. The Mythology of all races .. . idea corresponded withtheir own myth of Osiris-Seth in manyversions of universal mythology. Inlike manner the probable original iden-tity of Orion (or his counterpart ordouble, Canopus, the steersman of the ship Argo?), with the ferrymanFig. 58. The Double Orion ^^ ^^^ j^^^^ ^^^^ ..^j^^^^ ^^^^ j^ backward or who looks backward was forgotten atan even earlier date.^ Among the other decans the most remarkable is the six-teenth, the principal star of the constellation Shesmu (Greektranscription lea/jbrj), an old deity of somewhat violent char-acter who occasional
. The Mythology of all races .. . idea corresponded withtheir own myth of Osiris-Seth in manyversions of universal mythology. Inlike manner the probable original iden-tity of Orion (or his counterpart ordouble, Canopus, the steersman of the ship Argo?), with the ferrymanFig. 58. The Double Orion ^^ ^^^ j^^^^ ^^^^ ..^j^^^^ ^^^^ j^ backward or who looks backward was forgotten atan even earlier date.^ Among the other decans the most remarkable is the six-teenth, the principal star of the constellation Shesmu (Greektranscription lea/jbrj), an old deity of somewhat violent char-acter who occasionally appearsas the lord of the last hour ofthe night.^^ From the hiero-glyph of a press which markshis name, later theologians in-ferred that he was an oil-presserand master of the laboratory,a giver of ointment; but earliertexts describe him rather as abutcher or as a cook.^^ He is pictured in human form or withthe head of an ox or of a lion, the latter apparently being themore original. In other words, Shesmu seems to be the com-. FiG. 59. The Ferryman of the Dead OTHER GODS CONNECTED WITH NATURE 59 panion of the goddess Shesemtet, who likewise was probablylion-headed. Her members once were thought to be repre-sented in the tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth one time, therefore, she was a powerful divinity and wascalled mistress of the sky, but she was almost forgotten evenin the Pyramid Period and later disappeared completely; asearly as 2000 her name^^ is so corrupted in the list ofdecans as to be devoid of meaning. ^^ The seven-starred constellation of Ursa Major (CharlessWain, popularly called the Great Dipper in the United States)was only later fully identified with the wicked god Seth-
Size: 1968px × 1270px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectmythology, bookyear19
