Horus was the Egyptian god of the Sky. He was the son of Isis and Osiris. After fighting his uncle Set, he became the king of Egypt. During this fight, he lost his eye. The Eye of Horus became one of the most important symbols in ancient Egypt.
The Eye of Horus[change | change source]
The Eye of Horus is a powerful amulet. It is a sign of protection. It is also called the Wadjet Eye. The ancient Egyptians worshiped Horus partly because he had the Eye of Horus.
Worship[change | change source]
Horus, was worshiped all over Egypt, especially in Pe, Bendet and Khem. There were many falcon gods before Horus, but eventually Horus represented all of them. He was worshiped until the end of the Pre-Dynastic period. In Upper Egypt (south), in the town of Edfu, was Ptolemaic, a temple for Horus. In Kom Ombo, there was another temple for Horus called the Kom Ombo temple. Horus was a good friend of Sobek. He was also worshipped as a guide to the pharaohs.
Physical appearance[change | change source]
Horus was considered handsome and usually appeared as a falcon or a falcon headed man, although sometimes he appeared as a falcon headed crocodile. Sometimes he would take the form of a celestial falcon with his left eye the moon and his right eye the sun, his speckled breast feathers the stars, the down sweep of his wings creating the winds. He is sometimes shown with a copper knife. In addition, he normally wore the double crown to signify his rule over all of Egypt and to relate with the Pharaoh.
Purpose[change | change source]
Horus was the god of the sky. The pharaoh ruling at any given time of Egypt was always the living image of Horus. When he died, that pharaoh became Osiris, the god of the dead and the father of Horus. The new pharaoh became Horus. His purpose was to protect the pharaoh. He was a protector god, who was a god who fought evil. He represented justice and righteousness. He fought with Seth. He did this to avenge his father, Osiris, who was killed by Seth (See more in Seth article.) When Horus defeated Seth, he conquered his father, Osiris', throne, and became protector.
References[change | change source]
- Hinds, Kathryn. Religion and Life in Ancient Egypt
- Hart, George. Ancient Egypt
- Harris, Geraldine. Gods & Pharaohs from Egyptian mythology
- Wilkinson, Richard. The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt.
- Nardo, Don. Egyptian Mythology.
- Vernus, Pascal. The Gods of Ancient Egypt.
- David, Rosalie. Religion and Magic in Ancient Egypt.
- “ Horus.” Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica
- Harris, Geraldine and Pemberton, Delia. Illustrated Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt.
- Millmore, Mark. Imagining Egypt.
- Remler, Pat. 'Egyptian Mythology From A to Z'
- Wilkinson, Richard H. The Complete Gods And Goddesses Of Ancient Egypt
Other websites[change | change source]