Contendings
of Horus and Seth, in barest outline
1)
Horus comes to claim the throne
2)
Ennead support him (esp. Shu and Thoth); Neith as arbiter rules for Horus
3)
Re opposes...calls for trial
4)
Horus claims the kingdom as heir, Seth claims it as the stronger.
5)
Isis demands a decision by Atum (in council w/ Ennead in seclusion),
Seth
bars Isis.
6)
Isis sneaks in, seduces Seth, tricks him into acknowledging the son’s right to
father’s estate.
7)
Atum decides for Horus, Seth objects; crown in the water, S and H compete as
Hippos (Isis harpoons each)
8)
Horus outraged at Isis, goes off to sulk; Seth steals his eyes; Hathor restores
them with gazelle’s milk
9)
The Ennead (upset by this savagery?) order reconciliation; Seth invites Horus
to ‘holiday’.
10)
Seth assaults Horus ‘between his thighs’, H catches the semen, Isis cuts off
his hand.
11)
Isis takes semen of Horus and impregnates the lettuce that Seth loves to eat.
12)
Seth eats the lettuce; in magic ordeal, each to summon his semen. Thoth calls,
"Come out, you semen of Horus." H’s Sun disk emerges above Seth’s
head.
13)
They race in stone ships (Horus cheats with plastered pine) and nearly harpoons
hippo Seth
14)
After 80 years at trial, they invoke Osiris himself and he decides for
Horus: "Why should my son Horus be cheated when it was I
that made you mighty and it was I (alone) who could create barley and emmer in
order to sustain the gods as well as the cattle…
Thus
Horus becomes king of Egypt;
Seth is honored as companion of Re.