Egyptian Symbols and Their Meanings

There are many Egyptian symbols which derive their meaning from natural phenomenon or things found in nature. Mysteries associated with these symbols make them an interesting topic of study. Here are a few Egyptian symbols presented with their respective meanings.

Ancient Egyptian Symbols and their Meanings

The ancient Egyptian symbols have influenced the culture of this country to a great extent. These symbols have also led to the development of different belief systems. Facts on different Egyptian symbols can be found in this article.

Ankh
One of the Egyptian symbols, Ankh is generally seen in the hands of Egyptian gods and denotes eternal life. These gods are portrayed as holding the Ankh to somebody's lips. Meaning of such images is explained as follows: the gods offer 'The Breath of Life' which is needed in the afterlife.

Ba
The symbol, Ba is used in reference with personality. As per Egyptian beliefs, Ba leaves the body when a person dies. It returns to the tomb of the deceased, every night. The Egyptian people used mummies and statues to house the Ba, which returns at night.

Amenta
Meaning of the symbol, Amenta underwent changes with time. Earlier, the Amenta symbol was used to refer to the Land of Dead or Underworld. Later, the term was used for horizon of sunset. The sunset observed from the west bank of Nile and burial of dead at the same place led to the symbol being associated with west bank itself.

Shenu
The Shenu symbol, also known as cartouche is depicted by a loop which encloses a name. The loop is said to be the protector of name written inside.

Primordial Hill
The primordial hill symbol is similar to pyramids in its appearance. It is believed that the primordial hill emerged from the Sea of Chaos at the time of creation. The primordial hill symbol has been the source of inspiration behind the creation of pyramids and temples in Egypt.

Eye of Horus
Amongst the different Egyptian symbols, eye of Horus is associated with royal power and protection. The symbol personifies Wadjet, the Egyptian goddess, also known as Edjo, Uadjet and Uto.

Scarab
The scarab symbol is represented by a dung beetle. This Egyptian beetle-symbol has the following story behind it. Dung beetles roll the eggs laid by female beetles and bury them in the soil. Young beetles come out of soil and it appears that they have emerged from nowhere. This made scarab, the symbol of spontaneous creation.

Ouroboros
The Ouroboros is a sign/symbol of totality. It is represented by the picture of a snake that is swallowing its own tail. The Egyptian symbol of life is depicted by the same picture/image. The concept of 'life' as per Egyptian beliefs incorporates birth, death and rebirth. The Egyptian symbol of death too, is represented by the image of snake.

Egyptian Love Symbols
There is no single image/picture to depict the Egyptian symbol of love. The throne of king, Tut Ank Amun is said to be one of the Egyptian symbols of love. On few instances, lotus also is considered to be the symbol of love.

The ancient Egyptian symbols have always been a matter of interest among historians. These signs and symbols reflect the culture of ancient Egypt and open a whole new world of belief and mythology. The hieroglyphs of Egyptian writing system should be studied to get into the depth of Egyptian symbols.

Hope these Egyptian symbols and their meanings presented in the article above, make you familiar with various symbols of ancient Egypt. One can learn a lot about ancient Egypt through these interesting symbols, by studying them further.