Horus facts for kids

Statue of Horus in Egypt

Horus was a very important god in ancient Egypt. He was known as the god of the sky. His parents were the gods Isis and Osiris.

Horus became the king of Egypt after a big fight. He fought his uncle, Set, who was his father's brother. During this fight, Horus lost one of his eyes. This eye became a very famous symbol called the Eye of Horus. It was one of the most important symbols in ancient Egypt. Some stories say that when his eye cried, its tears turned into the first people of Egypt.

The Famous Eye of Horus

The left wedjat eye, a symbol of Horus

The Eye of Horus is a well-known ancient Egyptian symbol. It is also called the wedjat eye. This symbol stood for protection, royal power, and good health.

The Eye of Horus looks a bit like the Eye of Ra, which belongs to a different god named Ra. Both symbols represent similar ideas. In Egyptian myths, Horus lost his left eye during his fight with Set. Another goddess, Hathor, magically brought his eye back. Because of this, the Eye of Horus came to mean healing and making things whole again. People often wore this symbol as an amulet (a charm) for protection.

Where Was Horus Worshipped?

Horus was worshipped all over Egypt. Some of the main places were Pe, Bendet, and Khem. Many falcon gods existed before Horus. Over time, Horus became the most important falcon god. People worshipped him until the end of the Pre-Dynastic period, which was a very early time in Egypt's history.

In southern Egypt, in a town called Edfu, there was a large temple built for Horus. Another temple for Horus was in Kom Ombo. Horus was also seen as a guide for the pharaohs.

What Did Horus Look Like?

Horus was often shown as a falcon or a man with a falcon's head. Sometimes, he even appeared as a crocodile with a falcon's head!

In some stories, he was a huge sky falcon. His left eye was the moon, and his right eye was the sun. His speckled feathers were the stars. When he flapped his wings, it created the winds. He was sometimes shown holding a copper knife. Horus usually wore the double crown of Egypt. This crown showed that he ruled over both Upper and Lower Egypt. It also connected him to the pharaohs.

What Was Horus's Purpose?

Horus was the god of the sky and also the god of war. The pharaoh who ruled Egypt at any time was believed to be the living image of Horus. When a pharaoh died, they became Osiris, the god of the dead and Horus's father. Then, the new pharaoh would become Horus.

Horus's main job was to protect the pharaoh. He was a protector god who fought against evil. He stood for justice and what was right. He fought with Seth to get revenge for his father, Osiris, whom Set had killed. When Horus defeated Set, he took over his father's throne and became the protector of Egypt.

Images for kids

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  Horus, Louvre, holding Shen rings

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  Figure of a Horus Falcon, from around 300 to 250 BC. The Walters Art Museum.

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  Horus falcon, after 600 BCE. Original in the British Museum.

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  Her-em-akhet (Greek: Harmakhis), a wall carving of a falcon-headed sphinx at the Temple of Horus in Edfu

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  Her-iunmutef (Iunmutef), meaning 'Horus, Pillar of His Mother', shown as a priest in the Tomb of Nefertari

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  Herui, the god of the 5th nome (region) of Upper Egypt next to pharaoh Sahure

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  Her-sema-tawy ('Horus, Uniter of the Two Lands'), tying plants to show the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt with Set

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  Falcon Horus, god of Hierakonpolis, on a Naqada IIC jar, from about 3500 BCE.

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  Horus as a falcon wearing the Double Crown of Egypt.

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  Golden head of Horus, patron god of Hierakonpolis. From the Sixth Dynasty of Egypt.

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  Horus shown in a carving with Wadjet and wearing the double crown at the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

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  Horus carving in the Temple of Edfu

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  Statue of Horus in the Temple of Edfu

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  Statue of Horus from the time of Amenhotep II (around 1400 BCE)

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  Carving of Horus in the temple of Seti I in Abydos

See also

In Spanish: Horus para niños