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Post by stormcat on Feb 15, 2007 17:04:17 GMT -5
Horus the Elder was one of the great leader gods of Egypt. He is shown as a man or as a man with the head of a hawk or falcon, sometimes with a sun disc upon his head. He was a sky god and a sun god, and his cult was one of the most ancient in Egypt, going back at least to predynastic times. There are many forms of Horus, but gradually Horus, Hor, Heru absorbed them all. The sun was the right eye of Horus, and the moon the left. The original home of Horus was in his Western Delta, in the third Nome, or district of lower Egypt, at Temait-en-Hor, now called Damanhur(the town of Horus). From the beginning he was closely associated with a tree and a cow goddess, a form of Hathor, Hat-Hor, whose name mean "House of Horus", and who was originally regarded as his nurse. Naturally as time went by he became confused with Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis, though originally they were completely distinct. The four children of Horus were demi-gods whose job it was to guard the canopic jars in which the viscera of the dead were placed. They were usually shown as four small mumified figures, each with a different head, those of a hawk, man, jackal, and an ape. Horus the Elder's place of worship was transferred to Upper Egypt after the conquest of the North by the South and centered on Edfu, where Horus the Behdt was worshipped. He was a form of Horus the Elder, the harpooner, but again he became hopelessly confused with his counterpart.-To be continued...
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Post by Senbecc on Feb 15, 2007 19:15:08 GMT -5
Very nice post, I look forward to more!
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Post by stormcat on Feb 17, 2007 0:35:05 GMT -5
This is quite an undertaking! The Egyptians had meanings on top of meanings, very layered religion. Thanks Senbecc!
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Post by Senbecc on Feb 19, 2007 1:21:09 GMT -5
This is quite an undertaking! The Egyptians had meanings on top of meanings, very layered religion. Thanks Senbecc! Anytime Stormy, I'm glad to see your enjoying it. I think that most older cutures riddled and layered their lore so that the reader would have to think a bit to pull the true meanings from within themselves. Can't wait to see what you have!
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Post by stormcat on Feb 19, 2007 16:54:44 GMT -5
Alright now I would like to discuss Horus the Young of Edufu. Young Horus the son of Osiris had grown to manhood, whereupon his (Uncle) Seth issued a challenge to him before Re, and Horus and his followers came forth in their boats, with their glittering weapons of iron. The boat was decorated by Isis with gold upon the prow, and she said unto Horus, "You will be victorious for you are fighting for the throne of your father Osiris, and I am with you." Then Seth assumed the form of a great red hippopotamus and he with his followers traveled from the North to the South. When he arrived at Elephantine, he rose and cursed Horus, whereupon a great wind rose up and a raging tempest. His words were like thunder in the sky, they rolled from the Southern heavens to the Northern heavens, and a fierce storm broke out over the boats of Horus, the wind roared and waves rose and tossed the boats of Horus like straws. Through the darkness of the storm shone the golden prow of Horus boat. Then Horus took upon himself the likeness of a young man, over 12 feet tall, he held in his hand an 8 foot long harpoon. He brandished his weapon over his head as if it were a reed, and cast it into the great red hippopotamus that was in the shallows, waiting for the boats to sink in the storm. At the first throw the harpoon struck the head of the great hippopotamus and entered his brain. Thus killing Seth the murder of Osiris and the great enemy of Horus. To be continued...
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Post by stormcat on Feb 28, 2007 19:25:22 GMT -5
Horus the Child, is the son of Osiris and Isis. hence the confusion with Horus the Elder. Horus the Child was by many legends thought to have been conceived after Osirises death. However in the following tale he is already born. Isis knew that something terrible had happened to Osiris. taking with her her small son Horus the Child, Isis fled into the Delta. She left her small son with the Winged Cobra Goddess, Wadjet of lower Egypt. Wadjet took the child and placed him on the floating island of Chemmis, so he would be safe from Seth. Isis then left to find the body of Osiris. After finding the coffin of Osiris she returned to The Delta. There she found that Horus the Child had been stung by a Scorpian. She stayed with her child until he was healed....
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