The Literature of the Ancient EgyptiansBudge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir
History
The Literature of the Ancient Egyptians
Budge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir
Egyptian literature -- History and criticism; Egyptian literature -- Translations into English
Shortly after these events Rā discovered that a number of his enemies
were still at large, and that they had sailed in boats to the swamps
that lay round about the town of Tchal, or Tchar, better known as Zoan
or Tanis. Once more Horus unmoored the Boat of Rā, and set out against
them; some took refuge in the waters, and others landed and escaped to
the hilly land on the east. For some reason, which is not quite
apparent, Horus took the form of a mighty lion with a man's face, and he
wore on his head the triple crown. His claws were like flints, and he
pursued the enemy on the hills, and chased them hither and thither, and
captured one hundred and forty-two of them. He tore out their tongues,
and ripped their bodies into strips with his claws, and gave them over
to his allies in the mountains, who, no doubt, ate them. This was the
last fight in the north of Egypt, and Rā proposed that they should sail
up the river and return to the south. They had traversed all Egypt, and
sailed over the lakes in the Delta, and down the arms of the Nile to the
Mediterranean, and as no more of the enemy were to be seen the prow of
the boat of Rā was turned southwards. Thoth recited the spells that
produced fair weather, and said the words of power that prevented storms
from rising, and in due course the Boat reached Nubia. When it arrived
Horus found in the country of Uauatet men who were conspiring against
him and cursing him, just as they had at one time blasphemed Rā. Horus,
taking the form of the winged disk, and accompanied by the two
serpent-goddesses, Nekhebet and Uatchet, attacked the rebels, but there
was no fierce fighting this time, for the hearts of the enemy melted
through fear of him. His foes cast themselves before him on the ground
in submission, they offered no resistance, and they died straightway.
Horus then returned to the town of Behutet (Edfu), and the gods
acclaimed him, and praised his prowess. Rā was so pleased with him that
he ordered Thoth to have a winged disk, with a serpent on each side of
it, placed in every temple in Egypt in which he (_i.e._ Rā) was
worshipped, so that it might act as a protector of the building, and
drive away any and every fiend and devil that might wish to attack it.
This is the reason why we find the winged disk, with a serpent on each
side of it, above the doors of temples and religious buildings
throughout the length and breadth of Egypt.
In many places in the text that contains the above Legend there are
short passages in which attempts are made to explain the origins of the
names of certain towns and gods. All these are interpolations in the
narrative made by scribes at a late period of Egyptian history. As it
would be quite useless to reproduce them without many explanatory notes,
for which there is no room in this little book, they have been omitted.
THE LEGEND OF KHNEMU AND A SEVEN YEARS' FAMINE
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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