Horus
Horus · Egyptian God of Sky and Kingship — Falcon-Eyed Restorer of Justice
Ancient Egyptian god of the sky, kingship, and justice. Son of Osiris and Isis, he waged an eighty-year struggle against his uncle Set, who had murdered his father, and finally won the throne of Egypt by divine judgment. Depicted with a falcon's head crowned with the Double Crown of Upper and Lower Egypt, every living pharaoh was held to be his incarnation.
Origin
After his father Osiris was murdered, Isis hid and raised him in the marshes. Grown to manhood, he disputed the throne with Set before the tribunal of the gods for eighty years, and finally regained Egypt's crown by their verdict. The 'Eye of Horus' (Wedjat) commemorates the left eye he lost in battle and recovered.
Features
- Falcon-headed king crowned with the Double Crown (Pschent)
- Royal scepter, flail, and ankh
- Eye of Horus (Wedjat) — symbol of protection and restoration
- White falcon, or twin falcons in some depictions
Stories
The divine legitimacy of the living pharaoh — every reigning king was 'Horus.' Eye of Horus amulets were the most widely produced protective talismans, used for healing and warding evil. Invoked in rites for the restoration of just kingship.