Research Files: Eye of Horus

Disclaimer: I am not a mythology scholar. I am simply interested in myths and how they shape human behavior and stories. The post below is a synthesis of my research about the Eye of Horus and my personal thoughts and should not be taken as verified fact, though I have done my best to ensure its accuracy. This is meant to be a brief, fun introduction to the myth and not an academic resource. My sources are included at the end of the post.

What is the Eye of Horus?

The Eye of Horus is a symbol in Ancient Egyptian mythology. Horus was the Egyptian god of the sky, who is often shown as a falcon. Some sources say the shape of the Eye of Horus is a cross between a falcon’s and a human’s, because the teardrop marking resembles that of a falcon.

The Eye of Horus is a symbol of protection, sacrifice, good health, and royal power. Because of this, many Ancient Egyptians and Middle Easterners wore the symbol as an amulet or painted it on their ships or outside their homes to ward off evil and sickness.

Even in death, the Eye of Horus was believed to protect and guide spirits safely into the afterlife. People were often buried with funerary amulets in the shape of the eye. The living often adorned sarcophagi with paintings of the Eye of Horus to protect their dead and also to provide a window out to the world of the living.

The Eye of Horus has many nicknames. It is sometimes called the All Seeing Eye, or the Wadjet/Ujat (Udjat), which means “whole one.” Based on the story below, the name “whole one” makes sense.

The Origin of the Eye of Horus

One myth in particular offers an explanation for why the Eye of Horus became such an important symbol to the Ancient Greeks, and why still today, people wear or display it to promote protection and healing.

According to the story, after Horus’ father Osiris died, Horus’ uncle Set wanted to take the throne. Horus wasn’t into that idea, so he fought his Uncle Set (feels a bit like the Lion King, huh?). Set gouged out one of Horus’ eyes (there is debate about which one) and cut it into six pieces, scattering them all across Egypt. Thoth, the moon god, (or Hathor, goddess of the sky, depending on the source) healed Horus’ eye and returned it to him. Then, Horus took his now-whole/healthy eye and offered it to his dead father Osiris in hopes it would bring him back to life.

Horus’ right eye is often linked to Ra and the sun, while his left is linked to Thoth and the moon.

The division and subsequent restoration of the eye of Horus is sometimes equated with either the phases of the moon as it waxes/wanes and becomes whole once a month or with a solar eclipse.

Measuring the Symbol’s Usefulness

Besides protecting the living as well as the dead, the Eye of Horus is also the base for an Ancient Egyptian system of mathematics, specifically fractions.

(Image by: Benoît Stella alias BenduKiwi, CC BY-SA 3.0)

The Ancient Egyptians used the six pieces of the broken eye as a system of measurements that add up to 64. They attributed the missing 1/64 to Thoth’s magic or to represent that perfection does not exist. One thing I found even more interesting is that they paired each part of the Eye of Horus with a specific sense.

Using the Eye of Horus as Inspiration

The Eye of Horus was actually one of the first things that inspired my Sezna Seer books. I think I was playing the computer game Nancy Drew: Tomb of the Lost Queen, in which you poke around an archaeological site in Egypt. I saw the Eye of Horus and thought something like it would make an amazing magical amulet for a character with Sight abilities. Maybe a bit on-the-nose, but that’s not the point.

The point is, the Eye of Horus is still a major symbol today, which means it has staying power. It resonates with people. So, let’s dig into just a few ways to use the Eye of Horus as story inspiration.

Does your character use an amulet for a specific purpose? Protection, magic, etc? If so, what shape is it and why is that significant?
Does your story world use a unique system of math or science? Where did it come from?
What significance do deities play in your story world? Do they mind their own business, meddle in human affairs, or watch with casual interest?
How do people worship or live out their beliefs?
What kinds of symbols are important and why? How do people use the symbols? How did these symbols become important?
What forms do deities/god/God take in your world? Are they humanlike? Animal-like? Alien?

I hope you enjoyed this introduction to the Eye of Horus, and if you’re looking for your own inspiration, I hope you found some here.

Have any favorite symbols or resources on Ancient Egyptian mythology? Leave a comment.

Looking for more mythological amulets? Check out my post on Norse goddess Freya and her magical necklace, Brísingamen.