Seth represented turmoil, violence, storms, and arid environments. He is Osiris’ killer according to the Osiris myth (in some versions of the myth, he tricks Osiris into laying down in a coffin and then seals it shut.)
The presence of Seth presents a challenge for Egyptologists. He is frequently shown as an animal or as a human with an animal’s head. But they are unable to identify the animal that he is supposed to be. He typically has a long snout and long, squared-off ears. He has a slim, canine-like physique in his full animal form, as well as a straight tail with a tuft at the end. Many academics today hold the view that the Seth animal is a legendary composite and that there was never such an animal.
Lord of the desert and storms
Seth ruled the “red land”, the desert outside the fertile Nile valley, along with storms, violence and foreign lands. He is shown with the head of the “Seth animal”, a creature with a curved snout, square-tipped ears and a stiff forked tail that has never been matched to a real species. Red-haired people and red animals were associated with him.
Murderer and protector
In the Osiris myth Seth kills his brother Osiris and fights Horus for the throne for eighty years, losing one testicle while Horus loses an eye. Yet Seth was not simply evil. Every night he stood at the prow of Re’s solar boat and speared the serpent Apophis, protecting the sun on its journey through the underworld. Kings of the 19th Dynasty came from a family devoted to him: the name of Seti I means “man of Seth”.
Where to see Seth
At the Temple of Horus at Edfu, long reliefs on the inner enclosure wall show the Triumph of Horus, in which Horus harpoons Seth, shown as a small hippopotamus. At Abydos, the Temple of Seti I carries the king’s name in many cartouches; in some, the Seth animal was carefully replaced with an Isis knot, perhaps to avoid offending Osiris in his own holy city. Visit Abydos on our Dendera and Abydos day trip. In the Late Period, Seth’s image was often defaced as he came to be seen as an enemy of Egypt.
Quick facts
- Domain: desert, storms, chaos, foreign lands, strength
- Sacred animal: the “Seth animal”; also donkey, hippopotamus, pig
- Cult centres: Ombos (Naqada) and Avaris in the Delta
- Related deities: Osiris, Isis and Nephthys (siblings), Horus (rival)
Read about other gods in our ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses guide.