The Gods of Ancient Egypt -- The Sons of Horus

The Sons of Horus

Patron of: the canopic jars that contain the internal organs of the dead.

Appearance: four men with a different head for each one.

Description: These are Horus' four sons who protect the dead on their journey to the underworld. They are Imset, who has the head of a man, Hapi (not to be confused with the Nile-god Hapi), who has the head of a baboon, Kebechsenef, who has the head of a falcon, and Duamutef, who has the head of a jackal.

Each one watches over a particular part of the viscera. Imset guards the liver, Hapi the lungs, Kebechsenef the intestines, and Duamutef the stomach.

They are also sometimes said to be the gods of the four cardinal directions, and their canopic jars are often placed in alignment with those directions.

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