See also: Horus (homonymy)
Horus is the Greek name of one of the most former Egyptian divinities, the god falcon ḥr , whose name probably means That which is above or That which is remote . The worship of Horus undoubtedly goes back to prehistory, because the royal list of the Papyrus of Turin qualifies Suivants of Horus the legendary kings who controlled the Egypt after the reign of the gods. At the beginning of the historical time, the crowned falcon is illustrated on the pallet of the king Narmer and consequently it will constantly be associated with Pharaonic monarchy.
A complex god
Horus is a god with multiple facets, so much so that one wondered whether the name does not indicate in fact of the distinct divinities:
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It is the celestial falcon of which the right eye is the sun and the left eye the moon. It is under this aspect that it received a worship with Nekhen, Hiérakonpolis Greek.
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With Héliopolis, it was venerated as a Horahkty, Horus of the Horizon, jointly with Re. As such, it was at the same time the sun of the morning and the sun of the evening. In the Texts of the Pyramids, the late king ressuscite under this appearance of solar falcon. By a frequent syncretism in the Egyptian religion, Horakhty ends up amalgamating with the demiurge héliopolitain, in the form of Re-Horakhty.
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In the myth osirien finally, Horus is the son of Osiris and Isis. Osiris, assassinated by his/her brother Seth, is brought back to the life, the time of a union, thanks to the combined efforts of Isis and Nephtys. It is of this miraculous union that is born Horus the Child, that the Greeks will call Harpocrate, or Harsiésis, Horus wire of Isis.
To avenge death for his/her Osiris father, Horus faces his uncle Seth, beats it and receives the throne of Egypt in heritage. It is by-there same the first of the Pharaon S. Cependant, his legitimacy will be unceasingly disputed by Seth. At the time of the combat which opposes it to Seth, Horus loses its left eye, which is reconstituted by Thot. Called Oudjat, this eye, that the Egyptians carried in the form of amulet, had magic and prophylactic powers.
On the other hand thus of Seth, which represents violence and chaos, Horus for its part incarnates the order and, just like Pharaon, it is one of the guarantors of the universal harmony; however, one should not reduce the complex theology of the Egyptians to a dualistic design of the Good and Evil, because, in another myth, Seth is the essential auxiliary of Re in its night combat against the snake Apophis. Well and badly are aspects complementary to creation, both present in any divinity. (See Personification of the principle of the evil).
Whatever its aspect and its role - celestial falcon, creative god or wire of Osiris - Horus is the dynastic god par excellence. Since Narmer, the king bears the name known as of Horus. It is about the first element of the Pharaonic titulature, of the ren maâ , the name authenticates by which Pharaon defines his nature. Under the first three dynasties, the name of Horus fitted in a surmounted rectangle of the crowned bird, the Serekh, whose lower register represents the stylized frontage of the royal palace. The significance of the serekh is obvious: the king in his palate is terrestrial Horus, at the same time the incarnation of the god and his legitimate successor on the throne of Egypt. Starting from Kheops, the royal titulature is increased by another title, the name of gold Horus, whose interpretation is however dubious.
The “four wire of Horus” are lower divinities represented on the vases canopes:
Amset (with head of man); Hâpi (with head of baboon); Douamoutef (with head of jackal); Kébehsénouf (with head of falcon).
Seth and Horus, a fight without end
To Horus, wire and heir to Osiris, the crown of Egypt returns from right. But Seth, jealous, seizes some by the force. Horus, supported his/her mother Isis, makes convene the court of the gods at any end to regulate this dispute. Re chairs, while Thot holds the role of the clerk.
Eighty years are however passed without the debate progressing. The court is even divided between holding of the legitimate royalty (ghost in Horus), and Re which sees in Seth its perpetual defender against Apophis (the god snake which is since always the Re enemy). The debates, which turn in round, require an external opinion. It is thus with Neith, goddess of Know, famous for its infinite wisdom, that Thot is addressed. Its answer is without ambiguity: the crown returns in Horus. However not to penalize Seth, Neith proposes to offer to him the goddesses Anat and Astarté like wives.
If the court is delighted by this solution, Re, it, remain skeptic. Wouldn't Horus be a little young to assume the direction of the kingdom? Isis, exceeded per so many tergiversations, proposes to move the debates with Héliopolis in front of Atoum and Khépri. Seth, furious, is opposed and ordered to it that the debates are done in the absence of Isis. But was to count without the tenacity of the goddess.
She reintroduces herself in the enclosure of the court under the features of a beautiful young woman who does not fail to draw the attention of Seth quickly. Both end even up conversing. Disturbed per such an amount of beauty, Seth is mislaid in remarks compromising, recognizing even under the cape legitimacy subsidiary of Horus! “The crafty one” Isis reveals herself then. The dramatic turn of events leaves Seth without voice. As for Re, it could judge imprudence of Seth, which entrusted without taking guard with an unknown factor. Also the crown returns it in Horus of the Re hands itself.
But Seth, jealous eternal, does not seem not decided to remain about it there. He proposes in Horus sporting plays. Among them, a watery test where the two gods transform themselves into Hippopotame S. With that which will remain longest under water will be able to become king. But Isis, which follows closely the mishaps of his/her son, disturbs the part and attracts itself with final the dissatisfaction with the two protagonists: the three gods tear in violent arguments.
Re, despairing to witness a reconciliation finally, invites them to make peace around a banquet. But once again, the fights do not cease multiplying. Osiris, remained quiet, intervenes then and blames directly the court that he judges too laxist. As a god of the vegetation, he threatens to cut the vivres to Egypt. The gods, hustled per such an amount of authority, are not long in making a verdict favorable to Horus. But Seth is not forgotten. Placed at the Re sides, it becomes “that which howls in the sky” so that place in front of the creative god is made.
The six god-kings are
See too
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