Text: Horus of Behutet and the Winged Disk

XII 2. In the three hundred and sixty-third year of Ra-Heru-Khuti, who liveth for ever and forever, His Majesty was in TA-KENS, 1 and his soldiers were with him; [the enemy] did not conspire (auu) against their lord, and the land [is called] UAUATET unto this day. 3. And Ra set out on an expedition in his boat, and his followers were with him, and he arrived at UTHES-HERU, 2 [which lay to] the west of this nome, and to the east of the canal PAKHENNU, which is called [ . . . . . . . . to this day]. And Heru-Behutet was 4 in the boat of Ra, and he said unto his father Ra-Heru-Khuti (i.e., Ra-Harmachis), I see that the enemies are conspiring against their lord; let thy fiery serpent gain the mastery . . . . . over them." XIII. 1. Then the Majesty of Ra Harmachis said unto thy divine KA, O Heru-Behutet, O son of Ra, thou exalted one, who didst proceed from me, overthrow thou the enemies who are before thee straightway." And Heru-Behutet flew up into the horizon in the form of the great Winged Disk, for which reason he is called "Great god, lord of

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heaven," unto this day. And when he saw the enemies in the heights of heaven he set out to follow after them in the form of the great Winged Disk, and he attacked with such terrific force those who opposed him, 2 that they could neither see with their eyes nor hear with their ears, and each of them slew his fellow. In a moment of time there was not a single creature left alive. Then Heru Behutet, shining with very many colours, came in the form of the great Winged Disk to the Boat of Ra-Harmachis, and Thoth said unto Ra, "O Lord of the gods, Behutet hath returned in the form of the great Winged Disk, shining [with many colours] . . . . . . children;" 3 for this reason he is called Heru-Behutet unto this day. And Thoth said, "The city Teb shall be called the city of Heru-Behutet," and thus is it called unto this day. And Ra embraced the . . . . . of Ra, and said unto Heru-Behutet, "Thou didst put grapes 1 into the water which cometh forth from it, 2 and thy heart rejoiced thereat;" and for this reason the water (or, canal) of Heru-Behutet is called "[Grape-Water]" unto this day, and the . . . . . . . . . . . unto this day. 4. And Heru-Behutet said, "Advance, O Ra, and look thou upon thine enemies who are lying under thee on this land;" thereupon the Majesty of Ra set out on the way, and the goddess ASTHERTET ('Ashtoreth?) was with him, and he saw the enemies overthrown on the ground, each one of them being fettered. Then said Ra to Heru-Behutet, 5 "There is sweet

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life in this place," and for this reason the abode of the palace of Heru-Behutet is called "Sweet Life" unto this day. And Ra, said unto Thoth, "[Here was the slaughter] of mine enemies; "and the place is called TEB 1 unto this day. And Thoth said unto Heru-Behutet, "Thou art a great protector (makaa);" and 6 the Boat of Heru-Behutet is called MAKAA 2 unto this day. Then said Ra unto the gods who were in his following, "Behold now, let us sail in our boat upon the water, for our hearts are glad because our enemies have been overthrown on the earth;" and the water where the great god sailed is 7 called P-KHEN-UR 3 unto this day. And behold the enemies [of Ra] rushed into the water, and they took the forms of [crocodiles and] hippopotami, but nevertheless Ra-Heru-Khuti sailed over the waters in his boat, and when the crocodiles and the hippopotami had come nigh unto him, they opened wide their jaws in order to destroy Ra-Heru-Khuti. 8. And when Heru-Behutet arrived and his followers who were behind him in the forms of workers in metal, each having in his hands an iron spear and a chain, according to his name, they smote the crocodiles and the hippopotami; and there were brought in there straightway six hundred and fifty-one crocodiles, 9 which had been slain before the city of Edfu. Then spake Ra-Harmachis unto Heru-Behutet, "My Image shall be [here] in the land of the South, (which is a house of victory (or, strength); "and the House of Heru-Behutet is called NEKHT-HET unto this

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day. XIV. 1. Then the god Thoth spake, after he had looked upon the enemies lying upon the ground, saying, "Let your hearts rejoice, O ye gods of heaven! Let your hearts rejoice, O ye gods who are in the earth! Horus, the Youthful One, cometh in peace, and he hath made manifest on his journey deeds of very great might, which he hath performed according to "the Book of Slaying the Hippopotamus." And from that day figures of Heru-Behutet in metal have existed.

Then Heru-Behutet took upon himself the form of the Winged Disk, and he placed himself upon the front of the Boat of Ea. 2. And he placed by his side the goddess Nekhebet 1 and the goddess Uatchet, 2 in the form of two serpents, that they might make the enemies to quake in [all] their limbs when they were in the forms of crocodiles and hippopotami in every place wherein be came in the Land of the South and in the Land of the North. Then those enemies rose up to make their escape from before him, and their face was towards the Land of the South. And their hearts were stricken down through fear of him. And Heru-Behutet was at the back (or, side) of them in the Boat of Ra, and there were in his hands a metal lance and a metal chain; and the metal workers who were with their lord were equipped 3 for fighting with lances and chains. And Heru-Behutet saw them 3 to the south-east of the city of Uast (Thebes) some distance away. Then Ra said to Thoth, "Those enemies shall be smitten with blows that kill;" and Thoth

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said to Ra, "[That place] is called the city TCHET-MET unto this day." And Heru-Behutet made a great overthrow among them, and Ra said, "Stand still, O Heru-Behutet," and [that place] is called "HET-RA" to this day, and the god who dwelleth therein is Heru-Behutet-Ra-Amsu (or, Min). 4. Then those enemies rose up to make their escape from before him, and the face of the god was towards the Land of the North, and their hearts were stricken through fear of him. And Heru-Behutet was at the back (or, side) of them in the Boat of Ra, and those who were following him had spears of metal and chains of metal in their hands; 5 and the god himself was equipped for battle with the weapons of the metal workers which they had with them. And he passed a whole day before he saw them to the north-east of the nome of TENTYRA (Dendera). Then Ra said unto Thoth, "The enemies are resting . . . . . . . their lord." 6. And the Majesty of Ra-Harmachis said to Heru-Behutet, "Thou art my exalted son who didst proceed from Nut. The courage of the (enemies hath failed in a moment." And Heru-Behutet made great slaughter among them. And Thoth said "The Winged Disk shall be called. . . . . in the name of this Aat;" 7 and is called Heru-Behutet . . . . . its mistress. His name is to the South in the name of this god, and the acacia and the sycamore shall be the trees of the sanctuary.

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[paragraph continues] Then the enemies turned aside to flee from before him, and their faces were [towards the North, and they went] to 8 the swamps of Uatch-ur (i.e., the Mediterranean), and [their courage failed through fear of him]. And Heru-Behutet was at the back (or, side) of them in the Boat of Ra, and the metal spear was in his hands, and those who were in his following were equipped with the weapons for battle of the metal workers. 9. And the god spent four days and four nights in the water in pursuit of them, but he did not see one of the enemies, who fled from before him in the water in the forms of crocodiles and hippopotami. At length he found them and saw them. And Ra said unto Horus of Heben, "O Winged Disk, thou great god and lord of heaven, 10 seize thou them . . . . . .;" and he hurled his lance after them, and he slew them, and worked a great overthrow of them. And he brought one hundred and forty-two enemies to the forepart of the Boat [of Ra], and with them was a male hippopotamus 11 which had been among those enemies. And he hacked them in pieces with his knife, and he gave their entrails to those who were in his following, and he gave their carcases to the gods and goddesses who were in the Boat of Ra on the river-bank of the city of Heben. Then Ra said unto Thoth, 12 "See what mighty things Heru-Behutet hath performed in his deeds against the enemies: verily he hath smitten them! And of the male hippopotamus he hath opened the mouth, and he

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hath speared it, and he hath mounted upon its back." Then said Thoth to Ra," Horus shall be called 'Winged Disk, Great God, 13 Smiter of the enemies in the town of Heben' from this day forward, and he shall be called 'He who standeth on the back' and 'prophet of this god,' from this day forward." These are the things which happened in the lands of the city of Heben, in a region which measured three hundred and forty-two measures on the south, and on the north, on the west, and on the east.

XV. 1. Then the enemies rose up before him by the Lake of the North, and their faces were set towards Uatch-ur 1 which they desired to reach by sailing; but the god smote their hearts and they turned and fled in the water, and they directed their course to the water of the nome of Mertet-Ament, and they gathered themselves together in the water of Mertet in order to join themselves with the enemies [who serve] Set and who are in this region. And Heru-Behutet followed them, being equipped with all his weapons of war to fight against them. 2. And Heru-Behutet made a journey in the Boat of Ra, together with the great god who was in his boat with those who were his followers, and he pursued them on the Lake of the North twice, and passed one day and one night sailing down the river in pursuit of them before he perceived and overtook them, for he knew not the place where they were. Then he arrived at the city of Per-Rehu. And the

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Majesty of Ra said unto Heru-Behutet, "What hath happened to the enemies? They have gathered together themselves in the water to the west (?) of the nome of Mertet in order to unite themselves with the enemies [who serve] Set, and who are in this region, 3 at the place where are our staff and sceptre." And Thoth said unto Ra, "Uast in the nome of Mertet is called Uaseb because of this unto this day, and the Lake which is in it is called TEMPT." Then Heru-Behutet spake in the presence of his father Ra, saying, "I beseech thee to set thy boat against them, so that I may be able to perform against them that which Ra willeth;" and this was done. Then he made an attack upon them on the Lake which was at the west of this district, and he perceived them on the bank of the city . . . . . . which belongeth to the Lake of Mertet. 4. Then Heru-Behutet made an expedition against them, and his followers were with him, and they were provided with weapons of all kinds for battle, and he wrought a great overthrow among them, and he brought in three hundred and eighty-one enemies, and he slaughtered them in the forepart of the Boat of Ra, 5 and he gave one of them to each of those who were in his train. Then Set rose up and came forth, and raged loudly with words of cursing and abuse because of the things which Heru-behutet had done in respect of the slaughter of the enemies. And Ra said unto Thoth, "This fiend Nehaha-hra uttereth words at the top of his voice because of

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the things which 6 Heru-Behutet hath done unto him;" and Thoth said unto Ra, "Cries of this kind shall be called Nehaha-hra unto this day." And Heru-Behutet did battle with the Enemy for a period of time, and he hurled his iron lance at him, and he throw him down on the ground in this region, 7 which is called Pa-Rerehtu unto this day. Then Heru-Behutet came and brought the Enemy with him, and his spear was in his neck, and his chain was round his hands and arms, and the weapon of Horus had fallen on his mouth and had closed it; and he went with him before his father Ra, who said, "O Horus, thou Winged Disk, 8 twice great (Urui-Tenten) is the deed of valour which thou hast done, and thou hast cleansed the district." And Ra, said unto Thoth, "The palace of Heru-Behutet shall be called, 'Lord of the district which is cleansed' because of this;" and [thus is it called] unto this day. And the name of the priest thereof is called Ur-Tenten unto this day. 9. And Ra said unto Thoth, "Let the enemies and Set be given over to Isis and her son Horus, and let them work all their heart's desire upon them." And she and her son Horus set themselves in position with their spears in him at the time when there was storm (or, disaster) in the district, and the Lake of the god was 10 called SHE-EN-AHA from that day to this. Then Horus the son of Isis cut off the head of the Enemy [Set], and the heads of his fiends in the presence of father Ra and of

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the great company of the gods, and he dragged him by his feet through his district with his spear driven through his head and back. And Ra said unto Thoth, 11 "Let the son of Osiris drag the being of disaster through his territory;" and Thoth said, "It shall be called ATEH," and this hath been the name of the region from that day to this. And Isis, the divine lady, spake before Ra, saying, "Let the exalted Winged Disk become the amulet of my son Horus, who hath cut off the head of the Enemy and the heads of his fiends."

XVI. 1. Thus Heru-Behutet and Horus, the son of Isis, slaughtered that evil Enemy, and his fiends, and the inert foes, and came forth with them to the water on the west side of this district. And Heru-Behutet was in the form of a man of mighty strength, and he had the face of a hawk, and his head was crowned with the White Crown and the Red Crown, and with two plumes and two uraei, and he had the back of a hawk, and his spear and his chain were in his hands. And Horus, the son of Isis, transformed himself into a similar shape, even as Heru-Behutet had done before him. 2. And they slew the enemies all together on the west of Per-Rehu, on the edge of the stream, and this god hath sailed over the water wherein the enemies had banded themselves to-ether against him from that day to this. Now these things took place on the 7th day of the first mouth of the season PERT. And Thoth said, "This region shall be called AAT-SHATET," and this hath been the name of the region from that day

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unto this; and the Lake which is close by it 3 hath been called TEMT from that day to this, and the 7th day of the first month of the season PERT hath been called the FESTIVAL OF SAILING from that day to this.

Then Set took upon himself the form of a hissing serpent, and he entered into the earth in this district without being seen. And Ra said, "Set hath taken upon himself the form of a hissing serpent. Let Horus, the son of Isis, in the form of a hawk-headed staff, set himself over the place where he is, so that the serpent may never more appear." 4. And Thoth said, "Let this district be called HEMHEMET 1 by name;" and thus hath it been called from that day to this. And Horus, the son of Isis, in the form of a hawk-headed staff, took up his abode there with his mother Isis; in this manner did these things happen.

Then the Boat of Ra arrived at the town of Het-Aha; 5 its forepart was made of palm wood, and the hind part was made of acacia wood; thus the palm tree and the acacia tree have been sacred trees from that day to this. Then Heru-Behutet embarked in the Boat of Ra, after he had made an end of fighting, and sailed; and Ra said unto Thoth, "Let this Boat be called . . . . . . .;" and thus hath it been called from that day to this, 6 and these things have been done in commemoration in this place from that day to this.

And Ra said unto Heru-Behutet, "Behold the fighting of the Smait fiend and his two-fold strength, and the Smai fiend Set, are upon the water of the

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[paragraph continues] North, and they will sail down stream upon . . . . . ." [And] Heru-Behutet said, "Whatsoever thou commandest shall take place, 7 O Ra, Lord of the gods. Grant thou, however, that this thy Boat may pursue them into every place whithersoever they shall go, and I will do to them whatsoever pleaseth Ra." And everything was done according to what he had said. Then this Boat of Ra was brought by the winged Sun-disk upon the waters of the Lake of Meh, 1 [and] Heru-Behutet took in his hands his weapons, his darts, and his harpoon, and all the chains [which he required] for the fight.

8. And Heru-Behutet looked and saw one [only] of these Sebau 2 fiends there on the spot, and he was by himself. And he threw one metal dart, and brought (or, dragged) them along straightway, and he slaughtered them in the presence of Ra. And he made an end [of them, and there were no more of the fiends] of Set in this place at [that] moment.

XVII 1. And Thoth said, "This place shall be called AST-AB-HERU," 3 because Heru-Behutet wrought his desire upon them (i.e., the enemy); and he passed six days and six nights coming into port on the waters thereof and did not see one of them. And he saw them fall down in the watery depths, and he made ready the place of Ast-ab-Heru there. It was situated on the bank of the water, and the face (i.e., direction) thereof was full-front towards the South. 2. And all the rites and ceremonies of Heru-Behutet were performed on the first day of the first month 4 of the

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season Akhet, and on the first day of the first month 1 of the season Pert, and on the twenty-first and twenty-fourth days of the second month 2 of the season Pert. These are the festivals in the town of Ast-ab, by the side of the South, in An-rut-f. 3 And he came into port and went against them, keeping watch as for a king over the Great God in An-rut-f, in this place, in order to drive away the Enemy and his Smaiu fiends at his coming by night from the region of Mertet, to the west of this place. 3.

And Heru-Behutet was in the form of a man who possessed great strength, with the face of a hawk; and he was crowned with the White Crown, 4 and the Red Crown, 5 and the two plumes, and the Urerit Crown, and there were two uraei upon his head. His hand grasped firmly his harpoon to slay the hippopotamus, which was [as hard] as the khenem 6 stone in its mountain bed.

And Ra said unto Thoth, "Indeed [Heru-]Behutet is like a Master-fighter in the slaughter of his enemies . . . . . ."

And Thoth said unto Ra, "He shall be called 'Neb-Ahau'" (i.e., Master-fighter); and for this reason he hath been thus called by the priest of this god unto this day.

4. And Isis made incantations of every kind in order to drive away the fiend Ra from An-rut-f, and from the Great God in this place. And Thoth said [unto Ra], 'The priestess of this god shall be called by the name of 'Nebt-Heka' for this reason."

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And Thoth said unto Ra, "Beautiful, beautiful is this place wherein thou hast taken up thy seat, keeping watch, as for a king, over the Great God who is in An-rut-f 1 in peace."

5. And Thoth said, "This Great House in this place shall. therefore be called 'Ast-Nefert' 2 from this day. "It is situated to the south-west of the city of Nart, and [covereth] a space of four schoinoi." And Ra Heru-Behutet said unto Thoth, "Hast thou not searched through this water for the enemy?" And Thoth said, 6 "The water of the God-house in this place shall be called by the name of 'Heh' (i.e., sought out)." And Ra said, "Thy ship, O Heru-Behutet, is great (?) upon Ant-mer (?) . . . . . . And Thoth said, "The name of [thy ship] shall be called 'Ur', and this stream shall be called 'Ant-mer (?).'" 7. As concerning (or, now) the place Ab-Bat (?) is situated on the shore of the water. "Ast-nefert" is the name of the Great house, "Neb-Aha" [is the name of] the priest . . . . . . . . is the name of the priestess, "Heh" is the name of the lake . . . . . . . [is the name] of the water, 8 "Am-her-net" is the name of the holy (?) acacia tree, "Neter het" is the name of the domain of the god, "Uru" is the name of the sacred boat, the gods therein are Heru-Behutet, the smiter of the lands, Horus, the son of Isis [and] Osiris . . . . . . . . 9 his blacksmiths 3 are to him, and those who are in his following are to him in his territory, with his metal lance, with his [mace], with

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his dagger, and with all his chains (or, fetters) which are in the city of Heru-Behutet.

[And when he had reached the land of the North with his followers, he found the enemy.] 10. Now as for the blacksmiths who were over the middle regions, they made a great slaughter of the enemy, and there were brought back one hundred and six of them. Now as for the blacksmiths of the West, they brought back one hundred and six of the enemy. Now as for the blacksmiths of the East, among whom was Heru-Behutet, 11 he slew them (i.e., the enemy) in the presence of Ra. in the Middle Domains. 1

And Ra, said unto Thoth, "My heart [is satisfied] with the works of these blacksmiths of Heru-Behutet who are in his bodyguard. They shall dwell in sanctuaries, and libations and purifications and (offerings shall be made to their images, and 12 [there shall be appointed for them] priests who shall minister by the month, and priests who shall minister by the hour, in all their God-houses whatsoever, as their reward because they have slain the enemies of the god."

And Thoth said, "The [Middle] Domains shall be called after the names of these blacksmiths from this day onwards, 13 and the god who dwelleth among them, Heru-Behutet, shall be called the 'Lord of Mesent' from this day onwards, and the domain shall be called 'Mesent of the West' from this day onwards."

As concerning Mesent of the West, the face (or, front) thereof shall be towards [the East], towards the place

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where Ra riseth, and this Mesent shall be called "Mesent of the East" from this day onwards. 14. As concerning the double town of Mesent, the work of these blacksmiths of the East, the face (or, front) thereof shall be towards the South, towards the city of Behutet, the hiding-place of Heru-Behutet. And there shall be performed therein all the rites and ceremonies of Heru-Behutet on the second day of the first month 1 of the season of Akhet, and on the twenty-fourth day of the fourth month 2 of the season of Akhet, and on the seventh day of the first month 3 of the season Pert, and on the twenty-first day of the second month 4 of the season Pert, from this day onwards. 15. Their stream shall be called "Asti," the name of their Great House shall be called "Abet," the [priest (?)] shall be called "Qen-aha," and their domain shall be called "Kau-Mesent" from this day onwards.

XVIII. 1. And Ra said unto Heru-Behutet, "These enemies have sailed up the river, to the country of Setet, to the end of the pillar-house of Hat, and they have sailed up the river to the east, to the country or Tchalt (or, Tchart), 5 which is their region of swamps." And Heru-Behutet said, "Everything which thou hast commanded hath come to pass, Ra, Lord of the (gods; thou art the lord of commands." And they untied the Boat of Ra, and they sailed up the river to the east. Then he looked upon those enemies whereof some of them had fallen into the sea (or, river), and the others had fallen headlong on the mountains. 2.

And Heru-Behutet transformed himself into a lion

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which had the face of a man, and which was crowned with the triple crown. 1 His paw was like unto a flint knife, and he went round and round by the side of them, and brought back one hundred and forty-two [of the enemy], and be rent them in pieces with his claws. He tore out their tongues, and their blood flowed on the ridges of the land in this place; and he made them the property of those who were in his following [whilst] he was upon the mountains.

And Ra said unto Thoth, "Behold, Heru-Behutet is like unto a lion in his lair [when] he is on the back of the enemy who have given unto him their tongues."

3. And Thoth said, "This domain shall be called 'Khent-abt,' and it shall [also] be called 'Tchalt' (or, Tchart) from this day onwards. And the bringing of the tongues from the remote places of Tchalt (or, Tchart) [shall be commemorated] from this day onwards. And this god shall be called 'Heru-Behutet, Lord of Mesent,' from this day onwards."

And Ra said unto Heru-Behutet, "Let us sail to the south up the river, and let us smite the enemies [who are] in the forms of crocodiles and hippopotami in the face of Egypt."

4. And Heru-Behutet said, "Thy divine KA, O Ra, Lord of the gods! Let us sail up the river against the remainder--one third--of the enemies who are in the water (or, river)." Then Thoth recited the Chapters of protecting the Boat [of Ra] and the boats of the blacksmiths, 5 [which he used] for making tranquil the sea at the moment when a storm was raging on it.

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And Ra said unto Thoth, "Have we not journeyed throughout the whole land? Shall we not journey cover the whole sea in like manner?" And Thoth said, "This water shall be called the 'Sea of journeying,' from this day onward."

And they sailed about over the water during the night, 6 and they did not see any of those enemies at all.

Then they made a journey forth and arrived in the country of Ta-sti, 1 at the town of Shas-hertet, and he perceived the most able of their enemies in the country of Uaua, 2 and they were uttering treason against Horus their Lord.

7 And Heru-Behut changed his form into that of the Winged Disk, [and took his place] above the bow of the Boat of Ra. And he made the goddess Nekhebit 3 and the goddess Uatchit 4 to be with him in the form of serpents, so that they might make the Sebau fiends to quake in [all] their limbs (or, bodies). Their boldness (i.e., that of the fiends) subsided through the fear of him, they made no resistance whatsoever, and they died straightway.

8 Then the gods who were in the following of the Boat of Heru-khuti said, "Great, great is that which he hath done among them by means of the two Serpent Goddesses, 5 for he hath overthrown the enemy by means of their fear of him."

And Ra Heru-khuti said, "The great one of the two Serpent Goddesses of Heru-Behutet shall be called 'Ur-Uatchti' 6 from this day onwards."

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XIX. 1. And Heru-khuti travelled on in his boat, and landed at the city of Thes-Heru (Apollinopolis Magna). And Thoth said, "The being of light who hath come forth from the horizon hath smitten the enemy in the form which he hath made, and he shall be called Being of light who hath come forth from the horizon from this day onwards." 1

And Ra Heru-khuti (Ra Harmachis) said to Thoth, Thou shalt make this Winged Disk to be in every place wherein I seat myself (or, dwell), and in [all] the seats of the gods in the South, and in [all] the seats of the gods in the Land of the North . . . . . . . in the Country of Horus, 2 that it may drive away the evil ones from their domains."

Then Thoth made the image of the Winged Disk to be in every sanctuary and in every temple, where they now are, wherein are all the gods and all the goddesses from this day onwards. Now through the Winged Disk which is on the temple-buildings of all the gods and all the goddesses of the Land of the Lily, 2 and the Land of the Papyrus, 3 [these buildings] become shrines of Heru-Behutet.

As concerning Heru-Behutet, the great god, the lord of heaven, the president of the Ater of the South, 4 he it is who is made to be on the right hand. This is Heru-Behutet 3 on whom the goddess Nekhebit is placed in the form of a serpent (or, uraeus). As concerning Heru-Behutet, the great god, the lord of heaven, the lord of Mesent, the president of the Ater of the North, 5

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he it is who is made to be on the left hand. This Heru-Behutet on whom the goddess Uatchit is placed is in the form of a serpent.

As concerning Heru-Behutet, the great god, the lord of heaven, the lord of Mesent, the president of the two Aterti of the South and North, Ra Heru-khuti set it (i.e., the Winged Disk) in his every place, to overthrow the enemies in every place wherein they are. And he shall be called President of the two Aterti of the South and North because of this from this day onwards. 1

Footnotes

57:1 I.e., in Nubia, probably the portion of it which lies round about the modern Kalabsha. In ancient days Ta-kens appears to have included a portion of the Nile Valley to the north of Aswan.

57:2 I.e., Apollinopolis, the modern Edfu.

59:1 I.e. drops of blood.

59:2 I.e., from the city.

61:1 I.e., Edfu.

61:2 I.e., Great Protector.

61:3 I.e., "Great Canal."

63:1 The goddess Nekhebet was incarnate in a special kind of serpent, and the centre of her worship was in the city of Nekheb, which the Greeks called Eileithyiaspolis, and the Arabs Al-Kab.

63:2 The centre of the worship of Uatchet, or Uatchit, was at Per-Uatchet, a city in the Delta.

63:3 I.e., the enemies.

69:1 I.e., the Mediterranean.

77:1 This name means "the place of the Roarer," HEMHEMTI, being a well-known name of the Evil One. Some texts seem to indicate that peals of thunder were caused by the fiend Set.

79:1 It is probable that the Lake of Meh, i.e., the Lake of the North, was situated in the north-east of the Delta, not far from Lake Manzalah.

79:2 "Sebiu" is a common name for the associates of Seti, and this fiend is himself called "Seba," a word which means something like "rebel."

79:3 I.e., place of the desire of Horus.

79:4 The month Thoth.

81:1 The month Tybi.

81:2 The month Mekhir.

81:3 A mythological locality originally placed near Herakleopolis. The name means "the place where nothing grows." Several forms of the name occur in the older literature, e.g. in the Theban

Recension of the Book of the Dead.

81:4 The Crown of the South.

81:5 The Crown of the North.

81:6 A kind of jasper (?).

83:1 I.e., Osiris.

83:2 I.e., "Beautiful Place."

83:3 Or perhaps fighting men who were armed with metal weapons.

85:1 In the sculptures (Naville, Mythe, pl. 17) Heru-Behutet is seen standing in a boat spearing a crocodile, and immediately behind d him in the boat is Ra-Harmachis in his shrine. The Mesentiu of the West are represented by an armed warrior in a boat, who is spearing a crocodile, and leads the way for Heru-Behutet. In a boat behind the great god is a representative of the Mesentiu of the East spearing a crocodile.

87:1 The month Thoth.

87:2 The month Choiak.

87:3 The month Tybi.

87:4 The mouth Mechir.

87:5 Zoan-Tanis.

89:1 In the sculpture (Naville, Mythe, pl. 18), we see a representation of this lion, which is standing over the bodies of slain enemies upon a rectangular pedestal, or block.

91:1 Northern Nubia; the name means "Land of the Bow."

91:2 A portion of Northern Nubia.

91:3 The goddess of the South.

91:4 The goddess of the North.

91:5 I.e., Nekhebit and Uatchit.

91:6 "Great one of the Two Uraei-goddesses;" these goddesses had their places above the brow of the god, or at the right and left of the solar disk.

93:1 In the sculpture (Naville, Mythe, pl. 19) we see the god, who is hawk-headed, and wears the crowns of the South and North, seated in a shrine set upon a pedestal. In the right hand he holds the sceptre and in the left the ankh.

93:2 I.e., the North, especially the Delta.

93:3 I.e., the South.

93:4 I.e., the southern half of heaven.

93:5 I.e., the northern half of heaven.

95:1 In the sculpture which illustrates this portion of the text at Edfu, two Winged Disks are represented. The first has on each side of it. The disk has an uraeus on each side. The second winged symbol of the god consists of a beetle with outstretched wings, which holds between his forelegs the solar disk, and between his hind legs the symbol of the orbit of the sun.

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A HYMN TO OSIRIS AND A LEGEND OF THE ORIGIN OF HORUS.

1. Homage to thee, Osiris, Lord of eternity, King of the gods, whose names are manifold, whose transformations are sublime, whose form is hidden in the temples whose KA is holy, the Governor of Tetut, 1 the mighty one of possessions (?) 2 in the shrine, 2 the Lord of praises 3 in the nome of Anetch, 4 President of the tchefa food in Anu, 5 Lord who art commemorated in [the town of] Maati, 6 the mysterious (or, hidden) Soul, the Lord of Qerret, 7 the sublime one in White Wall, 8 the Soul of Ra [and] his very body, who hast thy dwelling in 3 Henensu, 9 the beneficent one, who art praised in Nart, 10 who makest to rise up thy Soul, Lord of the Great House in the city 11 of the Eight Gods, 12 [who inspirest]

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great terror in Shas-hetep, 1 Lord of eternity, Governor of Abtu (Abydos).

Thy seat (or, domain) reacheth far into Ta-tchesert, 2 and thy name is firmly stablished in the mouth[s] of men. 4. Thou art the two-fold substance of the Two Lands 3 everywhere (?), and the divine food (tchef) of the KAU, 4 the Governor of the Companies 5 of the Gods, and the beneficent (or, perfect) Spirit-soul 6 among Spirit-souls. The god Nu draweth his waters from thee, 7 and thou bringest forth the north wind at eventide, and wind from thy nostrils to the satisfaction of thy heart. 5. Thy heart flourisheth, and thou bringest forth the splendour of tchef food.

The height of heaven and the stars [thereof] are obedient unto thee, and thou makest to be opened the great gates [of the sky]. Thou art the lord to whom praises are sung in the southern heaven, thou art he to whom thanks are given in the northern heaven. The stars which never 6 diminish are under the place of thy face, 8 and thy seats are the stars which never rest. 9 Offerings appear before thee by the command of Keb. The Companies of the Gods ascribe praise unto thee, the Star-gods of the Tuat smell the earth before thee, 10 the domains [make] bowings [before thee], and the

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ends of the earth make supplication to thee 7 [when] they see thee.

Those who are among the holy ones are in terror of him, and the Two Lands, all of them, make acclamations to him when they meet His Majesty. Thou art a shining Noble at the head of the nobles, permanent in [thy] high rank, stablished in [thy] sovereignty, the beneficent Power of the Company of the Gods. Well-pleasing [is thy] face, 8 and thou art beloved by him that seeth thee. Thou settest the fear of thee in all lands, and because of their love for thee [men] hold thy name to be pre-eminent. Every man maketh offerings unto thee, and thou art the Lord who is commemorated in heaven and upon earth. Manifold are the cries of acclamation to thee in the Uak 1 festival, and the 9 Two Lands shout joyously to thee with one accord. Thou art the eldest, the first of thy brethren, the Prince of the Company of the Gods, and the stablisher of Truth throughout the Two Lands. Thou settest [thy] son upon the great throne of his father Keb. Thou art the beloved one of thy mother Nut, whose valour is most mighty [when] thou overthrowest the Seba Fiend. 10. Thou hast slaughtered thy enemy, and hast put the fear of thee into thy Adversary.

Thou art the bringer in of the remotest boundaries, and art stable of heart, and thy two feet are lifted up (?); thou art the heir of Keb and of the sovereignty of the Two Lands, and he (i.e., Keb) hath seen thy

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splendid qualities, and hath commanded thee to guide 11 the lands (i.e., the world) by thy hand so long as times [and seasons] endure.

Thou hast made this earth with thy hand, the waters thereof, the winds thereof, the trees and herbs thereof, the cattle thereof of every kind, the birds thereof of every kind, the fish thereof of every kind, the creeping things thereof, and the four-footed beasts thereof. The land of the desert 1 belongeth by right to 12 the son of Nut, and the Two Lands have contentment in making him to rise 2 upon the throne of his father like Ra.

Thou rollest up into the horizon, thou settest the light above the darkness, thou illuminest [the Two Lands] with the light from thy two plumes, thou floodest the Two Lands like the 13 Disk at the beginning of the dawn. Thy White Crown pierceth the height of heaven saluting the stars, 3 thou art the guide of every god. Thou art perfect 4 in command and word. Thou art the favoured one of the Great Company of the Gods, and thou art the beloved one of the Little Company of the Gods.

Thy sister [Isis] acted as a protectress to thee. She drove [thy] enemies away, 14 she averted seasons [of calamity from thee], she recited the word (or, formula) with the magical power of her mouth, [being] skilled of tongue and never halting for a word, being perfect in command and word. Isis the magician avenged her brother. She went about seeking for him untiringly.

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[paragraph continues] 15. She flew round and round over this earth uttering wailing cries of grief, and she did not alight on the ground until she had found him. She made light [to come forth] from her feathers, she made air to come into being by means of her two wings, and she cried out the death cries for her brother. 16. She made to rise up the helpless members of him whose heart was at rest, she drew from him his essence, and she made therefrom an heir. She suckled the child in solitariness and none knew where his. place was, and he grew in strength. His hand is mighty (or, victorious) within the house 17 of Keb, and the Company of the Gods rejoice greatly at the coming of Horus, the son of Osiris, whose heart is firmly stablished, the triumphant one, the son of Isis, the flesh and bone of Osiris. The Tchatcha 1 of Truth, and the Company of the Gods, and Neb-er-tcher 2 himself, and the Lords of Truth, gather together to him, and assemble therein. 3 18. Verily those who defeat iniquity rejoice 4 in the House of Keb to bestow the divine rank and dignity upon him to whom it belongeth, and the sovereignty upon him whose it is by right.

Footnotes

97:1 More fully Pa-Asar-neb-Tetut, the Busiris of the Greeks; Busiris = Pa-Asar, "House of Osiris," par excellence. The variant Tataut also occurs.

97:2 An allusion, perhaps, to the town Sekhem, the capital of the second nome (Letopolites) of Lower Egypt.

97:3 I.e., lord whose praises are sung.

97:4 Letopolites.

97:5 Heliopolis.

97:6 I.e., a famous sanctuary in the Letopolite nome where Ptah was worshipped.

97:7 The region of the First Cataract, where the Nile was believed to rise.

97:8 Memphis.

97:9 Herakleopolis, the חָנֵס of Isaiah.

97:10 A name of Herakleopolis.

97:11 Khemenu or Hermopolis, the city of Thoth.

97:12 These gods were: Nu and Nut; Hehu and Hehut; Kekui and Kekuit; Kerh and Kerhet.

99:1 The capital of Set, the eleventh nome of Upper Egypt; the chief local deity was Khnemu.

99:2 A name of the Other World.

99:3 I.e., the two Egypts, Upper and Lower.

99:4 The Doubles of the beatified who are fed by Osiris in the Other World.

99:5 Three Companies are distinguished: the gods of Heaven, the gods of Earth, and the gods of the Other World.

99:6 The indestructible, immortal Spirit-soul as opposed to the Ba-soul or animal-soul.

99:7 Here and in other places I have changed the pronoun of the third person into that of the second to avoid the abrupt changes of the original.

99:8 I.e., they are under thy inspection and care.

99:9 I.e., the stars which never set. The allusion is probably to certain circumpolar stars.

99:10 I.e., do homage.

101:1 One of the chief festivals of Osiris, during which the god made a periplus.

103:1 This may also represent the mountainous districts of Egypt, or even foreign countries in general.

103:2 To make him rise like the sun, or to enthrone him.

103:3 Or, "becoming a brother to the stars," or the Star-gods.

103:4 Or, beneficent.

105:1 Literally, the "Heads," I.e., the divine sovereign Chiefs at the court of Osiris, who acted as administrators of the god, and even as task-masters.

105:2 "He who is the lord to the end (or, limit) of the world," a name of Osiris.

105:3 I.e., in the House of Keb.

105:4 Or perhaps "take their seats in the House of Keb."

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A LEGEND OF PTAH NEFER-HETEP AND THE PRINCESS OF BEKHTEN.

1. The Horus: "Mighty Bull, the form(?) of risings 1, stablished in sovereignty like Tem." The Golden Horus: "Mighty one of strength 2, destroyer of the Nine Nations of the Bow." 3 King of the South and North: "The Lord of the Two Lands, User-Maat-Ra-setep-en-Ra Son of Ra: "Of his body, Ra-meses-meri-Amen, of Amen-Ra; 4 2 the Lord of the thrones of the Two Lands, and of the Company of the Gods, the Lords of Thebes, the beloved one. The beneficent god, the son of Amen, born of Mut, begotten of Heru-khuti, the glorious offspring of Neb-tchert, 5 begetting [as] the Bull of his Mother, 6 king of Egypt, Governor of the deserts, the Sovereign 3 who hath taken possession of the Nine Nations of the Bow; [who] on coming forth from the womb ordained mighty things, who gave commands whilst he was in the egg, the Bull, stable of heart, who hath sent forth his seed; the king who is a bull, [and] a god who cometh forth on the day of battle like Menthu, 7 the mighty one of strength like the son of Nut." 8

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4. Behold, His Majesty was in the country of Neheru 1 according to his custom every year, and the chiefs of every land, even as far as the swamps, came [to pay] homage, bearing offerings to the Souls of His Majesty; and they brought their gifts, gold, lapis-lazuli, turquoise, 5 bars of wood of every kind of the Land of the God, 2 on their backs, and each one surpassed his neighbour.

And the Prince of Bekhten [also] caused his gifts to be brought, and he set his eldest daughter at the head of them all, and he addressed words of praise to His Majesty, and prayed to him for his life. 6. And the maiden was beautiful, and His Majesty considered her to be the most lovely [woman] in the world, and he wrote down as her title, "Great Royal Wife, Ra-neferu; and when His Majesty arrived in Egypt, he did for her whatsoever was done for the Royal Wife.

On the twenty-second day of the second month of the season of Shemu, 3 in the fifteenth year [of his reign], behold, His Majesty was in Thebes, the Mighty [city], the Mistress of cities, performing 7 the praises of Father Amen, the Lord of the thrones of the Two Lands, in his beautiful Festival of the Southern Apt, 4 which was the seat of his heart (i.e., the chosen spot) from primaeval time, [when] one came to say to His Majesty, "An ambassador of the Prince of Bekhten hath arrived bearing many gifts for the Royal Wife."

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[paragraph continues] And having been brought into the presence of 8 His Majesty with his gifts, he spake words of adoration to His Majesty, saying, "Praise be unto thee, O thou Sun (Ra) of the Nine Nations of the Bow, permit us to live before thee!" And when he had spoken, and had smelt the earth before His Majesty, he continued his speech before His Majesty, saying, "I have come unto thee, 9 my King and Lord, on behalf of Bent-Resht, the younger sister of the Royal Wife Ra-neferu. [Some] disease hath penetrated into her members, and I beseech Thy Majesty to send a man of learning to see her."

And His Majesty said, "Bring to me the magicians (or, scribes) of the House of Life, and the nobles 10 of the palace." And having been brought into his presence straightway, His Majesty said unto them, "Behold, I have caused you to be summoned [hither] in order that ye may hear this matter. Now bring to me [one] of your company whose heart is wise 1, and whose fingers are deft." And the royal scribe 11 Tehuti-em-heb came into the presence of His Majesty, and His Majesty commanded him to depart to Bekhten with that ambassador.

And when the man of learning had arrived in Bekhten, he found Bent-Resht in the condition of a woman who is possessed by a spirit, and he found 12 this spirit to be an evil one, and to be hostile in his disposition towards him.

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And the Prince of Bekhten sent a messenger a second time into the presence of His Majesty, saying, "O King, my Lord, I pray His (i.e., Thy) Majesty to command that a god be brought hither [to contend against the spirit."

13. Now when the messenger came] to His Majesty in the first month 1 of the season of Shemu, in the twenty-sixth year [of his reign], on the day which coincided with that of the Festival of Amen, His Majesty was in the palace (or, temple?) of Thebes. And His Majesty spake a second time 2 in the presence of Khensu in Thebes, [called] "Nefer-Hetep," saying, "O my fair Lord, I present myself before thee a second time on behalf of the daughter of the Prince of Bekhten." 14. Then Khensu, in Thebes, [called] "Nefer-Hetep", was carried to Khensu, [called] "Pa-ari-sekher," the great god who driveth away the spirits which attack. And His Majesty spake before Khensu in Thebes, [called] "Nefer-Hetep," saying, "O my fair Lord, if thou wilt give (i.e., turn) thy face to Khensu, [called] 15 'Pa-ari-sekher,' the great god who driveth away the spirits which attack, permit thou that he may depart to Bekhten;" [and the god] inclined his head with a deep inclination twice. And His Majesty said, "Let, I pray, thy protective (or, magical) power [go] (with him, so that I may make His Majesty to go to Bekhten to deliver the daughter of the Prince of Bekhten [from the spirit].

16. And Khensu in Thebes, [called] "Nefer-Hetep,"

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inclined his head with a deep inclination twice. And he made [his] protective power to pass into Khensu, [called] "Pa-ari-sekher-em-Uast," in a fourfold measure. Then His Majesty commanded that Khensu, [called] "Pa-ari-sekher-em-Uast," should set out on his journey in a great boat, [accompanied by] five smaller boats, and chariots, 17 and a large number of horses [which marched] on the right side and on the left.

And when this god arrived in Bekhten at the end of a period of one year and five months, the Prince of Bekhten came forth with his soldiers and his chief[s] before Khensu, [called] "Pa-ari-sekher," and he cast himself down 18 upon his belly, saying, "Thou hast come to us, and thou art welcomed by us, by the commands of the King of the South and North, User-Maat-Ra-setep-en-Ra!"

And when this god had passed over to the place where Bent-Resht was, he worked upon the daughter of the Prince of Bekhten with his magical power, and she became better (i.e., was healed) 19 straightway. And this spirit which had been with her said, in the presence of Khensu, [called] "Pa-ari-sekher-em-Uast," "Come in peace (i.e., Welcome!), O great god, who dost drive away the spirits which attack! Bekhten is thy city, the people thereof, both men and women, are thy (servants, and I myself am thy servant. 20. I will [now] depart unto the place whence I came, so that I may cause thy heart to be content about the matter

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concerning which thou hast come. I pray that Thy Majesty will command that a happy day (i.e., a festival, or day of rejoicing) be made with me, and with the Prince of Bekhten." And this god inclined his head [in approval] to his priest, saying, 21 "Let the Prince of Bekhten make a great offering in the (presence of this spirit."

Now whilst Khensu, [called] "Pa-ari-sekher-em-Uast," was arranging these [things] with the spirit, the Prince of Bekhten and his soldiers were standing there, and they feared with an exceedingly great fear. 22. And the Prince of Bekhten made a great offering in the presence of Khensu, [called] "Pa-ari-sekher-em-Uast," and the spirit of the Prince of Bekhten, and he made a happy day (i.e., festival) on their behalf, and [then] the spirit departed in peace unto the place which he loved, by the command of Khensu, [called] "Pa-ari-sekher-em-Uast." 23. And the Prince of Bekhten, and every person who was in the country of Bekhten, rejoiced very greatly, and he took counsel with his heart, saying, "It hath happened that this god hath been given as a gift to Bekhten, and I will not permit him to depart to Egypt."

24. And [when] this god had tarried for three years and nine months in Bekhten, the Prince of Bekhten, who was lying down asleep on his bed, saw this god come forth outside his shrine (now he was in the form of a golden hawk), and he flew up into the heavens and departed to Egypt; and when the Prince woke up

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[paragraph continues] 25 he was trembling. And he said unto the prophet of Khensu, [called] "Pa-ari-sekher-em-Uast," "This god who tarried with us hath departed to Egypt; let his chariot also depart to Egypt."

26. And the Prince of Bekhten permitted [the image of] the god to set out for Egypt, and he gave him many great gifts of beautiful things of all kinds, and a large number of soldiers and horses [went with him]. And when they had arrived in peace in Thebes, Khensu, [called] "Pa-ari-sekher-em-Uast," 27 went into the Temple of Khensu in Thebes, [called] "Nefer-Hetep," and he placed the offerings which the Prince of Bekhten had given unto him, beautiful things of all kinds, before Khensu in Thebes, [called] "Nefer-Hetep," and he gave nothing thereof whatsoever to his [own] temple.

Thus Khensu, [called] "Pa-ari-sekher-em-Uast," arrived 28 in his temple in peace, on the nineteenth day of the second month 1 of the season Pert, in the thirty-third year of the [reign of the] King of the South and North, User-Maat-en-Ra-setep-en-Ra, the giver of life, like Ra, for ever.

Footnotes

107:1 I.e., the image who rises like the sun day by day, or the image of [many] crowns.

107:2 Or, mighty one of the thigh, i.e., he of the mighty thigh.

107:3 The nations of Nubia who fought with bows and arrows.

107:4 In this version of the protocol of Rameses II. the second "strong name" of the king is omitted.

107:5 I.e., Neb-er-tcher.

107:6 Ka-mut-f, the καμῆφις of the Greeks.

107:7 The War-god of Thebes.

107:8 I.e., Osiris.

109:1 The "country of the rivers," the אֲרַם נֲהַרַיִםof Gen. xxiv. 10, the of Syrian writers.

109:2 A name including Western Asia and a portion of the East Coast of Africa.

109:3 The summer. The Copts called the second month of this season Paoni.

109:4 The modern Temple of Luxor.

111:1 Or, a skilled craftsman.

113:1 The month Pakhon of the Copts.

113:2 The text makes no mention of the first application to Khensu.

119:1 The month Mekhir of the Copts; the season Pert is the Egyptian spring.

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