Birth &
Flight of Horus
Then there is the myth
sometimes called the Birth and Flight of Horus. This
tale, found in the Coffin Texts, is a combination of two
stories. The first is the birth of Horus, and the second
is a very old and fragmented myth that the sun burst out
of an egg laid by a primeval being or goose floating on
the primordial waters before creation. The Birth and
Flight of Horus begins just after Osiriss death.
The tone is much more serious than that of the Delta
Cycle or the Great Quarrel.
The world was being terrorized by Set.
Isis dreamed that she would have a son who would avenge
her husbands death and asked Atum if this son would
be allowed a seat on the sun boat. However, just before
the birth, Isis realized that she would be giving birth
to a Falcon, not a child. Upon the birth, Atum saluted
Horus and told him that he would give him his name after
Horus flew to the horizon. While the company was
discussing other matters, such as Horuss seat on
the boat, Horus flew up on his own, higher than even the
"old" gods who inhabited the constellations.
Horus proclaimed to the gods below that he would, indeed,
avenge his fathers death.
This myth, as mentioned before,
combines two others together. According to some sources,
there were actually two gods named Horus. The first, the
original Falcon, flew up at the beginning of time upon
his birth. The second, son of Isis, was forced to grow up
in secret for fear of Set, as described in the Delta
Cycle myth. The myth of the Birth and Flight of Horus
brings these two gods into one.
|