Myths featuring Set

Search by title and refine by origin, characters, tags, and sort order.

Set Tearing His Way Out of Nut's Womb

🏺 Egyptian MythologyOmbos (Naqada), EgyptSet • Nut • Geb

In the early ages of the Egyptian cosmos, the sky goddess Nut was forbidden from giving birth on any day of the year. Through Thoth's cunning, five extra days were created, during which Nut's children were born, including the chaotic god Set. Unlike his siblings, Set violently forced his way out of his mother's side, marking his arrival with turmoil and establishing his cult at Ombos.

Isis Serving as a Nursemaid to the Queen of Byblos in Disguise

🏺 Egyptian MythologyByblos, LebanonIsis • Osiris • Set

Following the tragic murder of Osiris by his brother Set, Isis embarked on a desperate quest to find her husband's remains, eventually arriving in the city of Byblos. Disguised as a mortal, she served as a nursemaid to the royal prince and attempted to grant him immortality through a ritual of fire. When the Queen of Byblos intervened out of fear, Isis revealed her divine nature and reclaimed...

Set Banished to the Desert Margins to Command the Fierce Storms

🏺 Egyptian MythologyWestern Desert, EgyptSet • Horus • Osiris

After the long conflict with Horus for the throne of Egypt, the god Set was assigned to rule the barren reaches of the Western Desert. While Horus maintained order in the fertile Nile Valley, Set became the master of the Red Land, commanding the fierce storms and protecting the sun god Ra from the serpent Apep. This myth illustrates the ancient Egyptian balance between the life-giving river...

Thoth Replacing Isis's Severed Head with the Head of a Cow

🏺 Egyptian MythologyHermopolis (El Ashmunein)Thoth • Isis • Horus

Following a violent clash where the sun-god Horus decapitated his mother Isis in a fit of rage, the wisdom-god Thoth intervened to restore her life. Using his supreme magical knowledge at Hermopolis, Thoth replaced Isis's lost head with that of a cow, transforming her appearance and forever linking her to the goddess Hathor. This act preserved the balance of the divine family and illustrated...

Set Tricking Osiris into the Beautifully Crafted Lead-Lined Chest

🏺 Egyptian MythologyMemphis (Mit Rahina), EgyptOsiris • Set • Isis

The jealous god Set conspires to overthrow his brother Osiris, the benevolent king of Egypt, by trapping him in a custom-made chest. During a grand banquet in Memphis, Set tricks Osiris into lying inside the ornate box, which is then sealed with molten lead and cast into the Nile. This act of treachery ends the golden age of Osiris and triggers Isis's long quest to recover her husband's body.

Set Gouging Out Horus's Left Eye During a Fierce Struggle

🏺 Egyptian MythologyLetopolis (Ausim), EgyptHorus • Set • Thoth

During the epic conflict between the gods Horus and Set for the throne of Egypt, Set violently gouged out Horus's left eye in a moment of brutal combat. This eye, which represented the moon, was later found and restored by the god Thoth, becoming the powerful Wedjat symbol. The myth explains the phases of the moon and the ultimate triumph of divine order over chaos.

Set Dismembering Osiris into 14 Pieces and Scattering Them Across Egypt

🏺 Egyptian MythologyNile River, EgyptOsiris • Set • Isis

After the jealous god Set murdered his brother Osiris, he discovered the hidden body and tore it into fourteen fragments to prevent his resurrection. These pieces were scattered across the Nile Valley, prompting the goddess Isis to undertake a monumental journey to recover them. This central myth explains the origin of the Egyptian nomes and the establishment of Osiris as the eternal Lord of...

Horus Decapitating Isis in a Fit of Rage

🏺 Egyptian MythologyTemple of EdfuHorus • Isis • Set

In the heat of the 'Contendings of Horus and Seth,' Isis takes pity on her brother Set and releases him from a magical trap. This act of mercy enrages her son Horus, who responds by decapitating her in a divine fit of fury. The god Thoth subsequently restores her by replacing her head with that of a cow, a central moment in the mythological development of the goddess's iconography.

Thoth Halting the Sun Boat to Descend and Cure Poisoned Baby Horus

🏺 Egyptian MythologyChemmis (Akhmim), EgyptThoth • Horus • Isis

When the infant god Horus was lethally poisoned by a scorpion in the marshes of Chemmis, his mother Isis let out a cry of such profound grief that it reached the heavens. In response, the wise god Thoth halted the Barque of Millions of Years, stopping the sun in its tracks to descend and heal the child. Using supreme magical incantations, Thoth expelled the venom and restored the future king,...

Set Transforming into a Hippopotamus to Capsize Horus's Boat

🏺 Egyptian MythologyNile River, EgyptHorus • Set • Isis

During the long conflict between Horus and Set for the throne of Egypt, the god of chaos transformed himself into a massive red hippopotamus. Set intended to lurk beneath the Nile and capsize Horus's boat, hoping to drown his rival and end the dispute once and for all. Through the intervention of his mother Isis and his own bravery, Horus managed to repel the beast using a divine harpoon,...