Four Sons of Horus Options

Has anyone here used the four sons of Horus (Egyptian funerary deities) in ritual to represent the cardinal points? I am a bit amazed as to how many different correspondences to directions or elements can determined.

In the classical Egyptian we have the following:

Ahephi = North

Ameshet = South

Tmoumathph = East

Kabehsnuf = West

Not counting the golden dawn attributions (which seem to me inaccurate due to incorrect assignment of organs) , I have come across several other methods during my research.

I find the most success when using the historical system in my practice. I am curious as to the experiences of others using these deities. If you use another system of correspondences what was the basis of your choice to do so?

Ok, so I’ve been searching to find the origin of this confusion as to the Four Sons of Horus. I can’t seem to find any logical reason for changing the cardinal attributes.


Budge has a slightly different list of correspondences:


Mestha = Stomach and large intestines = Human = South

Hapi = Small intestines = Dog = North

Tuamutef = Lungs and heart = Jackal = East

Qebhsennuf = Liver and gall-bladder = Hawk = West


As you see the differences are minor. Mestha (and Ameshet) are the older (as in 19th C.) transliteration of Imseti. Hapi being portrayed as having a dog head is a mistake on Budge’s part, who interpreted the short-snout animal as a dog as opposed to the long-snout jackal. Scholars are now in agreement that Hapi was baboon headed. The big discrepancy is with the organs.

Notice that regardless of the organ correspondences the cardinal points are the same! In tombs the canopic jars bearing the heads of these sons of Horus (and the viscera of the deceased) were systematically placed in there appropriate cardinal locations. Often the sarcophagus also depicted these deities in the appropriate corners. The Egyptians articulated their cosmology very clearly; Imstei is South, Hapi is North, Duamutef is East, and Kebehsenuf is West. There is no evidence to argue that the ancient Egyptians envisioned this any other way.

I should also state that Imseti, Hapi, Duamutef, and Kebehsenuf were protected by the goddesses Isis, Nephthys, Neith, and Serqet (Selkit) respectively.

This post has been edited by Faustopheles: Dec 22 2006, 03:23 PM