The ankh (symbol ☥) was the Egyptian hieroglyphic character that read "life". Egyptian hieroglyphs (ˈhaɪərəʊɡlɪf from Greek grc-Grek ἱερογλύφος " sacred carving " also hieroglyphic = grc-Grek Life is a state that distinguishes Organisms from non-living objects such as non-life and dead organisms being manifested by growth through Metabolism Egyptian gods are often portrayed carrying it by its loop, or bearing one in each hand, arms crossed over their chest. Ancient Egyptian religion was Polytheistic and often Zoomorphic. It is also known as the Egyptian Cross, the key of life, the key of the Nile, or as crux ansata, Latin for "cross with a handle". Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other dividing one or two of the lines in half
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Origins
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The precise origin of the symbol remains a mystery to Egyptologists, and no single hypothesis has been widely accepted. Egyptian hieroglyphs (ˈhaɪərəʊɡlɪf from Greek grc-Grek ἱερογλύφος " sacred carving " also hieroglyphic = grc-Grek Egyptology (from Egypt and Greek grc -λογία -logia. علم المصريات مصر شناسی is a major field of Archaeology E. A. Wallis Budge thought it might have originated as the belt-buckle of the mother goddess Isis, an idea joined by Wolfhart Westendorf with the notion that both the ankh and the knot of Isis were used as ties on ceremonial girdles. Sir Ernest Alfred Thompson Wallis Budge ( July 27, 1857 &ndash November 23, 1934) was an English Egyptologist, Isis is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs and is celebrated in their mythology as the ideal mother and wife patron of nature and magic friend of slaves sinners The tyet is an Ancient Egyptian symbol of the Goddess Isis; its exact origin is unknown Sir Alan Gardiner speculated that it represented a sandal strap, with the loop going around the ankle. Sir Alan Henderson Gardiner ( March 29 1879 Eltham - December 19 1963 Oxford) was one of the premier British Sandals are an open type of Footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps or thongs passing over the instep and around the ankle The word for sandal strap was also spelled ʿnḫ, although it may have been pronounced differently.
Still other theories include the notion that the ankh represents the sun crowning over the horizon,[2] the path of the sun from east to west (with the loop representing the Nile), a stylized person, or that it is a combination of the male and female symbols of Osiris (the cross) and Isis (the oval) respectively, and therefore signifies the union of heaven and earth. The Nile (النيل, Ancient Egyptian iteru or Ḥ'pī, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing River [3]
In their 2004 book "The Quick and the Dead", Andrew H. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Gordon and Calvin W. Schwabe speculated that the ankh, djed and was symbols have a biological basis derived from ancient cattle culture (linked to the Egyptian belief that semen was created in the spine), thus:
- the Ankh - symbol of life - thoracic vertebra of a bull (seen in cross section)
- the Djed - symbol of stability - base on sacrum of a bull's spine
- the Was - symbol of power and dominion - a staff featuring the head and tail of the god Set, "great of strength"
Over time, the ankh has come to symbolize life and immortality, the universe, power and life-giving air and water. The Djed symbol is a pillar-like ancient Egyptian symbol representing Stability. Was ("power" scepters represent the Set-animal (mascot of the Egyptian god Sutekh) Physiological aspects Internal and external fertilization Depending on the Species, spermatozoa can fertilize In Human anatomy, the vertebral column ( backbone or spine) is a column of 34 Vertebrae the Sacrum, Intervertebral The thorax is a division of an Animal 's body that lies between the head and the Abdomen. A vertebra (plural vertebrae) is an individual Irregular bone in the spinal or Vertebral column ( aka ischis a flexuous and flexible column In Geometry, a cross section is the intersection of a body in 2-dimensional space with a line or of a body in 3-dimensional space with a plane etc The Djed symbol is a pillar-like ancient Egyptian symbol representing Stability. The sacrum is a large triangular bone at the base of the spine and at the upper and back part of the Pelvic cavity, where it is inserted like a wedge between Was ("power" scepters represent the Set-animal (mascot of the Egyptian god Sutekh) Its keylike shape has also encouraged the belief it could unlock the gates of death, and it is viewed this way by the modern Rosicrucians and other hermetic orders. The term Rosicrucian (symbol the Rose Cross) describes a secret society of mystics allegedly formed in late mediaeval Germany, holding a doctrine "built on Hermeticism is a set of philosophical and religious beliefs based primarily upon the writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, who is put forth as a The Coptic Christians have used it as a symbol of life after death. A Copt ( Coptic: ouRemenkīmi enEkhristianos, literally Egyptian Christian) is a native Egyptian Christian. [4]The design for the pin symbolizing membership in Wolf's Head Society, Yale University, sets a wolf's head on an inverted ankh. [5]
History
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. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. A goddess is a Female Deity. Many Cultures have goddesses Often deities are part of a polytheistic system that includes several deities AfterLife is a film drama set in Scotland directed by Alison Peebles made in 2003 about an ambitious Scottish journalist forced to choose between A mummy is a Corpse whose Skin and Flesh have been preserved by either intentional or Incidental exposure to Chemicals extreme Controversy over the beginning of pregnancy usually occurs in the context of the Abortion debate 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" (see explication of Djed and Was, above). This article is about the contemporary North African ethnic group An amulet ( the Elder|Pliny]] meaning "an object that protects a person from trouble" a close cousin of the talisman (from Arabic The Djed symbol is a pillar-like ancient Egyptian symbol representing Stability. Was ("power" scepters represent the Set-animal (mascot of the Egyptian god Sutekh) 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 world. A mirror is an object with a surface that has good Specular reflection; that is it is smooth enough to form an Image.
The ankh was almost never drawn in silver; as a sun-symbol, the Egyptians almost invariably crafted important examples of it (for tombs or other purposes) from the metal they most associated with the sun, gold. A similar metal such as copper, burnished to a high sheen, was also sometimes used.
In popular culture
The ankh was popularized in modern times as "the cross of life" in the film The Egyptian, where Akhenaten's cult of Atenism is portrayed as a religion containing proto-Christian ideas. The Egyptian is a 1954 Epic film made in Cinemascope by 20th Century Fox, directed by Michael Curtiz and produced Atenism (or the Amarna heresy) is the earliest known if not well-documented Monotheistic religion associated above all with the eighteenth dynasty Since the 1960s it has been a popular symbol within various cultural movements: (Hippie, Goth), cinema (Logan's Run, The Hunger), comic books (Sandman, Doctor Fate), musical groups (Kiss, Elvis Presley, The 69 Eyes,Nile (band), Iced Earth, Earth, Wind and Fire), television shows (Yu-Gi-Oh!) and video games (Tomb Raider, Ultima, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, Ankh). The Hippie Subculture was originally a Youth movement that began in the United States during the early 1960s and spread around the world The goth subculture is a contemporary Subculture found in many countries Logan's Run is a 1976 Science fiction film based on the novel of the same name by William F The Hunger is a 1983 English language Horror film. It is the story of a bizarre Love triangle between a doctor ( Susan Sarandon The Sandman is a Comic book series written by Neil Gaiman and published in the United States by the DC Comics imprint Vertigo Doctor Fate (also known by the Diminutive, Fate) is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear within DC Comics ' universe Kiss (also typeset as KISS) is an American rock band formed in New York City in December 1972 The 69 Eyes are a Finnish rock band They are signed to EMI / Virgin Records Finland Nile is a brutal / Technical death metal band from Greenville, South Carolina that assembled in 1993 Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band from Tampa, Florida that combines influences from Thrash metal, Power metal, Earth Wind & Fire is an African - American Funk band led by Maurice White that achieved worldwide success in the 1970s is a Japanese Manga created by Kazuki Takahashi, which has spawned a franchise including multiple Anime series a trading card game and numerous video Tomb Raider is a Video game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. Vampire The Masquerade – Bloodlines, abbreviated as Bloodlines or VTMB, is a Computer role-playing game for World of Warcraft (commonly acronymed as WoW) is a Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG Ankh is a Point-and-click 3D Adventure game by Deck13 Interactive.
Vinnie Vincent, the former lead guitarist of KISS used to wear a face paint on stage picturing a Ankh symbol. Vincent John Cusano (born August 6, 1952, in Bridgeport Connecticut) better known as Vinnie Vincent, is a guitarist and songwriter most The idea of wearing a Ankh came from the singer/rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley. Stanley Harvey Eisen (born January 20, 1952, Queens New York) known by his stage name Paul Stanley, is an American Hard rock
A stylized or modified ankh is a popular tattoo motif among many celebrities such as professional wrestlers Christopher Daniels and Edge, neo-soul/hip-hop artist Erykah Badu, pop music artist Anastacia and NBA stars such as Shaquille O'Neal and Dennis Rodman. Daniel Christopher Covell (born December 24, 1971) is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name Adam Joseph Copeland (born October 30 1973 in Orangeville Ontario, Canada better known by his Ring name Edge, is a Canadian professional wrestler Erica Abi Wright (born February 26 1971 better known by her Stage name Erykah Badu is a Grammy -nominated American soul Anastacia (born Anastacia Lyn Newkirk on September 17 1968 is a Multi-platinum American singer and songwriter Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (born March 6 1972 frequently referred to simply as " Shaq " is an African American Professional basketball Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13 1961 is a retired American professional Basketball National Basketball Association (NBA player of the Detroit Pistons A variety of consumer product lines have also come to be identified with the symbol; an example is professional skateboarder Mark Rogowski's "Ankh model" of skateboard. Mark "Gator" Rogowski (b 1966 in Brooklyn New York) was a figurehead of professional Skateboarding in the 1980s and very early 1990s [6]
The ankh also retains popularity among Neopagan religious and spiritual movements as a symbol for a variety of concepts relating to life, immortality and the occult. Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is an Umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements particularly those influenced by historical
The anorankh (an ankh wearing an anorak) was a semi-official Discworld fan symbol, made by Clarecraft, after the accidental misuse by one user of fan group alt. This article details minor Discworld concepts: concepts and ideas from the Discworld of novels by Terry Pratchett which only appear in the background or An anorak or parka is a type of heavy Jacket with a hood, often lined with Fur or Fake fur, so as to protect the face from a Discworld is a comedic Fantasy Book series by the British author Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat Clarecraft was a company which produced Fantasy Figurines Its most popular series was an officially licensed series of figurines based on the Discworld pratchett of 'anorak' to refer to an ankh.
Notes
- ^ Collier, Mark and Manley, Bill. How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Revised Edition pg 23. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998.
- ^ Internet Book of Shadows: Egyptian Metaphysics (Michael Poe)
- ^ Christian Resource Center
- ^ "The Origin of Early Christian Book Illumination: The State of the Question". Kozodoy, R. Gesta, Vol. 10, No. 2 (1971), pp. 33-40.
- ^ Phelps Trust Association archives, Sterling Memorial Library, Yale University
- ^ Collection of Skateboards, including the Ankh series
References
- Collier, Mark and Manley, Bill. How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Revised Edition. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998.
- Salaman, Clement and Van Oyen, Dorine and Wharton, William D. and Mahé, Jean-Pierre (translation) (2000). The Way of Hermes: New Translations of The Corpus Heremticum and The Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius. Rochester: Inner Traditions.
- Three Initiates (1912). The Kybalion. The Kybalion Hermetic Philosophy is a 1908 book claiming to be the essence of the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus, published anonymously by a group or person under the pseudonym Chicago: The Yogi Publication Society Masonic Temple.
The Ankh is also considered to have meaning in Ritual magick and in Wiccan/Neopagan traditions, as a symbol of immortality and completion.
External links
Dictionary
ankh
-noun
- A cross shaped like a T with a loop at the top, the Egyptian hieroglyph representing the word "life" and often used as an amulet or charm for this concept. Also known as an ansate cross.
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