193: Slaying the Bull of Seth (Ramesses’ First Rodeo)

The History of Egypt Podcast

Dominic Perry

Society & Culture, History

4.8 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 18 October 2024

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the Temple of Sety I at Abydos, an out-of-the-way corridor preserves a unique image. The King of Egypt, and his eldest son, wrangle and subdue a bull. This scene appears simple, at first glance. But it has a wealth of deeper symbolism and meanings. In this episode, we explore the idea of Bulls as images of power and violence, and their relationship with gods like Osiris and Seth… Episode logo: Ramesses and the Bull, by artist Brenna Baines (commissioned by The History of Egypt Podcast). Full version available on my Patreon (link below). The Bull Hall photos by Heidi Kontkanen at Flickr.com. The Bull Hall in Peter Brand, Monuments of Sety I (2000) available free online. The History of Egypt Podcast: Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net. Sound effects purchased from Pond5. Select Bibliography: M. Abuel-Yazid, ‘Architecture of the Slaughterhouse of the Seti Temple at Abydos’, in I. Regulski (ed.), Abydos: The Sacred Land at the Western Horizon (2019), 7—24. L. Baqué, ‘“On that Day When the Long-Horned Bull was Lassoed...” (PT [254] 286). A Scene in the “Corridor of the Bull” of the Cenotaph of Sethos I in Abydos: An Iconologic Approach’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 30 (2002), 43—51. P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (2000). Available free online. R. H. Wilkinson, The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt (2003). J. M. Galán, ‘Bullfight Scenes in Ancient Egyptian Tombs’, Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 80 (1994), 81—96. See website for complete reference list. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The new 5 pound meal deal from McDonald's.
0:02.6	Get a cheeseburger on Mayo Chicken,
0:04.6	medium fries, 4 McNuggets, and a medium soft drink,
0:07.6	but guess what? That's right?
0:09.2	Five pounds!
0:11.2	It's not called the 5 pound meal deal for nothing.
0:13.4	From 11 a.m. not available on delivery.
0:16.7	Carbinated soft drink upgrade fees apply, participating restaurants subjects
0:19.4	availability.
0:20.4	Before we begin a quick note this episode includes scenes of violence directed towards animals
0:27.8	that may not be suitable for all audiences so please use discretion when listening to this chapter.
0:34.0	Thank you.
0:37.0	Long, long, long ago, in the ancient days of gods, the king of Egypt, Ucyir, or Osiris, fell to the ground.
0:51.0	He lay upon his side, felled by an act of treachery.
0:55.6	His murderer, the god's brother, Suitek, commonly known as Seth.
1:01.8	Suitek drove his kin down, using his might in Seth this murder, how Seth did it, when it happened, and where. That varies from story to story. But in one
1:18.2	version, Seth attacked Osiris in the form of a bull. As a great and fearsome animal Seth drove
1:26.5	Osiris to the ground with the strength of his foreleg, his hepeche. The bull's leg was mighty indeed, and Seth later gained an epithet
1:36.7	Usere hepech or powerful of foreleg. With his hoof the treacherous god slew his royal brother, and a time of chaos began.
1:47.0	Of course Seth's treachery did not go unpunished. In the pyramid texts the eldest son of
1:57.6	Osiris, the great god Horace, cut off the foreleg of Seth. He took that leg, now called the Mashetiu, and touched it to the lips of Osiris.
2:09.0	Doing this, Horace opened the mouth of his dead father, allowing him to breathe, to speak, to eat, and even to see.
	...

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