Horus on the Crocodiles

Horus cippus (Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum)

Horus on the Crocodiles is a motif found on ancient Egyptian healing amulets from the Third Intermediate Period until the end of the Ptolemaic dynasty, as well as on larger cippi and stelae. Both the portable amulets and the larger statues are sometimes referred to simply as Horus stelae.[1]

The Horus amulet or stele usually takes the form of a stone slab depicting the god Horus in the form of a child (Harpocrates) standing on two crocodiles and holding other dangerous animals such as snakes and scorpions. In older specimens, the head of the protective god Bes is depicted above the child's figure, protruding from the body of the cippus, which later became part of the frame. The stelae contain Egyptian hieroglyphs with mythological and magical texts recited in the treatment of diseases and for protection against stings or bites.[2] This portrayal is thought to follow the myth of Horus triumphing over dangerous animals in the marshes of Khemmis (Akhmim).[3][4]

Well-known specimens in this genre include the so-called Metternich stela,[1] the Banobal stele, the Egyptian Museum's Djedhor healing statue, and the Louvre's Priest of Bastet statue.[4][5]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference UCL2003 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Hotabi, H.S.E.; Sternberg-El-Hotabi, H. (1999). Untersuchungen zur Überlieferungsgeschichte der Horusstelen: ein Beitrag zur Religionsgeschichte Ägyptens im 1. Jahrtausend v. Chr (in German). Harrassowitz. ISBN 978-3-447-04132-4. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  3. ^ Gay., Robins (2008). The art of ancient Egypt (Rev. ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 244. ISBN 9780674030657. OCLC 191732570.
  4. ^ a b Seele 1947.
  5. ^ Lacau, Pierre (1921). "Les statues «guérisseuses » dans l'ancienne Égypte". Monuments et mémoires de la Fondation Eugène Piot. 25 (1): 189–210. doi:10.3406/piot.1921.1824.