Horus

Hello, I am Horus. Long ago, when the world was new, I lived hidden among the tall green reeds of the Nile River. My mother, the great goddess Isis, kept me safe there, where dragonflies buzzed in the warm sun and hippos yawned in the cool water. She would whisper stories to me about our beautiful kingdom and my brave father, Osiris. But our kingdom was in trouble, ruled by my cruel uncle Set, who had brought darkness to the land after my father was gone. My mother told me I was the rightful heir to the throne. This is the story of how I grew strong and brave, the myth of Horus and the fight for the throne of Egypt.

When I grew into a strong young god with the head of a mighty falcon, I knew it was time to challenge Set. I left my hiding place and went before the other gods to claim my father's crown. The gods decided that Set and I must compete in a series of contests to prove who was the rightful king. In one contest, we had a great boat race. Set, who was strong but not very clever, built a heavy boat from solid stone. He was sure it would be the strongest and would win easily. But I had a better idea. I built my boat from light wood that floated perfectly and then painted it to look exactly like stone. When the race began, my boat zipped across the water while Set’s heavy stone boat sank right to the bottom. “That’s not fair.” he roared. During our struggles, Set got so angry that he lunged at me and hurt one of my eyes, the one that shone as brightly as the moon. For a time, the world was not as bright, and I could only see half of what was before me. But the wise god Thoth, who knew all about magic, came to help. He carefully healed my eye, making it whole and even more powerful than before.

After many trials and contests, the gods finally declared that I, Horus, was the true king of Egypt. I brought the two parts of the land, Upper and Lower Egypt, together in peace and light returned to the kingdom. Set was sent to rule the wild desert lands, which brought balance to the world, for every land of sunshine needs a land of shadow. I became a good and just ruler, and every pharaoh who came after me was thought to be a reflection of me on Earth, ruling with my strength and wisdom. My healed eye, which became known as the ‘Wadjet’ or the Eye of Horus, became a powerful symbol for all my people. They believed it would protect them from harm, keep them healthy, and bring them good fortune. Even today, thousands of years later, you can see the Eye of Horus in museums and art. It reminds everyone that even after a dark time, there can be healing and light, and that courage and goodness can make the world whole again.