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Amulets Of Ancient Egypt
The Amulets of Ancient Egypt were a fundamental component of the culture. Their benefits were very important to the people of Ancient Egypt, and many amulets are still present in cultures that exist today. A handful of the functions that these objects were believed to have had are: good luck, health benefits, social stability, and improved sexuality. The following amulets are just a few of the more popular of which we have sufficient knowledge.
Perhaps the most famous of all Ancient Egyptian amulets, the Ankh is still found in modern-day Egyptian society. Originally used as a symbol of life, the Ankh was found all over the walls and columns of temples. It was also frequently depicted as a symbol being held by the subject of paintings and other depictions. The striking similarities between the Ankh and the Christian cross should also be noted, as David Silverman made note of this observation. [1]
The Isis Knot is an amulet that can be thought of in close terms with the Ankh. The visual image is similar to the Ankh, as is what it represents. The shape is thought to have been inspired by female genitalia and the womb of Isis.[2] One particularly interesting rendition of the Isis Knot can be found at the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut. There, Hatshepsut’s mother (Queen Ahmose) was depicted in the act of conception. The Isis Knot is hung from the god’s belt, covering his sex organ, showing the sexual aspect of this symbol.
Another ancient amulet that is popular in Egyptian society today is the Eye Of Horus. This symbol’s origin is from the left eye of Horus, the falcon god; this eye was believed to have protective powers. For example, the Ancient Egyptians were known to paint this symbol on their boats to ensure safe travel. Additionally, the Eye of Horus was s a sacred element of royal jewelry, as demonstrated by the mummy of King Tutankhamen being found with many bracelets ordained with this symbol. [3]
Another of the more popular amulets of Ancient Egypt was the scarab beetle. This symbol was closely associated with the gods Atum-Re and Khepri. Khepri was often shown with the head of a beetle. The Ancient Egyptians believed the act of scarabs rolling mud and dung across the ground to feed their larvae was a reflection of Atum rolling the solar disc and “hatching” time and space. [4] Its main use was to provide protection from evil forces. Thus, it was often found in burial places for this purpose. Also, the scarab was often placed over the heart or against the throat of the deceased to symbolize the heart. [5]
Clenched Hand
The clenched hand is another example of a symbol that was used as a hieroglyph, and as an amulet. As a hieroglyph, it was a symbol for creative power. As an amulet, it represented controlled energy, but not in a negative sense. It was frequently used to show the act of holding onto something, and also to write the term “fist”.[6] It could be thought of in both abstract and concrete terms of seizing. The exact reason for the clenched hand being a popular symbol is unknown, but many believe that those who wore The God’s Fist against their hearts were striving for wisdom and self-control in their lives. Amun-Re, the queen who gave birth to a pharaoh, was often referred to as God’s hand and the Clenched Hand symbolized the vagina that encloses the male organ. [7]
This cowrie shell was popular with women throughout Egyptian history. The shape of the shell resembles a female vulva. As a result, it is appropriately labeled as a symbol of fertility and sexuality. The materials used to make these shells varied, but princesses were believed to wear gold and less affluent women were believed to use various other materials, or even the shell itself. Another use of this symbol was for protection from the powers of the evil eye, since the shape can be seen as a squinting eye. Cowrie Shells were also used to help make a woman more beautiful, and sometimes they were filled with pellets that made seductive noises when disturbed.
The visual representation of the Nefer sign is supposed to be that of the trachea rising out of the heart. Egyptologists have shown that this was a popular depiction on ancient artifacts. The Nefer sign is another symbol that was used in hieroglyphs to describe both abstract feelings and physical characteristics. The Nefer Sign represented happiness and youth.[8] However, when used to describe a woman during the time period, ‘nefer’ meant that she was exceptionally pretty. Ancient Egyptians tried their best to surround themselves with this sign to boost the presences of these positive qualities in their daily lives.
There were two types of Lotus flower: the blue and the white. The blue lotus flower was believed to be a type of drug used by the Ancient Egyptians. It was also believed to have been mixed with wine to enhance its alcoholic effects.[9] Also, blue lotus opened at night, thus being a symbol for life and light triumphing over darkness and death. The white lotus flower was more mildly scented. It had the interesting property of rising above water when the sun was up, and disappearing below the surface at night. This phenomenon was the reason for the while lotus being used as a symbol of death and rebirth. [10]
Materials
Ancient Egyptians were very aware of what materials were used to create objects of their society. They used three primary materials: stone, wood, metal, faience. These four resources were often used when creating many of the amulets listed above.
Stone was mostly used for constructing buildings and other large structures. It was also a component of many amulets. Granite was primarily used due to its durable and consistent properties.[11]
Although it was used in the structure of some buildings, wood was difficult to find in Egypt. This is perhaps one of the reasons that very few amulets were constructed out of wood. Since it was not easily attainable and not as durable as other materials, wood was not nearly as common for these symbols as stone and metal.[12]
Gold: Gold is at the top of the list of metals in Ancient Egyptian culture. Its property to never tarnish, its luster, and other appealing visual aspects made gold highly desirable. It was considered the most sacred metal since the fact it never tarnished made it intimately related to the idea of immortality. [13]
Silver: This material was initially worth more than gold due to its rareness. However, as supplies of silver increased, its value relative to gold began to decrease. [14]
Iron: Iron was initially very special to Egyptians. Their principle source for the material was from fallen meteorites. (In later times, the Egyptians began to import the material.) It is easy to see why the Egyptians believed the powers of iron were inherent to the material: coming from fallen meteorites, it seemed to come straight from the gods. [15]
Electrum: A naturally occurring alloy of silver and gold, this was another substance that could be found frequently as a coating of amulets. Due to the similarities it shared with gold and silver, it was held in high regard by the Egyptians. [16]
Faience is a ceramic material that many amulets of Ancient Egyptian culture were made from. It wasn’t as rare as other substances such as gold and silver, but it was simple to work with and produced stunning results. In addition to amulets, pottery and jewelry were two other common products of faience. [17]
- ^ David Silverman, Egyptian Religion
- ^ Maria Isabel Pita, A Concise Guide to Ancient Egypt’s Magic & Religion
- ^ Maria Isabel Pita, A Concise Guide to Ancient Egypt’s Magic & Religion
- ^ Maria Isabel Pita, A Concise Guide to Ancient Egypt’s Magic & Religion
- ^ http://www.egyptianmyths.net/scarab.htm'
- ^ http://www.truthisthesoulofthesun.com/AncientEgyptianAmulets.htm
- ^ Maria Isabel Pita, A Concise Guide to Ancient Egypt’s Magic & Religion
- ^ http://www.egyptianmyths.net/nefer.htm
- ^ http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/lotus.htm
- ^ http://www.egyptartsite.com/symlst.html
- ^ Maria Isabel Pita, A Concise Guide to Ancient Egypt’s Magic & Religion
- ^ Maria Isabel Pita, A Concise Guide to Ancient Egypt’s Magic & Religion
- ^ Maria Isabel Pita, A Concise Guide to Ancient Egypt’s Magic & Religion
- ^ Maria Isabel Pita, A Concise Guide to Ancient Egypt’s Magic & Religion
- ^ Maria Isabel Pita, A Concise Guide to Ancient Egypt’s Magic & Religion
- ^ http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/trades/metals.htm
- ^ http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/faience.htm