Legends of the Gods | Page 5

he gave some of the splendour of the other Eye, i.e., the Sun, and
he gave it a place in his Face, and henceforth it ruled throughout the
earth, and had special powers in respect of the production of trees,
plants, vegetables, herbs, etc. Thus from the earliest times the moon
was associated with the fertility of the earth, especially in connection
with the production of abundant crops and successful harvests.
According to the legend, men and women sprang not from the earth,

but directly from the body of the god Khepera, or Neb-er-tcher, who
placed his members together and then wept tears upon them, and men
and women, came into being from the tears which had fallen from his
eyes. No special mention is made of the creation of beasts in the legend,
but the god says that he created creeping things of all kinds, and among
these are probably included the larger quadrupeds. The men and
women, and all the other living creatures which were made at that time,
reproduced their species, each in his own way, and so the earth became
filled with their descendants which we see at the present time.
Such is the Legend of Creation as it is found in the Papyrus of Nes-
Menu. The text of both versions is full of difficult passages, and some
readings are corrupt; unfortunately variant versions by which they
might be corrected are lacking. The general meaning of the legend in
both versions is quite clear, and it throws considerable light on the
Egyptian religion. The Egyptians believed in the existence of God, the
Creator and Maintainer of all things, but they thought that the concerns
of this world were committed by Him to the superintendence of a series
of subordinate spirits or beings called "gods," over whom they believed
magical spells and ceremonies to have the greatest influence. The Deity
was a Being so remote, and of such an exalted nature, that it was idle to
expect Him to interfere in the affairs of mortals, or to change any
decree or command which He had once uttered. The spirits or "gods,"
on the other hand, possessing natures not far removed from those of
men, were thought to be amenable to supplications and flattery, and to
wheedling and cajolery, especially when accompanied by gifts. It is of
great interest to find a legend in which the power of God as the Creator
of the world and the sun and moon is so clearly set forth, embedded in
a book of magical spells devoted to the destruction of the mythological
monster who existed solely to prevent the sun from rising and shining.

II.

THE LEGEND OF THE DESTRUCTION OF MANKIND.

The text containing the Legend of the Destruction of Mankind is
written in hieroglyphs, and is found on the four walls of a small
chamber which is entered from the "hall of columns" in the tomb of
Seti I., which is situated on the west bank of the Nile at Thebes. On the
wall facing the door of this chamber is painted in red the figure of the
large "Cow of Heaven." The lower part of her belly is decorated with a
series of thirteen stars, and immediately beneath it are the two Boats of
Ra, called Semketet and Mantchet, or Sektet and Matet. Each of her
four legs is held in position by two gods, and the god Shu, with
outstretched uplifted arms, supports her body. The Cow was published
by Champollion,[FN#5] without the text. This most important
mythological text was first published and translated by Professor E.
Naville in 1874.[FN#6] It was republished by Bergmann[FN#7] and
Brugsch,[FN#8] who gave a transcription of the text, with a German
translation. Other German versions by Lauth,[FN#9] Brugsch,[FN#10]
and Wiedemann[FN#11] have appeared, and a part of the text was
translated into French by Lefebure.[FN#12] The latest edition of the
text was published by Lefebure,[FN#13] and text of a second copy,
very much mutilated, was published by Professor Naville, with a
French translation in 1885.[FN#14] The text printed in this volume is
that of M. Lefebure.

[FN#5] Monuments, tom. iii., p. 245.
[FN#6] Trans. Soc. Bibl. Arch., vol. iv., p. 1 ff.
[FN#7] Hieroglyphische Inschriften, Bl. 85 fl.
[FN#8] Die neue Weltordnung nach Vernichtung des sundigen
Menschengeschlechtes, Berlin, 1881.
[FN#9] Aus Aegyptens Vorzeit, p. 71.
[FN#10] Religion der alten Aegypter, p. 436.

[FN#11] Die Religion, p. 32.
[FN#12] A. Z., 1883, p. 32.
[FN#13] Tombeau de Seti I.,
Part IV., plates 15-18.
[FN#14] Trans. Soc. Bibl. Arch., vol. viii., p. 412 ft.

The legend takes us back to the time when the gods of Egypt went
about in the country, and mingled with men and were thoroughly
acquainted with their desires and needs. The king who reigned over
Egypt was