CRAZY BIRDS:
Crazy birds, fighting in the dirt outside your window.
You walk into glass, cut yourself and laugh under an
electric sky – pink and opalescent clouds move fast
above the roofs of waking houses.
(K)
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Karl Hyde 
_UNDERWORLD_ EGYPTIAN SYMBOLISM
Here are some ideas taken from the entry for ‘Underworld’ in the Encyclopedia of African Religion.
Underworld is the residence of the spirits and the abode of souls belonging to the deceased. It is known as Tuat or Duat in ancient Africa. Africans regard Underworld as the place that Ra passes through after he, in the form of the sun, sets in the evening sky. In the 18th dynasty Underworld is personified as Osiris (Ausar). Underworld is one part of the tripartite division of the cosmos by Africans: Heaven (Pet), Land (Ta), and Underworld (Duat). It is also a place where those seeking balance, whose souls are heavier than the feather of Maat, can find that which comes from the “Other Side” and is necessary for a balanced existence, so that we can attain wholeness and stability and our DESTINIES CAN BECOME MAGICAL. However, Underworld is principally the place where the ANCESTORS ENJOY IMMORTALITY.
A 19th-dynasty ancient Egyptian text situates the location of Underworld as beyond Heaven and Earth, separated by a range of mountains, which provide an opening for both spirits and the sun (Ra). Every day Ra will enter the Underworld and reenter the World passing through the mountains going and coming. As Ra passes through on his way to the region of sunrise, his LIGHT REFRESHES THE STRENGTH OF SOULS, MAKING THEIR JOURNEYS ENJOYABLE as they secure a place on a divine boat. When Ra goes into the night, he also BRINGS BLESSINGS with him. The Underworld is bounded by Manu, the mountain of Sunset, and Bakhau, the mountain of Sunrise. Like ancient Egypt, Underworld also has a celestial RIVER that RUNS through it.
Two main texts describe the journey of souls through the Underworld. The two main works on the Underworld are the book of Ami Tuat, which is favored by the nobles, and the Book of Gates, favored by the common masses of people.
The book of Ami Tuat is divided into sections called hours. The deceased sail in a boat from the mountains of Western Waset until they reach the swamps in the Northeast Delta. The oldest copies are found in the tombs of Amenhotep, Thutmoses III, and Amenhotep III of Thebes.
In the Book of Gates, Underworld is divided into 12 parts, beginning with the chamber of night and ending with the antechamber of day. A serpent stands guard at each gate. It is a challenging place full of perils and obstacles for all spirits that enter. It has no illumination save for the many strange creatures that inhabit it. Underworld contains several sections, each with unique challenges and creatures obstructing the path traveled by the souls. African PRIESTS at funerals will cast spells and incantations and offer prayers to arm and assist the souls on their journey through the Underworld.
According to the Book of the Coming Forth by Day, there is a special domain of Osiris that contains 7 halls, each guarded by 3 gods: the first is the door-keeper, the second a lookout, and the third an announcer of visitors. Each god carries a knife. Osiris REWARDS HIS TRUE AND LOYAL FOLLOWERS with estate farms or homesteads in his UNDERWORLD KINGDOM; moreover, they RECEIVE EVERLASTING HAPPINESS upon Earth, and are rewarded with a seat in his Boat of Millions, sailing the Heavens for eternity.
THE PRIESTS HAVE EXACT KNOWLEDGE OF THE VARIOUS SECTIONS OF UNDERWORLD, including the names of the creatures and obstacles that stand to prevent souls from completing their journey. Armed with spells, the deceased then can FIND THEIR WAY through the Underworld, avoiding its many challenges.