THE UDJAT / WADJET

The Udjat / Wadjet (spelled w3dyt in hieroglyphic texts) - Also known as the "Eye of Horus," this ancient Egyptian motif originates from an early predynastic deity, the cobra goddess Wadjet, who would later be viewed as the patron and protector of Lower Egypt. Being an early goddess prototype, many of her features were "inherited" by later goddesses; the goddesses Bastet (a lion-headed solar/lunar goddess), Hathor (Mehturt) (a cow-goddess who represented the Milky Way), and Mut (a primordial creation goddess) are often portrayed with the eye of Wadjet. The falcon-headed Sun god and creation deity Ra (Rê) (and later Horus) was associated with the Wadjet eye - several of the features of this eye motif appear to be derived from the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus).

The "right eye" orientation of this motif usually represents the Sun, while the left eye represents the Moon - the two combined represent the right and left eyes of the sky. There is a range of stories regarding the Sun's (Ra (Rê)) loss of his eye - lost during an eclipse or a prolonged storm - and the ibis-headed god of judgement Thoth (ḏḥwty) restored the eye to the face of the Sun. A similar story relates that Set (swtḫ), the evil god of the desert and chaos, swallowed the crescent Moon, and Thoth hit him with a spear, forcing him to vomit up the Moon. Both of these stories convey the role of Thoth as a custodian/guardian of the Wadjet eyes.

The frequency of Wadjet eye amulets in the archaeological record is a testament to its importance in dynastic Egyptian society. Made of a range of materials - from precious gold to common faience - these pendants were worn by both the living and the dead (mummies), to bestow upon the wearer the divine power of the stability of the Sun and/or the Moon. Chapter 140 of the Book of the Dead instructs to place two Wadjets (one of lapis lazuli and one of amethyst or carnelian) upon the deceased (the mummy), which will ensure him a seat upon the Barge of Ra (which travels across the heavens) and thus make him a god. Painted Wadjet eyes appear on Egyptian sarcophagi and funerary materials as early as the 6th Dynasty.

It is likely that this eye motif is related to (and may be the origin of several examples of) "divine/protective eye" and "evil eye" motifs throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East. Some suggest that this motif is the origin of the modern Rx (℞) "prescription symbol."

Resources:
• E.A. Wallace Budge, "Amulets and Superstitions."

• The Wikipedia page on the Eye of Horus.