05/03/2021
Among many early societies it was thought that the real name of a person or god was essential to their existence. This name was the key to their being, for without a name nothing exists. To know the name was to have power over the creature. Isis observing the power and might of Ra , envied his control over all creatures. She knew that this power like the breezes, reached to the far corners of the earth and the outermost expanses of the heavens. In her heart she covet this power and plotted to discover its secret so that she would be greater than the other gods and would rule over humans.
She was well practiced in magic and sought a way of using this art to usurp her great-grandfather’s supreme authority. His power lay in the fact that he alone knew his secret name. Every person and god had many names , but each kept the most powerful of them secret in order that others not gain dominion over them through its use.
Many times Ra had risen in the morning and made his daily trip through the sky only to see his radiance sink into the darkness, the repetition of this act had tired him and he had grown so old and feeble that the saliva dripped from his mouth and fell upon the earth.
Seeing this, Isis quickly took up some of the ground mixed with the spite and began to mold this clay into the shape of a cobra, the snake associated with the gods and kings of Egypt. That model snake contained Ra’s own substance, therefore he had no defense against its poison.
Isis hid the serpent on the path Ra took each day on his heavenly journey, and next morning when Ra and his followers began their trip, the chief god passed close by the stealthy creature. The snake struck with all its divine force and snake its dart like fangs into the flesh of the father of all the gods.
The poioison surged through Ra’s body and caused great pain, since it had been created from divine substance.
The cry of rage and pain that escaped from Ra shook heaven and earth , his followers in the boat gathered around to ask what had caused it. The pain was so great , that he could barely answer them, the poison spread through his body , his limbs trebled and his tenth chattered.
Finally he calmed down enough to tell the gods in the boat that he had bee seriously wounded. And he ordered that his children, the rest of the gods with knowledge of magic , be brought to consult with him.
With weeping and lamentations the gods assembled, but none could relieve the pain since it was caused by Ra’s own substance.
None had enough power to find a magical antidote.
At the same time, naturally Isis was among those in the crowd, but she said nothing until the others had tried and failed to find a remedy.
Calmly she practiced her deceit on the elderly god, what is this, O divine father? What is this? Has a snake brought pain to you? Has a creation of your hand lifted up its hand against you?
She told him that she would use her magic on his behalf and find a cure. Still confused by the sever pain, Ra described the symptoms to her;
I am colder than water , I am hotter than fire. I tremble in all my limbs, and the sweat runs down my face even as in the heat of summer.
This time Isis spoke quietly and softly and offered to help if would reveal his secret name so that she could use it in her magic.
Even in pain Ra recognized a trick, his answer was devious attempt to give her names without revealing the ultimate secret ;
I am the maker of heaven and earth,
I am the established of the mountains,
I am the creator of the water,
I am the maker of the secrets of the two horizons,
I am light and I am darkness, I am the maker of the hours, the creator of days.
I am Khepri in the morning, Ra at noontime, and Atum in the evening.
Isis heard all the words, but knew that he had not given her what she wanted. She remained quite and let the poison work a little more on his old body. When the pain become more intense, she finally spoke ;
Your name, your true name, your secret name, was not among those. Tell me your name in order that the poison may be driven out your body, for only he whose name I know can be healed by my magic.
At this moment the pain worse and Ra realized that the time had come to give up something of himself in order to find peace.
He took Isis aside where the others would not hear and the two began to bargain , but Ra was in too much pain to bargain well.
Isis demanded that he rake an oath to give Horus , her son, his eyes, the sun and the moon. He a greed and whispered the secret name.
She was faithful to her bargain and issued the proper cure to relieve the pain, and she of course never revealed the secret name since she had no desire to share her new-found power with anyone else, and so this special name remains hidden from all mortals and gods to this day.
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