The Eye of Horus

Lore & Background

The Eye of Horus originates from the mythic conflict between the sky god Horus and his rival Set. In the Pyramid Texts, Set is said to have stolen the Eye of Horus, sometimes trampling and eating it, but Horus takes it back, usually by force. In later texts, the eye is restored by another deity, most commonly Thoth, who made peace between Horus and Set. In some versions, Thoth reassembled the eye after Set tore it to pieces. In the Book of the Dead, Set took the form of a black boar when striking Horus's eye. In 'The Contendings of Horus and Set,' Set tears out both eyes and buries them, and they grow into lotuses; here, Hathor restores Horus's eyes by anointing them with gazelle's milk. In Papyrus Jumilhac, Isis waters the buried eyes, causing them to grow into the first grape vines.

Reader's Guide

The Eye of Horus was one of the most common motifs for amulets in ancient Egypt, remaining in use from the Old Kingdom to the Roman period. Pairs of Horus eyes were painted on coffins during the First Intermediate Period and Middle Kingdom, and the symbol appeared on carved stone stelae and on the bows of boats. It was also adopted to some extent by neighboring regions such as Syria, Canaan, and especially Nubia. The eye symbol was rendered as a hieroglyph (𓂀), and Egyptologists have long believed that hieroglyphs representing pieces of the symbol stand for fractions in ancient Egyptian mathematics, although this hypothesis has been challenged. The restoration of the eye was often called 'filling' the eye, likened to the waxing of the moon, and in Greco-Roman temple texts, Thoth and fourteen other deities filled the eye with specific plants and minerals, representing the fifteen days from new moon to full moon. The eye's restorative power meant the Egyptians considered it a symbol of protection against evil, in addition to its other meanings.

Did You Know?

• The Eye of Horus is usually depicted as the left wedjat-eye, paired with the Eye of Ra as the right wedjat-eye.
• In the Pyramid Texts, the Eye of Horus is mentioned in about a quarter of the utterances.
• The term 'wedjat' means 'whole,' 'completed,' or 'uninjured' eye, first used in the New Kingdom.
• The eye symbol was adopted by people of Syria, Canaan, and especially Nubia.

Common Misconceptions (Editorial)

1. A common misconception is that the Eye of Horus was always depicted as a right eye. The facts show it is usually depicted as the *left* wedjat-eye, paired with the Eye of Ra as the right wedjat-eye. 2. Another misconception is that Horus always healed his own eye without help. The facts record that the eye was restored by another deity, most commonly Thoth, and in some versions Hathor restored it by anointing with gazelle’s milk.

Why It Matters (Editorial)

The Eye of Horus endures because it represents a universal human concern: the restoration of health and wholeness after injury or conflict. Its layered symbolism—linking mythic violence, lunar cycles, funerary offerings, and divine protection—shows how a single image can carry profound meaning across centuries, from the Old Kingdom to the Roman period and beyond.