Egyptian Book of the Dead

This past January, my father attended a business conference in London, that just so happened to fall on the week of my birthday.  My mom and I joined him for the trip, excited for our first vacation overseas together.  When I arrived in England, I learned that my parents had both come down with a nasty cold/laryngitis combination - not quite what we had envisioned for our trip.  I spent several afternoons exploring the city solo, learning how to navigate the intricate maze that is the London Underground. 

I entered a new decade (my thirties!) on January 13th.  I spent the afternoon with my mom, enjoying high tea and sweets at the beautiful Landmark Hotel.  We decided to meet up with my father that evening, to finally visit the famous British Museum.  When we arrived around 6:00PM, the museum guard informed us that the extended visiting hours had been discontinued due to budget cuts.  However, we were welcome to see the Egyptian Book of the Dead, which was the only exhibit open late.  

image via British Museum

As we made our way up into the grand rotunda, I imagined how striking the architecture must appear in the daylight, when the sun can filter through the glass panes.  After sunset, the space was quiet, intimate and almost sacred, with atmospheric music softly pulsing against the black exhibition walls.  At the entrance, I stopped to read the opening quote.

"May the sky open up to you,

May the earth open up to you,
May the ways open up to you in the netherworld."

I was hit by a sudden wave of goosebumps and tears, as my Aunt Alexia came to my mind.  She was back home in California and in the very late stages of an aggressive cancer.  I looked at my parents and whispered "Is it strange that we are in an exhibit about death?"

We quietly made our way through the rooms, viewing ancient scrolls of papyrus and learning about the ancient Egyptians' view of the afterlife.  The deceased had to make a long and perilous journey through the netherworld, in hopes of reaching paradise (the Field of Reeds).  The soul, or ba, took the form of a bird, that could travel outside of the body.  The Book of the Dead consisted of numerous scrolls, full of spells intended to help the dead protect themselves during their journey.  Some large sheets of papyrus could be draped over the mummy, but in other cases, the scribes actually wrote inside the sarcophagus, giving the dead easy access to the detailed instructions.  It was amazing to look closely at the strokes of each hieroglyph and think of the ancient scribes at work.  The differences in style and skill were evident, especially when comparing scrolls for the poor versus the rich.  I was fascinated by the deep mysticism, whereas my parents were both struck by how familial love is universal across cultures and time.

I woke up the next morning in our hotel at 7:00AM, to the raspy voice of my father on the phone.  Instantly, I knew something was very wrong.  

Alexia Vanides Gentry

My Aunt Lex passed away in her sleep around noon on January 13th, at home.  After thinking about the time difference between San Francisco and London, my parents and I came to the realization that we were deep inside the Book of the Dead exhibit when she died.  I still can't quite wrap my mind around how one can feel the presence of another all the way across the world.  But then again, she had the strongest presence of anyone in our family - it literally filled a room.  She was a passionate, irreverent and beautiful woman, with strong Mediterranean features reminiscent of Cleopatra.  We like to think that she would have appreciated the ironic timing of our visit to the British Museum.

Back home in Southern California, I keep seeing her favorite flower wherever I go.  I don't know if birds of paradise just happen to be in bloom, or if it's her ba lingering.  Regardless, it's amazing how the fiery beauty of a flower captures her spirit so perfectly.

(c) Jim Vanides Photography