Lion King - Part I (Plot & Cast)
Let us begin our Series with a classic – the Lion King.
A full interactive edition (with movie clips) can be downloaded by clicking on the document download link opposite.
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The Lion King is perhaps the quintessential example of Egyptian metaphor, with a plot and characters that closely resemble the journey of Horus.
The Plot
Simba is the offspring of the King, Mufasa, and his royal mother, Sarabi. Likewise, Horus is born of the union of Isis and Osiris, who rule the kingdom. Simba’s evil uncle Scar usurps the throne after killing Mufasa, and instructs his minions to kill Simba, but Simba manages to escape to the jungle. Similarly, after the death of Osiris, at the hands of Horus’ evil uncle Seth, Horus must be hidden away, but Seth sends a scorpion to kill him.
With Simba’s coming of age, Nala, his betrothed, appears (to the music of “Can you feel the love Tonight”) and Rafiki, in the form of a baboon, must knock some sense into Simba for him to remember his father. In the metaphor, Thoth, who is symbolized as a baboon, is sent to revive Horus and to teach him wisdom and Universal Law, and with his coming of age, Horus is united with Hathor (representing love).
Simba, like Horus, must challenge Seth (Scar), who is now ruling the Earth. As Simba returns to fight, Sarabi almost loses her head from a blow from Scar, and Simba is blinded with coals. Correspondingly, Isis attempts to help Horus at one point against Seth, but gets her head cut off, only for Horus to run off alone to fight the battle, with Seth managing to gauge out his eyes.
Scar, in defending himself, attempts to blame the hyenas, only to fall before them as they pronounce sentence on his rule. Simba assumes his rightful place on the throne. Fed up with the never-ending battle with Horus, Seth calls a secret meeting of the ruling council (the Ennead) to plead his case, but they ultimately rule against him as he condemns himself with his own testimony. Horus then reclaims the kingdom of his father. The circle is complete, the parallels are striking.
The Cast
In Egyptian metaphor, there are five main aspect to describe the human being – Osiris (the father/Higher Self), Isis (the great mother/Holy Spirit), Horus (the hero/soul/son), Seth (the antagonist/ego), and Nephthys (the body). There are also three important attributes used to describe God (Ra/First Light/Sun) - Thoth (law/wisdom), Hathor (love), and Maat (order).
The Lion King mirrors the metaphor in its characterizations as shown:
Mufasa
King of the Pride Lands, and Simba’s father. He is killed by his evil brother Scar, who usurps his throne and the rule of the kingdom.
Egyptian Character: Osiris
Simba
Son of Mufasa and Sarabi, heir to the throne. After the death of his father, and Scar’s attempt to kill him, Simba gets lost in the world, before remembering his father and his true role.
Egyptian Character: Horus (son/Hero)
Scar
The evil uncle that kills the King and takes control of the Pride lands. But his impotence destroys the land and he must battle Simba for control. Egyptian Character: Seth (Satan/ego)
Sarabi
Queen of the Pride Lands, and Simba’s mother. After Mufasa’s death, she is portrayed as serving Scar, not knowing that Simba Lives, but fights upon his return. Egyptian: Isis (the mother) and Nephthys (the body) serving whomever is in power
Nala
Simba’s betrothed, whose reuniting ignites the love in him and the desire to reclaim his throne.
Egyptian Character: Hathor (Love)
Rafiki
a baboon. He holds the law in the kingdom, and must reawaken Simba to remembering his Father.
Egyptian Character: Thoth (wisdom/law)
Zazu
a red-billed hornbill, escorts the young Lion King, Simba, through his adventures in the world, reminding him of what he should do as heir to the throne. Egyptian Character: Anubis – the conscience
Timon & Pumbaa
a meerkat & warthog, who find Simba in the desert and lead him into a life in the jungle (symbolically the world). They then accompany him back to reclaim the throne. Egyptian: Sobeck, a crocodile associated with taking Horus into/out of the world
