found the Eye of Horus... Utt. 690 §2098 Your face is that of a jackal, your flesh is that of Atum, your soul is within you, your power is about you, Aset is before you and Nebt-Het is behind you, you encompass the Horite Mounds and you go round about the Sethite Mounds, it is Shu and Tefenut who guide you when you go forth from On. Utt. 619B §2127 The two sisters who love you are Aset and Nebt-het, and they will support you. Utt. 694 §2144 [...] says Aset; 'I have found', says Nebt-Het, for they have seen Wesir on his side on the bank... Utt. 701 §2192 (As last) Heru comes pure that [he] may protect [his father...'... 'I am your sister] who loves you' says Aset and Nebt-Het; they lament you, they arouse you. Utt. 718 §2232 (A partial duplicate of Utt. 666A) The Mourning-Woman [summons you] as Aset, the Mooring-post calls to you as Nebt-Het, you having appeared upon the causeway.... Utt. 720 §2239 (As last) the Great Mooring post speaks to you as Aset, the West calls to you [as] Nebt-Het, as (to) Heru the Protector of his father Wesir.