The Eye of Horus , shown as a stylised eye pointing forward, is a well-known symbol in Egyptian culture . They were often displayed on wedjat amulets, which were protective tokens inserted into mummy wrappings, tombs, or coffins. The symbol, dedicated to Horus, the deity of kingship and protection, symbolized divine protection and healing. Found most commonly in burial contexts, the Eye of Horus was said to provide spiritual protection for the deceased, safeguarding their successful journey to the afterlife. Its use both in burial practice and in artwork speaks to the strong connection to health, power, and favor with the gods in Egyptian culture.
‘Eye of Horus’ amulet
The Eye of Horus, especially in the form of the wedjat amulet, was one of the most ubiquitous symbols employed throughout ancient Egypt . The amulet, Egyptologist Kei Yamamoto from the University of Toronto adds, had strong connections with themes of healing and protection — perhaps the reason it was frequently encountered in graveyards and wound around mummies.
These amulets were not ornaments alone; they were believed to guard the dead against harm in the afterlife, and hold them fast on their journey through the underworld. The symbolism of the Eye thus brought together myth and purpose, offering comfort to the living and defense to the dead.
‘Eye of Horus’ mythical origins
Egyptian mythology gives us the origins for the Eye of Horus. The falcon-headed god Horus, the god of kingship and of the heavens, was the son of Osiris, the underworld deity. Through myth, Horus was drawn into a deadly war with his uncle Seth, who had killed Osiris and taken the throne.
In this epic fight, Seth badly hurt Horus' left eye. However, Horus eventually triumphed and regained the Egyptian throne. Thoth, the ibis-headed god of wisdom and healing, healed his injured eye miraculously. As Egyptologist Emily Teeter writes, it was this restored left eye that became sacred in Egyptian culture as the Eye of Horus — a symbol of restoration, protection, and wholeness.
Origins and versatility of the ‘Eye of Horus’ in ancient Egypt
The earliest known wedjat amulets are around 2200 B.C., in Egypt's Sixth Dynasty. They were also shown on the coffins and tomb chapels of this era, says Yamamoto. They probably had a double function: providing magical protection and enabling the dead to "see" into the world of the living — a symbolic bridge between the two worlds.
The emergence of the Eye of Horus could have coincided with a wider religious shift within ancient Egypt. Around the same time, Egyptians began inscribing religious scripture upon the walls of pyramids — the first moves toward the canonization of religious instruction. Yamamoto suggests that this period of religious canonization could have brought about the invention and spread of new sacred signs, like the Eye.
There is also a more utilitarian connection to the Eye of Horus: cosmetics. The Egyptians applied protective eye makeup made of galena and malachite regularly, substances believed to ward off evil. According to Wilson, the wedjat could have been a symbolic image of a guarded and consecrated eye, giving it an added layer of cultural meaning.
Whatever its original application, the Eye of Horus was quickly an important symbol of Egyptian identity. As Wilson aptly puts it, it's a "very versatile, very Egyptian, very powerful" symbol. Its pervasiveness in artwork, adornments, amulets, and temple reliefs speaks to its important function in the religious and cultural practice of ancient Egypt — a potent guardian of health, renewal, and cosmological order.
Evolving symbolism of the ‘Eye of Horus’ in ancient Egypt
Over Egypt's 3,000 years, the meaning and use of the Eye of Horus varied. By the first millennium B.C., embalmers began placing large wax copies of the wedjat on the left side of the abdomen — where the incision was made during mummification. This was believed to invoke the Eye's healing and protective energies, safeguarding the body's most vulnerable area.
As Penny Wilson, an archaeologist at Durham University, explains, the symbol had been so omnipresent that it became a symbol of overall well-being and wholeness, rather than its mythological origins. Over time, the Eye of Horus spread beyond its mythological origins to represent broader themes of Egyptian life. Wilson describes how its association with health, water, food offerings, and even the Nile River itself speaks to its adaptability. The Eye evolved as a symbol for harmony, healing, and balance — central principles in ancient Egyptian philosophy.
Yet another feature of interest concerning the Eye of Horus is its relation to the moon. Scholar Gyula Priskin believes that the myth of the lost and regained eye of Horus closely paralleled the phases of waxing and waning of the lunar cycle. Such astronomical symbolism quite likely enhanced the popularity and added to the spirituality of the symbol in the second and first millennia B.C.
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‘Eye of Horus’ amulet
The Eye of Horus, especially in the form of the wedjat amulet, was one of the most ubiquitous symbols employed throughout ancient Egypt . The amulet, Egyptologist Kei Yamamoto from the University of Toronto adds, had strong connections with themes of healing and protection — perhaps the reason it was frequently encountered in graveyards and wound around mummies.
These amulets were not ornaments alone; they were believed to guard the dead against harm in the afterlife, and hold them fast on their journey through the underworld. The symbolism of the Eye thus brought together myth and purpose, offering comfort to the living and defense to the dead.
‘Eye of Horus’ mythical origins
Egyptian mythology gives us the origins for the Eye of Horus. The falcon-headed god Horus, the god of kingship and of the heavens, was the son of Osiris, the underworld deity. Through myth, Horus was drawn into a deadly war with his uncle Seth, who had killed Osiris and taken the throne.
In this epic fight, Seth badly hurt Horus' left eye. However, Horus eventually triumphed and regained the Egyptian throne. Thoth, the ibis-headed god of wisdom and healing, healed his injured eye miraculously. As Egyptologist Emily Teeter writes, it was this restored left eye that became sacred in Egyptian culture as the Eye of Horus — a symbol of restoration, protection, and wholeness.
Origins and versatility of the ‘Eye of Horus’ in ancient Egypt
The earliest known wedjat amulets are around 2200 B.C., in Egypt's Sixth Dynasty. They were also shown on the coffins and tomb chapels of this era, says Yamamoto. They probably had a double function: providing magical protection and enabling the dead to "see" into the world of the living — a symbolic bridge between the two worlds.
The emergence of the Eye of Horus could have coincided with a wider religious shift within ancient Egypt. Around the same time, Egyptians began inscribing religious scripture upon the walls of pyramids — the first moves toward the canonization of religious instruction. Yamamoto suggests that this period of religious canonization could have brought about the invention and spread of new sacred signs, like the Eye.
There is also a more utilitarian connection to the Eye of Horus: cosmetics. The Egyptians applied protective eye makeup made of galena and malachite regularly, substances believed to ward off evil. According to Wilson, the wedjat could have been a symbolic image of a guarded and consecrated eye, giving it an added layer of cultural meaning.
Whatever its original application, the Eye of Horus was quickly an important symbol of Egyptian identity. As Wilson aptly puts it, it's a "very versatile, very Egyptian, very powerful" symbol. Its pervasiveness in artwork, adornments, amulets, and temple reliefs speaks to its important function in the religious and cultural practice of ancient Egypt — a potent guardian of health, renewal, and cosmological order.
Evolving symbolism of the ‘Eye of Horus’ in ancient Egypt
Over Egypt's 3,000 years, the meaning and use of the Eye of Horus varied. By the first millennium B.C., embalmers began placing large wax copies of the wedjat on the left side of the abdomen — where the incision was made during mummification. This was believed to invoke the Eye's healing and protective energies, safeguarding the body's most vulnerable area.
As Penny Wilson, an archaeologist at Durham University, explains, the symbol had been so omnipresent that it became a symbol of overall well-being and wholeness, rather than its mythological origins. Over time, the Eye of Horus spread beyond its mythological origins to represent broader themes of Egyptian life. Wilson describes how its association with health, water, food offerings, and even the Nile River itself speaks to its adaptability. The Eye evolved as a symbol for harmony, healing, and balance — central principles in ancient Egyptian philosophy.
Yet another feature of interest concerning the Eye of Horus is its relation to the moon. Scholar Gyula Priskin believes that the myth of the lost and regained eye of Horus closely paralleled the phases of waxing and waning of the lunar cycle. Such astronomical symbolism quite likely enhanced the popularity and added to the spirituality of the symbol in the second and first millennia B.C.
Also Read | 27-year-old woman has lived without fruits and vegetables for 20 years - here’s why
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