In the Egyptian culture, the gods had great importance for the inhabitants of these ancient areas that today have been widely studied to understand their lifestyle and advanced knowledge. Most of the cults that the Egyptians did to their deities included symbols whose meanings we will know below. Discover 10 ancient Egyptian symbols and join us on this tour to understand the importance of these figures that, in most cases, were amulets of Ancient Egypt that protected them from all kinds of evils.
10 Ancient Egyptian symbols | What did they mean to them?
1. Eye of Horus
This is one of the most important ancient Egyptian symbols, since it is considered a
protective and healing figure . As the name implies, the Eye of Horus It makes reference to the homonymous deity, son of Osiris, who during a battle lost that visual organ. Today this symbol is made in all kinds of accessories, such as bracelets or necklaces, as it is believed to have magical powers.
2. Sema-tauy
The word that perfectly defines this Egyptian figure of great value to its inhabitants is "union". The Sema-tauy or Sema-taui is part of the ancient Egyptian symbols to be the image that represented the
Union between Upper and Lower Egypt in antiquity. Currently it has been found on the walls of different temples.
3. Beetle
This insect, which in many people generates
fear , It's one of the good luck symbols most known in Egypt. The reason for the above is found in the
figure of the god Jepri , which represented the Sun and was known to have a beetle head. According to Egyptian mythology, Khepri (as it is also called) was born every day, every dawn, being interpreted as a deity that every day had the opportunity to give their best and had the "luck" to enjoy each day like the first.
4. Scepter uas
The scepters were objects highly used by Egyptians who belonged to the elite, especially the pharaohs used to carry them in their day to day in representation of the power they had. In this case, the next one of the ancient Egyptian symbols that we hope you know is the uas scepter, in whose upper end the head of an animal is located. Some gods, like Osiris, used to carry this object in their hands and, since then, it has become a
figure of strength in Egyptian culture .
5. Snake
Just as the beetle was one of the ancient Egyptian symbols of great relevance,
the snake is another of the living beings of value for this culture . In this case, the snakes were venerated by the Egyptians, especially if we speak of cobras, which symbolized protection, which is why it is common to observe them in
nemes they had on their heads the Egyptian pharaohs and others important characters of Egypt .
6. Tirso
Similar to a scepter like the one we shared with you,
the tirso is a symbol that represents the axis of the world and that, moreover, is related to force. Visually we observe a pine cone at its upper end and links can be found along its structure. Some authors claim that this object was used to perform spells, taking into account the importance of magic in Ancient Egypt .
7. Anj
Perhaps one of the best known ancient Egyptian symbols,
the anj is a hieroglyph whose meaning is summarized in the word "life" . His resemblance to a cross has led him to be called "Egyptian cross". This figure began to be used by the gods when referring to life and death or to the immortality . Today it is found in multiple images of deities in Egyptian temples.
8. Pilar Dyed
Also known simply as
Dyed, this pillar represents stability . Curiously, the pillar is usually accompanied by other ancient Egyptian symbols that we have studied, such as the Anj and the scepter uas. Although the meaning of their colors is unknown, it is known that the original image was made with branches.
9. Maat feather
Taking into account that Maat is considered the goddess of justice in Egyptian mythology, this deity is usually visually represented with a
ostrich plume in his head, whose figure has become one of the most important ancient Egyptian symbols. In Egyptian culture, the feathers of this bird they were of great monetary value, for what was considered an object that only the elite could acquire for the elaboration of fans, headdresses, accessories in the Ancient Egyptian clothing and so on, quickly, Maat's pen became a figure of exclusivity that, thanks to the goddess, was related to justice.
10. Sistro
The sistrum is the last of the ancient Egyptian symbols that we will present to you, its importance lies in being one of the musical instruments that used to accompany the inhabitants in the ancient egyptian dance . Its sound was emitted from the movement that was generated by turning it quickly. If you are wondering why a percussion instrument is part of our list, the answer lies in the fact that
Egyptians considered this object as sacred . During the Hathor cults, the Egyptian goddess of love ; and Bastet, the Egyptian cat goddess , this instrument was used.
Let us know which one or which were the ancient Egyptian symbols that you liked the most and, of course, accompany your comment with the reason why you choose that or those figures. Definitely, the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt had a lot of images that they considered sacred and that nowadays they are part of their culture and mythology due to the importance they enjoyed at the time.