Horus
Horus West AsiaIsis, sister and wife of Osiris, conceived Horus of the slain god by magical means. According to Egyptian myth she took refuge in the delta marshes, gave birth to her son and raised him in the utmost secrecy. On reaching manhood Horus sought to avenge the death of his father and in single combat with Seth, the murderous uncle, he lost an eye. But Seth was either killed or emasculated and judged the loser by the assembled gods. Although the eye was restored by Seth, Horus gave it to Osiris, and replaced it with the divine serpent, which thenceforth acted as the emblem of royalty. Horus, the falcon-headed sky god, thus succeeded the anthropomorphic god of vegetation, Osiris, as the king, the pharaoh of all Egypt.
Just as Isis is the archetype of the mourning wife, so Horus is that of the dutiful son. He originated in Upper Egypt as a solar deity and may have been identical with Re. On death the pharaoh was thought to become Osiris, and...
[The entire page is 183 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Oxford University Press Titles
