Metternich Stela
Also known as: Cippus of Horus, Horus on the Crocodiles
A large magico-medical stela inscribed with apotropaic spells and mythic narratives—chiefly the healing of the child Horus—used to protect and cure victims of bites, stings, and poison.
Description
The Metternich Stela is a Late Period magico-medical monument of the "Horus on the Crocodiles" type. Its central relief shows Harpocrates trampling crocodiles and grasping serpents and wild beasts, while densely carved hieroglyphic texts record protective invocations and narrative spells. The inscriptions enlist deities such as Isis, Thoth, and Ra to counter venom and malignant forces, often by citing mythic precedents—above all the episode in which Thoth restores the poisoned infant Horus. In temple practice, water was poured over the stela so that the liquid, charged by the words and images, could be drunk by sufferers. The text combines hymnic praise, mythic exempla, and practical formulae, reflecting a late Pharaonic synthesis of theology and healing ritual.
Historiography
Belonging to the late corpus of Horus cippi, the stela was commissioned by a priest named Esatum and set up in a temple’s public area. The composition draws on earlier materials while presenting an unusually full suite of spells and narratives. Reportedly found in 1828 built into a wall and presented to Prince Metternich, it entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the mid-20th century. Modern study has focused on its iconography, the sequence of protective spells (often numbered as thirteen), and its role in ritual healing via libation water.
Date Notes
Late Period, Thirtieth Dynasty, during the reign of Nectanebo II; text preserves earlier traditions.
Archetypes
Symbols
Major Characters
- Isis
- Horus
- Re
- Seth
- Thoth
Myths
- Isis and Ra’s Secret Name
- Isis Heals the Stung Horus
- Spells against Venom and Poison
Facts
- The stela belongs to the corpus of Horus cippi, apotropaic healing monuments of the Late Period.
- Its inscriptions include a sequence commonly enumerated as thirteen spells against venom and related illness.
- Ritual use involved pouring water over the reliefs and texts and drinking it as a remedy.
- Iconography centers on Harpocrates trampling crocodiles and grasping serpents and wild animals.
- Narrative spells cite mythic precedent—especially Thoth reviving the poisoned infant Horus.
- Commissioned by the priest Esatum for installation in a temple’s public zone.
- The text invokes many protective deities: Isis, Thoth, Ra, Bes, Serqet, Wadjet, and Nekhbet among others.
- Late carving preserves earlier mythic and ritual materials adapted for practical healing.
- Reportedly discovered in 1828 and gifted to Prince Metternich; acquired later by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- The reverse and sides also carry inscriptions, making it one of the most extensive Horus cippi.