Legends Of The Gods - The History of Creation - Chap 17

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Egypte - Legends Of The Gods

XVII.

And Thoth said, "This place shall be called Ast-Ab-Heru"[FN#89] 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. And all the rites and ceremonies of Heru-Behutet were performed on the first day of the first month[FN#90] of the season Akhet, and on the first day of the first month[FN#91] of the season Pert, and on the twenty-first and twenty- fourth days of the second month[FN#92] of the season Pert. These are the festivals in the town of Ast-ab, by the side of the South, in An- rut-f.[FN#93] 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.

[FN#89] i.e., place of the desire of Horus.

[FN#90] The month Thoth.

[FN#91] The month Tybi.

[FN#92] The month Mekhir.

[FN#93] 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.

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,[FN#94] and the Red Crown,[FN#95] 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[FN#96] stone in its mountain bed.

[FN#94] The Crown of the South.

[FN#95] The Crown of the North.

[FN#96] A kind of jasper (?).

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.

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."

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[FN#97] in peace."

[FN#97] i.e., Osiris.

And Thoth said, "This Great House in this place shall therefore be called 'Ast-Nefert'[FN#98] 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, "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 (?).'" 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, "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 . . . . . . . . his blacksmiths[FN#99] are to him, and those who are in his following are to him in his territory, with his metal lance, with his [mace], with his dagger, and with all his chains (or, fetters) which are in the city of Heru-Behutet.

[FN#98] i.e., "Beautiful Place."

[FN#99] Or perhaps fighting men who were armed with metal weapons.

[And when he had reached the land of the North with his followers, he found the enemy.] 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, he slew them (i.e., the enemy) in the presence of Ra in the Middle Domains.[FN#100]

[FN#100] 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.

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 [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, 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 where Ra riseth, and this Mesent shall be called "Mesent of the East" from this day onwards. 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[FN#101] of the season of Akhet, and on the twenty-fourth day of the fourth month[FN#102] of the season of Akhet, and on the seventh day of the first month[FN#103] of the season Pert, and on the twenty-first day of the second month[FN#104] of the season Pert, from this day onwards. 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.

[FN#101] The month Thoth.

[FN#102] The month Choiak.

[FN#103] The month Tybi.

[FN#104] The mouth Mechir.