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"I am Horus, the great falcon upon the ramparts of the house of him of the hidden name. My flight has reached the horizon. I have passed by the gods of Nut. I have gone further than the gods of old." – Pyramid Texts.
Of all the sacred animals in Ancient Egypt, none was more closely tied to the state and the crown than the Falcon. Soaring high in the sky, seeing everything with sharp eyes, and diving with deadly precision, the falcon was the perfect embodiment of divine kingship. It symbolized the sky gods—specifically Horus and Ra—and represented the Pharaoh's authority to rule over chaos.
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Horus: The Avenger and King
Horus (Heru, meaning "The Distant One") was the son of Osiris and Isis. After his father Osiris was murdered by the jealous god Seth, Horus fought a great battle to reclaim the throne. He lost his left eye in the fight (which became the Wedjat Eye, symbol of healing), but ultimately triumphed.
- The Living King: Because Horus defeated usurpers and restored order (Ma'at), every reigning Pharaoh was considered the "Living Horus" on earth.
- The Double Crown: Horus is often depicted wearing the Pschent (Double Crown) of Upper and Lower Egypt, symbolizing his unification of the two lands.
Ra-Horakhty: The Sun at the Horizon
As Egyptian theology evolved, the sky god Horus merged with the sun god Ra to become Ra-Horakhty ("Ra, Horus of the Two Horizons").
In this form, the falcon wears the sun disk on its head, encircled by a cobra (uraeus). This symbol represents the sun's journey from sunrise to sunset, the source of all light and energy in the universe.
The Temple of Edfu
The most magnificent tribute to the falcon god is the Temple of Edfu, located between Luxor and Aswan. Built during the Ptolemaic period, it is the best-preserved temple in Egypt.
The Granite Falcons
Standing guard at the entrance of the main pylon are two colossal black granite statues of Horus as a falcon. They wear the Double Crown, staring eternally outward to protect the sanctity of the temple from the forces of chaos.