The Different Aspects of An Egyptian God: Horus
Many of us know of the gods of the past. Zeus, Odin, Osiris, and various other deities create an exciting world of divinity and demons. They speak of supernatural abilities and creatures stronger than humans. The Gods and Goddesses of different pantheons were imagined by our creativity and continue to evolve in today’s world through books and movies.
But back in the ancient world, gods and religion were the answer to understanding the harsh ways of the world. The society of Ancient Egypt was highly religious, and the gods were there to protect and guide them.
Horus was one such god who was extremely popular. Horus was the falcon-headed god of the sky and was associated with multiple different aspects. He was seen as the god of hunting, war, sun, and as a protector of kings. The Pharaohs of Egypt were drawn to his likeness and became known as incarnations of Horus, sent to the earth to rule over Egypt as he ruled over the gods.
The name Horus means, “The one far above” or “The distant one” and refers to his ability to soar in the skies like the falcon. With the connection to the falcon, he was hailed as a messenger to the heavens. It later referred to his superior status as the king of the Egyptian pantheon of deities.
Horus was a deity whose beginning began in the late pre-dynastic period (the period before the Age of the Pharaohs and what we know today as the ancient civilization of Egypt). There were multiple falcon-headed deities during the early stages of the empire but they all soon coalesced into the god we know as Horus.
Horus underwent various changes and transformations to gain the status that he has. He is a complicated god who appeared in many different forms. His mythology is extensive of all Egyptian deities. The stories and legends about Horus are immense and have different variations to them. These variations all co-exist on one plane and create a multi-faceted personality of Horus.
Horus the Elder
Horus the Elder was the earliest version of Horus. He was hailed as the son of Ra (Sun and Creator god), or the son of Geb (Earth) and Nut (Sky). He was the brother of Osiris (god of the underworld) and Isis (goddess of healing and magic as well as the queen) and was given dominion over the sky.
With this control, he was linked to the falcon, soaring high in the sky. He was seen as a celestial falcon, his eyes were said to be the moon and the sun, his speckled feathers were stars, and his wings were the sky that created wind. With such a visual connection to the sky, he was soon seen as a solar god who controlled day and night.
Horus the Younger (Horus the Child)
From the early dynastic period (the beginning of the unified nation and monarchy of Egypt), Horus developed another version of himself. He became known as the son of Osiris and Isis. It's unclear as to what happens to the legend of Horus the Elder, but it seems that this form merged with the version of Horus the Younger as this Horus still retains his connection to the falcon and the sun.
The myth of Horus’ birth and the next stages of his life became the most popular story of Ancient Egypt.
It is said that Set (The god of war, chaos and storms) was jealous of Osiris (at this time, the king of Egypt). In his anger and pettiness, he placed Osiris in a coffin, murdered him and took over as king. Isis and Nephthys (goddess of air) searched for his coffin and they eventually found him. Isis left his side to make the potion to bring him back to life while Nephthys kept watch. But Set found out, tricked her, and hacked Osiris into pieces and threw his remains all over Egypt.
Distraught, Isis traveled all over Egypt and found every piece except for the phallus (which was eaten by a fish!). Osiris was revived but he could no longer remain in the living world and had to travel to the Afterlife, where he became the god of the underworld.
But before he left, the two had a child (there are different stories as to how this happened but my focus is on Horus so I am going to leave this there, as it is) and this child was Horus the Younger. Isis and the young Horus had to go into hiding from Set until Horus reached manhood.
Horus the Avenger
As soon as Horus was all grown up, he challenged his Uncle Set to give up the throne. Horus insisted that the throne belonged to him as the son of Osiris. He also wished to avenge his father’s murder. With these goals in mind, Horus took on the role of the Avenger and this role was one that many pharaohs emulated when they protected Egypt during war.
This period of Horus’ life was mainly focused on the battles between him and Set (which according to legend, lasted for at least 80 years!). Our best source for these battles comes from a manuscript known as “The Contendings of Horus and Set” (From the Papyrus Chester Beatty).
This manuscript tells the story of these two individuals. It begins with the tribunal deciding who should take on the throne. The decision of the gods was conflicting and neither side refused to give up their claim and hence challenged each other to multiple duels and competitions. There was a challenge posed by Set, where the two transformed into hippopotamuses and who stayed in the water the longest would be declared as ruler. Another competition was the race between their stone ships (that they built).
In all of their fights, taunts, duels and competitions- Horus emerged victorious and Set finally ceded the throne to his nephew.
Horus the King
Horus, after his struggles, transforms from a young man to the eternal king of Egypt and solidifies his position as the leader of the Egyptian gods and goddesses.
This change in his story is commemorated with the title “ Horus-Sema-Tawy”, which means “ Horus, Uniter of the Two Lands” (The Two Lands here refers to the two regions- Upper and Lower Egypt).
Now that Horus gained the authority of kingship, he took great care of the kings that came after him and became known as the protector of Pharaohs. The rulers of Ancient Egypt were hailed as the earthly incarnation of Horus. This relationship between the two was celebrated with the usage of royal titles such as “The Horus Name” and “The Golden Horus Name”.
Each myth of Horus’ variations appealed to a certain section of society during a certain period. For example:
- Horus the Elder- He particularly appealed to the people of the Old Kingdom (beginning of United Egypt) as a messenger to the gods and as the timekeeper of day and night
- Horus the Younger- The struggle of pregnancy and childbirth of Isis and Horus the Younger appealed to pregnant women and babies
- Horus the Avenger- The king would link himself to Horus the Avenger in times of war and battle as the defender of Egypt
- Horus the King- This aspect would have been appealing to Pharaohs as they took on the mantle of kingship
For the ancient Egyptians, it didn’t matter that there were different variations and legends of Horus in their religion. All that mattered was that their gods were just as complicated as they were and their lives were as messy as theirs.
