Among the lords of the Earth and the Sky, terrifying the Egyptians, was the god Seth, who was represented as a man with the head of an ass or dragon. Even the mention of him aroused trembling, and his significance was so great that he was placed on a par with Gor, the patron of the pharaohs. On many images found in the territory of Ancient Egypt , both of these deities are depicted on both sides of the ruler of the country.
The Egyptian god Seth
According to Egyptian mythology, Seth was the son of the gods of earth and sky, Hebe and Nut. True, he became famous not for his good deeds, but for having killed his brother Osiris and ate a sacred cat, after which he acquired the reputation of a murderer and became associated with the forces of evil. At the same time, the ancient Egyptian god Seth retained his status as the patron of the mighty of this world, as evidenced by the images of the god standing next to Pharaoh.
What natural element was represented by the god Seth?
Worshiped him in different parts of the country, but everywhere he caused a mystical horror. Like any other deity associated with one of the natural elements, it carried a negative beginning. Seth the god of the desert was the patron and ruler of sandstorms and drought, plunging farmers into fear. But other Egyptians were also afraid of him, since he was associated with the onset of chaos, a hostile attitude toward everything living, war and other misfortunes.
The wife of the god Seth
Legends report that the god of chaos had several wives, one of whom was Nephthys. Seth and Nephthys were brothers and sisters. However, there is no clear indication of their marital relationship. As for the goddess herself, her image, as a rule, is associated with the customs of funerals, the performance of funeral rites and the reading of funeral prayers. Ancient historians believed that the goddess Nephthys in ancient Egypt reigns over the immaterial and unreal. At the same time, she was often considered the patroness of the feminine principle and the goddess of creation, which "lives in everything."
What did God protect Seth?
The peoples of Egypt feared Seth and wished to coax him, erecting palaces and temples in his honor, for fear of his anger. Cruelty, anger and death - this was the main thing that the god Seth personified, and although the inhabitants of the country tried every way to appease him, he did not patronize them, but foreigners, inhabitants of distant countries. However, it would be wrong to imagine Seth as the embodiment of evil. He patronized valor and courage, inspiring courage in the hearts of the soldiers.
What does the god Seth look like?
God Set, referring to the cohort of the supreme gods, was depicted as a being that united the human body and the animal's head. On different images he looked differently: that with the head of a crocodile or a hippopotamus, but more often it was depicted with the head of a jackal or donkey, which for residents of East Egypt was considered a symbol of power. Its distinctive feature is long ears. The image of the god Seth supplements the scepter - a symbol of power. At the same time, for most of the ancient animals, in the form of which Seth was portrayed, symbolized the connection with demonic supernatural forces.
How esteemed the god Seth?
Despite such a formidable and unpleasant character, the history preserved information about how to worship the god Seth. He used a special arrangement among the pharaohs. Written artifacts indicate that his name was called the rulers of Egypt, in his honor the temples were built. True, the number of them is small, but they were distinguished by the richness of the decoration and the majesty of architecture. Residents of Eastern Egypt had warm feelings for the deity and even considered him their patron, creating in his honor cult centers.
Symbol of the god Seth
Despite their strength and belonging to the higher gods, the symbols and cult of the god Seth are known little. Perhaps, precisely because under his protection he did not take the Egyptians, but foreigners and representatives of the supreme power of the state. For some time he even formed a kind of competition to the supreme god Gore, as evidenced by the images of the pharaohs sitting on the throne, on either side of which these two deities stand. God Set does not have his own symbols and attributes. In all the images he holds a wand in his hands - a symbol of power and a cross.
The presence of cult centers in certain regions of Egypt indicates that the evil god Seth, however, was revered by the locals. It is interesting that in some parts of the country it was represented in the form of sacred fish, therefore it was forbidden to use fish dishes for food. In addition, the image of this warlike god was close to those who took part in the battles and hoped for his patronage. A distinctive feature of the god-warrior was a red color : it's blood, pressure and the hot desert soil.