The Eye of Horus is an ancient symbol belonging to the Egyptians that served as a great icon of protection from the gods and goddesses.
The symbol is used to represent several different deities, including Hathor and Ra the father of Horus, the particular god or goddess being identifiable by the hieroglyphs or other iconography that surrounds it.
The Eye of Horus is also known as Wadjet, named for the ancient goddess that it also represents. Her significance as the patron goddess, and so the protector, of Egypt is shown in the prevalence of the eye symbol in tombs and artifacts.
The Eye of Horus is generally drawn in thick, symmetric black lines, representing kohl, and is made to resemble the eye markings of a falcon. The almond-shaped eye must be rendered with perfect dimensions, harking to the incredible skill of the Egyptian’s designs.
The overarching eyebrow, dark curling line beneath, and teardrop are created with mathematical perfection, a representation of the perfection of the gods and goddesses. The Eye symbol is also representative of the moon as the moon was seen as the left eye of Horus.
The Eye of Horus design is the distinct Egyptian symbol of regality and protection, offering the protection of the divine to anyone who bears it. It was often worn on jewelry in life and death as well in order to offer the same protection in the afterlife.
The eye is rendered in many different ways, depending on the desire of the individual. Various colors can be used rather than the standard solid black of the ancient symbol. An iris may be added to the eye to make it appear more realistic, emphasizing the ability of the symbol to watch and protect.
Other iconography is sometimes added to the Eye of Horus design such as the ankh symbol or wings and feathers to emphasize that the eye is that of Horus the falcon rather than Ra, the sun god, or another deity. Falcons are often incorporated as well, adding a sense of majesty.
The Eye of Horus placed at the point of a pyramid, sometimes with a moon or beams of light, emphasizes the significance of the symbol as a protector of Egypt.
The Eye of Horus tattoo is one that not only has a mysterious look to it, but the image itself looks great as a tattoo on any part of the body. Many people wear the Eye of Horus as a necklace or piece of jewelry, as necklaces tend to hang low to the chest, The chest is the perfect spot to get this tattoo placed.
Many people who have this tattoo have a special place in their hearts for the ancient mythological Egyptian beings, the eye representing the Eye of Horus, of course, belongs to the God, Horus. This tattoo is a unique way to show your love for Egypt and Egypt’s culture.
Horus as you may or may not know is a God in ancient Egypt that was depicted as a sky god that took the shape of a falcon. Falcons are strong and mighty birds and perhaps one of the falcons’ best features is the fact they have incredibly fantastic eyesight.
Flying so high in the air searching the land below for any movements coming from smaller animals for the falcon to prey on, the eyesight of the falcon must be precise in order for them to catch their prey to feed on and survive off of. This known fact is a very important detail of the story of Horus and his mystifying eye.
Egyptian Mythology
According to the ancient myth of Set and Horus, Set was another Egyptian God but Set was the God of not only the desert, but storms, disorder, and violence. One thing led to the other, Set and Horus became enemies and had a brutal fight. Set gouged out one of Horus’s eyeballs, rendering him full use of his most magical ability of all, the gift of sight. Horus then went to another ancient Goddess, Hathor, who was said to be Horus’s mother.
Hathor magically restored Horus’s eyesight and damaged eye. Osiris was Horus’s father who had died just before the battle of Horus and Set. Horus took his restored, magical, eye and offered it as a sacrifice in order to bring his father, Osiris, back from the dead. Because of this brave attempt to save his father’s life, the symbol and image of the Eye of Horus was then associated with and symbolized sacrifice, protection, restoration, healing, and good health.
Ancient Egypt
People have been trying to display their love for the ancient Egyptian myths because every God or Goddess in ancient Egypt had such a dramatic and dynamic role in how the universe was formed, it gives others the fantasy of knowing how and why the world works and how it does by the use of mythological beings.
Egypt is full of wondrous things such as the pyramids that have been sitting there since what seems to be the beginning of time. Mysteries of this world are always used for good entertainment and thought-provoking suggestions, this is why if you are one that indulges in such, the Eye of Horus image is perfect for you.
Designs
The Eye of Horus tattoo can be drawn out in many different ways. Before you get the tattoo of the Eye of Horus, you will want to keep a few things in mind. How will you want this tattoo to look as in terms of the style the tattoo will be inked out?
The traditional, thick, black lines that make up the eye are what has been displayed on many hieroglyphs and is how the Eye of Horus is most recognizable. If you want it in this style that is of your choosing, adding to the design however can drastically change and even improve or pay more tribute to the ancient God Horus.
Color
Instead of the traditional thick black eye from the image, many people have decided to put a touch of color on the eye, redesigning the structure to give it an even more realistic feel. This simple add-on to the ancient symbol of the Eye of Horus makes the tattoo stand out a lot more with the bright colors involved. In most cases, the color that is used is that of the color of a falcon’s actual eye.
Falcons just like humans, have different eye colors. The most common eye color that is used for a tattoo such as this however are green, blue eyes. This is only because these colors will appear a lot brighter in the ink than a yellow shade would.
Realistic
If you are trying to make this particular tattoo piece really stand out from the rest of your ink, or if this is your first and want to go big with it, adding a more realistic look with shading can differentiate this Eye of Horus tattoo from any others you may come across. If you decide on this type of style, it is a good idea to make sure your tattoo artist is able to do work such as this.
The Eye of Horus symbol itself is a fairly easy and simple concept for just about any tattoo artist, giving this tattoo the shading it needs however may be a more difficult task. Keep this in mind and bring a picture of what you have thought up with you when setting up your appointment.
Symbolism
The story of the Eye of Horus is one you must know if you are getting this tattoo. As you may know from the story, the eye that was gouged out of Horus was then restored with magical powers that were then stored inside the renewed eyeball.
Instead of using this magical eye for himself, Horus sacrificed the magic inside of the eye to revive his fallen father, Osiris. Because of this, the eye itself symbolizes bravery, sacrifice, love, and the power to heal. These are powerful words with a strong act of vigor and courage behind them, and what better way to represent that than with the Eye of Horus?
Placement
A great thing about this particular image as a tattoo is that you can fit it virtually anywhere on your body. If you want a large image of the Eye of Horus or just a small one that will fit on your wrist or ankle, the possibilities are pretty much endless. A larger version of this tattoo can be placed on the forearm, the upper arm, and even the legs.
Many people with longer hair will get this symbol on the back of their necks so that they can either hide it when they want to or let it be shown when they put their hair up. This simple and classic tattoo is perfect for anyone who wants an easy piece of body art.
The eye is rendered in many different ways, depending on the desire of the individual. Various colors can be used rather than the standard solid black of the ancient symbol. An iris may be added to the eye to make it appear more realistic, emphasizing the ability of the symbol to watch and protect.
Other iconography is sometimes added to the Eye of Horus design such as the ankh symbol or wings and feathers to emphasize that the eye is that of Horus the falcon rather than Ra, the sun god, or another deity. Falcons are often incorporated as well, adding a sense of majesty.
The Eye of Horus placed at the point of a pyramid, sometimes with a moon or beams of light, emphasizes the significance of the symbol as a protector of Egypt.