Horus

The Falcon God of Kingship

Horus was one of ancient Egypt's oldest and most important gods. He was usually shown as a falcon or as a man with a falcon's head. Egyptians connected him with the sky, kingship and protection. There were actually several forms of Horus, and their stories sometimes blended together. The version most children meet is Horus the Child, son of Isis and Osiris. After Set killed Osiris, Isis hid the young Horus in the marshes and protected him from danger until he was old enough to claim his father's throne.

Horus and Set then began an enormous struggle over who should rule. They fought, argued in front of the gods and competed in some extremely strange challenges. In one story they transformed into hippopotamuses. In another, they raced in boats that were supposed to be made of stone. During their battles, Horus's eye was badly damaged. The god Thoth healed it, and the restored Eye of Horus became a symbol of healing, protection and completeness. Egyptians wore eye-shaped amulets and painted the symbol on coffins and boats.

Eventually, the divine court decided that Horus should inherit the throne of Osiris. Every living pharaoh became closely connected with Horus, which made the falcon god an important symbol of royal power. Kings even had a special 'Horus name' as part of their official titles. At Edfu, a huge temple celebrated Horus as a victorious defender. His falcon shape also fitted his sky role perfectly. A falcon can fly high above the land and see things far below, so it made a brilliant image for a god watching over Egypt. I like Horus because his story is not about never getting hurt. He loses an eye and faces years of trouble before finally succeeding. The healed eye became famous precisely because it had first been damaged. To remember Horus, picture three things: a falcon in the sky, a young prince hiding with Isis and a bright protective eye restored after battle.

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