Wesir is the beloved King of the Dead and Lord of the Underworld. He presides over the Judgment after death and watches over our ancestors in the West. He is also the fertile land of Kemet and was especially beloved by farmers and the common people. The meaning of His Name is uncertain, but its hieroglyphs contain the symbol for the throne.
Hieroglyphs of Wesir's Name
Wesir appears as a man in mummy wrappings, holding the crook and flail of kingship in His arms. On His head He wears the Atef crown, with two tall ostrich plumes and a pair of ram's horns. Often His face is green, to symbolize rebirth and growth. Other symbols of Wesir are the djed-pillar, a symbol of stability and enduring power, and the corn mummy. This was a model of the god filled with soil and seeds of barley. It was placed in tombs to symbolize the rebirth of the dead in the Underworld. The animal sacred to Wesir during the later period of Kemetic history is the Apis bull.
[image of Wesir with His symbols]
Wesir is the first-born son of Nut and Geb and the husband of Aset. According to the myth, Wesir ruled over Kemet as a wise and just King, with Aset as His queen. The dead needed a king in the Afterlife, but a living god could not rule over the dead. Wesir's brother Set wanted to be king Himself, so He drowned Wesir. With Her powerful magic, Aset was able to restore Wesir and have their son, Heru, but She was not able to bring Wesir completely back to the land of the living. Wesir then became King of the Underworld, where He also judges the dead as they arrive from their journey to the West.
Another way of looking at this myth is to see the symbolism behind the gods in the story. Set represents the red, dry desert and Wesir is the rich, fertile earth. Every year the desert (Set) "drowns out" the fertile land (Wesir), and then the inundation (Aset) comes and revives the land and allows new growth (Heru) to spring forth.
Wesir eventually takes over the forms and functions of almost all of the Names connected with death and the Afterlife. These include Yinepu, Wepwawet, Sobek, and Sokar. Wesir is also connected with Ra. At sunset, Ra becomes Wesir, and at sunrise, Wesir becomes Ra.
Wesir is powerful, regal, and imposing, but He is also just, wise, and kind. He watches over our beloved akhu in the City of the Dead and makes sure that they are safe and well. He loves us very much and can help us to be strong and grow in our lives.
