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?

Greetings hljdreamer,

The Four Sons of Horus and their correspondences according to Egyptian Religion Scholars (Silverman, Baines, Schaefer, and Lesko) are:

Imseti = Liver = Human = South

Hapy = Lungs = Baboon = North

Duamutef = Stomach = Jackal = East

Kebehsenuef = Intestines = Falcon = West

This is pretty much the same list you have; however, this spelling reflects the current academic consensus on how they are to be pronounced. I've used these a few times in an experimental version of the LBRP that I'm currently working with. Instead of the Archangels I call upon the Four Sons of Horus to banish the quadrants (these beings seem to be more responsive, at least to me).

This fits quite nicely, especially given the use of the "Sign of the Enterer" (aka Step of the Avenger) and "Sign of Silence" which represent Egyptian god forms. While in the sign of the Enterer you are Horus the Avenger (Attacking/projecting Force) while in the sign of silence you are Harpocrates, i.e. Horus the Child (Defensive/grounding force). Since you are associating your persona with Horus it would make sense to have the Four Sons as guardians of the quadrants.

This post has been edited by Faustopheles: Dec 21 2006, 10:52 PM

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

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?

Gretings Hlidreamer,

Actually the correspondences I learned as a Neophyte for the Four Sons of Horus are as follows:

Amset (Man-headed) Air - stationed in the Northeast.
Toouamaautef (Jackel-headed) - Fire - Stationed in the Southeast
Kabehsonef (Hawk-headed) - Water - Sationed in Southwest
Ahaphi (Ape-headed) - Earth - stationed in Northwest

I must admit to my ignorance of the main teaching concerning the Sons of Horus, I learned these particular correspondences to Initiate into Neophyte from Probationer, over a year ago.

I would be interested to learn where in the "Egyptian Book of The Dead" it states the directions and correspondent characteristics concerning the Sons of Horus.

Thank You,
Repsectfully,
Helel (Joseph)

Greetings Joseph,

In terms of Egyptian texts, none state the cardinal directions of the 4 sons of Horus. In the Papyrus of Ani (Book of the Dead), the Four sons are said to reside near the Great Thigh, which is the constellation of the Big Dipper, thus placing them all in the north.

Their attribution to directionality comes from their depiction on the sides of sarcophagi and the distribution of canopic jars (bearing their heads) in funerary context.

In terms of the inter-cardinal directions, there are instances when Anubis and Wepwawet are described as rulers of the path of the sun during summer and winter solstice respectively (I'll find the exact text for you, but I know this is outlined in Budge). This places Anubis in the northeast/northwest, and Wepwawet in the southeast/southwest. This cosmology is probably more akin to the Babylonian division of the sky where Enki and Enlil are responsible for entire paths (Northeast to Northwest and Southeast to Southwest) rather than specific inter-cardinal points.

Also, the attribution to the Elements is a Golden Dawn addition and not explicitly stated in any Egyptian text.

This post has been edited by Faustopheles: Jan 1 2007, 04:11 PM

i've never yet found a definite set of attributions of color and direction that seem right, and it also seems to change with time and location on the earth, especialy hemisphere and even season

i've tried asking the entity involved but its always the 'its your mountain not mine' answer

qebhsenuef is one of the sons of horus i am on good terms with.

he came to me during a severe stomach infection and ever since, i have kept his (national geographic magazine pic) image in a heavy wooden frame above the fridge, and i have never had issues ever again... not even when others get sick from eating the same bad food.

i imagine all four of them must be similar in action... perhaps keeping tobacco in a tuamusef container may be advantageous, etcetcetc.

perhaps keeping tobacco in a tuamusef container may be advantageous, etcetcetc.

woopsie, that was wrong.... hapy is the lung guy. lol, tuamusef is the stomach guy...

Greetings hljdreamer,

The Four Sons of Horus and their correspondences according to Egyptian Religion Scholars (Silverman, Baines, Schaefer, and Lesko) are:

Imseti = Liver = Human = South

Hapy = Lungs = Baboon = North

Duamutef = Stomach = Jackal = East

Kebehsenuef = Intestines = Falcon = West

This is pretty much the same list you have; however, this spelling reflects the current academic consensus on how they are to be pronounced. I've used these a few times in an experimental version of the LBRP that I'm currently working with. Instead of the Archangels I call upon the Four Sons of Horus to banish the quadrants (these beings seem to be more responsive, at least to me).

This fits quite nicely, especially given the use of the "Sign of the Enterer" (aka Step of the Avenger) and "Sign of Silence" which represent Egyptian god forms. While in the sign of the Enterer you are Horus the Avenger (Attacking/projecting Force) while in the sign of silence you are Harpocrates, i.e. Horus the Child (Defensive/grounding force). Since you are associating your persona with Horus it would make sense to have the Four Sons as guardians of the quadrants.

Horus is wise trust him (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)