Hedvig Győry: Mélanges offerts a Edith Varga „Le lotus qui sort de terre” (Bulletin du Musée Hongrois des Beaux-Arts Supplément 1. Budapest, 2001)

HANS GOEDICKE: Anthropological Problems - Gynecological Questions

involvement of the divine, but the birth is the reflection of an idea conceived by the all-lord and pronounced by Re' as world ruler.

11 It is the idea of a new Horus, who will become the savior of the world as its true and just ruler, and for whom a document is issued to this effect. Appropriately in the lower register is the depiction of how the divine idea was materialized.

32 In the center sits Isis with the newly born Horus child in her arm. Before her, paying her tribute, is Amun as the representative of the South and Thoth as that of Middle Egypt.

33 At the left side is Neith, here as the mother of Isis and representative of the North.

34 The scene has a direct bearing on ideas of our own, not only for the iconography of the central group. It applies also to the date of the event, which occurred on the Twelfth Day after the birth of the New Horus.

35 The motif of the celebration is the presentation of the newly born god to the world, which is cause for its adoration. The timing of the event reflects social custom. The birthday is followed by the period of confinement covering a complete time-unit, i.e., a decade. This time span was needed not only to let the mother recover from childbirth, but also to consolidate the newly born and enhance its survival. The day after the confinement the mother with child stepped forth and this is the Twelfth Day. Computing it after the Gregorian calendar as demonstrated by Merkelbach,

36 the day, the new Horus was presented to the world to receive its adoration, was January 6th. Hans Goedicke The John Hopkins Univ. Department of Near Eastern Studies Baltimore " H. Goedicke, op. cit. (note 12). pp. 81-98. 32 H. Goedicke, op. cit. (note 12), pp. 113ff. " H. Goedicke, op. cit. (note 12), pp. 167-169. 34 H. Goedicke, op. cit. (note 12), p. 173. 35 H. Goedicke, op. cit. (note 12), pp. 175, 180-187. M R. Merkelbach, Isisfeste in griechisch-römischer Zeit, Beiträge zur Klassischen Philologie. Heft 5, Meisenheim an Glan 1963, pp. 47ff.