21st Dynasty Book of the Dead, Egyptian Museum, Cairo
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I am not certain where I found that color version, but I found another version in print, in the KMT magazine,
VOLUME 15, NO. 4, Winter 2004-05, in the article "Set, Lord of Chaos", which explains that it from a 21th Dynasty Book of the Dead. And there is a much larger grayscale version which shows the entire scenario in TeVelde's _Seth, God of Confusion: |
VII: A. Piankoff, N. Rambova, Mythological papyri, New York, 1957, Plates volume, pl. 2.
21st Dynasty Book of the Dead, Egyptian Museum, Cairo
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A spell from the Book of the Dead quoted by Sherine M. ElSebaie in her Masters Thesis describes the scene:
"As for the mountain of Bakhu on which the sky rests, it is in the east of
the sky (...). A serpent is on the top of that mountain; it is thirty cubits long.
eight cubits of its forepart are of flint, and its teeth gleam.( ...) Now after a
while he will turn his eye against Re, and a stoppage will occur in the
Sacred Bark and a great vision among the crew, for he will swallow up
seven cubits of the great waters; Seth will project a lance of iron
against him and will make him vomit up al1 that he has swallowed.(85)"117
Set, 'great of strength', is able to wield the heavy lance.
In this stela, seen in TeVelde's book and in color via GEM website, Set is spearing an Apep (Apophis) with hands and a human face (Set also has a human face, rather than the usual snout and ears):
 Stele of Taqayna RIJKSMUSEUM VAN OUDHEDEN [06/001], AP 60 International Inventory #06/001/14069 LIMESTONE, 41.5cm tall, 29cm wide Aquisition date 1828, "This object originates from the collection of the Greek diplomat Giovanni d'Anastasi."
"He is imagined as standing on the prow of the sun barque and conquering the monster of chaos by word or deed and in this quality he is invoked and adored: |
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"Hail to you, O Seth, son of Nut, the great of strength in the barque of millions, felling the enemy, the snake, at the prow of the barque of Re, great of battle-cry, may you give me a good lifetime..."2). "O Seth, lord of life, who is upon the prow of the barque of Re, save me from all evil clamour of this year."3) "A royal offering to Seth of Ombos, the son of Nut, the mighty one on the prow of the ship and to all the gods in Ombos."4)
2)Four Hundred Years-stela. Cf K. Sethe, Der Denkstein mit dem Datum des Jahres 400 der Ära von Tanis, ZÄS 65 (1930), p. 87 |
