Egyptian symbols

1. Egyptian symbols http://www.eyelid.co.uk/pyr-temp.htm

2. The Eye of Horus The Udjat eye represents the eye of the god Horus which was torn from his head by the storm god Seth. It is a composite of the human eye and the markings of a falcon's eye and was used as an amulet against injury.

3. The 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.The Ankh appears frequently in Egyptian tomb paintings and other art, often at the fingertips of a god or goddess in images that represent the deities of the afterlife conferring the gift of life on the dead person's mummy; this is thought to symbolize the act of conception.

4. Additionally, an ankh was often carried by Egyptians as an amulet, either alone, or in connection with two other hieroglyphs that mean "strength" and "health". Mirrors of beaten metal were also often made in the shape of an ankh, either for decorative reasons or to symbolize a perceived view into another

5. In Egyptian hieroglyphs, a cartouche is a rectangle with a horizontal line at one end, indicating that the text enclosed is a royal name, coming into use during the beginning of the Fourth Dynasty under Pharaoh Sneferu, replacing the earlier serekh. The name cartouche was first applied by soldiers who fancied that the symbol they saw so frequently repeated on the pharaonic ruins they encountered resembled a muzzle-loading firearm's paper powder cartridge, (cartouche in French).

6. 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.

7. Ba The Ba is what we might call someone’s 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

8. Uraeus

9. 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 believed that the cobra would spit fire at any approaching enemies.

10. The Uraeus, used as a symbol of sovereignty, royalty, deity, and divine authority in ancient Egypt. • The Uraeus is a symbol for the goddess Wadjet, one of the earliest of Egyptian deities, who often was depicted as a cobra. The center of her cult was in Per-Wadjet, later called Buto by the Greeks. She became the patroness of the Nile Delta and the protector of all of Lower Egypt, so her image was worn by the pharaohs as a head ornament, first as the body of Wadjet atop the head or as a crown encircling the head, always remaining in effect part of their crown, indicating her protection and as a claim over the land. The pharaoh was recognized only by wearing the uraeus, which conveyed legitimacy to the ruler.

11. 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.

12. 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 human-headed 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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14. 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.

15. 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.

16. Flail and Crook A symbol of royalty, majesty and dominion.

17. 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.

18. 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 ram-headed 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.

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

20. 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.