June3] SOCIETYOF BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGY. [1890.
THESUN-STROKEIN EGYPTIAN.By P. le Page Renouf.The Egyptian Sun-strokeis not identical withour ' coup de solei/.'There is a remarkable titleof the god Horns, which occurs
repeatedlyin the inscriptions at Benihassan. The great dignitaries
whoare buried thereare described* as 'faithful to' ((I \3(J{]am\i\er) or 'executing the will of (0 l(l[l~*~w hesi en) V!v X *^(© o ■■■<•■* <C^§>o • o Heru hu re\it, ' Horus, who strikes downmen.'
Somelightis thrown on this title by the following passageof an
ancienttext,of which copiesof a more recentdate are found in our
museums—
.1 CZlc=9 w<^>|in^^HI" Oh Eye of Horus comingforthfromthe earth, whosename is
' Striker of the men of Horus.'"t
The Horuswhostrikes 'his men,' thatis, 'men whoare his
creatures,' is the Sun when rising from the earth ^^'. I
cannothelpit if we have hereanotherDawn-myth,and one which
assignsa fatal characterto the Dawn.
The samecharacteris ascribed to the Dawn goddessesSechet
and Renenet, thoughbothof them, like Horus, havetheirjoyousand
beneficentaspects.
But Sechet, wholike the other goddessesis called the Eye of
Horus,signifies ' She who striketh.' The name is derived from
p.S^n©\y?x.'striking.' The expression | h$ f\ S R -f* Cf. Denkm., II, 121, 123^, 142 d, \\$a.
t Recueil de Travaux, I, p. 135.
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