In Egyptian mythology, Ihy was a son of Hathor, worshipped in Dendera. His name means “Sistrum-Player.” Some of the titles of Ihy were “Child of Gold,” “Bull of Confusion,” “Lord of Hearts,” and “Jackal of Light.” Ihy was the protector of music and of musicians, the fearless son of Hathor and Horus. He was invoked for rebirth and regeneration, and there is some evidence to suggest that Ihy ruled over blood, feces, and bodily fluids. Ihy was depicted as a very young man with a children’s sidelock, wearing a small crown topped with a cobra, and holding a sistrum (a rattle-instrument used to make rhythmic sounds.) During the Sed Festival of Hathor, Ihy was symbolized by a frisky bull-calf leaping at the head of a group of dancers. He was described in a hymn as “the splendid lotus flower beside His Mother.”
Note: The International Heliophysical Year (IHY 2007) is not as of yet been linked to Ihy, son of Hathor.
