Aset Heals Horus
This story tells of Aset (Isis) hiding with her small son Horus in the Delta to protect him while he grows. She needs to nourish and protect him so that he can avenge the murder of his father and claim the throne of the two lands.
The tale follows the one told at Aset and the Seven Scorpions.
I am
Aset (Isis), pregnant with her child, bearing Horus divine, and I gave birth to
Horus, the son of Osiris/Wesir, in the nest of Khemmis. I very much rejoiced at
that, for in him I saw the avenger of his father. I hid him and concealed him
for fear of that one.
I wandered begging all the while. I longed for the child the whole day
whilst taking care of his needs. I returned to embrace Horus, but I found that
he, the beautiful Horus of gold, the innocent, fatherless child, had moistened
the banks with his tears and drool. His body was limp, his heart weak, and his
veins did not beat.
I uttered a cry, saying, It is I, it is I. But the child was too
weak to answer. My breasts were full, but his stomach was empty and his mouth
longed for its food. I wanted to come and protect him; great was the mischief,
an innocent child, who still resisted the bottle and had been left alone too
long. I was afraid, because nobody came on my voice.
My father is in the Netherworld, my mother in the realm of the dead. My
elder brother is in the sarcophagus, the other is an enemy, obstinate in his
malice towards me. My younger sister is in his house.
Whom among men shall I call to? Then their heart will care for me. I
shall call to the inhabitants of the marshes. They will immediately care for me.
The fishermen came from their houses for me, they hastened to me on my voice.
They all cried saying: How great is your misery. But there was nobody
amongst them who could exorcise him with his spell. Although everyone of them
wailed loudly, there was nobody amongst them who had the knowledge to cure him.
Then a woman came to me, known in her town and a queen
in her nome. She came to me bearing a life-sign whilst she had every confidence
in her knowledge: Fear not, fear not, son Horus, be not despondent, be not
despondent, mother of the god. The child is protected against the malice
of his brother. The bush is hidden. Death does not penetrate into it. It is the
magic power of Atum, father of the gods, who is in heaven, who has made my
life-sign. Set does not penetrate into this nome, he does not go about at
Khemmis. Horus is protected against the malice of his brother. His followers do
not injure him. Look for the reason why this happened, then Horus will live for
his mother. Certainly, a scorpion has stung him or an evil snake has bitten him.
Aset (Isis) put her nose into his mouth to know the smell of it in his
skull. She examined the disease of the divine heir. She found that he had been
poisoned. She quickly embraced her son, jumping about with him like fishes put
on a coal-fire:
Horus has been bitten, Horus has been bitten, o Ra, your son has been
bitten. The heir of your heir, who has tied the kingship of Shu. The lad of
Khemmis, the sacred child in the House of the Prince, the beautiful child of
gold, the innocent, fatherless child, the son of Wennofer, born from Isis
divine, the guiltless one, the young son among the gods, he of whom I took
continually care, for in him I saw the avenger of his father. He who was already
anxious in he hidden place, who was already afraid in his mothers womb.
Horus has been bitten, Horus has been bitten, he over whom I watched,
keeping an eye upon him, and on account of whom I loved life.
The innocent child wept in distress, they who were around the child were
upset; Nephthys came running along, crying, her cries rang out in the marshes.
Serqet said, What is the matter with the child? Sister Isis, do call to
heaven then there will be a standstill with the crew of the boat of Ra, and
there will be no favorable wind in the boat of Ra as long as Horus lies on his
side.
Aset (Isis) uttered her cry to heaven, her lamentation to the boat of
millions. Aten stopped in front of her and did not move from his place.
Djehuty (Thoth) came provided with magic power and with the high command
of justification: What is the matter, what is the matter, Aset (Isis)
divine, skilful one, who knows her spell. Horus your son is not in mischief, I
hope? His protection is the boat of Ra. Today I have come from the barque. Aton
is in his place of yesterday. Darkness has come, the light has been driven away
until Horus will be healthy for his mother Isis, until the patient will be
healthy for his mother and every person who has been bitten likewise.
Aset (Isis) divine said, Djehuty, how self-confident you are, but
how slow are your plans! Have you really come provided with magic power, and
with the high command of justification? Misery upon misery, the number whereof
is not known. Behold, Horus is in distress on account of the poison. The
mischief is the deed of his brother, death is their complete destruction. Would
I were with the eldest son of his mother. Then I would not have lived to see
this after him. From the beginning however I submitted to it and I waited to
avenge him. Horus, Horus, remain on the earth! Since the day I conceived him, I
yearned to implore the ka of his father.
[Djehuty says] Fear not, fear not, Isis divine. Nephthys, lament
not. I have come from heaven with the breath of life to cure the child for his
mother. Horus, Horus, your heart be strong, be it not weak on account of the
fire.
The protection of Horus is he who is in his disk and who illuminates the two lands with his two eyes. The protection of the patient likewise.
The protection of Horus is the eldest in heaven, who rules everything that exists. The protection of the patient likewise.
The
protection of Horus is that great dwarf who goes round about the Netherworld at
twilight. The protection of the patient likewise.
The
protection of Horus is the lion of the night who travels in the western
Mountain. The protection of the patient likewise.
The
protection of Horus is the great hidden Ba, who goes about in his two eyes The
protection of the patient likewise.
The
protection of Horus is the great flacon who flies in the sky, on earth and in
the Netherworld. The protection of the patient likewise.
The
protection of Horus is the sacred beetle in the sky. The protection of the
patient likewise.
The
protection of Horus is the secret corpse whose mummy is sacred in its
sarcophagus. The protection of the patient likewise.
The
protection of Horus is the Netherworld, the lands where faces are reversed,
secret of contents. The protection of the patient likewise.
The
protection of Horus is the divine phoenix who sits in his eyes. The protection
of the patient likewise.
The
protection of Horus is his own body. The magic power of his mother Isis is his
protection. The protection of the patient likewise.
The protection of Horus are the names of his father, his images in his nomes.
The
protection of Horus is the lamentations of his mother, the cries of his
brothers. The protection of Horus is his own name. The gods care for him,
protecting him.
Wake up Horus, your protection is permanent. Comfort your mothers
heart. The words of Horus will delight the hearts. He reassures the distressed
one.
Rejoice you who are in heaven, for Horus avenges his father.
Recede, poison.
Behold, you are conjured by the mouth of Ra, the tongue of the great god
averts you. The boat of Ra stands still and does not sail. Aton is in his place
of yesterday, until Horus will be healthy for his mother Isis, until the patient
will be healthy for his mother likewise.
Fall out to the earth, then the boat will sail and the crew of heaven
will sail. The foods are stopped up ,the temples blocked, until Horus will be
healthy for his mother Isis. The misery which is yonder will turn the
disturbance to its place of yesterday, until Horus will be healthy for his
mother Isis and the patient will be healthy likewise.
The demon of the dark goes about, the seasons are not separated, the
figures of the shadow are not seen, until Horus will be healthy for his mother
Isis and the patient will be healthy likewise. The sources are blocked, the
crops are withering, the food is taken from mankind, until Horus will be healthy
for his mother Isis and until the patient will be healthy likewise.
Fall out to the earth, o poison, then the hearts will rejoice and the
light of the sun will go round. I am Djehuty, the eldest, son of Ra, with the
command of Atum, the father of the gods, that Horus may be healthy for his
mother Isis and that the patient may be healthy for his mother just as he is.
Horus, Horus, your Ka is your protection, your followers protect you. The
poison is dead, its heat driven away from stinging the son of the lady. Depart
to your homes, for Horus lives for his mother.
Then Aset (Isis) divine said, May you give instructions concerning
him to the inhabitants of Khemmis, the nurses who are in Buto. Order them
emphatically to guard the child for his mother. Do not let them know my position
at Khemmis, a beggar-woman, chased away from her town.
Djehuty said to these gods and he spoke to the inhabitants of Khemmis:
O, nurses who are in Buto, they who have struck with their hands and have
pounded with their arms on account of that great one, who has gone away from
among them, watch over this child, look for his way among men, and confuse the
ways of those who rebel against him, till he has seized the throne of both the
lands. Ra in heaven vouches for him, his father watches over him, the magic
power, of his mother is his protection, while she makes love go about for him
and brings fear of him amongst men.
They are waiting for me to push off the evening-boat and to make the morning-boat sail. Horus belongs to you, assigned to life. I shall inform his father that he is alive and give joy to those who are in the boat and cheers to the crew so that she mail sail: For Horus lives for his mother. The poison is powerless. Then the official is praised for his task in delivering his report to him who sent him.
Rejoice, Ra-Harakhty, your son Horus has been assigned to life. All
people and all animals which are poisoned will live likewise.
Eventually Heru grew old enough for Aset to take him before the Tribunal of the Gods to claim his inheritance and throne. But that is told elsewhere. (See The Contendings of Horus and Set.)
Sources: Gods of Ancient Egypt by Barbara Watterson
Metropolitan Museum book of Egyptian and Near Eastern Art
A Magical Statue Base in the Museum of Antiquities at Leiden by A. Klasens
Copyright May 2002 by Khenmetaset, aka Marie Parsons. All texts contained herein are from annotated sources unless otherwise stated. This website is for educational purposes only. Any comments may be directed to Khenmetaset aka Marie Parsons at khenmetaset@prodigy.net.