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ANKH
(ayngk)
Egyptian
hieroglyphic character shaped like a looped cross Common
clues:
Egyptian
cross; Looped cross; Egyptian symbol of life; Pharaoh's cross;
Ancient cross Crossword
puzzle frequency:
once a year Frequency
in English language:
67849 / 86800 Video: Hieroglyphic
on wood
The
ankh was the Egyptian hieroglyphic character that stood for a
word which means life.
Gods may carry it by the loop, or bear one in each hand crossed
over their breast. Latinists interpreted the symbol as a crux
ansata,
"cross with a handle."
What
it is a picture of remains a mystery to Egyptologists. Some have
speculated that it represents a stylized womb. This hypothesis
has not met with wide acceptance. Sir Alan Gardiner speculated
that it represents a sandal strap, with the loop going around the
ankle.
The ankh
appears frequently in Egyptian tomb paintings and other art; it
often appears 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. The ankh symbol was often
carried by Egyptians as an amulet, either alone, or in connection
with two other hieroglyphs that mean "strength" and
"health." Mirrors were often made in the shape of an
ankh.
A similar symbol (♀) was used to represent the
Roman goddess Venus. This symbol, known benignly as Venus' hand
mirror, is much more associated with a representation of the
female womb. In astrology the same symbol is used to represent
the planet Venus, in alchemy to represent the element copper, and
in biology to identify the female sex.
The ankh is widely
employed in pop culture, as a textual device to instantly
communicate deep history, arcane life-forces and/or spiritual
magic. Commonly used as a logo that virtually says "Ancient
Egypt!”
This
article is licensed under the GNU
Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia
article "Ankh".
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