The Egyptian necklace or menit was ceremonial and was linked to the goddess Hathor who was the wife of Horus. The necklace is pictured being either carried or worn by priestesses and queens who would be officiating as priestesses. It was very rare but sometimes men would wear it also but that was only those associated with the Hathor cult.
The necklace was simply a loop with many beads that were connected by a piece of metal that looked like a keyhole. The beads would hang at the front and the metal counterweight would hang from the back.
The symbology behind the necklace was that it was a vessel that Hathor used in her role to help the rebirth of the dead into the afterlife. So the necklace had incredible power and it is often depicted being offered to the king by the goddess in tomb paintings and hieroglyphics. Queens would do the same thing and offer their necklace to their king as a sign of an offering of power and support.
The Egyptian necklace is a symbol of empowerment of women because it represents the importance of the goddess Hathor owning this necklace as it was the source of her power to assist people into the afterlife. Without her involvement the process of the afterlife would not happen. Only women would wear this important symbol therefore without a woman’s presence there would be no afterlife.
This is a great symbol for a female Egyptian tattoo and I highly recommend that if you are considering this as a tattoo design to have a look at this Egyptian tattoo download option.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Egyptian Cross
The Egyptian cross or ankh (crux ansata) is one of the most common and well known Egyptian symbols and hieroglyphics. The cross is just that except it has a loop on the top and there are so many theories and meanings behind it so I will attempt to go over a few for you now.
The ankh is seen in many pictures and wall paintings and it is generally held by the god Anubis and in many burial images. The reason being for this is because it was believed that the ankh was a vessel that was used to move the breath of life onto whomever was supposed to pass onto the afterlife, without the ankh you could not take that step.
The ankh is also shown to be carried by the Pharaohs and would be placed in both hands and crossed over the chest. It was a sign of power and protection.
A interesting theory is that the loop represented the mouth of the river Nile and the cross represented the river stretching down through the country, the left and right arms of the cross representing the union of the country and the Nile being the life bringer.
Another theory is that the loop represented the female womb and the cross the male sexual organ and the ankh was a sign of life because it represented the act of creating life.
Either way you look at it the Egyptian cross has an incredible history and symbolism of life and power.
The ankh is seen in many pictures and wall paintings and it is generally held by the god Anubis and in many burial images. The reason being for this is because it was believed that the ankh was a vessel that was used to move the breath of life onto whomever was supposed to pass onto the afterlife, without the ankh you could not take that step.
The ankh is also shown to be carried by the Pharaohs and would be placed in both hands and crossed over the chest. It was a sign of power and protection.
A interesting theory is that the loop represented the mouth of the river Nile and the cross represented the river stretching down through the country, the left and right arms of the cross representing the union of the country and the Nile being the life bringer.
Another theory is that the loop represented the female womb and the cross the male sexual organ and the ankh was a sign of life because it represented the act of creating life.
Either way you look at it the Egyptian cross has an incredible history and symbolism of life and power.
Egyptian Tattoos and meanings
If you want to be wearing an Egyptian tattoo then it is probably a good idea to understand the meanings behind common symbols and designs of ancient Egypt. If you are after creating a unique design then you definitely need to know what each part of your design means.
Let’s start with a very common tattoo which is Anubis, the god with a head of a Jackal. There are so many of these tattoos being worn so let’s find out what the meaning behind Anubis is. He was the god of the underworld and his job was actually to weight the heart of the dead to determine whether they would go to the after life or not. His job was one of the most important seeing that the Egyptians believed in the afterlife to be the greatest gift of all. So an Anubis tattoo does not simply mean the underworld but great responsibility also.
Another common Egyptian tattoo being worn is that of the “Eye of Horus”. It is also know as the Egyptian eye and has some strong meaning behind it. The story is that Horus had his eye destroyed in battle and it was shattered into 6 pieces, it was then rebuilt and put back together and became stronger with magical powers. The symbology behind this is that through regrowth you can make something stronger. The United States 1 dollar bill has the eye on the top of the pyramid which symbolises the development and strength of a country.
The sun was a god to the Egyptians and its rays provided protection and growth for the economy. The symbolism behind the sun in an Egyptian picture is that of protection for whatever is beneath the rays. This can be seen on certain celebrities where they have the sun tattooed on themselves with the rays shining onto over their loved ones name or something they hold special.
If you want any more information on Egyptian Symbols then follow the link to my website.
Let’s start with a very common tattoo which is Anubis, the god with a head of a Jackal. There are so many of these tattoos being worn so let’s find out what the meaning behind Anubis is. He was the god of the underworld and his job was actually to weight the heart of the dead to determine whether they would go to the after life or not. His job was one of the most important seeing that the Egyptians believed in the afterlife to be the greatest gift of all. So an Anubis tattoo does not simply mean the underworld but great responsibility also.
Another common Egyptian tattoo being worn is that of the “Eye of Horus”. It is also know as the Egyptian eye and has some strong meaning behind it. The story is that Horus had his eye destroyed in battle and it was shattered into 6 pieces, it was then rebuilt and put back together and became stronger with magical powers. The symbology behind this is that through regrowth you can make something stronger. The United States 1 dollar bill has the eye on the top of the pyramid which symbolises the development and strength of a country.
The sun was a god to the Egyptians and its rays provided protection and growth for the economy. The symbolism behind the sun in an Egyptian picture is that of protection for whatever is beneath the rays. This can be seen on certain celebrities where they have the sun tattooed on themselves with the rays shining onto over their loved ones name or something they hold special.
If you want any more information on Egyptian Symbols then follow the link to my website.
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