What is the ankh symbol and should I wear it?
I believe this because:
- Nehushtan comes from the Uraeus Serpent of Egypt and Wadjet
- Nehushtan comes from Ningishzida, the Mesopotamian serpent god of the Tree of Truth
- Nehushtan was deeply tied to the worship of Asherah and Ba'al, and therefore Set as well
- Nehushtan was tied to Chaoskampf heroes and heroines like Set/Ba'al and Asherah
What does the 'ankh' symbol really mean?
The ankh represents the union of man and woman and symbolizes the creation of life through this union. According to one of the theories regarding the origin of the ankh, the symbol might be the combination of the male and female symbols representing Osiris and Isis, the cross and the oval, respectively.
Is the ankh a religious symbol?
The Ankh sign has long transcended the ancient Egyptian religion and is now used in all cultures and religions as a universal symbol. There are very few religious people in the world, whether Christians or otherwise, who would object to the ankh’s use.
What does Ankh represent?
What does the ankh symbol mean? The ankh, a capital T with a loop on top (or a cross with the top arm replaced with an inverted teardrop shape) was used in Egyptian mythology to represent eternal life. How the symbol came about is up for debate. Some archaeologists think it may be the path of the sun on the horizon, or the strap of a sandal, or ...
What is the spiritual meaning of ankh?
eternal lifeIt is an Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol for "life" or "breath of life" (`nh = ankh) and, as the Egyptians believed that one's earthly journey was only part of an eternal life, the ankh symbolizes both mortal existence and the afterlife.
Is it okay to wear an ankh?
In both jewelry and art, today the ankh is used as a representation of its original meaning life and also symbolizes ancient Egypt. It's a unisex symbol and can be worn by anyone.
What God does the ankh represent?
Ankh, It is formed, starting from the top, by a circle, symbol of that which has no beginning and no end, and which represents the celestial world, the spirit of Ra, the Sun God for the ancient Egyptians; this circle also serves as the handle of the key, from where it is carried by the gods who carry it.
What is the power of the ankh?
The Ankh has long-since been revered as a powerful bringer of wealth and good-fortune. As far back as the time of the Ancient Egyptians it was known to be a powerful occult tool—one used in magickal ceremonies, healing practices and secret initiatioms.
Is it disrespectful to get an ankh tattoo?
Conversation. may i ask, is ankh tattoo offensive? an ankh tattoo isn't offensive, in my opinion. I think most of the people who would be offended by the appropriation of that religious symbol died more than 2000 years ago.
Why do goths wear ankh?
The ankh is a classic goth symbol. It's an ancient Egyptian hieroglyph meaning life. Life to the Egyptians was a cycle. Eternal even.
Why does death wear an ankh?
Death's Ankh is a pendant that Death wears around her neck. The ankh serves as her sigil and a symbol of life; and according to her it is the "most important object in the universe."
What cultures use the ankh?
The ankh was one of the most common decorative motifs in ancient Egypt and was also used decoratively by neighbouring cultures. Coptic Christians adapted it into the crux ansata, a shape with a circular rather than oval loop, and used it as a variant of the Christian cross.
Does ankh bring good luck?
The ankh is a hieroglyphic good luck charm, the scarab beetle was a symbol of great strength and the Wedjat or Horus eye had the power to protect and heal.
What religion is the ankh symbol?
As a vivifying talisman, the ankh is often held or offered by gods and pharaohs. The form of the symbol derives from a sandal strap. As a cross, it has been extensively used in the symbolism of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
What does an ankh tattoo mean?
The idea of life and rebirth can be symbolized with an Egyptian Ankh tattoo. This hieroglyphic symbol was used by the ancient Egyptians to represent eternal life, rebirth and the union of male and female. It is a theme which is repeated throughout centuries of Egyptian art.
What does the Ankh symbol mean?
The ankh is the most well-known symbol to come out of ancient Egypt. In their hieroglyphic system of writing the ankh represents the concept of eternal life, and that is the general meaning of the symbol.
What does the Ankh represent?
The ankh is also commonly displayed in association with the was staff or djed column. The djed column represents stability and fortitude. It is closely associated with Osiris, god of the underworld and also of fertility, and it has been suggested that the column represents a stylized tree. The was staff is a symbol of the power of rulership.
What is the Ankh used for?
Uses of the Ankh Today. The ankh continues to be used by a variety of people. Kemetic pagans, dedicated to reconstructing Egyptian traditional religion often use it as a symbol of their faith. Various new agers and neopagans use the symbol more generically as a symbol of life or sometimes as a symbol of wisdom.
What does the hand clutching the Ankhs mean?
Sometimes, although not always, the hands clutch ankhs. Relief of Akhenaten and Nefertiti under the rays of the sun-god Aten, clutching ankhs—Egyptian Museum, Cairo. Print Collector/Getty Images. Again, the meaning is clear: eternal life is a gift of the gods meant most specifically for the pharaoh and perhaps his family.
What does the Ankh hold in your hand?
They may carry it in their hand or hold it up to the nose of the deceased, breathing in eternal life. There are also funerary statues of pharaohs in which an ankh is clutched in each hand, although a crook and flail — symbols of authority — are more common.
What is the meaning of the Ankh?
The ankh is the most well-known symbol to come out of ancient Egypt.
What is an ankh?
The ankh is an oval or point-down teardrop set atop a T shape. The origin of this image is highly debated. Some have suggested that it represents a sandal strap, although the reasoning behind such a use is not obvious. Others point out the similarity with another shape known as a knot of Isis (or a tyet ), the meaning of which is also obscure.
What does the Ankh represent?
It could also have a more physical connotation: the ankh may represent water, air, and the sun, which were meant to provide and preserve life in Ancient Egyptian culture.
Why are ankhs placed in sarcophagi?
Additionally, ankhs were traditionally placed in sarcophagi to ensure life after death. While the ankh is a widely known hieroglyph, its origins are somewhat unclear. Because the ankh shows similarities to the Knot of Isis, some speculate that the ankh and the Knot of Isis represent the same thing: an intricate bow.
What is the symbol of life in Egypt?
ANKH - Egyptian Symbol of Life. The ankh symbol—sometimes referred to as the key of life or the key of the nile—is representative of eternal life in Ancient Egypt. Created by Africans long ago, the ankh is said to be the first--or original--cross. The ankh is often shown in the hands of important Egyptian figures, such as pharaohs and kings, ...
What does the Ankh signify?
By extension of the concept of "life", the ankh could signify air or water. In artwork, gods hold the ankh up to the nose of the king: offering him the breath of life.
What does the sign "ankh" mean?
The sign is known in English as the "ankh", based on the hypothetical pronunciation of the Egyptian word, or as the "key of life", based on its meaning. One of the common uses of the word Ꜥnḫ was to express a wish that a particular person live. For example, a phrase meaning something like "may you be healthy and alive" was used in polite contexts, ...
What does the ankh stand for in Egyptian writing?
The ankh stood for the sequence Ꜥ-n-ḫ, where n is pronounced like the English letter n, Ꜥ is a voiced pharyngeal fricative, and ḫ is a voiceless or voiced velar fricative (sounds not found in English).
What are Ankh amulets made of?
Ankh signs in two-dimensional art were typically painted blue or black. The earliest ankh amulets were often made of gold or electrum, a gold and silver alloy. Egyptian faience, a ceramic that was usually blue or green, was the most common material for ankh amulets in later times, perhaps because its color represented life and regeneration.
What is the meaning of the Ankh?
In Egyptian belief, life was a force that circulated throughout the world. Individual living things, including humans, were manifestations of this force and fundamentally tied to it. Life came into existence at the creation of the world, and cyclical events like the rising and setting of the sun were thought of as reenactments of the original events of creation that maintained and renewed life in the cosmos. Sustaining life was thus the central function of the deities who governed these natural cycles. Therefore, the ankh was frequently depicted being held in gods' hands, representing their life-giving power. The Egyptians also believed that when they died, their individual lives could be renewed in the same manner as life in general. For this reason, the gods were often depicted in tombs giving ankh signs to humans, usually the pharaoh. As the sign represented the power to bestow life, humans other than the pharaoh were rarely shown receiving or holding the ankh before the end of the Middle Kingdom, although this convention weakened thereafter. The pharaoh to some extent represented Egypt as a whole, so by giving the sign to him, the gods granted life to the entire nation.
What is the ankh used for?
The ankh was one of the most common decorative motifs in ancient Egypt and was also used decoratively by neighbouring cultures. Coptic Christians adapted it into the crux ansata, a shape with a circular rather than oval loop, and used it as a variant of the Christian cross.
What is the sign of the ankh?
Many scholars believe the sign is a knot formed of a flexible material such as cloth or reeds, as early versions of the sign show the lower bar of the ankh as two separate lengths of flexible material that seem to correspond to the two ends of the knot.
What does the Ankh symbol look like?
That’s not unlikely because earlier variants of the Ankh symbol show its lower bars as two separate flexible materials that look like the ends of a knot. Such early representations made the ankh sign look similar to the tyet symbol, also known as the Knot of Isis, which represented “protection”.
What does the Ankh mean?
The ankh was frequently found in the Egyptian verb live, as well as in the noun life and other derivative words such as cause to live, nourish and others. This makes the original meaning of the ankh symbol rather obvious – “Life”. The ankh symbol was also often used in phrases that used to express something positive such as May you be healthy ...
Why didn't the Coptic Christians adopt the Ankh?
They didn’t see a problem in adopting a pagan symbol into their religion because the pagan Egyptians at the time had explained the Ankh as a symbol for the life to come – something that the Coptic Christians readily claimed to prophecy the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
What does the Ankh mean in Egyptian?
A beautiful cross-like sign, the ankh has been found in Egyptian writings and artifacts for millennia. It is known to mean the Egyptian word for “Life” and throughout the years has become a universal symbol for this concept.
What is the Egyptian symbol?
The Egyptian ankh is one of the most popular and easily recognizable symbols, but it can cause confusion and is easily misunderstood. The symbol can be traced back several thousands of years and holds great cultural, religious, and social significance. It continues to be popular today, commonly worn by famous celebrities, ...
What is ankh bracelet?
Stylized Ankh bracelet. See it here. The Ankh is commonly worn as a pendant, but it also makes for beautiful and symmetrical earrings and can be crafted onto rings, bracelets and worn as charms. Whether subtle or dramatic, the Ankh is a gentle reminder of life and the celebration of life.
When was the Ankh first used?
The earliest dated ankh symbol that archeologists have discovered is dated to 3,000 BC or 5,000 years ago, used by the First Egyptian Dynasty. There is evidence, however, that the Ankh was used even before this in Mesopotamia and Persia. The Ankh is a cross-like symbol with a loop at the top. At first glance, it can be mistaken for ...
What does the Ankh symbol mean?
Ankh symbol meaning. The Ankh is one of Egypt’s most ancient symbols. It is an Egyptian hieroglyph that means “life” (`nh = Ankh) and was often found in paintings in ancient tombs. Also known as the Egyptian Cross, the Ankh also resembles another ancient Egyptian symbol, the “tyet”.
Why is the Ankh important?
Because of the belief that the Ankh symbol represents both life on earth and the afterlife, many Egyptian gods, especially the goddess Isis, are often shown holding the Ankh to represent their liveliness and immortality. The loop at the top of the symbol reinforces the belief that it represents eternal life because ...
Why is the Ankh loop at the top of the symbol?
The loop at the top of the symbol reinforces the belief that it represents eternal life because the loop has neither a beginning nor an end. Artworks found in tombs, show the gods handing the Ankh to pharaohs or holding it up to the nose of the deceased, signifying breathing in life.
Why did the Pharaohs give the Ankh?
This belief in the afterlife is why the Ankh was often added to the sarcophagi of pharaohs as a sign of the gods giving eternal life to the deceased royalty. It served as the key to the gates of death and beyond.
When was the Ankh adopted?
While the Ankh is presently seen as a harmless universal symbol in all cultures and religions, historians say it was once adopted by Egypt’s Coptic Christians in the 4th century AD. They regarded it as a symbol of Christ’s promise of eternal life through his death and resurrection.
Who said the Ankh was a mirror?
Victor Loret, a 19th century Egyptologist theorised that the Ankh was a handheld mirror but this was later disproved by many ancient drawings depicting the Ankh being held by the loop, with fingers going through the loop itself.
Why do we place amulets at the neck of mummies?
Some scholars regard the Ankh as a sign of protection because tyet amulets were placed at the neck of mummies to invoke the protection of Isis. Another meaning was derived during the Middle Kingdom, as the word ‘nkh also meant “mirror”.
The Egyptian Ankh
The ankh is an Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol for “life” or “breath of life,”. It was representing both mortal existence and the afterlife; Because the Egyptians thought that one’s earthly journey was only part of eternal life.
The Christian Ankh
The ankh’s connection to the afterlife made it a particularly powerful emblem for Egypt’s Coptic Christians; Coptic Ankh as their own in the fourth century CE.
Origin & Ankh Symbol Meaning
The ankh’s origin is uncertain. Sir Alan H. Gardiner (1879 – 1963 CE), an Egyptologist, theorized that it evolved from a sandal strap with the top loop extending around the ankle and the vertical post connecting to a sole at the toes.
Ankh and the Sun
It’s amazing how much significance can be wrung out of such a simple symbol. The male and female genitalia, the sun rising over the horizon, and the union of heaven and earth are all represented by the ankh.
The Egyptian Ankh Symbol and Isis Goddess
With the emergence of the cults of Isis and Osiris in Egypt during the Early Dynastic Period; the Ankh symbol became widespread. Early representations of Isis wearing the tjet girdle before the ankh’s introduction; This is confirming the ankh’s relationship with the tjet discussed previously.
Ankh and Amun God
The djed, like the ankh, was a famed amulet. However the sacred scarab beetle was the most popular amulet in ancient Egypt, the ankh was almost as famous. The ankh became connected with the god Amun during the New Kingdom (1570-1069 BCE), when his cult grew in strength and majesty.
King Akhenaton and The Key of Life
The ankh symbol was still commonly used during the Amarna Period (1353-1336 BCE), when Akhenaten outlawed the cults of Amun and the other gods and established Aten as Egypt’s single god. At the end of the beams of light emerging from the solar disc of Aten, the symbol appears in paintings and inscriptions, providing life to those who believe.
The spiritual meaning of the Ankh
The Ankh is an ancient symbol. Like many symbols, the Ankh does not have one fixed spiritual meaning. The sacred geometry of the Ankh can be interpreted in many ways, depending on the movement and zeitgeist in which you look up the symbol.
Contemporary interpretations of Ankh symbolism
The Ankh looks like a loop, with a stripe underneath, two arms and a stick-shaped base. With the loop as the upper part, the Ankh is distinguished from a Celtic cross, or, one might argue, a Christian cross, but the cross symbol existed before Christianity. This loop, according to some people, symbolizes the womb, divine womanhood and women.
Ankh in Egypt
The spiritual significance of the Ankh has its origins in stories of Isis and Osiris. In Egyptian mythology, Isis stands for fertility, among other things; she would be represented by the Ankh through the loop shape.
Electricity
If you look closely at the drawing of an Ankh, the loop and arms of the Ankh together form an omega/Ohm sign. Electricity today is measured in Watts and Ohms. In this story, the Ankh has not so much a spiritual significance as it may have been a tool for conducting electricity.
A gift from the gods?
Anthropologists and archaeologists have been investigating the possibility of whether the Egyptians already had electricity. We are talking about thousands of years ago, in the area of Old-Kemet/Old-Egypt, where many of our ancestors came from. Many times Egyptian gods are depicted with an Ankh.
What other spiritual meanings does the Ankh symbol have?
In the sacred geometry of the Ankh, creative and cosmic forces are brought together. The tool acts as an amplifier of the energy that is already there and can also be a channel to capture, conduct, and allow energy to flow outward or into itself. The Egyptian gods carry the Ankh in their hands, holding it like a scepter.
The Ankh as a Key Gate
Thus, the Ankh could be a key, a gateway to the realm of the dead. It is said that the Ankh was used in necromancy. The Ankh tool was held under the nose of mortals to revive them.
Construction of The Image
Funeral Context
- The ankh is generally displayed in association with the gods. Most are found in funerary images. However, the most surviving artwork in Egypt is found in tombs, so availability of evidence is skewed. The gods involved in the judgment of the dead may possess ankh. They may carry it in their hand or hold it up to the nose of the deceased, breathing in eternal life. There are also funer…
Purification Context
- There are also images of gods pouring water over the head of the pharaoh as part of a purification ritual, with the water being represented by chains of ankhs and was(representing power and dominion) symbols. It reinforces the close connection the pharaohs had with the gods in whose name he ruled and to whom he returned after death.
The Aten
- Pharaoh Akhenaten embraced a monotheistic religioncentered on the worship of the sun disk, known as the Aten. Artwork from the time of his rule, known as the Amarna period, always includes the Aten in images of the pharaoh. This image is a circular disk with rays terminating in hands reaching down toward the royal family. Sometimes, although not always, the hands clutc…
Was and Djed
- The ankh is also commonly displayed in association with the was staff or djed column. The djed column represents stability and fortitude. It is closely associated with Osiris, god of the underworld and also of fertility, and it has been suggested that the column represents a stylized tree. The was staff is a symbol of the power of rulership. Together, the symbols appear to offer …
Uses of The Ankh Today
- The ankh continues to be used by a variety of people. Kemetic pagans, dedicated to reconstructing Egyptian traditional religion often use it as a symbol of their faith. Various new agers and neopagans use the symbol more generically as a symbol of life or sometimes as a symbol of wisdom. In Thelema, it is viewed as the union of opposites as well as a symbol of divi…
The Coptic Cross
- The early Coptic Christians used a cross known as a crux ansata (Latin for "cross with a handle") that resembled an ankh. Modern Coptic crosses, however, are crosses with arms of equal length. A circle design is sometimes incorporated into the center of the symbol, but it is not required.
Overview
The ankh or key of life is an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol used in Egyptian art and writing to represent the word for "life" and, by extension, as a symbol of life itself.
The ankh has a cross shape but with a teardrop-shaped loop in place of a vertical upper bar. The origins of the symbol are not known, although many hy…
Use in writing
In ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic writing, the ankh was a triliteral sign: one that represented a sequence of three consonant sounds. The ankh stood for the sequence Ꜥ-n-ḫ, where n is pronounced like the English letter n, Ꜥ is a voiced pharyngeal fricative, and ḫ is a voiceless or voiced velar fricative (sounds not found in English). In the Egyptian language, these consonants were found in the verb meaning "live", the noun meaning "life", and words derived from them, such as s…
Origins
Early examples of the ankh sign date to the First Dynasty (c. 30th to 29th century BC). There is little agreement on what physical object the sign originally represented.
Many scholars believe the sign is a knot formed of a flexible material such as cloth or reeds, as early versions of the sign show the lower bar of the ankh as t…
Use in religion and art
In Egyptian belief, life was a force that circulated throughout the world. Individual living things, including humans, were manifestations of this force and fundamentally tied to it. Life came into existence at the creation of the world, and cyclical events like the rising and setting of the sun were thought of as reenactments of the original events of creation that maintained and renewed li…
Other ancient cultures
The people of Syria and Canaan adopted many Egyptian artistic motifs during the Middle Bronze Age (c. 1950–1500 BC), including hieroglyphs, of which the ankh was by far the most common. It was often placed next to various figures in artwork or shown being held by Egyptian deities who had come to be worshipped in the ancient Near East. It was sometimes used to represent water or fertility. Elsewhere in the Near East, the sign was incorporated into Anatolian hieroglyphs to repre…
Christianity
The ankh was one of the few ancient Egyptian artistic motifs that continued to be used after the Christianization of Egypt during the 4th and 5th centuries AD. The sign resembles the staurogram, a sign that resembles a Christian cross with a loop to the right of the upper bar and was used by early Christians as a monogram for Jesus, as well as the crux ansata, or "handled cross", which is sh…
Modern use
Much more recently, the ankh has become a popular symbol in modern Western culture, particularly as a design for jewelry and tattoos. Its resurgence began when the counterculture of the 1960s stirred a greater interest in ancient religions. In the 21st century it is the most widely recognized symbol of African origin in the Western world, and it is sometimes used by people of African descent in the United States and Europe as a symbol of African cultural identity. The ank…
Citations
1. ^ Allen 2014, p. 30.
2. ^ Allen 2014, pp. 18–19, 30.
3. ^ Gardiner 1915, p. 20.
4. ^ Gardiner 1915, pp. 20–21.