Difference between revisions of "Ankh" - New World Encyclopedia

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[[File:Ankh.svg|thumb|thumb|The ankh symbol]]
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[[File:Ankh.svg|thumb|The ankh symbol]]
The '''ankh''' is the [[Egypt|Egyptian]] [[hieroglyphic]] character that means life or living. Ancient Egyptian gods are often portrayed carrying it by its loop, or bearing one in each hand with their arms crossed over their chest. It is also known as the Egyptian Cross, or as ''crux ansata,'' [[Latin]] for "[[cross]] with a handle."
+
The '''ankh''' is the [[Egypt|Egyptian]] [[hieroglyph]]ic character that means life or living. Ancient Egyptian gods are often portrayed carrying it by its loop, or bearing one in each hand with their arms crossed over their chest. It is also known as the Egyptian Cross, or as ''crux ansata,'' [[Latin]] for "[[cross]] with a handle."
  
The ankh appears frequently in Egyptian tomb paintings and other art, often representing deities of the [[afterlife]]. An ankh was often carried by Egyptians as an [[amulet]], either alone, or in connection with two other hieroglyphs that mean "strength" and "health." [[Mirror]]s were often made in the shape of an ankh.  
+
The ankh appears frequently in Egyptian [[tomb]] paintings and other art, often representing deities of the [[afterlife]]. An ankh was often carried by Egyptians as an [[amulet]], either alone, or in connection with two other hieroglyphs that mean "strength" and "health." [[Mirror]]s were often made in the shape of an ankh.  
 
{{toc}}
 
{{toc}}
Over time the ankh has come to symbolize [[life]] and [[immortality]]. In Egyptian art, gods were sometimes portrayed touching a mortal with an ankh, symbolizing [[conception]], or conferring the gift of life on a dead person's [[mummy]]. Its key-like shape encourages the belief that it unlocks the gates of [[death]], and it is viewed this way by the modern [[Rosicrucians]] and other [[Hermeticism|hermetic orders]]. [[copts|Coptic]] Christians have used it as a symbol of life after death.<ref> Kozodoy, R., “The Origin of Early Christian Book Illumination: The State of the Question.” ''Gesta,'' (Vol. 10, No. 2, 1971), pp. 33-40.</ref>
+
Over time the ankh has come to symbolize [[life]] and [[immortality]]. In Egyptian art, gods were sometimes portrayed touching a mortal with an ankh, symbolizing [[conception]], or conferring the gift of life on a dead person's [[mummy]]. Its key-like shape encourages the belief that it unlocks the gates of [[death]], and it is viewed this way by the modern [[Rosicrucians]] and other [[Hermeticism|hermetic orders]]. [[copts|Coptic]] Christians have used it as a symbol of life after death.
  
 
==Origins and Etymology==
 
==Origins and Etymology==
  
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float:left; clear:lrft; margin:5px; border:2px solid {{hiero/egypt/bordercolour}};"
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{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float:right; clear:lrft; margin:5px; border:2px solid {{hiero/egypt/bordercolour}};"
 
|-  
 
|-  
 
| style="border-bottom:2px solid {{hiero/egypt/bordercolour}}; background:{{hiero/egypt/bgcolour}}; padding:5px; text-align:center;" | '''Ankh <br/> in [[Egyptian hieroglyph|hieroglyphs]]'''
 
| style="border-bottom:2px solid {{hiero/egypt/bordercolour}}; background:{{hiero/egypt/bgcolour}}; padding:5px; text-align:center;" | '''Ankh <br/> in [[Egyptian hieroglyph|hieroglyphs]]'''
 
|-
 
|-
| style="text-align:center;text-valign:middle;padding:10px;" | <hiero>S34-n:Aa1 ! or S34</hiero><ref> Collier, Mark, and Manley, Bill, ''How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Revised Edition.'' (Berkeley: University of California, 1998), p. 23. ISBN 0520239490</ref>  
+
| style="text-align:center;text-valign:middle;padding:10px;" | <hiero>S34-n:Aa1 ! or S34</hiero><ref> Mark Collier and Bill Manley, ''How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Revised Edition.'' (Berkeley: University of California, 1998, ISBN 0520239490), 23. </ref>  
 
|}
 
|}
 
The is no single definitive interpretation of the ankh [[symbol]] by [[Egyptology|Egyptologists]]. Unlike most Egyptian sacred images, the ankh did not represent a human-like god with the head of an [[animal]] or the disk of the [[Sun]], but a pure symbol of deity, the giver of life.
 
The is no single definitive interpretation of the ankh [[symbol]] by [[Egyptology|Egyptologists]]. Unlike most Egyptian sacred images, the ankh did not represent a human-like god with the head of an [[animal]] or the disk of the [[Sun]], but a pure symbol of deity, the giver of life.
 +
[[File:Ankh-Royal Ontario Museum.jpg|thumb|left|The ankh, during the reign of [[Hatshepsut]] (1508–1458 B.C.E.), from the [[Royal Ontario Museum]]]]
 +
Diverse theories for the origins of the ankh include the view propounded by [[E. A. Wallis Budge]] that the ankh might have originated as the belt-buckle of the mother goddess [[Isis]]. This hypothesis was supported 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 ''{{unicode|ʿnḫ}},'' although it may have been pronounced differently.<ref>Taylor Ray Ellison, [http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/ankh.htm The Ancient Ankh, Symbol of Life.] Retrieved June 28, 2007.</ref>
  
Diverse theories for the origins of the ankh include the view propounded by E. A. Wallis Budge that the ankh might have originated as the belt-buckle of the mother goddess [[Isis]]. This hypothesis was supported 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 ''{{unicode|ʿnḫ}},'' although it may have been pronounced differently.<ref>Ellison, Taylor Ray, [http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/ankh.htm The Ancient Ankh, Symbol of Life.] Retrieved June 28, 2007.</ref>
+
Still other theories include the notion that the ankh represents the sun crowning over the horizon and thus represents regeneration, re-growth, and renewal.<ref> Michael Poe, [http://www.sacred-texts.com/bos/bos446.htm Ancient Egyptian Metaphysics.] Retrieved June 28, 2007. </ref> The ankh does appear 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. 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."
 +
[[Image:Tut_cartouche_infofocalpoint.gif|210p|thumb|right|Tutankhamun's ''nomen'' (left) or birth name and ''praenomen'' or throne name.]]
 +
It is also believed to represent the path of the sun from east to west with the loop representing the [[Nile River]], a stylized person, or a combination of the male and female symbols of [[Osiris]] (the cross) and [[Isis]] (the oval), and therefore signifies the union of [[heaven]] and [[earth]]. Together these symbols reflect a continued existence.<ref> Christian Resource Center, [http://www.nisbett.com/symbols/ankh.htm Ankh.] Retrieved June 28, 2007. </ref> The ankh was almost never drawn in [[silver]] because the ankh is associated with the [[Sun]], and [[gold]] is the metal of the Sun.
  
Still other theories include the notion that the ankh represents the sun crowning over the horizon and thus represents regeneration, re-growth, and renewal.<ref>Poe, Michael, [http://www.sacred-texts.com/bos/bos446.htm Ancient Egyptian Metaphysics.] Retrieved June 28, 2007. </ref> It is also believed to represent the path of the sun from east to west with the loop representing the [[Nile River]], a stylized person, or a combination of the male and female symbols of [[Osiris]] (the cross) and [[Isis]] (the oval), and therefore signifies the union of [[heaven]] and [[earth]]. Together these symbols reflect a continued existence.<ref> Christian Resource Center, [http://www.nisbett.com/symbols/ankh.htm Ankh.] Retrieved June 28, 2007. </ref> The ankh is almost never drawn in [[silver]] because the ankh is associated with the [[Sun]], and [[gold]] is the metal of the Sun.
+
The ankh appeared in the name of King [[Tutankhamun]], meaning the "Living Image of Amun," who was Pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty (ruled 1333 B.C.E.–1324 B.C.E.).
 
 
The ankh appeared in the name of King [[Tutankhamun]], meaning the "Living Image of Amun," who was Pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty (ruled 1333 B.C.E.–1324 B.C.E.).  
 
 
 
<hiero><-i-t:n:ra-t:w:t-anx-></hiero> [[Image:Tut_hieroglyphic_meanings.GIF|250px]]
 
  
 
==Hermeticism==
 
==Hermeticism==
 
 
[[Hermeticism]] is a belief system that unifies many of the ankh's meanings and may have originated in Egypt. It is unclear whether the Hermetics created the ankh or simply added many meanings. Their concept of [[God]] was ''The All,'' who purportedly claimed: "''Onus,'' God, being male and female, beginning as life and light, gave birth, by the Word, to another ''Onus,'' the Creator of the world" (Salaman, 2000).  
 
[[Hermeticism]] is a belief system that unifies many of the ankh's meanings and may have originated in Egypt. It is unclear whether the Hermetics created the ankh or simply added many meanings. Their concept of [[God]] was ''The All,'' who purportedly claimed: "''Onus,'' God, being male and female, beginning as life and light, gave birth, by the Word, to another ''Onus,'' the Creator of the world" (Salaman, 2000).  
  
If the interpretation that the ankh suggests the joining of the [[masculine]] and [[feminine]] is correct, with the top opened up to look similar to a representation of the female genitals and the bottom shaft being a [[phallic]] symbol, then the rest may follow. If God is both male and female, the ankh is a symbol of [[hermaphrodites]] and can represent God. It also can be representing reproduction as both genitalia are pictured, with ''Onus'' having given birth.<ref> Allexperts.com, [http://en.allexperts.com/e/a/an/ankh.htm Ankh.] Retrieved June 28, 2007. </ref>
+
If the interpretation that the ankh suggests the joining of the [[masculine]] and [[feminine]] is correct, with the top opened up to look similar to a representation of the female genitals and the bottom shaft being a [[phallic]] symbol, then the rest may follow. If God is both male and female, the ankh is a symbol of [[hermaphrodites]] and can represent God. It also can be representing reproduction as both genitalia are pictured, with ''Onus'' having given birth.<ref name=allexperts> Allexperts.com, Ankh.</ref>
  
 
Similarly, the [[symbol]] ♀ was used to represent the [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] goddess [[Venus (goddess)|Venus]]. This symbol, known benignly as Venus's hand-mirror, is much more associated with a representation of the female womb. The same symbol is used in [[astrology]] to represent the planet [[Venus (planet)|Venus]], in [[alchemy]] to represent the element [[copper]], and in [[biology]] to identify the [[female]] [[Gender role|gender]].
 
Similarly, the [[symbol]] ♀ was used to represent the [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] goddess [[Venus (goddess)|Venus]]. This symbol, known benignly as Venus's hand-mirror, is much more associated with a representation of the female womb. The same symbol is used in [[astrology]] to represent the planet [[Venus (planet)|Venus]], in [[alchemy]] to represent the element [[copper]], and in [[biology]] to identify the [[female]] [[Gender role|gender]].
  
 
==The Ankh and the Cross==
 
==The Ankh and the Cross==
 +
The [[Christian]] [[cross]], which is today one of the most widely recognized symbols in the world, was not commonly used as a symbol during the first two and a half centuries after the death of [[Jesus]]. This was the case because the cross as a means of [[execution]] had been used by the [[Roman Empire]] for killing [[slavery|slave]]s and enemies of [[Rome]]. In [[Egypt]], however, the indigenous religious symbol containing a cross, the ankh, was a general symbol of a “primal” deity. The ankh became a way that the cross could be pictured without insult to the memory of Jesus. An example of the ankh in transition was discovered in the Fayaom Oasis region on a third century Christian bust, excavated in the 1960s.<ref> AllExperts.com, Christian Symbolism.</ref>
  
The Christian cross, which is today one of the most widely recognized symbols in the world, was not commonly used as a symbol during the first two and a half centuries after the death of [[Jesus]]. This was the case because the cross as a means of execution had been used by the [[Roman Empire]] for killing [[slavery|slave]]s and enemies of [[Rome]]. In Egypt, however, the indigenous religious symbol containing a cross, the ankh, was a general symbol of a “primal” deity. The ankh became a way that the cross could be pictured without insult to the memory of Jesus. An example of the ankh in transition was discovered in the Fayaom Oasis region on a third century [[Christian]] bust, excavated in the 1960s.<ref> AllExperts.com, [http://en.allexperts.com/e/c/ch/christian_symbolism.htm Christian Symbolism.] Retrieved June 28, 2007.</ref>
+
The ankh was gradually adopted by the fourth century [[Christian]] church in [[Egypt]], which eventually became the [[Coptic Christianity|Coptic church]]. It was used as a symbol of life after death.<ref> R. Kozodoy, “The Origin of Early Christian Book Illumination: The State of the Question.” ''Gesta,'' 10(2) (1971): 33-40.</ref>
  
The ankh was gradually adopted by the fourth century [[Christian]] church in [[Egypt]], which eventually became the [[Coptic Christianity|Coptic church]].
+
Elsewhere, the main Christian symbol at the time had been a stylized [[alpha (letter)|alpha]], resembling a [[fish]], and therefore known as [[Ichthys]], the [[Greek language|Greek]] word for “fish.” However, the new "more positive" symbol of a cross eventually spread throughout the Christianized Empire. The distinct circular or "gothic arch-like" upper part of the Ankh was kept well into [[medieval]] times. The Ankh symbol has often been used as a Christian [[talisman]].<ref name=allexperts/>  
 
 
Elsewhere, the main Christian symbol at the time had been a stylized [[alpha (letter)|alpha]], resembling a [[fish]], and therefore known as [[Ichthys]], the [[Greek language|Greek]] word for “fish.” However, the new "more positive" symbol of a cross eventually spread throughout the Christianized Empire. The distinct circular or "gothic arch-like" upper part of the Ankh was kept well into [[medieval]] times. The Ankh symbol has often been used as a Christian [[talisman]].<ref> AllExperts.com, [http://en.allexperts.com/e/a/an/ankh.htm Ankh.] Retrieved June 28, 2007.</ref>
 
  
 
==The Ankh in Modern Culture==
 
==The Ankh in Modern Culture==
 +
The ankh is one of the best and most widely known symbols of ancient Egypt and it is often used as the graphic synonym for this ancient culture. Due to this context, as well as due to the fact that many pictures of Egyptian gods and goddesses contained the symbol ankh in their hands, this symbol was adopted as a symbol of modern religion called [[Kemetism]] (or Egyptian Neopaganism), the contemporary revival of Ancient Egyptian religion emerging from the 1970s onwards.
  
The ankh is widely employed in modern American [[pop culture]] as a device to communicate spiritual, as opposed to religious, beliefs.  
+
Many neo-pagan, [[New Age]], and [[pagan]] sects wear the ankh as a symbol of power and wisdom or to show that they honor the Egyptian pantheon. It is commonly seen in [[jewelry]] such as rings and necklaces, and despite its earlier uses it is cast in [[silver]] rather than gold or copper.
  
[[Hippie]]s of the 1960s and 1970s wore it as a life-affirming sign indicating their disdain for materialism.
+
[[Hippie]]s of the 1960s and 1970s wore it as a life-affirming sign indicating their disdain for [[materialism]].
  
In Gothic subculture the ankh is a symbol associated with [[vampire]]s.<ref> Smith, Alicia Porter, [http://www.gothicsubculture.com/ A Study of Gothic Subculture—An Inside Look for Outsiders.] Retrieved June 28, 2007. </ref> Jhonen Vasquez is known to have used the symbol in mockery of the gothic subculture of today in his work ''Johnny the Homicidal Maniac.'' The ankh was worn by David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve as a gold pendant, the bottom part concealing a knife used for blood drinking, in the 1983 [[film]] ''The Hunger,'' based on Whitley Strieber's [[novel]] of the same title.
+
In Gothic subculture the ankh is a symbol associated with [[vampire]]s.<ref> Alicia Porter Smith, A Study of Gothic Subculture—An Inside Look for Outsiders.</ref> Jhonen Vasquez is known to have used the symbol in mockery of the gothic subculture of today in his work ''Johnny the Homicidal Maniac.'' The ankh was worn by [[David Bowie]] and [[Catherine Deneuve]] as a gold pendant, the bottom part concealing a knife used for blood drinking, in the 1983 [[film]] ''The Hunger,'' based on Whitley Strieber's [[novel]] of the same title.
  
[[Elvis Presley]] wore an ankh necklace during his concert documentary ''Elvis on Tour'' while wearing the Blue Nail Jumpsuit. He was also known to wear the Christian [[Cross]] and the Jewish Chai. He once remarked, "I don't want to miss out on [[Heaven]] because of a technicality."<ref>AllExperts.com, [http://en.allexperts.com/q/Presley-Elvis-562/presley-religion.htm Elvis Presley.] Retrieved June 28, 2007.</ref>
+
[[Elvis Presley]] wore an ankh necklace during his concert documentary ''Elvis on Tour'' while wearing the Blue Nail Jumpsuit. He was also known to wear the Christian [[Cross]] and the Jewish Chai. He once remarked, "I don't want to miss out on [[Heaven]] because of a technicality."<ref>AllExperts.com, Elvis Presley.</ref>
  
 
== Notes ==
 
== Notes ==
Line 57: Line 56:
 
==References==
 
==References==
  
* Amen, Nur Ankh. ''The Ankh: African Origin of Electromagnetism.'' New York: A&B Publishers Group. 1999. ISBN 1886433127
+
* Amen, Nur Ankh. ''The Ankh: African Origin of Electromagnetism.'' New York, NY: A&B Publishers Group. 1999. ISBN 1886433127
* Collier, Mark, and Manley, Bill. ''How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Revised Edition.'' Berkeley: University of California. 1998. ISBN 0520215974
+
* Collier, Mark, and Bill Manley. ''How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Revised Edition.'' Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1998. ISBN 0520215974
* Salaman, Clement, Van Oyen, Dorine, Wharton, William D., and Mahé, Jean-Pierre. ''The Way of Hermes: New Translations of the Corpus Heremticum and the Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius Rochester.'' Inner Traditions. 2000. ISBN 0715630938
+
* Salaman, Clement, Dorine Van Oyen, William D. Wharton, and Jean-Pierre Mahé. ''The Way of Hermes: New Translations of the Corpus Heremticum and the Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius Rochester.'' Inner Traditions, 2000. ISBN 0715630938
* Three Initiates. ''The Kybalion: A Study of the Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and Greece.'' Chicago: Yogi Publication. 1912. ISBN 0911662251
+
* Three Initiates. ''The Kybalion: A Study of the Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and Greece.'' Chicago, IL: Yogi Publication, 1912. ISBN 0911662251
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
All links retrieved October 13, 2012.
+
All links retrieved July 27, 2023.  
 +
 
 
* [http://www.holoweb.net/~liam/pictures/ankh/ankh.html Some notes about the ankh symbol]  
 
* [http://www.holoweb.net/~liam/pictures/ankh/ankh.html Some notes about the ankh symbol]  
 
* [http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/ankh.htm The Ancient Ankh, Symbol of Life]
 
* [http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/ankh.htm The Ancient Ankh, Symbol of Life]

Latest revision as of 06:39, 28 July 2023

The ankh symbol

The ankh is the Egyptian hieroglyphic character that means life or living. Ancient Egyptian gods are often portrayed carrying it by its loop, or bearing one in each hand with their arms crossed over their chest. It is also known as the Egyptian Cross, or as crux ansata, Latin for "cross with a handle."

The ankh appears frequently in Egyptian tomb paintings and other art, often representing deities of the afterlife. An ankh 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.

Over time the ankh has come to symbolize life and immortality. In Egyptian art, gods were sometimes portrayed touching a mortal with an ankh, symbolizing conception, or conferring the gift of life on a dead person's mummy. Its key-like shape encourages the belief that it unlocks the gates of death, and it is viewed this way by the modern Rosicrucians and other hermetic orders. Coptic Christians have used it as a symbol of life after death.

Origins and Etymology

Ankh
in hieroglyphs
S34n
Aa1
orS34
[1]

The is no single definitive interpretation of the ankh symbol by Egyptologists. Unlike most Egyptian sacred images, the ankh did not represent a human-like god with the head of an animal or the disk of the Sun, but a pure symbol of deity, the giver of life.

The ankh, during the reign of Hatshepsut (1508–1458 B.C.E.), from the Royal Ontario Museum

Diverse theories for the origins of the ankh include the view propounded by E. A. Wallis Budge that the ankh might have originated as the belt-buckle of the mother goddess Isis. This hypothesis was supported 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.[2]

Still other theories include the notion that the ankh represents the sun crowning over the horizon and thus represents regeneration, re-growth, and renewal.[3] The ankh does appear 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. 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."

Tutankhamun's nomen (left) or birth name and praenomen or throne name.

It is also believed to represent the path of the sun from east to west with the loop representing the Nile River, a stylized person, or a combination of the male and female symbols of Osiris (the cross) and Isis (the oval), and therefore signifies the union of heaven and earth. Together these symbols reflect a continued existence.[4] The ankh was almost never drawn in silver because the ankh is associated with the Sun, and gold is the metal of the Sun.

The ankh appeared in the name of King Tutankhamun, meaning the "Living Image of Amun," who was Pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty (ruled 1333 B.C.E.–1324 B.C.E.).

Hermeticism

Hermeticism is a belief system that unifies many of the ankh's meanings and may have originated in Egypt. It is unclear whether the Hermetics created the ankh or simply added many meanings. Their concept of God was The All, who purportedly claimed: "Onus, God, being male and female, beginning as life and light, gave birth, by the Word, to another Onus, the Creator of the world" (Salaman, 2000).

If the interpretation that the ankh suggests the joining of the masculine and feminine is correct, with the top opened up to look similar to a representation of the female genitals and the bottom shaft being a phallic symbol, then the rest may follow. If God is both male and female, the ankh is a symbol of hermaphrodites and can represent God. It also can be representing reproduction as both genitalia are pictured, with Onus having given birth.[5]

Similarly, the symbol ♀ was used to represent the Roman goddess Venus. This symbol, known benignly as Venus's hand-mirror, is much more associated with a representation of the female womb. The same symbol is used in astrology to represent the planet Venus, in alchemy to represent the element copper, and in biology to identify the female gender.

The Ankh and the Cross

The Christian cross, which is today one of the most widely recognized symbols in the world, was not commonly used as a symbol during the first two and a half centuries after the death of Jesus. This was the case because the cross as a means of execution had been used by the Roman Empire for killing slaves and enemies of Rome. In Egypt, however, the indigenous religious symbol containing a cross, the ankh, was a general symbol of a “primal” deity. The ankh became a way that the cross could be pictured without insult to the memory of Jesus. An example of the ankh in transition was discovered in the Fayaom Oasis region on a third century Christian bust, excavated in the 1960s.[6]

The ankh was gradually adopted by the fourth century Christian church in Egypt, which eventually became the Coptic church. It was used as a symbol of life after death.[7]

Elsewhere, the main Christian symbol at the time had been a stylized alpha, resembling a fish, and therefore known as Ichthys, the Greek word for “fish.” However, the new "more positive" symbol of a cross eventually spread throughout the Christianized Empire. The distinct circular or "gothic arch-like" upper part of the Ankh was kept well into medieval times. The Ankh symbol has often been used as a Christian talisman.[5]

The Ankh in Modern Culture

The ankh is one of the best and most widely known symbols of ancient Egypt and it is often used as the graphic synonym for this ancient culture. Due to this context, as well as due to the fact that many pictures of Egyptian gods and goddesses contained the symbol ankh in their hands, this symbol was adopted as a symbol of modern religion called Kemetism (or Egyptian Neopaganism), the contemporary revival of Ancient Egyptian religion emerging from the 1970s onwards.

Many neo-pagan, New Age, and pagan sects wear the ankh as a symbol of power and wisdom or to show that they honor the Egyptian pantheon. It is commonly seen in jewelry such as rings and necklaces, and despite its earlier uses it is cast in silver rather than gold or copper.

Hippies of the 1960s and 1970s wore it as a life-affirming sign indicating their disdain for materialism.

In Gothic subculture the ankh is a symbol associated with vampires.[8] Jhonen Vasquez is known to have used the symbol in mockery of the gothic subculture of today in his work Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. The ankh was worn by David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve as a gold pendant, the bottom part concealing a knife used for blood drinking, in the 1983 film The Hunger, based on Whitley Strieber's novel of the same title.

Elvis Presley wore an ankh necklace during his concert documentary Elvis on Tour while wearing the Blue Nail Jumpsuit. He was also known to wear the Christian Cross and the Jewish Chai. He once remarked, "I don't want to miss out on Heaven because of a technicality."[9]

Notes

  1. Mark Collier and Bill Manley, How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Revised Edition. (Berkeley: University of California, 1998, ISBN 0520239490), 23.
  2. Taylor Ray Ellison, The Ancient Ankh, Symbol of Life. Retrieved June 28, 2007.
  3. Michael Poe, Ancient Egyptian Metaphysics. Retrieved June 28, 2007.
  4. Christian Resource Center, Ankh. Retrieved June 28, 2007.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Allexperts.com, Ankh.
  6. AllExperts.com, Christian Symbolism.
  7. R. Kozodoy, “The Origin of Early Christian Book Illumination: The State of the Question.” Gesta, 10(2) (1971): 33-40.
  8. Alicia Porter Smith, A Study of Gothic Subculture—An Inside Look for Outsiders.
  9. AllExperts.com, Elvis Presley.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Amen, Nur Ankh. The Ankh: African Origin of Electromagnetism. New York, NY: A&B Publishers Group. 1999. ISBN 1886433127
  • Collier, Mark, and Bill Manley. How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Revised Edition. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1998. ISBN 0520215974
  • Salaman, Clement, Dorine Van Oyen, William D. Wharton, and Jean-Pierre Mahé. The Way of Hermes: New Translations of the Corpus Heremticum and the Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius Rochester. Inner Traditions, 2000. ISBN 0715630938
  • Three Initiates. The Kybalion: A Study of the Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and Greece. Chicago, IL: Yogi Publication, 1912. ISBN 0911662251

External links

All links retrieved July 27, 2023.

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