Legends of the Gods / The Egyptian Texts, edited with Translations

by Sir E. A. Wallis Budge

[FN#85] i.e., the Mediterranean.

XVI. Thus Heru-Behutet and Horus, the son of Isis, slaughtered that evil Enemy, and his fiends, and the inert foes, and came forth with them to the water on the west side of this district. And Heru-Behutet was in the form of a man of mighty strength, and he had the face of a hawk, and his head was crowned with the White Crown and the Red Crown, and with two plumes and two uraei, and he had the back of a hawk, and his spear and his chain were in his hands. And Horus, the son of Isis, transformed himself into a similar shape, even as Heru-Behutet had done before him. And they slew the enemies all together on the west of Per- Rehu, on the edge of the stream, and this god hath sailed over the water wherein the enemies had banded themselves to-ether against him from that day to this. Now these things took place on the 7th day of the first mouth of the season Pert. And Thoth said, "This region shall be called AAT-SHATET," and this hath been the name of the region from that day unto this; and the Lake which is close by it hath been called Temt from that day to this, and the 7th day of the first month of the season Pert hath been called the Festival of Sailing from that day to this.

Then Set took upon himself the form of a hissing serpent, and he entered into the earth in this district without being seen. And Ra said, "Set hath taken upon himself the form of a hissing serpent. Let Horus, the son of Isis, in the form of a hawk-headed staff, set himself over the place where he is, so that the serpent may never more appear." And Thoth said, "Let this district be called Hemhemet[FN#86] by name;" and thus hath it been called from that day to this. And Horus, the son of Isis, in the form of a hawk-headed staff, took up his abode there with his mother Isis; in this manner did these things happen.

[FN#86] This name means "the place of the Roarer," Hemhemti, being a well-known name of the Evil One. Some texts seem to indicate that peals of thunder were caused by the fiend Set.

Then the Boat of Ra arrived at the town of Het-Aha; its forepart was made of palm wood, and the hind part was made of acacia wood; thus the palm tree and the acacia tree have been sacred trees from that day to this. Then Heru-Behutet embarked in the Boat of Ra, after he had made an end of fighting, and sailed; and Ra said unto Thoth, "Let this Boat be called . . . . . . .;" and thus hath it been called from that day to this, and these things have been done in commemoration in this place from that day to this.

And Ra said unto Heru-Behutet, "Behold the fighting of the Smait fiend and his two-fold strength, and the Smai fiend Set, are upon the water of the North, and they will sail down stream upon . . . . . ." [And] Heru-Behutet said, "Whatsoever thou commandest shall take place, O Ra, Lord of the gods. Grant thou, however, that this thy Boat may pursue them into every place whithersoever they shall go, and I will do to them whatsoever pleaseth Ra." And everything was done according to what he had said. Then this Boat of Ra was brought by the winged Sun- disk upon the waters of the Lake of Meh,[FN#87] [and] Heru-Behutet took in his hands his weapons, his darts, and his harpoon, and all the chains [which he required] for the fight.

[FN#87] It is probable that the Lake of Meh, i.e., the Lake of the
North, was situated in the north-east of the Delta, not far from Lake
Manzalah.

And Heru-Behutet looked and saw one [only] of these Sebau[FN#88] fiends there on the spot, and he was by himself. And he threw one metal dart, and brought (or, dragged) them along straightway, and he slaughtered them in the presence of Ra. And he made an end [of them, and there were no more of the fiends] of Set in this place at [that] moment.

[FN#88] "Sebiu" is a common name for the associates of Seti, and this fiend is himself called "Seba," a word which means something like "rebel."

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.