MATHEMATICAL ODDITY
Or the Triangle of Hor Amun
Here is an interesting mathematical oddity. One can form magic squares, e.g. using a three by three grid, one can place the numbers from 1 to 9 in such a way that they add up to 15 each way, columns, rows, and diagonals. In ancient Astrology, this square of nine cells corresponded to Saturn. Thus we have:
Now let us use a four by four grid and use the numbers from 1 to 16, in a similar manner, making the colums, the rows, and the diagonals add up to 34. In ancient Astrology, the sixteen cells were attributed to Jupiter. Thus we have:
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15 | 10 | 3 | 6|
4 | 5 | 16 | 9|
14 | 11 | 2 | 7|
1 | 8 | 13 | 12 | | | |
Now let us take this one step further, and make a five by five grid, using the numbers from 1 to 25 and place them in the grid making the totals add up to 65. Again this according to ancient Astrology was known as the Magic Square of Mars. Thus we have:
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18 | 4 | 21 | 10 | 12|
2 | 23 | 9 | 11 | 20|
25 | 7 | 13 | 19 | 1|
6 | 15 | 17 | 3 | 24|
14 | 16 | 5 | 22 | 8 | | | | |
Now we all remember Pythagoras theorem that the square on the hypothenuse is equal to the sum of the squares on the other two sides .... We can place these magic squares on the sides of a right angled triangle with sides equal to 3, 4, and 5 and get the following:
This in itself is nothing too exciting --- but the ancients used these symbols to represent Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars.
The Ancient Egyptians termed this, ‘the triangle of Hur-Amun’ or Horus Amon, the Saviour Sun God with the ram’s head. The peculiar shape of this triangle, which is composed of a right angled triangle with sides of 3-4-5, was compared to the shape of an eye, the symbol of the Sun-god. The Sun itself was referred to as the ‘Eye of Heaven.’
Interesting bit of trivia!
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