Edfu

Edfu is one of the most famous Greco-Roman temples in Egypt. It is also very large. I like it a lot because it is dedicated to Horus, son of Osiris & Isis, and consort of my beloved Hathor. Hathor of Dendera (another beautiful and important temple) visited Horus of Edfu once a year in a huge festival called The Feast of the Joyous Union. It was pretty popular, apparently, and lasted about a month (they gave away free beer and bread!).

The huge pylon.



An interesting scene from inside the temple. This is a depiction of the epic battle between Horus and Seth, Horus being Osiris' child, and Seth being Osiris' murderer and brother. They are struggling over who deserves to be the ruler of Egypt/the world, and they fight for many years. In this photo, however, the formidable god Seth is depicted as a tiny hippo. Isn't that odd? Considering how powerful he was supposed to have been? It does seem strange to me, with my American movie upbringing - villains are supposed to be very powerful and frightening, and to be destroyed only with extreme effort, strength, and skill.

But for the Ancient Egyptians, depictions, and words, were just as real as the real thing - in fact, they could bring these things into being. So it was too dangerous to depict a huge, vicious hippo as the god Seth, because then maybe it would come into existence that way, and Horus wouldn't be able to defeat it. Better to depict him as a harmless little guy, with Horus huge and powerful, just to be safe.

Isn't he cute, though? Poor guy...

Another one - he's on his back here!

Oh, Seth. (Interestingly, Seth was extremely popular in the Oases, especially in Dakhla, even after he'd fallen out of favor in the Valley. He was popular, they presume, because he was so dangerous - the idea is that you appease a dangerous god so he'll come protect you from other dangerous things, of which there were presumably perceived to be more in the vast mysterious desert around the oases...)