![]() ![]() Scarab beetle (Scarabaeus sacer), which is also known as the dung beetle, represents the sun, recreation of life/resurrection and transformation. The next on our list is Scarab, one of the most important ancient Egyptian symbols. In time, it was used to represent the west bank of the Nile.Īs this was also where the Egyptians buried their dead, this is believed to be the reason why amenta became the symbol of the Underworld in time. If you would like to know more about it, click below to read our detailed article about ouroboros, the infinity symbol, its history and uses in different cultures throughout history:Īmenta symbol in ancient Egyptian culture represents the Land of the Dead(the Underworld).Īmenta was originally used as the symbol of the horizon where the sun set. The name ouroboros was given to the symbol by Greeks.Īlso known as the infinity symbol, ouroboros is a very commonly used symbol throughout the world including Norse mythology where it is known as Jörmungandr. In the Book of the Dead, “ the snake eating itself/the snake eating its tail” is closely associated with Atum, the first god who came into being from the chaotic waters of Nun (the primordial water from which the whole creation began in the first place) as he was born from these waters in the form of a serpent that renewed itself every morning.Įgyptians passed the ouroboros symbol on to Phoenicians who eventually passed it to the Greek culture. In addition to that, ouroboros represented rebirth, recreation of life and perpetuity. Ouroboros in Egyptian mythology was one of the symbols of sun as it represented the travels of Aten, the sun disk in Egyptian mythology. Read more about Ra the god of sun here.Īlso, you can check out our detailed post about the Eye of Ra symbol by clicking below: Ra/Re is the sun god in Egyptian mythology. That being said, according to different myths, the Eye of Ra symbol was identified as the personification of many goddesses in Egyptian mythology such as Wadjet, Hathor, Mut, Sekhmet and Bastet. The two symbols mostly represented the same concepts. However, most experts believe that the symbol was actually the right eye of Horus and became to known as the Eye of Ra/Re in time. There are different myths regarding the origin of the Eye of Ra symbol. If you’d like to learn more about the Eye of Horus, also known as the Egyptian Eye, read our detailed post by clicking below: The Eye of Providence (the Masonic all-seeing eye) on US dollar bills was derived from the eye of Horus. That is the reason the Eye of Horus is also known as the symbol of sacrifice. Hator (or Toth) healed the eye using magic on some parts of it and Seth offered the eye to his father, Osiris to bring him back to life. The Eye of Horus was also used as a medical tool to measure the ingredients while preparing medicine.Īccording to the myth, Horus and Seth/were fighting to replace Osiris after his death and Seth gouged Horus’ left eye. Ancient Egyptians believed that amulets bearing the Eye of Horus had healing powers. If you would like to learn more about the Egyptian symbol of life, click below to check out our detailed article:Īlso known as Wadjet (Udjat, Uadjet, Uto, Wedjoyet, Edjo and Uto), the Eye of Horus symbol represents protection, healing, good health and royal power. Sometimes ankhs were drawn on temple walls as they were believed to provide divine protection. In addition to being used as the symbol of the purifying and life-giving power of water and clairvoyance (the ability to see “the beyond”), the ankh was believed to be “the key to eternity”, “the key to the underworld”. That is the reason why the ankh is also called the Key of the Nile. It was also used as the symbol of the union between men and women, particularly the union of Osiris and Isis which was believed to flood the river of Nile thus bringing fertility to Egypt. The Crook and the Flail – Hekha and NekhakhaĪs the most commonly used symbol among the ancient Egyptian symbols, the Ankh (which is also known as crux ansata by Coptic Christians) represents life and immortality. ![]()
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