Horus Battle Mythology
The King of The Earth – God Horus
Horus is the hero of multiple narratives and is one of the most powerful and influential deities in ancient Egyptian mythology. Horus was placed in the Ennead by Ra’s priests as the son of Isis and Osiris, and he is recognized as the younger Horus. He played a significant role in exacting vengeance on his evil uncle Seth, earning him the title of Ra’s heir. So, What was the Battle Mythology of Horus?
Horus, Edfu Temple
by Argenberg
The Birth of Horus
Horus and his birth form are the subject of numerous myths. According to some legends, he was born as a regular human being, and his mother concealed him on an island in Lower Egypt, entrusting him to the goddess Uazet until he did grow up and successfully defended his uncle. Other traditions claim that Horus was unusual from the moment he was birthed, and that Isis sensed that the baby in her belly was a falcon and notified Atum about it, prompting him to designate a spot in the solar boat for him and that when Horus was birthed; he took his spot among the deities around Ra.
The Battle Between Horus and Seth
One of the longest and most intriguing narratives in Egyptian mythology is the one told here. It started out as a fight for vengeance, but it quickly evolved into a power war. The conflict between civilization, as manifested in Horus’ character, and savagery, as manifested in Seth’s character, is of particular interest in this story.
There are two distinct versions of the myth. One of these versions is told in a heroic manner as an epic and deals with significant action such as battles and supernatural power, among other things. The other is told in a sarcastic manner, mocking the heroes’ heroic actions and portraying the event as a minor skirmish between the divinities. On other hand, these various versions are utilized to elicit various public opinions and attitudes toward the myth’s heroes, making it impossible to distinguish between the guilty and the innocent. The gods are depicted as natural human beings rather than ideal creations in some renditions, which is of particular relevance.
The Struggle Between Horus and Seth
Horus was merged with the sun deity and became recognized as Ra-Herakhty, taking his place among the other divinities as he grew older. He was ready to exact his father’s retribution on the crimson god Seth at the time. The fight between Horus and Seth lasted many decades; but it ended pleasantly, as do all ancient Egyptian myths, with justice served, good triumphing over evil, and order replacing disorder all over the universe.
The First Battle Between Horus and Seth
In the first battle between Horus and his foe, Ra endowed him with a massive army; and Thoth transformed him into a winged solar disc capable of flying over Seth’s army and cursing them. Horus won the battle because he used his magical power to cast a curse that caused all of Seth’s men to become blind and deaf and kill each other; believing they were battling Horus’ enemies. Seth’s army was destroyed a few hours later; but Seth was not one of the warriors.
Horus went on the hunt for his foe, and the two warring parties had more encounters; Some of them took place in the water, where Horus’ men disguised themselves as crocodiles, hippopotamuses, and triumphed. After that, Horus murdered one of the combatants by mistake, mistaking him for Seth; and sliced his body into 14 pieces; just as Seth did with his father, during the struggle. However, he realized after the struggle that Seth had managed to flee. The victory of Horus was celebrated at Edfu; and Ra commanded the priests to place the Ra-Herakhty symbol on the temple and tomb entrances as a sign of being protected by the god’s strength.
The Second Battle Mythology Between Horus and Seth
Horus’ men dressed themselves as crocodiles and hippopotamuses and triumphed in several of them, which took place in the water. Horus mistakenly killed one of the warriors, mistaking him for Seth; and chopped his body into 14 parts during the conflict, exactly as Seth did with his father. After the scuffle, he noticed that Seth had managed to depart.
At Edfu, Horus’ victory was celebrated, and Ra instructed the priests to put the Ra-Herakhty emblem on the temple and tomb doors as a sign of the god’s protection. Horus managed to catch Seth at one point during the battle; and asked his mother to keep an eye on him; but Seth was able to fool Horus and flee. As a result, the fight went on, with each of them utilizing his own weapons to eliminate the other. Horus was able to murder his uncle after a series of long and tense battles.
