Shedding light on the Eye of Re: Re-examining the role of the Eye of Re in Egyptian religion and society

Abstract

The Eye of Re is one of the most easily recognised pieces of iconography in Egyptian religion and has been featured extensively in art and literature since the Old Kingdom. Despite this, the role of the Eye of Re in Egyptian religion and society has yet to be fully explored. A wide range of sources will be used to examine this role, such as the Destruction of Mankind, the hymn to Hathor at Medamud, the festival calendar of Mut at Karnak, and Myth of the Solar Eye. This thesis will address this role issue by analysing the Eye of Re from three perspectives: the goddesses as the Eye of Re in Egyptian religion, the myth and rituals honouring the Eye of Re, and animals that are sacred to the Eye of Re. A variety of goddesses will be discussed here, with the most prominent ones being Hathor, Sekhmet, Tefnut, Isis, Bastet, and Mut. The animals analysed here are the lion, the vulture, and the cat. Some of the attributes that will be discussed here, in conjunction to the goddesses and animals, are the fiery properties of the Eye either as an avenger and protector of the gods, or a benevolent being in charge of eroticism and fertility. In contrast I have also discussed the Eye's watery element, which is associated with moisture and inundation of the Nile, and can be extrapolated to its connection to the rise of Sirius and the Egyptian New Year.