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Kitsune64 — Ash - God of Oases
Published: 2008-05-30 05:08:10 +0000 UTC; Views: 4345; Favourites: 80; Downloads: 67
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Alright, so I was looking through a list of Egyptian deities, looking for one in particular whose name I couldn't remember, and I happened upon Ash.Ash was a god of oases and - here's what caught my attention - a companion of Set's. He was the guy who tempered the cruelty of the desert heat (*cough*SET*cough*) and was overall a benevolent deity. His non-human form was usually hawk-headed, but he also took a lion's head and, on occasion, the Set Animal's head.
Plus, one of his titles was "Beloved of Set." Kinda hard to ignore that!
I haven't really made a character out of him yet, but still had to draw him. ^_^
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Comments: 53
If you're looking for more information on Ash (or, really, any of the Egyptian deities), I'd suggest George Hart's A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. I'm afraid it's been awhile since I've really brushed up on Ash, so that may be the best I can do for you at the moment.
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Hmm...never heard of this god before. I'm going to go look him up; potential inspiration and all.
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Yeah, he's one that doesn't get a whole lot of attention.
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.... I can see why Set loved him.. o-O At least by your imagry of him..
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*laughs* Thank you. ^_^
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Lol, I can imagine a scene where Set happened across a beautiful oasis in the middle of the desert XD
Set: What the- Ash!
Ash: What?
Set: What's this doing here? You're making me look bad!
Ash: (walks away)
Set: COME BACK HERE YOU!
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lol On the bright side, an oasis has to be surrounded by the desert to really be considered an oasis, so he couldn't do too much landscaping!
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Huh, I've never heard of this guy before.
Awesome picture though. I really like the clothes and the hair
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Thanks! Yeah, he's one of those who doesn't get a lot of modern press.
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You're welome. Yeah definitely. It seems it's all Set, Osiris, Isis and sometimes Ra
Poor ignored Egyptian gods/goddesses
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Ah, don't forget Anubis and Horus! You can usually find them around... particularly poor Anubis. The media just loves making him all sinister...
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Yeah them too. Poor Anubis indeed
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omg. Where do you find your dictionary def's? like what site?: ive been searching all over the internet for info on this guy. i really wish he had more of a story..Im kinda obsessed with him
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Sorry it took so long to get back to you. Anyways, the Wiki entry for Ash is about the lengthiest online source I've seen. In print, try the George Hart's Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. Hope that helps!
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Oh no problem. I think Ive read one longer then the wiki one or they are about the same length, but that was after Hours of searching on the internet 
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I love him! he looks a bit like one of my characters from one of my egyptian stories! hehe! very odd!
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lol! Odd coincidence, huh?
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yeah! I guess so! you don't mind if I add it to my faves do you? hehe! sorry i'm being cheeky! hehe!
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lol add away! Pff, as if I'd ever say no to that!
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ok thanks! i just always ask pomission first hehe! just something i do! hehe!
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He may also be Set; not sure on this though, He may be a side of Set. 
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*laughs* That is one theory, that he's an aspect of Set. I imagine it comes from the fact that Ash was the original lord of the western desert, which is what Set eventually took over as part of his duties as a god of foreigners/protection from foreigners. And then there's the use of the Set Beast in Ash's name and whatnot... I'm going off the idea of them as two separate gods (so I get to draw two characters, and add to Set's backstory
Thanks for the comment. ^_^
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True. Ash was also possibly the first lord of Ombos, the area in which was reputed to be His birth place. Then there is the question of Set's name, but I truly cannot comment more (because I have yet to focus on and learn the language,) than the first spellings of Set's name was sts - with some accent/language symbols over the letters. I am strongly thinking Set and Ash are the same; or were once the same and then separated. You know what they say, parts of the gods can disconnect and wander from the main part. In all of this, I'm not trying to curb your creative or personal interpretation.
Does Set appear in Strawberry Syrup? Or am I confusing two comics of yours? I'd like to learn more about your comics too, because I want to say I've heard a lot about a comic named Strawberry Syrup... It could have been through you, but... I'm not sure. Also, do you do commissions? I'm sure you like most others are very busy, but it would be cool. 
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*laughs* Also, Ash was considered the Lord of Libya and had some connection to vineyards. (I don't know if you watch me, but you might enjoy the pic I did of Modern Ash. ) Speaking from a strictly historical perspective - that is, going off what research I've done and not what I do with mythology creatively - my guess is that Ash was an older, regional deity who was eclipsed by the popularity of the Isis-Osiris-Set stories. Sort of like how Anubis started out as Lord of the Underworld, then was placed into a lesser role when Osiris gained popularity. When you get into the older gods who were superseded by others, were only popular in a specific region, or were too similar to other gods, they often end up either having their role reassigned (as in, Ash becoming a companion of Set) or being considered an aspect of the other god (which would be the Ash IS Set theory). So, if Ash and Set were considered the same, I'm pretty much opposite of you in that I think it's more likely they started as two separate gods who eventually merged in the religion.
As far as Set's name goes, there are several variations of how his name is written, and I have seen it translated as Set, Seth, Seti, Setesh, Setekh, and Sutekh. There are three reasons for all the confusion: 1) the Ancient Egyptians liked names. Lots of names. 2) Hieroglyphics is not a strictly phonetic language. It was also symbolic, where, for example, instead of writing out "l-i-f-e," they used the symbol of the ankh. And 3) even when they did spell something out, they didn't always use vowels, so we can only guess at how a lot of things were pronounced.
If you go to the Modern Ash pic, you'll see one variation of Set's name at the very bottom of the obelisk. That particular one is a good example of a phonetic/symbolic combination. The candy cane stands for the "s" sound, the half-circle for "t," and the rectangle for "sh," so modern scholars would stick a couple of e's in there and turn it into "Setesh." The last symbol, the seated Set Beast, is a symbol taken to mean the god Set. It may seem repetitive, but it's what says, "Yes, I am referring to the god Set."
My personal interpretation of Set come from an RPG a friend and I started several years ago. It's managed to live on between a few of the players in AIM chats, so most of my mythology-based characters (and those of my friends that show up in my gallery) come from that. If you go to my gallery, you'll find two collections devoted to the game: one of regular deviations and one of sketches.
*laughs* And nope, Strawberry Syrup has nothing to do with ancient mythology. It's my webcomic about a half vampire in high school and the boy who's hunting him. It's not the least bit serious, but people seem to enjoy it. ^_^ For a good guide to the story and characters, check out my Squidoo Lens on it, or you can follow the link down in my signature to get to my website. Once there, click on "Comic" to read the comic, and "Commissions" to see my information on doing commissions. Note me if you have any questions.
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I apologize for the long wait for this reply, if you were. 
I'm starting to wonder if Set and Ash are the same being; 'Setesh'. 
[link]
I could go farther in how I feel then that Set/Ash has characteristics of an Iranian deity/demon... I'll spare you unless you really want to read/hear, but again - it's all speculation.
I did 
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Sorry you're not feeling well. It's that time of year, alas.
Set is often written as "Seth." I personally opted to drop the 'h' when I created my Set character because at the time, I had another RPG character named Seth, and dropping the 'h' helped me keep them separate.
The reason there are so many variations is that, for one, the ancient Egyptians themselves used several variations. This is further complicated by the fact that they used few vowels, and scholars today need to guess at pronunciation. For example, the name might be written as "s-t-sh." To make it pronounceable, the scholars stick a few e's in, making it "Setesh." Check out [this page] for a few other variations. You might also find the book "Understanding Hieroglyphs" by Hilary Wilson helpful in learning about Egyptian names in particular.
*laughs* I'm still betting on Ash being an older god whose worship was eclipsed and absorbed by a more dominant religious strain.
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About being sick, I guess I'll live; honest, sometimes I wonder - though I know that's not something to joke about...
Regarding Ash and Set - you may be right, it's just I am very unsure. Of course, none of us are sure! Due to my spiritual beliefs, I guess, is whey I take it so much to heart.
I do have some books regarding the language - not sure if it's Ms. Wilson's though. I have yet to read them fully. Also, it seems that the language is really not one to study alone - 'cause it's hard...?
I am sending you a note tonight (dA note).
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Languages in general can be difficult to learn alone, especially if you don't have a good book, and learning to speak languages (as opposed to just reading them) really should have some exposure to hearing it spoken. Fortunately, it's usually easier to learn just to read a language than learning to fluently speak it, so that's one thing in the hieroglyphics' favor.
The main reason I suggest Ms. Wilson's book is that it focuses a great deal on names and the elements found in names and titles, not to mention gives you a good grasp of what order to read hieroglyphs in. Definitely see if you can get your hands on it.
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I took three years of Spanish, and remember not much of anything! I didn't really take my studies seriously, as well there was no one to practice with. I've heard that it takes about five years for the proper muscle development to take place to actually speak a language fluently. That takes practice everyday; if one doesn't have anyone to speak that language with, it's kind of wasted knowledge - not totally, but to some degree. So, yeah, I know - it's hard to learn any language. And also true, that I can read (and guess!) much better. (I remember some words, and can guess at some words.)
I'll see if Ms. Wilson's book is already in my small collection. though it is not ringing a bell; if not I'll take a look and see if I can get it via bn.com or amazon.com. As for reading hieroglyphs, I came across this bit of information that 'solves' that problem: It depends on the way the symbols are pointed. If towards the left, then the text is to be read left to right, if facing right, then the text should be read right to left... If I am incorrect, please educate me!
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I'm not sure what learning languages has to do with muscle development, apart from mental muscle perhaps. Some (like my linguistics teacher) say you can't become fluent in a language after a certain point in your life - for one thing, you can't pick up other sound sets anymore. But it does take about 5 years to become conversationally fluent, probably less with full immersion. (I took German and Old English, btw... I haven't completely forgotten all my German, but I won't be holding any conversations anytime soon! 
And you're right - the direction certain symbols face tells you which way to read, but it helps to see a "how-to" when it comes to reading the vertical arrangements. ^^
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I didn't even think about the muscles either, but it makes sense when you realize you're moving your mouth and parts within and without to form different sounds for the words. That's where muscles come in; of course, this is more so speaking a language, not just learning to read and write it. And, I don't know about one cannot become fluent in a language after a certain point. I'm not debating that with you, just - I don't know, and also a part of me doesn't wish to believe it.
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It's so rare to see characters with a tanned skin ! And this one is so cute...! I didn't know this god, even though I love Egyptian myths. Thank you for drawing him and letting me know more about him !
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You're very welcome. ^_^ I'm glad you like him.
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I've heard of this paticular God, but he was a side note. A minor God that showed up late and wasn't heavily shown around. I didn't hear him ever called 'Beloved of Set' or Ash, but I didn't think on it too hard, to be honest. It's cool to know you've dug up more then I did!
He's very cute. I'd love to see him paired off with Set as a character some time. Not like, lovers. As best friends or something. I can see how it'd be good to have someone there to moderate Set's temper.
I do wish I knew what a 'set animal' was. :/
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*laughs* Actually, he predates Set as the lord of Ombos (in Upper Egypt) and references to him can be found on seals from the Early Dynastic period (approximately 3000-2686 b.c., predating the Old Kingdom). Also, apparently he's shown in full human form in a temple dating from around 2500 b.c. (you made me go and dig up my Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
As far as names go, "Beloved of (fill in the blank)" was one of the Ancient Egyptians' favorite titles. Certain pharaohs used it as one of their titles, and it was a common element in first names (Such as Meryamun, "Beloved of Amun" or Meryre, "Beloved of Ra"). It doesn't suggest being the lover of that person, but it's easier to translate it as "Beloved of Ra" than "Ra is really, really fond of him" and sounds more impressive than "Ra favors him."
So, that it's suggested that one of Ash's title's was "Beloved of Set" doesn't suggest that they liked a good romp in the sand so much as says that they were pretty close, considering they're both gods. I have a real hard time seeing them as lovers (especially with how my version of Set was early in his life, when he would have been around Ash a lot), but the fact that it was one of Ash's titles just kinda screams, "I'm connected to Set! Make me a character, please!"
And then there's the Set Animal. Scholars can't decide on what the animal Set's head is based on. Suggestions range from camels to aardvarks. Personally, I think he looks more like some kind of canine, especially when you look at his full animal form. (you can see a relief of it here ) Best guess is that he's some sort of composit animal.
I'll see what I can do about a picture of them together sometime.
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Really? Well there's the difference between the dictionary and me googling things online, haha. I may be confusing him with some other god I was looking at. It was a LONG while ago. . . I concentrated more on Norse and Persian because I had trouble finding reliable references to egyptian. Not that I had more luck with Norse or Persian, but what can you do.
I didn't mean the lover comment in reference to 'beloved of Set' I meant it in reference to me say saying I wanted to see them together
I'll look forward to the picture of them together, then, haha.
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I remember you mentioning the Norse before, but not the Persian. I know a bit about Norse, but nothing about the Persian mythology.
Yeah, it can be hard to find reliable sources online, but there are a few... I like Encyclopedia Mythica, but it's not quite as complete as I'd like (for example, poor Ash only gets four little sentances). When I'm creating a mythologically based character, I usually start off by reading several different sources and see what jumps out at me, and then I try to create a logical character and character history from that. It gets really interesting when there are conflicting stories in the mythology - then it's just a matter of picking which version fits best with the character that's forming, or adapting a version to fit.
*laughs* From what I can tell of Ash and Seth so far, they seem like they'd compliment each other pretty well as friends. Now, it's just a matter of getting a drawing to cooperate!
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wait! so SORRY *major blushing!!* I mean platonic!
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Ahh!!! Digging myself a bigger hole!!!
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*blush*
Egyptian god's rock!! YAY!
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Love the guy already! (in a strict non-platonic, your-ideas-inspire-me way!)
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I love Egypt!!! Make more of these drawings please! Never heard of Ash, strangly.. o.o"
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I might.
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Looks like a cool guy to be around (pun not intended)
Still is interesting to see a Hawk-headed god with positive ties to Set... *really must finish that Horus thingie ><*
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*laughs* There are a few hawk deities in the Egyptian pantheon, and there's an older form of Horus that didn't have the negative ties, either. I haven't looked into it in awhile, so I'm probably a little fuzzy on it, but I believe that before the serious popularity rise of the Osiris story, Set and a form of Horus were often depicted together as tutors and protectors of the Pharaoh.
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Doesn't sound unreasonable... makes sense that the personifications of the Upper and Lower Kingdoms would work together to look after Pharaoh
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Pretty much. Annnnd then there was that whole "SET KILLED OSIRIS" thing, and you started seeing that a bit less.
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