Heru
/ˈhɛr.uː/noun
A modern transliteration of the ancient Egyptian falcon deity more commonly known in English as Horus.
Did you know?Heru’s name was written with a falcon sign, and the Eye of Horus later became one of Egypt’s most recognizable protective symbols.
Etymological Timeline
Early Dynastic Period
Egyptian
Ḥr
“The name of the falcon deity later known in Greek and English as Horus; its exact original meaning is uncertain.”
Old Kingdom
Egyptian
Ḥr
“A major royal and sky deity associated with kingship, the sky, and the living pharaoh.”
Ptolemaic Period
Egyptian
H̱r / Ḥr
“Egyptian forms of the divine name continued in temple inscriptions and compound forms such as Horus-in-the-Horizon.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Hōros (Ὧρος)
“Greek adaptation of the Egyptian divine name.”
Roman Period
Latin
Horus
“Latin form of the Greek name, used in Roman descriptions of Egyptian religion.”
Modern English
English
Heru
“A modern Egyptological, Kemetic, and religious transliteration of the Egyptian deity’s name; Horus remains the conventional English form.”
Explore more surprising origins