Dictionary of all Scriptures & Myths

CLASSES, FOUR, OF MANKIND, IN THE SCRIPTURES OF EGYPT

Symbolic of the four soul-vehicles and their activities on the four lower planes.

"The four great classes into which the Egyptians divided mankind, namely, the Reth, the Nethesu, the Themehu, and the Aamu. Of these the Reth, i.e. the 'men,' par excellence, were Egyptians, who came into being from tears which fell from the Eye of Ra. The Themehu, or Libyans were also descended from the eye of Ră. The Aamu were the people of the deserts to the north and east of Egypt, and the Nehesu were the black tribes (negroes)." - BUDGE, Egypt. Heaven and Hell, Vol. III. p. 146.

The "Reth" signify the individualities in the causal-bodies, produced from the solar "utchat,”—higher consciousness. The "Themehu " are the personalities in the mental bodies, produced from the lunar utchat,- lower consciousness. The "Aamu" are the desire natures in the astral bodies. And the Nehesu are the physical lives in the physical bodies.

“In the abode of Osiris are sixteen gods in mummied forms. The first four are bearded, and wear the menat and the white crown, and each is described by the title,- King of the South.' The second four are bearded, and are described as Heteptiu; the third four are bearded, and wear the menat and the red crown, and each is described by the title Bat; and the fourth four are bearded, and are called Khu."-Ibid., Vol. I. p. 118.

The “abode of Osiris " is the hidden causal-body, and all the figures indicate the latent (armless) condition. Now in this sixth division of the cycle (Tuat), when the Archetypal Man (Osiris) is perfected, these four vehicles of the soul exist only potentially; they are ready to put forth their activities (arms) in the new cycle that The will open in the next division. "Kings of the South" are the individualities on the higher-mind plane (Upper Egypt). The Kings of the North are the personalties (Bat) on the lower-mind plane (Lower Egypt). The "Heteptiu" are the astral vehicles, and the “ Khus ” are the physical forms.

See Also

ARCHETYPAL MAN
CASTES
CHILDREN OF HORUS
CROWN (Egypt)
CROWN (white)
EGYPT
KHUS (lower)
MENAT
OSIRIS
UTCHAT