280:
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341:, with three distinguishing features: a stiff tail, often forked at the end, which stands straight up or at an angle, whether the animal is sitting, standing, or walking; its ears, also held erect, are usually depicted as squarish or triangular, narrowest at the base and widest at the squarish tops; and a long nose, often with a slight downward curve. It is normally depicted as black, but may also have been reddish.
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564:. Originally a vegetation-god, Osiris became one of the pre‑eminent gods of the Egyptian pantheon. Worship in the Osiris cult stressed the role of Set as violence personified; the murderer of his brother and usurper of his throne who, instead of standing alongside Horus, became his eternal enemy. This view of Set was encouraged during the
166:
Unlike other totemic animals, the Set animal is not easily identifiable in the modern animal world. Today, there is a general agreement among
Egyptologists that it was never a real creature and existed only in ancient Egyptian imagination. In recent years, there have been many attempts by zoologists
630:
or some other wild dog, although the jackal is usually identified with the god Anubis. In connection with Anubis, the jackal is never depicted with the distinguishing features of the Set animal: The stiff, typically forked tail; the squared ears; and the long, slightly curved nose. It is conceivable
551:
as part of their official nomenclature. This name identified the king as the god's representative on Earth. Seth-Peribsen, however, chose a Set name in place of a Horus name, while
Khasekhemwy's royal title invoked both of the great gods, presumably in an attempt to reconcile the followers of each
614:
has no independent mythology associated with it that could aid with identification in either reality or fantasy, outside of its association with Set. Although the Set animal is called the "Typhonic Beast", it is so-named because the Greeks equated Set or Sutekh with their own chaos-monster
659:: It is one of the oldest breeds of domesticated dog, has a curved snout, and nearly identical body to the hieroglyph, and is native to the region; when the Saluki runs, its ears and tail become vertical. Further it was historic practice and remains common throughout the
591:. Several kings of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Dynasties had royal names indicating their devotion to Set, and these names were written with a hieroglyphic representation of the god as a determinative. Here, Set is depicted as a seated deity with a Set animal's head.
539:, head of the Egyptian pantheon; and they were often depicted anointing the king, as the divine source of his authority. The association of Horus and Set probably reflected the reconciliation of a struggle between two royal cults. Following the unification of Egypt,
635:. Early representations of the Set animal frequently omit the fork at the end of the tail, or show it resembling a more naturalistic tuft instead, so the idea of the forked tail may have been symbolic rather than intended to show a trait of an actual animal.
1241:
461:. When Set was depicted as a human with only the head of the Set animal, he usually had a long, slightly curved nose, and erect ears, squared at the tops. Occasionally he was represented in animal form as the sha itself, with a long, down-turned
1066:
606:
Hieroglyphs and artwork of Set evolved over millennia until becoming standardized, making identification a difficult process; there is debate as to which hieroglyphs actually depict Set and the associated animal.
361:, a period of some two thousand years. Although sometimes described as a fantastic or composite animal, it was depicted in a realistic manner more typical of actual creatures. The sha is found on the ceremonial
823:
344:
The Set animal is usually depicted at rest, either lying down or seated. The shape of the head often resembles a giraffe, causing confusion between the two signs. The general body shape is that of a canine.
167:
to find the Set animal in nature. Whether or not the animal existed is currently unknown, yet it had much significance for the
Egyptians. The Set animal is one of the most frequently demonstrated animal
526:
Both the Second
Dynasty pharaohs Peribsen and Khasekhemwy, whose serekhs depict the sha, identified themselves as divine manifestations of Set on Earth, as previous kings had identified themselves with
515:. Was-sceptres were carried by gods, pharaohs and priests as a symbol of power and, in later use, control over the force of chaos (Set). The head and forked tail of the Set-animal are clearly present.
598:, however, Set was deeply unpopular: his worship was abandoned, and many depictions of him were destroyed or defaced. References to and depictions of the Set animal must have suffered a similar fate.
626:
Depictions of the Set animal as an animal appear distinctly canine, but the precise identity of the animal has never been firmly established. It is sometimes described as a
560:
Although Set was originally viewed as the son and defender of Ra and the
Egyptian kings, his reputation among the people declined along with the rise of the cult of
205:
for words portraying "items with chaos", example words related to "suffering, violence, perturbation", and also for "violent storms" of the atmosphere, a "
194:
E20, E21, is one of the portrayals of the god Set. The other common hieroglyph used to represent Set is a seated god with the head of the Set animal.
1289:
291:
687:, mentioned above, some scholars have historically suggested the Set animal may be a stylized representation of some other animal, such as an
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scepters are often depicted in paintings, drawings and carvings of gods and remnants of real was-sceptres have been found constructed of
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619:. Some Egyptologist speculate that it is a purely fantastic or composite animal, which never existed in nature – the opinion of
57:
43:
1137:. Probleme der Ägyptologie. Vol. 6. Translated by van Baaren-Pape, G.E. Leiden, NL: W. Helck / Brill. pp. 13–15.
261:
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71:
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The god Set was usually depicted as a man with a head resembling that of the sha, which is why the sha is referred to by
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that these features were added to representations of the jackal as a contrivance to distinguish Set from
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is an
Egyptian name only, and an epithet of Set, and was not the name the Hyksos used for their god.
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1089:
862:
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493:, all of which represented strength, power, protection, or wildness. The sha was also used as a
739:. Some of the suggested animals would be known to ancient Egyptians, but rarely or never seen.
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of hunting dogs. The Saluki is also depicted in hieroglyphs with no ostensible connection to
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931:(English, hardcover, 1st ed.). New York; London; Paris FR: Abbeville Press. p.
716:
17:
1163:(English, hardcover, 1st ed.). New York; London; Paris: Abbeville Press. p.
1283:
1243:
Reading
Egyptian Art: A Hieroglyphic Guide to Ancient Egyptian Painting and Sculpture
1157:
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Reading
Egyptian Art: A Hieroglyphic Guide to Ancient Egyptian Painting and Sculpture
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Some
Egyptian texts suggest that Set took the form of a dangerous animal, such as a
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535:, Horus and Set were generally viewed as twin supporters and defenders of the god
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Seth, God of
Confusion: A Study of His Role in Egyptian Mythology and Religion
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225:
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Moss, Ken (August–September 2009). "The Seth-Animal: A Dog and Its Master".
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onwards, it is possible the donkey was the inspiration for the Set animal.
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Who Were the Pharaohs?: A History of Their Names with a List of Cartouches
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or that it might represent a species that was rare and has since become
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Egyptian Grammar: Being an Introduction to the Study of Hieroglyphs
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on 22 November 2011 – via Internet Archive (archive.org).
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Egyptologist Ken Moss suggested the Set animal is in fact the
470:
297:
Obelisk text close-up (see outside the upper right of red box)
1116:
Det Kg. Dnaske Videnskabernes Selskab, Biologiske Meddelelser
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The sha is usually depicted as a slender canid, resembling a
671:, suggesting it was well known to ancient Egyptian people.
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959:
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in pursuit. Note the lofted ears and upwards-slanted tail.
1246:(Softcover ed.). Thames and Hudson. pp. 66–67.
357:
artwork from Naqada III until at least the period of the
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became identified with Set; a contrary view holds that
1220:(Softcover, unabridged ed.). Dover Publications.
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The god Set depicted as a man with a set-animal head.
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216:, the first known use of the Set animal was upon the
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228:. It was soon thereafter portrayed mounted upon the
151:. Because Set was identified with the Greek monster
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924:
783:—for the history of the Set animal mounted upon
1183:, focussing on major signs in seven categories.
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988:
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951:, focussing on major signs in seven categories.
746:or as a man with the head of a donkey from the
547:embraced the worship of Horus, by adopting the
197:The linguistic use of these hieroglyphs in the
8:
1159:Hieroglyphics: The Writings of Ancient Egypt
965:Wilkinson, Richard H. (1992). "Set Animal".
927:Hieroglyphics: The Writings of Ancient Egypt
886:McDonald, Angela; Riggs, Christina (2000).
473:. Other animals sacred to Set included the
155:, the animal is also commonly known as the
1196:(Softcover ed.). Dover Publications.
60:
46:
39:
248:Egyptians’ depictions of the set animal,
890:. Oxford: Archaeopress. pp. 75–77.
642:
389:; and, in the form of Set, in the royal
112:
796:
587:Set continued to be revered during the
257:
997:New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology
742:Since Set was typically depicted as a
1155:, (variant hieroglyph: set animal)".
923:, (variant hieroglyph: set animal)".
7:
497:in the names of Set and the goddess
1194:An Egyptian Hieroglyphic Dictionary
888:Current Research in Egyptology 2000
1109:"The sacred animal of the god Set"
832:. pp. 438–548. Archived from
25:
1267:
1018:. New York: Dover Publications.
869:. Studies in Egyptian Mythology.
568:, when Egypt was invaded by the
431:
309:
290:
278:
260:
1151:Betrò, Maria Carmela (1996) . "
919:Betrò, Maria Carmela (1996) . "
1107:Jensen, Adolf Severin (1934).
691:(a type of large white desert
353:Drawings of the sha appear in
1:
1290:Egyptian hieroglyphs: mammals
501:, who may be identified with
365:dating to Naqada III; on the
27:Totemic animal of the god Set
1295:Egyptian legendary creatures
1145:General and cited references
969:. London: Thames and Hudson.
828:(3rd ed.). Oxford, UK:
511:represent the Set-animal or
84:Depictions of the Set animal
1086:10.1524/klio.1912.12.12.397
1054:. Vol. 22, no. 1.
307:For further depictions, see
186:Hieroglyphic representation
1331:
1133:te Velde, H. (1967).
566:Second Intermediate Period
420:
212:According to Egyptologist
867:The Gods of the Egyptians
596:Third Intermediate Period
1274:Seth-animal (hieroglyph)
1067:"The Cult-animal of Set"
1014:Quirke, Stephen (1990).
781:Peribsen and Khasekhemwy
556:Disappearance of the Sha
325:Physical characteristics
316:Seth-animal (hieroglyph)
1240:(1994) . "Set Animal".
1065:Newberry, P.E. (1912).
121:, after an original by
18:Set-animal (hieroglyph)
675:Other proposed animals
652:
126:
817:"[full text]"
771:List of hieroglyphs/E
766:List of hieroglyphs/C
646:
543:and the kings of the
413:and his descendants.
318:at Wikimedia Commons.
285:Obelisk engraved text
116:
1305:Mythological hybrids
1276:at Wikimedia Commons
1181:Gardiner's sign list
949:Gardiner's sign list
639:Saluki (sight hound)
533:Old Kingdom of Egypt
417:Association with Set
214:Richard H. Wilkinson
131:ancient Egyptian art
733:elephant-snout fish
679:In addition to the
505:, the wife of Set.
1179:A primer based on
947:A primer based on
830:Griffith Institute
761:Egyptian mythology
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395:Nineteenth Dynasty
147:animal of the god
127:
123:E. A. Wallis Budge
1300:Mythological dogs
1272:Media related to
1218:The Rosetta Stone
407:Twentieth Dynasty
363:Scorpion Macehead
314:Media related to
218:Scorpion Macehead
199:Egyptian language
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1315:Set (deity)
748:Late Period
594:During the
589:New Kingdom
423:Set (deity)
379:Khasekhemwy
359:New Kingdom
238:Khasekhemwy
222:Scorpion II
94:hieroglyphs
1310:Naqada III
1284:Categories
897:1841712078
701:fennec fox
549:Horus name
455:Set animal
391:cartouches
387:Beni Hasan
335:fennec fox
226:Naqada III
201:is as the
135:Set animal
1216:(1989) .
1192:(1978) .
1094:194356108
815:(1957) .
792:Citations
665:crop ears
523:or wood.
487:crocodile
483:wild boar
411:Setnakhte
397:pharaohs
385:tombs at
331:greyhound
272:cartouche
180:crocodile
143:, is the
1034:22273879
906:46566993
865:(1904).
776:Mušḫuššu
754:See also
721:aardvark
693:antelope
647:Kurdish
503:Nephthys
491:scorpion
475:antelope
405:and the
355:Egyptian
192:Gardiner
88:Gardiner
999:. 1974.
737:extinct
725:giraffe
683:or the
453:as the
403:Seti II
393:of the
369:of the
367:serekhs
230:serekhs
207:tempest
145:totemic
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1171:
1092:
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