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Ancient Egyptian Symbols

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Symbols From Ancient Egypt

Egyptian symbols are known all over the world because of their magickal quality and the mysteries that they hold. Depicted in hieroglyphs, these symbols were called, "the words of God" and were used mainly by priests.

Commonly seen ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic symbols include scarabs, the ankh, the eye of Horus, Bast (the Cat-headed Goddess), the crescent moon, the Feather of Maat, the lotus flower, frogs, and the falcon. These symbols were historically used as amulets of protection and to bring luck. They were also frequently used in both religious and magickal rituals for both the living and the dead.

Sources: AncientSymbols.com, EgyptArtSite.com

A Symbol of Eternal Life

Symbol of Life

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The ankh is the Egyptian hieroglyphic character that means "life".

Only Pharaohs, Kings, Queens and Gods were allowed to carry this potent symbol; for the person holding it had the power to give life or take it away from lesser mortals.

A symbol of the life giving elements of air and water, it was held to someone's lips, as an offering of >i>; the breath you will need in the afterlife.

A combination of two universal symbols, the cross and the circle; the Ankh also evokes images of the sun rising over the crossbar path of the horizon, indication daily rebirth.

The ankh appears frequently in ancient Egyptian writing with two other hieroglyphs meaning "strength" and "health". In later years, it came to be known as the Egyptian Cross and the "key of life", its key-like shape inspired the belief that it could unlock the "gates of death".

The horizontal and vertical bars of the lower tau cross represent the feminine and masculine energy, respectively. This combination of male and female symbols (the cross and circle) in the ankh suggest fertility and creative power.

Bast (Cat Goddess)

A Symbol of Love, Happiness, Fertility and Protector of The Home

Bast, the daughter of Ra, the sun god, was known as the Cat Headed Goddess.

She was associated with both fertility and childbirth. She was also the goddess of music, dancing and joy. Bast as a cat, was connected with the moon and was the possessor of the Oudjat, the eye of her twin brother Horus.

According to one myth, she was the personification of the soul of Isis. She was also called the "Lady of the East"; as such, her counterpart, the "Lady of the West" was Sekhmet.

Figures of cats were offered to the goddess Bast to receive her blessings of music, dance and love.

Ankh Cross Pendant

Sterling Silver 2 1/2" Polished Ankh Cross Pendant

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The Egyption Cat Goddess

Ancient Egyptian Cat God Bastet Statue Bast Diety

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Bastet was the goddess of fire, cats, of the home and pregnant women. According to one myth, she was the personification of the soul of Isis. She was also called the "Lady of the East". This Egyptian Bastet cat statue makes a great conversation piece. Measuring 12 inches tall, 3 inches wide, and 6 inches deep, it's essential for any Egyptian decor. It has hand-painted red, blue and gold accents to compliment its metallic bronze enamel finish. The statue is made of cold cast resin.

The Crescent Moon

Symbol of Fertility, Motherhood

Crescent- Among the most powerful of all lucky symbols, the crescent is especially lucky for young children and their mothers.

In ancient Egypt, the crescent moon was the symbol of Isis, the Mother of the Gods. As the Queen of Egypt, Isis was the protector of motherhood, women, and healer of the sick. She also rules magic.

The Menat- This symbol represents a heavy beaded necklace with a crescent shaped front and a counter piece at the rear. It was a symbol associated with the goddess, Hathor and her son, Ihy. In fact, Hathor was known as the "Great Menat". Hathor used the Menat as a conduit, through which she passes her power. It was representative of joy, life, potency, fertility, birth, and rebirth.

Crescent Moon Amulet

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This solid sterling silver Crescent Moon Pentacle pendant is a magnificent sterling silver pentacle with crescent moons at each point. . It makes a great gift for anyone into nature religions.

The Eye of Horus

A Symbol of Protection, Wisdom and Health

The Eye of Horus

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Designed to resemble the eye of a falcon, this symbol is also called the Eye of Ra. Horus, also known as the sun god Ra, was a falcon-headed sky god from ancient Egypt. He is associated with vitality, health and regeneration.

Horus was the son of Osiris and Isis. His right eye was white, and represented the sun, and his left eye was black, and represented the moon.

According to Egyptian myth, Seth, Horus's brother, killed Osiris. Horus fought Seth to avenge this death and lost his left eye in the fight. Thoth, the God of magic and the moon, used his powers to restore Horus's eye. Upon presenting his eye to Osiris, Osiris experienced rebirth.

The Eye of Horus, also called "Oudjat", symbolizes protection against evil and the bringing of wisdom.

Today's familiar sign for prescription, Rx, is derived from this symbol. In the second century, Galen used mystic symbols to impress his patients, and borrowed one from the Egyptian lore. As a result of the story in which Seth tore Horus' eye into fragments, the eye had come to represent wholeness, and was used in hieroglyphic writing to represent wholesomeness and unity. It then gradually evolved into today's Rx sign for prescriptions.

Eye of Horus Lucky Charm

Magical Eye of Horus for Health, Strength and Vigor Talisman Charm Amulet

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This Word Stone Necklace comes with Engraved MAGIC EYE of HORUS Symbol. This Necklace brings Good Luck and Protection along with Power to its immediate owner.

The Falcon

Horus

Egyptians associated the Falcon with the solar god Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis.

Horus himself was believed to appear in the form of the Pharaoh's falcon or as a "falcon-headed god". He could see everything at once because one of his eyes was the sun and the other was the moon. As the embodiment of Horus, the falcon wears a double crown.

The falcon was also sacred to Montu, god of war, and Sokar, god of the Memphite necropolis.

Egyptian Falcon

Horus

Egyptian Horus Falcon Statue Ancient Egypt - New Gift

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The Feather of Maat

A Symbol of Truth, Justice, Morality and Balance

The ostrich feather was an attribute of the goddess Maat.

The hearts of the deceased were weighed against Maat's feather at the Final Judgment. If the heart of a "truth speaker" was equal to the feather ("light-hearted") they would be allowed to enter the Kingdom of Osiris. If the heart was heavy with sin and weighed more than the feather of Maat, the deceased was devoured by the monster Ammut.

It was pharaoh's responsibility to establish and maintain Maat, that is he kept the cosmic forces in balance. When a pharaoh died, Maat was temporarily lost and the world was flung into chaos, only the appointment of a new pharaoh could restore Maat.

Image: SymbolDictionary.net

Frogs

Symbols of Fertility and Regeneration

To the Egyptians, the frog was a symbol of life and fertility, since thousands of them were born after the yearly flooding of the Nile.

Hekt, the Frog goddess, considered a child of Ra, could take the form of a frog. She was said to protect new-born babies, hence Frogs are symbols of fertility and birth. Midwives often called themselves the Servants of Hekt, and claimed that they were her priestesses.

Women often wore Frog amulets during childbirth, depicting Hekt as a frog, sitting on a lotus flower.

Frogs were carried as talismans and were often placed within the wrappings of mummies as magical amulets to ensure rebirth for the deceased.

Good Luck Frog

Three Legged Toad Money Frog Chan Chu Symbol of Prosperity in Feng Shui

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The Frog Is Symbol Of Joy And Luck. For Many Centuries, Frog Has Been A Symbol Of Abundance, Partly Due To The Very Large Number Of Eggs It Lays At One Time. Frog Totems Can Also Provide Very Powerful Protection For Children And Have Been Known To Give Good Dreams.

Scarabs

A Symbol of Creation, Strength and Transformation

The Scarab personified the god, Khepri, a sun god associated with resurrection. As such, the large winged scarab and the heart scarab were considered good luck beetles and placed on mummies for protection against evil.

These amulets were often inscribed with a spell from the Book of the Dead, which entreated the heart to, "not stand as a witness against me."

Scarab beetles lay their eggs in dung, which they roll into a ball and roll into a hole. The Egyptians equated this with the movement of the sun and its daily resurrection.

Ancient Egyptians believed that a winged scarab flew across the sky each morning carrying the sun. The scarab was a symbol of the rising sun and as a protector from evil; it is also a symbol of rebirth, regeneration, creation, transformation and was commonly worn to gain strength.

In one version of the creation myth of ancient Egypt, a lotus flower rose out of the primeval waters of Nun, the infinite ocean of chaos. The petals parted to reveal a scarab beetle. The scarab then transformed itself into a boy, who wept. His tears then became humankind.

Scarab Bracelet

7 Sterling Silver Scarab Bracelet W 10mm X 8mm Stones - Jade, Black Onyx and Tiger's Eye

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This Extraordinary Sterling Silver scarab link bracelet features an array of 9 oval-shaped Scarab carved Multi-Colored Stones.

Sesen (The Lotus)

A Symbol of The Sun, Creation, Purity and Rebirth

A Lotus Flower. the radiant yellow center of the Egyptian blue lotus (nymphaea cerulae) resembles the Sun emanating from the primeval waters as told in the myth of creation. At night the flower closes and sinks underwater, at dawn it rises and opens again.

According to Egyptian creation myth, it was a giant lotus which first rose out of the watery chaos at the beginning of time. From this giant lotus the sun itself rose on the first day.

The Egyptian lotus is mildly narcotic and both the blue and white varieties were used in medicinal preparations. In mathematics, the lotus hieroglyph symbolized the number one-thousand. It is also symbolic of Upper Egypt and represents the resurrection of Isis.

Image: SymbolDictionary.net

Copper Lotus Flower Rain Catcher

Copper Rain Chain Lotus Lily Flower

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This high quality copper rain chain is handcrafted with pure copper. The entire chain is about 8-ft long when installed and has 18 flowers (each with 8 pedals). Each unit comes with an attachment piece and is very easy to be installed into your existing gutter system. Each flower is 2 1/8" tall and measures 2 1/2" in top diameter. The bottom hole is about 7/8" in diameter. Length of the chain can be easily adjusted by adding or removing flowers

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Your Thoughts About Egyptian Symbols

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MelonyVaughan Feb 6, 2012 @ 7:47 pm | delete

What a wonderful and educational lens. Very enjoyable!

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smsr0100451 Feb 4, 2012 @ 4:19 am | delete

Nice lens. I love history too.

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jimmyworldstar Jan 27, 2012 @ 11:52 pm | delete

Interesting, I wouldn't expect frogs to symbolize fertility. Then again tadpoles are cute creatures and a lot sure do come out of frogs! The feather one is interesting, it seems to be a recurring theme with death and the weighing of sins against another object.

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annonamis Jan 23, 2012 @ 9:27 am | delete

very intresting

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Vallygems1 Jan 13, 2012 @ 3:58 am | delete

Great Lens

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WriterJanis Dec 13, 2011 @ 3:57 am | delete

One of my life's goals is to visit Egypt one day.

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aquarian_insight Oct 31, 2011 @ 4:18 pm | delete

I love the ancient Egyptians and I was lucky enough to visit Cairo years ago. It was like a dream come true. Cool lens.

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Close2Art Oct 26, 2011 @ 10:27 pm | delete

I have a reproduction of a relic Eye of Horus, much like the print available above but it's in stone..I really liked this lens, very cool...:)rob