Horus was a sky god linked with battle and hunting, sometimes shown as a falcon or as a man with a falcon’s head. He also represented divine kingship, and in some times and places, the prevailing monarch was seen as a manifestation of Horus.
The Osiris myth states that Horus was the son of Isis and Osiris who was magically created following Osiris’s assassination by his brother Seth. To exact revenge for his father’s murder, Horus was reared. According to one legend, Horus lost his left eye in a conflict with Seth, but the deity Thoth miraculously repaired it. The loss and restoration of Horus’ left eye provided a legendary explanation for the phases of the moon because the right and left eyes of Horus were connected to the sun and the moon, respectively.
The living king
Every pharaoh was considered the living Horus on earth, and the first name in a king’s royal titulary, the “Horus name”, was written inside a palace façade topped by a falcon. When the king died he became Osiris and his successor became the new Horus. Horus the Child (Harpocrates), shown as a boy with a finger to his lips and a side-lock of hair, was a popular protector against snakes and scorpions.
The Eye of Horus
In his long struggle with Seth, Horus lost his left eye, which Thoth restored. The healed eye, the wedjat, became one of the most common amulets in Egypt, worn for protection and good health and placed on mummies. Its parts were also used, by later Egyptians, to write fractions.
Where to see Horus
The Temple of Horus at Edfu, between Luxor and Aswan, is the best-preserved temple in Egypt. Two granite falcons guard its entrance, and its walls record the myth of his battle with Seth and his yearly reunion with Hathor of Dendera. At Kom Ombo, a double temple is dedicated to Horus the Elder (Haroeris) and the crocodile god Sobek. Both temples are on our Edfu and Kom Ombo day tour from Luxor and on every Nile cruise between Aswan and Luxor. Falcon statues of Horus also protect the king in the Egyptian Museum, including the famous statue of Khafre.
Quick facts
- Domain: the sky, kingship, protection, war and hunting
- Symbols: falcon, Eye of Horus (wedjat), double crown
- Cult centres: Edfu, Hierakonpolis (Nekhen), Kom Ombo
- Related deities: Osiris and Isis (parents), Hathor (wife), Seth (rival)
More gods in our guide to ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses.