Figure 6 ~ 4 Corners of the Earth

When an Egyptian embalmer worked, he first removed the internal organs of the deceased and placed them in one of four canopic jars.  Only the heart was left in the body because it was central to the final judgment and was thought to be the embodiment of the soul.  Each of these jars was specifically made to represent one of the four sons of Horus.  Each god so personified was responsible to protect the organs of the deceased.  Each god also represented one of the four cardinal directions, north, south, east, west.

Joseph Smith's interpretation: "Represents this earth in its four quarters."  I'd call that part spot on.

While it is not necessary to our understanding to know about these four gods, I have such an insatiable curiosity, I wanted to learn more.  In the process, I picked up things of spiritual importance to me. 



The four sons of Horus (from left): Imsety, Duamutef, Hapi, Qebehsenuef

• Imsety - human form - direction South - protected the liver
• His role was to help revivify the corpse of the dead person
• "I am your son, Osiris, I have come to be your protection. I have strengthened your house enduringly" - Imsety
• Duamutef - jackal form - direction East - protected the stomach
• His role was to worship the dead person
• His name means literally "he who worships his mother".  
• Hapi - baboon form - direction North - protected the lungs
• He is the navigator and runner and protector
• "You are the great runner – so says Horus"
• "I have come to be your protection. I have bound your head and your limbs for you. I have smitten your enemies beneath you for you, and given you your head, eternally" - Hapi
• Qebehsenuef - hawk form - direction West - protected the intestines
• His name means "he who libates his siblings".
• "Come refresh my father; betake yourself to him in your name of Qebehsenuef. You have come that you may make coolness for him after you ..." - Horus
• Giving libations of water was a key part of Egyptian worship

Why these four personifications were chosen to protect organs is unknown to Egyptologists, but the animals portrayed occur in other aspects of Egyptian mythology.

• Imsety, the human, may be linked to Osiris himself
• Duanmutef, the jackal, is linked to Anubis and the act of embalming and also Wepwawet the "opener of the ways" who seeks out the paths of the dead
• Hapi, the baboon, is associated with the moon and Thoth, the god of wisdom and knowledge
• Oebehsenuef, the hawk, is associated with Horus himself and also Seker the mummified necropolis god who is represented as a hawk

All of these references have come from Wikipedia, "Four Sons of Horus."  I have left the links above so that anyone who is interested can go to Wikipedia and learn more.

As the above picture shows, these gods can also be linked with the four basic elements of the earth.  However, to me, the most important part is that these represent the four cardinal direction, the four rudders of the earth, or the four corners of the earth as interpreted by the Prophet Joseph.  Given that these concepts were not known in the English-speaking world in 1833, how Joseph could look at four Egyptian jars with funny heads and understand the scope of God ruling over the four corners of the earth is nothing less than astounding.  If he were guessing or making it up, I don't think he would have chosen as he did.  He truly was an inspired prophet and seer.

© Gebara Education, 2016