Retelling Book of the Dead: Coming Forth by Day
Egyptian
Introduction
This is the Mythopouch retelling of the Book of the Dead, presented as Coming Forth by Day. It is a modern educational reading of ancient Egyptian funerary traditions about burial, protection, judgement, the afterlife and the hope of continuing life among the gods. It is written for readers aged 15 and up.
It is not an ancient Egyptian manuscript and it is not E. A. Wallis Budge's 1913 translation of the Papyrus of Ani. Those historical source materials sit on the Sources page. This page is Mythopouch's own modern wording.
What this retelling is
The Book of the Dead is not one fixed ancient book. It is a modern name for a large body of funerary spells and texts preserved in different manuscripts. That makes it valuable as a source and difficult to read as one continuous story. This retelling organises major ideas and episodes into a clearer modern reading path while keeping the ancient source tradition separate.
The retelling is divided into three volumes:
1. Burial and Going Forth
2. Names, Fire and Gates
3. Judgment and the Field of Reeds
A full PDF is also available for readers who want the complete retelling in one file.
How to use it with the Sources page
Use Book of the Dead (Sources) when you need the historical witness, the Papyrus of Ani, Budge's 1913 edition, or the original funerary material behind a Mythopouch reference.
Use this page when you want a modern educational reading of the ideas, journeys and judgement traditions associated with the Book of the Dead. Mythopouch entity pages can point to both: the historical source for evidence and the retelling for a readable modern version.
The ancient Egyptian material is not owned by Mythopouch. The modern wording on this page is.
Summary
A 15+ Mythopouch retelling of the Book of the Dead, Coming Forth by Day: three volumes covering burial and going forth, names and gates, judgement and the Field of Reeds. Original Mythopouch wording, 2026.
Copyright Note
Mythopouch original educational wording. Copyright Mythopouch 2026. Ancient Egyptian funerary texts are not owned by Mythopouch. This retelling is not E. A. Wallis Budge's 1913 translation.