Ankh
Ancient Egyptian hieroglyph representing life and immortality.
Ancient Egyptian · c. 3100 BCE – present
Eye of Horus
Ancient Egyptian symbol of protection, royal power, and good health.
Description
The Eye of Horus (wedjat or udjat) is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection, royal power, and good health. According to myth, the god Horus lost his left eye in a battle with Set; the eye was restored by Thoth, and the healed eye became a powerful amulet. The symbol was used in funerary rites and as a protective talisman. Its six parts were also used as fractional notation in ancient Egyptian mathematics, each part representing a different fraction of the heqat (unit of grain).
Origin & Cultural Context
The symbol appears prominently in the Pyramid Texts of the Old Kingdom (c. 2400 BCE) and continued in use throughout the Pharaonic period.