Published: Naville, _Mythe d'Horus_ (with French translation).
Translated: Wiedemann, _Religion of the Ancient Egyptians_, p. 69.
The account of the war between Horus and Set is sculptured on the
inner part of the west side of the girdle-wall of the temple of Edfu.
The whole temple is dedicated to Horus; though undoubtedly an early
foundation, the present structure dates only to the Ptolemaic period.
It was begun by Ptolemy III Euergetes I, and took 180 years to build
and decorate. The girdle-wall, on which these scenes and
inscriptions were sculptured, was built and decorated about 100 B.C.,
either by Soter II or Alexander I.
The temple was excavated by Mariette, and is the most perfect in
condition of all the temples in Egypt, for with the exception of the
wanton mutilation of the faces, probably by Christian fanatics, both
building and sculpture are untouched save by time.
The inscription appears to give in legendary form a fairly accurate
account of tribal battles of a very early period. Though the actual
inscription is of a late date, many primitive ideas are preserved,
especially in the hymns of the women to Horus. "Eat ye the flesh of
the vanquished, drink ye his blood," is not a sentiment of the
civilisation of Ptolemaic times. Human sacrifice, however, appears
to have been practised in Egypt at all periods. Harvest victims were
burnt at Eleithyapolis (El Kab). Amasis II of the xxvith dynasty put
an end to human sacrifice at Heliopolis; Diodorus says that
red-haired men were offered up at the sepulchre of Osiris; as the
king was the incarnate Osiris, this would mean that human sacrifices
were made at the royal graves, probably during the funeral
ceremonies. The Book of the Dead also continually alludes to human
sacrifice. At Edfu an altar was found sculptured with
representations of offerings in which human beings are the victims.
Small figures, carved in the round, are known, which are in the form
of bound captives; and show probably the method of binding the
victim; the legs are bent at the knees, and the feet bound to the
thighs; the arms are bent at the elbows and securely lashed to the
body. This is not the ordinary way of binding a prisoner, but is a
special method reserved probably for a human victim. The figures
represent sometimes men, sometimes women.
Judging by the representations and scenes on the girdle-wall, a
"mystery-play" was acted in the temple of Edfu, the Pharaoh playing
the principal part, that of Horus. In early times it seems more than
probable that Set, or the Ally of Set, was played by a human being,
who was actually killed during the performance. When the custom of
human sacrifice begins to die out, the human victim is often replaced
by an animal. This is the case at Edfu, where Set is called a
hippopotamus and represented as a pig.