Ushabits and the Shabti Spell

I have always loved and will always love ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 figures!! They are one of my absolute favorite things to see in museums, and that is probably because my Nonno loved ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 so much! He used to tell my sister and I stories about the ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 and I became enthralled with them so let’s take a look at this little guy!!

This style of ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 is very common in the Third Intermediate Period. The figure is made of blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 with details in black 𓆎𓅓 paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦. Most ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 figures contained hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on them that were part of the “Shabti Spell,” which is taken from chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead. The spell was very formulaic and appears on many different ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪! Since space is very limited on these small 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪, this is a very shortened version of the spell!

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

𓊩𓁹 – The Osiris
𓎟𓅄 – Nb-Hrw
𓐙𓊤 – Justified (or “True of Voice”)

All together 𓈖𓊗, hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 read: “The Osiris, Nb-Hrw, Justified.”

The name 𓂋𓈖 of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱, which in this case is “Nb-Hrw 𓎟𓅄,” will always follow the epithet “The Osiris 𓊩𓁹.” The reason why the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 is referred to as “The Osiris 𓊩𓁹” is because the ancient Egyptians wanted to live forever 𓎛𓇳𓎛 in the afterlife/Duat 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐, just like Osiris 𓊩𓁹! “Justified/True of Voice 𓐙𓊤,” meant that the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 lived an honest and true life 𓋹!