I just want to go back to 'opening the mouth/way' again and show you the following, remember the quotation...
In Egyptian mythology...there is the journey to the underworld where
the rod/device (adze/ahnetjer) to “open the way/mouth” is used to open
the mouth of the ‘black serpent’ (blackhole/wormhole).
The Shining - Re-cap
The Shining...The Hall of Two Judgements & The Afterlife.
![]()
ADZE - AHNETJER
![]()
![]()
The ahnetjer depicted as an adze-like instrument, was used in the Opening of the Mouth ceremony, intended to convey power over their senses to statues and mummies. It was apparently the foreleg of a freshly sacrificed bull or cow (minotaur/maze) with which the mouth was touched.
![]()
Monarch 'bull' lower half of pic...Bulls head in the right pic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adze
![]()
AZDE
![]()
Jack's Azde/Ahnetjer...Wendy's Open Mouth
In the Egyptian mythology there is the journey to the underworld where the rod/device (adze/ahnetjer) to “open the way/mouth” is used to open the mouth of the ‘black serpent’ (blackhole/wormhole).
![]()
THE OPENING OF THE MOUTH CEREMONY - EGYPT (Azde/Ahnetjer, left black rod in front of pharoah)
The opening of the mouth ceremony (or ritual) was an ancient Egyptian ritual described in funerary texts such as the Pyramid Texts.
The ancient Egyptians believed that in order for a person's soul to survive in the afterlife it would need to have food and water. The opening of the mouth ritual was thus performed so that the person who died could eat and drink again in the afterlife.
![]()
Danny's Opening of the Mouth...The Lift/Elevator is a version of 'the mouth' the dials above are the eyes (the word mouth originates from the Egyptian word Ma'at, as does the word Mother, which is where Matriarch comes from, Wendy is the 'matriarch' and she sees a similar vision to Danny.)
Danny: "He's a little boy that lives inside my mouth"
![]()
Danny's Open Mouth
Manager:"He ran amuck, and uh, killed his family with an axe. Stacked 'em neatly in one of the rooms of the West Wing, and uh, then he, uh, he put, uh, both barrels of a shotgun in his mouth."
![]()
Grady Twins - Azde/Ahnetjer
![]()
Doctor: "If you were to'open your mouth' now, could I see Tony?"
Hallorann: "I can remember when I was a little boy. My grandmother and I could hold conversations entirely without ever opening our mouths."
The ritual involved the symbolic animation of a statue or mummy by magically opening its mouth so that it could breathe and speak.![]()
Jack's frozen and mummified body.
The snow used during these ending scenes was a combination of salt and formaldehyde...both used in the preservation of bodies!
![]()
Natron
The Spell
In order to live for all eternity and be presented in front of Osiris, the body of the deceased had to be preserved by mummification, so that the soul could reunite with it, and take pleasure in the Afterlife. The main process of mummification was dehydrating the body using natron, a natural material found in Wadi Natrun which is a combination of baking soda and salt, to preserve the body. The body is drained of any liquids and left with skin, hair and muscles preserved. The 70 days (process of mummification) are connected to Osiris and the length the star Sirius/Sothis/Sopdet was absent from the sky.
![]()
Holly Salt...for dehydration. (Natron)
![]()
Baking Powder/Soda...for dehydration. (Natron)
![]()
Full scene...Judgement and the Afterlife, Osiris 'God-King', far right.
Weighing of the heart scene, with en:Ammit sitting, from the book of the dead of Hunefer. From the source: "The judgement, from the papyrus of the scribe Hunefer. 19th Dynasty. Hunefer is conducted to the balance by jackal-headed Anubis. The monster Ammut crouches beneath the balance so as to swallow the heart should a life of wickedness be indicated. Anubis conducts the weighing on the scale of Maat, against the feather of truth. The ibis-headed Thoth, scribe of the gods, records the result. If his heart is lighter than the feather, Hunefer is allowed to pass into the afterlife. If not, he is eaten by the waiting chimeric devouring creature Ammit, which is composed of the deadly crocodile, lion, and hippopotamus. In the next panel, showing the scene after the weighing, a triumphant Hunefer, having passed the test, is presented by falcon-headed Horus to the shrine of the green-skinned Osiris, god of the underworld and the dead, accompanied by Isis and Nephthys. The 14 gods of Egypt are shown seated above, in the order of judges.
In the underworld the deceased’s spirit must compete with gods, evil creatures and gatekeepers to reach Osiris and the Hall of Final Judgment. After the dangerous journey through the underworld, the god of the dead, Anubis, would lead the dead to the Hall of Two Truths, where the deceased stand in front of 42 judges and Osiris. The Book of the Dead helped the deceased say the right words to the judges. The deceased is led to a set of scales where their heart was weighed against the feather of truth, which symbolizes Maat the goddess of justice. The fate of the deceased would be decided - either entrance into the perfect afterlife or their heart would be eaten by Ammit, the devourer of the dead. If the deceased passed the test the judges in the Hall of the Two Truths pronounced the following divine order.
The final judgment is a meeting with Osiris. Osiris, lord of the underworld, sits on his throne, represented as a mummy. On his head is the white crown of Lower Egypt (the north). He holds the symbols of Egyptian kingship in his hands: the shepherd's crook to symbolize his role as shepherd of mankind, and the flail, representing his ability to separate the wheat from the chaff. Behind him stand his wife Isis and her sister Nephthys. Isis is the one Together. Osiris, Isis and Nephthys welcome the deceased to the underworld. The afterlife was similar to the ordinary life, but more pleasant and enjoyable. The deceased would become a god and be accompanied by other gods. There was no evil and shabtis do any necessary labor. Poor people are wealthier and the old are young again.
the rod/device (adze/ahnetjer) to “open the way/mouth” is used to open
the mouth of the ‘black serpent’ (blackhole/wormhole).
The Shining - Re-cap
The Shining...The Hall of Two Judgements & The Afterlife.
ADZE - AHNETJERThe adze is shown in ancient Egypt from the Old Kingdom onward. Originally the adze blades were made of stone, but already in the Predynastic Period copper adzes had all but replaced those made of flint. While stone blades were fastened to the wooden handle by tying, metal blades had sockets into which the handle was fitted. Examples of Egyptian adzes can be found in museums and on the Petrie Museum website.
A depiction of an adze was also used as a hieroglyph, representing the consonants stp, "chosen", and used as: ...Pharaoh XX, chosen of God/Goddess YY...
The Hall of Two Judgements...Lobby Hallway 'End to End'...Ahnetjer one end, 'monolith judgement doorway' other end.
The ahnetjer depicted as an adze-like instrument, was used in the Opening of the Mouth ceremony, intended to convey power over their senses to statues and mummies. It was apparently the foreleg of a freshly sacrificed bull or cow (minotaur/maze) with which the mouth was touched.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adze
In the Egyptian mythology there is the journey to the underworld where the rod/device (adze/ahnetjer) to “open the way/mouth” is used to open the mouth of the ‘black serpent’ (blackhole/wormhole).
The opening of the mouth ceremony (or ritual) was an ancient Egyptian ritual described in funerary texts such as the Pyramid Texts.
Funerary magic
The ritual involved the symbolic animation of a statue or mummy by magically opening its mouth so that it could breathe and speak. There is evidence of this ritual from the Old Kingdom to the Roman Period. Special tools were used to perform the ceremony, such as a ritual adze, an arm shaped ritual censer, a spooned blade known as a peseshkaf, a serpent-head blade, and a variety of other amulets. A calf's leg was also held up to the lips painted on the coffin.The ancient Egyptians believed that in order for a person's soul to survive in the afterlife it would need to have food and water. The opening of the mouth ritual was thus performed so that the person who died could eat and drink again in the afterlife.
Danny: "He's a little boy that lives inside my mouth"
Manager:"He ran amuck, and uh, killed his family with an axe. Stacked 'em neatly in one of the rooms of the West Wing, and uh, then he, uh, he put, uh, both barrels of a shotgun in his mouth."
Hallorann: "I can remember when I was a little boy. My grandmother and I could hold conversations entirely without ever opening our mouths."
The ritual involved the symbolic animation of a statue or mummy by magically opening its mouth so that it could breathe and speak.
The snow used during these ending scenes was a combination of salt and formaldehyde...both used in the preservation of bodies!
Danny: You wouldn't ever hurt Mummy& me, would you?
Danny: Mummy, Mummy... (end scene coming out of maze)
The Spell
- My mouth is opened by Ptah,
- My mouth's bonds are loosed by my city-god.
- Thoth has come fully equipped with spells,
- He looses the bonds of Seth from my mouth.
- Atum has given me my hands,
- They are placed as guardians.
- My mouth is given to me,
- My mouth is opened by Ptah,
- With that chisel of metal
- With which he opened the mouth of the gods.
- I am Sekhmet-Wadjet who dwells in the west of heaven,
- I am Sahyt among the souls of On.
In order to live for all eternity and be presented in front of Osiris, the body of the deceased had to be preserved by mummification, so that the soul could reunite with it, and take pleasure in the Afterlife. The main process of mummification was dehydrating the body using natron, a natural material found in Wadi Natrun which is a combination of baking soda and salt, to preserve the body. The body is drained of any liquids and left with skin, hair and muscles preserved. The 70 days (process of mummification) are connected to Osiris and the length the star Sirius/Sothis/Sopdet was absent from the sky.
Weighing of the heart scene, with en:Ammit sitting, from the book of the dead of Hunefer. From the source: "The judgement, from the papyrus of the scribe Hunefer. 19th Dynasty. Hunefer is conducted to the balance by jackal-headed Anubis. The monster Ammut crouches beneath the balance so as to swallow the heart should a life of wickedness be indicated. Anubis conducts the weighing on the scale of Maat, against the feather of truth. The ibis-headed Thoth, scribe of the gods, records the result. If his heart is lighter than the feather, Hunefer is allowed to pass into the afterlife. If not, he is eaten by the waiting chimeric devouring creature Ammit, which is composed of the deadly crocodile, lion, and hippopotamus. In the next panel, showing the scene after the weighing, a triumphant Hunefer, having passed the test, is presented by falcon-headed Horus to the shrine of the green-skinned Osiris, god of the underworld and the dead, accompanied by Isis and Nephthys. The 14 gods of Egypt are shown seated above, in the order of judges.
In the underworld the deceased’s spirit must compete with gods, evil creatures and gatekeepers to reach Osiris and the Hall of Final Judgment. After the dangerous journey through the underworld, the god of the dead, Anubis, would lead the dead to the Hall of Two Truths, where the deceased stand in front of 42 judges and Osiris. The Book of the Dead helped the deceased say the right words to the judges. The deceased is led to a set of scales where their heart was weighed against the feather of truth, which symbolizes Maat the goddess of justice. The fate of the deceased would be decided - either entrance into the perfect afterlife or their heart would be eaten by Ammit, the devourer of the dead. If the deceased passed the test the judges in the Hall of the Two Truths pronounced the following divine order.
The final judgment is a meeting with Osiris. Osiris, lord of the underworld, sits on his throne, represented as a mummy. On his head is the white crown of Lower Egypt (the north). He holds the symbols of Egyptian kingship in his hands: the shepherd's crook to symbolize his role as shepherd of mankind, and the flail, representing his ability to separate the wheat from the chaff. Behind him stand his wife Isis and her sister Nephthys. Isis is the one Together. Osiris, Isis and Nephthys welcome the deceased to the underworld. The afterlife was similar to the ordinary life, but more pleasant and enjoyable. The deceased would become a god and be accompanied by other gods. There was no evil and shabtis do any necessary labor. Poor people are wealthier and the old are young again.
OK...so that's the recap done.
DUNE
Lynch's Dune - Desert Planet (just like Egypt)
Paul with his 'maker hook' (azde-ahnetjer) approaches the 'sand worm'.
Paul is the 'supreme being' he is a messiah/god king to be...like Osiris/Jesus.
Paul alongside the 'sand worm' placing the 'maker hook' (azde-ahnetjer) into it's side.
When he does so the following happens....
The 'sand worms' mouth opens...opening of the mouth/way 'wormhole' (literally).
He then goes on to...
Ride The Worm/Snake.
"Ride the snake, to the ancient lake"
"is everybody in?
is everybody in?
is everybody in?
the ceremony is about to begin"
Jim as Osiris Slain
The End - Doors
Weird scenes inside the gold mine
Ride the highway west, baby
Ride the snake, ride the snake
To the lake, the ancient lake, baby
The snake is long, seven miles
Ride the snake...he's old, and his skin is cold
To the lake, the ancient lake, baby
Dune.....To the ancient lake...Paul sees the fremen's huge water caches.
At the climax of Dune (Lynch) the camera moves onto Paul's right eye (sun) and then left eye (moon)...the camera zooms into his left eye (moon) and then as a result Paul magically creates rain...the moon & water connection doesn't need an explanation, we're all aware of its effects on the waters of the oceans etc.
Paul's left eye...the moon, just like the eye of Horus.
The moon is a crucial aspect of Paul's story arc...he gets a vision from the moon of Arrakis.
The mouse on the moon, mu-adib.
The sleeper (Paul and/or us) has awakened!!!
This parallels with A Clockwork Orange, where the end is 'singin' in the rain'.
This could be an allusion to the rainbow bridge...a light beam is reaching to the heavens.
A hot & sunny desert planet with rain = rainbows.
Zeus/Maia were the parents of Hermes/Thoth.
The Atreides (via Atreus)...that line descends from Tantalus (Son of Zeus) and refers to the sons of Agamemnon & Menelaus...distant sons of Atreus are referred to as Atreides...Atreus once called upon Hermes/Thoth for advice on how to win back his throne and which he subsequently did.
Oliver Stone's The Doors (film) at the sand dunes...Kyle Maclachlan as Manzerek (far left) Kyle played Paul Atreides in the above Dune film!
Ride The Snake...to the ancient lake, the blue sky above, enlightenment.
The DNA Ladder...Jacob's Rainbow Ladder.
Snaker rider...
Alex's 'snake' shown at the base of the bed (tree) and also shown on his bed, where the base of his spine would be.
Platoon
Oliver Stone's Platoon..."First time...Then the worm has definitely turned for you man?"
Gun in mouth (opening of the mouth/wormhole) and Dafoe blows pot smoke down the gun's barrel to Charlie (Martin 'Apocalypse Now' Sheen's son.)
Now what is playing in the background 'White Rabbit' by Jefferson Airplane...The White Rabbit, Alice in Wonderland.
"Go ask Alice..."
![]()
Follow the White Rabbit...down the 'wormhole' (opening of the mouth/way).
Now what is playing in the background 'White Rabbit' by Jefferson Airplane...The White Rabbit, Alice in Wonderland.
"Go ask Alice..."
The Worm - Catepillar
Hookah Smoker...Hooker (ahnetjer) Smoker/Maker 'opening of the mouth/way'...like Defoe & Sheen.
Another 'hooker smoker/maker' Dune (Lynch) Guild Navigator (that folds space time/wormhole) Hell...they're virtually twins!!!
Open your mouth...
Double-take time!!!
The role of Chris (Sheen's role in Platoon) was originally offered to Kyle MacLachlan, who turned it down.
Rumour has it that Keanu 'sirius' Reeves also turned the role down.
Recall the Alien...tie-in I mentined in a previous post.
Early artwork depicting 'opening of the mouth'.
Opening of the Mouth...Cain/John Hurt (as in a 'sons of cain' aka 'tubalcain' aka 'freemasonry')
Saw Franchise
"The device you’re wearing is hooked into your upper and lower jaws. When the timer at the back goes off, your mouth will be permanently ripped open."
More double take...
From 05m 28s onwards...
Here's Cain/Hurt in the Elephant Man, also by Lynch...at the end of this clip Merrick will have his own journey to the stars/wormhole and his 'forever' moment. Note the music used.
Note the music used.
Osiris, Horus & Set...Elias, Chris & Barnes.
Let battle commence...
Barnes is Set...to Elias' Osiris...and the child of those two (as he says it) is Chris (Christopher/Christed/Charlie Sheen)
Chris (Sheen) : "The war is over for me now, but it will always be there, for the rest of my days, as I'm sure Elias will be, fighting with Barnes for what Rhah (Ra/Re) called possession of my soul (ba). There are times since... I've felt like the child born of those two fathers."
(Ra, the Sun God symbolized the creation of every living soul. He's talking about Chris' soul and the battle between 'set'& 'osiris' for it! Set was depicted standing on the prow of Ra's night barque spearing Apep in the form of a serpent)
"I've felt like the child born of those two fathers."
Which is the Egyptian trinity mythos in a nutshell. The virgin birth from Isis...Barnes is Set, murders Elias, who is Osiris and the eventual offspring, via Isis, is Horus...Chris(Christed)/Sheen.
Horus (Sheen) then goes on to avenge the death of Osiris (Defoe) by battling with Set (Barnes)....who he subsequently kills...completing the entire myth cycle!!!
Just prior to the death of Set (Barnes) by Horus (Sheen) there is a fire fight and most of the platoon are blown into unconsciousness. When Horus (Chris) awakes the first thing he sees is...
"The deer is considered by some Christians to be a symbol of Christ."
The death of Osiris (Elias) is avenged by Horus (Chris)...Set(Barnes) lies dead.
Now just to really convince any doubters of the filmakers intent...we have this scene from earlier.
A re-enactment of Set (Barnes)'gouging'Horus' (Chris) left eye...
The 'eye' that Horus lost in his battle against Set.
Rhah/Ra...with the staff of Ra in one hand.
Ra/Rhah Egyptian Sun God...he is often seen on the 'solar barque'.
And to further underline the point that we dealing with all things Egyptian...we have the following.
Rhah: What you doing in the underworld, Taylor?
(Taylor/Horus & Rhah/Ra in the Egyptian underworld!)
King: Well, this here ain't Taylor. Taylor been shot. This man here is Chris(t). He been resurrected.
(The King describes the resurrection of christ/0siris)
Oliver Stone's sequel...
Born on the 4th of July
(Taylor/Horus & Rhah/Ra in the Egyptian underworld!)
King: Well, this here ain't Taylor. Taylor been shot. This man here is Chris(t). He been resurrected.
(The King describes the resurrection of christ/0siris)
Oliver Stone's sequel...
Born on the 4th of July
Reborn on the 4th of July...as above, so below, Remember!!!
Recall this from a little earlier...?
Opening of the mouth/way/wornhole Platoon.
"Then the worm has definitely turned for you man?"
Willem also turns up in this film...and look what he is doing, when we first meet him!
"Fuckin A! You know when you're really drunk on this mescal shit...[he drinks and then swallows the worm]is when you swallow the worm and you don't even know it!"
Tom/Kovic does it too...
Willem/Elias as Jesus/Osiris
"Elias, get your men ready. He's in three years and thinks he's Jesus fucking Christ!" (Osiris)
"He's a troublemaker. - Elias is a water-walker." (Jesus awalking on water, but really Osiris, the dying god)
He's 'crucified' when we first get to see him...fitting for his role as the 'dying god'.
![]()
He is resurrected temporarily, before finally taking his place as the 'dying god'
![]()
The Ka leaving Elias' body.
The Ka was the Egyptian concept of vital essence, that which distinguishes the difference between a living and a dead person, with death occurring when the ka left the body.
![]()
On The Cross. (Tau) Nimbus = Crown of Thorns
Dafoe as Osiris Slain/Dying God/Jesus
![]()
![]()
If you've seen the film, then you'll certainly remember this part...a real eye waterer!!! Let' just say something happens to Dafoe's private parts!
![]()
Back to...Born On 4th July
Anti-Christ...The prelude to the death of the baby...sex & death.
![]()
![]()
'the dying baby'
![]()
Back to...Born On 4th July
Anti-Christ = Book Of Revelation.
The Apocalypse of St John
![]()
"I am the alpha & the omega...the beginning & the end."
Book of Revelations, Chp1 V8
A 'switch-hitting' reversal for Dafoe...this time with the deer and aborted rebirth (representive of Christ, as we saw earlier in Platoon...this time in Anti-christ).
Anti-Christ...The prelude to the death of the baby...sex & death.
The Apocalypse of St John
Book of Revelations, Chp1 V8
Apocalypse Now
![]()
An ouroboros loop of a film, which is why it starts with the words sung "This is the end"and finishes with 'The End"...a cycle, the 'alpha and the omega' (as quoted from Jesus/Osiris, first and last letters of the Greek alphabet).
Willard (Benjamin & Willard, Harrison Ford's sons) is on a mission to kill the Colonel...the God/King (Kurtz) at the end of the snaking river.
![]()
We are given heavy hints to the 'Killing of the King' rite from Fraser's Golden Bough, that is clearly on view in Kurtz's compound. The other book is Ritual To Romance which is of a similar ilk.
Of course the original King, to which that concept probably ultimately relates, is the God/King Osiris, who was murdered by his brother Set and chopped into 13/14 pieces. This is also echoed in 'the death of Hiram Abiff' (Osiris/Sun) which comes with the necessary coffin element, as per Osiris. These 'death and rebirth' elements could also relate to 'the divine nature of man' as well...in a fallen state 'spiritually' (death) and requirement for the 'soul/spirit' to be purified (birth) into gold via enlightenment...yada, yada.
![]()
Tarot...Death from above, as it is below.
![]()
Follow the White Rabbit.
![]()
Deja Vu in the Matrix...Ma'at (straight, truth, mother, womb) Ma'atrix.
![]()
Morpheus (flipped) 'god of sleep/dreams' (who wakes Neo from his sleep) Laurence Fishburne and Fishburne as Mr Clean, Apocalypse Now.
Morpheus: "I imagine that right now you're feeling a bit like Alice,
tumbling down the rabbit hole. Hmm?"
Neo: "You could say that."
Apocalypse Nile
![]()
Now look at the poster again...a snaking river leading to the SUN/OSIRIS/KURTZ, all one and the same!
The death and rebirth of the KING/SUN/SON...which is what our own sun does every year (it symbolically dies and is reborn) starting from the winter solstice 21st December.
The winter solstice is seen as the reversal of the Sun's ebbing presence in the sky, concepts of the birth or rebirth of sun gods have been common and, in cultures using winter solstitially based cyclic calendars, the year as reborn has been celebrated with regard to life-death-rebirth deities or new beginnings.
Isis manages to reassemble Osiris and, with the help of Thoth, Anubis and Nephythys, they manage to resurrect him, at which point he becomes the God of the Underworld, or God of the Dead, and takes his place in the heavens as the constellation Orion. At the time, Orion set at sunrise on the winter solstice, thereby symbolically entering the Underworld, to be reborn as he rises heliacally on the summer solstice.
Obviously...with the Osiris/Sun 'death and rebirth' aspect and the time of year...this would also bring in comparisons with Jesus.
During our very first encounter with Kurtz in the film, where Willard is given the mission...there seems to be two portions of suggestive dialogue in relation to Kurtz and his 'godlike' status...
![]()
Lucas: You've heard of Colonel Walter E Kurtz?
Willard: Yes Sir, I've heard the name...
[Lucas drops the dossier on the floor and exclaims 'Jesus!']
He says it immediately after the end of the previous dialogue...'I've heard the name'...then bang 'Jesus', right on cue!
![]()
A subliminal suggestion of Kurtz''godlike' status by linking him with Jesus.
We also get this in the same scene...again from Lucas:
"Now he's croseed to Cambodia with his Montagnard army, who worship the man, like a god, and follow every order however ridiculous"
We also encounter this on our way along the river...some suggestive imagery.
![]()
'Crucifixion-like' Crosses
Osiris as a 'Bull deity' via Apis.
![]()
King Osiris lord of the underworld and the afterlife and the King was buried at Memphis via Apis (the bull) who took on his character.
![]()
The two aspects fused together in one image and in a 'temple setting', this also occurs just prior to the great sacrificial ritual...all to hammer the point home.
When Osiris absorbed the identity of Ptah, becoming Ptah-Seker-Osiris, the Apis bull became considered an aspect of Osiris rather than Ptah. Since Osiris was lord of the dead, the Apis then became known as the living deceased one. As he now represented Osiris, when the Apis bull reached the age of twenty-eight, the age when Osiris was said to have been killed by Set, symbolic of the lunar month, and the new moon, the bull was put to death with a great sacrificial ceremony. As a form of Osiris, lord of the dead, it was believed that to be under the protection of the Apis bull would give the person control over the four winds in the afterlife.
An ouroboros loop of a film, which is why it starts with the words sung "This is the end"and finishes with 'The End"...a cycle, the 'alpha and the omega' (as quoted from Jesus/Osiris, first and last letters of the Greek alphabet).
Willard (Benjamin & Willard, Harrison Ford's sons) is on a mission to kill the Colonel...the God/King (Kurtz) at the end of the snaking river.
Of course the original King, to which that concept probably ultimately relates, is the God/King Osiris, who was murdered by his brother Set and chopped into 13/14 pieces. This is also echoed in 'the death of Hiram Abiff' (Osiris/Sun) which comes with the necessary coffin element, as per Osiris. These 'death and rebirth' elements could also relate to 'the divine nature of man' as well...in a fallen state 'spiritually' (death) and requirement for the 'soul/spirit' to be purified (birth) into gold via enlightenment...yada, yada.
Tarot...Death from above, as it is below.
Morpheus: "I imagine that right now you're feeling a bit like Alice,
tumbling down the rabbit hole. Hmm?"
Neo: "You could say that."
Apocalypse Nile
Now look at the poster again...a snaking river leading to the SUN/OSIRIS/KURTZ, all one and the same!
The death and rebirth of the KING/SUN/SON...which is what our own sun does every year (it symbolically dies and is reborn) starting from the winter solstice 21st December.
The winter solstice is seen as the reversal of the Sun's ebbing presence in the sky, concepts of the birth or rebirth of sun gods have been common and, in cultures using winter solstitially based cyclic calendars, the year as reborn has been celebrated with regard to life-death-rebirth deities or new beginnings.
Isis manages to reassemble Osiris and, with the help of Thoth, Anubis and Nephythys, they manage to resurrect him, at which point he becomes the God of the Underworld, or God of the Dead, and takes his place in the heavens as the constellation Orion. At the time, Orion set at sunrise on the winter solstice, thereby symbolically entering the Underworld, to be reborn as he rises heliacally on the summer solstice.
Obviously...with the Osiris/Sun 'death and rebirth' aspect and the time of year...this would also bring in comparisons with Jesus.
During our very first encounter with Kurtz in the film, where Willard is given the mission...there seems to be two portions of suggestive dialogue in relation to Kurtz and his 'godlike' status...
Lucas: You've heard of Colonel Walter E Kurtz?
Willard: Yes Sir, I've heard the name...
[Lucas drops the dossier on the floor and exclaims 'Jesus!']
He says it immediately after the end of the previous dialogue...'I've heard the name'...then bang 'Jesus', right on cue!
We also get this in the same scene...again from Lucas:
"Now he's croseed to Cambodia with his Montagnard army, who worship the man, like a god, and follow every order however ridiculous"
We also encounter this on our way along the river...some suggestive imagery.
Osiris as a 'Bull deity' via Apis.
When Osiris absorbed the identity of Ptah, becoming Ptah-Seker-Osiris, the Apis bull became considered an aspect of Osiris rather than Ptah. Since Osiris was lord of the dead, the Apis then became known as the living deceased one. As he now represented Osiris, when the Apis bull reached the age of twenty-eight, the age when Osiris was said to have been killed by Set, symbolic of the lunar month, and the new moon, the bull was put to death with a great sacrificial ceremony. As a form of Osiris, lord of the dead, it was believed that to be under the protection of the Apis bull would give the person control over the four winds in the afterlife.
the bull was put to death with a great sacrificial ceremony.
The Osiris/Apis Bull of Apocalypse Now being sacrificed by Set/Lance...chopping into pieces.
The Osiris/Apis Bull of Apocalypse Now being sacrificed by Set/Lance...chopping into pieces.
There is evidence that parts of the body of the Apis bull were eaten by the pharaoh and the priests to absorb the Apis's great strength.
This point is referenced in The Golden Bough, that the vanquisher of the King would absorb the wisdom/strength of the King being sacrificed. Willard will take on 'Kurtz's' wisdom/strength after the deed is done and you'll notice how, after killing Kurtz...the remaining compound members bow down to Willard and lay down their arms...they know he is the King reborn (Sheen as horus to Brando's fallen osiris) and act accordingly.
![]()
The King (Osiris) reborn...as Sheen/Horus.
"The period of 2,160 years required for the regression of the sun through one of the zodiacal constellations is often termed an age. According to this system, the age secured its name from the sign through which the sun passes year after year as it crosses the equator at the vernal equinox. From this arrangement are derived the terms The Taurian Age, The Aryan Age, The Piscean Age, and The Aquarian Age. During these periods, or ages, religious worship takes the form of the appropriate celestial sign--that which the sun is said to assume as a personality in the same manner that a spirit assumes a body. These twelve signs are the jewels of his breastplate and his light shines forth from them, one after the other.
From a consideration of this system, it is readily understood why certain religious symbols were adopted during different ages of the earth's history; for during the 2,160 years the sun was in the constellation of Taurus, it is said that the Solar Deity assumed the body of Apis, and the Bull became sacred to Osiris."
"The period of 2,160 years required for the regression of the sun through one of the zodiacal constellations is often termed an age. According to this system, the age secured its name from the sign through which the sun passes year after year as it crosses the equator at the vernal equinox. From this arrangement are derived the terms The Taurian Age, The Aryan Age, The Piscean Age, and The Aquarian Age. During these periods, or ages, religious worship takes the form of the appropriate celestial sign--that which the sun is said to assume as a personality in the same manner that a spirit assumes a body. These twelve signs are the jewels of his breastplate and his light shines forth from them, one after the other.
From a consideration of this system, it is readily understood why certain religious symbols were adopted during different ages of the earth's history; for during the 2,160 years the sun was in the constellation of Taurus, it is said that the Solar Deity assumed the body of Apis, and the Bull became sacred to Osiris."
Manly P Hall, The Secret Teaching of All Ages.
It was Osiris who taught the people of the land of Egypt about farming. Osiris was and is one of the first "Green Men", in that he was also the god of vegetation. (as was his brother Set also).
The events are taking place in the lush and green vegetation of the jungle!
Sheen will kill Osiris (Kurtz) and become Horus (Osiris reborn), the new King, hence his green makeup to carry out the ritual killing. In fact, Sheen will take on an aspect of Set too, this is for the killing (chopping into pieces) and be Horus (Osiris Risen) after the attack. No, that coupling (Set/Horus) is not too far fetched ...Set was Osiris's brother, afterall!!!
The act of Sheen killing Kurtz (Osiris) will be juxtaposed with the ritual killing of the 'bull/cow' (Apis-Osiris) by the locals...it will amplify this 'Killing of the Divine King' by having it played out concurrently, both the ritual deaths will be symbolic of the death of Osiris/Sun.
Sheen, in playing Horus...will pick up the tag of Lord of the Sky, Horus & his falcon's head/sun epithet.
With Sheen as Horus, Lord of the Sky...I think we can now understand the symbolism of the opening sequence of the film.
The helicopter images & sounds, the fan rotor blades over Sheen's head etc...he is Lord of the Sky and remember this beginning, is also the end. (the end where he becomes Osiris Risen...aka Horus).
And he's just about to...
