Since ancient times, the Eye of Horus, which is also referred to as the “all seeing eye,” is one of the most recognized symbols of ancient Egypt. The Egyptian symbol for the goddess Wedjat was used for protection, for healing, as well as for mathematical and medicinal calculations. The word Wedjat means sound, and it is the name of a cobra goddess often depicted as a rearing cobra. The all seeing eye continued in Egyptian civilization and was in use for thousands of years and still continues to be used today.1
According to Egyptian mythology, the god Horus lost his left eye in one of his struggles with the god Set, the brother of Osiris, for the right to rule Egypt, and to avenge the death of his father Osiris. The eye was later restored by the god Hathor, and his restoration came to symbolize the process of making whole and healing. Some other versions of the story indicate that the god Thoth restored the eye and not Hathor. The story states that the restored eye became a symbol of light, and represented protection, strength, and perfection. Although another version of the myth states that it was in fact the right eye and not his left, and that it represented the sun that was torn out again by Set during one of their battles.1
Thoth then restored all of the eye except a small piece that became the origin of the Horus-eye fractions. The right side of the eye equaled 1/2, the pupil 1/4, the eyebrow 1/8, the left side of the eye 1/16, the curved tail 1/32, and the teardrop 1/64. Once these fractions were added, they total 63/64, known in mathematical circles as the reciprocal 2N series and a complementary fraction. The Horus eye fractions were used for measuring grains and medicines.3
The right eye is said to be symbolic of the sun, the day, and its power. The left eye represents the waxing and waning properties of the moon–the Horus or light of the night. The two-winged eyes represent the two divisions of heaven: north and south, and sun and moon. The image uraeus was a symbol of kingship and power and said to be worn on top of the forehead. The Wedjat was also depicted as a leonine form known as the Eye of Ra. The Eye of Horus survived beyond ancient Egypt in various cultural, mystic, esoteric, and, more recently, neo-Egyptian traditions. The masonic symbol of the eye of Providence, which appears on U.S. currency, is said to derive from the Eye of Horus, as does the Rx symbol used by the pharmaceutical industry. Although some people believe the evil eye is part of the Wedjat tradition, it’s not, even though some sources may link the two. Therefore, the Wedjat is still popular as both a symbol and an amulet, either for protection or for its association with ancient Egyptian culture.4
- Encyclopedia of African Region, 2009, s.v. “Eye of Horus, ” by Denise Martin. ↵
- Encyclopedia of African Region, 2009, s.v. “Eye of Horus, ” by Denise Martin. ↵
- Edward Hincks, “On the Age of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Manetho,” The Transaction of the Royal Irish Academy Vol.21 (1864): 3-10. ↵
- Edward Hincks, “On the Age of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Manetho,” The Transaction of the Royal Irish Academy Vol.21 (1864): 3-10. ↵
58 comments
Nahim Rancharan
I was originally drawn to this article because I am a fan of ancient Egyptian mythology. The eye of Horus is such an iconic symbol in ancient Egyptian history. It was interesting to see how a basic symbol could have various interpretations depending on its usage. For example, I did not know that the eye of Horus coincided with the Wedjat symbol as well as being used for mathematical, medicinal, and protective properties. In addition to this, the history and it’s association with Egyptian gods makes this symbol even more interesting. This article does a great job at highlighting the popularity of this symbol. Excellent Work!
Luke Trevino
Wow very good article! I kept wanting to read more! I saw recently the movie on this called “Gods of Egypt.” It is crazy how much Hollywood switches up the stories and how much people in general change the stories. Still to this day it is not set on who returned the eye of Horus. Overall really good article it really broaden my view on the story rather then just the movie!
Roberto Tijerina
This is a very interesting topic. I didn’t know anything about the Eye of Horus but you were about to simplify it and now i understand. I love mythology and the little morals that are hidden, but I didn’t know that so much was derived from this story. It’s crazy to think that a story about an eye can still impact the way we think and create things to this day. Very good article!
Teresa Valdez
The mythology behind the eye and the use of the eye weaves together so well in this article. The structure is put together very well. It is interesting how the stories and symbols differ throughout mythology. But the symbolism of healing and the evil eye survives to today. It is amazing how signs and symbols from the past can survive to the present. Excellent article!
Gabriela Medrano
The Egyptians were creative, it is truly fascinating to see how the all seeing eye can symbolize many different things. I had never known its significance. I am glad that you distinguished the all seeing eye to the eye of providence because apparently they are very different but look alike. I liked that you provided a diagram of the fractional system and described all its other practical uses. Good job, great article and interesting topic!
Faisal Alqarni
Hi Elizabeth, I have heard about the eye of Horus but never in such detail like you put it, I do wish there was one verifiable account about how he lost his eye though because the many theories are quiet confusing. The many things the eye was trusted for by the Egyptians is very impressive, the presence of this all seeing eye in the present world like in American money also shows that it still does holds great significance. Great research on this.
Sergio Cervantes
A wonderful article! It is so nice to read about ancient Egyptian mythology and the numerous explanations of its objects. I will admit that upon seeing the image of the “eye of Horus” I thought of Hollywood and the Illuminati because it is often associated with them. Nonetheless, I never knew people used the eye for mathematical problems in the market. I also liked how you included in the article the story behind the eye and the god who it belonged to.
Jennifer Pogue
Awesome article! I have never knew what the eye of Horus represented until now. It is so interesting how the eye was precisely arranged and how the fractions added up. We usually look on past civilizations and think how unintelligent they were and how smart we are now, but they were very intelligent. It is also fascinating how it was used to measure medication. In the past I have seen the eye on jewelry, but I never would have guessed it had a practical use. Great article, keep it up!
Aaron Jaramillo
This article was very interesting. I have always known about the sign or the Eye of Horus but never really knew the significance of it. It is fascinating to read that the eye was used for many different things such as medicinal calculations, healing, mathematics, and healing. Its also interesting to me hoe each part of the eye represents a fraction. Good job with your article.
Marissa Gonzalez
This article was very interesting because I was not aware that the Eye of Horus was also referred to as the, “all seeing eye”. I also found it interesting how it was used for mathematical calculations and for medicinal purposes. The fractions of the eye was something I also learned. I was not very familiar with the Eye of Horus and this article was very detailed and well written. Knowing that the significance is still acknowledged today is amazing! Great job and well done!