Lecture IX. The Popular Religion Of Egypt. 199
men, of wild beasts, of cattle, of reptiles, of fowls, and of fish;
the king of men and gods, to whom centuries are but as years;
who possesses numberless names which no man knoweth, no,
not even the gods.
“Isis was a woman, more knowing in her malice than millions
of men, clever among millions of the gods, equal to millions
of spirits, to whom as unto Ra nothing was unknown either in
heaven or upon earth.
“The god Ra came each day to sit upon his throne; he had
grown old, his mouth trembled, his slaver trickled down to the
earth, and his saliva dropped upon the ground. Isis kneaded it
with her hand along with the dust that had adhered to it; she
moulded therefrom a sacred serpent, to which she gave the form
of a spear-shaft. She wound it not about her face, but flung it
on the road along which the great god walked, as often as he [217]
wished, in his twofold kingdom.
“The venerable god went forth, the (other) gods accompanied
him, he walked along as on other days. Then the sacred serpent
bit him. The divine god opened his mouth, and his cry rang
to heaven. His Ennead of gods called: ‘What is it?’and the
gods cried,‘Look there!’He could make no answer, his jaws
chattered, his limbs shook, the venom took hold of his flesh as
the Nile covers its banks (with water).
“When the heart of the great god was quieted, he called to
his followers:‘Come to me, ye children of my limbs, ye gods
who have emanated from me! Something painful hath hurt me;
my heart perceiveth it, yet my eyes see it not; my hand hath not
wrought it, nothing that I have made knoweth what it is, yet have
I never tasted suffering like unto it, and there is no pain which
is worse.... I went forth to see what I had created, I was walking
in the two lands which I have made, when something stung me
which I knew not. Was it fire, was it water? My heart is in
flames, my limbs tremble, all my members shiver. Let there be
brought unto me the children of the gods of beneficent words,