Set animal

Today, there is a general agreement among Egyptologists that it was never a real creature and existed only in ancient Egyptian religion.

The sha is usually depicted as a slender canid, resembling a greyhound, fennec fox or a jackal, with three distinguishing features: a stiff tail, often forked at the end, which stands straight up or at an angle, whether the animal is sitting, standing, or walking; its ears, also held erect, are usually depicted as squarish or triangular, narrowest at the base and widest at the squarish tops; and a long nose, often with a slight downward curve.

Was-sceptres were carried by gods, pharaohs and priests as a symbol of power and, in later use, control over the force of chaos (Set).

Was scepters are often depicted in paintings, drawings and carvings of gods and remnants of real was-sceptres have been found constructed of Egyptian faience or wood.

During the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Horus and Set were generally viewed as twin supporters and defenders of the god Ra, head of the Egyptian pantheon; and they were often depicted anointing the king, as the divine source of his authority.

[6] Although Set was originally viewed as the son and defender of Ra and the Egyptian kings, his reputation among the people declined along with the rise of the cult of Osiris.

Worship in the Osiris cult stressed the role of Set as violence personified; the murderer of his brother and usurper of his throne who, instead of standing alongside Horus, became his eternal enemy.

This view of Set was encouraged during the Second Intermediate Period, when Egypt was invaded by the Hyksos from Western Asia.

During the Third Intermediate Period, however, Set was deeply unpopular: his worship was abandoned, and many depictions of him were destroyed or defaced.

In connection with Anubis, the jackal is never depicted with the distinguishing features of the Set animal: The stiff, typically forked tail; the squared ears; and the long, slightly curved nose.

The Saluki is also depicted in hieroglyphs with no ostensible connection to Set, suggesting it was well known to ancient Egyptian people.

[8] In addition to the jackal or the Saluki, mentioned above, some scholars have historically suggested the Set animal may be a stylized representation of some other animal, such as an oryx (a type of large white desert antelope), donkey, fennec fox, jerboa, camel, okapi, elephant shrew, aardvark, giraffe, pig, elephant-snout fish or that it might represent a species that was rare and has since become extinct.