Negative Confessions

Negative Confessions is part of Ted Warnell’s suite of code poetry, Poems by Nari. Concept development: M.D. Coverley and Ted Warnell. Book of the Dead background texts: M.D. Coverley, Site design and programming: Ted Warnell, M.D. Coverley. Negative Confessions is adapted from the Book of Going Forth by Day, the Egyptian Book of the Dead, translated and transliterated by E.A. Wallis Budge.

Artist’s Statement: 

Negative Confessions was inspired by the Egyptian Book of the Dead. This “book” is actually a collection of some 200 spells that woiuld be assembled individually (with few or many spells) according to the choice (and pocketbook) of the purchaser. Spell 44 is one of the most important spells – known as the Negative Confessions, it is a list of sins that one promises one has not committed.  Such as:  I have not defrauded the humble man of his property. I have not vilified a slave to his master. The reader can read the overall commentary about the Book of the Dead, speculation about its meaning and uses, or probe deeper into the elaborate coding to reveal each of the 44 negative confessions.

(Source: Electronic Literature Directory)