Harpokrates

While a lot of the same themes and ideas persisted through the Egyptian religion for thousands of years, changes and evolution did occur from time to time! One of the ways those changes showed up were in the evolution of gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 and goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏. In both classical Egyptian and Graeco-Roman times, Horus 𓅃𓀭, Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 and Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 were very popular deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹, however, their names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 and roles did evolve.  For example, Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 was replaced/referred to as Serapis 𓁹𓊨𓀭𓎛𓐑𓊪𓃒 by the Ptolemies. Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at one of the ways that Horus evolved 𓅃𓀭!

In this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏, Horus 𓅃𓀭 is represented in his Greek form Harpokrates 𓅃𓀭𓅮𓄿𓄡𓂋𓂧𓀔𓀭 (or Harpocrates), with his trademarked “finger to lips” pose.  This pose represents the “be quiet” gesture because to the Greeks, Harpokrates was the god 𓊹 of silence. In the Hellenistic world, Harpokrates could also be the god 𓊹 of secrets, confidentiality, and even the embodiment of hope!

The name 𓂋𓈖 Harpokrates 𓅃𓀭𓅮𓄿𓄡𓂋𓂧𓀔𓀭 is actually a Greek adaptation of the Egyptian “Heru-pa-khered” or “Heru-pa-khart” which translates to “Horus the Child” or “Horus the Younger.” This name 𓂋𓈖 makes sense when you look at the statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪, because Horus 𓅃𓀭/Harpokrates is represented as a child! Also, the determinative hieroglyph (last symbol in the phrase) for the word child “𓐍𓇌𓀔/𓄡𓂋𓂧𓀔” shows a seated boy with his hand to his mouth, which is where the idea for the representation of Harpokrates 𓅃𓀭𓅮𓄿𓄡𓂋𓂧𓀔𓀭 is thought to have originated from!

Here is a breakdown of Harpokrates’ name 𓂋𓈖  in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪:
𓅃𓀭𓅮𓄿𓄡𓂋𓂧𓀔𓀭 – Harpokrates

𓅃𓀭 -Heru
𓅮𓄿 – pa
𓄡𓂋𓂧𓀔𓀭 – khered/khart