Symbols and Definitions

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Akhet
This symbol represents the horizon from which the sun emerged and
disappeared. The horizon thus embodied the idea of both sunrise and
sunset. It is similar to the two peaks of the Djew or mountain symbol with
solar disk in the center. Both the beginning and the end of each day was
guarded by Aker, a double lion god. In the New Kingdom, Harmakhet
("Horus in the Horizon") became the god of the rising and setting sun. He
was pictured as a falcon, or as a sphinx with the body of a lion. The Great
Sphinx of Giza is an example of "Horus in the Horizon".
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Amenta
This symbol represents the Underworld or Land of the Dead. Originally it
meant the horizon of the sun set. Later, it became the symbol of the west
bank of the Nile, where the sun set and also where the Egyptians
traditionally buried their dead.

Ankh
Symbol of eternal life. The gods are often seen holding an ankh to
someone's lips this is considered to be an offering of "The Breath of Life".
The breath you will need in the afterlife.

Atef
The atef crown was worn by Osiris. It is made up of the white crown of
Upper Egypt and the red feathers are representative of Busiris, Osiris's
cult center in the Delta.

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Ba
The Ba is what we might call someones personality. It would leave the
body at the time of death. During the days the Ba would make itself useful,
at night it would return to the tomb. At this time, it would look for the person
to which it belonged. This would be the mummy, however, often the
egyptians would supply the Ba with a statue in the likeness of the
deceased in case the mummy was lost or damaged.

Canopic Jars
During mummification the internal organs were
removed and placed in four containers. These
containers often have human or animal-headed
stoppers. The word, canopic, comes from the
Greek name of the local god of Canopus in the
Nile delta, who was represented as a humanheaded pot. Canopic jars can be made of
limestone, alabaster, wood, pottery, or even
cartonnage. The heads of the canopic jar
represented the Four Sons of Horus
. . . . .From left to right they are;
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Imsety: The human headed guardian of the liver

Qebekh-sennuef: The falcon

headed guardian of the intestines.

Hapy: The baboon headed guardian of the lungs

Duamutef: The jackal or wild dog

headed guardian of the stomach.

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Deshret
The Red Crown. This was the crown that represented Lower Egypt (northern).

Djed
It is believed that the Djed is a rendering of a human backbone. It represents
stability and strength. It was originally associated with the creation god Ptah.
Himself being called the "Noble Djed". As the Osiris cults took hold it became
known as the backbone of Osiris . A djed column is often painted on the bottom
of coffins, where the backbone of the deceased would lay, this identified the
person with the king of the underworld, Osiris. It also acts as a sign of stability
for the deceased' journey into the afterlife.

Djew
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Which means mountain, the symbol suggests two peaks with the Nile
valley in the middle. The Egyptians believed that there was a cosmic
mountain range that held up the heavens. This mountain range had two
peaks, the western peak was called Manu, while the eastern peak was
called Bakhu. It was on these peaks that heaven rested. Each peak of this
mountain chain was guarded by a lion deity, who's job it was to protect the
sun as it rose and set. The mountain was also a symbol of the tomb and
the afterlife, probably because most Egyptian tombs were located in the
mountainous land bordering the Nile valley. In some texts we find Anubis,
the gaurdian of the tomb being referred to as "He who is upon his
mountain." Sometimes we find Hathor takeing on the attributes of a deity
of the afterlife, at this time she is called "Mistress of the Necropolis." She
is rendered as the head of a cow protruding from a mountainside.

Feather of Maat
Represents truth, justice, morality and balance. It was pharaoh's job to
uphold Maat. When a pharaoh died, Maat was lost and the world was flung
into chaos, only the coronation of a new pharaoh could restore Maat.

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Fetish of Osiris
An animal skin hanging from a stick, this is a symbol of Osiris and Anubis.

Flail and Crook

A symbol of royalty, majesty and dominion.

Heb
The heb glyph represents an alabaster bowl. These bowls were
used for special purposes like festivals or feasts.

Heb-Sed
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The Heb-Sed glyph Is a combination of the heb glyph and the

sed glyph. It represents the Heb-Sed or Jubilee festival. This
festival was celebrated on the 30th year of a pharoah's rule. It
was believed to renew the pharaohs strength of rule over the two lands.

Hedjet
The White Crown. This was the crown of Upper Egypt (southern).

Ieb
This symbol represents a heart. The Egyptian believed the heart was
the center of all consciousness, even the center of life itself. When
someone died it was said that their "heart has departed." It was the only
organ that was not removed from the body during mummification. In the
Book of the dead, it was the heart that was weighed against the feather of
Maat to see if an individual was worthy of joining Osiris in the afterlife.

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Imenet
These symbols represent the west or western desert AKA the land of the
dead. The horizon on which Ra dies at night and enters the underworld.

Ka
The ka is usually translated as "soul" or "spirit" The ka came into
existence when an individual was born. It was believed that the ramheaded god Khnum crafted the ka on his potter's wheel at a persons birth.
It was thought that when someone died they "met their ka". A persons ka
would live on after their body had died. Some tombs included model
houses as the ka needed a place to live. Offerings of food and drink would
be left at the tomb entrance so the ka could eat and drink.

Khepresh
The blue crown was a ceremonial crown often worn in battle.
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Khet
This symbol represents a lamp or brazier on a stand from which a flame
emerges. Fire was embodied in the sun and in its symbol the uraeus
which spit fire. Fire also plays a part in the Egyptian concept of the
underworld. There is one terrifying aspect of the underworld which is
similar to the christians concept of hell. Most egyptians would like to avoid
this place with its fiery lakes and rivers that are inhabited by fire demons.

Maat
Represents truth, justice, morality and balance. Deities are often seen standing
on this symbol, as if standing on a foundation of Maat.

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". We often see Hathor using the Menat as a conduit through which
she passes her power. It was representative of the ideas of joy, life,
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potency, fertility, birth, and rebirth. It was not uncommon in the New
Kingdom, to see the king offering the Menat to Hathor. This probably
meant to represent the king symbolically with the goddess' son, Ihy. This
idea of divine assimilation was common, although the best examples are
of the king representing the falcon god, Horus.

Menhed
A scribes pallet. Writing was a very important skill to the ancient
Egyptians. It was practiced by a group called scribes. The writing
equipment used by scribes consisted of a palette, which held black and
red pigments, a water jar, and a pen. To be a scribe was a favorable
position, even some kings and nobles are show proudly displaying scribe
palettes.

Naos
Shrine in which divine statues were kept, especially in temple sanctuaries.
A small wooden naos was normally placed inside a monolithic one in hard
stone; the latter are typical of the Late Period, and sometimes elaborately
decorated. Also used as a term for temple sanctuary.
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decorated. Also used as a term for temple sanctuary.

Nebu
This symbol represents gold which was considered a divine metal, it was
thought to be the flesh of the gods. Its polished surface was related to the
brilliance of the sun. Gold was important to the afterlife as it represents
aspects of immortality. By the New Kingdom, the royal burial chamber was
called the "House of Gold."

Nebty
The two ladies of upper and lower Egypt. Nekhbet the vulture
goddess, protrectress of Upper Egypt and Wadjet the cobra
goddess associated with lower Egypt and the Nile delta. There is
a beautiful rendering of these two ladies in the White Chapel of Senwosret I.

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Nekhbet
A goddess portrayed as a vulture. Protrectress of Upper Egypt.

Nemes
A striped headcloth worn by Pharaohs.

Neter
The Gods or having to do with the gods.

Palm Branch
The Egyptians would put a notch in a palm branch to mark the passing of a
year in the life of a pharaoh. It symbolized the measure of time.

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Pet
This symbol depicts the sky as a ceiling which drops at the ends, the same way
the real sky seems to reach for the horizon. This sign was often used in
architectural motifs; the top of walls, and door frames. It symbolizes the heavens.

Primordial mound
The Egyptians believed that during creation this hill rose out of the sea of chaos
to create dry land. The idea of this hill rising had a profound effect on the
egyptians, being used as every thing from temple layouts to the possible
inspiration behind the pyramids. A.K.A benben stone

Pshent
The Double Crown, the red crown and the white crown put together to
represent a unified Egypt. Although Egypt was not always a unified nation
it was stronger that way.Therefore unification was desirable. Narmer
(Menes), the founder of the First Dynasty around 3100 B.C., was the first
man recorded wearing this crown.
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Ra
The sun was the primary element of life in ancient Egypt, we find this
importance reflected in the art and religion. Some of the most popular
gods had a solar connection. The sun was first worshipped as Horus,
then as Ra and later as Amun-Ra There are many other representations of
the sun, including Khepri, the great scarab who symbolizes morning and
the ram-headed god Khnum representing evening. During the reign of
Akhenaten, the sun was worshipped as the Aten. A form of the sun disk
with its rays depicted as arms holding ankh signs. Another common form
that the sun takes is that of Horus Behudety, the winged sun disk flanked
by uraeus.

Sa
This symbol means protection. Its origins are uncertain, but it is
speculated that it represents either a rolled up herdsman's shelter or a
papyrus life-preserver used by ancient egyptian boaters. Either way it is
clearly a symbol of protection. From early times the sa plays an important
part in jewelry design. It is often used in conjunction with symbols,
particularly the ankh, was and djed signs. We often find Taurt, the
hippopotamus goddess of childbirth, resting her paw on a standing sa
sign.
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Scarab
Called the dung beetle because of its practice of rolling a ball of dung
across the ground. The Egyptians observed this behavior and equated it
with the ball of the sun being rolled across the sky. They confused this
balled food source with the egg sack that the female dung beetle laid and
buried in the sand. When the eggs hatched the dung beetles would seem
to appear from nowhere, making it a symbol of spontaneous creation. In
this role it was associated with the sunrise. Khepri was the scarab headed
god.

Sed
This is a representation of the pavilion used in the Heb-Sed
ceremonies.

Sekhem
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This is a symbol of authority.

Sema
This is a rendering of the lungs attached to the windpipe. As a hieroglyph
this symbol represents the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. Other
symbols are often added to further illustrate unification. There are many fine
examples of this symbol throughout Egypt.

In these renderings we see the Sema bound with two plants,

the papyrus and the lotus. The papyrus represents Lower
Egypt and the lotus represents Upper Egypt.

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In other representations we find two gods binding the Sema

together using lotus and papyrus which represents the binding
together of upper and lower Egypt.

Sesen
A Lotus Flower. This is a symbol of the sun, of creation and rebirth.
Because at night the flower closes and sinks underwater, at dawn it rises
and opens again. According to one 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. A symbol of Upper Egypt

She
A pool of water. The Egyptians portrayed bodies of water by means of
equally spaced vertical wave lines. When these lines are inclosed by a
rectangle it denotes a lake or pool. The Egyptians believed water was the
primeval matter from which aII creation began. Life in Egypt's desert
climate depended on water, and a pool of water would be a great luxury.
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There are many tomb paintings that show the deceased drinking from a
pool in the afterlife.

Shen
A loop of rope that has no beginning and no end, it symbolized eternity.
The sun disk is often depicted in the center of it. The shen also seems to
be a symbol of protection. It is often seen being clutched by deities in bird
form, Horus the falcon, Mut the vulture. Hovering over Pharaohs head with
their wings outstretched in a gesture of protection. The word shen comes
from the word "shenu" which means "encircle," and in its elongated form
became the cartouche which surrounded the king's name.

Shenu
More commonly know as a cartouche. The shape represents a loop of
rope in which a name is written. A protector of that name. See also shen.

Sistrum
The sistrum was a sacred percussion instrument used in the cult of Hathor.
The sistrum consisted of a wooden or metal frame fitted with loose strips
of metal and disks which jingled when moved. This noise was thought to
attract the attention of the gods. There are two types of sistrum, an iba,
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attract the attention of the gods. There are two types of sistrum, an iba,
was shaped in a simple loop, like a closed horse-shoe with loose cross
bars of metal above a Hathor head and a long handle. The seseshet had
the shape of a naos temple above a Hathor head, with ornamental loops
on the sides. The rattle was inside the box of the naos. They were usually
carried by women of high rank.

Rekhyt
This bird is called the Lapwing, it is identified by its head crest, Its wings
are pined back preventing it from flying. This symbol signifies a group of
people. It is often seen below the feet of a ruler to signify that the people
are subjects of that ruler.
In the New Kingdom, the symbol develops human arms which are held
in the act of giving praise. In this form it can be interpreted to mean "a group of
people giving praise."

Tiet
The exact origin of this symbol is unknown. In many respects it resembles
an ankh except that its arms curve down. Its meaning is also reminiscent
of the ankh, it is often translated to mean welfare or life. As early as the
Third Dynasty we find the tiet being used as decoration when it appears
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with both the ankh and the djed column, and later with the was scepter.
The tiet is associated with Isis and is often called "the knot of Isis" or "the
blood of Isis." It seems to be called "the knot of Isis" because it resembles
a knot used to secure the garments that the gods wore. The meaning of
"the blood of Isis" is more obscured but it was often used as a funerary
amulet made of a red stone or glass. In the Late Period the sign was
associated with the goddesses Nephthys, Hathor, and Nut as well as with
Isis. In all these cases it seems to represent the ideas of resurrection and
eternal life.

Udjat
The sound eye of Horus. Symbolizes healing and protection.

Uraeus
The cobra is an emblem of Lower Egypt. It is associated with the king, and
kingdom of Lower Egypt. It is also associated with the sun and with many
deities. The cobra represented the "fiery eye of Re", in which two uraei
can be seen on either side of a winged solar disk. Starting in Middle
Kingdom The uraeus appears as a symbol worn on the crown or
headdress of royalty. It is used as a protective symbol, the Egyptians
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believed that the cobra would spit fire at any approaching enemies.

Ushabtis
Literally translated it means "to answer." It is a small mummiform figure
placed in tombs to do work in the afterlife on behalf of the deceased. In
some tombs of the late New Kingdom whole gangs of ushabti workers
were included with different tools for doing different work. A complete
collection would consist of 401 Ushabti: one for each day of the year, 365
plus 36 foreman.

Was
This is a symbol of power and dominion. The Was scepter is carried by
deities as a sign of their power. It is also seen being carried by kings and
later by people of lesser stature in mortuary scenes

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Winged Solar Disk

This is a form that the god Horus Behudety (Horus of Edfu) takes in his
battles with Seth. The god Thoth used his magic to turn Horus into a sundisk with splendid outstretched wings. The goddesses Nekhbet and Uazet
in the form of uraeus snakes joined him at his side.

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