Is the Ancient Egypt section gone?
“The Sky-Religion in Egypt: Its Antiquity and Effects” by G. A. Wainwright is one of the most important books on ancient Egypt I have ever read. Even where Herman Te Velde falters in tracing Set back in time, Wainwright succeeds. This book confirms so much information that, until now, many of us likely thought to be modern theory. This includes Set being the original central deity of the Egyptians, a benevolent god interested in the welfare of the people and in the deification of the pharaoh, with the pharaoh as Set’s representative here on earth. Wainwright even traces the fall of this original “Sky Religion” (or Stellar Tradition) through the pharaoh’s growing obsession with this life and their power here, moving towards Solar Religion in order to maintain their power and position. I have noted some of my most important highlights and take aways here for all to see, and hopefully more people will reach out and get the book. It is actually very affordable and available on Amazon. Enjoy, and like the name of Set, so too may your name endure!
- “In these hot lands the sun is the enemy of mankind, scorching up everything.” (p.1
- “What is earnestly desired in these countries… is the rain.” (p.1)
- “[In the] end nearly every god had been so solarized that it is no easy matter to disentangle his original nature.” (p.1)
- “In fact, all over east Africa the sky-god who sends the rain is supreme…” (p.2)
- “…unable to discover any signs of sun-worship in the Sudan. This concern with the sky is so primitive that there is hardly a corner of the earth wither man has not carried it.” (p.2)
- “The sky religion is part and parcel of man’s preoccupation with his own health and wealth.” (p.2)
- “The holder [of divinity] should lay down his life whilst still in his prime.” (p.4)
- “In Egypt it will be seen that Seth, the storm god, had been liable to death, and tradition states that that death had been by fire. But in historic times he, and the Pharaoh his representative, were able to escape.” (p.6)
- “Very little research had been done on this great system in Egypt. Indeed, until quite recently this whole background… of Egyptian religion has been ignored. Detailed study has been confined in the first place to the well-known Osiris religion, which overrode almost everything else as time went on, and in the second place to the sun worship which became prominent as the royal religion… My work has shown that the sky and fertility religion of Egypt include some of her most ancient gods.” (p.7)
- “In those days the inundation of the Nile did not affect the crops… They were dependent for their growth upon the rains of heaven, and these were abundant, for in those days North Africa was in the pluvial zone much as Europe is today.” (p.8)
- “My studies of the Egyptian sky religion have shown it to have been extremely ancient. In fact, many of the gods encountered are so ancient that they were lost during historic times, or at best had become such shadowy figures that they appear to us as little more than names.” (p.9)
- “But two of these sky gods lasted on in full vigor down to the end of Pharaonic history. These are Seth and Min, and they or their prototypes take us back to the earliest age at which we are able to see any details of the primitive inhabitants’ way of life.” (p.10)
- “Hence, the originals of the historic storm god, Seth, were already prominent when we get our earliest glimpse of life on the “desert” bordering the Nile.” (p.11)
- “The stars must figure large to those who in a clear atmosphere think about the sky, and of them the Imperishable Stars were particularly important to the Egyptians. The chief of these was the constellation of the Great Bear and it belonged to Seth.” (p.13)
- “Rameses II was thought to have influence with Sutekh, Seth the storm god, and… he belonged to the 19th dynasty, when there was a great recrudescence of Seth worship.” (p.15)
- “It is natural to find [divine kings] curing the sick and playing their part in the labors of the field.” (p.18)
- “The Sed-Festival belongs to the old sky and fertility religion…” (p.21)
- The [Sed-Festival] clearly went back at least into prehistoric times. But it was still more ancient than that, even going back to Libyan days.” (p.23)
- “The sky religion and its practices were ancient and account for much that has hitherto been obscure.” (p.26)
- “[The Pyramid Texts] give some details of the death of which the sky god Seth, and the pharaoh, his representative here on earth, were liable and their escape from it.” (p.26)
- [From the Pyramid Texts]: “Pepi has escaped the day of his death even as Seth escaped the day of his death… Pepi is a star which illumineth the sky. Ascent thou to this Pep, Oh God, that he may be protected, so that neither heaven nor earth may be void of this Pepi forever…” (p.26-7)
- “Both the sky god Seth and the king, his representative here on earth, were subject to death at certain fixed periods. Equally it was possible for them to avoid it.” (p.27)
- “As late as the 19th dynasty a section of the Egyptians were known to be “Followers of Set”…” (p.31)
- “…the sacred animals in whom Seth was incarnate were held accountable for the health of the people and a proper supply of water…” (p.32)
- “Sometimes a human substitute is found for the king, and sometimes and animal is considered sufficient, or finally a vegetable or even an inanimate object.” (p.51)
- “…the ashes of Seth sacrifices were treated as rain charms.” (p.57)
- “There is of course yet another way of avoiding the extreme penalty of kingship. This is by magic… the Sed-Festival was for the renewal of life in the pharaoh.” (p.61)
- “…the Old Kingdom saw the establishment of Sun worship as the religion of the kings… The change was slow and halting… all through the 5th and 6th dynasties it was only very occasionally that the kings called themselves “Son of the Sun.”… this was not used regularly until the 11th dynasty.” (p.65)
- “At the end of the 2nd dynasty there had been a great resurgence of [Seth’s] worship under the Seth-King Persabsen.” (p.65)
- “In fact, the movement [to Solar religion] seems to have been the same as Akhenaten’s, away from the Old Religion towards Ra-worship. But while the early movement was long drawn out and gradual, Akhenaten’s failed after the one lifetime.” (p.65)
- “All of this has its roots in the remotest past before the people had drifted into the Nile Valley; when they were still living in Libya, and were dependent for their water upon the rain, not the Nile.” (p.71)
- “There is a curious detail which recurs several times in these stories. It is said that so many of the kings were blind… the god who preceded Horus there was Mhnty-n-irty, ‘he who is without eyes.”… Horus himself was partially blinded by Seth… it is a regular part of the sky religions.” (p.76)
- “Another point which emerges is the continual recurrence of the numbers nine and seven. Both of these are well known in the primitive sky fertility religions of the world… the cycle of nine is not so common in Egypt as that of seven.” (p.78-9)
- “In their struggle to escape their fate under the old sky religion… the 4th dynasty pharaohs sought refuge in sun-worship.” (p.82)
- “[The Old Kingdom’s] movement towards Ra worship had been succeeded [by a] return to the Old Religion.” (p.84)
“The Sky-Religion in Egypt: Its Antiquity and Effects” by G. A. Wainwright is one of the most important books on ancient Egypt I have ever read. Even where Herman Te Velde falters in tracing Set back in time, Wainwright succeeds. This book confirms so much information that, until now, many of us likely thought to be modern theory. This includes Set being the original central deity of the Egyptians, a benevolent god interested in the welfare of the people and in the deification of the pharaoh, with the pharaoh as Set’s representative here on earth. Wainwright even traces the fall of this original “Sky Religion” (or Stellar Tradition) through the pharaoh’s growing obsession with this life and their power here, moving towards Solar Religion in order to maintain their power and position. I have noted some of my most important highlights and take aways here for all to see, and hopefully more people will reach out and get the book. It is actually very affordable and available on Amazon. Enjoy, and like the name of Set, so too may your name endure!
- “In these hot lands the sun is the enemy of mankind, scorching up everything.” (p.1
- “What is earnestly desired in these countries… is the rain.” (p.1)
- “[In the] end nearly every god had been so solarized that it is no easy matter to disentangle his original nature.” (p.1)
- “In fact, all over east Africa the sky-god who sends the rain is supreme…” (p.2)
- “…unable to discover any signs of sun-worship in the Sudan. This concern with the sky is so primitive that there is hardly a corner of the earth wither man has not carried it.” (p.2)
- “The sky religion is part and parcel of man’s preoccupation with his own health and wealth.” (p.2)
- “The holder [of divinity] should lay down his life whilst still in his prime.” (p.4)
- “In Egypt it will be seen that Seth, the storm god, had been liable to death, and tradition states that that death had been by fire. But in historic times he, and the Pharaoh his representative, were able to escape.” (p.6)
- “Very little research had been done on this great system in Egypt. Indeed, until quite recently this whole background… of Egyptian religion has been ignored. Detailed study has been confined in the first place to the well-known Osiris religion, which overrode almost everything else as time went on, and in the second place to the sun worship which became prominent as the royal religion… My work has shown that the sky and fertility religion of Egypt include some of her most ancient gods.” (p.7)
- “In those days the inundation of the Nile did not affect the crops… They were dependent for their growth upon the rains of heaven, and these were abundant, for in those days North Africa was in the pluvial zone much as Europe is today.” (p.8)
- “My studies of the Egyptian sky religion have shown it to have been extremely ancient. In fact, many of the gods encountered are so ancient that they were lost during historic times, or at best had become such shadowy figures that they appear to us as little more than names.” (p.9)
- “But two of these sky gods lasted on in full vigor down to the end of Pharaonic history. These are Seth and Min, and they or their prototypes take us back to the earliest age at which we are able to see any details of the primitive inhabitants’ way of life.” (p.10)
- “Hence, the originals of the historic storm god, Seth, were already prominent when we get our earliest glimpse of life on the “desert” bordering the Nile.” (p.11)
- “The stars must figure large to those who in a clear atmosphere think about the sky, and of them the Imperishable Stars were particularly important to the Egyptians. The chief of these was the constellation of the Great Bear and it belonged to Seth.” (p.13)
- “Rameses II was thought to have influence with Sutekh, Seth the storm god, and… he belonged to the 19th dynasty, when there was a great recrudescence of Seth worship.” (p.15)
- “It is natural to find [divine kings] curing the sick and playing their part in the labors of the field.” (p.18)
- “The Sed-Festival belongs to the old sky and fertility religion…” (p.21)
- The [Sed-Festival] clearly went back at least into prehistoric times. But it was still more ancient than that, even going back to Libyan days.” (p.23)
- “The sky religion and its practices were ancient and account for much that has hitherto been obscure.” (p.26)
- “[The Pyramid Texts] give some details of the death of which the sky god Seth, and the pharaoh, his representative here on earth, were liable and their escape from it.” (p.26)
- [From the Pyramid Texts]: “Pepi has escaped the day of his death even as Seth escaped the day of his death… Pepi is a star which illumineth the sky. Ascent thou to this Pep, Oh God, that he may be protected, so that neither heaven nor earth may be void of this Pepi forever…” (p.26-7)
- “Both the sky god Seth and the king, his representative here on earth, were subject to death at certain fixed periods. Equally it was possible for them to avoid it.” (p.27)
- “As late as the 19th dynasty a section of the Egyptians were known to be “Followers of Set”…” (p.31)
- “…the sacred animals in whom Seth was incarnate were held accountable for the health of the people and a proper supply of water…” (p.32)
- “Sometimes a human substitute is found for the king, and sometimes and animal is considered sufficient, or finally a vegetable or even an inanimate object.” (p.51)
- “…the ashes of Seth sacrifices were treated as rain charms.” (p.57)
- “There is of course yet another way of avoiding the extreme penalty of kingship. This is by magic… the Sed-Festival was for the renewal of life in the pharaoh.” (p.61)
- “…the Old Kingdom saw the establishment of Sun worship as the religion of the kings… The change was slow and halting… all through the 5th and 6th dynasties it was only very occasionally that the kings called themselves “Son of the Sun.”… this was not used regularly until the 11th dynasty.” (p.65)
- “At the end of the 2nd dynasty there had been a great resurgence of [Seth’s] worship under the Seth-King Persabsen.” (p.65)
- “In fact, the movement [to Solar religion] seems to have been the same as Akhenaten’s, away from the Old Religion towards Ra-worship. But while the early movement was long drawn out and gradual, Akhenaten’s failed after the one lifetime.” (p.65)
- “All of this has its roots in the remotest past before the people had drifted into the Nile Valley; when they were still living in Libya, and were dependent for their water upon the rain, not the Nile.” (p.71)
- “There is a curious detail which recurs several times in these stories. It is said that so many of the kings were blind… the god who preceded Horus there was Mhnty-n-irty, ‘he who is without eyes.”… Horus himself was partially blinded by Seth… it is a regular part of the sky religions.” (p.76)
- “Another point which emerges is the continual recurrence of the numbers nine and seven. Both of these are well known in the primitive sky fertility religions of the world… the cycle of nine is not so common in Egypt as that of seven.” (p.78-9)
- “In their struggle to escape their fate under the old sky religion… the 4th dynasty pharaohs sought refuge in sun-worship.” (p.82)
- “[The Old Kingdom’s] movement towards Ra worship had been succeeded [by a] return to the Old Religion.” (p.84)