What Is the Meaning of the Eye of RA?
Symbols are a prominent part of Egyptian culture and legend. The Eye of Ra appears in many forms, including hieroglyphs, jewelry, depictions on sculptures and painted onto the faces of burial headdresses. The heavy kohl worn around the eyes by pharaohs and queens of the day even reflect the same shape as this symbol. The Eye of Ra has multiple meanings and interpretations rooted in various Egyptian legends of the gods.
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The Eye
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The generic term for the symbol is "wadjet" or "ujat" which means "whole one." In general, the eye in Egyptian history and legend is a powerful symbol of protection. It is often referred to as the Eye or Ra but also the Eye of Horus and "the all seeing eye." It was often incorporated into jewelry and worn as a talisman for health, safety, wisdom and prosperity. The eye also symbolizes the spiritual ability to perceive and interpret both the seen and unseen in the universe.
The Legend of Horus
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One interpretation describes the Eye of Ra (Ra the sun god) as the right eye of the Falcon god Horus. The same interpretation states Horus's left eye is the Eye or Thoth (Thoth the moon god). Horus had waged a fierce battle with his brother Seth where Seth savagely tore out Horus's left eye. Legend states it was Thoth that restored the eye to Horus, thus making the left eye the Eye of Thoth. With the left eye the moon, the right eye became the sun and the two together represent the universe as a whole or "wadjet."
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The Eye of Ra
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The Eye of Ra is sometimes used as a description for Ra's daughters. One legend tells of Ra's daughter Hathor-Tefnu, which translates into "apple of the eye". Another legend speaks of how Ra became angry with the laxity and disrespect of humanity and sent his daughter Hathor to destroy all of mankind. When Ra relented and chose to spare some of humanity, he fueled Hathor's bloodlust with beer dyed red with pomegranate juice and the last of mankind was saved as she fell into a drunken sleep. Based on this legend, some writings referred to releasing the Eye of Ra in reference to the powerful anger and punishment of the gods.
The Eye of Horus
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The Eye of Ra is often synonymous with the Eye of Horus. As Horus represented the sky in Egyptian mythology he was closely linked to the sun god Ra. The Eye of Horus was also synonymous with the Eye of Ra based on the legend that Horus's right eye was the sun and, literally, the Eye of Ra.
The All Seeing Eye
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The Eye of Ra is the precursor to the symbol of the All Seeing Eye. The All Seeing Eye depicts an eye surrounded by rays of light, often enclosed by a pyramid. The symbol is said to represent God or the Supreme Being watching over humanity. The All Seeing Eye appears on United States currency and on the iconography of the Freeemasons. Eye symbology exists across multiple beliefs through history including Christianity, Buddhism, and the shamans of Mexico.
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References
- Photo Credit Pyramids at Ghiza Egypt image by Sean Wallace-Jones from Fotolia.com
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