EGYPTOLOGY: The EYE of HORUS 𓂀

Many people know the so-called „Horus Eye“ and think this is the same as the „Eye of Ra“ or similar. The symbolism of the one (broken) eye caused especially in modern times some conspiratorially rumours when secret societies seem to use this for their self-image and nobody really knows why. With this article I want to bring some light into the confusion – at least from a historical perspective and want to encourage you, my dear readers, to share your personal thoughts on that.

The Myths of the Two Eyes

The thinking of the Ancient Egyptians was in general directed and expressed by the use of images and symbols. But their often metaphorical meaning is not always clear to us and their belief system experienced consistently changes during the times. Ideas and mythological stories sometimes merged into one another, so for Egyptologists it is often really hard to differentiate between them or even find out their origins. But there is something that can be seen as a continuous concept of how the world works for the Ancient Egyptian: There was once a unity that separated in (at least) two parts. So here we have the well-known perception of Singularity versus Duality. And since the Ancient Egyptians always used their environment as a resource for making thoughts visible, they depicted this concept in (dual) natural phenomena. Every person has two eyes, two nostrils, two arms, 2 legs. And so the left and the right eye had a special meaning and are also connected with different mythological stories, the „Tales of the eye“.^[1] In the following you see an overview of the assignments:

Left Eye	Right Eye
South	North
Upper Egypt	Lower Egypt (Delta)
East	West
Goddess Uto (Cobra) 𓆗	Goddess Nekhbet (Vulture) 𓅐

_{Table 1: Additional note – As you can see in the editorial picture above, the Udjat / Horus Eye is framed by the two Goddesses Nekhbet & Uto.}

The sun eye

_{Image 1: Amulett, British Museum EA29222}

The myth of the „sun eye“ or the „Eye of Ra“ tells, that the First God Atum (or Ra) sends out his „one-eye“ (in egyptian language wꜤ.t) to search for the missing children Schu (God of the Air) and Tefnut (Goddess of the water). These two siblings, often depicted as a pair, symbolize the Duality and stand for the existing reality. But when the „one-eye“ returned home, the eye of Atum/Ra was already regrown - the symbol of the cyclic sunrise every morning. But this caused a huge upset, so Atum/Ra put the returning „one-eye“ on a „higher place“ – directly on the forehead as a „third eye“. That’s why rulers in pharaonic times have often a so-called „Uraeus“ on their crown: a cobra, that is exclusively connected with kingship and legitimation for the throne.^[1]

The Moon Eye

There are tales that describe how Horus, the son of Isis and Osiris, fought a hard battle with his opponent Seth and in the meantime lost his eye. The God Thoth, who is also the patron of the physicians and healers, replenished this eye in the same way like the moon is „filled up“ during a month. So, the Horus Eye is often used as a synonym for a broken but healed eye and symbolizes the cyclic growing and passing away of the moon.^[2]

_{Image 2: Private stela with 2 Udjat eyes, British Museum EA42078}

From these narratives derived other mythological ideas. The „healed eye“, in egyptian language wḏꜢ.t = Udjat (-eye), established its own place in the religious belief system of the Ancient Egyptians. At least three themes we know for sure:^[3]

1) The Udjat Eye as the healed Horus Eye became a direct symbol of the pharaonic power. The king was responsible for the stability and safety of his people. By using Udjat Eyes they gave strength and potency to the owner.

_{Image 3: Coffin of Nakhti, found in Asyut, Middle Egypt}

2) The Udjat Eye was placed as a symbol of safety and security as well as for protection in the afterlife on many funeral objects, such as stelae and amulettes, but was also used in non-funeral contexts in the same way. Especially on coffins, they were put in the position of the deceased’s head.

_{Image 4: Udjat Eye as a capacity measurement system}

3) Dating back to the New Kingdom (1550–1070 B.C., 18.^th–21.^st dynasty), the Udjat Eye was also used as a unit for capacity measurement. Each part of the Udjat eye stands of a fractional number and was used for example in the distribution of wheat rations to the people. This shows how the „filling up“ of the Udjat Eye is equated to daily life. A healed Udjat eye was the symbol of 100% – perfection and full power.^[4]

Discussion

As you can see now - there is not only one story and not only one „truth“ about the Horus Eye. Especially the fact, that the Ancient Egyptians obviously knew the concept of a „third“ eye is, at least for me, a very interesting fact, that is worth further studies. What do you think about it?

_{Notes and Sources:

[4] This scientific perspective is now being discussed in a different way by scholars who don’t see a connection between the Udjat Eye and the capacity system in Ancient Egypt. For further reading, see: Ritter, Jim, Closing the Eye of Horus: The Rise and Fall of Horus-Eye Fractions. in: Steele, John M., and Imhausen, Annette (eds.): Under One Sky: Astronomy and Mathematics in the Ancient Near East; Alter Orient und Altes Testament No. 297, Münster 2003, pp. 298–323.

[1] Otto, Eberhard, in: Lexikon der Ägyptologie I, 1975, col. 562–567, s.v. Augensagen.

[2] Westendorf, Wolfhart, in: Lexikon der Ägyptologie III, 1980, col. 48–51, s.v. Horus-Auge.

[3] Müller-Winkler, Claudia, in: Lexikon der Ägyptologie VI, 1986, col. 824–826, s.v. Udjat-Auge.}

_{Images:

Image used in the editorial picture, Pectoral (amulett necklace) of Tutankhamun, © National Geographic Society 2008.

Image 1: British Museum EA29222 SourceImage 2: stela Source

Image 3: coffin Source

Image 4: Gardiner, Alan, Egyptian Grammar, Oxford 1927, p. 197.}

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