Ownership, Privacy, Public Domain and the Eye of Horus

In collaboration with: Danielle Clement

In this unit we have begun exploring how the ownership of a content creator often times shifts to ownership of the people of the online world. We have also explored the subject of privacy on online and determining whether or not there is such thing as privacy online. 

With the concern of privacy, we discovered that almost no one can be completely private on the internet. Social Networks, search engines, other websites and services all track and keep an archive of the information we look at and post on the web. They do this to better tailor the internet for us and just because they are allowed to. The users of the internet sign over posts, pictures and other information that they would believe to be private but is in fact is accessible and property of the organization, i.e Facebook, because they frame the agreement in their terms and conditions of the website. This transitions to the next point that although we may be the content creators, by sharing the content on the internet other users have access to it and can remediate or use how they please unless we have a copyright. So overall, you have rights to your own creation…so does everyone else. Because of factors such as terms and conditions, the openness of the internet, low-scale privacy nothing you put on the internet is necessarily yours anymore.

This applies to relics such as The Eye of Horus Amulet. This amulet is a precious relic of ancient Egyptian history from the Third Intermediate Period (1068-661 BC), and the symbol itself can also be referred to as the Faience Wedjet Eye Amulet. Currently, the amulet is located in the British Museum. This ancient Egyptian artifact is a symbol of protection, royal power, and good health. The ancient Egyptians created this artifact to represent Horus, the ancient Egyptian sky god, who is usually depicted as a falcon or a falcon-headed man, which is a predatory bird. Horus’ right eye is said to be associated with the sun (sun god, Ra) and left eye associated with the moon (god Thoth). 

Ancient myths describe a battle between Horus and Set fighting for the throne after Osiris’ death (Horus’ father) which led to the gouging out of Horus’ left eye. The god Thoth restored the lost eye of Horus, a symbol of good health. It is said that the retrieved eye is seen as the moon, and the other is associated with the sun. In this myth specifically, the Eye of Horus is related to the waxing and waning of the moon, illustrating the parts of the moon that have been ‘torn out of the sky’ during the lunar cycle. Thus, Horus has a sizeable amount of influence over these powerful forces of nature. Horus then presented this eye to his father, Osiris, to represent the restoration of royal power. Because of the loss and triumph Horus had experienced, the eye is a very powerful symbol for ancient Egyptian culture. The Eye of Horus is worn and displayed as a protective amulet. Horus is a well respected god and one of the oldest, and he stands as an important figure in ancient Egyptian history. A depiction of both eyes is very uncommon because one represents the daytime and one represents the nighttime. Therefore, one eye rests while the other is looking over mankind. 

The Eye of Horus can be correlated to other parts of ancient Egyptian culture as well. The eye represents six different parts, corresponding to the six senses: sight, smell, thought, hearing, touch, and taste. The eye is the receptor and it has six doors to receive data. The Eye of Horus is mathematically measured out into different sections, in the measurement of a ‘heqat’. These measurements were utilized in everyday ancient Egyptian life, such as measuring ingredients in medicines and pigments. 

The Eye of Horus is commonly found in artwork, jewelry, tattoos, apparel screen-printing, and even used in makeup. This ancient Egyptian symbol has been referenced in the movie, The Mummy returns (2001) in the form of a tattoo on Brendan Fraser. The all-seeing eye can be found on the American dollar bill. It has also just recently been used by American recording artist, Katy Perry, in her hit music video Dark Horse ft. Juicy  J (2014). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KSOMA3QBU0&feature=kp

In the past decade, the Eye of Horus has been tied to ‘the all-seeing eye’ and ‘the illuminati’ that is said to control the world through influential icons of society, such as pop and rap artists and politicians. The Eye of Horus, or the all-seeing eye is also found in the new 2013 movie, Now You See Me. This movie is about a group of magicians serving as puppets to an organization called “The Eye”. This movie is a representation of the media and entertainment industry which dominates control over its audience (the world). This movie supports the theory of “The Illuminati” and the “all-seeing eye”. 

Although these are only a few examples, there are hundreds of more representations of the Eye of Horus and the all-seeing eye used in media today. It is interesting to look at the transformation of a symbol and myth from centuries ago to society today, yet the essence of it and connotation remain almost intact from its origin. This transformation and usage of a historical ancient Egyptian artifact into an iconic symbol of control and power embodies the lessons we have learned in unit 3. Media and internet usage have allowed for and encouraged manipulation and modification of another culture’s work to use in different cultural and social contexts in both the 21st century and past centuries.