The Conflict of Horus and Seth

This narrative, usually referred to as The Contendings of Horus and Seth, existing in different versions and dating back to the early Middle Kingdom (2040-1674 B.C.), describes how Seth said to Horus: "Come let us spend a pleasant hour at my house." Horus answered, "With pleasure, with pleasure." When it was evening a bed was spread for them and they lay down together. During the night Seth made his penis stiff and he placed it between the thighs of Horus. Horus put his hands between his thighs and caught the sperm of Seth. Then Horus went to his mother, Isis and said: "Help me! Come, see what Seth has done to me." And he opened his hand and let her see Seth's semen. With a scream she took her weapon and cut off his hand and threw it in the water, and conjured up for him a hand to make up for it. Then Isis helped Horus ejaculate and smeared his sperm over some lettuce, which was Seth’s favorite vegetable and which she then gave to him to eat. Later, when Seth boasted to the Ennead (the nine gods judging the conflict) that he had done the work of a male [warrior] on Horus, the gods screamed aloud, and belched and spat in Horus’ face.

An earlier but shorter version, dated c. 2000 B.C.,12 from the 12th Dynasty in the Middle Kingdom and from Lahun (Kahun), describes what happened a little differently: The divine person of Seth said to the divine person of Horus: "How beautiful are your buttocks, how vital! Stretch out your legs". And the Person of Horus said: "Watch out; I shall tell [this]!" Then he ran and told his mother Isis, that Seth desired to sodomize him. And she said to him: "Beware! Do not approach him about it! When he mentions it to you another time, then you shall say to him: 'It is too painful for me entirely, as you are heavier than me. My strength [backside] shall not support your strength [erection]'. Then when he gives you his strength, place your fingers between your buttocks. Lo, he will enjoy it exceedingly (?). [Keep] this seed which has come forth without letting the sun see it." Later, Isis threw Seth’s semen into a nearby stream, then spread some of Horus' semen on lettuce and gave it to Seth to eat. Later, when Seth boasted to the gods that he had sexually taken Horus, the youth denied it. To settle the argument, the gods called forth the seed of both. The seed of Seth answered from the water into which Isis had thrown it, while the seed of Horus came forth from Seth’s forehead in the form of a golden disk, which was grabbed by the moon god Thoth to become his symbol.