The ancient Egyptian god Seth, also called Seth and Sutekh in literature, was one of the most important characters in the pantheon. A large number of myths and traditions are associated with him, he was asked for mercy and feared.
Seth in Egyptian Mythology
This god is considered the patron saint of chaos and disorder. He could send bad weather and storms to the villages. He was the creator of deserts. He was considered insidious and cruel.
Seth was born from the gods Hebe and Nut. He had a brother Osiris and sisters Isis and Nephthys. The latter also became his wife.
This character of ancient Egyptian mythology had many
sacred animals. But the main among them was a donkey. Therefore, Seth himself was portrayed as a tall, slender man with a donkey head. He had red hair and eyes, which was considered the color of the dead land - deserts. In the hands of God, a spear was depicted.
It was believed that Seth initially had good qualities and was not the patron saint of evil. But envy of his elder brother sharpened the heart of God more and more, eliminating all good from him. Mythology tells about the confrontation of the brothers. Seth tried to get rid of Osiris. And once he had the most insidious of all ideas.
Betrayal of Seth
At a time when they believed in the gods Osiris and Seth, it was customary to start taking care of their afterlife in advance. Even in their youth, they ordered sarcophagi and built tombs. When the construction was completed, it was possible to celebrate. So Seth ordered a sarcophagus for himself. But only he turned out to be god not in size.
According to mythology, Seth invited guests to his house and said that he would give a beautiful sarcophagus to someone whom he would have to be in time. Then all the guests of the treacherous god took turns trying on a gift. But he only came up only to Osiris. As soon as he lay in the sarcophagus, the lid closed. Seth poured lead on the sarcophagus and threw his brother's body into the waters of the Nile.
The wife of Osiris Isis put on mourning. She was looking for her husband for a long time and wandered around different lands. Finally, she found out that the coffin of her husband became a column in one of the palaces. Isis hid her divine origin and became a nanny, just to be near the body of her husband. But her deception soon opened. And then Isis asked to give her the coffin.
The goddess was able to hide her wandering and its outcome from a cruel brother. She also did not tell Seth about her pregnancy, and then about the birth of her son Horus.
Seth vs Horus
According to mythology, Gore grew up a strong youth, a powerful warrior. And he wanted nothing more than to avenge his father.
The battle between the two gods is reflected in myths. Initially, the son of Osiris was defeated. Seth snatched his eyes from his nephew. The same in turn castrated uncle. The gods were worried about this bloody battle. And then they decided to arrange a court to decide who is right - the son of Osiris or Seth. Mythology tells that victory was given to Horus. He returned the eye, which helped revive Osiris. Seth was punished for his treachery.
Revived Osiris could again become a ruler. But he did not want to remain among the gods after the experience. Then he became the ruler of the underworld, and transferred his former power to his son Horus.
Seth - warrior and protector
Not only the patron of evil was Seth. Mythology rarely includes heroes in which only negative qualities. So in god with a donkey head there were traits that made him attractive to the ancient Egyptians.
Seth was the patron of metals, and iron was named after him. And since this god was also strong, warriors chose him as their lord. He knew how to fight with a spear and often defeated his rivals. His power attracted the attention of the pharaohs. Because Seth was involved in power. He was depicted next to the pharaohs.
According to mythology, Seth played an important role in changing day and night. With his spear, he killed a snake who wanted to attack the chariot of the
god Ra. Despite his character, Seth returned sunlight to people.
The stories of the gods include the eternal opposition of good and evil, like any other mythology. Seth appears in her as the personification of the evil, but they did not forget him and worshiped him. It was believed that he was capable of any deceit. But he could protect against evil. He was considered the patron saint of soldiers, but was also associated with mysterious lands beyond the borders of Egypt.
There are many myths about Set. And not in all he appears as a villain. One of the most important gods is Set. The mythology of Egypt tells the story of its rise and fall.