Wedjet, udjat, udchat, Eye of Heru (see also "Eye of Ra")

According to mythology, during the battle with Set to avenge his father’s murder, Horus lost his eye. Seth plucked it out and tore it apart. Thoth managed to piece together all the found portions using magic. Legends tell that one sixty-fourth of the Eye was never found and had been replaced by a piece of magic or that Thoth purposely withheld that piece by magic. Thoth then gave the Eye to Horus who in turn gave it to his Father, Osiris. When Horus gave the Eye to His father, Osiris was reborn in the underworld.

The Eye of Horus is usually depicted as the right eye and is a symbol of protection, health, regeneration and gift giving. Egyptians used this symbol in burial to protect the dead against evil and to guide them into rebirth. Coffins, mummies, and tombs in general were decorated with this symbol. The Book of the Dead instructed people to make the eye out of lapis lazuli or a stone called mak. When worn as an amulet for the living, it provided protection and also gave wisdom to the wearer.

The appearance is a combination of a human eye and the eye-area facial markings of a falcon or hawk. Beyond basic appearance, the various parts of this image, six altogether, are said to represent the five senses plus thought. In some mythologies, they Eye, called the “All Seeing Eye” acted as a unique entity that might swoop down from the sky to right an injustice or visit wrath upon the wicked. Udjat means “sound eye” and was originally a symbol of Ma’at. Alternate representations of the Eye of Horus include the “illuminati” eye in the pyramid as seen on the modern US dollar bill. The Rx that pharmacists use to represent prescription is also said to have evolved from the Eye of Horus symbol.

The pieces of the Eye are listed in orderly fractional values, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, 1/64 which when added equal 63/64.

1/2: Smell- This portion of the Eye is not only closest to but also points toward the Nose, making it easy to associate this with the sense of smell.


1/4: Sight- This is the pupil of the Eye, the point of optical intake and is an obvious expression of seeing.


1/8: Thought- The eyebrows are not only part of the forehead but also are very expressive and instrumental in displaying the thoughts of the wearer.


1/16: Hearing- This piece of the Eye is closest to the ear, points to it, plus also is shaped like a horn or other musical instrument such as a sistrum. This demonstrates its relationship to hearing.


1/32: Taste- This particular shape represents a sprouting grain which bring it to its connection with the sense of taste.


1/64: Touch- This piece symbolizes a stick in the earth or planting a stick in the ground. The connection to the Earth is a symbol for touch.

Upon the face of Horus (the Elder), the right Eye was Ra, the sun and the left Eye was Thoth, the moon. This is not the commonly known and used symbolism of the Eye of Ra and Eye of Horus though. Sometimes the right Eye is of Horus and the Eye in left-eye-position is considered the Eye of Ra while other times, left or right position does not matter either way. The prime significance of Eye of Ra lies in the title and not the symbol.

The title has been bestowed upon Sekhmet as well as Hathor as his instruments of vengeance or protection. According to mythology, Ra had taken human form to rule over Kemet (Egypt). As he aged, the people mocked him. Ra then went to His father, Nun, who told him “You are a great God, You are greater than I, You are the son who is mightier than His father. If you turn Your eye upon the men who blaspheme You they shall perish from the earth." Ra sent Hathor to punish the men. Hathor took lion (some say Sekhmet) form and proceeded to slaughter the people who had turned from Ra in an uncontrollable frenzy. She told Ra “My heart rejoices” as she described her pleasure in killing the men. Her killing frenzy continued until Ra mixed beer with Pomegranate juice and spread it through the land. Hathor/Sekhmet, thinking it was blood, drank of it and became drunk which caused her to fall asleep. Upon waking, her wrath has subsided and mankind was saved. An interesting part of this is that Hathor and Sekhmet seem to be one and the same yet after this incident, They remain separate Goddesses in all ways except that they both retain the title Eye of Ra.

In the Egyptian Book of the Dead, or Book of Coming Forth by Day, a tale is told of Life and Death arguing about each surrendering to the other that which they have created/claimed. Truth interceded in their argument enabling them to work out a plan that suited both of them and they embraced. They were life and death, the two eyes of Ra.