Agency in the Face of Adversity
Olivia Church
Aset is a Goddess (a Netjeret in ancient Egyptian)with an extraordinary history, reaching back to at least the 5th Dynasty of Egypt’s Old Kingdom over 4400 years ago, so far as written words can tell.25 Aset wove her magic through ancient Egyptian culture for millennia, before the Greeks and Romans came to adopt her into their own religious systems, naming her “Isis”. The image we have of her today is highly influenced by this Graeco-Roman form, which is in part because this period of time (332 BCE – 395 CE) was when her cults were at their most widespread both within and beyond Egypt. On the other hand, however, such reinterpretations have perpetuated a Mediterranean portrait of Aset, following the antiquarian trend of claiming Egyptian heritage for Eurocentric narratives of history. It is therefore essential that we collectively reclaim Aset’s North African Egyptian origins in order to restore both her sovereignty as a Goddess and the sovereignty of North African cultural heritage. For this reason, I will refer to her as Aset for the remainder of this article, rather than Isis.
Aset is a Goddess who has endured through literally thousands of years’ worth of cultural exchanges. She has survived beyond the closure of her ancient temples and proves to be one of the most beloved Goddesses revived from the ancient world today. Aset’s popularity stems not only from her magical allure, exotic beauty, or shining regalia. She remains popular today due to her ability to empathise with the human condition, as well as her indominable sense of autonomy and personal agency. According to her ancient mythology, Aset was not a Goddess who surrendered to the great woes thrown her way: To modern readers at least, it is clear that Aset takes control of her situation and demonstrates how to handle challenges like a queen!
It is often said that knowledge is power, and this is certainly true according to ancient Egyptian religion and mythology. Aset was destined to become the divine queen of Egypt through her marriage to the God Wesir (known to the Greeks as Osiris), which conferred upon her significant authority and power;26 however, though a modern feminist reading one could suggest that Aset was not content to possess power which was reliant upon her marriage to a king. Instead she sought sovereignty in her own right by becoming skilled in magic and rich in wisdom. As a result, according to the Coffin Texts, Aset became renowned as a Goddess who knew everything “in the sky and on the earth.”27 The one thing that she did not know, however, was the true name of the Creator God Ra, a fact of which she was considerably aware.
The myth of Ra’s Secret Name describes how the God kept his true name hidden from all other creations in existence, to prevent any from causing him harm.28 The Egyptians believed that written and spoken words held great power and could be used to manipulate things in real life; this extended to someone’s name, their ren, which was considered a living part of them, as much as their physical or spiritual bodies.29 This meant that the possessor of Ra’s true name would have the power to manipulate the Creator God himself, for good or for ill. Without possession of his true name, no creature could harm him, except from himself. Aset’s intentions were not to cause the Creator harm, but to acquire his name, and the power it provided. A spell recorded in the Turin Magical Papyrus tells us how Aset, intent on obtaining this secret name, concocted a plan to trick Ra into revealing it willingly to her.30 Her plan was thus: To covertly collect some of Ra’s spittle as he slept and magically form a serpent with it. The serpent would then bite Ra necessitating that Aset come to his aid offering to heal him. In turn, she would cry out, if only she knew the name of the being which had harmed him! Inevitably Aset’s plan succeeded. Ra screamed in agonising pain following the serpent’s bite, whereupon the Goddess ran to his side offering to help him. Ra provided numerous alternative epithets to no avail. It became clear to him that he had no other option but to concede to Aset’s request.31 The tale ends with Aset learning his secret name, obtaining its power, and restoring Ra to health. Hereafter, she is known by the title, ‘weret hekau’ or ‘Great of Magic’.32
This myth demonstrates how, from the very beginning, Aset sought power for herself through the pursuit of knowledge. She fixed her attention upon her goal and set to achieve it by any means necessary. Her prioritisation of knowledge, above other forms of power, would prove to be invaluable to her throughout the rest of her mythology. She chose to empower herself, not only by her regal title, but in her embodied choices.
The story of Aset and Wesir is a famous one, which cannot be explored in full detail here; however, a summary of key moments serve to provide a portrait of Aset’s sense of agency. The first section of stories belonging to this mythic cycle survive through the combination of the Egyptian Stela of Amenmose and the retellings of the Greek authors, Plutarch and Diodorus Siculus.33 The myth unfolds with Aset and Wesir ruling as successful divine monarchs over Egypt. Their brother Sutekh (Greek Seth), God of the desert and thunderstorms,34 was jealous of Wesir’s good fortune, and from the Middle Kingdom onwards, Egyptian sources assert that Sutekh was responsible for the death of Wesir.35 The most common method recorded is that Sutekh tricked Wesir into entering a coffin whereupon he sealed the lid and cast him into the Nile to drown.36 Aset was stricken with grief. She had just lost her beloved in a devastating act of violence at the hands of her own family. The story goes on to describe how Aset fled in search for Wesir’s body and “did not rest until she found him…”37 Even as a mourning widow Aset did not succumb to her grief, determined to recover Wesir’s coffin. She trusted in her own magic to help him somehow and could not allow Sutekh to get away with his terrible crime.
Plutarch elaborates, explaining how Aset recovered the coffin containing Wesir’s body in the ancient city of Byblos, in modern day Lebanon.38 Aset brought his body back home to Egypt, but was unsuccessful in hiding it from the knowledge of Sutekh. Furious with Aset’s audacity to retrieve the body, Sutekh proceeded to viciously tear it into thirteen pieces and scatter them across Egypt.39 Although a devastating blow, Aset still refused to give in. Accepting that she needed help, she called upon her twin sister Nebet-hut (Greek Nephthys) to retrieve each part and perform a funerary rite which would restore Wesir back to life, long enough to conceive an heir. This is beautifully illustrated on numerous reliefs, with Aset in kite form hovering above Wesir’s body as Nebet-hut weeps.40 Though it may appear that Aset is the epitome of resourcefulness and strength, she is not devoid of feeling. The tears shed by her during this time were enough to cause the Nile to flood its banks:
“…I desire to see thee!
I am thy sister Aset, the desire of thine heart,
(Yearning) after thy love whilst thou are far away;
I flood this land (with tears) to-day…”41
The cries of grief expressed by Aset and Nebet-hut as they searched for Wesir were akin to the screeching of kites seeking carrion.42 Wesir’s funerary rites were likewise desperately sad:
“and our eyes are weeping for thee,
the tears burn.
Woe (is us) since our Lord was parted from us!”43
The events described above serve to demonstrate three key things: First, Aset recognises that sometimes even powerful individuals, such as herself, need help from others; she is not too proud to ask for this and trusts her sister (who is also her enemy’s wife) to support her.44 Second, once again, Aset refuses to give up when something traumatic happens to her and despite the turmoil, she is able to think rationally about how to handle her situation. Refusing to allow Sutekh to get away with his actions, Aset knew that in order to regain her sovereignty she would need to produce an heir who would challenge Sutekh’s claim to the throne. Third, in addition to displaying an iron-will to carry on, to fight against her aggressor, and to regain her authority, this queen remains in touch with her emotions. She cries literal floods of tears, she screams in rage, and is comforted by her sister. This shows how being in touch with one’s emotions does not compromise one’s strength in the face of adversity.
The subsequent events of Aset’s mythology detail the birth of her son Heru (Greek Horus) and his subsequent confrontation with Sutekh. As a mother, Aset expresses her fear over her infant’s survival, a concern which she would have shared with Egyptian mothers in antiquity, as well as many around the world today. Her vulnerability is described in the Metternich Stela, where Aset desperately seeks a cure for Heru, who has been bitten by a venomous creature.45 With the assistance of Djehuty (Greek Thoth), God of wisdom,46 Aset heals her son of his wound, powerfully declaring “every reptile with stings listens to me… Aset, great of magic…”47 Aset is thus able to claim her power and authority, earnt through her seeking knowledge and help from allies.
Though the stories relating to the Contendings of Heru and Sutekh concern the activities of their titular Gods, Aset exerts her will throughout. This narrative explores Egyptian questions regarding royal inheritance, asking who is more entitled, the experienced twin brother of the deceased king, or the king’s young son? To readers, the answer to this is clear from the start, with Aset’s name translating to “throne” and written with the throne hieroglyph itself.48 Heru is the one who, having sat upon the lap of Aset as an infant, has the direct right to sit upon the throne of Egypt as its king; however, though this right may seem obvious, according to the Papyrus Chester Beatty, the matter was not so straightforward.
It was decreed by the Divine Court of Gods, that Heru and Sutekh would have to fight for their claim to the throne through a series of contests. This announcement greatly angered Aset, who openly expressed her rage at the injustice. Attempting to silence her, Sutekh banished Aset from the island where the Gods were convening, instructing the God Nemty to deny her passage. It would not be true to Aset’s character if she had allowed herself to back down and be silenced; therefore, making use of her cunning, Aset disguised herself as an old woman to trick Nemty into allowing her passage.49 Upon her return she worked tirelessly to support Heru in his trials against Sutekh. Heru may appear to be the hero of the ancient narrative, but he could not have succeeded against his uncle without the aid of his mother’s magic and cleverness. Aset’s intervention was not always successful, as shown in one incident where her harpoon missed Sutekh and struck Heru instead.50 Nevertheless, Heru relied upon his mother’s help during other trials, ultimately leading to his victory. The stories in this myth demonstrate how Aset refused to back down when her voice was being silenced and how even in the face of failure, she persevered.
The myths above illustrate several points regarding Aset’s agency. She is a Goddess who sought her own power, beyond that which was conferred upon her through marital ties to a powerful God. Not only was she entitled to this sovereignty, but she also earnt it through her own volition. Aset refused to surrender her power to Sutekh when he usurped her crown, just as she repudiated attempts to silence her protests. She never allowed others to belittle and disempower her. In the face of great adversity and trauma, Aset openly expressed her emotions and was not too proud to ask for help when she needed it. Finally, Aset selflessly fought to rescue Wesir and defend Heru, at great personal risk, because she trusted in her power and what she believed in.51
The ancient myths of the Goddess Aset can serve as a mythic role model for active agency and taking command of our personal sovereignty. She can teach contemporary spiritual devotees and secular readers alike that we never need to accept another’s attempts to disempower us. Furthermore, Aset reassures us that there is no shame in feeling vulnerable at times and that our feelings do not exist at the expense of our strength. The devotion evident in her ancient devotees suggests that they too admired the divine humanity expressed in her mythology. Aset possesses a rich history and mythology, full of magic, love, grief, and wisdom, and her determination is a real source of strength, from which one can draw inspiration today.
(To be continued)
Details of On the Wings of Isis are found here.