The choir again resorted to cunning. He built himself a boat from cedar wood and covered it with plaster. At night he launched her into the water. None of the gods suspected the deception. Seth, seeing Horus's boat and deciding that it was made of stone, went to the western shore, broke off the top of the rock and hewed the boat out of a single block of stone.
The day of the competition has arrived. The rivals each sat in their own boat and swung their oars on command. Horus's boat easily rushed forward, but Seth's boat, as soon as it left the shore, sank under the water with a gurgle, only bubbles swirled across the water surface. The choir let out a cry of joy, thinking they had won the competition. But Seth took the form of a hippopotamus, caught up with Horus’s boat and sank it.
The son of Isis in anger grabbed a harpoon and wanted to throw it at his enemy. But the Nine Gods shouted to him from the shore:
- Don't throw a harpoon at him!
And the Choir’s patience came to an end. Without saying a word, he pulled the harpoon out of the water, put it in his boat and sailed north - to Sais, to the great goddess Neith.
The verdict of Osiris. Horus's victory and end of litigation
The choir, having sailed to Sais, said Neith:
- Make sure that Seth and I are judged. We have been going to court for eighty years, and no one knows the verdict. Seth was not recognized as being right with me. But a thousand times, day after day, I was right with him. No matter how much we competed, no matter how much we measured our strength, I always won. The Great Nine of Gods admitted that I was right, but Seth does not want to take this into account.
Having learned about the complaint with which the Chorus addressed Neit, He said to the Lord of All That Is Ra-Horakhta:
- Let's turn to Osiris for help. Let him pass judgment.
Ra-Horakhte, after thinking, agreed. “Write a message to Osiris,” he ordered Thoth. And Thoth composed the following message:
— Bull; A lion hunting for himself; Both Mistresses: Defender of the Gods, Conqueror of Both Lands; Golden Chorus: creator of people in primordial time; king of Upper and Lower Egypt: Bull staying in Heliopolis - may you be alive, unharmed, and healthy; Son of Ptah: Giver of fertility to both Earths, shining as the father of all Nine, feeding on gold and precious stones - may you be alive, unharmed, and healthy.
Tell us what to do with Horus and Seth, so that we do not make decisions in our ignorance.”
When Thoth's message was read to Osiris, the god let out a loud cry <...>, and he immediately sent the answer to where the Lord of All That Is and the Nine were.
“Why was my son Horus deceived?” Osiris asked indignantly in his letter. “After all, I made you [the gods] powerful, I created barley and spelt to feed the gods, as well as the flocks [created] after the gods.” Not a single god, not a single goddess could do this!
The Message of Osiris was read to the Nine and Ra-Horakhta. The sun god said to Thoth:
- Compose a reply message to Osiris at once. Tell him: “You weren’t there yet, you weren’t born yet, but barley and spelt were already there.”
Osiris received the letter, and soon the messengers delivered his answer:
“You are a great god,” Osiris addressed Ra-Horakhta. “You created the Nine. But I reside in the Duat, and the gods surrounding me do not fear any earthly god, for they are subject only to me alone! If I order, they will bring me the heart of anyone who has done evil, and he will appear before my Court. So which of the gods is more powerful than me?”
After listening to Osiris's answer, the gods were forced to admit that he was right. Seth lost the lawsuit. But his pride did not allow him to prefer a legal court to a competition. He demanded that he and Horus be taken to the Middle Island.
Seth's demand was fulfilled: the rivals crossed to the island. The choir won the last match, and the court recognized his final victory and correctness. Atum said:
“Let Isis put Seth in stocks, tie him up and bring him to us so that we can decide what to do with him.”
Isis did not force herself to ask twice. And now, chained like a prisoner, Seth appeared before the Great Nine.
- Why did you obstruct the will of the court? - Atum asked him menacingly. “We recognized Horus as right in front of you, but you refused to submit and demanded that you be allowed to compete with Horus on the island. Why did you want to assign the rank of Horus?
“Not at all, my good sir,” Seth meekly bowed his head. “I did not interfere with the will of the court.” Let them call Horus, the son of Isis, and give him the rank of his father Osiris.
They brought Horus and crowned him with the Crown of the Lord amid general rejoicing.
“You are the good king of Egypt,” the gods of the Nine solemnly proclaimed, turning to Horus. - You are a good Lord - may you be alive, unharmed, healthy - of all lands forever and ever. - But what should we do with Seth? - asked Ptah-Tatanyon. “Let them give it to me,” answered Ra-Horakhte. - May he sit with me and become my son, may he thunder in the skies and frighten everyone <...>. And the rank of ruler went to Horus. Rejoice and prostrate yourself before him!
And [the gods] gathered garlands of flowers when they saw Horus, the son of Isis, who became the Great Lord - may he be alive, unharmed, and healthy. The hearts of the Nine Gods are pleased, and the whole earth rejoices at the sight of Horus, the son of Isis, who has accepted the rank of his father Osiris, the lord of Busiris.
Having assumed the rights of an earthly ruler, the Choir united the North and South - Lower and Upper Egypt and received the title Kharsomt (Greek; Egyptian Khor-sma-taui) - "Horus - the unifier of the Two Lands." He restored the world order of Maat, justice, and rebuilt the temples and sanctuaries destroyed by Seth. When the Golden Age ended and the earthly throne passed to the “incarnations of Horus” - the pharaohs, Horus, leaving the throne of the Two Earths in their care, joined Ra’s retinue in the Boat of Eternity.
(The so-called “Turin Royal Canon” (XIII century BC) reports that Horus reigned on earth for 300 years, and further mentions the eras of reigns: Thoth (7726 years), Maat (3140 years) and Ptah. The corresponding myths are unknown)
The choir accompanies the dead to the Judgment of Osiris, and sometimes weighs the hearts of the deceased on the Scales of Truth along with Anubis and Thoth. He is the husband of Hathor, although he also has other wives. Hathor gave birth to Hora Aihi (Ihi), the god of music.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru