Seth (aka Set)
The Egyptian God
Seth (aka Set)
-
Name: Seth -
Gender Male:
Seth was a God -
Depiction / Description
/ Symbol: Seth was depicted with the body of a manand the
head of Beast resembling an aardvark. Occasionally seen in the form
of a crocodile -
Jurisdiction: Seth was
described as being God of Evil, Chaos, Desert & Storms -
Mythical Family or
Relatives: Seth was believed to be a younger son of the Earth God, Geb, and the Sky Goddess, Nut.
He was the brother of Osiris, Isis
and Nephthys. He was also the husband of his sister Nephthys. Legend
tells that the jealous Seth murdered his brother Osiris.
Information about
the Egyptian God Seth
The Egyptian God, Seth, was seen as the God of Evil, Chaos, Desert & Storms and therefore
immensely powerful. Seth was one of the Ennead, the collective name
given to the nine original deities (Gods and Goddesses) of the cosmogony of Heliopolis (the birthplace of the Gods) in the creation myths and legends. Seth was son of Geb and Nut and it was said in the myth
that tore himself from his mother's womb in his hurry to be born. Set
murdered his brother Osiris and scattered his body in fourteen pieces
around the world. Isis find the pieces and Osiris is resurrected for one
day. After he murdered his brother Osiris he became
strongly associated with evil and in turn with the color red. Red
represented blood and the desert. People with red hair and any other
strangers who had travelled from different lands to Egypt also came
under his jurisdiction and he was also considered to be a God of
Foreigners, many of which were considered enemies, strengthening his
association with evil and betrayal.
Description &
Depiction of the Egyptian God Seth - Part Human & Part Animal
The Egyptian Gods or Goddesses, such as Seth, were often depicted as
being part human and part animal. In the description of the Egyptian
God Seth he was most frequently depicted with the body of a human
and with with the head of an animal - an evil-looking Beast. He was the
husband of his sister, Nephthys. Incest was seen as an acceptable
element in the lives of the Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, retaining the
sacred bloodline.
The Egyptian the
God Seth - Creation and Relatives
The early Egyptian priests evolved a
creation myth, or Cosmogony, to explain how some of the Gods and
Goddesses came into being. The early Egyptian priests then evolved a
Family tree, the relatives of the main Egyptian Gods, like Seth, to
explain how some of the Gods and Goddesses were related. According to
legend jealous Seth (or Set) murdered his elder brother Osiris who
brought back to life (resurrected) by Isis.
Temple of Seth
The Temples dedicated to Seth, the God of Evil, Chaos, Desert & Storms, were believed to be the
dwelling place of this famous Egyptian God. Only the Pharaoh and the
Priests of Seth were allowed inside the temple and the priests would
undergo ritual purification in a deep stone pool before they entered the
Inner Sanctum of the Temple. This not only cleansed them but also gave
them contact with the primeval moisture of life. Ordinary Egyptians were
only allowed to come to the gates, or forecourt, of the temple of Seth
to pay homage and offer gifts to the God / Goddess. The Priests of Seth
would collect the gifts and say prayers on behalf of the person in the
confines of the temple. The priests of Seth, the God of Evil, Chaos, Desert & Storms, would
conduct ceremonies, sacrifices and chant magical incantations, sometimes
referred to as spells. The temple of Seth would consist of heavy gates
which accessed a massive hall with great stone columns, and then a
series of many other rooms through which processions of priests would
pass. These rooms, or chambers, were lit by candles and incense would be
burnt to purify the air of the Temple. The chambers gradually decreased
in size, the lighting in the temple was deliberately and significantly
reduced to create an atmosphere of deepening mystery until the priests
reached the chapel and the shrine which contained the Naos. The Naos was
the stone tabernacle inside the shrine which housed the great Statue of
Seth, the God of Evil, Chaos, Desert & Storms.
The Statue of Seth
The large statue of the God Seth, the God of Evil, Chaos, Desert & Storms was situated in the
inner sanctum of the Egyptian temple. The statue of Seth would have been
depicted with the body of a man / woman and the head of Beast. This
sacred statue, in the dwelling place of the God, was the embodiment of
Seth. Food and drink would be offered to the God. The High Priest of
Seth, would conduct ceremonies and offer prayers and incantations but
there was another important priest, called the Medjty, who was
responsible for the toiletries. The statue of Seth would have been
washed and oiled. The statue was then dressed in fine linen and eye
make-up, powder and rouge was applied and sacred oil rubbed on the
forehead of the statue. The statue of Seth, with its head of the Beast,
was only seen by ordinary Egyptians at important festivals when the
effigy was paraded in magnificent processions.
The Egyptian God
Seth
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