Page:Books on Egypt and Chaldaea, Vol. 32--Legends of the Gods.pdf/71

 him that his foes were conspiring against him. Rā-Harmakhis in answer addressed Ḥeru-Beḥuṭet as his son, and commanded him to set out without delay and slay the wicked rebels. Then Ḥeru-Beḥuṭet took the form of a great winged Disk, and at once flew up into the sky, where he took the place of Rā, the old Sun-god. Looking down from the height of heaven he was able to discover the whereabouts of the rebels, and he pursued them in the form of winged disk. Then he attacked them with such violence that they became dazed, and could neither see where they were going, nor hear, the result of this being that they slew each other, and in a very short time they were all dead. Thoth, seeing this, told Rā that because Horus had appeared as a great winged disk he must be called "Ḥeru-Beḥuṭet," and by this name Horus was known ever after at Edfû. Rā set out with the goddess Āshtherṭet (Ashtoreth) to do this, and they saw the enemies lying fettered on the ground. The legend here introduces a number of curious derivations of the names of Edfû, &c., which are valueless, and which remind us of the derivations of place-names propounded by ancient Semitic scribes.

In gladness of heart Rā proposed a sail on the Nile, but as soon as his enemies heard that he was coming, they changed themselves into crocodiles and hippopotami, 