The
Eye of Horus
The
Eye of Horus, also known as the wedjat eye, was thought
to have magical powers. It
was believed to have protective and healing powers.
Pairs
of wedjat eyes were painted on coffins or tombs to
protect against 'the evil eye'.
The lines drawn beneath the ‘wedjat’ eye represent
the markings on a falcon’s face.
The
Ancient Egyptians admired the physical qualities and
instincts found in animals.
Various
creatures were used as symbols of their gods, who
were usually represented as figures
with the head of an animal on the body of a human.
Horus
was an Egyptian god who was usually shown with the
body of a man and the head of a falcon.
His
name means 'Far-Above-One' and he was the god of the
sky who posessed the qualities of light and goodness.
Osiris
( the god of the underworld ) was his father and Isis
( the goddess of nature ) was his mother.
In
Ancient Egyptian mythology, Seth
( the god of darkness and evil ) attacked and killed
his brother Osiris as he was jealous of his power
and wanted his throne.
Horus,
who was the true heir to Osiris' throne, avenged his
father's death by defeating and finally destroying
Seth after a series of contests.