the Wedjat Eye

To understand the restorative symbolism of the Wedjat Eye, the myth of Osiris is
indispensable. Unfortunately, when all references are compared, no canonical Os
irian legend can be found. Early texts are full of allusions to lost myths. What
we have on record is a number of motifs which conform to a mythological pattern
. Although it is likely the fertility myths of the Dynastic Osirian cycle do con
tain Predynastic components, we have no elaborated, written myths about his exis
tence until the Pyramid Texts. In the last millennium, the popularity of Osiris
grew. In the Late Period, under the Ptolemies, he became Serapis, the "Lord of t
he Universe" in all its aspects.
? the fourth generation of gods : Osiris & Isis
Osiris, the beneficent king of Egypt who had been killed by his evil brother Set
h, was never represented in movement, but only as a mummy and the "Ka of Life" o
f the Earth and its vegetation (with black or green face). With the fourth gener
ation of gods, the harmonious development of precreation was disturbed. Indeed,
with Seth, the rule stating each pair of gods only engendered one other pair was
broken :
First generation : Atum creating himself (He - She) ;
Second generation : Atum's first act of creation : Shu (male) - Tefnut (female)
;
Third generation : Geb (male) - Nut (female) ;
Fourth generation : Osiris (male) - Isis (female) | Seth (male) - Nephthys (fema
le).
With Seth's birthday, the regular, dyadic flow of enneadic expansion is disturbe
d. Seth's presence caused disorder in the "zep tepy". Before there was no man to
say his name, Seth was putting at risk the divine fabric of creation, the Ennea
d :
THE HELIOPOLITAN ENNEAD
0.
Nun
the primordial waters are undifferentiated & extended everywhere - although call
ed "father of the gods", nothing happens in this vast zero, no myths develop
1.
Atum
the act of self-creation happens in the primordial waters and is the crucial eve
nt which initiates the "zep tepy" - the aloneness of godhead endures before crea
tion
2.
Shu
by raising his arms (active thought), Shu created space & air - differentiation,
light & life were made possible - the mediation between unity & multiplicity ha
d begun
3.
Tefnut
the world created by Shu's intelligence and command needs a good order, just and
true to its principles - a natural and moral organization are indispensable
4.
Geb
the essential event associated with Geb (Earth) and Nut (sky) is their separatio
n by Shu and his wind spirits, for originally, both had been one - the sarcophag
us of the dead king represented the Earth and its lid the sky - in the body of N
ut the "millions" of stars came into being, as well as the abode of Re and the s
pirits
5.
Nut
6.
Osiris
the reign of Osiris on Earth is ideal, implying peace, unity and fertility (good
Nile floods) - Osiris is the prototype of the good shepherd loved by his people
7.
Isis
Isis is the perfect spouse and queen - her loyalty has no limits as (through mag
ic) she gives birth to Horus despite her murdered husband - then Isis becomes th
e perfect mother, raising up Horus in secret
8.
Seth
Murder, sexual perversion, disease, storms, fiery heat, violence, turbulence, ch
aos, disorder etc. belong to the trickster of Osiris, who, although mastered, is
not cast out, nor negated, but made useful to Horus' new order
9. Nephthys
Lady of the Mansion, she occurs alongside Isis as a protector of the king, and w
eeps violently for her dead brother Osiris, who's mummy wrappings are her work
The Ennead (or company of nine deities) is rooted in physical reality (the Two L
ands) by Horus, the king of Egypt. He is the "tenth" factor, closing the sequenc
e of the natural numbers (after "10", all numbers are but repetitions of the fir
st 9 numbers). Pharaoh is "1" and "0", for his principle (Atum = 1) was born in
the waters (= 0).
Let us summarize the essential myths of the Osiris cycle :
the kingdom of plenty and peace : Pharaoh Osiris ruled over a mythical, perfect
kingdom = the fourth generation of gods ;

disruption of this harmony : Osiris was murdered by Seth and his demons, who tor
e his body into pieces = "Osiris slain" ;
period of mourning and confusion : Isis & Nephthys seek & find the body, mummify
it, protect it (night-watches) and mourn = "Isis mourning" ;
Isis conceives a son by Osiris : Isis partly revived Osiris thanks to Thoth. She
hid her son Horus in the swamps of the Delta and brought him up in secret (a wh
ole cycle of myths gather around Isis in the Delta) ;
Osiris is the "Ka at rest" ("kA Htp") : Osiris sojourns in the Netherworld in a
state of unconsciousness and powerlessness ("great sleep"). His Ka-powers are de
pleted, although the pieces of his body have been brought together in a ritualis
tic way (cf. mummification and the release of the "Sah" - "zaH"), unlocking the
portal of the Netherworld and allowing the soul ("bA") and the spirit ("Ax") a m
aterial substrate. Without Horus, the outlook for Osiris is hopeless ;
Horus avenging his father and loosing his left eye : to resuscitate his father,
Horus had to vanquish his father's enemies. He fought Seth in a long and bitter
battle.
Horus vindicated before the great council of gods : the deities grew tired of t
he disturbances caused by this ongoing battle in the universe. Thoth persuaded t
he two fellows to submit their quarrel to the divine arbitration of Neith - the
final verdict is in favour of Horus ;
restoration of the Eye and Horus crowned king : only Pharaoh Horus wields the mi
ght of the Restored Wedjat Eye (assimilating the great goddess) ;
Horus resuscitates Osiris : Horus goes to the Netherworld and restores the life
force of his father (the Wedjat Eye plays the role of Ka-offering) ;
Osiris risen in the Netherworld : awakened by the Eye of Horus, Osiris' soul is
set in motion and he becomes the spirit of life, growth, fertility, resurrection
& rebirth needed by his son Horus to establish unity & peace in the Two Lands.
Seth has been made sub serve this new order. The unregulated forces are mastered
and made to help in sustaining the revived Osiris (Seth is his bark) = "Osiris
Risen".
Only in two forms is Osiris presented to the observer and the reader : either as
what he became after his assassination (namely, a mummy) or as the manifestatio
n of the life-force or vitality of creation (the "green" of life). Only in the t
exts of the IXth & Xth Dynasties is Osiris allowed to speak for himself.
? Osiris & the Wedjat Eye
The Osiris drama unfolded in mythical (enneadic) times, but on a personalized le
vel (as a family conflict unfolding in a mythical "perfect" kingdom) it refers t
o the fourth generation of gods. While the Atum-cycle refers to cosmogonical and
royal themes (the Eye of Re), Osirian beliefs are anthropological (the emotiona
l, funerary family drama) and vitalistic (the yearly revival of nature). Moreove
r, they are common beliefs (the Wedjat Eye of Horus was a very popular amulet).
Osiris was the victim, the helpless one, but also the dead land to be revived. H
e suffered, like the little man, with all mortality, had been murdered and sojou
rned unhappily in the Netherworld. His unfortunate death had been followed by a
deadly afterlife. He called out to be revitalized by his son, Pharaoh Horus so a
s to resurrect as a soul and become the spirit of life itself. In this way, he w
ould be the ultimate power of revival and fertility, the eternal cycle of birth
(in this world : the fertility of the land) and rebirth (in the Netherworld : no
"second death" but spiritualization).
His son Horus was his heir and avenger. As avenger, he had to confront Seth and
subdue him. Then, as "beloved son" he could take care of the "Ka" of Osiris (who
was depleted). Revitalized, Osiris achieved beatification and became the spirit
of life. As heir, Pharaoh Horus would rule. He had Seth beneath his sandals, se
rving the new order.
The Wedjat Eye-cycle represents the process whereby Horus is injured by Seth (th
e empty eye), fights the foe, is healed (the Eye of Thoth), crowned (by the deit
ies) & empowered by this "green" Eye of Wellness, which he gives to Osiris. Her
great magic is able to resuscitate the dead god who is dying his "second death"
in the realm of the dead. For Osiris is sleeping his "great sleep" in the "deser
t place" in which he came. By descending into the Netherworld and giving his Wed
jat Eye to Osiris, Horus revives his father, i.e. pulled him out of this state o
f "second death". Reborn as a soul in the realm of the dead, Osiris is now able
to move and transform himself into the spirit of eternal rejuvenation. The rescu
e of Osiris by Horus the Redeemer, is the rising of the flood waters and the adv
ent of the New Year.
? the patrilineal principle
Osiris is not reborn in this world, as in other fertility cults, where the resur
rected god returns to Earth (cf. Tammuz brought back to life & Earth by Ishtar).
Osiris stays in the Netherworld, to become the king and the judge of the dead.
Pharaoh Horus fulfils the destiny of this world. Osiris resurrects in a special
spiritual "soul-body", released after "the opening of the mouth" by Horus. Witho
ut Horus, the perfect son, Osiris would have continued to die (being a god, tota
l annihilation could not happen). Without Osiris, no Pharaoh could guarantee the
fertility of his land. This model was the mythical background of Pharaonism : t
he living Pharaoh was Horus, the son and heir of Osiris, the dead king, his fath
er, resurrected as a soul and spirit of eternal life.
This deceased father (returning to Re in the sky) was the source (the link) of t
he son's Ka-power. Being a spirit, he was free to move around and dwell wherever
he liked, but especially around the mummy in the tomb. The father needed a succ
essor, for he wanted all offerings be made to his Ka, for this gratified his sou
l. The sapiental instructions also underline this : the father is pleased to rec
eive a son who listens well and becomes better than himself. This patrilineal pr
inciple was kept in place for three millennia. It is fundamental to understand t
he Egyptian mentality.
The Wedjat Eye represented injury, healing and triumph through filial spirituali
ty. Horus was the perfect son who had heard and had listened (cf. Ptahhotep). Wi
th his story, the Osirian drama repeated itself : "Osiris slain" is as "Horus in
jured", "Isis mourning" returns as "Horus healed" (each time thanks to Thoth), w
hereas "Osiris risen" and "Horus crowned Pharaoh" are also similar themes. And i
ndeed, Horus did better than his father. Osiris lost his earthly life for good,
was saved from a "second death" to be crowned king in the Netherworld. As Pharao
h, Horus was the sole living god on Earth, the only god who's spirit was not in
the sky, but amongst mortal beings "hiding" before his most beautiful face.
But there is more. While on Earth, Osiris had not realized the evil intentions o
f his brother. When Horus was crowned, he had the power of the Wedjat Eye and so
could resuscitate his father in the Netherworld. This gave Osiris the power of
comprehending Seth's real nature, mastering him and making good use of his chaot
ic powers (he became the bark of Osiris). Horus gave Osiris the Wedjat Eye and "
opened his mouth" with an adze ("seb-ur") representing the Great Bear, a constel
lation of Seth.
"Horus had laid hold of Seth and has set him under You in your behalf so that he
may lift You up and quake beneath You as the Earth quakes, You being holier tha
n he in your name of 'Sacred Land'. Horus has caused You to examine him {Seth} i
n his inmost parts, lest he escape from You ; he has caused You to lay hold of h
im with your hand, lest he get away from You."
Pyramid Texts, utterance 356, §§ 581-582.
Because of Horus' descent into the Netherworld as a crowned Pharaoh, Osiris coul
d "send out his soul" (or "bA") and "set himself in motion". The herald of the a
nnual Nile inundation was the heliacal rising of the Dog-star Sothis or Sirius,
associated with Isis, brightly appearing on the eastern horizon in the dawn sky
of July. But the motion of the waters in the vegetation itself, called for the s
pirit of life, i.e. the return of Osiris to the sky. This was associated with th
e rising of Orion or Osiris in the southern sky, the beginning of a new season o
f growth & fertility. Both events underlined the advent of the New Year.
Because of the care of his son (who vanquished the enemies of his father), the l
atter could become one with the soul of the original Osiris, and be "an Osiris"
in the Netherworld. The living did not worship their ancestors, but hoped that s
ome of their Ka-power could be transmitted for their own needs. By resuscitating
Osiris in the Netherworld, Horus had guaranteed the fertility & growth in the r
e-established order on Earth for ever and ever.
? Core dynamics of the Osirian cycle.
" ... and they say to Osiris :
'You went away, You have returned.
You woke, You fell asleep.
You are enduring in life.
Arise ! Behold this ! Arise !
Hear this, what your son has done for You !
What Horus has done for You !'"
Pyramid Texts, utterance 482, §§ 1006 - 1007.
A. The Passion of Osiris
OSIRIS SLAIN :
The power of life is disrupted. The beginning of crisis ;
ISIS MOURNING :
The constituents of life are scattered. This is a period of great danger, in whi
ch the inner causes of turbulence are to be confronted and assimilated. Hence, a
new concept of life may emerge (Horus), although the old order is like an immob
ile dead (cf. Osiris' sojourn in the Netherworld) ;
OSIRIS DYING :
The earthly Passion of Osiris ends with his mummification and return to the Neth
erworld, the "Beautiful West", the place of the dead, situated underground but a
lso in the primordial waters. But his Passion continues. In the Netherworld Osir
is has no "bread and beer", but satisfaction and quiet. Nevertheless, he wanders
helplessly herein (like Shu and Tefnut before the Single Eye brought them back
?). This is his "second dead", a "great sleep" in the realm of the dead. The "c
all" of Osiris : "Come down to me !" is the great turning-point in this drama.
B. The coming of the Redeemer
ISIS MOTHER :
First enslaved by Seth, Isis escaped thanks to Thoth and fled to the marshes of
the Delta. She hid Horus from Seth, so that he could grow up and eventually re-e
stablish the good order of things. In the Delta, Seth could not appear in his tr
ue form. As a snake or scorpion, he tried to harm Horus the child (the Greek "Ha
rpocrates"). In this phase, the love and anxiety of Isis are mingled with the si
tuation of the lonely and unprotected child.
THE EYE TORN OUT :
When the new concept has matured, it has to fight the causes which destroyed its
"father", i.e. counter the repetition of the crisis. A direct confrontation wit
h these causes is unavoidable. But in the fight, the left eye of Horus was injur
ed. The battle seemed endless because both parties were very strong. Only honest
arbitration may help. But who of the deities can solve the eighty-year dispute
? The verdict of Neith, the oldest of the gods ? The new principle (Horus) is of
today, the old (Osiris) is of yesterday. Seth is made to serve (either Osiris o
r Re).
WEDJAT & CORONATION
The Eye was found, restored and made well (Wedjat) by Thoth. She empowered Horus
 at his coronation and helped him to re-established the original kingdom of peac
e & plenty. Being king implied that Pharaoh Horus had to guarantee that the Nile
flood was balanced and on time. This could only happen thanks to the spirit of
life (Osiris). But this was slain and wandering in the Netherworld ;
C. The Redemption of the Soul of Life
OSIRIS RISEN :
The Crowned Horus plunged into darkness to vitalize Osiris with his Eye and "ope
n his mouth". The subsequent resurrection of Osiris as a soul heading to the sky
(as the spirit of life) was thanks to the restorative power of the Wedjat Eye,
which broke all Sethean restraints, inertia & slumber. This made Osiris finally
understand Seth and become the ultimate judge in the Hall of Maat. Osiris resurr
ection and ascension to the sky represented the spiritualization of his soul of
life and the ultimate guarantee the Ka-power of life would intercede for Pharaoh
Horus. Thanks to Horus, Osiris became the reviving powers of the New Year. Than
ks to Osiris, the reign of Pharaoh Horus was peaceful.
? the Wedjat Eye in healing magic
The Wedjat Eye is a magical healing eye. Its restoration by Thoth, Lord of Wisdo
m & Healing, makes this clear. As with all Egyptian magic, it was used whenever
the balanced order of nature has been disrupted (disease) or in need to be defen
ded against an assailing foe (immunity-response). In particular, the Eye of Horu
s had revitalizing abilities, and was offered to the deities (as it was to Osiri
s). Despite the different mythological connotations, the Egyptians used both eye
s in various iconographical compositions, stressing their complementarity's (as
Sun & Moon) :

the Eye of Ra offered to Thoth by his Ape

who stands on the Eye of Horus

initiated : 1 XII 2003 - last update : 27 XI 2010

© Wim van den Dungen
Antwerp, 2003 - 2011.