Horus
The Egyptian God
Horus
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Name: Horus -
Gender Male:
Horus was a God -
Depiction / Description
/ Symbol: Horus was depicted with the body of a man and the
head of Hawk -
Jurisdiction: Horus was
described as being god of the sky and the sun and represented
strength, vigor, and self-sacrifice -
Mythical Family or
Relatives: Horus was believed to be the son of Isis and Osiris.
Osiris was believed to be the eldest son of the Earth God, Geb, and
the Sky Goddess, Nut. He was the brother of Isis, Seth and Nephthys.
Information about
the Egyptian God Horus
Horus was one of the Gods of the cosmogony of Heliopolis (the birthplace of the Gods) in
the creation myths and legends.
The Egyptian God, Horus, was seen as the God of Sky and the Sun.
Legend tells that the jealous Seth murdered his
brother Osiris, the father of Horus. Horus was a weak child and
constantly threatened by the evil Seth who sent who sent serpents and
monsters to attack him. His mother, Isis was powerful and together with
Thoth, the God of Wisdom, warded off the beasts with powerful magical
spells and Horus survived. Horus became the avenger of his father Osiris
and represented strength, vigor, and self-sacrifice to the Ancient
Egyptians.
Description &
Depiction of the Egyptian God Horus - Part Human & Part Animal
The Egyptian Gods or Goddesses, such as Horus, were often depicted as
being part human and part animal. In the description of the Egyptian
God Horus he she was most frequently depicted with the body of a human
and with with the head of an animal - a Hawk or a falcon. In the Ancient Egyptian
religion certain animals were seen as sacred as they believed that the
Spirit of a God resided in these animals, such as the Hawk, which were
revered and worshipped as reincarnated Gods during their lifetimes.
The Egyptian the
God Horus - Creation and Relatives
The early Egyptian priests evolved a
creation myth, or Cosmogony, to explain how some of the Gods and
Goddesses came into being. The early Egyptian priests then evolved a
Family tree, the relatives of the main Egyptian Gods, like Horus, to
explain how some of the Gods and Goddesses were related.
Temple of Horus
The Temples dedicated to Horus, the God of Sky and the Sun, were believed to be the
dwelling place of this famous Egyptian God. Only the Pharaoh and the
Priests of Horus were allowed inside the temple and the priests would
undergo ritual purification in a deep stone pool before they entered the
Inner Sanctum of the Temple. This not only cleansed them but also gave
them contact with the primeval moisture of life. Ordinary Egyptians were
only allowed to come to the gates, or forecourt, of the temple of Horus
to pay homage and offer gifts to the God. The Priests of Horus
would collect the gifts and say prayers on behalf of the person in the
confines of the temple. The priests of Horus, the God of Sky and the Sun, would
conduct ceremonies, sacrifices and chant magical incantations, sometimes
referred to as spells. The temple of Horus would consist of heavy gates
which accessed a massive hall with great stone columns, and then a
series of many other rooms through which processions of priests would
pass. These rooms, or chambers, were lit by candles and incense would be
burnt to purify the air of the Temple. The chambers gradually decreased
in size, the lighting in the temple was deliberately and significantly
reduced to create an atmosphere of deepening mystery until the priests
reached the chapel and the shrine which contained the Naos. The Naos was
the stone tabernacle inside the shrine which housed the great Statue of
Horus, the God of Sky and the Sun who represented strength, vigor, and
self-sacrifice.
The Statue of Horus
The large statue of the God Horus, the God of Sky and the Sun was situated in the
inner sanctum of the Egyptian temple. The statue of Horus would have been
depicted with the body of a man / woman and the head of Hawk. This
sacred statue, in the dwelling place of the God, was the embodiment of
Horus. Food and drink would be offered to the God. The High Priest of
Horus, would conduct ceremonies and offer prayers and incantations but
there was another important priest, called the Medjty, who was
responsible for the toiletries. The statue of Horus would have been
washed and oiled. The statue was then dressed in fine linen and eye
make-up, powder and rouge was applied and sacred oil rubbed on the
forehead of the statue. The statue of Horus, with its head of the Hawk,
was only seen by ordinary Egyptians at important festivals when the
effigy was paraded in magnificent processions.
The Egyptian God
Horus
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