IRY-HOR FACTS

As with King Crocodile, we don't have many Iry-Hor facts.

What we do know, is that Iry-Hor lived around 3100 BC

Clay jars have been found at Abydos, where are several versions of the falcon Horus holding the sign of the mouth in its claws.

This sign could be translated as the "voice of Horus", or "belonging to Horus", but this is not certain. Also if this is a royal name, it is not written in a the serekh, or stylized palace facade (on top of which the hawk was usually placed). Because of this many historians don't think Iry-How was a king, but that this seal may have meant the jar in question belonged to the reigning king, who ever he happened to be.

Still, these are such early Dynastic years that the serekh was not in common use yet.

The symbols in Iry-Hor's name

Iry-Hor facts: the tomb

Iry-Hor's tomb was found in Abydos. His body, however, was never found. This may be because of tomb robbers, or he may have been buried elsewhere. It was not uncommon for the kings of Egypt to have one tomb at Abydos for religious reasons, and another one elsewhere, where they were physically buried. (The ancient Egyptians believed the entrance to the Afterlife was located in a wadi near Abydos)

In the Abydos tomb the remains of a burial bed were found. It had the legs of a bull (an important symbol of the king). And in this tomb was also found the big jar with the "Iry-Hor" drawing (see above).

Further eight inscriptions made with ink were found in the tomb (see below).

Other version of Iry-Hor's name

What is interesting about the tomb, is the fact that the names of the kings Ka and Narmer were also found inside it. Were they related? Did these kings later re-open Iry-Hor's tomb to place new offerings there? 

Were they contemporaries of Iry-Hor? Did they bury him, or did they open the tomb of an earlier king? If so, why? Perhaps the tomb was robbed, and they gave new offerings to the dead king and then re-sealed the tomb.

iry-hor quiz

1. The name of Iry-Hor might be translated as

2. Iry-Hor lived

3. The symbols in Iry-Hor's name were

4. The names of two other kings were found inside Iry-Hor's tomb. Which kings?

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The picture of the eight signs of the Iry-Hor are from Wikimedia Commons, and and shared under Creative Commons license. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iry-hor_signs.jpg

The photograph of Iry-Hor's name held by Mummific is from Wikimedia Commons, and shared under Creative Commons license. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iry_Hor_name.jpg