Category:
Religious / Cult objects, amulets, amulets in the shape of a god / goddess, Horus
Date:
Ancient Egyptian period, Late Period (664-332 BCE)
Material(s):
Man made material, faience
Hall:
Greco-Roman Antiquities, showcase 13
Description
An Amulet representing Horus in the shape of a hawk. It has an eyelet at the rear to be strung on a cord or thread.
Horus Amulets
Horus-the-Elder was a primordial creator god whose eyes were the sun and moon. He was probably the original opponent of Seth, god of storms and aridity.
Amulets, taking the shape of Horus, would have offered the wearer association with the hero of the Osiris myth and particular protection from the harm and evil of Seth. During the Late Period, the falcon amulet was normally suspended on the chest.
The information given here is subject to modification/update as a result of ongoing research.
References
- Carol Andrews, Egyptian Amulets (London: British Museum, 1994).
- Sue D'Auria et al., Mummies and Magic: The Funerary Arts of Ancient Egypt (Boston: Museum of Fine Arts, 1988).
- Mona Serry, ed., Bibliotheca Alexandrina: Antiquities Museum, introduction by Ismail Serageldin (Alexandria: Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Antiquities Museum, 2015): 50, 312.