“I of Horus,” is looking directly in ancient Egypt, looking at a single -style eye eye. The symbol is often seen in ancient burial – especially on a type of amulets known as the Vedajat (or Udjat). Sometimes, the eye of Horus is also painted inside the coffins and the tomb chapel.
But what is the eye of Horus and what did it mean ancient Egyptians,
According to the mythology of Egypt, Hros had a son Osiris, God of UnderworldHorus fought his uncle Seth to see who would be the ruler of Egypt. During the battle, Seth mutated the left eye of Horus. But Hrus eventually won the battle, became the ruler of Egypt and finally, re -achieved his left eye. It was restored by “Ibis-Headed Thoth, God of Knowledge”, Emily TaterA research colleague at the Polish Center of Mediterranean Archaeological Archaeological told Live Science in an email.
The depiction of this left eye became a powerful eye of the Horas symbol.
“Vedas are one of the most prestigious amulets from ancient Egypt,” Kei Yamamoto, An Egyptian person at the University of Toronto told Live Science in an email. “The Vedas are associated with amulet treatment and safety. Perhaps this is the reason why this type of amulet is found in several burials, which is often included in mummy rapping.”
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Over ancient Egyptian civilization 3,000 yearsAnd the practices around Horas’s eye changed over time.
“In the latter period, a large Vedajat made of wax was placed above the left abdomen, where Ambalar made an incision during an incision Mammification To implement the process, the treatment and conservation of the weak area, “Yamamoto said. This was done during the first millennium BCE.
A “immediate recognizable” sign of eye safety and health was that it became “practical ‘perfection’ and a metaphor for welfare,” Penny WilsonAn associate professor of archeology at Durham University in UK told live science in an email.
Wilson stated that the eyes of the associations of Horas with goodness can be applied to a series of indigo water, other concepts about Egypt, as a whole, treatment and whole food offerings, “Wilson said.
Horas’s eye was also associated with the waxing and vanning of the moon, which may have helped to increase its appeal, Guula priscuAn ancient historian at the Szeged University in Hungary. The story of Horas’s left eye was being mutated and restored, compared to the moon’s wax and wax, especially during the second and first Millennium, BC.
Principal told live science in an email, “Although The I of Hrus was a complex symbol with many meanings and appeared in many roles, its relationship with the Moon probably contributed to its popularity.”
When did Hros’s eyes first appear?
Vemamoto said that for the first time around 2200 BC, Vejat talisman appeared and the eyes of Horas were also drawn on the chapels of the coffins and mausoleums around that time. “In those cases, scholars believe that the eyes not only provided magical protection for the deceased, but also allowed them to look at the living world.”
It is not clear why Horas’s eye emerged around the time of the sixth dynasty. Yamamoto said that at that time, the ancient Egyptians had started writing a series of religious texts on the walls of pyramids. This shows that the ancient Egyptians were starting to “canonies” their religious beliefs, said Yamamoto. This can be in the form of “development and dissemination of new religious motifs” such as The I of Hores.
Wilson said that the eye may be related to religious cosmetics. Wilson said, “We know that from early times Galena and Malakite were powerful protective eye cosmetics that applied to the eyes, so the Vedas-shell could be a way to imagine the protected eye,” Wilson said.
Whatever the reason for its construction, Horas’s eye became a symbol associated with ancient Egypt. According to Wilson, it is “very versatile. Very Egyptian style. Very powerful.”
Editor’s note: This story was first published on 13 April 2025.
