Though the starry body of the goddess extended in space--her head being to the west and her loins to the east--her feet and hands hung down to the earth. These were the four pillars of the firmament under another form, and four gods of four adjacent principalities were in charge of them. Osiris, or Horus the sparrow-hawk, presided over the southern, and Sit over the northern pillar; Thot over that of the west, and Sapdi, the author of the zodiacal light, over that of the east. They had divided the world among themselves into four regions, or rather into four "houses," bounded by those mountains which surround it, and by the diameters intersecting between the pillars. Each of these houses belonged to one, and to one only; none of the other three, nor even the sun himself, might enter it, dwell there, or even pass through it without having obtained its master's permission. Sibu had not been satisfied to meet the irruption of Shu by mere passive resistance. He had tried to struggle, and he is drawn in the posture of a man who has just awakened out of sleep, and is half turning on his couch before getting up. One of his legs is stretched out, the other is bent and partly drawn up as in the act of rising. The lower part of the body is still unmoved, but he is raising himself with difficulty on his left elbow, while his head droops and his right arm is lifted towards the sky. His effort was suddenly arrested. Rendered powerless by a stroke of the creator, Sibu remained as if petrified in this position, the obvious irregularities of the earth's surface being due to the painful attitude in which he was stricken. His sides have since been clothed with verdure, generations of men and animals have succeeded each other upon his back, but without bringing any relief to his pain; he suffers evermore from the violent separation of which he was the victim when Nuit was torn from him, and his complaint continues to rise to heaven night and day. [Illustration: 182.jpg SHU FORCIBLY SEPARATING SIBU AND NUIT. 1] 1 Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a painting on the mummy-case of Butehamon in the Turin Museum. "Shu, the great god, lord of heaven," receives the adoration of two ram-headed souls placed upon his right and left. [Illustration: 183.jpg THE DIDU OF OSIRIS. 1] 1 Drawn by Faucher-Gudin from a specimen in blue enamelled pottery, now in my possession. [Illustration: 183b.jpg THE DIDU DRESSED. 2] 2 Drawn by Faucher-Gudin from a figure frequently found in Theban mummy-cases of XXIst and XXIInd dynasties (Wilkinson, _Manners and Customs_. 2nd edit., vol. iii. pl. xxv., No 5).