In this scene from the Book of the Dead, an ancient Egyptian collection of funerary spells (circa 1250 BC), Ani (standing to the left of the upright support of the balance, center) is being judged on his worthiness to enter the afterlife. His heart has been placed on a pan to determine its weight. If it is heavy, it will be consumed by a monster (lower right), and Ani will be denied entry to the afterlife. If it is as light as the feather resting in the opposite pan, Ani will be welcomed into the beyond. The test is being overseen by jackal-headed Anubis, the guide to the afterlife. Thoth, scribe to the gods, has taken on a human form and stands behind Anubis, poised to register the results.
By Molly McDonough, Photo: from article, Haravard Medicine, October 2023
From where in the body might kindness flow? Folklore and belief systems far and wide point to the heart. Ancient Egyptian mythology, for example, maintained that the leap to the afterlife required a test. Before the deceased could enter, their heart had to be weighed, placed on a balance under the watchful eyes of the gods.
The dead person’s heart wasn’t beating, but it wasn’t considered dead weight; it held proof of virtue. If the person had lived a life of goodness, their heart would be light as a feather — and the gates to the afterlife would swing open. But if their life had been filled with greed, their heart would be heavy. For this person, there would be no welcome to the afterlife; instead, their heart was fed to Ammit, a soul-devouring goddess with the forequarters of a lion, the hindquarters of a hippo, and the head of a crocodile.
This ancient tale is just one example of the heart’s symbolic link to goodness. Christian art depicts Jesus’s heart aglow, sacred and filled with benevolence. Hindu and Buddhist traditions consider the heart chakra the center of compassion.
And in Dr. Seuss’s tale, the Grinch’s heart is two sizes too small.
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