The tombstone is here the world, the two side edges support the arch of the sky which is inclined to the west. At the center of the universe, shifted slightly to the west, stands the royal palace. The Falcon (tutelary deity of Hierakonpolis) perched on the palace symbolizes the pharaoh on his throne. He looks in the direction the sun, the west, the area of the dead. At his death, Pharaoh disappears as the sun (the falcon) west reborn in the east, as the Horus divine. So there is total assimilation between the Pharaoh and Horus Pharaoh has the desire to share, to his death, the Horus heavenly destiny and win like him immortality by periodically coming back to life. The lower part of the stele, not carved, was driven into the ground representing the underworld of the dead.
Stele of King Djet - Limestone - first dynasty - Original H: 250 cm - Width: 65 cm - Origin: Abydos.
Louvre museum.
King Djet or djet (snake king) is the fourth known pharaoh of the first dynasty (around 3000 avJC). The name of the king, the hieroglyph represented by a snake, is in a serekh: Egyptian name that means the rectangular frame in which was inscribed the oldest names in the pharaonic titular, the name of Horus. The framework represents the facade of brick with steps of the royal palace. It is surmounted by the Horus falcon. The royal palace appears as the place of concentration of forces emanating from the royal person, irradiated by the falcon god. Pharaoh is considered the successor of Horus, first ruler of Egypt. Similarly Horus, the falcon-god son of Osiris and Isis, inherited his father unified kingdom of Egypt, and Pharaoh is designed as the "living Horus' reincarnation of the mythical first king. This is even the oldest title. In the first dynasties, the king's name is always preceded by the title "Horus". This title will remain until the end of Egyptian history, and the Ptolemaic and Roman rulers bear also their "Horus name"; this is how the Emperor Augustus will call "Horus, the one strong arm, Grand force."
The first royal title consists of three elements: the palace (center of all powers), the Horus falcon (Pharaoh has a divine origin) and a sign-his (Pharaoh has the hieroglyphics of the power) that qualifies the king.
Horus, protector of the pharaoh.
This stele date of the Third Dynasty, it shows the pharaoh embraced by Horus is one of the first performances where Horus is depicted as half-human form, half-animal.
The pharaoh is shown standing, wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt, he wears a false beard and a loincloth decorated with bull's tail. A dagger from his belt. He holds in his right hand the club piriformis (pear-shaped) and left hand a sharp stick. The god Horus holds his left arm and his left hand around his shoulders with the other arm. Two inscriptions above the heads called the characters "Horus Qahédjet" (entry in a Serek) and "Horus in the big house." We know nothing of this pharaoh Qahédjet, has sometimes been likened to Huni.
Here, so we again (in a different form) link permanence that unites the falcon Horus and pharaoh.
Louvre museum. H: 50.5 cm - Width: 31.3 cm - Unknown origin.