Page:The International Folk-Lore Congress of the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, July, 1893.djvu/554

 474 called Horns, says of the Egyptians: "You are a tear (remit) of my radiant person in your name as men (ret-u) ("Leps. Denkm." III. 136, 10-12). The sun-god also is called the weeping one (remi) (Navillej, "Litanie du Soleil," m. 27, p. 40). In the grave of Rameses II. (ib.), the weeping god (reminti), is implored to give life to the king; it is said that he formed himself by his tears, etc. Other things also come from the tears of the sun; thus the magical papyrus (Salt M. 825, London), from the time of the 21-26 dynasty, says, p. 2, 1. 5: "When the sun weeps for the second time and drops waters from its eyes this is changed into working bees; they work in flowers of all kinds, and produce honey and wax instead of water."

This creative power of tears is based upon the belief that in them, as in every part of the body and in every secretion, is contained some part of the ego secreting it. For that reason the ancient Egyptian magician, like the conjurers of other lands, employed something coming from the person or article, which was the object of his spells, in order to obtain or increase the necessary power. Thus, according to an Egyptian myth (Wiedemann, "Re., l. d. alt. Aeg," p. 29) Isis kneads from earth, and the saliva flowing from the mouth of the sungod, a serpent whose bite is so destructive that it threatens death even to Ra himself. Only by a counter spell, which he purchased dearly from Isis, could the sun-god save himself. If it was impossible to obtain any part of the person, a picture of him was drawn and the magic spells exercised over it, for to the Egyptian the picture embodies part of the being represented. He who injures the picture, injures the original; destruction of the picture may involve the destruction of the original. Instead of the picture, the name of the god or man may be used, which also is an integral part of that which it designates. Knowledge and, therefore, possession of it may also give power over the bearer of the name.

When he left his eye in the primordial waters Ra created a new one, a second sun. When the first sun was brought