The Four Sons of Horus

• 16 / 5 / 2023

The four sons of Horus are four of the cosmic powers (nitro) that were associated with both Horus and Osiris and had a major role in the transition of man upon death from the material world to the other world.

The four sons of Horus appeared in the famous trial scene, and the ancient Egyptian artist portrayed them as they were standing on a lotus flower that grew from the water under the throne of Osiris in the other world.
And since the lotus flower, according to the ancient Egyptians, was associated with the creation of the universe, the four sons of Horus are also part of the system of the creation of the universe.

The Belgian engineer, Robert Boval, says that the four sons of Horus are the four stars that make up the cavity that resembles the ladle in the Big Dipper group, and that the star group occupied great importance among the ancient Egyptians.

The four sons of Horus were also associated with the human bowels.
When the mummy was mummified in ancient Egypt, the bowels of the deceased were taken out and placed in four pots called canopic pots. Each pot carries the head of one of the four sons of Horus and guards one of the human guts. It also guards the gate to one of the four original sides.

The liver, lungs, intestines, and stomach were among the organs of the deceased that were removed and wrapped separately during the mummification process in ancient Egypt. These components were subsequently put in four jars called canopic jars. 

Known since the Old Kingdom and beyond, these jars have changed slightly over time. The lids of these jars were first shown in the New Kingdom as the "Four Sons of Horus," who protected the within.

From the earliest appearance of the Sons of Horus in ancient Egyptian imagery until the end of the Second Intermediate Period, they were mostly depicted with human heads.

When the Four Sons of Horus were depicted in human form, Imsety's head was depicted as a light-skinned, beardless female, while the other heads were depicted as dark red or black, adorned with the divine beard, meaning they were male deities.

With the beginning of the New Kingdom, another form became prevalent, but without completely overshadowing the ancient form of human-headed headdresses. Animal heads were used in place of the masculine deities' heads.

Between the beginning of the Eighteenth Dynasty and the middle of the Nineteenth Dynasty, each of the Four Sons of Horus took on its distinctive animal form.

There are a few exceptions to this. In one instance, Duamutef and Qebehsenuaf had their heads swapped, with the former depicted with the head of a falcon and the latter with the head of a jackal. This confusion occurred more than once throughout the Pharaonic era, and there are numerous and varied examples of this, some of which we will review below.

The number 4 likely represents the four cardinal points of the universe, which typically housed the body parts of the deceased god Osiris, and which were later reunited during the rituals of Osiris's resurrection in the month of Kiahk. Given that Horus had four sons, it was natural to associate them with the four cardinal points... However, they initially seemed to be associated only with the north and south, and in fact, religious texts conflict with each other on this matter.

While the Pyramid Texts indicate their southern origin, one of their incantations states, "Recite: May these four southerners stand for Neith this Amsety, Hapy, Duamutef, Qebeh-senuef—the sons of Horekhem."

We find the Book of the Dead referring in Chapter (17) to their association with the north. The text states: "They are Imsety, Hapy, Duamutef, and Qebehsenuef, who stand behind the Great Bear in the northern sky."

Meanwhile, the scenes depicted on the walls of King Ay's tomb in the Valley of the Kings show Imsety and Hapy's association with the north only, and Duamutef and Qebehsenuef's association with the south... Imsety and Hapy, representing the north, are depicted wearing the red crown, while Duamutef and Qebehsenuef, representing the south, are depicted wearing the white crown... The spirits of Imsety and Hapy may emphasize their link with the north, whereas the spirits of Nekhen—a subject we will address in a later chapter—highlight Duamutef and Qebehsenuef's association with the south. Soon, the Sons of Horus were associated with the four cardinal directions, not just as representatives of the north and south, but as representatives of the four pillars of heaven.

The names of the four sons of Horus are:
Dwamotif: He carries the head of a jackal and guards the stomach and stands at the northern gate
Kabeh-Sunuf: He carries a falcon's head and guards the bowels and stands at the southern gate
Hapi: He carries the head of a baboon, guards the lungs, and stands at the eastern gate
Amsit: He carries a human head and guards the liver and stands at the western gate

Many discussions have revolved around the origin of the Four Sons of Horus, and whether they were sons of Horus or sons of Osiris. Texts have conflicted over the issue of determining their lineage.

The Pyramid Texts, in Spell 2078a, mention their lineage as being "Horkhamm" ("Recitation: Perhaps these four southern ones stand for this Neith, Imsety, Hapy, Duamutef, and Qebhesenuef, sons of Horus of Akhmemite (Horkhamm)"). According to paragraph 157 of the Coffin Texts, their mother was Isis, and their father was Horus the Great. According to the Book of the Dead's Chapter 112, Horus was the father of Horus' sons, and Isis was their mother.