412 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XIII. 



Hor-Hat, Hat, Agathod^mon. 



As there appears to be some connection between 

 this Deity and Horus, I introduce him with the 

 members of the family of Seb. 



Hat, or Agathodffimon, was the Good Genius, 

 under whose protection the persons of the Kings and 

 the temples of the Gods were placed. In the form 

 of a Sun supported by two asps and outspread vul- 

 tures' wings, he occurs over the doorways and fa- 

 9ades of buildings. Sometimes he is represented as 

 a winged Scarabaeus, supporting a globe or Sun with 

 its fore feet ; as a hawk, he hovers over the Mon- 

 arch while offering sacrifices in the temples, or on 

 other occasions ; and as a Deity of human shape, 

 with a hawk's head, he pours alternate emblems of 

 life andhpower over the Prince at his coronation. 



In this office he is assisted by tlie God Nilus, 

 Thoth, or Ombte ; one of whom, placed opposite 

 him, pours a stream of similar emblems from 

 another vase over the King who stands between 

 them. His place is sometimes taken by one of 

 those Deities. When opposed to Ombte, he appears 

 to represent the Upper, as the latter the Lower, 

 Country. He also assists in binding the throne of 

 the Monarch with the stalks of water plants, in 

 company with Nilus, or with Thoth, — one using 

 those emblematic of the Upper, the otlier of the 

 Lower, Country. The ceiemony itself refers to 

 the dominion of the King over Upper and Lower 

 Egypt.* 



* Vide infra, the God Xilus. 



