Csornay Boldizsár - Dobos Zsuzsa - Varga Ágota - Zakariás János szerk.: A Szépművészeti Múzeum közleményei 99. (Budapest, 2003)

LIPTAY, ÉVA: Between Heaven and Earth. The Motif of the Cow Coming out of the Mountain

which represents the Hathor-cow stepping out of a papyrus bush in her role of the divine mother suckling and protecting the pharaoh (Amenhotep II).

27 The concept of "Hathor coming out of the mountain" is referred to in the cycle of „Hathorsprüche"

28 in Coffin Texts; Spell 486 survived in three versions (BIBo, B2L, SIC): To put the tstn on Hathor. The mountain is broken, the cliffs are split. The cavern of Hathor is open up. She appears in turquoise, is covered with her nemes-headdress. She has found this deceased N standing in her path as a god... He is the one who puts the tstn on Hathor. Those which are above are brought to him and he watches over those who are below - the two spells are joined together. He is the one who puts the tstn on Hathor. The western and eastern, the lower and upper horizons rejoice. Hathor favours him, Hathor loves him. He is the one who puts the tstn on Hathor.

29 The various dresses, which are associated with the goddess, certainly played a remarkable role in the Hafhor-cult.

30 The passage cited above concentrates on one of them („to put the tstn on Hathor"). It turns out from the preceding section (Spell 485), which occurs only on a single coffin (B2L), that Horus, Thoth, Osiris and Atum are responsible for putting the tstn on. The deceased performing this ritual this way becomes identical with these godheads.

31 From a mythical point of view, it all happens in the underworld: the deceased (who is identified with the sun god) has arrived at the Isle of Fire,

32 this being the last stage prior to the resurrection in the eastern horizon, and is assisted by the goddess to overcome his enemies. Another intermediate ritual is concerned with "putting the tlm-dress" on the goddess (wnh.n.j m t?m n Wr.t tn). The tjm is most probably a term for a kind of veil or wrap, thus the action may refer to the final episode of the rite. A group of spells including the two above mentioned ones constitutes the cycle of „Hathorsprüche" (CT Spells 482-486).

33 On the mythological level, the goddess is accompanied by other deities or especially by those who sail in the solar bark on 27 Allam, op.cit. (n. 2) pl. VIII. The statue-type „the Hathor-cow protects the deceased" can be attested in later periods, too. The most attractive piece is known from the tomb of Psammetich in Saqqara, which labels Hathor as „mistress of the desert-fringed cemetery" (nb.t sm.t). (XXVIth Dyn.): CG 784; PM IIP, 670. See also: Verbovsek, A., „Die Kuh auf dem Schlitten" - Die ikonographischikonologische Betrachtung eines singulären Motives des privaten Rundbildes, BSAK 9 (2003) 437-444. 28 Altenmüller, Synkretismus (n. 4) 133; Allam, op.cit. (n. 2) 112-113 and 147; Ryhiner, M.-L., La procession des étoffes et l'union avec Hathor (Rites Égyptiens VIII), Bruxelles 1995, 48-49. 29 Following the Bl Bo-variant. 30 Altenmüller, Synkretismus (n. 4.) 135-136. 31 Drioton, É„ Un syllogisme dans un texte magique égyptien, in Mélanges Mariette (BdE XXXII), Le Caire 1961, 173-175. 32 Altenmüller, Apotropaia (n. 18) 104-105; id., „Messersee", „Gewundener Wasserlauf" und „Flammensee". Eine Untersuchung zur Gleichsetzung und Lesung der drei Bereiche, ZÄS 92 ( 1966) 86-95. 33 Lapp, G., Die Spruchkompositionen der Sargtexte, SAK 17 (1990) 222.