68 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XIII. 



Athor surmounted by two ostrich plumes ; and 

 her nameEhe, *'the cow," is followed by its figur- 

 ative hieroglyphic, or demonstrative sign.* The 

 name Ehe was evidently the origin of the Greek 

 lo, though I am inclined to think that persecuted 

 wanderer to be derived from the history and em- 

 blem of Athor, or from Isis, rather than from the 

 Goddess before us. t 



H^.'y, 'f oTnoT, The Hours of Day and Night. 



The consecration of every month and day to a 

 particular Deity, mentioned by Herodotus, is more 

 than confirmed by the fact of our finding the hours 

 themselves treated as Divinities. But it is possible 

 that the statement of the historian may only refer 

 to the almanacs, where, according to Cha3remon, 

 the names of the Gods appeared affixed to each 

 day, in the same manner as those of saints in mo- 

 dern calendars, t 



According to the Egyptian system, the hours 

 were not merely dedicated to particular Deities, 

 — each was considered a peculiar Genius in itself, 

 a minute fraction of the divine essence which per- 

 vaded it ; and, if not worshipped with the same 

 honours as the superior Gods, prayers were ad- 

 dressed to them with the hope of rendering them 

 favourable to the individual who invoked their aid. 

 The hours are frequently found in tombs and on 



* Vide Plate GO. Part 2. 



-]- Vide .supra, Vol.1. (2(1 Series) p. 388. Eiistathiiis says, " lo, in 

 the language of the Argivos, is the Moon." Vide lablonski, ii. c, 1. 

 p. 7. ; and .siiprri, p. 5., on Thoth. 



i Vide supra, Vol.1. (2d Scries) p. 218. 



