GlaringDragon, “Horus and Set”, DeviantArt

The most important part of the Chester Beatty Papyrus I is the mythological story of “The Contendings of Horus and Seth” which deals with the battles between Horus and Set to see who will be the successor to the throne of Osiris. Horus and Seth have various competitions to see who will be king. Horus beats Seth each time.

The specific time of the Contendings is a period during which the fighting has temporarily stopped; Seth and Horus have brought their case before the Ennead. There both Set and Horus plead their cases and the deities of the Ennead state their opinions. The combat starts up again between Horus and Seth and finally, the situation is resolved when Horus is determined to be rightful king of Egypt.