MYTH-401 Lessons

The door to the Mythology classroom is once again ajar, silently ushering students in as they arrive. On the desk in the front of the room, there is a tall stack of papers that rivals the pyramids of Giza. The one on the top clearly shows an image of some sort of family lineage. Once the room and the seats are full, the slight Slytherin woman waves her wand and a single copy of the parchment floats agiley over to each student.  

This particular handout is to aid you in remembering the basic pantheon structure we’ll be covering today, as well as the key gods and goddesses in our study of ancient Egypt. If you want to do well in this class, you’ll be needing to memorize the information on it. Fortunately, it’s largely a list of 13 gods and goddesses, a feat I’m sure all but a mountain troll could achieve. These core 13 make up the majority of main players in various myths and cults. You’ll spot a few additional gods and goddesses who have some slight relevance to fields related to mythology, such as the god and goddesses associated with magic, as well as one god who we actually have confirmation was a real person. Of course, we assume many of the stories of gods and goddesses are based on real witches and wizards, rarely do we have incontrovertible proof that one particular god (even a lesser one) and some of their deeds belonged to a specific individual in history. In any case, returning to the handout, please refer to it during the next part of our discussion, as it will help you solidify it in your memory.

The Egyptian Pantheon
As I’m sure you all remember, our class last week outlined the most popular creation myths in ancient Egypt. While we noted the re-use of multiple gods in various different positions throughout the pantheon and many different relations and associations. With all of those different contradicting family trees, it was difficult to keep track of them, but you can see here that we’ve combined the four myths into a rough compromise of the common denominators.  The gods and goddesses featured in these myths form the foundation, or top, of the pantheon as illustrated below.

Given the significant amount of time that ancient Egypt existed, there are many names for the same, or at least a very similar concept or individual. For those of you who are familiar with Greco-Roman mythology (a topic we cover next year), this idea is similar to the comparable Greeks and Romans having multiple names for the same god or goddess, such as Zeus and Jupiter, or Hera and Juno. 

Our best example of this concept for today, though, is at the top of our pantheon, Ra. The concept of the god Atum was absorbed into the overall concept of Ra, and in most tellings of myths, anyone with this name or similar stands the supreme god, often the god of the sun. Some of the most common names for this being are Ra, Re, Atum, and Amun, though can also be combined into Atum-Ra or Amun-Ra. 

We have already looked at some of the offspring of Ra, namely the descendants of Shu and Tefnut or Tefnet which make up the Ennead. However, because of the many different myths and cults Ra and his counterparts were associated with, he had a few more children that we have not yet heard about. Shown in the image above are the god Thoth and the goddess Hathor, who you will also hear referred to in her alter ego, Sekhmet. Ra is also said to have been the father of Bastet and many other gods and goddesses. That said, the image above forms the core of the “royal family,” of Egyptian gods and goddesses, as it were.

Most of the popular myths throughout ancient Egypt are related to these core gods and goddesses, so do be sure to learn who they are in relation to each other. In addition, I have created a chart of some of the major gods and goddesses, how they were symbolized, and what they were affiliated with. You will be expected to know all of these gods and goddesses, so be sure to study your handout before you take today’s quiz!

Now that you have been introduced to the major players, we will begin taking a look at myths surrounding these people. As we go through these myths, be reminding yourself of how the main characters are related or know each other. It may also help to keep their associations in mind (such as Thoth being related to wisdom). The information on that handout is not just a jumble of facts to memorize, but a real purposeful tool that will help you contextualize and understand the myths we cover on a deeper level. 

Isis and the Seven Scorpions
As you will quickly notice, Seth is often the antagonist of stories, and the tale of Isis and the Seven Scorpions is no different. He was constantly in opposition to someone. Previously to this story, he had been the antagonist to his older brother, Osiris and had killed him in order to claim Osiris’ throne for himself. And now that Osiris was out of the way, his young son, Horus, was in danger of meeting the same fate. Osiris’ sister (and wife), Isis, was therefore tasked with keeping Horus safe. Thoth uncovered part of Seth’s vengeful plans, and informed Isis that her son was in very imminent danger. Wanting to protect the child from harm, Isis went into hiding, though she went on quite a journey to do so.

On her travels, Isis had an escort to protect her. But her champions were not men or gods, but scorpions. She enchanted these seven scorpions herself to serve as her protectors. Armed with her guards and carefully avoiding strangers along the way, Isis was sure she and her son Horus would arrive safe from harm. 

However, despite her caution, one day during their travels, Isis was forced to seek shelter in a small village whose name translates to “the Town of the Two Sisters.” She approached the home of a wealthy family to ask for aid, but was summarily dismissed by the lady of the house. The scorpions were livid on Isis’ behalf, and took matters into their own hands -- or stingers, I suppose. Through a magical feat, six of the scorpions gave all of their venom to the seventh, who in turn snuck into the house and repeatedly stung the young son of the lady who had rebuked them. Isis continued on through the town, eventually finding rudimentary shelter with a poor peasant girl who had offered what little she had. 

Unbeknownst to Isis, as they stayed with the girl, the wealthy woman’s son fell deathly ill. Seeing no way to heal her child on her own, the mother sought help from those in town, begging for anyone with the knowledge to help to save him. However, she had a reputation for callousness and disdain, as her actions towards Isis had not been an isolated event. None of the townspeople felt any sympathy, and felt this action had been her punishment from the gods (they weren’t far off), and thus turned their backs on her.

But her cry throughout the town reached Isis and, as she was not an unnecessarily cruel goddess, she didn’t want an innocent child to suffer on her behalf. So, she accessed powerful healing magic and cured the child. By using the true names of the seven scorpions, she was able to not only control them completely, but also control their effects -- in this case, the poison. The child immediately improved and the mother, seeing the magic that had been performed, not only was incredibly grateful to have her son healed, but realized what she had done. As such, she offered all of her worldly possessions to Isis and the peasant girl, whose good deeds and charity she recognized to be the opposite of her selfishness. Having no need of mortal objects, Isis moved on in her journey, and the peasant girl was now well provided for.

Deconstructing the Isis and the Seven Scorpions
There is a lot to unpack here, but as always, my primary interest lies with the magic. There are a number of examples of magic use in this myth, though they may look quite foreign to us. Firstly, there is the example of the enchanted guardian scorpions, who appear to behave very similarly to tomb guardians in mastabas and pyramids throughout Egypt. Many a curse-breaking team has encountered animated and angry clay scorpions, dogs, scarabs, or other creatures  when attempting to enter a new chamber. From the story, it sounds like the scorpions were potentially actual living creatures, but this is the type of liberty that is often taken with myths to make them seem more fantastic. 

The “transferral” of poison from all of the scorpions to another is also quite an interesting concept. It could be that this is a representation of brewing a poison that amplifies the natural properties of a scorpion’s sting, a ritual to increase potency, or perhaps something else entirely. 

Finally, there is Isis’ use of magic to stop the scorpions. You will find a recurring theme in many ancient myths -- particularly in ancient Egypt -- where knowing the “true” name of a creature or person gives great power over them. To take it a step further, this myth made ancient Egyptians associate Isis with power over scorpions and so, in turn, they would invoke Isis’ name and/or image in religious/magical rites to help protect themselves from scorpions by extension. They felt simply using her name would lend them the same power. 

Horus and Seth
Now, slightly skipping ahead, Horus did survive his childhood despite the threat that Seth posed, and grew up ready to claim his rightful place as the High King of Egypt like his father, Osiris. The primordial gods had little to do with the day-to-day affairs and were often too busy being the sun or sky to actively rule anyone or anything. So, Horus’ direct competition for the throne? His uncle and would-be murderer Seth.

With the throne contested by the legitimate heir on one side and a murderous tyrant and on the other, you might think it would be a very simple decision on behalf of the other, lower gods. However, let us not forget that Seth was Osiris’ brother and also part of this pantheon’s “royal family.” Things were not quite so clear cut.

Additionally, things are often overly complicated for gods, as these decisions are permanent for immortal beings, and so the other gods, led by Ra, needed to be sure the right choice was made.

The battle for succession was a long, dirty, and violent one. The host of lesser gods began by consulting Neith, the goddess of warfare, for advice. She chose Horus, and warned that choosing Seth would ruin Egypt, but afraid to stand against Seth and his propensity for murdering people he didn’t like, the gods decided instead to hide. They retreated to a hidden island in order to avoid having to make any decision. 

Determined to have her son placed on the throne, Isis managed to trick her way onto the hidden island with Horus in tow, and even managed to trick Seth into condemning his own earlier behaviour. She disguised herself as the wife of a simple farmer who had been displaced from her home by a stranger. Over the course of the conversation, Seth condemned the stranger who had displaced her, and by condemning this stranger’s behaviour, he put his own actions on trial for causing Isis to go into hiding with Horus initially. Finally, with that condemnation, Horus was awarded the throne by the other gods.

Needless to say, Seth was enraged by the overall decision and the trickery that led to it, and challenged Horus to a contest. They were to turn themselves into hippopotami and stay underwater for three months. If one of them surfaced before that time, they would lose their claim. Not a terribly thrilling spectator sport, of course, and not the sort of thing Isis was willing to gamble on, seeing as Seth usually had deadly tricks up his sleeve and her son had, by all accounts, already won the throne and didn’t need to win a second competition to prove it. She attempted to hit Seth with a spear, hoping the pain would cause him to surface early, but she accidentally struck Horus instead. She quickly withdrew the spear and struck Seth as well, but seeing her brother in pain pulled at her conscience and she withdrew her weapon, but not before a very confused Horus attacked his own mother, thinking he’d been betrayed. He bit off his mother’s own head (though, being an immortal goddess, it grew back without issue later).

As his next attempt to seize the throne (and in some renditions, anger at the mistreatment of his sister), Seth then took it upon himself to punish Horus for his misdeeds, gouging out his eyes, though Hathor restored Horus’ sight. And so it continued. Seth tried to sexually assault Horust. It backfired, Horus was unharmed, and Seth was humiliated. Next he challenged Horus to a boat race, but through cleverness and trickery, Horus won that competition as well. It seemed that it would go on like this forever, the two locked in the struggle for the throne for eternity.

Finally, after nearly a century of bickering and battles, Osiris heard of the conflict from the Afterlife and threatened his brother Seth to leave his son alone once and for all. Dead or not, Seth was still wary of upsetting his very powerful brother and, in the end, he acquiesced. Horus was allowed to reign over Egypt without interruption or challenge, and Seth was given the task of creating thunder in the sky and to keep evil away.

Deconstructing the Battle Between Seth and Horus
There is of course a lot of reference to otherworldly events in this myth, though it is often difficult to relate them to modern day magic. Messages from the dead in the Afterlife? Growing one’s head or eyes back? All of it sounds rather far fetched. If we look past the showier bits, however, we will notice some things of use.

First, we have the gods’ decision to consult Neith, who offers them a clear prediction of the future. Horus will lead them well, while a future with Seth as the king will doom them. This is a clear indication or retelling of divinatory ability. It potentially speaks ill of the opinion of seers if Neith’s warning was so easily dismissed, but as much of the story has likely been lost over the millennia, it is hard to be sure that there isn’t a good explanation for this.

There is also the matter of the hidden island that Isis had to work to enter, or even find. This could potentially be an exaggeration of a precursor to our modern Concealing Charms, or even something as complicated as (but distinct from) the Fidelius Charm.

There are also some potential examples of human transfiguration or, perhaps crafty appearance-altering charms or potions. Twice the main characters of the myth alter their appearance. Once, Isis disguises herself from her own brother. It is not noted how she does this, though we assume she did more than simply put on a shawl and costume. She may have altered her appearance through spells or complicated potions, but it’s clear that magic was involved in some way. Then, there was the ill-fated hippopotamus challenge, where the two combatants took the form of the large creatures. One would have to imagine some heavy self-transfiguration was at play there. It’s possible that this was a reference to an Animagus form, but seeing as the two both transformed into the same animal in an attempt to level the playing field, it seems unlikely. 

The Myth of the Cow
Much later in the mythology of the Egyptian gods, Ra had decided he was getting tired of mankind, as humans had become arrogant and had begun to plot against him. While they could not harm him, it was tiresome to continue to thwart their plans and, in his mind, unnecessary. He called a council of other gods in secret, including Shu, Tefnut, Geb, Nut, Nun, and Hathor. All of these gods agreed that humankind should be destroyed. To carry out Ra’s wishes, Hathor the mother goddess, unleashed her violent alter-ego Sekhmet, and descended on mankind in a bloodthirsty fury.

After a full day of massacre, Ra felt guilt for his decision (or, in some versions, only wanted Sekhmet to destroy the plotters, rather than all of humanity) and tried to recall Sekhmet. Unfortunately, Sekhmet  was caught up in her bloodlust and would not return. Therefore, Ra  lay a crafty trap for her. He colored beer to take on a deep red hue and flooded the fields with it, hoping to distract her. Sekhmet was delighted when she saw the seemingly blood-soaked field and drank her fill, becoming. Now so inebriated that she was unable to continue her task of total annihilation, she reverted to her traditional form of Hathor, and returned to her role as the mother goddess, symbolized by the cow instead of the lioness.

Deconstructing the Myth of the Cow
I always find it interesting when a god or goddess has a dual personality, particularly when they are so diametrically opposed. Of course, it’s likely that this duality is because the concept of the mother goddess was added to over the millennia through multiple cults and two or more goddesses needed to be crammed in. But it makes for very interesting characters, I think.

Onto the magic, though. What can we find in this short tale? Firstly, there is something to note about the blood-red beer. Even with dyes, one might find it hard to cause a frothy ale to look like the dark red liquid that runs through our veins. Was this potentially an illusory spell cast upon the beer? Or was the liquid she drank an allegory for some kind of potion to calm her anger and violent nature? Perhaps her initial transformation into her war-like form was also spurred on by a mood-altering potion. As I hinted at in the first lesson, it can be difficult to know for sure what true facts a myth used to represent, but it is important to keep the possibilities in mind. You never know what you could learn. 

Closing
On the whole, these were quite violent tales, full of strife. Given what we’ve looked at so far, you might think all of Egyptian civilization was a depressing, dog-eat-dog place, but this is not so. Next week we will look at some other myths, and while these center around death and the Afterlife… they have a tone of hopefulness to them, as they did not consider the realm of death to be a permanent, grisly end, but potentially a reward.

But before we look at those myths, we must first finish with our topics today. First we will have a brief quiz to review some of the key concepts and characters covered in the lesson and we will also have an essay that requires you to do a little more deconstructing of one of the myths we discussed today.

Image credits here, here, here, and here 

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Sources

Cotterell, Arthur & Storm, Rachel. 1999. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology. Hermes House Anness Publishing Ltd. New York.

Grimal, Pierre. Ed. 1989. Larousse World Mythology. Gallery Books, New York.

Oakes, Lorna, and Gahlin, Lucia. 2002. Ancient Egypt. Hermes House Anness Publishing Inc., New York.