Swooping down like a falcon

Now all but forgotten, for over 2000 years, Horus was the dominant god of ancient Egypt

Before Horus came to prominence, the Egyptian world was ruled by Osiris, son of Ra. Osiris was the father of civilisation he taught mankind farming, pottery and animal husbandry. But his brother, Set, god of the desert, was jealous of him.

Knowing that he was no match for his brother's strength, Set invited Osiris and his beautiful wife, Isis, to a banquet and showed him a beautiful box. "How big is it?" asked Osiris. "Big enough to hold you," replied Set. "I don't think so," said Osiris. "Check and see," said Set. So Osiris got into the box. No sooner did he lie down that snapped the lid shut and trapped his brother. Then with a knife he and his friends set about dismembering him. Each part of Osiris' body was thrown into the river Nile, while his wailing wife was taken hostage.

Isis managed to escape with the help of Thoth, the god of writing, and hid herself on the edge of the reed swamps. With the help of Nephthys, wife of Set, she managed to get each piece of Osiris' body, all except his manhood. Taking the form of a bird, she rose to the air, flapped her wings and caused the air to move into his nostrils until he came alive long enough to embrace her, and despite absence of his manhood, was able to give her a child. That child was Horus, and with many a magical chant, she was able to protect him from the evil spells and scorpions sent by Set to harm him. These child-protecting spells of Isis were passed on from Egyptian mother to Egyptian mother. Such was the power of these spells that it caused the Boat of Ra, the most ancient of Egyptian gods, to stop and force his boatmen, Thoth included, to pour the water of life on the child and grant him eternal protection.

Horus grew up to be the great falcon god of war, god of the sky overlooking the desert with sun and moon for his eyes, determined to defeat the man who killed his father. The fight between Horus and Set went on for centuries. Horus plucked out one of Set's testicle, which is why the deserts are barren. Set plucked out an eye of Horus which is why they say that the moon is not as bright as the sun; this plucked eye became the Wedjat the Egyptian eye of protection that is seen in many Egyptian ornaments and ships.

In one story, perhaps the earliest mythic stories that alludes to homosexuality, it is said that Set tried to seduce young Horus and leave his semen in his body. But Horus captured it placing his hands between his thigh and threw it into the river. Horus then spread his semen over lettuce leaves (Set's favorite food) and served them to his uncle. Later, in the council of the gods, in the presence of Ra and Thoth and Anubis (jackal head guardian of the dead), Set claimed that he should rule Egypt and the Nile because Horus had surrendered to him in bed. "Prove it," said Horus. Set called out to his semen and his semen spoke from the river. Horus then called out to his semen and his semen spoke from Set's belly. The gods laughed and Set hung his head in shame for he had been outwitted by his clever nephew. Horus was thus made the lord of Egypt and the living world while his father, Osiris, became ruler of the afterlife.

Horus was worshipped as an adult as well as a child. As an adult, he was the husband of the cow-goddess Hathor whose love and affection sustained Egypt. As a child, he sat on the lap of Isis. The image of this mother and child was revered even by Greeks and Romans, and later inspired the image of Mary and baby Jesus, when Christianity spread to Egypt 2,000 years ago.

Disclaimer > This column attempts to explain sacred beliefs in the spirit of genuine and respectful curiosity without claiming any authority on the same.

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