Horusحورس

Horus was a sky god, usually shown as a falcon or a falcon-headed man, soaring high above the land. In one ancient image, the sun and moon were his two eyes, sweeping across the heavens as he flew. As one of the oldest and most enduring of Egypt's gods, worshipped from the earliest times, Horus embodied the vast, watchful sky — and the soaring power and majesty that the Egyptians associated with the falcon.

As the son of Osiris and Isis, Horus was the rightful heir to his murdered father's throne. The myths tell of his long struggle against his uncle Seth, the god of chaos who had killed Osiris — a series of fierce contests for the crown of Egypt. In the end, Horus triumphed and won the kingship, restoring order and avenging his father. His victory made him the divine pattern of the just and rightful ruler.

Because Horus won the throne, every pharaoh was regarded as the "living Horus" on earth — the god made king. His great temple at Edfu is the best-preserved in Egypt. From his story comes the famous Eye of Horus (the wedjat): in the battle with Seth, Horus's eye was injured and then magically healed, and so the symbol became one of Egypt's most powerful emblems of protection, healing, and wholeness, painted on amulets and tombs throughout the ages.

• Who he is: the falcon-headed sky god and protector of kingship.
• Arabic name: حورس (Horus).
• Family: son of Osiris and Isis.
• His myth: avenged his father and defeated Seth to win the throne of Egypt.
• Kingship: every pharaoh was seen as the "living Horus."
• Famous symbol: the Eye of Horus, for protection and healing; his temple is at Edfu.

Sources include standard works on ancient Egyptian religion and mythology.