Hereticsuggests that many religious figures, including Jesus Christ, share a common origin story. Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods explore, throughHeretic’s Mr. Reed’s motivesand theories, the idea that these figures areiterations of an ancient archetype, often associated with celestial bodies and cycles. The thought-provoking results have madeHeretic’s box office surpass its budget in only a week.
One such figure is theEgyptian god Horus, often depicted with a falcon head. His birth story, involving a divine conception and a connection to the Winter Solstice, bears striking similarities to other mythological figures. Mr. Reed, whoHugh Grant gave a“massive backstory”forHeretic, is fascinated by theological comparisons. By examining these parallels,Hereticinvites audiences to question the origins of religious beliefs and the power of ancient myths.
The Bird God In Heretic Is Horus From Ancient Egyptian Religion
Worship Of Horus Was One Example Of A “Falcon Cult”
Before the Mormon missionaries embark on their test of faith inHeretic’s belief doors scene,Barnes points out that despite the many similarities between gods throughout human history, there are many glaring differences. She uses the“bird head”example as a facetious comment. In ancient Egyptian polytheistic religion, the bird head belongs to Horus – god of kingship, healing, protection, the sun, and the sky. The worship of Horus was an example of a“falcon cult”which was widespread in ancient Egypt (perBritannica). Horus’ parents are Isis, the goddess of healing, and Osiris, the god of the afterlife.
Egyptian gods were often depicted in diverse forms, including animal and human-animal hybrids. The sun god, with its many names and aspects including Horus, and Osiris were among the most important deities. During the 1st millennium BCE, as solar worship waned, Osiris and his consort Isis gained prominence.Horus as a sun god forms part of Mr. Reed’s argument because he is one of several sun deities born on the Winter Solstice, symbolizing the darkness giving birth to the light.
How Horus Is Similar To Jesus Christ
There Are Several Parallels In Their Mythologies
After Osiris was murdered by his brother Seth, Isis conceived Horus through magic while hiding in the Nile delta. Although it is not a virgin birth like Jesus,the magical conception can be compared to the immaculate conception of Christ. The Winter Solstice mythology is also significant (which encompasses a few days, rather than the singular day Mr. Reed states, December 25.) Horus joins Apollo of Greek mythology, the Persian god Mithra and Sol Invictus, the“invincible sun”of Rome. All of these are sun and light deities (perHuffPost).
Where the polytheistic religions differ from Christianity is that, despite Jesus Christ’s parallels to his solar predecessors, the Bible does not preach the worship of the sun or other celestial objects:
“And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.”
— Deuteronomy 4:19
This is similar to scripture prohibiting idolatry, most prominent in the first of the Ten Commandments: “You shall have no other gods before me.”Christianity’s monotheism is part of what has made it so successful as a religionin terms of power and influence. Although it has absorbed elements of Paganism and other polytheistic religions into its symbolism, the idea ofHeretic’s “one true religion”, as Mr. Reed puts it, has a number of sociopolitical and economic advantages.
How Horus Connects To Mr. Reed’s Belief In Heretic
Barnes pointing out the“bird head”of Horus, although jokingly, demands the audience’s attention. It draws focus to the differences in the“iterations”Mr. Reed is referring to. If Mr. Reed’s theory holds up, it is becausethese differences are superficial compared to the larger parallels that cannot be ignored. It is the underlying familiarity, which can be compared to a song’s chord progression, which is a motif throughoutHeretic.This points to the “ancient truth” Mr. Reed has sought his whole life.
Richard Carrier, an ancient historian, addresses this in one of his books about Christ mythology,Jesus from Outer Space:
“They were syncretistic – which means, they modified this common package of ideas with concepts distinctive of the adopting culture. Thus every savior cult was different from every other…”
The differences allow each religion to assert itself as the one true faith. Christianity does this by strongly asserting the historicity of Jesus Christ including artifacts like the Shroud of Turin, and claiming believers in other, earlier religions are guilty of“heresy”, hence the movie’s title. Barnes’ comment only reinforces the iterations theory. However,Paxton, recognizing the futility of praying inHeretic’s endingand embracing faith anyway, seems to transcend the cynicism of Mr. Reed’s life’s work, ultimately making her the Final Girl ofHereticand giving beauty to the ending.
