Professor Bacon's Notes
On Sunday, we had finally concluded our tireless research. We still had a couple of hours left before we were due to return to modern Cairo in BOB. We came up with a seemingly crazy idea to try to summon the gods of Ancient Egypt. I thought it was fruitless, for I would never think that these old guys would like Burger King. Suddenly, a bright flash blinded us, and when we opened our eyes...
HORUS
Horus is the falcon-headed god, the god of the Sky. "Yes, I am indeed the most worshipped god ever. Egyptian god, anyway," he says, appearing first in a flash of bright green light. When he turned to us two professors, we gasped in surprise and shock. He narrowed his eyes and tossed his head. "Did my eye awe you? It is the coolest thing, isn't it?" One of his falcon eyes were golden and normal-looking, drilling a menacing hole into my mind. The other eye was soft and glowing a deep silver, like it was made of pure moonlight. "Isn't it made of pure moonlight?" Professor S'mores asked curiously, reading my mind. Horus nodded. "I, quite generously if you can believe it, sacrificed my eye when my mother and mutual sister, Isis, was putting Osiris back together after he "fell apart". I didn't really understand; I was in the form of only a small child. See, without me, Osiris wouldn't exist, and neither would the Land of the Dead. Amazing me, huh?" Both of us professors rolled our eyes. Horus seemed very important. Next to Ra, the ruler of the gods, I suspected he was the second-most important.
Horus is the falcon-headed god, the god of the Sky. "Yes, I am indeed the most worshipped god ever. Egyptian god, anyway," he says, appearing first in a flash of bright green light. When he turned to us two professors, we gasped in surprise and shock. He narrowed his eyes and tossed his head. "Did my eye awe you? It is the coolest thing, isn't it?" One of his falcon eyes were golden and normal-looking, drilling a menacing hole into my mind. The other eye was soft and glowing a deep silver, like it was made of pure moonlight. "Isn't it made of pure moonlight?" Professor S'mores asked curiously, reading my mind. Horus nodded. "I, quite generously if you can believe it, sacrificed my eye when my mother and mutual sister, Isis, was putting Osiris back together after he "fell apart". I didn't really understand; I was in the form of only a small child. See, without me, Osiris wouldn't exist, and neither would the Land of the Dead. Amazing me, huh?" Both of us professors rolled our eyes. Horus seemed very important. Next to Ra, the ruler of the gods, I suspected he was the second-most important.
ISIS
Isis had a considerably less arrogant attitude. "I am the mother goddess," she said in a sweet, soothing voice that flowed over us like warm honey. "Since I was the wife of Osiris in one life, I am also the protector of the dead and the goddess of children." What's that blue thing in your hand?" I asked. "An ankh," Isis replied. "It represents life. I, as a mother, hold life and all things are dependent on the mothers of the world for life to go on." Professor Smorez peered strangely at her headdress. "Yes, that is a throne." The goddess startled Smorez, reading her thoughts. "The name Isis means throne, quite literally, and I am an important representation of the pharaoh's power. The pharaohs are my sons, or in Hatshepsut's case, daughter." We thanked Isis for her time, and she faded slowly away.
Isis had a considerably less arrogant attitude. "I am the mother goddess," she said in a sweet, soothing voice that flowed over us like warm honey. "Since I was the wife of Osiris in one life, I am also the protector of the dead and the goddess of children." What's that blue thing in your hand?" I asked. "An ankh," Isis replied. "It represents life. I, as a mother, hold life and all things are dependent on the mothers of the world for life to go on." Professor Smorez peered strangely at her headdress. "Yes, that is a throne." The goddess startled Smorez, reading her thoughts. "The name Isis means throne, quite literally, and I am an important representation of the pharaoh's power. The pharaohs are my sons, or in Hatshepsut's case, daughter." We thanked Isis for her time, and she faded slowly away.
SET
Set appeared third, bathed in a dark, harsh red light. I remembered that red wasn't a good color in Egyptian beliefs. "Whaddya want?" he asked rudely, in a gruff voice. He had the head of a jackal, and his eyes glowed meanly. "We would just like to ask you a couple of questions," I said timidly. "You'll be... famous." He huffed. "Fine. Whatever. Just ask away. I don't care." "Okay," Professor Smorez began. "Can you tell us a bit about you?" "I am Set," he said. "I am the god of chaos, storms, the Red Desert, and war!" At these words, he puffed out his chest proudly. "I am Horus's sworn enemy, as he represents the Black Land in contrast to the Red Desert." "Are-are you a bad guy?" I asked. "NOO!!" He howled, and we cowered on the ground. "Why does everyone THINK that?!" he growled. "I am on Ra's side. Apophis, the snake of chaos and Ra's sworn enemy, was kept away not because of Bast, the cat goddess who fought him for millennia, but because of me, because I was kept at the front of Ra's boat and scared him away." "Oh, um, thank you for your time," Professor Smorez said, dismissing him. "A waste of my precious time," I heard him mutter as he disappeared in the same harsh red light he had appeared in.
NEPHTHYS
Nephthys was a quiet woman, quite unlike her husband Set. She didn't tell us much about herself. "I am the priestess goddess," she said in her low, monotone voice. "I am the Lady of the Temple. I am typically paired with Isis, my sister, because we both are protectors of the mummy." "Do you have any symbolism?" asked Professor Smorez in an unsure voice. "Yes," she murmured, "I can transform into a kite. My wings are often depicted outstretched in a protective position, and the cries of the kite evidently remind people of the lamentations offered for the dead by wailing women." That was all she said, and she shut up tight after that, no matter how much coaxing we gave her. We finally were forced to dismiss her, and she faded away, leaving a musty tint in the air.
Nephthys was a quiet woman, quite unlike her husband Set. She didn't tell us much about herself. "I am the priestess goddess," she said in her low, monotone voice. "I am the Lady of the Temple. I am typically paired with Isis, my sister, because we both are protectors of the mummy." "Do you have any symbolism?" asked Professor Smorez in an unsure voice. "Yes," she murmured, "I can transform into a kite. My wings are often depicted outstretched in a protective position, and the cries of the kite evidently remind people of the lamentations offered for the dead by wailing women." That was all she said, and she shut up tight after that, no matter how much coaxing we gave her. We finally were forced to dismiss her, and she faded away, leaving a musty tint in the air.
OSIRIS
Osiris appeared with a rumble, and a crash sounded as he ascended from literally within the earth. "I was summoned," he said, and to our surprise looked at the burgers and fries in Professor Smorez's hands. None of the other god/goddesses had done that. "Mortal food!" he sloppily put down the crook and flail he was holding to messily grab the burger and shove it in his mouth. "Tell us a little about yourself," I said to him, looking disgustedly at the way he licked the salt off his fingers. "I'm the god of the afterlife, death, life, and resurrection," he said. "I control the underworld agency that causes life to sprout on land, as well, so Egyptians are really grateful to me. The Egyptians believed in life after death, so I was also associated with natural cycles, like the annual flooding of the Nile." "Wow," Professor Smorez said. "What is your symbolism?" "I was torn apart by my 'brother' Set," he muttered, wincing at the memory. "And my wife Isis, along with my son Horus, helped put me back together. Except for the eye," he added. "Then why do you have a normal eye?" I asked. Then I remembered. "Horus supplied his own," Osiris said. "Right," said Professor Smorez. Then the god disappeared into the earth with a tremor.
Osiris appeared with a rumble, and a crash sounded as he ascended from literally within the earth. "I was summoned," he said, and to our surprise looked at the burgers and fries in Professor Smorez's hands. None of the other god/goddesses had done that. "Mortal food!" he sloppily put down the crook and flail he was holding to messily grab the burger and shove it in his mouth. "Tell us a little about yourself," I said to him, looking disgustedly at the way he licked the salt off his fingers. "I'm the god of the afterlife, death, life, and resurrection," he said. "I control the underworld agency that causes life to sprout on land, as well, so Egyptians are really grateful to me. The Egyptians believed in life after death, so I was also associated with natural cycles, like the annual flooding of the Nile." "Wow," Professor Smorez said. "What is your symbolism?" "I was torn apart by my 'brother' Set," he muttered, wincing at the memory. "And my wife Isis, along with my son Horus, helped put me back together. Except for the eye," he added. "Then why do you have a normal eye?" I asked. Then I remembered. "Horus supplied his own," Osiris said. "Right," said Professor Smorez. Then the god disappeared into the earth with a tremor.
GEB AND NUT
When we summoned the Lady of the Sky and the Lord of the Earth, they appeared almost identical to this picture. Nut's face appeared in the dark evening sky, while Geb's appeared in the earth. "What is your story?" Their faces were sad as the looked at each other. "Ra was afraid of anyone taking over his throne," said Nut. "When he found out that I was going to have children, he was enraged. He cursed me, and said that I was not to have children on any of the 360 days of the year. We went to Thoth, the god of knowledge, and begged him to find a solution." "He went and gambled with Khonsu, the god of the moon," said Geb. "Every time Khonsu lost, he would have to give up some moonlight." "Then," said Nut, "he made five extra days with that moonlight so that I could give birth on a day that wasn't in the year." "It eventually became part of the year," said Geb hastily. "That's why now - or should I say, in the future - you have 365 days in a year." Professor Smorez looked thoughtful. "When Ra found out, he was very angry," said Nut. He banished me to the sky and Geb to the Earth. We were not ever to see or talk to each other again unless we were summoned, like now." I shook my head. What a cruel punishment. Ra reminded me of the Egyptian ruler Akhenaton in this story. Slowly, the faces of the two gods melted away.
When we summoned the Lady of the Sky and the Lord of the Earth, they appeared almost identical to this picture. Nut's face appeared in the dark evening sky, while Geb's appeared in the earth. "What is your story?" Their faces were sad as the looked at each other. "Ra was afraid of anyone taking over his throne," said Nut. "When he found out that I was going to have children, he was enraged. He cursed me, and said that I was not to have children on any of the 360 days of the year. We went to Thoth, the god of knowledge, and begged him to find a solution." "He went and gambled with Khonsu, the god of the moon," said Geb. "Every time Khonsu lost, he would have to give up some moonlight." "Then," said Nut, "he made five extra days with that moonlight so that I could give birth on a day that wasn't in the year." "It eventually became part of the year," said Geb hastily. "That's why now - or should I say, in the future - you have 365 days in a year." Professor Smorez looked thoughtful. "When Ra found out, he was very angry," said Nut. He banished me to the sky and Geb to the Earth. We were not ever to see or talk to each other again unless we were summoned, like now." I shook my head. What a cruel punishment. Ra reminded me of the Egyptian ruler Akhenaton in this story. Slowly, the faces of the two gods melted away.
RA
Ra appeared slowly, fading in from the little sunlight that was left. "I am Ra, ruler of the gods," he said in the solemn, cracked voice of an old man. "I am associated primarily with the midday sun. Humans were created from my tears and sweat, and the gods and goddesses came into existence with me speaking their secret names. As I am the sun, I am the most important. I fuel almost everything on Earth." "How are you symbolized?" I asked. "I am symbolized by my journey through the Duat in my Sun Boat," he said. "First, in the morning, I rise as Khepri, the beetle god; in the midday, in the middle of my journey, I am Ra; in the evening, I am Atum, the ram-headed god of creation. In the night, I am stopped by the snake of chaos, Apophis, and there is not sunlight at all." This tale struck us as fascinating, but it would soon be time to depart on BOB to go back home. We sent Ra off, and he faded into the small slice of sunlight that was left in the evening.
Ra appeared slowly, fading in from the little sunlight that was left. "I am Ra, ruler of the gods," he said in the solemn, cracked voice of an old man. "I am associated primarily with the midday sun. Humans were created from my tears and sweat, and the gods and goddesses came into existence with me speaking their secret names. As I am the sun, I am the most important. I fuel almost everything on Earth." "How are you symbolized?" I asked. "I am symbolized by my journey through the Duat in my Sun Boat," he said. "First, in the morning, I rise as Khepri, the beetle god; in the midday, in the middle of my journey, I am Ra; in the evening, I am Atum, the ram-headed god of creation. In the night, I am stopped by the snake of chaos, Apophis, and there is not sunlight at all." This tale struck us as fascinating, but it would soon be time to depart on BOB to go back home. We sent Ra off, and he faded into the small slice of sunlight that was left in the evening.