American Gods

by

Neil Gaiman

An Egyptian god associated with the sky and the figure of a hawk. In the novel Horus has gone crazy and stays permanently in his hawk form, because he is no longer remembered by the American people and does not have enough power to stay sane. Shadow meets Horus in the underworld, where Horus shows him how to return to the world of the living if Shadow so chooses.
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Horus Character Timeline in American Gods

The timeline below shows where the character Horus appears in American Gods. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 8
Mythology, Belief, and Community Theme Icon
Change and Growth Theme Icon
Life, Death, Desire, and Sacrifice Theme Icon
...they do a lot of things for themselves now that Set has left them and Horus has gone wild. Mr. Jacquel adds that he still sees Horus sometimes, flying around in... (full context)
Chapter 15
Mythology, Belief, and Community Theme Icon
Change and Growth Theme Icon
Life, Death, Desire, and Sacrifice Theme Icon
Plurality and the Power of the Individual in America Theme Icon
...that he saw Shadow in Cairo, and Shadow realizes that this dark-skinned man must be Horus, who Mr. Jacquel mentioned lived in Cairo as a hawk. Horus greets Shadow as a... (full context)
Chapter 17
Mythology, Belief, and Community Theme Icon
Change and Growth Theme Icon
Life, Death, Desire, and Sacrifice Theme Icon
Plurality and the Power of the Individual in America Theme Icon
The Sacredness of American Land Theme Icon
...a hawk flying above her. The hawk hops towards Easter, slowly transforming into a man. Horus awkwardly tells Easter that the man on the tree needs her, and that this man’s... (full context)
Chapter 18
Mythology, Belief, and Community Theme Icon
Life, Death, Desire, and Sacrifice Theme Icon
...of the tree and starts to loosen the ropes that hold Shadow to the tree. Horus (as a man) helps her, and they lay Shadow’s body down in the meadow. Horus,... (full context)
Mythology, Belief, and Community Theme Icon
Change and Growth Theme Icon
Life, Death, Desire, and Sacrifice Theme Icon
The Sacredness of American Land Theme Icon
...she rode here on, a bird like a condor the size of a black bear. Horus proudly says that he brought the thunderbird here. Shadow remembers that he once had a... (full context)