Week 5 Story: The Rise and Fall of Set
(Egyptian god Set from DeviantArt)
Look ye wanderers upon my tale book, and see that which should convince ye to not betray thine kin. Here we have the story of Set, brother of Osiris. Set was a god of Egypt, or more specifically, the god of storms and strange occurrences. His brother Osiris, god of the dead and the underworld, loved him dearly. But Set was not so warm-hearted. He loathed his brother's successes and wished the throne for himself. And for that reason, we have the story of Set's rise, and of his fall.
Set came to the place of Osiris bringing good tidings and wishes of merriment. He brought a great gift, a fine chest which he claimed that any man who could perfectly fit could have. Many men tried to fit in the chest in an attempt to win it, but none could. Along came Osiris, willing to play along with his brother's games. When he entered he discovered it was a perfect fit, and cozied up inside. At this time, Set's men came from the shadows and sealed the coffin shut permanently. This death left Set next in line for the throne, and he began ruling with an iron fist of tyranny.
Isis, wife of Osiris, made haste away from Set, and bore forth a son named Horus. Not immediately dealing with this was the greatest folly of Set, for this son of Osiris would eventually grow into his undoing.
After many hardships and trials, Horus grew to be a great man, and challenged Set for the throne after Set attacked his followers. The two battled viciously, and eventually had to be healed by Thoth, a god descended from Heaven. At this time, Set claimed that he alone had the right to the throne, but the gods of Heaven ruled in favor of Horus.
And thus, Set's time as ruler of Egypt came to an end. Horus grew to be a wise king as his father before him, and led the people of Egypt justly. Let this be a lesson one way or another to ye wanderers. Do not betray thy kin. Or at the very least, tie up your loose ends...
Author's Note: In this story, I took part of the story for this week about Ancient Egypt and condensed/retold it in my own way, sort of in the way of an olde timey storyteller. More specifically, I took the part of Set's Rise and Fall to the throne of Egypt through his betrayal of Osiris and Horus's usurping of Set.
I also wrote my story based on this myth, but I focused on Isis as my main character. I loved that you chose Set as the focus of your adaptation. It's very interesting to see things from the villain's perspective. I also liked your old-timey style. Would you consider adding in more of Set's feelings and motivations, maybe some stuff that only he would know? I think that it would be really interesting to see "sympathy for the devil" here, you know? Great story!
ReplyDeleteHey Jacob!
ReplyDeleteI chose the Egyptian section for my reading this week as well. I really appreciated that you took the time to give a bit of backstory. When I read the tales, the transition from "they were brothers" to "Set hated Osiris" was very fast. You gave a bit of an explanation with your description of his jealousy, which made Set's character more three-dimensional. Good work! You also do a good job of cutting out some of the unnecessary details that made the original story pretty long. You've condensed it into something that more people will have the chance to read because it's shorter and more accessible. I was curious why you chose not to resolve Osiris' death? I realize it would've made the story a bit longer, but the ending without the rescue feels a bit unfinished. Is there a way to make his death valuable, so something is gained from it? Maybe there could be a mention to Horus ruling with justice to honor his father's memory? Overall, I really enjoyed your retelling. Your dedication to concision made this story much more readable and clear. Well done!
Hi Jacob!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read much about Egyptian folklore or its history but I found this version of your story very informative. I think someone reading this will have a good idea of the relationships that exist in the hierarchy of Egyptian gods. I felt like the plot was very straightforward and condensed which appears to be a goal of yours that you mention in the author's note and I think you definitely accomplished that. That being said I also think that the story could benefit from some more detail, especially at the point where Horus begins to grow up.