contents - AMORC

ancient Egyptians, Maat represented the principle
of Cosmic Order as well as eternal renewal. Maat
is right order in nature and society, as established
by the act of creation, and means, according
to the context, that which is right, that which
is correct: law, order, justice and truth. It was
considered that this state of righteousness had to
be preserved and established in all matters great
and small.
Originally, Maat seems to have been
something simple, a concrete geometrical
and physical term denoting “straightness”
and “evenness.” The earliest hieroglyph for it
probably represents the base of the pharaoh’s
throne which may in turn be regarded as a
stylised form of the primeval mound, the first
piece of earth to appear after the act of creation.
This straightness later came to mean “right” and
“correct” in an ethical sense. The transference
Maat is right order in nature and
society.
of meaning gave the concept its significance
and made it a fundamental concept in Egyptian
thought and behaviour.
Maat originated with creation: it was
brought into being by the primordial god and
then constantly refreshed or restored by each
pharaoh. This is plain from the following two
texts: “the sky is at peace, the earth is in joy, for they
have heard that Pharaoh will set right in the place
The dead man’s heart, deemed to be the seat of the intellect and will,
as well as the life-giving centre of the physical body, is weighed
against the symbol of Maat, usually depicted as a feather.
The Rosicrucian Beacon -- September 2006
If the verdict should be favourable, the deceased is invested with the
attribute of Maat and as one who is “true of voice” (maat kheru) is
brought before Osiris on his throne.
of disorder,” and “Tutankhamun drove out disorder
from the Two Lands and Maat is firmly established in
its place; he made lying an abomination and the land
is as it was at the first time.”
Maat From the First Time.
The Act of Creation
The crucial points are these: Maat is equated
with the “First Time,” namely, with the act of
creation. The pharaoh who drives out disorder,
is an incarnation of Atum, the primeval god of
creation from Heliopolis. The end of disorder
goes hand in hand with the establishment of
Maat: “Maat is great and its effectiveness lasting;
it has not been disturbed since the time of Osiris.”
There is punishment for him who passes over
its laws. There is an extant hymn to Maat where
emphasis is laid upon its unbroken continuity
from the mythical time of Osiris onward and its
everlastingness, for Maat outlasts human life.
Maat in the Judgement of Humans
There was an aspect of Maat as a measure of
judgement upon humanity. So important was
the concept of Maat that it applied not only
to religious and ethical matters but to earthly
justice as well. As justice, Maat was the basis of
the Egyptian legal system. The vizier, who was
responsible for the administration of justice, was,
from the 5th dynasty onward, called the “priest
of Maat.” In later times judges wore an image
of Maat on a chain about their neck. Maat also
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