Horus (deity)

Symbols: Eye; falcon

Culture: Ancient Egypt

Mother: Isis

Father: Osiris

Children: Qebehsenuef; Hapi; Duamutef; Imesty

The sky deity Horus is one of the most important gods worshipped by ancient Egyptians. Horus was the Greek name of the Egyptian god who was variously known as Hor, Har, Her, or Heru. He was often shown as having the head of a falcon. His right and left eye stood for the sun and the moon respectively. Although there seems to be some confusion regarding his birth and parentage due to the presence in the pantheon of several hawk gods, it is widely believed that Horus was the son of Osiris and Isis. In earlier periods he was considered to be the god of war and the god of the sky. In later times he was also known as the patron deity of the pharaohs. It was common practice among pharaohs to assume a name related to Horus in honor of the god and to have it inscribed on their monuments and tombs. Some of the Horus names Pharaohs adopted were Djer meaning "Horus the strong;" Nebra, meaning "Lord of the Sun;" and Aha, referring to "Horus the fighter." Pharaoh Ramses I took on the Horus name Kanakht Wadjnisyt, meaning "strong bull." Horus was best known for avenging the death of his father Osiris by slaying his uncle, Seth. The Eye of Horus was the most powerful symbol of the god and was also used as an amulet.

In Mythology

Horus had various forms, names, and titles at different times and places in ancient Egypt. He was well known as the son of Isis, the goddess of health, marriage, and wisdom. She was also considered the goddess of the dead and a healer with great magical powers. Legend says that Isis used her magical powers to give birth to Horus after her husband Osiris’s death. Not much is known about Horus’s childhood except that Isis brought him up on an island in order to protect him from his uncle Seth, a sky god and a god of the desert, storms, disorder, and warfare. The rivalry between Horus and Seth was mentioned in texts dating back to the times of the First Dynasty, about 4,000 years ago. According to ancient Egyptian tales Seth not only killed Horus’s father Osiris but also refused to accept Horus as the heir to Egypt’s throne. Horus killed Seth in the battle that ensued and ascended the throne. However, Horus lost his left eye in the battle.

Thoth, the god of the moon and of writing, languages, and scribes, later restored Horus’s left eye. Thoth was also the god who protected Isis from Seth during her pregnancy. Mythology cited the restoration of Horus’s eye to explain the phases of moon. In Egyptian mythology the moon was the left eye of Horus. When Horus lost this eye while battling with Seth, Thoth—along with fourteen other gods—healed the eye. These fifteen gods represented the fifteen days leading up to both the full moon and the new moon. Each god stood for each phase of the moon. In later times, Seth’s defeat at the hands of Horus came to symbolize the subjugation of Egypt’s conquerors.

Another of Horus’s popular forms was that of Horus of Edfu or Horus of Behedet. Edfu, also known as Behedet, was the most important town located on the west bank of Nile River in Upper Egypt. As Horus of Edfu, he was the guardian of pharaohs and was also associated with the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. The ruler was assumed to be the personification of Horus on Earth and therefore the most important of his pharaonic names was his Horus name. This name was inscribed on an embellished rectangular facade called a serekh. In addition, the ruler was portrayed in paintings and sculptures by an image of Horus above his head. The pharaohs sought the blessings of Horus before riding into battles.

Hathor was Horus’s partner and he fathered four sons with her: Qebehsenuef, Hapi, Duamutef, and Imesty. Their sons were the guardian gods of the four cardinal directions and also guarded their grandfather Osiris’s body.

Origins and Cults

Worship of Horus dated back to the very early, predynastic era of Egypt, about 5500 to 3100 BCE. He assumed two very important forms as Horus the elder, associated with Egypt’s ancient capital Nekhen, and the Horus of Behedet, associated with the city of Behedet. In the latter form he was often depicted as a winged sun disk.

The ancient Greek deity Apollo was considered the Greek equivalent of Horus. The Greeks knew the town of Edfu as Apollinopolis, meaning "town of Apollo." Horus was associated with numerous falcon cults that were quite common, particularly during pre-dynastic times. He was worshipped by the people in his several manifestations and as local gods throughout ancient Egypt. Each manifestation had its own religious sect and followers which were later absorbed into the cult of Horus of Edfu.

It became a ritual at Edfu to stage the battle between Horus and Seth. In such dramas Horus assumed the form of a pharaoh and Seth took the form of a hippopotamus. Paintings of Horus were also popular and a large number of his depictions have been discovered all over Egypt. A detailed wall painting of the deity can be seen at the Tomb of Horemheb in the Valley of Kings at Luxor.

Horus the Child was shown in a number of portraits slaying serpents and crocodiles. This manifestation also found a place in amulets that were used to keep away dangerous animals. This Eye of Horus was the most often used symbol of Horus. It was believed that those who wore it were protected from dangers as well as bestowed with good health. The bearer was also assured of gaining success and wisdom.

Bibliography

Armour, A. Robert. Gods and myths of Ancient Egypt. 2nd ed. Cairo: American U in Cairo P, 2003. Print.

"Horus," Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2015. Web. 17 Nov 2015. <http://www.britannica.com/topic/Horus>.

Murray, Margaret Alice. Ancient Egyptian Legends. 1920. London: Murray, 1982. Print.

Pinch, Geraldine. Egyptian Mythology: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2004. Print.

———. Handbook of Egyptian Mythology. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2002. Print.

Wilkinson, Richard H. The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. London: Thames, 2003. Print.