Egyptian symbols are present in the collective imagination of the population, even among non-specialists. Since childhood, we have all seen them in children's stories, and when we reach adulthood, some become so fascinated by this magical culture that they decide to dedicate their profession to it: Egyptologists are professionals dedicated to the study of Egyptian culture, as vast as it is mysterious.
All kinds of speculations revolve around the Egyptian pyramids and the encrypted messages in their hieroglyphs. On this occasion we will focus on studying the Egyptian symbols, their meaning and the mythological history they contain. Egyptian symbols were used during different stages of Egyptian civilization to represent multiple concepts and ideas of their mythology.. Many were related to some Egyptian god and were used to represent the gods in their inscriptions, to decorate the templesas the amulets and as language in his hieroglyphics.
Egyptian symbols in Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was a very religious culture that revolved around myths about the gods, often represented through symbols. These would also be used as a form of language in the hieroglyphics and would represent abstract ideas and concepts. They frequently decorated the tombs of royalty and were employed as amulets in daily life and in ritual ceremonies.
Below we will detail the most representative Egyptian symbols, their meaning and the mythology behind them.
ansed cross or Ankh
The cross is an Egyptian symbol that used in the hieroglyphics and consists of a cross with the upper part in the shape of an oval, loop, handle or loop. In Latin it means “key to eternal life” o "Egyptian cross". It is a symbol widely used in the iconography of this culture -it is also known as Ankh means “life” and symbolizes eternal life.
It is one of the hieroglyphs that appears most frequently in Egyptian art texts in relation to the gods, since the Egyptians believed that they had power and dominion over eternal life. To better understand its symbolism, it is advisable to explore the egyptian religion and its influence on society.
Eye of horus
The eye of horus or Udyat means "the one who is complete" and it is a solar Egyptian symbol that represents order, the undisturbed or the perfect state. It is because of that symbolizes good health and protection.
The symbol comes from the god Horus, who is the god of the sky and is represented in the form of a falcon or a man with a falcon's head. According to Egyptian mythology, Horus's father, Osiris, was killed by his brother Seth. This mythological tale connects Egyptian symbols with the Egyptian sculpture that represents them.
Beetle
The beetle was a sacred animal for the Egyptians because for them it was related to the God khepri, who created himself over and over again.
He was reborn every morning in the same way that the sun appears at every dawn in an uninterrupted cycle of 24 hours. That is why in Ancient Egypt it was believed that this god was the responsible for the sun rising every day. The importance of the beetle reflects the protection symbols in Egyptian culture.
Pilar Dyed
El pillar djed It is one of the oldest and most reproduced symbols of Egyptian mythology, and represents strength and stability. He is linked to the god Ptah -creator god- and to Osiris, god of death.
El pillar djed is a stacked column which seems to be analogous to what a spine would be, which would embody order and stability, but it does not really know what object it represents. The relationship with stability can be observed in the Egyptian art which also reflects this concept.
Tyet
This symbol is also known as the isis knot o Isis blood, goddess to whom he is linked.
It is a symbol of unknown origin that bears a certain geometric similarity to the cross of Ankh and its meaning is also reminiscent of this one, since it is often translated as "lifetime" o "welfare". The reference to life in Egyptian symbols invites us to reflect on the egyptian writing and its role in communicating these ideas.
Ma'at's Feather
La ma'at feather it was an ostrich feather that symbolized justice and truth. Often this concept was embodied in the form of a goddess (the daughter of Ra) who wore the feather on her head.
According to Egyptian mythology, to discern the truth in the face of a conflict, a god would place himself on the left pan of a scale, and on the right would be deposited the ma'at feather, an ostrich feather that contained the bad deeds perpetrated throughout life.
This scale revealed the reality of the situation, becoming irrefutable proof of the truth. It's like the ma'at feather he turned the true symbol of Justice in Egypt. Justice is a recurring theme that we can also see in the symbols of other cultures.
Ka and Ba
Ka and Ba represented the components of the human soul according to Egyptian mythology. For the Egyptians, the human being was made up of tangible and intangible elements that are difficult to correlate with the spiritual elements known today, so we cannot give an exact name to these components.
What we do know is its essential meaning and that is that ka and Ba designate two parts of the human soul: ka it would be the spiritual essence, independent of the body, which is given at birth and must remain inside the body throughout life. Even after the person's death, the Ka remained inside the person's body waiting for the moment to be able to meet the Ba again and thus undertake the journey. journey to the underworld. The symbol of the Ka refers to Heka, an Egyptian deity related to the Magic. This concept of duality in the human being resembles beliefs in other cultures, as explored in Hindu culture.
El Ba is also an abstract concept related to the unique traits of a person, it would be something like their personality, and was considered to remain alive even after death.
The Ba left the person's body after death to travel to the underworld. He could return to the grave to meet the Ka again until, after Osiris's trial, the two could meet again for life in the underworld. It is because of all these journeys that the Ba experienced after death that he was depicted with wings, he would be a bird-shaped body with a human head.
Seba
In ancient Egypt there was a great fascination with astronomy, so the Egyptians had a good knowledge of the stars and constellations. This is how the Seba symbol was born, which was widely used in Egyptian art to represent the stars. Seba was therefore the symbol of the stars, religion, time, the afterlife and the star gods and constellations.
Seba is also a symbol that connects with the ideas of new beginnings, travel, learning, guidance and disciplineIn this context, it can be related to the still life in Egyptian art, which often depicted these themes of transcendence and renewal.
shen-ring
The ring of Shen ("to surround") or shenu consists of a circle with a tangent line that symbolized the loop of a knotted rope and represented eternal protection. This symbol is very present in Egyptian hieroglyphs.
scepter nails
El scepter nails o was It consists of a straight rod crowned at its upper end by a fabulous animal and its lower end is shaped like a fork. It is believed that symbolized power, strength and dominance, and was frequently used by the pharaohs. If you want to know more about the Egyptian Pharaohs, I invite you to explore its history.
Ureus
El Ureus is a representation of the cobra goddess Wadjet used for symbolize the strength and authority of the pharaohs. It was the preferred protective emblem of many pharaohs, who were the only ones who could carry it as a distinctive attribute of royalty.
Crook and Flail
The staff and the flail were originally two representative emblems of the God Osiris which later became the insignia of royalty, symbolizing the strength and authority of the pharaohs. The staff represents the status and the flail the fertility of the earth. The connection between the symbols of royalty and the gods is a recurring theme in the Egyptian sculpture and its representation.
Ajet
El Ajet is a Egyptian hieroglyph representing the sunrise and the horizon.
Ajet It appears represented in hieroglyphics as two hills between which the sun rises and sets, which is why it is described as “mountain of the rising sun” and it is an ideogram of the "horizon", which would mark the transition zone for the gods and the dead.
In ancient Egypt, deceased royals were entombed in pyramids whose antechamber was associated with the Ajet: "The place to become Ah», where the dead king would be transformed and reborn like the sun above the horizon.
Furthermore, Ajet appears in the name of the great pyramid of Giza, Ajet Khufu. And it is also included in the name of the famous pharaoh akhenaten who built the city that bears his name.
In Ancient Egyptian architecture, the pylons with east-west orientation reflect the hieroglyphic sign of Ajet, The horizon.
winged sun disk
The winged sun disk It is a symbol of protection associated with divinity, royalty and power. Although it is an Ancient Egyptian symbol, variants of this symbol have also been found in ancient South American cultures.
Sistrum or sistrum
El system It was a sacred instrument from Ancient Egypt used in dance rituals and ceremonies to venerate the goddesses Hathor, Isis and Bastet.
The U-shape of the sistrum is reminiscent of the face and horns of the goddess cow Hathor.
Isis In her role as mother and creator, she would represent the floods of the Nile River with the sistrum in her hand. That is why in some rituals the sistrum as a way to avoid the flooding of this river.
The goddess Bastet very often it is represented with a sistrum, which symbolizes her role as goddess of dance, joy, and celebration. In this context, the celebration of these ceremonies is related to the protection symbols in Ancient Egypt.
menat
El menat was a egyptian necklace with a characteristic shape and a counterweight to keep it in the correct position. He menat designates the egyptian goddess Hathor and like the sistrum, it was closely related to this goddess.
Egyptian symbols today
Much has remained of the legacy of Egyptian culture today. Although today the Egyptian symbols are not used with the meaning of the past, it has served as a inspiration in the world of art and architecture, using their symbols as decorative elements and in the fashion world for jewelry and beads that complement looks inspired by this culture.
By supuesto They will not be missing in costume parties, and the cinema continues to reproduce its magical culture in movies like " “mummy” (1999) and a long etc., where we will be able to visualize the Egyptian symbols in a very different way after having read this article, now that we know their meaning.
We hope you have found it useful and that you have enjoyed this journey through Ancient Egypt through its symbols.