THE LEGEND OF RĀ AND ISIS
53
whereby the works of the houses are caused to come into being. I am Kheperȧ in the morning, and Rā at the time of his culmination (i.e., noon), and Temu in the evening."[1] Nevertheless the poison was not driven from its course, and the great god felt no better. Then Isis said unto Rā, "Among the things which thou hast said unto me thy name hath not been mentioned. O declare thou it unto me, and the poison shall come forth; for the person who hath declared his name shall live." Meanwhile the poison burned with blazing fire and the heat thereof was stronger than that of a blazing flame. Then the Majesty of Rā said, "I will allow myself to be searched through by Isis, and my name shall come forth from my body and go into hers." Then the divine one hid himself from the gods, and the throne in the Boat of Millions of Years[2] was empty. And it came to pass that when it was the time for the heart to come forth [from the god], she said unto her son Horus, "The great god shall bind himself by an oath to give his two eyes."[3] Thus was the great god made to yield up his name, and
- ↑ Khepera, Rā, and Temu were the three principal forms of the Sun-god according to the theological system of the priests of Heliopolis.
- ↑ The name by which the Boat of Rā is generally known in Egyptian texts. It was this boat which was stopped in its course when Thoth descended from the sky to impart to Isis the words of power that were to raise her dead child Horus to life.
- ↑ I.e., the of the sun, and the of the moon. The sun and the moon were the visible material symbols of the Sun-god.
