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ANKH.
Term Paper ID:21813
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Essay Subject:
Ancient Egyptian cross symbolizing creative energies of male & female in context of history of Egyptian art & heiroglyphic symbology.... More...
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6 Pages / 1350 Words
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Paper Abstract:
Ancient Egyptian cross symbolizing creative energies of male & female in context of history of Egyptian art & heiroglyphic symbology.
Paper Introduction:
The ankh (crux ansata) was an ancient Egyptian T shaped cross surmounted with a loop. It symbolized the creative energies of the male and female and - most importantly to a civilization obsessed with the afterlife - the essence of life. In this paper, the ankh will be examined in terms of its general place in the history of art and symbols and as it fit in specifically with the art and hieroglyphic symbology of the ancient Egyptians.
As noted above, the ankh has the essential form of a cross. The cross is among the oldest and most universal of symbols. In preliterate societies it often represented a conjunction of dualities, or - as the symbol would quite frequently be viewed literally - as an intersection of two worlds: the human and the divine. These symbols could be quite elaborate, but basically
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(Lambelet, Hieroglyphs, 1974, p. By the same token, the hieroglyph "ankh" in particular couldvirtually guarantee eternal life. The four extensions of a cross, for example, areoften symbolic of the elements: Earth, Water, Fire, and Air. There are other general aspects of cross symbolism, of which the ankhcertainly shares some. The use of hieroglyphs as physical symbols exuding power was notlimited to the pharaohs. 27). 2 ). 4242 B.C. Those furnishings included prolific use of hieroglyphic inscriptionsamong the burial trappings: carved into tomb walls, painted across otherwalls and on caskets, written on papyrus for inclusion inside the caskets.Hieroglyphs - twenty-four phonetic letters combined with over 7 syllabicand symbolic signs (Lambelet, 1974, p. Thecross is among the oldest and most universal of symbols. In the form of ankh, as noted above, thisparticular form of Egyptian "cross" denotes only positive, life-affirmingqualities. With the exception of vast expanses of inhospitable desert, there isonly a very narrow band of arable land in Egypt (3%), all of it borderingthe Nile River and no more than twelve miles wide in the best regions(Strelocke, 1965, p. In a memorial carving of the famousQueen Nefertiti (circa 136 B.C.), the hieroglyph for ankh is held up toher nose; ancient Egyptians believed that the nose was the "seat of life"(Katan & Mintz, 1981, p. At this point it begins to become apparent how the concept of "ankh"- living, life, existence - played a major role in the ancient Egyptianworld. The gods of the Egyptians, or studies in Egyptian mythology (rev. 85). 3). New York: Dover Publications.Katan, N. 118), incorporatedthe word/hieroglyph ankh into his titular name (Lambelet, 1974, p. (Conversely, to destroy an enemy forever wasa simple matter: it could be done by smashing the nose of a statue or onany other representation of the person (Katan & Mintz, 1981, p. It did more than merely symbolize those qualities: ankh wasthose qualities. In this paper, the ankh will be examinedin terms of its general place in the history of art and symbols and as itfit in specifically with the art and hieroglyphic symbology of the ancientEgyptians. The most powerful hieroglyph of all was ankh (Katan & Mintz,1981, p. Ankh in particular was used as a form of goodluck charm called an amulet. 4). W. Hieroglyphs: the writing of ancient Egypt. From evidence ofdynastic rule dating back to 32 B.C. 7), theirdeveloped form of writing known as hieroglyphics has been dated as early as3 B.C. 24).) The power of ankh as hieroglyph, as word and as symbol was certainlynot lost on Egyptian rulers. When Queen Hatshepsut died in147 B.C., the succeeding pharaoh, who had always hated her, took revengeby ordering her name chiseled off all public records - including templesshe had built, statues made of her, and her own tomb. Dutton & Company.Strelocke, H. This fundamentalpolitical problem found in Egypt the absolute solution: that the ruler, orpharaoh, was simply regarded as a god (Poulsen, 1968, p. Cairo: Lehnert & Landrock. The horizontal arm of a cross wasassociated with the terrestrial, the feminine, temporal, and destructiveelements, with negative and passive qualities linked to death. These symbols could be quiteelaborate, but basically break down into two categories, and it isinteresting to see how they are grouped. Polyglott travel guide: Egypt. There is no doubt that in theirpredynastic history the Egyptians distinguished between great gods andlittle gods, but by the time the historic civilization began, all wereassumed under the umbrella of dynastic unity in an uncomfortable pantheonof deities (Poulsen, 1968, p. The wearing of them was not limited to the living: amulets wereoften placed inside the linen wrappings of the dead to help on the voyageto the next life. 6), the first great collection of Egyptian symbols in aunified form. As writing developed, the scribe wasobliged to call both the highest and lowest of the beings that weresupposed to possess some attribute of divinity by one and the same name:"Neter" (Budge, 1969, p. isgenerally accepted as the invention of the Egyptian calendar (Lambelet, Arttreasures, 1968, p. ReferencesBudge, E. "Hieroglyph" is a Greek word, meaning "sacred carving"; theEgyptians called this writing "medew neter" - speech of the gods (Price,197 , p. Hence there is always a certain duality: one lives in a body,but that body is only an "abode," the reality of "being" is the process ofliving. 5). In practical terms the Egyptiansfound it almost impossible to separate the process from the abode - atleast until death replaced one abode with another as the ka travels to theafterworld. Cairo: Lehnert & Landrock.Poulsen, V. The everyday Egyptian was somewhat miserly with his deadkin, however; amulets made for the dead were often fashioned of cheapsubstitute materials, thin layers of metal foil instead of pure gold, orpainted plaster (Katan & Mintz, 1981, p. Strictly speaking, Egyptiansbelieved that the ka existed in another abode in the afterlife;nevertheless, the duality of symbol/reality was such a strong concept intheir imaginations that the "symbolic" abodes they prepared for the deadbecame the literal furnishing for an afterlife. As part of this calendar, theydeveloped the concept of a 24-hour day (Lambelet, Art treasures, 1968, pp.5-6). This was due in part because of the specific meaning of ankhwithin the Egyptian concept of existence. Ankh: as a form of "cross" symbology as described at the beginningof this paper, ankh's duality-encompassing sense of the living processcertainly fits in with the general characteristics of the symbol. 2 ). Ancient Egyptian civilization, of course, surpassed its preliteratebeginnings relatively early in the development process. Within the context of ancient Egyptian life, the cross per se did nothave the connotation of life and death it has carried with it since thebeginning of the Christian Era. To all Egyptians ofthe time, Hatshepsut disappeared from history when her name was scratchedout everywhere. 5) - were the ancient Egyptian formof writing. Once dead, the person'sbody was treated to preserve it, then buried with objects that representedwhat would be needed in the afterlife. Egyptian art. New York: Atheneum.Lambelet, K. It is important to note, however, that whilethe Egyptians venerated certain animals - the crocodile, the ibis, fish ofvarious kinds et al. Tutankhamen(died 1345 B.C.), the most famous of pharaohs in the modern imagination byvirtue of his tomb remaining unpillaged (Price, 197 , p. 2 ). Thevertical arm, by contrast, connoted the celestial and the spiritual, themasculine and eternal elements of existence, with creative and positivequalities linked to life. The calendar really marks the beginning of Egyptiancivilization and art, for the concept of Time was an integral part of theirworldview. To understand the magnitude of the Egyptian accomplishment inestablishing a thriving civilization, one must understand the odds againstthem. Basedupon observations of the constellations, the Egyptian calendar amounted toa total of 3653 days and was divided into three seasons of four monthseach: flood, dissemination, and harvest. It symbolized the creative energies of the maleand female and - most importantly to a civilization obsessed with theafterlife - the essence of life. Time - and the understanding of its temporal manifestations -was the key to the Egyptian zeitgeist and their successful establishment ofa civilization that was to endure for several millennia. It was as if she had never existed (Katan & Mintz, 1981,p. A cross wasalso perceived as the cosmic axis from which radiated spatial dimensions ofheight, length, width, and breadth - as well as the directions of north,east, south, and west. (1981). (197 ). New York: E. "Gods" havecertain powers over "life," and so it was with the pharaohs. The ankh (crux ansata) was an ancient Egyptian T-shaped crosssurmounted with a loop. 16).The hieroglyph for "ruler," heq, bore no small resemblance to the ankhhieroglyph and was fashioned into a small ceremonial staff for pharaohs toclasp. How to read hieroglyphs. - by the dynastic times when writing had begun theywere not venerated as animals, but as the abodes of gods (Budge, 1969, p.2f). P. J., & Mintz, B. In preliteratesocieties it often represented a conjunction of dualities, or - as thesymbol would quite frequently be viewed literally - as an intersection oftwo worlds: the human and the divine. 2 ). In terms of art and symbol, the connection between abode andbeing was also a duality: symbols were abodes of meaning for real thingsand ideas - but, again in practical terms (i.e., as the Egyptians viewedthem), symbols almost were the things they represented (Katan & Mintz,1981, p. (1968). Made in ancient Egypt. 87). (1974). Use of graphic symbologybegins even earlier - to pre-dynastic, Bronze Age Egypt. ed.). Greenwich, CT: New York Graphic Society.Price, C. Ankh is that process of living. In their developing conception of Time/Nature, the ancient Egyptiansgrouped animals, the spirits of natural objects and the powers of naturetogether under the description "Neteru," which translators are obliged toterm "gods," while acknowledging the inexactness of the contemporarydefinition (Budge, 1969, p. (Poulsen, 1968, p. Ancient Egypt was a divine realm in the sensethat the prosperity of all depended on the goodwill of higher powers.However, since no god has so far personally taken over earthly government,in such a society rule had to be exercised by proxy. ----------------------- 1 As noted above, the ankh has the essential form of a cross. In thespecific context of Egyptian usage, ankh took on almost talismanic powersof its own. A. Tied to the wrist, neck, ankle or waist, anamulet was considered an important part of an ancient Egyptian's attire.Amulets would be made of wood, gold, bronze and various semi-preciousstones. Art treasures from the Egyptian museum, Cairo. There is, they believed, an eternal spirit, or ka, in all thingshuman and divine - the ka inhabits specific "abodes" throughout itsexistence. (1965). (1968). (1969). Words were so powerful to ancient Egyptians that they were sometimesused as a way of making a person disappear. Equally important was the factthat words themselves - and their associate hieroglyphs - were consideredinherently powerful. By understanding the timetable of flood and fireassociated with the river and the desert clime, the ancient Egyptians wereable to "tame" nature and develop a prosperous agricultural base. 22). The most familiar manifestation of this duality was the ancientEgyptian practice of mummification and burial. Cairo: Lehnert & Landrock.---. 4).
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