The headband Seshed
New interpretation on the seshed headband
Tomb of Vizier Kagemni (6th Dynasty).
The band ssd is compared to the white (PT 161, 189) and green (PT 190) eyes of Horus that the latter gave to Osiris N;
Osiris N is even likened to the "red banner gone out from the great thing / offering (N pw sšd pw n ?smt pr m j?t wrt)" (TP 510).
This red band / white and green eye, symbolized the white and red crown (sometimes called green by euphemism, cf. PT 519, 555, 570).
That is why Osiris N is asked to prevent Seth from wearing it (PT 161).
This banner was that of Ra from PT 335: "How beautiful it is to see N bandaged from the front of Re (or: wearing the band which is on the front of Rê) (nfrw m?w N sšd m wpt R?)".
Osiris N was "pure" for Ra, for N was "a golden star that the bull of light has bandaged (s?d nbw sšd k? j??w)";
N could also be among the gods, the imperishable stars, deified then, because he was bandaged (sšd)
- by Horus: PT 574: "May you (= Horus) say that this N exists among them, the gods who are in heaven, because you have gathered (jnq) those who are in the arches (p?wt) (of heaven ), and you have bandaged (sšd ~ n = k) those who are among the imperishable stars ";
- by Nout : PT 669: "She bands N as this great Trembleur (i.e. ferryman, cf. PT 516) (sšd = s m nwrw pw wr), who is in / among you, gods (jmy = ?n n?rw), for whom you tremble, gods ( ?w{?}<r>w = ?n n = f n?rw) "
-by the year personified: PT 466 "Nut gave birth (Osiris) N with Orion, the year has banded you with Osiris (?šd ~ n ?w ?n' Wsjr)".
Thus the banner-crown-eye of N, of Horus and Re, symbolized the gods (cf. also PT 669 supra), the deified Egyptians, and more precisely the light of the bull (=husband), the gold of the star (PT 467), attached to Osiris N, Horus and Re, as a wife (cf. book to come).
Moreover, all the gods being bandaged with the same band (= light-gold-wife), they were thus bandaged together, gathered (jnq) (PT 574), bandaged with Osiris (PT 466).
Laure de Lamotte©
Tomb of the vizier Kagemni in Saqqara (VIth dynasty).
Last edited: 24/05/2021
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