The Religions of Ancient Egypt and Babylonia

202 The Religions of Ancient Egypt and Babylonia

which not only identifies the name with the person or thing it

represents, but makes it a separate entity with an existence of its

own.

[220] The legend of the sun-god of Edfu is equally instructive,
though in its present form it is not earlier than the Ptolemaic age.
This begins as follows:“In the three hundred and sixty-third year
of the reign of Ra-Harmakhis, the ever-living, Ra was in Nubia
with his soldiers. Enemies, however, conspired (uu) against
him; hence the country has ever since borne the name of the
land of Conspirators (Uaua). Then the god Ra went his way
in his bark along with his followers, and landed in the nome of
Edfu. Here the god Hor-Be%udet (the winged disc) entered the
bark of Ra and said to his father:‘O Harmakhis, I see how the
enemy have conspired against their lord.’Then said the Majesty
of Ra-Harmakhis to the person of Hor-Be%udet:‘O son of Ra,
exalted one, who hast emanated from me, smite the enemy before
thee forthwith.’Hor-Be%udet flew up to the sun in the form of
a great winged disc; on that account he is ever since called the
great god, the lord of heaven. He espied the enemy from the sky,
he followed them in the form of a great winged disc. Through
the attack which he made upon them in front, their eyes saw
no longer, their ears heard no longer, each slew his neighbour
forthwith, there remained not one alive. Then Hor-Be%udet came
in a many-coloured form as a great winged disc into the bark of
Ra-Harmakhis. And Thoth said to Ra:‘Lord of the gods, the god
of Be%udet (Edfu) has come in the form of a great winged disc:
from this day forth he shall be called Hor-Be%udet (Horus of
Edfu).’And he said (again):‘From this day forth the city of Edfu
shall be called the city of Hor-Be%udet.’Then Ra embraced the
form of Hor, and said to Hor-Be%udet:‘Thou makest the water
of Edfu (red with blood like) grapes, and thy heart is rejoiced
thereat.’Hence this water of Edfu is called (the water of grapes).
“And Hor-Be%udet said:‘March on, O Ra, and behold thine
[221] enemies under thy feet in this land.’ When the Majesty of Ra