Lord Setekh
Photo of a statue of Set, courtesy of my friend Nebet-Seta.
I Can't Make You Love Me
Click to download Seth's Song
Set, Setekh, Sutekh, Seth
(derived possibly either from the word "to dazzle" (setken) or "stabilizing staff/pillar" (setes)-
name speculations from Kemet.org
Setekh is shown as a dark skinned man, with a bone white canid head (which the most convincing argument is for the grayhound), brilliant red hair and bright green eyes. Sometimes he has a stiff white forked tail which resembles a stylized lightening bolt. He also normally wears a shirt. He carries the ankh, sign of life, just like the other Gods. His weapons are the palm rib rod, the mace, the spear and the djeh rod (dog-headed and fork-tailed like him, magical and represents strength).
God of the desert, master of the storm, lord of unrequieted love, the Lord of Barren Places, King of Starless Nights and Blackest Shadows, God of Avenging Wrath, Defender Against Invaders, Lord of Silent Longing Love, Father of Anpu(Anubis), Husband of his beloved Nebe Het(Nephthys), The One Whom is Alone, Defender of the Annead, Slayer of Aser(Osiris), Destroyer of Apep(Apophis). ... Seth has many incarnations. He is best known for the enraged slaughter of his brother, Osiris for sleeping with his wife ,Nephthys, (albeit under the influence of one too many brews)-- and the subsequent torture/challenging of his brother's son, Horus.
Ancient Egypt, Kemet, did not have a concept of "Evil" as the West defines it. A more accurate term would be "Too Powerful". These beings aren't malicious, merely incredibly powerful and overwhelm most human senses.
Set is the strongest of the Gods, defender of the Ennead. Set is not unusually wrathful among the Gods, nor is he malicious. He sought revenge where revenge was due, he has a wild sense of humor-- he is a quiet, lonely God who never really fit in with the others. He's prone to bursts of loquacious activity and long stony silences. He enjoys best roaming his wastelands and thundering in the skies alone.
He is the father of Anpu by his wife Nebt Het. His other wives are the martial Nit and the gentle Amnesh. Their sons are, respectively, Sobek and Upuat. His lone close companion is the ever-watchful Maduma (Mimiru), lord of Fishes.
I picked the background song for Set because if a man were singing it- it could be Set singing to Nebt Het. I feel his loneliness in the music.
"Jealous I am
But what man is not?
What man with a lovely wife
Can say that he has not been jealous
Without lying?
I slew my brother, flesh of my flesh,
But not without cause,
For in a drunken stupor,
He lay with my bride,
What man has not wished to
Kill the defiler of his beloved?
I tortured and fought with his boy, true
For in him I saw his father's taint
And his mother's sharp tongue
And the recklessness of youth
But I and my brother are in peace now,
Even if my nephew and I are not
My brother has no claim on my issue
Anpu is MY son
No more need to be said
I am vindicated by the form of my son
Son of his father
I am chaos, as freedom is chaos
As life is chaos
As love is chaos
My laughter is the thunder
My tears dry to become the golden sands
My loneliness fills the barren places
I am Setekh, Dark Prince
Lord of Strength
White Hound of the Wastes
Protector of the Ennead
and Defender of Kemet."
Lord Setekh as related to Ihyani in meditation.
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| Photo of a statue of Set, courtesy House of Netjer member Imakhu James
Whitfield. |
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 Set praises Ramses II inside his temple at Abu Simbel. Photograph
taken by Imakhu James Whitfield. | | |
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Nebt Het Beloved of Set. Original sketch by Ihyani, me.
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