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In Egyptian
mythology, Anti (Antaeus in Greek,
but probably not connected to the Antaeus in Greek
mythology) was a god whose worship centred at
Antaeopolis, in the northern part of Upper Egypt.
His worship is quite ancient, dating from at
least the 2nd dynasty, at which point he already
had dedicated priests. Originally, Anti appears
to have been the patron of the ancient area
around Badari, which was the centre of the cult
of Horus.
Due to lack of surviving information, it is
not very well known what the original function
of Anti was, or whether he was more than just
a title of Horus referring to some specific
function.
Over time, he became considered simply as the god of ferrymen,
and was consequently depicted as a falcon standing
on a boat, a reference to Horus, who was originally
considered as a falcon. As god of ferrymen,
he gained the title Nemty, meaning (one who)
travels, a title by his later cult centre, Antaeopolis,
was known to the Egyptians, i.e. Per-Nemty.
Anti occasionally appears in the tale that
depicts the conquering of Lower Egypt (whose
patron was Set)
by Upper Egypt, at the beginning of the Old
Kingdom. In this tale, one of Set's attempts
to gain power consists of his collecting together
the gods, and simply providing good arguments,
convincing all of them (in later traditions,
all except Thoth).
Set had feared magical intervention by Isis,
Horus' wife (in early Egyptian mythology), and
so holds the gathering on an island, instructing
Anti not to allow anyone resembling Isis to
be ferried there. However, Isis
disguises herself as an old woman, and unknowingly
Anti takes her across after being paid a gold
ring, having rejected the first offer of gruel,
resulting in the disruption of the counsel by
her use of magic. Anti is punished for his error,
by having his toes cut off, which is more severe
than it appears, since as a falcon, he would
no longer be able to perch, and thus would not
be able to reside on the boat.
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and Goddesses Menu
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