Set
Set (deity) or Seth, an ancient Egyptian deity.
Last updated
Set is an ancient Egyptian god associated with deserts, storms, disorder, violence, and foreigners. His name, originally pronounced sūtiẖ, is of unknown meaning, and in later periods was rendered as Sēt in Coptic, from which the English vocalization derives. In art, Set is typically depicted as a mysterious creature known as the Set animal, which has a downward-curving snout, long squared-off ears, a thin forked tail with tufts, and a slender canine body. This animal has never been definitively identified with any known species, though hypotheses include the aardvark, African wild dog, donkey, hyena, jackal, or giraffe.
During the Late Period, Set was often shown as a donkey or a man with a donkey’s head. The earliest commonly cited representation of the Set animal appears on a ceremonial macehead of the predynastic ruler Scorpion II. Set was the son of Geb (the earth) and Nut (the sky), and his siblings included Osiris, Isis, and Nephthys. He married Nephthys, though some Egyptologists doubt that he was considered the father of Anubis, with Osiris sometimes taking that role.
Family
Set also had relationships with the foreign goddesses Anat and Astarte. From these relationships is said to be born a crocodile deity called Maga. In mythology, Set played a positive role by accompanying the sun god Ra on his barque to repel the serpent of chaos, Apep.
He was lord of the Red Land, the desert, serving as a balance to Horus’s lordship over the fertile Black Land. The most famous myth involving Set is the Osiris cycle, where he murdered and mutilated his brother Osiris. Isis, with Nephthys’s help, resurrected Osiris long enough to conceive Horus, who then sought revenge. The conflict between Horus and Set for the throne of Egypt is a central theme, often depicted as a violent struggle or a legal judgment before the Ennead.
Conflict of Horus and Set
In some accounts, Set sexually abuses Horus, an act involving both degradation and homosexual desire. The rivalry appears in two forms: one where Horus is Osiris’s son and Set’s nephew, and another where they are brothers. The dispute drags on for eighty years in one text, with Horus repeatedly defeating Set but the creator god favoring Set. In a key episode, Isis accidentally strikes Horus with a harpoon, and he cuts off her head; Thoth replaces it with a cow’s head, explaining Isis’s cow-horn headdress.
Lore & Background
In art, he is most often depicted as a mysterious, unidentified creature known as the Set animal, which features a downward-curving snout, long ears with squared-off ends, a thin forked tail with fur tufts shaped like an inverted arrow, and a slender canine body. He may also appear as a human with the head of this animal. During the Late Period, Set was commonly portrayed as a donkey or a donkey-headed man. The earliest commonly cited representation of the Set animal appears on a ceremonial macehead of the ruler Scorpion II, showing the head and forked tail.
Set was lord of the Red Land, the desert, serving as the balance to Horus’s role as lord of the Black Land, the fertile soil. He played a positive role by accompanying the sun god Ra on his barque to repel the chaos serpent Apep. Set is the son of Geb (the Earth) and Nut (the Sky), and his siblings are Osiris, Isis, and Nephthys.
Common Misconceptions (Editorial)
- Some people assume Set was purely evil or a villain, but the facts show he had a positive role accompanying Ra on his barque to repel Apep, the serpent of Chaos, and served as lord of the Red Land, balancing Horus’s role.
- It is commonly believed that Set and Nephthys were definitely the parents of Anubis, but some Egyptologists have doubted whether Set was ever regarded as Anubis’s father.
- Another misconception is that Set was always depicted as a donkey or a man with a donkey head; in fact, for much of Egyptian history, he was shown as the enigmatic Set animal, which has not been definitively identified as any known species.
Why It Matters (Editorial)
Set endures as a figure of complexity in mythology, embodying the essential tension between chaos and order that ancient Egyptians saw as necessary for cosmic balance. His story reflects how cultures grapple with ambiguity, portraying even destructive forces as having protective and necessary roles within a larger system.
Reader's Guide
Set is a god of deserts, storms, disorder, violence, and foreigners in ancient Egyptian religion. He played a positive role by accompanying the sun god Ra on his barque to repel the serpent of Chaos, Apep, and served as a reconciled combatant. As lord of the Red Land, the desert, he balanced Horus’s role as lord of the Black Land, the fertile soil. In the Osiris myth, Set is the usurper who murdered and mutilated his brother Osiris.
Osiris’s sister-wife Isis, with the goddess Nephthys, reassembled the corpse and resurrected Osiris long enough to conceive his son and heir, Horus. Horus then sought revenge, and many myths describe their conflicts. Set is the son of Geb, the Earth, and Nut, the Sky; his siblings are Osiris, Isis, and Nephthys, whom he married. Some accounts say he fathered a crocodile deity called Maga with the foreign goddesses Anat and Astarte.
In art, Set is usually depicted as an enigmatic creature called the Set animal, with a downward-curving snout, long squared-off ears, a thin forked tail, and a slender canine body. During the Late Period, he is shown as a donkey or a donkey-headed man. The earliest possible representation of the Set animal appears on a macehead of Scorpion II.
An important element of Set’s mythology is his conflict with Horus for the throne of Egypt, often described as a legal judgment before the Ennead. The rivalry is portrayed in two ways: in some texts Horus is the son of Osiris and nephew of Set, while in others they are brothers. The struggle includes episodes such as boat races, hippopotamus fights, and Set sexually abusing Horus. In one story, Isis tries to harpoon Set but strikes Horus instead, who cuts off her head; Thoth replaces it with a cow’s head, explaining Isis’s cow-horn headdress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Set in Egyptian mythology?
Set is a major deity in ancient Egyptian religion associated with deserts, violent storms, chaos, and outsiders. His name was rendered as Sēth by the Greeks, and Egyptologists also write it as Sutekh or Seth.
What role does Set play in the myths?
Set serves as the lord of the Red Land (the desert), acting as a counterweight to Horus, who rules the fertile Black Land. He also has a protective function, riding alongside Ra's solar barque to drive away Apep, the chaos serpent.
What is Set's most famous story?
In the Osiris cycle, Set kills his own brother Osiris and dismembers his body, scattering the pieces across Egypt. This act of fratricide sets off the entire saga of Isis searching for the body and Horus avenging his father.
Who are Set's siblings?
Set is the brother of Osiris, Isis, Nephthys, and Horus the Elder, placing him at the center of the core family that drives the Osiris myth.
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Set (deity) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced