Ankh in the context of Ancient Egyptian conception of the soul


Ankh in the context of Ancient Egyptian conception of the soul

⭐ Core Definition: Ankh

The ankh or key of life is an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol used to represent the word for "life" and, by extension, as a symbol of life itself.

The ankh has a T-shape topped by a droplet-shaped loop. It was used in writing as a triliteral sign, representing a sequence of three consonants, Ꜥ-n-ḫ. This sequence was found in several Egyptian words, including the terms for "mirror", "floral bouquet", and "life". The symbol often appeared in Egyptian art as a physical object representing either life or related life-giving substances such as air or water. Commonly depicted in the hands of ancient Egyptian deities, sometimes being given by them to the pharaoh, it represents their power to sustain life and to revive human souls in the afterlife.

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Ankh in the context of Cross

The cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is also termed a saltire in heraldic terminology. Throughout centuries the cross in its various shapes and forms was a symbol of various beliefs.

The cross has been widely taken as an official symbol of the Christian faith exclusively from an early period in that religion's history to present. In pre-Christian times, it was used as a religious or cultural symbol throughout Europe, in west and south Asia (the latter, in the form of the original swastika); and in Ancient Egypt, where the Ankh was a hieroglyph that represented "life" and was used in the worship of the god Aten. It often appeared in conjunction with the female-genital circle or oval to signify the sacred marriage, as in the Egyptian amulet Nefer, which features the male cross and female orb, considered an amulet of blessedness and a charm of sexual harmony.

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Ankh in the context of Serket

Serket /ˈsɜːrˌkɛt/ (Ancient Egyptian: srqt) is the goddess of protection against the venomous stings and bites of scorpions in Egyptian mythology. She was primarily worshiped in Lower Egypt during the Predynastic Period (c. 6000 – c. 3150 BCE). Serket is often depicted as a woman whose head is surmounted by a scorpion with its tail is ready to sting, an ankh in one hand, and a was-sceptre in her other. Her name, also rendered as Serqet, Selkis, or Selket, is a shortened version of 'Serket hetyt' which means "she who causes the throat to breathe."

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