egyptian · mythology

The Contendings of Horus and Set

c. 1190–1077 BCE · New Kingdom (Ramesside) · Thebes, Egypt

The Battle Begins — Horus Receives the Winged Disk

XII. In the three hundred and sixty -third year of Ra-Heru-Khuti, who

liveth for ever and forever, His Majesty was in Ta-Kens,[FN#75] and his

soldiers were with him; [the enemy] did not conspire (auu) against

their lord, and the land [is called] Uauatet unto this day. And Ra set

out on an expedition in his boat, and his followers were with him, and

he arrived at Uthes-Heru,[FN#76] [which lay to] the west of this nome,

and to the east of the canal Pakhennu, which is called [

to this day]. And Heru-Behutet was in the boat of Ra, and he said

unto his father Ra-Heru-Khuti (i.e., Ra-Harmachis), "I see that the

enemies are conspiring against their lord; let thy fiery serpent gam

the mastery over them. "

[FN#75] i.e., in Nubia, probably the portion of it which lies round

about the modern Kalabsha. In ancient days Ta-kens appears to have

included a portion of the Nile Valley to the north of Aswan.

XIII. Then the Majesty of Ra Harmachis said unto thy divine KA, " O

Heru-Behutet, O son of Ra, thou exalted one, who didst proceed from me,

overthrow thou the enemies who are before thee straightway." And Heru-

Behutet flew up into the horizon in the form of the great Winged Disk,

for which reason he is called "Great god, lord of heaven," unto this

day. And when he saw the enemies in the heights of heaven he set out

to follow after them in the form of the great Winged Disk, and he

attacked with such terrific force those who opposed him, that they

could neither see with their eyes nor hear with their ears, and each of

them slew his fellow. In a moment of time there was not a single

creature left alive. Then Hera Behutet, shining with very many

colours, came in the form of the great Winged Disk to the Boat of Ra-

Harmachis, and Thoth said unto Ra, "O Lord of the gods, Behutet hath

returned in the form of the great Winged Disk, shining [with many

colours] children;" for this reason he is called Heru-

Behutet unto this day. And Thoth said, "The city Teb shall be called

the city of Heru-Behutet," and thus is it called unto this day. And Ra

embraced the of Ra, and said unto Heru-Behutet, "Thou didst

put grapes[FN#77] into the water which cometh forth from it,[FN#78] and

thy heart rejoiced thereat;" and for this reason the water (or, canal)

of Heru-Behutet is called " [Grape- Water] " unto this day, and the . . .

unto this day. And Heru-Behutet said, "Advance, O Ra,

and look thou upon thine enemies who are lying under thee on this

land;" thereupon the Majesty of Ra set out on the way, and the goddess

Asthertet (Ashtoreth?) was with him, and he saw the enemies overthrown

on the ground, each one of them being fettered. Then said Ra to Heru-

Behutet, "There is sweet life in this place," and for this reason the

abode of the palace of Heru-Behutet is called " Sweet Life" unto this

day. And Ra, said unto Thoth, "[Here was the slaughter] of mine

enemies; "and the place is called Teb[FN#79] unto this day. And Thoth

said unto Heru-Behutet, "Thou art a great protector (makaa);" and the

Boat of Heru-Behutet is called Makaa[FN#80] unto this day. Then said

Ra unto the gods who were in his following, "Behold now, let us sail in

our boat upon the water, for our hearts are glad because our enemies

have been overthrown on the earth;" and the water where the great god

sailed is called P-Khen-Ur[FN#81] unto this day. And behold the

enemies [of Ra] rushed into the water, and they took the forms of

[crocodiles and] hippopotami, but nevertheless Ra-Hera-Khuti sailed

over the waters in his boat, and when the crocodiles and the

hippopotami had come nigh unto him, they opened wide their jaws in

order to destroy Ra-Heru-Khuti. And when Heru-Behutet arrived and his

followers who were behind him in the forms of workers in metal, each

having in his hands an iron spear and a chain, according to his name,

they smote the crocodiles and the hippopotami; and there were brought

in there straightway six hundred and fifty -one crocodiles, which had

been slain before the city of Edfu. Then spake Ra-Harmachis unto Heru-

Behutet, "My Image shall be [here] in the land of the South, (which is

a house of victory (or, strength); "and the House of Heru-Behutet is

called Nekht-Het unto this day.

[FN#76] i.e., Apollinopolis, the modern Edfu.

[FN#77] i.e. drops of blood.

[FN#78] i.e., from the city.

[FN#79] i.e., Edfu.

[FN#80] i.e., Great Protector.

[FN#81] i.e., "Great Canal."

Horus Pursues the Enemies Northward

XIV. Then the god Thoth spake, after he had looked upon the enemies

lying upon the ground, saying, "Let your hearts rejoice, O ye gods of

heaven! Let your hearts rejoice, O ye gods who are in the earth!

Horus, the Youthful One, cometh in peace, and he hath made manifest on

his journey deeds of very great might, which he hath performed

according to 'the Book of Slaying the Hippopotamus.'" And from that day

figures of Heru-Behutet in metal have existed.

Then Heru-Behutet took upon himself the form of the Winged Disk, and he

placed himself upon the front of the Boat of Ea. And he placed by his

side the goddess Nekhebet[FN#82] and the goddess Uatchet,[FN#83] in the

form of two serpents, that they might make the enemies to quake in

[all] their limbs when they were in the forms of crocodiles and

hippopotami in every place wherein be came in the Land of the South and

in the Land of the North. Then those enemies rose up to make their

escape from before him, and their face was towards the Land of the

South. And their hearts were stricken down through fear of him. And

Heru-Behutet was at the back (or, side) of them in the Boat of Ra, and

there were in his hands a metal lance and a metal chain; and the metal

workers who were with their lord were equipped for fighting with lances

and chains. And Heru-Behutet saw them[FN#84] to the south-east of the

city of Uast (Thebes) some distance away. Then Ra said to Thoth,

"Those enemies shall be smitten with blows that kill;" and Thoth said

to Ra, " [That place] is called the city Tchet-Met unto this day." And

Heru-Behutet made a great overthrow among them, and Ra said, " Stand

still, O Heru-Behutet," and [that place] is called "Het-Ra" to this

day, and the god who dwelleth therein is Heru-Behutet-Ra-Amsu (or,

Min). Then those enemies rose up to make their escape from before him,

and the face of the god was towards the Land of the North, and their

hearts were stricken through fear of him. And Heru-Behutet was at the

back (or, side) of them in the Boat of Ra, and those who were following

him had spears of metal and chains of metal in their hands; and the god

himself was equipped for battle with the weapons of the metal workers

which they had with them. And he passed a whole day before he saw them

to the north-east of the nome of Tentyra (Dendera). Then Ra said unto

Thofh, "The enemies are resting their lord." And the

Majesty of Ra-Harmachis said to Heru-Behutet, "Thou art my exalted son

who didst proceed from Nut. The courage of the (enemies hath failed in

a moment. " And Heru-Behutet made great slaughter among them. And

Thoth said " The Winged Disk shall be called in the name of

this Aat;" and is called Heru-Behutet its mistress. His name

is to the South in the name of this god, and the acacia and the

sycamore shall be the trees of the sanctuary. Then the enemies turned

aside to flee from before him, and their faces were [towards the North,

and they went] to the swamps of Uatch-ur (i.e., the Mediterranean), and

[their courage failed through fear of him]. And Heru-Behutet was at

the back (or, side) of them in the Boat of Ra, and the metal spear was

in his hands, and those who were in his following were equipped with

the weapons for battle of the metal workers. And the god spent four

days and four nights in the water in pursuit of them, but he did not

see one of the enemies, who fled from before him in the water in the

forms of crocodiles and hippopotami. At length he found them and saw

them. And Ra said unto Horus of Heben, " O Winged Disk, thou great god

and lord of heaven, seize thou them ;" and he hurled his

lance after them, and he slew them, and worked a great overthrow of

them. And he brought one hundred and forty -two enemies to the forepart

of the Boat [of Ra], and with them was a male hippopotamus which had

been among those enemies. And he hacked them in pieces with his knife,

and he gave their entrails to those who were in his following, and he

gave their carcases to the gods and goddesses who were in the Boat of

Ra on the river-bank of the city of Heben. Then Ra said unto Thoth,

" See what mighty things Heru-Behutet hath performed in his deeds

against the enemies: verily he hath smitten them! And of the male

hippopotamus he hath opened the mouth, and he hath speared it, and he

hath mounted upon its back." Then said Thoth to Ra, "Horus shall be

called 'Winged Disk, Great God, Smiter of the enemies in the town of

Heben' from this day forward, and he shall be called 'He who standeth

on the back 1 and 'prophet of this god,' from this day forward." These

are the things which happened in the lands of the city of Heben, in a

region which measured three hundred and forty -two measures on the

south, and on the north, on the west, and on the east.

[FN#82] The goddess Nekhebet was incarnate in a special kind of

serpent, and the centre of her worship was in the city of Nekheb, which

the Greeks called Eileithyiaspolis, and the Arabs Al-Kab.

[FN#83] The centre of the worship of Uatchet, or Uatchit, was at Per-

Uatchet, a city in the Delta.

[FN#84] i.e., the enemies.

XV. Then the enemies rose up before him by the Lake of the North, and

their faces were set towards Uatch-ur[FN#85] which they desired to

reach by sailing; but the god smote their hearts and they turned and

fled in the water, and they directed their course to the water of the

nome of Mertet-Ament, and they gathered themselves together in the

water of Mertet in order to join themselves with the enemies [who

serve] Set and who are in this region. And Heru-Behutet followed them,

being equipped with all his weapons of war to fight against them. And

Heru-Behutet made a journey in the Boat of Ra, together with the great

god who was in his boat with those who were his followers, and he

pursued them on the Lake of the North twice, and passed one day and one

night sailing down the river in pursuit of them before he perceived and

overtook them, for he knew not the place where they were. Then he

arrived at the city of Per-Rehu. And the Majesty of Ra said unto Heru-

Behutet, "What hath happened to the enemies? They have gathered

together themselves in the water to the west (?) of the nome of Mertet

in order to unite themselves with the enemies [who serve] Set, and who

are in this region, at the place where are our staff and sceptre." And

Thoth said unto Ra, "Uast in the nome of Mertet is called Uaseb because

of this unto this day, and the Lake which is in it is called Tempt."

Then Heru-Behutet spake in the presence of his father Ra, saying, "I

beseech thee to set thy boat against them, so that I may be able to

perform against them that which Ra willeth;" and this was done. Then

he made an attack upon them on the Lake which was at the west of this

district, and he perceived them on the bank of the city

which belongeth to the Lake of Mertet. Then Heru-Behutet made an

expedition against them, and his followers were with him, and they were

provided with weapons of all kinds for battle, and he wrought a great

overthrow among them, and he brought in three hundred and eighty -one

enemies, and he slaughtered them in the forepart of the Boat of Ra, and

he gave one of them to each of those who were in his train. Then Set

rose up and came forth, and raged loudly with words of cursing and

abuse because of the things which Heru-behutet had done in respect of

the slaughter of the enemies. And Ra said unto Thoth, "This fiend

Nehaha-hra uttereth words at the top of his voice because of the things

which Heru-Behutet hath done unto him;" and Thoth said unto Ra, "Cries

of this kind shall be called Nehaha-hra unto this day . " And Heru-

Behutet did battle with the Enemy for a period of time, and he hurled

his iron lance at him, and he throw him down on the ground in this

region, which is called Pa-Rerehtu unto this day. Then Heru-Behutet

came and brought the Enemy with him, and his spear was in his neck, and

his chain was round his hands and arms, and the weapon of Horus had

fallen on his mouth and had closed it; and he went with him before his

father Ra, who said, " O Horus, thou Winged Disk, twice great (Urui-

Tenten) is the deed of valour which thou hast done, and thou hast

cleansed the district." AndRa, said unto Thoth, "The palace of Heru-

Behutet shall be called, Lord of the district which is cleansed'

because of this;" and [thus is it called] unto this day. And the name

of the priest thereof is called Ur-Tenten unto this day. And Ra said

unto Thoth, "Let the enemies and Set be given over to Isis and her son

Horus, and let them work all their heart's desire upon them." And she

and her son Horus set themselves in position with their spears in him

at the time when there was storm (or, disaster) in the district, and

the Lake of the god was called She-En-Aha from that day to this. Then

Horus the son of Isis cut off the head of the Enemy [Set], and the

heads of his fiends in the presence of father Ra and of the great

company of the gods, and he dragged him by his feet through his

district with his spear driven through his head and back. And Ra said

unto Thoth, "Let the son of Osiris drag the being of disaster through

his territory;" and Thoth said, "It shall be called Ateh," and this

hath been the name of the region from that day to this. And Isis, the

divine lady, spake before Ra, saying, "Let the exalted Winged Disk

become the amulet of my son Horus, who hath cut off the head of the

Enemy and the heads of his fiends."

[FN#85] i.e., the Mediterranean.

The Slaughter and the Naming of Sacred Places

XVI. Thus Heru-Behutet and Horns, the son of Isis, slaughtered that

evil Enemy, and his fiends, and the inert foes, and came forth with

them to the water on the west side of this district. And Heru-Behutet

was in the form of a man of mighty strength, and he had the face of a

hawk, and his head was crowned with the White Crown and the Red Crown,

and with two plumes and two uraei, and he had the back of a hawk, and

his spear and his chain were in his hands. And Horus, the son of Isis,

transformed himself into a similar shape, even as Heru-Behutet had done

before him. And they slew the enemies all together on the west of Per-

Rehu, on the edge of the stream, and this god hath sailed over the

water wherein the enemies had banded themselves to-ether against him

from that day to this. Now these things took place on the 7th day of

the first mouth of the season Pert. And Thoth said, "This region shall

be called AAT-SHATET," and this hath been the name of the region from

that day unto this; and the Lake which is close by it hath been called

Temt from that day to this, and the 7th day of the first month of the

season Pert hath been called the Festival of Sailmg from that day to

this.

Then Set took upon himself the form of a hissing serpent, and he

entered into the earth in this district without being seen. And Ra

said, " Set hath taken upon himself the form of a hissing serpent. Let

Horus, the son of Isis, in the form of a hawk-headed staff, set himself

over the place where he is, so that the serpent may never more appear."

And Thoth said, "Let this district be called Hemhemet[FN#86] by name;"

and thus hath it been called from that day to this. And Horus, the son

of Isis, in the form of a hawk -headed staff, took up his abode there

with his mother Isis; in this manner did these things happen.

[FN#86] This name means "the place of the Roarer," Hemhemti, being a

well-known name of the Evil One. Some texts seem to indicate that

peals of thunder were caused by the fiend Set.

Then the Boat of Ra arrived at the town of Het-Aha; its forepart was

made of palm wood, and the hind part was made of acacia wood; thus the

palm tree and the acacia tree have been sacred trees from that day to

this. Then Heru-Behutet embarked in the Boat of Ra, after he had made

an end of fighting, and sailed; and Ra said unto Thoth, "Let this Boat

be called ;" and thus hath it been called from that day to

this, and these things have been done in commemoration in this place

from that day to this.

And Ra said unto Heru-Behutet, "Behold the fighting of the Smait fiend

and his two-fold strength, and the Smai fiend Set, are upon the water

of the North, and they will sail down stream upon " [And]

Heru-Behutet said, "Whatsoever thou commandest shall take place, O Ra,

Lord of the gods. Grant thou, however, that this thy Boat may pursue

them into every place whithersoever they shall go, and I will do to

them whatsoever pleaseth Ra. " And everything was done according to

what he had said. Then this Boat of Ra was brought by the winged Sun-

disk upon the waters of the Lake of Meh,[FN#87] [and] Heru-Behutet took

in his hands his weapons, his darts, and his harpoon, and all the

chains [which he required] for the fight.

[FN#87] It is probable that the Lake of Meh, i.e., the Lake of the

North, was situated in the north-east of the Delta, not far from Lake

Manzalah.

And Heru-Behutet looked and saw one [only] of these Sebau[FN#88] fiends

there on the spot, and he was by himself. And he threw one metal dart,

and brought (or, dragged) them along straightway, and he slaughtered

them in the presence of Ra. And he made an end [of them, and there

were no more of the fiends] of Set in this place at [that] moment.

[FN#88] " Sebiu" is a common name for the associates of Seti, and this

fiend is himself called "Seba," a word which means something like

"rebel."

XVII. And Thoth said, "This place shall be called Ast-Ab-Heru"[FN#89]

because Heru-Behutet wrought his desire upon them (i.e., the enemy);

and he passed six days and six nights coming into port on the waters

thereof and did not see one of them. And he saw them fall down in the

watery depths, and he made ready the place of Ast-ab-Heru there. It

was situated on the bank of the water, and the face (i.e., direction)

thereof was full-front towards the South. And all the rites and

ceremonies of Heru-Behutet were performed on the first day of the first

monfh[FN#90] of the season Akhet, and on the first day of the first

monfh[FN#91] of the season Pert, and on the twenty-first and twenty-

fourth days of the second monfh[FN#92] of the season Pert. These are

the festivals in the town of Ast-ab, by the side of the South, in An-

rut-f.[FN#93] And he came into port and went against them, keeping

watch as for a king over the Great God in An-rut-f, in this place, in

order to drive away the Enemy and his Smaiu fiends at his coming by

night from the region of Mertet, to the west of this place.

[FN#89] i.e., place of the desire of Horus.

[FN#90] The month Thoth.

[FN#91] The month Tybi.

[FN#92] The month Mekhir.

[FN#93] A mythological locality originally placed near Herakleopolis.

The name means "the place where nothing grows. " Several forms of the

name occur in the older literature, e.g. in the Theban Recension of the

Book of the Dead.

And Hera-Behutet was in the form of a man who possessed great strength,

with the face of a hawk; and he was crowned with the White

Crown, [FN#94] and the Red Crown, [FN#95] and the two plumes, and the

Urerit Crown, and there were two uraei upon his head. His hand grasped

firmly his harpoon to slay the hippopotamus, which was [as hard] as the

khenem|FN#96] stone in its mountain bed.

[FN#94] The Crown of the South.

[FN#95] The Crown of the North.

[FN#96] A kind of jasper (?).

And Ra said unto Thoth, "Indeed [Heru-]Behutet is like a Master-fighter

in the slaughter of his enemies "

And Thoth said unto Ra, "He shall be called 'Neb-Ahau'" (i.e., Master-

fighter); and for this reason he hath been thus called by the priest of

this god unto this day .

And Isis made incantations of every kind in order to drive away the

fiend Ra from An-rut-f, and from the Great God in this place. And

Thoth said [unto Ra], "The priestess of this god shall be called by the

name of 'Nebt-Heka' for this reason. "

And Thoth said unto Ra, "Beautiful, beautiful is this place wherein

thou hast taken up thy seat, keeping watch, as for a king, over the

Great God who is in An-rut-f [FN#97] in peace."

[FN#97] i.e., Osiris.

And Thoth said, " This Great House in this place shall therefore be

called 'Ast-Nefert'[FN#98] from this day. It is situated to the

south-west of the city of Nart, and [covereth] a space of four

schomoi." And Ra Heru-Behutet said unto Thoth, "Hast thou not

searched through this water for the enemy?" And Thoth said, "The water

of the God-house in this place shall be called by the name of 'Heh'

(i.e., sought out)." And Ra said, "Thy ship, O Heru-Behutet, is great

(?) upon Ant-mer (?) And Thoth said, "The name of [thy

ship] shall be called 'Ur', and this stream shall be called Ant-mer

(?).'" As concerning (or, now) the place Ab-Bat (?) is situated on the

shore of the water. " Ast-nefert" is the name of the Great house, "Neb-

Aha" [is the name of] the priest is the name of the

priestess, "Heh" is the name of the lake [is the name] of

the water, "Am-her-net" is the name of the holy (?) acacia tree, "Neter

het" is the name of the domain of the god, "Uru" is the name of the

sacred boat, the gods therein are Heru-Behutet, the smiter of the

lands, Horus, the son of Isis [and] Osiris his

blacksmiths[FN#99] are to him, and those who are in his following are

to him in his territory, with his metal lance, with his [mace], with

his dagger, and with all his chains (or, fetters) which are in the city

of Heru-Behutet.

[FN#98] i.e., "Beautiful Place."

[FN#99] Or perhaps fighting men who were armed with metal weapons.

[And when he had reached the land of the North with his followers, he

found the enemy.] Now as for the blacksmiths who were over the middle

regions, they made a great slaughter of the enemy, and there were

brought back one hundred and six of them. Now as for the blacksmiths

of the West, they brought back one hundred and six of the enemy. Now

as for the blacksmiths of the East, among whom was Heru-Behutet, he

slew them (i.e., the enemy) in the presence of Ra in the Middle

Domains. [FN# 100]

[FN#100] In the sculptures (Naville, Mythe, pi. 17) Heru-Behutet is

seen standing in a boat spearing a crocodile, and immediately behind d

him in the boat is Ra-Harmachis in his shrine. The Mesentiu of the

West are represented by an armed warrior in a boat, who is spearing a

crocodile, and leads the way for Heru-Behutet. In a boat behind the

great god is a representative of the Mesentiu of the East spearing a

crocodile.

And Ra, said unto Thoth, "My heart [is satisfied] with the works of

these blacksmiths of Heru-Behutet who are in his bodyguard. They shall

dwell in sanctuaries, and libations and purifications and offerings

shall be made to their images, and [there shall be appointed for them]

priests who shall minister by the month, and priests who shall minister

by the hour, in all their God-houses whatsoever, as their reward

because they have slain the enemies of the god."

And Thoth said, " The [Middle] Domains shall be called after the names

of these blacksmiths from this day onwards, and the god who dwelleth

among them, Heru-Behutet, shall be called the 'Lord of Mesent 1 from

this day onwards, and the domain shall be called 'Mesent of the West'

from this day onwards. "

As concerning Mesent of the West, the face (or, front) thereof shall be

towards [the East], towards the place where Ra riseth, and this Mesent

shall be called "Mesent of the East" from this day onwards. As

concerning the double town of Mesent, the work of these blacksmiths of

the East, the face (or, front) thereof shall be towards the South,

towards the city of Behutet, the hiding-place of Heru-Behutet. And

there shall be performed therein all the rites and ceremonies of Heru-

Behutet on the second day of the first month[FN#101] of the season of

Akhet, and on the twenty -fourth day of the fourth month[FN#102] of the

season of Akhet, and on the seventh day of the first month[FN#103] of

the season Pert, and on the twenty -first day of the second

monfh[FN#104] of the season Pert, from this day onwards. Their stream

shall be called "Asti," the name of their Great House shall be called

"Abet," the [priest (?)] shall be called "Qen-aha," and their domain

shall be called "Kau-Mesent" from this day onwards.

[FN#101] The month Thoth.

[FN#102] The month Choiak.

[FN#103] The month Tybi.

[FN#104] The mouth Mechir.

The Battle in the South and West

XVIII. And Ra said unto Heru-Behutet, "These enemies have sailed up

the river, to the country of Setet, to the end of the pillar-house of

Hat, and they have sailed up the river to the east, to the country or

Tchalt (or, Tchart),[FN#105] which is their region of swamps." And

Heru-Behutet said, "Everything which thou hast commanded hath come to

pass, Ra, Lord of the Gods; thou art the lord of commands. " And they

untied the Boat of Ra, and they sailed up the river to the east. Then

he looked upon those enemies whereof some of them had fallen into the

sea (or, river), and the others had fallen headlong on the mountains.

[FN#105] Zoan-Tams.

And Heru-Behutet transformed himself into a lion which had the face of

a man, and which was crowned with the triple crown. [FN#106] His paw

was like unto a flint knife, and he went round and round by the side of

them, and brought back one hundred and forty -two [of the enemy], and be

rent them in pieces with his claws. He tore out their tongues, and

their blood flowed on the ridges of the land in this place; and he made

them the property of those who were in his following [whilst] he was

upon the mountains.

[FN#106] In the sculpture (Naville, Mythe, pi. 18), we see a

representation of this lion, which is standing over the bodies of slain

enemies upon a rectangular pedestal, or block.

And Ra said unto Thoth, "Behold, Heru-Behutet is like unto a lion in

his lair [when] he is on the back of the enemy who have given unto him

their tongues."

And Thoth said, " This domain shall be called 'Khent-abt, 1 and it shall

[also] be called 'Tchalt' (or, Tchart) from this day onwards. And the

bringing of the tongues from the remote places of Tchalt (or, Tchart)

[shall be commemorated] from this day onwards. And this god shall be

called Heru-Behutet, Lord of Mesent,' from this day onwards."

And Ra said unto Heru-Behutet, "Let us sail to the south up the river,

and let us smite the enemies [who are] in the forms of crocodiles and

hippopotami in the face of Egypt."

And Heru-Behutet said, "Thy divine Ka, O Ra, Lord of the gods! Let us

sail up the river against the remainder— one third— of the enemies who

are in the water (or, river)." Then Thoth recited the Chapters of

protecting the Boat [of Ra] and the boats of the blacksmiths, [which he

used] for making tranquil the sea at the moment when a storm was raging

on it.

And Ra said unto Thoth, "Have we not journeyed throughout the whole

land? Shall we not journey cover the whole sea in like manner?" And

Thoth said, "This water shall be called the 'Sea of journeying,' from

this day onward. "

And they sailed about over the water during the night, and they did not

see any of those enemies at all.

Then they made a journey forth and arrived in the country of Ta-

sti,[FN#107] at the town of Shas-hertet, and he perceived the most able

of their enemies in the country of Uaua,[FN#108] and they were uttering

treason against Horns their Lord.

[FN#107] Northern Nubia; the name means "Land of the Bow.

[FN#108] A portion of Northern Nubia.

And Heru-Behut changed his form into that of the Winged Disk, [and took

his place] above the bow of the Boat of Ra. And he made the goddess

Nekhebit[FN#109] and the goddess Uatchit[FN#l 10] to be with him in the

form of serpents, so that they might make the Sebau fiends to quake in

[all] their limbs (or, bodies). Their boldness (i.e., that of the

fiends) subsided through the fear of him, they made no resistance

whatsoever, and they died straightway.

[FN#109] The goddess of the South.

[FN#1 10] The goddess of the North.

Then the gods who were in the following of the Boat of Heru-khuti said,

" Great, great is that which he hath done among them by means of the two

Serpent Goddesses, [FN#1 11] for he hath overthrown the enemy by means of

their fear of him."

[FN#1 1 1] i.e., Nekhebit and Uatchit.

And Ra Heru-khuti said, "The great one of the two Serpent Goddesses of

Heru-Behutet shall be called 'Ur-Uatchtr[FN#l 12] from this day

onwards."

[FN#1 12] "Great one of the Two Uraei-goddesses;" these goddesses had

their places above the brow of the god, or at the right and left of the

solar disk.

The Final Victory and the Symbol of the Winged Disk

XIX. And Heru-khuti travelled on in his boat, and landed at the city

of Thes-Heru (Apollinopolis Magna). And Thoth said, "The being of

light who hath come forth from the horizon hath smitten the enemy in

the form which he hath made, and he shall be called Being of light who

hath come forth from the horizon from this day onwards. "[FN#1 13]

[FN#1 13] In the sculpture (Naville, My the, pi. 19) we see the god, who

is hawk -headed, and wears the crowns of the South and North, seated in

a shrine set upon a pedestal. In the right hand he holds the sceptre

and in the left the ankh.

And Ra Heru-khuti (Ra Harmachis) said to Thoth, " Thou shalt make this

Winged Disk to be in every place wherein I seat myself (or, dwell), and

in [all] the seats of the gods in the South, and in [all] the seats of

the gods in the Land of the North in the Country of

Horus, that it may drive away the evil ones from their domains."

Then Thoth made the image of the Winged Disk to be in every sanctuary

and in every temple, where they now are, wherein are all the gods and

all the goddesses from this day onwards. Now through the Winged Disk

which is on the temple-buildings of all the gods and all the goddesses

of the Land of the Lily,[FN#l 14] and the Land of the Papyrus, [FN#1 15]

[these buildings] become shrines of Heru-Behutet.

[FN#1 14] i.e., the North, especially the Delta.

[FN#115] i.e., the South.

As concerning Heru-Behutet, the great god, the lord of heaven, the

president of the Ater of the South, [FN#1 16] he it is who is made to be

on the right hand. This is Heru-Behutet on whom the goddess Nekhebit

is placed in the form of a serpent (or, uraeus). As concerning Heru-

Behutet, the great god, the lord of heaven, the lord of Mesent, the

president of the Ater of the North, [FN#1 17] he it is who is made to be

on the left hand. This Heru-Behutet on whom the goddess Uatchit is

placed is in the form of a serpent.

[FN#1 16] i.e., the southern half of heaven.

[FN#1 17] i.e., the northern half of heaven.

As concerning Heru-Behutet, the great god, the lord of heaven, the lord

of Mesent, the president of the two Aterti of the South and North, Ra

Heru-khuti set it (i.e., the Winged Disk) in his every place, to

overthrow the enemies in every place wherein they are. And he shall be

called President of the two Aterti of the South and North because of

this from this day onwards. [FN#1 18]

[FN#1 1 8] In the sculpture which illustrates this portion of the text

at Edfu, two Winged Disks are represented. The first has #### on each

side of it. The disk has an uraeus on each side. The second winged

symbol of the god consists of a beetle with outstretched wings, which

holds between his forelegs the solar disk, and between his hind legs

the symbol of the orbit of the sun.

notes

The Legend of Horus of Behutet and the Winged Disk is one of the great mythological battle narratives of ancient Egypt, inscribed on the walls of the Temple of Horus at Edfu (Ptolemaic period, c. 237–57 BCE), though the myth itself is of much earlier origin. It describes how Horus, in the form of the winged solar disk, led the armies of Ra against the rebellious followers of Set across the length of Egypt — from Nubia to the Delta — in a series of great battles. After each victory, Ra named the battlefield, giving the mythological origin of sacred sites along the Nile. The Winged Disk (behdety) subsequently became one of Egypt's most ubiquitous religious symbols, appearing on doorways, pylons, and temple ceilings throughout the dynastic period. The text is partially preserved as a mythological charter for the priesthood of Edfu. Note: This legend is distinct from the Chester Beatty I Papyrus "Contendings of Horus and Set" (first published in English by Gardiner, 1932), which presents the dispute as a legal proceeding before the Ennead. The Winged Disk legend focuses on the military campaigns and is the primary pre-1929 English translation of the Horus/Set conflict. Translation by E.A. Wallis Budge (1912). From: Legends of the Gods: The Egyptian Texts. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co. Public domain (pre-1929). Source: Internet Archive — archive.org/details/LegendsOfTheGods

currently held: Chester Beatty Library, Dublin

Divine CouncilOsirisDivine Conflict