Editing Babi (mythology) (section)

== Mythology ==

The Papyrus Jumilhac describes a mythological conflict between the gods [[Thoth]] and Babi. In the story, Babi, depicted as a red dog with yellow eyes, accuses Thoth of theft before the [[Ennead]] and the sun god Ra. However, the Ennead rejects the accusation, as they did not witness the alleged crime. When Babi continues to spread rumors about Thoth, the latter retaliates by anointing Babi’s sleeping phallus with his writing reed and casting a spell upon him. This enchantment causes Babi’s penis to swell during intercourse, making it impossible for him to separate from his partner. When Babi engages in intercourse with an unnamed female, his penis swells, and he becomes trapped. Thoth then convenes the Great and Small Ennead, mocking Babi’s exposed testicles. Ra declares Babi guilty, though the exact nature of his crime remains unclear. As punishment, Babi is handed over to Thoth, who executes him on a sacrificial block. This passage in the papyrus appears to justify the tradition of sacrificing a dog in Thoth’s honor.<ref>Leitz, Christian (1994). Auseinandersetzungen Zwischen Baba Und Thoth. Schriften von Christian Leitz Vol. 8. Göttingen: Heidelberg university. pp.103-110.</ref>

Babi’s offense could have been rape, adultery, or simply excessive sexual indulgence. His partner is referred to as “mnt”, which translates to “someone”, suggesting that her identity is either irrelevant or deliberately concealed.<ref>Jørgensen, J. K. B. (2014). Egyptian Mythological Manuals: Mythological structures and interpretative techniques in the Tebtunis Mythological manual, the manual of the Delta and related texts. Københavns Universitet, Det Humanistiske Fakultet. p84.</ref> In ancient Egyptian belief, written words held power, so crimes against deities—such as the murder of Osiris—were often described in euphemistic terms.<ref>Quack, Joachim Friedrich (2008). Corpus oder Membra disjecta. Zur Sprach- und Redaktionskritik des Papyrus Jumilhac. In: W. Waitkus.Diener des Horus – Festschrift für Dieter Kurth zum 65. Geburtstag. Aegyptiaca Hamburgensia Vol. 1. Gladbeck. pp.212-213.</ref> A related inscription in the Temple of Edfu includes a spell to suppress Babi’s sexual virility with a goddess who is paradoxically referred to as both a “God’s Wife” and a woman who abstains from relationships with gods and men. The title “God’s Wife” was used for both priestesses and goddesses associated with the Eye of Ra. A similar mythological motif appears in the Mythological Manual of the Delta, where a goddess is bound and raped by [[Set (deity)|Set]] while she isholding onto him to prevent his escape.<ref>Jørgensen 2014, pp.84-86.</ref>

Another reference to Babi and dogs appears in the Papyrus Geneva. In a episode from Horus childhood, the goddess [[Isis]] warns her son Horus to stay away from Babi, who is roaming the land with 77 dogs. When Horus is bitten on the lower leg by one of Babi’s dogs, Isis instructs him to treat the wound with an unknown plant called Sryw, which had been stored in jars exposed to sunlight. The text seems to serve as a medical guide for dog bites, identifying the patient with Horus himself. The dog is then fed the plant, after which it dies, symbolizing the removal of the venom, while the patient is now able to recover.<ref>Leitz 1994, p.112.</ref>