The Eye of Horus is one of the most powerful and visual symbols of Ancient Egyptian religion. In this blog we have already covered others such as the ankh and the uraeus, and now it is the turn of this other one which, as we shall see, many people use in the form of an amulet. In the following lines we describe this eye of hypnotic appearance and tell you what its origin and meaning are.
Possible origin and meaning
To understand the origin and meaning of the Eye of Horus it is advisable to put this and other gods in context, for the mythology of Ancient Egypt can prove complex and subject to different interpretations. Horus (god of war and protector of pharaohs, represented with a falcon’s head) was the son of Osiris (god of fertility and resurrection). Osiris was murdered by his brother Seth (Horus’s uncle).
In his struggle to avenge his father, Horus fought Seth and was wounded, losing an eye. However, he regained his sight by replacing it with this eye, which had magical, healing, and protective properties, thus becoming the counterpart of that god. This eye is also called Udyat or Wedjat and is a metaphor for vigilance and observation, both interior and exterior, especially for the pharaohs, who came under its protection.
One often speaks of the eyes of Horus as supernatural elements, the left associated with the moon and the right with the sun (hence one often speaks also of the Eye of Ra, as he is the sun god). However, the most common term and the meaning most present in tombs and temples is that of the Eye of Horus.
Description of the Eye of Horus
As is customary in the hieroglyphs and symbology of Ancient Egypt, the Eye of Horus has a striking visual force. Its most recognizable part is a left eye, from which the usual eye line extends outward. Above, framing the whole, what appears to be a curved eyebrow. And as a base, a vertical line in the form of a pillar and another in a spiral, which might recall the wound this god suffered in his fight with his uncle Seth, which caused him to lose his original eye.
These are few strokes but they form a powerful symbol, easy to draw and to insert in very varied contexts, especially those of funerary contexts: in tombs or sarcophagi. In those cases, the Eye of Horus conferred upon the deceased the power to see what was happening in this world, as well as vigilance to prevent attacks. In addition, it was associated with the protection and healing of eye diseases.
Its use is very ancient, for in fact there are already references to the Eye of Horus in the Pyramid Texts, constructed during the Old Kingdom (3rd millennium BC). And its presence is maintained in tombs and other funerary spaces until the final stages of that civilization.
A powerful protective amulet today
In our day, the Eye of Horus continues to be present in the decoration of many homes, in personal accessories, or even in tattoos on the skin. And it is that many consider it an authentic protective amulet that allows one to counteract or neutralize the effect of the evil eye.
For all these reasons, the Eye of Horus can well be considered an equivalent to the Hand of Fatima, a symbol that is also present in the collective imagination of other Muslim societies, such as those of Morocco and Jordan. And so you will be able to verify on other trips you make with Mandala Tours, the group of agencies to which Egipto Exclusivo belongs: other ‘sister’ agencies are Jordania Exclusiva, Turismo Marruecos, Turquía Exclusiva… and much more.
