Further Reading

Saturday, 16 December 2006

Horus Of Edfu

A form which the god Horus Behudety (Horus of Edfu) took in his battles with Seth. Horus the Elder that is worshipped in the western delta. His followers spread into Upper Egypt and established their cult center named Hierakonpolis at Eduf. The god Thoth used his magic to turn Horus into a sun-disk with splendid outstretched wings. The goddesses Nekhbet and Uazet in the form of uraeus snakes joined him at his side.

Even though he was the son and heir of Ra and was a form of Horus he wasn't totally identified with Ra. However his connection with Eduf was explained as, in Ra's reign as an Earthly king of both Upper and Lower Egypt the army was located at Nubia when he received word that a plot against him existed in Egypt. Those who were responsible for the plot were aided by malignant powers (some sort of demons) and were sent by Set.

King Ra sailed downstream to Eduf and ordered his son Horus to fight the plotters (A.K.A the enemy) So Horus, flew into the sky where he took the form of a winged disk - the Sun. From there he could see the enemy and upon seeing the enemy he flew down to attack. He caused so much damage that they fled. As a reward for his deeds the king bestowed upon him the title Horus of Eduf.

However the enemy was not completely defeated. They changed themselves into crocodiles and hippopotami and attacked Ra's boat. Horus and his followers once again beat them by harpooning them from the boat. Again Horus took the form of a winged-sun disk and sat himself on the ships prow. From there he followed the survivors through upper and lower Egypt and defeated them. Horus also beheaded the enemy leader Set in Ra's presence and drug him by the feet throughout Egypt.

In the other section of this myth, Horus son of Ra became confused with Horus son of Osiris. The leader was Set reborn and the enemy of Osiris. Set continued to fight in lower Egypt in the form of a serpent. Horus in the form of a falcon-headed staff with a triangular spear-point was victorious over him though. He then sailed to Upper Egypt and put down another rebellion in order to seal his victory. Ra decreed to them that the winged-sun disk should be put on all the temples and shrines of the all the gods to ward off enemies as a reward for Horus's deeds.

So Horus Behudety is frequently represented as a winged-sun disk sculpted over the gates of the sanctuaries, as well as a falcon hovering over the pharaoh in battle scenes. With his claws grasping the whisk or flail of royalty and the ring of eternity.
Horus Behudety is also shown as a man with the head of a falcon wearing the double crown and often bearing the falcon-headed staff symbols which was the instrument of Set's destruction. Since it was the god himself who led the forces into battle Horus was considered indistinguishable from Ra from that time on.