Eye of Horus Tattoo Meaning
Protection, healing, restoration, and the eye of royal power.
The Eye of Horus is the eye made whole again — the Egyptian Wadjet eye torn from Horus in his battle with Set and restored by Thoth, the supreme emblem of healing, wholeness, protection, and recovery after loss. To carry the Eye of Horus is to carry protection, healing, restoration, and the eye of royal power — the Wadjet eye restored after it was lost, the proof that what is damaged can be made whole, the watchful eye that wards off all harm.
In Egyptian myth the Eye of Horus is the Wadjet eye — a symbol of healing, wholeness, and royal protection, restored by Thoth after Horus lost it battling Set. The story comes from the great myth of Horus and Set: Horus, the falcon-god and rightful heir, did battle with his uncle Set, the murderer of his father Osiris, to avenge his father and claim the throne of Egypt. In the course of this terrible conflict, Horus lost his eye — it was torn out, wounded, or shattered by Set. But the eye was healed and restored: the god Thoth, the divine healer and master of magic, made the wounded eye whole again, restoring it complete.
Because of this, the restored Eye of Horus — the Wadjet, or 'whole one' — became the supreme Egyptian symbol of healing, wholeness, and restoration, as well as of protection and royal power. The eye that was wounded and made whole again embodied the power of healing and the triumph of restoration over injury. It was used as a powerful protective amulet, worn by the living and placed upon the dead, to bring health, wholeness, protection, and restoration. The Egyptian Eye of Horus is thus the Wadjet eye restored by Thoth — the wounded eye made whole, the great emblem of healing, wholeness, protection, and royal power. The Egyptian Eye of Horus is the Wadjet eye — healing, wholeness, and royal protection, restored by Thoth after Horus lost it battling Set. The Egyptian Eye of Horus is the Wadjet eye restored by Thoth — the symbol of healing, wholeness, and royal protection, restored by Thoth after Horus lost it battling Set; in the great myth, Horus did battle with his uncle Set to avenge his murdered father Osiris and claim the throne, and in the conflict his eye was torn out and shattered — but Thoth, the divine healer, made the wounded eye whole again, and so the restored Wadjet ('whole one') became the supreme Egyptian symbol of healing, wholeness, and restoration as well as protection and royal power, worn by the living and placed on the dead as a powerful amulet of health, wholeness, and protection.
The Eye of Horus (Wadjet) was one of the most powerful amulets in ancient Egypt. Each part of the eye represented a fraction (1/2, 1/4, 1/8, etc.), and together they totaled 63/64 — the missing 1/64 was said to be supplied by Thoth's magic, making the sum greater than its parts. Egyptians placed Wadjet amulets on mummies for protection in the afterlife. In tattoo symbolism, the Eye of Horus represents healing from damage and the protective awareness that comes from having survived a wound.
Eye of Horus across cultures
The Tattoo Concept Builder walks you from feeling to symbol to a concept you can take to your artist — built from your story, not a Pinterest board.
Build your concept →