Ankh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The ankh (symbol ☥) was the Egyptian hieroglyphic character that read "life". Egyptian gods are often portrayed carrying it by its loop, or bearing one in each hand, arms crossed over their chest. It is also known as the Egyptian Cross, the key of life, the key of the Nile, or as crux ansata, Latin for "cross with a handle".
[edit] Origins
| Ankh in hieroglyphs | |||||
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The precise origin of the symbol remains a mystery to Egyptologists, and no single hypothesis has been widely accepted. One of the earliest suggestions is that of Thomas Inman, first published in 1869:[2]
[It] is by Egyptologists called the 'symbol of life.' It is also called the 'handled cross,' or crux ansata. It represents the male triad and the female unit, under a decent form. There are few symbols more commonly met with in Egyptian art than this. In some remarkable sculptures, where the sun's rays are represented as terminating in hands, the offerings which these bring are many a crux ansata, emblematic of the truth that a fruitful union is a gift from the deity.
E. A. Wallis Budge postulated that the symbol might have originated as the belt-buckle of the mother goddess Isis, an idea joined by Wolfhart Westendorf with the notion that both the ankh and the knot of Isis were used as ties on ceremonial girdles. Sir Alan Gardiner speculated that it represented a sandal strap, with the loop going around the ankle. The word for sandal strap was also spelled ʿnḫ, although it may have been pronounced differently.
Still other theories include the notion that the ankh represents the sun crowning over the horizon,[3] the path of the sun from east to west (with the loop representing the Nile), a stylized person, or that it is a combination of the male and female symbols of Osiris (the cross) and Isis (the oval) respectively, and therefore signifies the union of heaven and earth. [4]
In their 2004 book "The Quick and the Dead", Andrew H. Gordon and Calvin W. Schwabe speculated that the ankh, djed and was symbols have a biological basis derived from ancient cattle culture (linked to the Egyptian belief that semen was created in the spine), thus:
- the Ankh - symbol of life - thoracic vertebra of a bull (seen in cross section)
- the Djed - symbol of stability - base on sacrum of a bull's spine
- the Was - symbol of power and dominion - a staff featuring the head and tail of the god Set, "great of strength"
Over time, the ankh has come to symbolize life and immortality, the universe, power and life-giving air and water. Its keylike shape has also encouraged the belief it could unlock the gates of death, and it is viewed this way by the modern Rosicrucians and other hermetic orders. The Coptic Christians have used it as a symbol of life after death.[5]The design for the pin symbolizing membership in Wolf's Head Society, Yale University, sets a wolf's head on an inverted ankh.[6]
[edit] History
The ankh appears frequently in Egyptian tomb paintings and other art, often 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; this is thought to symbolize the act of conception. Additionally, an ankh was often carried by Egyptians as an amulet, either alone, or in connection with two other hieroglyphs that mean "strength" and "health" (see explication of Djed and Was, above). Mirrors of beaten metal were also often made in the shape of an ankh, either for decorative reasons or to symbolize a perceived view into another world.
The ankh was almost never drawn in silver; as a sun-symbol, the Egyptians almost invariably crafted important examples of it (for tombs or other purposes) from the metal they most associated with the sun, gold. A similar metal such as copper, burnished to a high sheen, was also sometimes used.
[edit] In popular culture
The ankh was popularized in modern times as "the cross of life" in the film The Egyptian, where Akhenaten's cult of Atenism is portrayed as a religion containing proto-Christian ideas. Since the 1960s it has been a popular symbol within various cultural movements: (Hippie, Goth), cinema (Logan's Run, The Hunger, Superfly), comic books (Sandman, Doctor Fate), musical groups (Kiss, Elvis Presley, The 69 Eyes,Nile (band), Iced Earth, Earth, Wind and Fire), television shows (Yu-Gi-Oh!) and video games (Tomb Raider, Ultima, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, Ankh).
A stylized or modified ankh is a popular tattoo motif among many celebrities such as professional wrestlers Christopher Daniels and Edge, neo-soul/hip-hop artist Erykah Badu, pop music artist Anastacia and NBA stars such as Shaquille O'Neal and Dennis Rodman. A variety of consumer product lines have also come to be identified with the symbol; an example is professional skateboarder Mark Rogowski's "Ankh model" of skateboard.[7]
The ankh also retains popularity among Neopagan religious and spiritual movements as a symbol for a variety of concepts relating to life, immortality and the occult, being commonly used in parallel with Energy Vampires. In its relation with immortality and eternal life, the Ankh is the central symbol represented in the sacred seal of the Asetians, also known in the occult world as the Dark Mark. This symbol is a blend of Ancient Egyptian iconography with highly theological connotations and is a distinctive hallmark of the secretive Order of Aset Ka.[8]
The anorankh (an ankh wearing an anorak) was a semi-official Discworld fan symbol, made by Clarecraft, after the accidental misuse by one user of fan group alt.pratchett of 'anorak' to refer to an ankh.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Collier, Mark and Manley, Bill. How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Revised Edition pg 23. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998.
- ^ Inman, Thomas. Ancient Pagan and Modern Christian Symbolism, Second Edition. New York: J. W. Bouton, 706 Broadway. Published 1875. Page 44. ISBN-13: 9781420929874.
- ^ Internet Book of Shadows: Egyptian Metaphysics (Michael Poe)
- ^ Christian Resource Center
- ^ "The Origin of Early Christian Book Illumination: The State of the Question". Kozodoy, R. Gesta, Vol. 10, No. 2 (1971), pp. 33-40.
- ^ Phelps Trust Association archives, Sterling Memorial Library, Yale University
- ^ Collection of Skateboards, including the Ankh series
- ^ Marques, Luis. Asetian Bible. Aset Ka, 2007 ISBN 978-9899569409
[edit] References
- Marques, Luis: Asetian Bible. Aset Ka, 2007. ISBN 978-9899569409
- Collier, Mark and Manley, Bill. How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Revised Edition. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998.
- Salaman, Clement and Van Oyen, Dorine and Wharton, William D. and Mahé, Jean-Pierre (translation) (2000). The Way of Hermes: New Translations of The Corpus Heremticum and The Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius. Rochester: Inner Traditions.
- Three Initiates (1912). The Kybalion. Chicago: The Yogi Publication Society Masonic Temple.
The Ankh is also considered to have meaning in Ritual magick and in Wiccan/Neopagan traditions, as a symbol of immortality and completion.
[edit] External links
- Ankh: The Original Cross
- Free copy of Ancient Pagan and Modern Christian Symbolism, Second Edition, 1875, available for download on-line at Canadian Archive: Internet Libraries.
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Ankh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The ankh (U+2625 ☥, 'key of life', 'the key of the Nile', 'crux ansata') was the Egyptian hieroglyphic character that read "eternal life", a triliteral sign for the consonants ˁ-n-ḫ. Egyptian gods are often portrayed carrying it by its loop, or bearing one in each hand, arms crossed over their chest.
Contents[hide] |
[edit] Origins
| Ankh in hieroglyphs | |||||||||
|
The origin of the symbol remains a mystery to Egyptologists, and no single hypothesis has been widely accepted. One of the earliest suggestions is that of Thomas Inman, first published in 1869:[2]
[It] is by Egyptologists called the symbol of life. It is also called the 'handled cross,' or crux ansata. It represents the male triad and the female unit, under a decent form. There are few symbols more commonly met with in Egyptian art. In some remarkable sculptures, where the sun's rays are represented as terminating in hands, the offerings which these bring are many a crux ansata, emblematic of the truth that a fruitful union is a gift from the deity.
E. A. Wallis Budge postulated that the symbol originated as the belt-buckle of the mother goddess Isis[citation needed], an idea joined by Wolfhart Westendorf with the notion that both the ankh and the knot of Isis were used as ties on ceremonial girdles[citation needed]. Sir Alan Gardiner speculated that it represented a sandal strap, with the loop going around the ankle[citation needed]. The word for sandal strap was also spelled ʿnḫ, although it may have been pronounced differently.
In their 2004 book The Quick and the Dead,[3] Andrew H. Gordon and Calvin W. Schwabe speculated that the ankh, djed, and was symbols have a biological basis derived from ancient cattle culture (linked to the Egyptian belief that semen was created in the spine), thus:
- the Ankh, symbol of life, thoracic vertebra of a bull (seen in cross section)
- the Djed, symbol of stability, base on sacrum of a bull's spine
- the Was, symbol of power and dominion, a staff featuring the head and tail of the god Set, "great of strength"
Egyptian academics, in particular those at the University of Cairo, aver that the ankh has been over-interpreted and that it is representative of the pivotal role of the Nile in the country[citation needed]. The oval head is said to represent the Nile delta, with the vertical mark representing the path of the river and the East and West arms representing the two sides of the country and their unification[citation needed].
[edit] History
The ankh appears frequently in Egyptian tomb paintings and other art, often 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; this is thought to symbolize the act of conception[citation needed]. Additionally, an ankh was often carried by Egyptians as an amulet, either alone, or in connection with two other hieroglyphs that mean "strength" and "health" (see explication of Djed and Was, above). Mirrors of beaten metal were also often made in the shape of an ankh, either for decorative reasons or to symbolize a perceived view into another world[citation needed].
The ankh was almost never drawn in silver; as a sun-symbol, the Egyptians almost invariably crafted important examples of it (for tombs or other purposes) from the metal they most associated with the sun, gold. A similar metal such as copper, burnished to a high sheen, was also sometimes used.
The ankh also appeared frequently in coins from ancient Cyprus.[4] In some cases, especially with the early coinage of King Euelthon of Salamis, the letter ku, from the Cypriot syllabary, appeared within the circle ankh, representing Ku(prion) (Cypriots). To this day, the ankh is also used to represent the planet Venus (the namesake of which, the goddess Venus or Aphrodite, was chiefly worshipped on the island) and the metal Copper (the heavy mining of which gave Cyprus its name).
David P. Silverman notes the striking example of how the depiction of the Ancient Egyptian Ankh was preserved by the Copts in their representation of the Christian cross.[5]
[edit] See also
- Venus symbol (♀)
[edit] References
[edit] Bibliography
- Collier, Mark and Manley, Bill. How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Revised Edition. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998.
- Salaman, Clement and Van Oyen, Dorine and Wharton, William D. and Mahé, Jean-Pierre (translation) (2000). The Way of Hermes: New Translations of The Corpus Heremticum and The Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius. Rochester: Inner Traditions.
- Three Initiates (1912). The Kybalion. Chicago: The Yogi Publication Society Masonic Temple.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Collier, Mark and Manley, Bill. How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Revised Edition pg 23. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998.
- ^ Inman, Thomas. Ancient Pagan and Modern Christian Symbolism, Second Edition. New York: J. W. Bouton, 706 Broadway. Published 1875. Page 44. ISBN 978-1-4209-2987-4.
- ^ Gordon, Andrew H & Schwabe, Calvin W. The Quick and the Dead: Biomedical Theory in Ancient Egypt, First Edition. Boston: Brill. Published 2004
- ^ The Cambridge Ancient History, Cambridge University Press
- ^ "Egyptian Religion", David P. Silverman, p. 135, Oxford University Press US, 2003, ISBN 019521952X
[edit] External links
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ankh |
- Free copy of Ancient Pagan and Modern Christian Symbolism, Second Edition, 1875, available for download on-line at Canadian Archive: Internet Libraries.
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Anj
De Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre
El Anj (ˁnḫ) es un jeroglífico egipcio que significa "vida", un símbolo muy utilizado en la iconografía religiosa de esta cultura. (en inglés: Ankh, en alemán: Anch, en francés: Ânkh; pronunciado en todos estos idiomas: Anj).
También se ha denominado cruz ansada, cruz con la parte superior en forma de óvalo, lazo, asa o ansa.
Simbología egipcia [editar]
En Antiguo Egipto se relacionaba con los dioses necher, que eran representados portando dicho símbolo, indicando sus competencias sobre la vida y la muerte, su inmanencia y condición de eternos; relacionado con los hombres, significa la búsqueda de la inmortalidad, razón por la cual es utilizada para describir la vida o la idea de vida después de la muerte, entendida como inmortalidad, al principio sólo digna del faraón y, después del Imperio Nuevo, de todos los egipcios al evolucionar sus creencias, tal como se describe en el Libro de los Muertos. El anj se relacionó, como símbolo de renacimiento, con la diosa Isis y con su esposo Osiris, ya que cuando fue asesinado por su hermano, su esposa lo resucitó mediante magia.
Otra hipótesis presupone que la "T" de la parte inferior del "anj" representaría, estilizados, los atributos sexuales masculinos, mientras que el asa representaría el útero o el pubis de la mujer, como reconciliación de los opuestos;[1] podría simbolizar la reproducción y la unión sexual. Hathor, la diosa de la alegría de vivir y de la muerte, daba vida con ella. En muchos aspectos se corresponde con las diosas Inanna, Ishtar, Astarté, Afrodita y Venus.[2]
Varios faraones incluyeron este jeroglífico en su titulatura, como el célebre Tutanjamón (Tut-anj-Amón) "Imagen viviente de Amón"
Origen del símbolo [editar]
Aunque se desconoce el origen del símbolo anj, si se observa la evolución de la escritura jeroglífica egipcia, es probable que el "anj" tuviera relación, con el signo jeroglífico del anillo con sello. En el Antiguo Egipto, el jeroglífico del sello, posible precedente de los cartuchos, se utilizó para enmarcar y "proteger" el nombre de los faraones, al encerrar los signos de su nombre dentro de él.
Otro posible origen del símbolo sería prácticamente el mismo que el neocananeo (cartaginés) para Tanit; en efecto, muchas veces el símbolo de la principal diosa cartaginesa es muy similar al del anj. En el caso del origen del símbolo de Tanit, éste parece representar, esquemáticamente, a la deidad femenina vestida con los brazos abiertos "en cruz", siendo el círculo sobre la "T" una estilización de su cabeza; en tal caso, si la génesis del anj fuera semejante a la del símbolo de Tanit, el anj habría representado originalmente a alguna gran diosa egipcia, como Isis o Hathor.
Evolución del uso y la forma del "anj" [editar]
Desde el siglo II d. C., con la difusión del cristianismo en el Valle del Nilo, se produjeron sincretismos: uno de ellos fue la adopción por parte de los cristianos egipcios (después llamados coptos) del símbolo "anj" como un modalidad de cruz cristiana.
Las misiones de monjes cristianos que desde el siglo III partieron desde Egipto difundieron, muy probablemente, el antiguo símbolo hacia lugares distantes. Así se habrían originado la cruz irlandesa, por una parte, y la cruz armenia por la otra, ambas con un círculo en el centro.
Símbolos similares [editar]
Un símbolo similar (♀) se utilizaba para representar a la diosa romana Venus. Este símbolo, llamado "espejo de Venus", parece estar más relacionado con el útero.
Un signo muy similar, con el lazo rellenado, se ha encontrado en Perú siendo utilizado en la Cultura Mochica.[3]
En astrología el mismo símbolo se emplea para representar el planeta Venus, en biología para hacer referencia al sexo femenino, y en alquimia para el cobre.
Filmografía, literatura y juegos [editar]
El anj se ha relacionado con las criaturas inmortales por excelencia, los vampiros, tanto en la literatura como en la cinematografía (El ansia) o en la película The black cat, en animes (Yu Gi Oh) o en juegos de rol como Vampiro: La Mascarada. Se utiliza en el libro y la película homónima de ciencia-ficción "Fuga del Siglo 23" o "La Fuga de Logan" (Logan's Run), de 1976, donde representa la entrada al santuario, un lugar donde las personas pueden vivir sin tener que morir a los treinta años de edad en el carrusel. Aparece también en la saga de juegos Ultima como icono de una de las ocho virtudes de Britannia (la espiritualidad), además de ser el símbolo del Avatar. Asimismo, en el popular cómic de Neil Gaiman, The Sandman, el Ankh o Anj, es el símbolo usado por la hermana de Sueño, "Death", una personificación femenina de la muerte.
Notas [editar]
Enlaces externos [editar]
Wikimedia Commons alberga contenido multimedia sobre Anj.Commons- The ankh symbol. (en inglés)
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