Egyptian Mythology - The Misunderstood God? Quiz

Answer: Nephthys

As compensation for the council of the gods ruling that Horus should inherit Osiris' title as king, Seth was given the goddesses Astarte and Asat as wives. Due to Seth's association with the desert and infertility, he never fathered any children, and Nephthys eventually left him following his murder and mutilation of their brother, Osiris.

Answer: Because is it 'unclean'

For the same reasons, Seth is also associated with the hippopotamus. In one myth, the final battle in the living realm between Seth and Horus, Seth transforms into a giant hippopotamus before he is slain by a harpoon. The long-snouted animal whose head Seth possesses in many depictions is thought to be either a donkey or an ant-eater.

Answer: Typhon

The curved snout and square ears of the animal head of Seth matches a description of the monstrous Typhon from Greek mythology. It is likely that the association with Typhon, who fathered most monsters of Greek mythology with his wife Echidna, was part of the demonisation of the once benevolent Seth.

Answer: The Was sceptre

The original positive associations of this symbol seem to have been somewhat lost due to the use of the Was sceptre by Seth, the now discredited god. The sceptre was also linked to the well-being of the dead, and would often be one of the ornaments buried with a person who had died.

Answer: Lettuce

This particular tale is one of the more bizarre in Egyptian mythology. Seth, a highly sexual god (despite being infertile), at first tried to rape his nephew Horus. However, Horus caught his uncle's sperm in his hands and ran to his mother Isis. Isis was outraged and cut off Horus' hands, quickly fashioning him a new pair.

In retaliation, Horus sprinkled his own semen on Seth's lettuce. Since the ancient Egyptians held the belief that the victim of rape was the one who was to be shunned, Seth, who was found to contain the seed of Horus, was scorned by his fellow gods.

Answer: Deserts

Seth's association with the desert predated this encounter with Horus, but the removal of his testicle was used to explain the infertility of the Egyptian deserts. Horus' action was in retaliation to Seth ripping out his eye. Horus' eye was later replaced by Thoth, and it became known as the 'Udjat' and was associated with the moon.

Answer: He helped Re defeat Apep each night

This refers to the journey Re makes each night after sunset, where he encounters the evil serpent Apep, whose goal it is to destroy the sun and, with it, the balance (or Ma'at) of the universe. Seth is one of the many gods who accompanies Re and he, more than any, uses his strength and wit to defeat Apep.

Answer: Demonisation by followers of Horus in Lower Egypt

Perhaps counter-intuitively, Upper Egypt was actually to the south of Lower Egypt. The extent of the demonisation of Seth was such that some depictions of him were altered to show Thoth instead. The role of Seth as protector from the evil god Apep can therefore be considered one tale which failed to be erased by those who hated Seth.

Answer: True

The pharaonic name Seti is taken from Seth (or Set) and was the name of two pharaohs of the Nineteenth Dynasty (1292 to 1186 BC). Whereas worship of Seth was usually discouraged since it was seen to bring misery, it did often bring the perk of nice weather.

Answer: Seth himself

The council of gods recognised Horus' strong claim, as the son of Osiris, to the throne, but some thought he was too young and one god even claimed that he could not be king since "his breath smelled terrible". The final condemnation came from Seth himself, who was tricked into siding with a figure representing Horus in an analogous situation described by Isis.

Despite this, Seth continued his war with Horus, as described in my quiz "Egyptian Mythology - The Death of Osiris", until his death.