V. Whosoever shall recite the words of this composition over himself
shall anoint himself with olive oil and with thick unguent, and he
shall have propitiatory offerings on both his hands of incense, and
behind his two ears shall be pure natron, and sweet-smelling salve
shall be on his lips. He shall be arrayed in a new double tunic, and
his body shall be purified with the water of the nile-flood, and he
shall have upon his feet a pair of sandals made of white [leather], and
a figure of the goddess Maat shall be drawn upon his tongue with green-
coloured ochre. Whensoever Thoth shall wish to recite this composition
on behalf of Ra, he must perform a sevenfold (?) purification for three
days, and priests and [ordinary] men shall do likewise. Whosoever
shall recite the above words shall perform the ceremonies which are to
be performed when this book is being read. And he shall make his place
of standing (?) in a circle (or, at an angle) . . . . . which is beyond
[him], and his two eyes shall be fixed upon himself, all his members
shall be [composed], and his steps shall not carry him away [from the
place]. Whosoever among men shall recite [these] words shall be like
Ra on the day of his birth; and his possessions shall not become fewer,
and his house shall never fall into decay, but shall endure for a
million eternities.
Then the Aged One himself (i.e., Ra) embraced (?) the god Nu, and spake
unto the gods who came forth in the east of the sky, "Ascribe ye praise
to the god, the Aged One, from whom I have come into being. I am he
who made the heavens, and I (set in order [the earth, and created the
gods, and] I was with them for an exceedingly long period; then was
born the year and . . . . . . but my soul is older than it (i.e.,
time). It is the Soul of Shu, it is the Soul of Khnemu (?),[FN#65] it
is the Soul of Heh, it is the Soul of Kek and Kerh (i.e., Night and
Darkness), it is the Soul of Nu and of Ra, it is the Soul of Osiris,
the lord of Tettu, it is the Soul of the Sebak Crocodile-gods and of
the Crocodiles, it is the Soul of every god [who dwelleth] in the
divine Snakes, it is the Soul of Apep in Mount Bakhau (i.e., the Mount
of Sunrise), and it is the Soul of Ra which pervadeth the whole world."
[FN#65] There are mistakes in the text here.
Whosoever sayeth [these words] worketh his own protection by means of
the words of power, "I am the god Hekau (i.e., the divine Word of
power), and [I am] pure in my mouth, and [in] my belly; [I am] Ra from
whom the gods proceeded. I am Ra, the Light-god (Khu)." When thou
sayest [this], stop forth in the evening and in the morning on thine
own behalf if thou wouldst make to fall the enemies of Ra. I am his
Soul, and I am Heka.
Hail, thou lord of eternity, thou creator of everlastingness, who
bringest to nought the gods who came forth from Ra, thou lord of thy
god, thou prince who didst make what made thee, who art beloved by the
fathers of the gods, on whose head are the pure words of power, who
didst create the woman (erpit) that standeth on the south side of thee,
who didst create the goddess who hath her face on her breast, and the
serpent which standeth on his tail, with her eye on his belly, and with
his tail on the earth, to whom Thoth giveth praises, and upon whom the
heavens rest, and to whom Shu stretcheth out his two hands, deliver
thou me from those two great gods who sit in the east of the sky, who
act as wardens of heaven and as wardens of earth, and who make firm the
secret places, and who are called "Aaiu-su," and "Per-f-er-maa-Nu."
Moreover [there shall be) a purifying on the . . . . . day of the month
. . . . . . .. even according to the performance of the ceremonies in
the oldest time.
Whosoever shall recite this Chapter shall have life in Neter-kher
(i.e., Underworld), and the fear of him shall be much greater than it
was formerly [upon earth] . . . . . . . and they shall say, "Thy names
are 'Eternity' and 'Everlastingness.'" They are called, they are
called, "Au-peh-nef-n-aa-em-ta-uat-apu," and "Rekh-kua-[tut]-en-neter-
pui-. . . . . . en en-hra-f-Her-shefu." I am he who hath strengthened
the boat with the company of the gods, and his Shenit, and his Gods, by
means of words of power.
THE LEGEND OF RA AND ISIS.
The Chapter of the divine (or, mighty) god, who created himself, who
made the heavens and the earth, and the breath of life, and fire, and
the gods, and men, and beasts, and cattle, and reptiles, and the fowl
of the air, and the fish, who is the king of men and gods, [who
existeth] in one Form, [to whom] periods of one hundred and twenty
years axe as single years, whose names by reason of their multitude are
unknowable, for [even] the gods know them not. Behold, the goddess
Isis lived in the form, of a woman, who had the knowledge of words [of
power]. Her heart turned away in disgust from the millions of men, and
she chose for herself the millions of the gods, but esteemed more
highly the millions of the spirits. Was it not possible to become even
as was Ra in heaven and upon earth, and to make [herself] mistress of
the earth, and a [mighty] goddess--thus she meditated in her heart--by
the knowledge of the Name of the holy god? Behold, Ra entered [heaven]
each day at the head of his mariners, establishing himself upon the
double throne of the two horizons. Now the divine one had become old,
he dribbled at the mouth, and he let his emissions go forth from him
upon the earth, and his spittle fell upon the ground. This Isis
kneaded in her hand,[FN#66] with [some] dust, and she fashioned it in
the form of a sacred serpent, and made it to have the form of a dart,
so that none might be able to escape alive from it, and she left it
lying upon the road whereon the great god travelled, according to his
desire, about the two lands. Then the holy god rose up in the
tabernacle of the gods in the great double house (life, strength,
health!) among those who were in his train, and [as] he journeyed on
his way according to his daily wont, the holy serpent shot its fang
into him, and the living fire was departing from the god's own body,
and the reptile destroyed the dweller among the cedars. And the mighty
god opened his mouth, and the cry of His Majesty (life, strength,
health!) reached unto the heavens, and the company of the gods said,
"What is it?" and his gods said, "What is the matter?" And the god
found [no words] wherewith to answer concerning himself. His jaws
shook, his lips trembled, and the poison took possession of all his
flesh just as Hapi (i.e., the Nile) taketh possession of the land
through which he floweth. Then the great god made firm his heart
(i.e., took courage) and he cried out to those who were in his
following:--"Come ye unto me, O ye who have come into being from my
members,[FN#67] ye gods who have proceeded from me, for I would make
you to know what hath happened. I have been smitten by some deadly
thing, of which my heart hath no knowledge, and which I have neither
seen with my eyes nor made with my hand; and I have no knowledge at all
who hath done this to me. I have never before felt any pain like unto
it, and no pain can be worse than this [is]. I am a Prince, the son of
a Prince, and the divine emanation which was produced from a god. I am
a Great One, the son of a Great One, and my father hath determined for
me my name. I have multitudes of names, and I have multitudes of
forms, and my being existeth in every god. I have been invoked (or,
proclaimed?) by Temu and Heru-Hekennu. My father and my mother uttered
my name, and [they] hid it in my body at my birth so that none of those
who would use against me words of power might succeed in making their
enchantments have dominion over me.[FN#68] I had come forth from my
tabernacle to look upon that which I had made, and was making my way
through the two lands which I had made, when a blow was aimed at me,
but I know not of what kind. Behold, is it fire? Behold, is it water?
My heart is full of burning fire, my limbs are shivering, and my
members have darting pains in them. Let there be brought unto me my
children the gods, who possess words of magic, whose mouths are cunning
[in uttering them], and whose powers reach up to heaven." Then his
children came unto him, and every god was there with his cry of
lamentation; and Isis[FN#69] came with her words of magic, and the
place of her mouth [was filled with] the breath of life, for the words
which she putteth together destroy diseases, and her words make to live
those whose throats are choked (i.e., the dead). And she said, "What
is this, O divine father? What is it? Hath a serpent shot his venom
into thee? Hath a thing which thou hast fashioned lifted up its head
against thee? Verily it shall be overthrown by beneficent words of
power, and I will make it to retreat in the sight of thy rays." The
holy god opened his mouth, [saying], I was going along the road and
passing through the two lands of my country, for my heart wished to
look upon what I had made, when I was bitten by a serpent which I did
not see; behold, is it fire? Behold, is it water? I am colder than
water, I am hotter than fire, all my members sweat, I myself quake,
mine eye is unsteady. I cannot look at the heavens, and water forceth
itself on my face as in the time of the Inundation."[FN#70] And Isis
said unto Ra, "O my divine father, tell me thy name, for he who is able
to pronounce his name liveth." [And Ra said], "I am the maker of the
heavens and the earth, I have knit together the mountains, and I have
created everything which existeth upon them. I am the maker of the
Waters, and I have made Meht-ur to come into being; I have made the
Bull of his Mother, and I have made the joys of love to exist. I am
the maker of heaven, and I have made to be hidden the two gods of the
horizon, and I have placed the souls of the gods within them. I am the
Being who openeth his eyes and the light cometh; I am the Being who
shutteth his eyes and there is darkness. I am the Being who giveth the
command, and the waters of Hapi (the Nile) burst forth, I am the Being
whose name the gods know not. I am the maker of the hours and the
creator of the days. I am the opener (i.e., inaugurator) of the
festivals, and the maker of the floods of water. I am the creator of
the fire of life whereby the works of the houses are caused to come
into being. I am Khepera in the morning, and Ra (at the time of his
culmination (i.e., noon), and Temu in the evening."[FN#71]
Nevertheless the poison was not driven from its course, and the great
god felt no better. Then Isis said unto Ra, "Among the things which
thou hast said unto me thy name hath not been mentioned. O declare
thou it unto me, and the poison shall come forth; for the person who
hath declared his name shall live." Meanwhile the poison burned with
blazing fire and the heat thereof was stronger than that of a blazing
flame. Then the Majesty of Ra, said, "I will allow myself to be
searched through by Isis, and my name shall come forth from my body and
go into hers." Then the divine one hid himself from the gods, and the
throne in the Boat of Millions of Years[FN#72] was empty. And it came
to pass that when it was the time for the heart to come forth [from the
god], she said unto her son Horus, "The great god shall bind himself by
an oath to give his two eyes."[FN#73] Thus was the great god made to
yield up his name, and Isis, the great lady of enchantments, said,
"Flow on, poison, and come forth from Ra; let the Eye of Horus come
forth from the god and shine(?) outside his mouth. I have worked, and
I make the poison to fall on the ground, for the venom hath been
mastered. Verily the name hath been taken away from the great god.
Let Ra live, and let the poison die; and if the poison live then Ra
shall die. And similarly, a certain man, the son of a certain man,
shall live and the poison shall die." These were the words which spake
Isis, the great lady, the mistress of the gods, and she had knowledge
of Ra in his own name. The above words shall be said over an image of
Temu and an image of Heru-Hekennu,[FN#74] and over an image of Isis and
an image of Horus.
[FN#66] Here we have another instance of the important part which the
spittle played in magical ceremonies that were intended to produce evil
effects. The act of spitting, however, was intended sometimes to carry
a curse with it, and sometimes a blessing, for a man spat in the face
of his enemy in order to lay the curse of impurity upon him, and at the
present time, men spit upon money to keep the devils away from it.
[FN#67] The gods were, according to one belief, nothing more than the
various names of Ra, who had taken the forms of the various members of
his body.
[FN#68] Thus the god's own name became his most important talisman.
[FN#69] The position of Isis as the "great enchantress" is well
defined, and several instances of her magical powers are recorded. By
the utterance of her words of power she succeeded in raising her dead
husband Osiris to life, and she enabled him by their means to beget
Horus of her. Nothing could withstand them, because they were of
divine origin, and she had learned them from Thoth, the intelligence of
the greatest of the gods.
[FN#70] Or, "the period of the summer." The season Shemmu, began soon
after the beginning of April and lasted until nearly the end of July.
[FN#71] Khepera, Rd, and Temu were the three principal forms of the
Sun-god according to the theological system of the priests of
Heliopolis.
[FN#72] The name by which the Boat of Ra is generally known in
Egyptian texts. It was this boat which was stopped in its course when
Thoth descended from the sky to impart to Isis the words of power that
were to raise her dead child Horus to life.
[FN#73] i.e., the fluid of life of the sun, and the fluid of life of
the moon. The sun and the moon were the visible, material symbols of
the Sun god.
[FN#74] The attributes of this god are not well defined. He was a god
of the Eastern Delta, and was associated with the cities where Temu was
worshipped.
THE LEGEND OF HORUS OF BEHUTET AND 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 gain
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 Heru 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-Heru-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."
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
Thoth, "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' 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." And Ra, 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.
XVI. Thus Heru-Behutet and Horus, 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 Sailing 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
month[FN#90] of the season Akhet, and on the first day of the first
month[FN#91] of the season Pert, and on the twenty-first and twenty-
fourth days of the second month[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 Heru-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
schoinoi." 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, pl. 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' 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
month[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.
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-Tanis.
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, pl. 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,' 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 Horus 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#110] 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#110] 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#111] for he hath overthrown the enemy by means of
their fear of him."
[FN#111] 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-Uatchti'[FN#112] from this day
onwards."
[FN#112] "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.
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#113]
[FN#113] In the sculpture (Naville, Mythe, pl. 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#114] and the Land of the Papyrus,[FN#115]
[these buildings] become shrines of Heru-Behutet.
[FN#114] 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#116] 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#117] 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#116] i.e., the southern half of heaven.
[FN#117] 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#118]
[FN#118] 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.
A HYMN TO OSIRIS AND A LEGEND OF THE ORIGIN OF HORUS.
Homage to thee, Osiris, Lord of eternity, King of the gods, whose names
are manifold, whose transformations are sublime, whose form is hidden
in the temples whose Ka is holy, the Governor of Tetut,[FN#119] the
mighty one of possessions (?)in the shrine,[FN#120] the Lord of
praises[FN#121] in the nome of Anetch,[FN#122] President of the tchefa
food in Anu,[FN#123] Lord who art commemorated in [the town of]
Maati,[FN#124] the mysterious (or, hidden) Soul, the Lord of
Qerret,[FN#125] the sublime one in White Wall,[FN#126] the Soul of Ra
[and] his very body, who hast thy dwelling in Henensu,[FN#127] the
beneficent one, who art praised in Nart,[FN#128] who makest to rise up
thy Soul, Lord of the Great House in the city[FN#129] of the Eight
Gods,[FN#130] [who inspirest] great terror in Shas-hetep,[FN#131] Lord
of eternity, Governor of Abtu (Abydos).
[FN#119] More fully Pa-Asar-neb-Tetut, the Busiris of the Greeks;
Busiris = Pa-Asar, "House of Osiris," par excellence. The variant
Tataut also occurs.
[FN#120] An allusion, perhaps, to the town Sekhem, the capital of the
second nome (Letopolites) of Lower Egypt.
[FN#121] i.e., lord whose praises are sung.
[FN#122] Letopolites.
[FN#123] Heliopolis.
[FN#124] i.e., a famous sanctuary in the Letopolite nome where Ptah
was worshipped.
[FN#125] The region of the First Cataract, where the Nile was believed
to rise.
[FN#126] Memphis.
[FN#127] Herakleopolis, the {hbw XaNeS} of Isaiah.
[FN#128] A name of Herakleopolis.
[FN#129] Khemenu or Hermopolis, the city of Thoth.
[FN#130] These gods were: Nu and Nut; Hehu and Hehut; Kekui and
Kekuit; Kerh and Kerhet.
[FN#131] The capital of Set, the eleventh nome of Upper Egypt; the
chief local deity was Khnemu.
Thy seat (or, domain) reacheth far into Ta-tchesert,[FN#132] and thy
name is firmly stablished in the mouth[s] of men. Thou art the two-
fold substance of the Two Lands[FN#133] everywhere (?), and the divine
food (tchef) of the Kau,[FN#134] the Governor of the Companies[FN#135]
of the Gods, and the beneficent (or, perfect) Spirit-soul[FN#136] among
Spirit-souls. The god Nu draweth his waters from thee,[FN#137] and
thou bringest forth the north wind at eventide, and wind from thy
nostrils to the satisfaction of thy heart. Thy heart flourisheth, and
thou bringest forth the splendour of tchef food.
[FN#132] A name of the Other World.
[FN#133] i.e., the two Egypts, Upper and Lower.
[FN#134] The Doubles of the beatified who are fed by Osiris in the
Other World.
[FN#135] Three Companies are distinguished: the gods of Heaven, the
gods of Earth, and the gods of the Other World.
[FN#136] The indestructible, immortal Spirit-soul as opposed to the
Ba-soul or animal-soul.
[FN#137] Here and in other places I have changed the pronoun of the
third person into that of the second to avoid the abrupt changes of the
original.
The height of heaven and the stars [thereof] are obedient unto thee,
and thou makest to be opened the great gates [of the sky]. Thou art
the lord to whom praises are sung in the southern heaven, thou art he
to whom thanks are given in the northern heaven. The stars which never
diminish are under the place of thy face,[FN#138] and thy seats are the
stars which never rest.[FN#139] Offerings appear before thee by the
command of Keb. The Companies of the Gods ascribe praise unto thee,
the Star-gods of the Tuat smell the earth before thee,[FN#140] the
domains [make] bowings [before thee], and the ends of the earth make
supplication to thee [when] they see thee.
[FN#138] i.e., they are under thy inspection and care.
[FN#139] i.e., the stars which never set. The allusion is probably to
certain circumpolar stars.
[FN#140] i.e., do homage.
Those who are among the holy ones are in terror of him, and the Two
Lands, all of them, make acclamations to him when they meet His
Majesty. Thou art a shining Noble at the head of the nobles, permanent
in [thy] high rank, stablished in [thy] sovereignty, the beneficent
Power of the Company of the Gods. Well-pleasing [is thy] face, and
thou art beloved by him that seeth thee. Thou settest the fear of thee
in all lands, and because of their love for thee [men] hold thy name to
be pre-eminent. Every man maketh offerings unto thee, and thou art the
Lord who is commemorated in heaven and upon earth. Manifold are the
cries of acclamation to thee in the Uak[FN#141] festival, and the Two
Lands shout joyously to thee with one accord. Thou art the eldest, the
first of thy brethren, the Prince of the Company of the Gods, and the
stablisher of Truth throughout the Two Lands. Thou settest [thy] son
upon the great throne of his father Keb. Thou art the beloved one of
thy mother Nut, whose valour is most mighty [when] thou overthrowest
the Seba Fiend. Thou hast slaughtered thy enemy, and hast put the fear
of thee into thy Adversary.
[FN#141] One of the chief festivals of Osiris, during which the god
made a periplus.
Thou art the bringer in of the remotest boundaries, and art stable of
heart, and thy two feet are lifted up (?); thou art the heir of Keb and
of the sovereignty of the Two Lands, and he (i.e., Keb) hath seen thy
splendid qualities, and hath commanded thee to guide the lands (i.e.,
the world) by thy hand so long as times [and seasons] endure.
Thou hast made this earth with thy hand, the waters thereof, the winds
thereof, the trees and herbs thereof, the cattle thereof of every kind,
the birds thereof of every kind, the fish thereof of every kind, the
creeping things thereof, and the four-footed beasts thereof. The land
of the desert[FN#142] belongeth by right to the son of Nut, and the Two
Lands have contentment in making him to rise[FN#143] upon the throne of
his father like Ra.
[FN#142] This may also represent the mountainous districts of Egypt,
or even foreign countries in general.
[FN#143] To make him rise like the sun, or to enthrone him.
Thou rollest up into the horizon, thou settest the light above the
darkness, thou illuminest [the Two Lands] with the light from thy two
plumes, thou floodest the Two Lands like the Disk at the beginning of
the dawn. Thy White Crown pierceth the height of heaven saluting the
stars,[FN#144] thou art the guide of every god. Thou art
perfect[FN#145] in command and word. Thou art the favoured one of the
Great Company of the Gods, and thou art the beloved one of the Little
Company of the Gods.
[FN#144] Or, "becoming a brother to the stars," or the Star-gods.
[FN#145] Or, beneficent.
Thy sister [Isis] acted as a protectress to thee. She drove [thy]
enemies away, she averted seasons [of calamity from thee], she recited
the word (or, formula) with the magical power of her mouth, [being]
skilled of tongue and never halting for a word, being perfect in
command and word. Isis the magician avenged her brother. She went
about seeking for him untiringly.
She flew round and round over this earth uttering wailing cries of
grief, and she did not alight on the ground until she had found him.
She made light [to come forth] from her feathers, she made air to come
into being by means of her two wings, and she cried out the death cries
for her brother. She made to rise up the helpless members of him whose
heart was at rest, she drew from him his essence, and she made
therefrom an heir. She suckled the child in solitariness and none knew
where his place was, and he grew in strength. His hand is mighty (or,
victorious) within the house of Keb, and the Company of the Gods
rejoice greatly at the coming of Horus, the son of Osiris, whose heart
is firmly stablished, the triumphant one, the son of Isis, the flesh
and bone of Osiris. The Tchatcha[FN#146] of Truth, and the Company of
the Gods, and Neb-er-tcher[FN#147] himself, and the Lords of Truth,
gather together to him, and assemble therein.[FN#148] Verily those who
defeat iniquity rejoice[FN#149] in the House of Keb to bestow the
divine rank and dignity upon him to whom it belongeth, and the
sovereignty upon him whose it is by right.
[FN#146] Literally, the "Heads," I.e., the divine sovereign Chiefs at
the court of Osiris, who acted as administrators of the god, and even
as task-masters.
[FN#147] "He who is the lord to the end (or, limit) of the world," a
name of Osiris.
[FN#148] i.e., in the House of Keb.
[FN#149] Or perhaps "take their seats in the House of Keb."
A LEGEND OF PTAH NEFER-HETEP AND THE PRINCESS OF BEKHTEN.
The Horus: "Mighty Bull, the form(?) of risings[FN#150], stablished in
sovereignty like Tem." The Golden Horus: "Mighty one of
strength[FN#151], destroyer of the Nine Nations of the Bow."[FN#152]
King of the South and North: "The Lord of the Two Lands, User-Maat-Ra-
setep-en-Ra Son of Ra: Of his body, Ra-meses-meri-Amen, of Amen-
Ra;[FN#153] the Lord of the thrones of the Two Lands, and of the
Company of the Gods, the Lords of Thebes, the beloved one. The
beneficent god, the son of Amen, born of Mut, begotten of Heru-khuti,
the glorious offspring of Neb-tchert,[FN#154] begetting [as] the Bull
of his Mother, [FN#155] king of Egypt, Governor of the deserts, the
Sovereign who hath taken possession of the Nine Nations of the Bow;
[who] on coming forth from the womb ordained mighty things, who gave
commands whilst he was in the egg, the Bull, stable of heart, who hath
sent forth his seed; the king who is a bull, [and] a god who cometh
forth on the day of battle like Menthu,[FN#156] the mighty one of
strength like the son of Nut."[FN#157]
[FN#150] i.e., the image who rises like the sun day by day, or the
image of [many] crowns.
[FN#151] Or, mighty one of the thigh, i.e., he of the mighty thigh.
[FN#152] The nations of Nubia who fought with bows and arrows.
[FN#153] In this version of the protocol of Rameses II. the second
"strong name" of the king is omitted.
[FN#154] i.e., Neb-er-tcher.
[FN#155] Ka-mut-f, the {greek kamh^fic} of the Greeks.
[FN#156] The War-god of Thebes.
[FN#157] i.e., Osiris.
Behold, His Majesty was in the country of Neheru[FN#158] according to
his custom every year, and the chiefs of every land, even as far as the
swamps, came [to pay] homage, bearing offerings to the Souls of His
Majesty; and they brought their gifts, gold, lapis-lazuli, turquoise,
bars of wood of every kind of the Land of the God,[FN#159] on their
backs, and each one surpassed his neighbour.
[FN#158] The "country of the rivers," the {hbw AaRam NaHaRaYim} of
Gen. xxiv. 10, the #### of Syrian writers.
[FN#159] A name including Western Asia and a portion of the East Coast
of Africa.
And the Prince of Bekhten [also] caused his gifts to be brought, and he
set his eldest daughter at the head of them all, and he addressed words
of praise to His Majesty, and prayed to him for his life. And the
maiden was beautiful, and His Majesty considered her to be the most
lovely [woman] in the world, and he wrote down as her title, "Great
Royal Wife, Ra-neferu"; and when His Majesty arrived in Egypt, he did
for her whatsoever was done for the Royal Wife.
On the twenty-second day of the second month of the season of
Shemu,[FN#160] in the fifteenth year [of his reign], behold, His
Majesty was in Thebes, the Mighty [city], the Mistress of cities,
performing the praises of Father Amen, the Lord of the thrones of the
Two Lands, in his beautiful Festival of the Southern Apt,[FN#161] which
was the seat of his heart (i.e., the chosen spot) from primaeval time,
[when] one came to say to His Majesty, "An ambassador of the Prince of
Bekhten hath arrived bearing many gifts for the Royal Wife."
[FN#160] The summer. The Copts called the second month of this season
Paoni.
[FN#161] The modern Temple of Luxor.
And having been brought into the presence of His Majesty with his
gifts, he spake words of adoration to His Majesty, saying, "Praise be
unto thee, O thou Sun (Ra) of the Nine Nations of the Bow, permit us to
live before thee!" And when he had spoken, and had smelt the earth
before His Majesty, he continued his speech before His Majesty, saying,
"I have come unto thee, my King and Lord, on behalf of Bent-Resht, the
younger sister of the Royal Wife Ra-neferu. [Some] disease hath
penetrated into her members, and I beseech Thy Majesty to send a man of
learning to see her."
And His Majesty said, "Bring to me the magicians (or, scribes) of the
House of Life, and the nobles of the palace." And having been brought
into his presence straightway, His Majesty said unto them, "Behold, I
have caused you to be summoned [hither] in order that ye may hear this
matter. Now bring to me [one] of your company whose heart is
wise[FN#162], and whose fingers are deft." And the royal scribe
Tehuti-em-heb came into the presence of His Majesty, and His Majesty
commanded him to depart to Bekhten with that ambassador.
[FN#162] Or, a skilled craftsman.
And when the man of learning had arrived in Bekhten, he found Bent-
Resht in the condition of a woman who is possessed by a spirit, and he
found 12 this spirit to be an evil one, and to be hostile in his
disposition towards him.
And the Prince of Bekhten sent a messenger a second time into the
presence of His Majesty, saying, "O King, my Lord, I pray His (i.e.,
Thy) Majesty to command that a god be brought hither to contend
against the spirit."
Now when the messenger came to His Majesty in the first month[FN#163]
of the season of Shemu, in the twenty-sixth year [of his reign], on the
day which coincided with that of the Festival of Amen, His Majesty was
in the palace (or, temple?) of Thebes. And His Majesty spake a second
time[FN#164] in the presence of Khensu in Thebes, [called] "Nefer-
Hetep," saying, "O my fair Lord, I present myself before thee a second
time on behalf of the daughter of the Prince of Bekhten." Then Khensu,
in Thebes, [called] "Nefer-Hetep", was carried to Khensu, [called] "Pa-
ari-sekher," the great god who driveth away the spirits which attack.
And His Majesty spake before Khensu in Thebes, [called] "Nefer-Hetep,"
saying, "O my fair Lord, if thou wilt give (i.e., turn) thy face to
Khensu, [called] 'Pa-ari-sekher,' the great god who driveth away the
spirits which attack, permit thou that he may depart to Bekhten;" [and
the god] inclined his head with a deep inclination twice. And His
Majesty said, "Let, I pray, thy protective (or, magical) power [go]
with him, so that I may make His Majesty to go to Bekhten to deliver
the daughter of the Prince of Bekhten [from the spirit]."
[FN#163] The month Pakhon of the Copts.
[FN#164] The text makes no mention of the first application to Khensu.
And Khensu in Thebes, [called] "Nefer-Hetep," inclined his head with a
deep inclination twice. And he made [his] protective power to pass
into Khensu, [called] "Pa-ari-sekher-em-Uast," in a fourfold measure.
Then His Majesty commanded that Khensu, [called] "Pa-ari-sekher-em-
Uast," should set out on his journey in a great boat, [accompanied by]
five smaller boats, and chariots, and a large number of horses [which
marched] on the right side and on the left.
And when this god arrived in Bekhten at the end of a period of one year
and five months, the Prince of Bekhten came forth with his soldiers and
his chief[s] before Khensu, [called] "Pa-ari-sekher," and he cast
himself down upon his belly, saying, "Thou hast come to us, and thou
art welcomed by us, by the commands of the King of the South and North,
User-Maat-Ra-setep-en-Ra!"
And when this god had passed over to the place where Bent-Resht was, he
worked upon the daughter of the Prince of Bekhten with his magical
power, and she became better (i.e., was healed) straightway. And this
spirit which had been with her said, in the presence of Khensu,
[called] "Pa-ari-sekher-em-Uast," "Come in peace (i.e., Welcome!), O
great god, who dost drive away the spirits which attack! Bekhten is
thy city, the people thereof, both men and women, are thy (servants,
and I myself am thy servant. I will [now] depart unto the place whence
I came, so that I may cause thy heart to be content about the matter
concerning which thou hast come. I pray that Thy Majesty will command
that a happy day (i.e., a festival, or day of rejoicing) be made with
me, and with the Prince of Bekhten." And this god inclined his head
[in approval] to his priest, saying, "Let the Prince of Bekhten make a
great offering in the (presence of this spirit."
Now whilst Khensu, [called] "Pa-ari-sekher-em-Uast," was arranging
these [things] with the spirit, the Prince of Bekhten and his soldiers
were standing there, and they feared with an exceedingly great fear.
And the Prince of Bekhten made a great offering in the presence of
Khensu, [called] "Pa-ari-sekher-em-Uast," and the spirit of the Prince
of Bekhten, and he made a happy day (i.e., festival) on their behalf,
and [then] the spirit departed in peace unto the place which he loved,
by the command of Khensu, [called] "Pa-ari-sekher-em-Uast." And the
Prince of Bekhten, and every person who was in the country of Bekhten,
rejoiced very greatly, and he took counsel with his heart, saying, "It
hath happened that this god hath been given as a gift to Bekhten, and I
will not permit him to depart to Egypt."
And [when] this god had tarried for three years and nine months in
Bekhten, the Prince of Bekhten, who was lying down asleep on his bed,
saw this god come forth outside his shrine (now he was in the form of a
golden hawk), and he flew up into the heavens and departed to Egypt;
and when the Prince woke up he was trembling. And he said unto the
prophet of Khensu, [called] "Pa-ari-sekher-em-Uast," "This god who
tarried with us hath departed to Egypt; let his chariot also depart to
Egypt."
And the Prince of Bekhten permitted [the image of] the god to set out
for Egypt, and he gave him many great gifts of beautiful things of all
kinds, and a large number of soldiers and horses [went with him]. And
when they had arrived in peace in Thebes, Khensu, [called] "Pa-ari-
sekher-em-Uast," went into the Temple of Khensu in Thebes, [called]
"Nefer-Hetep," and he placed the offerings which the Prince of Bekhten
had given unto him, beautiful things of all kinds, before Khensu in
Thebes, [called] "Nefer-Hetep," and he gave nothing thereof whatsoever
to his [own] temple.
Thus Khensu, [called] "Pa-ari-sekher-em-Uast," arrived in his temple in
peace, on the nineteenth day of the second month[FN#165] of the season
Pert, in the thirty-third year of the [reign of the] King of the South
and North, User-Maat-en-Ra-setep-en-Ra, the giver of life, like Ra, for
ever.
[FN#165] The month Mekhir of the Copts; the season Pert is the
Egyptian spring.
A LEGEND OF THE GOD KHNEMU AND OF A SEVEN YEARS' FAMINE.
In the eighteenth year of the Horus, Neter-Khat, of the King of the
South and North, Neter-Khat, of the Lord of the Shrines of Uatchit and
Nekhebit, Neter-Khat, of the Golden Horus Tcheser,[FN#166] when Matar
was Ha Prince, and Erpa, and Governor of the temple-cities in the Land
of the South, and director of the Khenti[FN#167] folk in Abtu,[FN#168]
there was brought unto him the following royal despatch: "This is to
inform thee that misery hath laid hold upon me [as I sit] upon the
great throne by reason of those who dwell in the Great House.[FN#169]
My heart is grievously afflicted by reason of the exceedingly great evil
[which hath happened] because Hapi (i.e., the Nile) hath not come
forth[FN#170] in my time to the [proper] height for seven years. Grain
is very scarce, vegetables are lacking altogether, every kind of thing
which men eat for their food hath ceased, and every man [now] plundereth
"his neighbour. Men wish to walk, but are unable to move, the child
waileth, the young man draggeth his limbs along, and the hearts of the
aged folk are crushed with despair; their legs give way under them, and
they sink down to the ground, and their hands are laid upon their bodies
[in pain]. The shennu[FN#171] nobles are destitute of counsel, and
[when] the storehouses which should contain supplies are opened, there
cometh forth therefrom nothing but wind. Everything is in a state of
ruin. My mind hath remembered, going back to former time, when I had an
advocate, to the time of the gods, and of the Ibis-god, and of the chief
Kher-heb priest I-em-hetep,[FN#172] the son of Ptah of his Southern
Wall."
[FN#166] Tcheser was a king of the IIIrd Dynasty, and is famous as the
builder of the Step Pyramid at Sakkarah. His tomb was discovered by
Mr. J. Garstang at Bet Khallaf in Upper Egypt in 1901.
[FN#167] i.e., the people who were in front of, that is, to the South
of Egypt, or the population of the country which lies between Dakkah
and Aswan.
[FN#168] The ancient Egyptian name for Elephantine Island, which
appears to have gained this name because it resembled an elephant in
shape.
[FN#169] i.e., the palace.
[FN#170] i.e., risen.
[FN#171] i.e., the high court officials and administrators.
[FN#172] The famous priest and magician, who was subsequently deified
and became one of the chief gods of Memphis.
"Where is the place of birth of Hapi (the Nile)? What god, or what
goddess, presideth (?) over it? What manner of form hath he? It is he
who stablisheth revenue for me, and a full store of grain. I would go
to the Chief of Het-Sekhet[FN#173] whose beneficence strengtheneth all
men in their works. I would enter into the House of Life,[FN#174] I
would unfold the written rolls [therein], and I would lay my hand upon
them."
[FN#173] Hermopolis.
[FN#174] Per-ankh, or Pa-ankh, was a name given to one of the temple-
colleges of priests and scribes.
Then [Matar] set out on his journey, and he returned to me straightway.
He gave me instruction concerning the increase of Hapi,[FN#175] and
told me all things which men had written concerning it, and he revealed
to me the secret doors (?) whereto my ancestors had betaken themselves
quickly, the like of which has never been, to [any] king since the time
of Ra, (?). And he said unto me: "There is a city in the middle of the
stream wherefrom Hapi maketh his appearance; "'Abu'[FN#176] was its
name in the beginning; it is the City of the Beginning, and it is the
Nome of the City of the Beginning. [It reacheth] to Uaua,[FN#177]
which is the beginning of the land. There is too a flight of
steps,[FN#178] which reareth itself to a great height, and is the
support of Ra, when he maketh his calculation to prolong life to
everyone; 'Netchemtchem Ankh'[FN#179] is the name of its abode. 'The
two Qerti'[FN#180] is the name of the water, and they are the two
breasts from which every good thing cometh forth (?).
[FN#175] i.e., the Inundation, or Nile Flood.
[FN#176] The Elephant City, i.e., Elephantine.
[FN#177] A portion of Northern Nubia.
[FN#178] This is probably an allusion to the famous Nilometer on the
Island of Philae.
[FN#179] i.e., "Sweet, sweet life."
[FN#180] The Qerti were the two openings through which the Nile
entered this world from the great celestial ocean.
"Here is the bed of Hapi (the Nile), wherein he reneweth his youth [in
his season], wherein he causeth the flooding of the land. He cometh
and hath union as he journeyeth, as a man hath union with a woman. And
again he playeth the part of a husband and satisfieth his desire. He
riseth to the height of twenty-eight cubits [at Abu], and he droppeth
at Sma-Behutet[FN#181] to seven cubits. The union(?) there is that of
the god Khnemu in [Abu. He smiteth the ground] with his sandals, and
[its] fulness becometh abundant; he openeth the bolt of the door with
his hand, and he throweth open the double door of the opening through
which the water cometh."
[FN#181] Diospolis of Lower Egypt, or "Thebes of the North."
"Moreover, he dwelleth there in the form of the god Shu,[FN#182] as one
who is lord over his own territory, and his homestead, the name of
which is 'Aa' (i.e., the 'Island'). There he keepeth an account of the
products of the Land of the South and of the Land of the North, "in
order to give unto every god his proper share, and he leadeth to each
[the metals], and the [precious stones, and the four-footed beasts],
and the feathered fowl, and the fish, and every thing whereon they
live. And the cord [for the measuring of the land] and the tablet
whereon the register is kept are there.
[FN#182] The god who separated the Sky-goddess Nut from the embrace of
her husband, the Earth-god Keb, and who holds her above him each day.
"And there is an edifice of wood there, with the portals thereof formed
of reeds, wherein he dwelleth as one who is over his own territory, and
he maketh the foliage of the trees (?) to serve as a roof.
"His God-house hath an opening towards the south-east, and Ra (or, the
Sun) standeth immediately opposite thereto every day. The stream which
floweth along the south side thereof hath danger [for him that
attacketh it], and it hath as a defence a wall which entereth into the
region of the men of Kens[FN#183] on the South. Huge mountains [filled
with] masses of stone are round about its domain on the east side, and
shut it in. Thither come the quarrymen with things (tools?) of every
kind, [when] they "seek to build a House for any god in the Land of the
South, or in the Land of the North, or [shrines] as abodes for sacred
animals, or royal pyramids, and statues of all kinds. They stand up in
front of the House of the God and in the sanctuary chamber, and their
sweet smelling offerings are presented before the face of the god
Khnemu during his circuit, even as [when they bring] "garden herbs and
flowers of every kind. The fore parts thereof are in Abu
(Elephantine), and the hind parts are in the city of Sunt (?).[FN#184]
One portion thereof is on the east side[FN#185] of the river, and
another portion is on the west side[FN#186] of the river, and another
portion is in the middle[FN#187] of the river. The stream decketh the
region with its waters during a certain season of the year, and it is a
place of delight for every man. And works are carried on among these
quarries [which are] on the edges [of the river?], "for the stream
immediately faceth this city of Abu itself, and there existeth the
granite, the substance whereof is hard (?); 'Stone of Abu' it is
called.
[FN#183] Kens extended south from Philae as far as Korosko.
[FN#184] Perhaps Sunut, = the Syene of the Greeks, and the {hbw
SuWeNeH} of the Hebrews.
[FN#185] i.e., Syene.
[FN#186] i.e., Contra Syene.
[FN#187] i.e., the Island of Elephantine.
"[Here is] a list of the names of the gods who dwell in the Divine
House of Khnemu. The goddess of the star Sept (Sothis), the goddess
Anqet, Hap (the Nile-god), Shu, Keb, Nut, Osiris, Horus, Isis, and
Nephthys.
"[Here are] "the names of the stones which lie in the heart of the
mountains, some on the east side, some on the west side, and some in
[the midst of] the stream of Abu. They exist in the heart of Abu, they
exist in the country on the east bank, and in the country on the west
bank, and in the midst of the stream, namely, "Bekhen-stone, Meri (or
Meli)-stone, Atbekhab (?)-stone, Rakes-stone, and white Utshi-stone;
these are found on the east bank. Per-tchani-stone is found on the
west bank, and the Teshi-stone in the river.
"[Here are] the names of the hard (or, hidden) precious stones, which
are found in the upper side, among them being the . . . . . stone, the
name[FN#188] of which hath spread abroad through [a space of] four atru
measures: Gold, Silver, Copper, Iron, Lapis-lazuli, Emerald, Thehen
(Crystal?), Khenem (Ruby), Kai, Mennu, Betka (?), Temi, Na (?). The
following come forth from the fore part[FN#189] of the land: Mehi-
stone, [He]maki-stone, Abheti-stone, iron ore, alabaster for statues,
mother-of-emerald, antimony, seeds (or, gum) of the sehi plant, seeds
(or, gum) of the amem plant, and seeds (or, gum) of the incense plant;
these are found in the fore parts of its double city." These were the
things which I learned therefrom (i.e., from Matar).
[FN#188] i.e., the stone was very famous.
[FN#189] The "fore part," or "front," of the land means the country
lying to the south of Nubia, and probably some part of the modern
Egyptian Sudan.
Now my heart was very happy when I heard these things, and I entered
into [the temple of Khnemu]. The overseers unrolled the documents
which were fastened up, the water of purification was sprinkled [upon
me], a progress was made [through] the secret places, and a great
offering [consisting] of bread-cakes, beer, geese, oxen (or, bulls),
and beautiful things of all kinds were offered to the gods and
goddesses who dwell in Abu, whose names are proclaimed at the place
[which is called], "Couch of the heart in life and power."
And I found the God standing in front of me, and I made him to be at
peace with me by means of the thank-offering which I offered unto him,
and I made prayer and supplication before him. Then he opened his
eyes, and his heart was inclined [to hear] me, and his words were
strong [when he said], "I am Khnemu,[FN#190] who fashioned thee. My
two hands were about thee and knitted together thy body, and "made
healthy thy members; and it is I who gave thee thy heart. Yet the
minerals (or, precious stones) [lie] under each other, [and they have
done so] from olden time, and no man hath worked them in order to build
the houses of the god, or to restore those which have fallen into ruin,
or to hew out shrines for the gods of the South and of the North, or to
do what he ought to do for his lord, notwithstanding that I am the Lord
and the Creator.
[FN#190] He was the "builder of men, maker of the gods, the Father who
was from the beginning, the maker of things which are, the creator of
things which shall be, the source of things which exist, Father of
fathers, Mother of mothers, Father of the fathers of the gods and
goddesses, lord of created things, maker of heaven, earth, Tuat, water
and mountains" (Lanzone, Dizionario, p. 957).
"I am [he] who created himself, Nu, the Great [God], who came into being
at the beginning, [and] Hapi, who riseth according to his will, in
order to give health to him that laboureth for me. I am the Director
and Guide of all men at their seasons, the Most Great, the Father of the
Gods, Shu, the Great One, the Chief of the Earth. The two halves of the
sky (i.e., the East and the West) are as a habitation below me. A lake
of water hath been poured out for me, [namely,] Hap (i.e., the Nile),
which embraceth the field-land, and his embrace provideth the [means of]
life for "21 every nose (i.e., every one), according to the extent of
his embrace of the field-land. With old age [cometh] the condition of
weakness. I will make Hap (i.e., the Nile) rise for thee, and [in] no
year shall [he] fail, and he shall spread himself out in rest upon every
land. Green plants and herbs and trees shall bow beneath [the weight of]
their produce. The goddess Renenet[FN#191] shall be at the head of
everything, and every product shall increase by hundreds of thousands,
according to the cubit of the year. The people shall be filled, verily
to their hearts' desire, "and everyone. Misery shall pass away, and the
emptiness of their store-houses of grain shall come to an end. The land
of Ta-Mert (i.e., Egypt) shall come to be a region of cultivated land,
the districts [thereof] shall be yellow with grain crops, and the grain
[thereof] shall be goodly. And fertility shall come according to the
desire [of the people], more than there hath ever been before."
[FN#191] The goddess of the harvest.
Then I woke up at [the mention of] crops, my heart (or, courage) came
[back], and was equal to my [former] despair, and I made the following
decree in the temple of my father Khnemu:--
The king giveth an offering to Khnemu[FN#192] the Lord of the city of
Qebhet,[FN#193] the Governor of Ta-Sti,[FN#194] in return for those
things which thou hast done for me. There shall be given unto thee on
thy right hand [the river bank] of Manu,[FN#195] and on thy left hand
the river bank of Abu, together with the land about the city, for a
space of twenty measures,[FN#196] on the east side and on the west
side, with the gardens, and the river front "everywhere throughout the
region included in these measures. From every husbandman who tilleth
the ground, and maketh to live again the slain, and placeth water upon
the river banks and all the islands which are in front of the region of
these measures, shall be demanded a further contribution from the
growing crops and from every storehouse, as "thy share.
[FN#192] Or perhaps, Khnemu-Ra.
[FN#193] Qebhet is the name given to the whole region of the First
Cataract.
[FN#194] The "Land of the Bow," i.e., the Northern Sudan.
[FN#195] The Land of the setting sun, the West.
[FN#196] Schoinos.
"Whatsoever is caught in the nets by every fisherman and by every
fowler, and whatsoever is taken by the catchers of fish, and by the
snarers of birds, and by every hunter of wild animals, and by every man
who snareth lions in the mountains, when these things enter [the city]
one tenth of them shall be demanded.
"And of all the calves which are cast throughout the regions which are
included in these measures, one tenth of their number "shall be set
apart as animals which are sealed for all the burnt offerings which are
offered up daily.
"And, moreover, the gift of one tenth shall be levied upon the gold,
ivory, ebony, spices, carnelians (?), sa wood, seshes spice, dum palm
fruit (?), nef wood, and upon woods and products of every kind
whatsoever, which the Khentiu, [FN#197] and the Khentiu of Hen-
Resu,[FN#198] and the Egyptians, and every person whatsoever [shall
bring in].
[FN#197] The inhabitants of the Northern Sudan, probably as far to the
south as Napata.
[FN#198] The people of the Island of Meroë, and probably those living
on the Blue and White Niles.
"And [every] hand shall pass them by, and no officer of the revenue
whatsoever shall utter a word beyond these places to demand (or, levy
on) things from them, or to take things over and above [those which are
intended for] thy capital city.
"And I will give unto thee the land belonging to the city, which
beareth stones, and good land for cultivation. Nothing thereof shall be
[diminished] or withheld, "of all these things in order to deceive the
scribes, and the revenue officers, and the inspectors of the king, on
whom it shall be incumbent to certify everything.
"And further, I will cause the masons, and the hewers of ore (?), and
the workers in metal, and the smelters (?) of gold, and the sculptors
in stone, "and the ore-crushers, and the furnace-men (?), and
handicraftsmen of every kind whatsoever, who work in hewing, and
cutting, and polishing these stones, and in gold, and silver, and
copper, and lead, and every worker in wood who shall cut down any tree,
or carry on a trade of any kind, or work which is connected with the
wood trade, to "pay tithe upon all the natural products (?), and also
upon the hard stones which are brought from their beds above, and
quarried stones of all kinds.
"And there shall be an inspector over the weighing of the gold, and
silver, and copper, and real (i.e., precious) stones, and the [other]
things, which the metal-workers require for the House of Gold, "and the
sculptors of the images of the gods need in the making and repairing of
them, and [these things] shall be exempted from tithing, and the
workmen also. And everything shall be delivered (or, given) in front
of the storehouse to their children, a second time, for the protection
of everything. And whatsoever is before thy God-house shall be in
abundance, just as it hath ever been from the earliest time.
"And a copy of this decree shall be inscribed upon a stele, [which
shall be set up] in the holy place, according to the writing of the
[original] document which is cut upon wood, and [figures of] this god
and the overseers of the temple shall be [cut] thereon. Whosoever
shall spit upon that which is on it shall be admonished by the rope.
And the overseers of the priests, and every overseer of the people of
the House of the God, shall ensure the perpetuation of my name in the
House of the god Khnemu-Ra, the lord of Abu (Elephantine), for ever."
THE LEGEND OF THE DEATH OF HORUS THROUGH THE STING OF A SCORPION AND OF
HIS RESURRECTION THROUGH THOTH, AND OTHER MAGICAL TEXTS.
I.--INCANTATIONS AGAINST REPTILES AND NOXIOUS CREATURES IN GENERAL.
Get thee back, Apep, thou enemy of Ra, thou winding serpent in the form
of an intestine, without arms [and] without legs. Thy body cannot
stand upright so that thou mayest have therein being, long is
thy[FN#199] tail in front of thy den, thou enemy; retreat before Ra.
Thy head shall be cut off, and the slaughter of thee shall be carried
out. Thou shalt not lift up thy face, for his (i.e., Ra's) flame is in
thy accursed soul. The odour which is in his chamber of slaughter is
in thy members, and thy form shall be overthrown by the slaughtering
knife of the great god. The spell of the Scorpion-goddess Serq driveth
back thy might. Stand still, stand still, and retreat through her
spell.
[FN#199] Literally, "his."
Be vomited, O poison, I adjure thee to come forth on the earth. Horus
uttereth a spell over thee, Horus hacketh thee in pieces, he spitteth
upon thee; thou shalt not rise up towards heaven, but shalt totter
downwards, O feeble one, without strength, cowardly, unable to fight,
blind, without eyes, and with thine head turned upside down. Lift not
up thy face. Get thee back quickly, and find not the way. Lie down in
despair, rejoice not, retreat speedily, and show not thy face because
of the speech of Horus, who is perfect in words of power. The poison
rejoiced, [but] the heart[s] of many were very sad thereat. Horus hath
smitten it with his magical spells, and he who was in sorrow is [now]
in joy. Stand still then, O thou who art in sorrow, [for] Horus hath
been endowed with life. He coineth charged, appearing himself to
overthrow the Sebiu fiends which bite. All men when they see Ra praise
the son of Osiris. Get thee back, Worm, and draw out thy poison which
is in all the members of him that is under the knife. Verily the might
of the word of power of Horus is against thee. Vomit thou, O Enemy, get
thee back, O poison.
9. THE CHAPTER OF CASTING A SPELL ON THE CAT.
Recite [the following formula]:--
"Hail, Ra, come to thy daughter! A scorpion hath stung her on a
lonely road. Her cry hath penetrated the heights of heaven, and is
heard along the paths. The poison hath entered into her body, and
circulateth through her flesh. She hath set her mouth against
it;[FN#200] verily the poison is in her members.
[FN#200] i.e., she hath directed her words against it.
"Come then with thy strength, with thy fierce attack, and with thy red
powers, and force it to be hidden before thee. Behold, the poison hath
entered into all the members of this Cat which is under my fingers. Be
not afraid, be not afraid, my daughter, my splendour, [for] I have set
myself near (or, behind) thee. I have overthrown the poison which is
in all the limbs of this Cat. O thou Cat, thy head is the head of Ra,
the Lord of the Two Lands, the smiter of the rebellious peoples.
Thy[FN#201] fear is in all lands, O Lord of the living, Lord of
eternity. O thou Cat, thy two eyes are the Eye of the Lord of the Khut
uraeus, who illumineth the Two Lands with his Eye, and illumineth the
face on the path of darkness. O thou Cat, thy nose is the nose of
Thoth, the Twice Great, Lord of Khemenu (Hermopolis), the Chief of the
Two Lands of Ra, who putteth breath into the nostrils of every person.
O thou Cat, thine ears are the ears of Nebertcher, who hearkeneth unto
the voice of all persons when they appeal to him, and weigheth words
(i.e., judgeth) in all the earth. O thou Cat, thy mouth is the mouth
of Tem, the Lord of life, the uniter (?) of creation, who hath caused
the union (?) of creation; he shall deliver thee from every poison. O
thou Cat, thy neck (nehebt) is the neck of Neheb-ka, President of the
Great House, vivifier of men and women by means of the mouth of his two
arms. O thou Cat, thy breast is the breast of Thoth, the Lord of
Truth, who hath given to thee breath to refresh (?) thy throat, and
hath given breath to that which is therein. O thou Cat, thy heart is
the heart of the god Ptah, who healeth thy heart of the evil poison
which is in all thy limbs. O thou Cat, thy hands 25 are the hands of
the Great Company of the gods and the Little Company of the gods, and
they shall deliver thy hand from the poison from the mouth of every
serpent. O thou Cat, thy belly is the belly of Osiris, Lord of
Busiris, the poison shall not work any of its wishes in thy belly. O
thou Cat, thy thighs are the thighs of the god Menthu, who shall make
thy thighs to stand up, and shall bring the poison to the ground. O
thou Cat, thy leg-bones are the leg-bones of Khensu,[FN#202] who
travelleth over all the Two Lands by day and by night, and shall lead
the poison to the ground. O thou Cat, thy legs (or, feet) are the legs
of Amen the Great, Horus, Lord of Thebes, who shall stablish thy feet
on the earth, and shall overthrow the poison. O thou Cat, thy haunches
are the haunches of Horus, the avenger (or, advocate) of his father
Osiris, and they shall place Set in the evil which he hath wrought. O
thou Cat, thy soles are the soles of Ra, who shall make the poison to
return to the earth. O thou Cat, thy bowels are the bowels of the Cow-
goddess Meh-urt, who shall overthrow and cut in pieces the poison which
is in thy belly and in all the members in thee, and in [all] the
members of the gods in heaven, and in [all] the members of the gods on
earth, and shall overthrow every poison in thee. There is no member in
thee without the goddess who shall overthrow and cut in pieces the
poison of every male serpent, and every female serpent, and every
scorpion, and every reptile, which may be in any member of this Cat
which is under the knife. Verily Isis weaveth and Nephthys spinneth
against the poison. This woven garment strengtheneth this [being,
i.e., Horus], who is perfect in words of power, through the speech of
Ra Heru-khuti, the great god, President of the South and North: 'O evil
poison which is in any member of this Cat which is under the knife,
come, issue forth upon the earth.'"
[FN#201] Literally "his."
[FN#202] He was the messenger of the gods, and travelled across the
sky under the form of the Moon; he sometimes appears as a form of
Thoth.
ANOTHER CHAPTER.
Say the [following] words:--
"O Ra-[Khuti], come to thy daughter. O Shu, come to thy wife. O Isis,
come to thy sister, and deliver her from the evil poison which is in
all her members. Hail, O ye gods, come ye and overthrow ye the evil
poison which is in all the members of the Cat which is under the knife.
"Hail, O aged one, who renewest thy youth in thy season, thou old man
who makest thyself to be a boy, grant thou that Thoth may come to me at
[the sound of] my voice, and behold, let him turn back from me Netater.
Osiris is on the water, the Eye of Horus is with him. A great
Beetle spreadeth himself over him, great by reason of his grasp,
produced by the gods from a child. He who is over the water appeareth
in a healthy form. If he who is over the water shall be approached
(or, attacked), the Eye of Horus, which weepeth, shall be approached.
"Get ye back, O ye who dwell in the water, crocodiles, fish, that
Enemy, male dead person and female dead person, male fiend and female
fiend, of every kind whatsoever, lift not up your faces, O ye who dwell
in the waters, ye crocodiles and fish. When Osiris journeyeth over
you, permit ye him to go to Busiris. Let your nostrils [be closed],
your throats stopped up.
"Get ye back, Seba fiends! Lift ye not up your faces against him that
is on the water . . . . . Osiris-Ra, riseth up in his Boat to look at
the gods of Kher-ahat, and the Lords of the Tuat stand up to slay thee
when [thou] comest, O Neha-her, against Osiris. [When] he is on the
water the Eye of Horus is over him to turn your faces upside down and
to set you on your backs.
"Hail, ye who dwell in the water, crocodiles and fish, Ra shutteth up
your mouths, Sekhet stoppeth up your throats, Thoth cutteth out your
tongues, and {cont} Heka blindeth your eyes. These are the four great
gods who protect Osiris by their magical power, and they effect the
protection of him that is on the water, of men and women of every kind,
and of beasts and animals of every kind which are on the water by day.
Protected are those who dwell in the waters, protected is the sky
wherein is Ra, protected is the great god who is in the sarcophagus,
protected is he who is on the water.
"A voice [which] crieth loudly is in the House of Net (Neith), a loud
voice is in the Great House, a great outcry from the mouth of the Cat.
The gods and the goddesses say, 'What is it? What is it?' [It]
concerneth the Abtu Fish which is born. Make to retreat from me thy
footsteps, O Sebau fiend. I am Khnemu, the Lord of Her-urt. Guard
thyself again from the attack which is repeated, besides this which
thou hast done in the presence of the Great Company of the gods. Get
thee back, retreat thou from me. I am the god. Oh, Oh, O [Ra], hast
thou not heard the voice which cried out loudly until the evening on
the bank of Netit, the voice of all the gods and goddesses which cried
out loudly, the outcry concerning the wickedness which thou hast done,
O wicked Sebau fiend? Verily the lord Ra thundered and growled
thereat, and he ordered thy slaughter to be carried out. Get thee
back, Seba fiend! Hail! Hail!"
II.--THE NARRATIVE OF ISIS.
I am Isis, [and] I have come forth from the dwelling (or, prison)
wherein my brother Set placed me. Behold the god Thoth, the great god,
the Chief of Maat[FN#203] [both] in heaven and on the earth, said unto
me, "Come now, O Isis, thou goddess, moreover it is a good thing to
hearken,[FN#204] [for there is] life to one who shall be guided [by the
advice] of another. Hide thou thyself with [thy] son the child, and
there shall come unto him these things. His members shall
grow,[FN#205] and two-fold strength of every kind shall spring up [in
him]. [And he] shall be made to take his seat upon the throne of his
father, [whom] he shall avenge,[FN#206] [and he shall take possession
of] the exalted position of Heq[FN#207] of the Two Lands."[FN#208]
[FN#203] i.e., Law, or Truth.
[FN#204] Or, obey.
[FN#205] i.e., flourish.
[FN#206] He avenged his father Osiris by vanquishing Set.
[FN#207] i.e., tribal chief.
[FN#208] i.e., Upper and Lower Egypt.
I came forth [from the dwelling] at the time of evening, and there came
forth the Seven Scorpions which were to accompany me and to strike(?)
for me with [their] stings. Two scorpions, Tefen and Befen, were
behind me, two scorpions, Mestet and Mestetef, were by my side, and
three scorpions, Petet, Thetet, and Maatet (or, Martet), were for
preparing the road for me. I charged them very strictly (or, in a loud
voice), and my words penetrated into their ears: "Have no knowledge of
[any], make no cry to the Tesheru beings, and pay no attention to the
'son of a man' (i.e., anyone) who belongeth to a man of no account,"
[and I said,] "Let your faces be turned towards the ground [that ye may
show me] the way." So the guardian of the company brought me to the
boundaries of the city of Pa-Sui,[FN#209] the city of the goddesses of
the Divine Sandals, [which was situated] in front of the Papyrus
Swamps.[FN#210]
[FN#209] "The House of the Crocodile," perhaps the same town as Pa-
Sebekt, a district in the VIIth nome of Lower Egypt (Metelites).
[FN#210] Perhaps a district in the Metelite nome.
When I had arrived at the place where the people lived[FN#211] I came
to the houses wherein dwelt the wives [and] husbands. And a certain
woman of quality spied me as I was journeying along the road, and she
shut her doors on me. Now she was sick at heart by reason of those
[scorpions] which were with me. Then [the Seven Scorpions] took
counsel concerning her, and they all at one time shot out their venom
on the tail of the scorpion Tefen; as for me, the woman Taha[FN#212]
opened her door, and I entered into the house of the miserable lady.
[FN#211] In Egyptian Teb, which may be the Tebut in the Metelite nome.
[FN#212] Taha may be the name of a woman, or goddess, or the word may
mean a "dweller in the swamps," as Golenischeff thinks.
Then the scorpion Tefen entered in under the leaves of the door and
smote (i.e., stung) the son of Usert, and a fire broke out in the house
of Usert, and there was no water there to extinguish it; [but] the sky
rained upon the house of Usert, though it was not the season for
rain.[FN#213]
[FN#213] i.e., it was not the season of the inundation.