Horus
/ˈhɔːrəs/noun
An ancient Egyptian sky god, usually represented as a falcon or a man with a falcon’s head.
Did you know?In Egyptian mythology, Horus lost an eye while fighting Set, and the restored Eye of Horus became a powerful emblem of healing, wholeness, and protection.
Etymological Timeline
3rd Millennium BCE
Egyptian
Ḥr
“The name of the falcon-associated sky god; its exact original meaning is uncertain, though it has often been connected with height or the heavens.”
2nd Millennium BCE
Egyptian
Ḥr-wr
““Horus the Great,” a form of the deity worshipped as an ancient sky and kingship god.”
Late Period Egypt
Egyptian
Ḥr-pꜣ-ḫrd
““Horus the Child,” a youthful form of the god associated with Isis and later known in Greek as Harpocrates.”
5th–1st Century BCE
Ancient Greek
Ὧρος (Hōros)
“Greek rendering of the Egyptian god’s name.”
1st Century BCE–4th Century CE
Latin
Horus
“Latin form of the Egyptian deity’s name, used in Roman descriptions of Egyptian religion.”
Modern English
English
Horus
“The conventional English name for the ancient Egyptian falcon god.”
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