The ankh Eye of Horus is an ancient Egyptian symbol that represents life, protection, and royal power. It consists of the ankh, which is the Egyptian hieroglyph for life, combined with the Eye of Horus, which represents healing and protection. Together, these symbols create a powerful amulet that was used by pharaohs and common Egyptians alike for its protective abilities.
The ankh is one of the most well-known Egyptian hieroglyphs. It represents life and the life force that Egyptians believed was needed to sustain the soul in the afterlife. The ankh has a loop at the top which symbolizes the sun rising over the eastern horizon. Below the loop is a crossbar which represents the path of the sun through the sky from east to west. At the bottom of the ankh is another crossbar that completes the loop, symbolizing eternal life. For ancient Egyptians, the ankh was a ubiquitous symbol used in temple carvings, jewelry, and funerary objects as a potent representation of life.
The Eye of Horus is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection and royal power. According to legend, the god Horus lost his left eye fighting the god Set to avenge the murder of his father Osiris. Thoth magically restored the eye, and this emblem became a sign of protection and restoration. The Eye of Horus was believed to have healing and protective power, and it was used as a protective amulet. It was divided into six parts which represented the six senses (touch, taste, hearing, thought, sight, smell) and each part was linked to a particular sense.
History and Significance
The ankh Eye of Horus combines two potent Egyptian symbols and merges their meaning. This combination creates an amulet that was believed to provide the protection of Horus as well as the life-giving power of the ankh. The earliest evidence of this combined symbol dates back to the Old Kingdom between 2686–2181 BCE.
The ankh Eye of Horus amulet was often made of gold, faience, or black resin. It was worn by ancient Egyptians as jewelry, woven into garments, and included in burials. Pharaohs would wear the ankh Eye of Horus as a sign of their divine status as living gods. The symbolism of the amulet reminded them of their duty to maintain order (Horus) and sustain life (ankh).
For non-royals, the ankh Eye of Horus provided protection against illness and misfortune. It warded off evil spirits and bad luck. The amulet invoked the powers of the gods Horus and Thoth to defend against unseen evil forces. The combination of the all-powerful Eye of Horus with the eternal life signifier of the ankh created an potent amulet that reassured ancient Egyptians of divine protection and longevity.
Use in Burials
The ankh Eye of Horus was included in burials across all levels of Egyptian society from the royal tombs of pharaohs to the graves of common people. The symbol promised eternal life for the soul of the deceased as they traveled to the afterlife. The Eye of Horus specifically protected the mummy and enabled the soul to pass judgment in the Hall of Two Truths.
In the tomb of Tutankhamun, over 90 ankh Eye of Horus amulets were included alongside other jewelry and protections. The young pharaoh was buried with multiple ankhs and Eyes of Horus to surround him with magical protective powers for his journey to the afterlife.
Non-royal Egyptians also adorned themselves with the ankh Eye of Horus, believing it would grant longevity and defend against harm. The combined symbolism was thought to be essential for navigating a successful afterlife. The ankh provided life energy while the Eye of Horus enabled the soul to pass the judgment of the gods unharmed, allowing the soul to live for eternity in the Field of Reeds.
Meaning of the Parts
The ankh Eye of Horus combines two Egyptian hieroglyphs, merging their meanings. But each piece also has its own history, symbolism, and significance.
The Ankh
As previously discussed, the ankh represents life and eternal life. Its symbols tie together the sun, the horizon, and the passage of each day, reflecting the cycle of life. The ankh was widely used in Egyptian writing and art across all levels of society. Kings held large ankhs as a symbol of divine rulership granted by the gods.
Beyond its concrete meaning, the ankh also represented abstract ideas like oaths, alliances, and completeness. To “give an ankh” meant to swear an oath or signify an alliance. Something complete could be described as “ankhful.” The ankh was one of the most potent symbols in the Egyptian lexicon.
The Eye of Horus
The Eye of Horus was seen as a sign of protection and royal power. According to Egyptian myth, Horus lost his left eye in a battle with Set after Set murdered Horus’s father Osiris. Horus’s eye was magically restored by Thoth, and the symbol came to represent healing and regeneration after harm. The six parts of the eye were linked to the six senses as well as to ritual fractions.
Egyptians believed the Eye of Horus had magical protective powers and used it widely in jewelry, art, and funerary items. It was associated with the gods Horus, Ra, and Thoth. The Eye of Horus was believed to ward off evil, improve wisdom, and aid in navigation. It remains one of the most iconic Egyptian hieroglyphic symbols.
Meaning of the Combined Symbol
By combining the ankh and the Eye of Horus, the two hieroglyphs build on each other to create an even more powerful amulet and symbol.
The ankh Eye of Horus took on additional meaning by merging the symbols:
- Life and Protection – The ankh provided life force while the Eye of Horus offered divine protection. Together, the amulet protected the wearer’s life essence.
- Afterlife Journey – For the deceased, the ankh Eye of Horus aided in their afterlife voyage while defending against harm.
- Divine Favor – For the living, particularly royalty, the ankh Eye of Horus represented Horus’s patronage and the gods’ bestowal of long life.
- Wisdom and Insight – The Eye of Horus represented greater wisdom and the sensory gifts linked to the six parts of the eye.
By using the ankh Eye of Horus symbol, Egyptians associated themselves with concepts of life and rebirth, divine wisdom, kingship, and the favor of the gods. The combined symbol resonated with layered religious meaning for ancient Egyptians.
Use in Egyptian Religion
The ankh Eye of Horus was linked to multiple important gods in the Egyptian pantheon. The symbol fused ideas of life, protection, wisdom, and power that connected it to major deities.
Horus
As a symbol that incorporated the Eye of Horus, the ankh combination was strongly associated with the god Horus. Horus was one of the most important gods, worshipped from the very early days of Egyptian history. He was associated with kingship, protection, the sky, and war. Horus famously battled Set to avenge his father Osiris’s murder.
The ankh Eye of Horus amulet invokes Horus’s fierce protection and fighting spirit. It symbolized the gods’ favor toward the living pharaoh as well as defending the deceased in the afterlife.
Ra
Ra was the Egyptian sun god and ruler of the heavens. He was sometimes merged with Horus as Ra-Horakhty (“Ra, Horus of the Two Horizons”). The ankh Eye of Horus calls on the supreme power of Ra through its solar symbolism. The loop at the top of the ankh represents the dawning sun, which Egyptians equated with Ra’s life-giving force.
By wearing the amulet, Egyptians associated themselves with Ra’s vitality and authority. The ankh Eye of Horus allowed mortals to harness a small bit of the great sun god’s power.
Thoth
Thoth was the god of wisdom, magic, writing, and knowledge. He was also closely associated with the moon. According to legend, Thoth magically healed the injured Eye of Horus, making the symbol whole and powerful again. For this reason, Thoth is intimately linked to the Eye of Horus.
The ankh Eye of Horus represents Thoth’s knowledge and magic. The amulet allowed Egyptians to invoke Thoth for his mystical protection and insight. Like Ra’s sun magic, the moon magic of Thoth granted greater knowledge and power to the wearer.
Use in Egyptian Art
The ankh Eye of Horus motif appears frequently in Egyptian art across different media, from paintings to jewelry to funerary stelae. The symbol conveyed ideas the Egyptians considered vital – life, protection, wisdom, power, kingship. In art, the ankh Eye of Horus amulet is often depicted being handed to or worn by gods or pharaohs.
Jewelry
One of the most common uses of the ankh Eye of Horus motif was in Egyptian jewelry. The symbol appears in bracelets, pendants, necklaces, rings, and other adornments. Jewelry with the ankh Eye of Horus was made from valuable materials such as gold or semi-precious stones. Wearing the amulet made the protective powers always present.
The pendants were often quite large, as seen in the famous case of King Tutankhamun’s funeral mask. This emphasized the importance of the ankh Eye of Horus symbol. Egyptian queens and goddesses were also frequently depicted wearing sizable ankh Eye of Horus pendants on their chests.
Sarcophagi
The ankh Eye of Horus regularly appears on the sarcophagi of mummies, even those of non-royals. The symbol features prominently on the sarcophagus lids, protecting the mummy dwelling within. The amulet aids the deceased on their journey and defends them from harm.
Some examples include the sarcophagi of the priests Ankh-ef-en-Khonsu and Hori at the British museum. Both are adorned with ankhs and Eyes of Horus meticulously carved into the sides and lids to invoke perpetual life and safety.
Tombs
In tomb decorations, the ankh Eye of Horus appears in paintings and carvings along with other symbols. The amulet motif invokes ideas of transformation and rebirth as the deceased passes into the afterlife. It energizes the tomb with primordial magical powers to spur resurrection.
In Tutankhamun’s tomb, an ankh Eye of Horus painting appears on the fourth shrine covering his sarcophagus. The symbol watches over his mummified body and protects it for eternity. Other tombs feature similar paintings or reliefs of ankhs and Eyes of Horus covering shrines, coffins, and architecture.
Temples
Egyptian temples depict the ankh Eye of Horus in sacred contexts and ritual imagery. As a symbol of divine authority and protection, the ankh Eye of Horus connects the power of the gods to the pharaoh. Temple reliefs may show gods bestowing ankhs and Eyes of Horus upon the king.
In the sun temple of Nyuserre Ini from the Fifth Dynasty, the ankh and Eye appear consistently in scenes related to the pharaoh’s divinity. The symbols fuse kingship, life, the sun, and the gods – all important concepts in Egyptian temple ideology. The amulet motif signals Ra’s beneficence toward the mortal king.
Conclusion
The ankh Eye of Horus stands out as a prominent motif from ancient Egypt that fused diverse meanings. By combining two important hieroglyphs, the symbol inherited layered religious significance. For Egyptians, the ankh Eye of Horus evoked ideas of life and the afterlife, protection, wisdom, royalty, and connection to the gods.
This versatility allowed the ankh Eye of Horus to appear ubiquitously in Egyptian art and culture. The amulet protected the living, guided the dead, and channeled the power of gods into each wearer. More than just a piece of jewelry, the ankh Eye of Horus was an essential Egyptian charm that preserved vital powers for both mortal and immortal.