THE PYRAMIDS of the COLD • Chapter 27 Seth and the twin-horn bollard: why Horus and Seth didn’t fight each other because they were actually bound together

King Ramses III, flanked by the formidable gods Horus (falcon-headed, on the left) and Seth (on the right, with unnatural big and square-tipped ears), at the Cairo Museum. Photograph by Egypt Smiles To You: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1034130158758321&set=a.470584391779570

THE PYRAMIDS of the COLD • Study written by Bruno COURSOL (January 2021 to September 2025)

Section D • The composite impactor of the Great Pyramid of Khufu

The compression of the air and the pressurization of the waters that were trapped inside the central wooden Djed caisson were made possible by the fall of a composite and weighted impactor that rammed into both the aerial part in the Grand Gallery and the flooded part in the inclined well of the Djed caisson. Many Egyptian gods like Horus, Ra, Osiris, Sobek are about that piston-like impactor.

Chapter 27 • Seth and the glorification of the twin-horn bollard: why the gods Horus and Seth didn’t fight each other because they were actually constantly bound together (just like they are in some representations of the Sema Tawy)

In summary: as of today, Seth is the last deciphering I had the chance to make about ancient Egyptian deities (July 7th, 2025), and it also is a perfect example of how tricky Egyptian metaphors can be; because until today, I thought the part of the myth describing Horus and Seth fighting against each other had to be taken literally, or to be more exact, I didn’t really think it wasn’t to be taken literally; so for a very long time I thought Seth was about pressurized air that was created by the fall of the impactor Horus. That was in my mind, a perfect explanation of the endless fight between Horus and Seth.

But it was all wrong. Of course, just like everything else, the fight between Horus and Seth is metaphoric; and I should really have known better, because in the same time I also wondered how Egyptians had glorified the two bollards that were set on the impactor for the two eyes of the Hathor hauling plug to be connected with. I don’t remember how I figured it out, but it happened: Seth and his big weird looking ears and tail is the one glorifying the bollards, which design was probably very close to a very modern twin-horn mooring bollard. And now that Seth and Horus are correctly identified, we can understand the famous ‘fight’ they were constantly engaged in: when the impactor was speeding up in the Gallery, it was Horus who was hauling Seth, but when it was the impactor that was hauled back up to the top of the Gallery, then it was Seth who was hauling Horus.

Of course, once you have understood this real connection between Horus and Seth, you can also understand the famous Sema Tawy scene (above photograph) where both Horus and Seth are tying up ropes together: they were never really fighting, but they were always bounded together.

[Horus and Seth, bounded together during the Sema Tawy]: https://egypt-museum.com/relief-of-horus-and-seth/

Operating diagram of the Great Pyramid of Khufu for flash-evaporative cold production, presumably for cooling down chemical manufacturing of natron by a Solvay-like process that would have required dome shaped perforated discs set into multiple counterflow reaction chambers. The Sabu disc is such a disc: it was an early version of a Solvay disc.

The Seth-animal, by Pharaohcrab: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Set_(deity)#/media/File:Set_animal.svg

Twin-horn mooring bollard. Photograph by John Pielou: https://www.flickr.com/photos/29947867@N06/2800675110/

27.01  The deciphering of the Seth-animal and the umpteenth illustration of the playful side of the ancient Egyptians in their glorifying process [1]: the bollard's bolts

I didn’t find a photograph of a twin-horn bollard with its four associate bolts, but there is one on the above photograph of a head bollard, and of course we now can understand the whole meaning of the Seth-animal: not only Egyptians wanted to glorify the visible part of the bollard, but they also wanted to glorify the hidden parts that are the four bolts. Of course, Egyptian bollards could have been secured by not just four bolts but really many more of these bolts, whatever these bolts really were looking (for example, were they screwing bolts or not?), but I think if Egyptians did represent the Seth-animal with four legs, it might as well mean that only four bolts were used, if not all the time, maybe most of the time; but I may very well be wrong here.

Anyway, just look at how good is the glorification here with the Seth-animal:  the bollards are on the head of the animal while the glorification of the bolts are on the tail, the bottom of the animal, just like the bolts are at the bottom of the whole bollard design.

Head bollard with anchoring bolts: https://www.reliance-foundry.com/shop/bollard/r-7512-t-head-mooring-bollard

27.02  The use of bollards on the Great Pyramid’s impactor only is the culmination of this equipment: it all started a long time before the Pyramid was built during the Fourth Dynasty and was used all over the country to secure docked ships

“The earliest representations of what might be the Set animal comes from a tomb dating to the Amratian culture ("Naqada I") of prehistoric Egypt (3790–3500 BCE), although this identification is uncertain. If these are ruled out, then the earliest Set animal appears on a ceremonial macehead of Scorpion II, a ruler of the Naqada III phase. The head and the forked tail of the Set animal are clearly present on the mace.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Set_(deity)

Operating diagram of the central wooden Djed caisson, showing the link between the whole structure of the composite impactor Horus and one of its own parts that was the twin-horn bollard. If it is Horus the Elder who is supposed to fight Seth, it only is because when the impactor was hauled back to the top of the Grand Gallery in the central wooden Djed caisson, Seth (the twin-horn bollard) was pulling the whole impactor up, when the weight of the impactor (Horus the Elder) was pulling the whole structure down. Ancient Egyptians only glorified this opposing direction forces into an endless fight; so in some ways, Horus (the Elder) and Seth were really fighting each other.

Giant Anteaters Eat Over 25000 Termites a Day: https://fantasticwildlife.com/the-giant-anteater/ and “Giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) eating from an enrichment termite mound. The head is above the longitudinal body axis and the snout is in contact with the nutritional source.” https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Giant-anteater-Myrmecophaga-tridactyla-eating-from-an-enrichment-termite-mound-The_fig12_269667258

27.03  The deciphering of the Seth-animal and the umpteenth illustration of the playful side of the ancient Egyptians in their glorifying process [2]: the giant anteater yes, but because of the termite mound

Probably with no other deity than Seth, is so well demonstrated the real purpose of the animals that have been so many times associated with deities by ancient Egyptians: if Seth could be represented as a jackal, an anteater, a hippopotamus, a donkey or a crocodile, it’s only because Egyptians used all the animals they came into contact with as simple tools to illustrate every single aspect of what their gods and goddesses were really all about.

For Seth, who only is the glorification of a bollard, a marine bollard mostly designed to secure docked vessels with ropes, they’ve found in all the animals associated with him, everything they needed to perfectly illustrate the bollard’s design or function, whether it was about the twin-horn bollard set onto the composite impactor of the Great Pyramid, or whether it was about every other single bollard Egyptians used in everyday life.

It’s hard to believe that some egyptologists are still convinced that the Seth-animal was a real animal, and that it simply gone extinct over time. Because it’s not just the Seth-animal they should be concerned about; it’s not just about the global shape of a jackal, nor the snout of an anteater, nor the gigantic square-tipped ears, nor the incomprehensibly perfectly straight tail that ends up with some weird tippy end: egyptologists should rather be concerned that Seth could be also represented as a hippopotamus, a donkey, or a crocodile. Seriously, the Great god Seth who have 'fought' the Great god Horus in epic 'battles', has also been represented many times into a donkey! What the hell, don't you think?

27.04  The deciphering of the Seth-animal and the umpteenth illustration of the playful side of the ancient Egyptians in their glorifying process [3]: the donkey because of its ears and because it is a draft animal

So, of course the Seth-animal is entirely made up, it’s not really a metaphor but rather a whole bunch of metaphors in one single animal: if the gigantic and out of this world square-tipped ears are about the shape of the twin-horn bollard, the global shape of a jackal is because this bollard was a very particular one, because it was supposed to move and it was moving at the exact same speed as the skate blades of the impactor which have been glorified into Anubis, so they’ve reused the jackal for Seth. But the Seth-animal also has a very strange snout, just like Seth was an anteater, and that is correct; but with Seth, the anteater reference isn’t about ants, but about termites. Egyptians simply tried to find in their environment the most grandiose version of a bollard, so they’ve used the termite mound, that also turns out to be one of the most beautiful piece of engineering of all the animal kingdom.

Among all the animal kindom, the donkey is also well known for its gigantic ears that stand proud above the head like no other animal, and that would appear just like it was two beautiful bollards as well; and of course the donkey was one of the most widely used draft animals in ancient Egypt, and that was the only purpose of Seth.

[illustration] ​“Set was portrayed as an donkey or donkey-headed man. The word for donkey, ꜥꜣ, was determined with a Set animal.”. Photograph by Carlos Teixidor Cadenas

Operating diagram of the Grand Gallery in the Great Pyramid of Khufu, showing the composite weighted piston-like impactor being hauled back up to the top of the steep slope of the Gallery. In order to be easily operated, the two central hauling ropes were attached to a hauling plug (the 'Eye goddess' and 'Mistress of the counterweight' Hathor), which was the one connected to the impactor through two protruding bollards which have been glorified into god Seth, whose unnatural ears are of course all about these bollards.

“In art, Set is usually depicted as an enigmatic creature referred to by Egyptologists as the Set animal, a beast not identified with any known animal, although it could be seen as resembling a Saluki, an aardvark, an African wild dog, a donkey, a hyena, a jackal, a pig, an antelope, a giraffe, or a fennec fox. The animal has a downward curving snout; long ears with squared-off ends; a thin, forked tail with sprouted fur tufts in an inverted arrow shape; and a slender canine body. Sometimes, Set is depicted as a human with the distinctive head. Some early Egyptologists proposed that it was a stylised representation of the giraffe, owing to the large flat-topped "horns" which correspond to a giraffe's ossicones. The Egyptians themselves, however, used distinct depictions for the giraffe and the Set animal. During the Late Period, Set is usually depicted as a donkey or as a man with the head of a donkey, and in the Book of the Faiyum, Set is depicted with a flamingo head.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Set_(deity)

[illustration of donkeys with ears standing up]: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Donkeys_(1130113).jpg

Relief in the temple of Horus at Edfu. “A large ship, its sail distended with the wind. In the middle of the vessel stands Horus of Behdet, great god, lord of Mesen, who with his right hand thrusts his harpoon into the snout of a hippopotamus [Seth]. In his left hand he holds the ends of two ropes which are doubtless attached to the blades already lodged in the animal's body. Isis squatting in the bow holds two similar ropes. On shore, facing the ship, is King Ptolemy - wearing the head-dress of Onuris - who harpoons the hippopotamus [Seth] in the back of the head. Behind the King are two running men each carrying a harpoon and a dagger.” https://www.attalus.org/egypt/drama.html

Hippopotamus amulet E22902 at the Louvre: https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010007457 and hippopotamus immersed in water, by cloudzilla: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cloudzilla/275203431/

27.05  The deciphering of the Seth-animal and the umpteenth illustration of the playful side of the ancient Egyptians in their glorifying process [4]: the hippopotamus because of the way the animal stays completely immersed in water for a very long period of time, just like an anchor

For the representation of Seth as a hippopotamus, Egyptians used another metaphor, this time they wanted to emphasize the fact that the impactor’s bollard was also supposed to go under water, so they’ve compared it to some kind of anchor used on ships and they’ve used the hippopotamus as an illustration of an anchor that loves to spend time under water, just like the hippopotamus does. The fact that this association of the hippopotamus with a bollard designed to secure ropes has indeed been glorified by ancient Egyptians in little figures of the animal, just like the one on the above photographs from the MET and the Louvre. You should note that not only the bollard is clearly made for ropes coming from different directions, but that this very particular type of amulet was always created in pairs, whether because there was two bollards on the impactor or because bollards only work in pairs anyway: one at the bow of a ship, and the other one at the stern.

For the crocodile, Egyptians probably used the same metaphor used on Sobek to glorify the whole impactor when they compared the sliding movement of the impactor inside the guide rails with the way the crocodile is also sliding on its four paws to get into water (remember that Seth is only a part of the impactor, hence a part of Sobek himself).

Hippopotamus amulet. “Egyptologists understand this figurine to be an amulet, which was designed to be suspended by a cord passing through the holes above its back. This type of hippo figurine is distinctive for three reasons: they were made from pink limestone, created in pairs, and depicted as pregnant females.” Object Number: 23.2.30 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art:  https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/547231

Operating diagram of the Grand Gallery of the Great Pyramid, showing the opposing forces at play on the impactor being hauled: when the twin-horn bollard is pulling the impactor up, its own weight is pulling it down. This opposing forces at play on the impactor is the real meaning of the endless fight between Seth and Horus (the Elder).

“He [Horus the Elder] was described as either the son or husband of Hathor and was considered to be a creator god and the archetypal king. His right eye was the sun and his left eye was the moon and images of the “Eye of Horus” were considered to be powerful protective amulets. His speckled feathers formed the stars and his wings created the wind.” Jane Hill 2008:  https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/heruur/

27.06  The anchor metaphor is the one used in the famous boat race between Horus and Seth: if Seth had a stone 'boat' that sank right away, it is because of the anchor metaphor (a stone anchor)

“According to The Contendings of Horus and Seth, Set is depicted as trying to prove his dominance by seducing Horus and then having sexual intercourse with him. However, Horus places his hand between his thighs and catches Set's semen, then subsequently throws it in the river so that he may not be said to have been inseminated by Set. Horus (or Isis herself in some versions) then deliberately spreads his semen on some lettuce, which was Set's favourite food. After Set had eaten the lettuce, they went to the gods to try to settle the argument over the rule of Egypt. The gods first listened to Set's claim of dominance over Horus, and call his semen forth, but it answered from the river, invalidating his claim. Then, the gods listened to Horus' claim of having dominated Set, and call his semen forth, and it answered from inside Set. A personified Eye of Horus offers incense to the enthroned god Osiris in a painting from the tomb of Pashedu, thirteenth century BC. However, Set still refused to relent, and the other gods were getting tired from over eighty years of fighting and challenges. Horus and Set challenged each other to a boat race, where they each raced in a boat made of stone. Horus and Set agreed, and the race started. But Horus had an edge: his boat was made of wood painted to resemble stone, rather than true stone. Set's boat, being made of heavy stone, sank, but Horus' did not. Horus then won the race, and Set stepped down and officially gave Horus the throne of Egypt. Upon becoming king after Set's defeat, Horus gives offerings to his deceased father Osiris, thus reviving and sustaining him in the afterlife. After the New Kingdom, Set was still considered the lord of the desert and its oases.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horus

Two stone anchors found in Syracuse. Photo Soprintendenza del Mare, Regione Siciliana: https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2023/11/two-ancient-stone-anchors-found-off-the-coast-of-siracusa-in-sicily/

27.07  When Seth sank and transformed into a hippopotamus, in chains (just like an anchor)

“ Seth somehow convinced the trio of judges to stage one more contest: a race of stone ships down the Nile. That didn’t seem like the wisest choice, since Seth’s boat sunk instantly. But Horus’ floated along the water,  for he had tricked everyone by making his boat out of pine and covering it in gypsum, a sort of plaster, so that it looked like it was made of stone. In a rage, Seth once again transformed into a hippopotamus and bashed his head into Horus’ ship. It came apart in splinters, exposing the young god’s deceit. This back-and-forth had now gone on for 80 years. Seeking a final verdict, the judges decided to appeal to Osiris, who now ruled the underworld. Not surprisingly, Osiris argued that his son, Horus, deserved to be pharaoh, and Seth, in chains as a prisoner, finally conceded.” https://www.thenotsoinnocentsabroad.com/blog/horus-vs-seth-homosexuality-hippos-and-familial-violence

Stud link anchor chain: https://www.connect-knkt.com/choosing-right-anchor-chain-manufacturers-types-tips-for-buyers/

Operating diagram of the Grand Gallery of the Great Pyramid of Khufu, showing the creation of Seth by the fall of the impactor (Seth is about pressurized air), and the fact that the two Isis hauling ropes are in that part of the cycle, completely winded upon the drive shaft.

27.08  If Horus the Elder and Seth were only fighting each other metaphorically, in reality they were bound together and only induced oppositely directed forces: when Seth pulled the impactor up, Horus pulled it down

“… As the son of Isis and Osiris Horus was… the mythical heir to the kingship of Egypt, and many stories surrounding his struggle to gain and hold the kingship from the usurper Seth detail this aspect of the god’s role. Harwer (Haroeris) ‘Horus the Elder’ was the mature god represented in these stories who battles the typhonic Seth for 80 years until the tribunal of the gods finally awards him his rightful place on the throne of all Egypt…”  The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt, by Richard H. Wilkinson: https://egypt-museum.com/relief-of-horus-and-seth/

Group Statue of Ramesses The Third with Horus on the left and Seth on the right: https://www.globalegyptianmuseum.org/detail.aspx?id=14750

27.09  The 'adorable' myth about the lettuce and Seth's testicles

In another part of the myth involving Horus and Seth, Egyptians played one more time on the appearance of the twin-horn bollard, and this time they focused on the lower part of the bollard: a part that almost looks like a mix between some kind of balls and lettuce leaves; but if you really want to understand this part, you first have to accept and enjoy the playful and teasing side of ancient Egyptians: because this is the part of the Horus and Seth fight where Seth’s testicles comes into play, so to speak.

Here, Egyptians simply compared the lower visible part of the twin-horn bollard with the shapes of both a testicle and a lettuce leaf, and then they simply let their imagination run to create a whole new story.

“According to Papyrus Chester Beatty I, the conflict between Horus and Set happened to be a series of bouts, such as when they transformed into hippopotamuses and submerged themselves into the water to see who could last the longest, to Set removing Horus’s eyeballs as he slept. Don’t worry, Horus was able to regain his eyes with the help of a mistress named Hathor. But the story takes an erotic turn soon afterwards:

• Now afterward, (at) evening time, bed was prepared for them, and they both lay down. But during the night, Set caused his phallus to become stiff and inserted it between Horus’s thighs. Then Horus placed his hands between his thighs and received Set’s semen. Horus went to tell his mother Isis: “Help me, Isis, my mother, come and see what Set has done to me.” And he opened his hand(s) and let her see Set’s semen. She let out a loud shriek, seized the copper (knife), cut off his hand(s) that were equivalent. Then she fetched some fragrant ointment and applied it to Horus’s phallus. She caused it to become stiff and inserted it into a pot, and he caused his semen to flow down into it. Isis at morning time went carrying the semen of Horus to the garden of Set and said to Set’s gardener: “What sort of vegetable is it that Set eats here in your company?”  So the gardener told her: “He doesn’t eat any vegetable here in my company except lettuce.” And Isis added the semen of Horus onto it. Set returned according to his daily habit and ate the lettuce, which he regularly ate. Thereupon he became pregnant with the semen of Horus.”

Excerpt from “Lettuce and Kings: The Power Struggle Between Horus and Set”, by Morgan Jerkins: https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/mqr/2015/05/lettuce-and-kings-the-power-struggle-between-horus-and-set-2/

Preface

Next chapter

Previous chapter

Table of contents

Operating diagrams of the Great Pyramid

Timelines

Index

© 2021-2025 Copyright milleetunetasses.com. All rights reserved.