Eye of Horus and to ward off evil. Ancient Egyptian and Middle-Eastern sailors would frequently paint the symbol on the bow of their vessel to ensure safe sea travel. Horus was the ancient Egyptian sky god who was usually depicted as a falcon, most likely a lanner or peregrine falcon. His right eye was associated with the sun god, Ra. The eye symbol represents the marking around the eye of the falcon, including the "teardrop" marking sometimes found below the eye. The mirror image, or left eye, sometimes represented the moon and the god Djehuti (Thoth). It was believed by the Greeks and
Horus swift grey throat patch and a brown rump. The form "toulsoni" of northwestern Angola and Zimbabwe is a dark morph of nominate "A. h. horus", with a dark rump and small throat patch. Both dark forms have sometimes been split as separate species. Horus, whose name this bird commemorates, was the ancient Egyptian god of the sun, son of Osiris and Isis. Horus swift The Horus swift ("Apus horus") is a small bird in the swift family. It breeds in sub-Saharan Africa. It has an extensive continuous distribution from eastern and southern South Africa north to southern Zambia and central Mozambique,