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CHW3M
Ancient Egypt
An Amulet fit for a Pharaoh
Task: Creating an amulet for a Pharaoh
-Each group will make an amulet for their Pharaoh.
-You have been acquisitioned by the Pharaoh’s head assistant to
create an amulet for him/her to be buried with in their tomb. Since
the after life is so important to ancient Egyptians you need to
create an amulet that will keep your Pharaoh safe and bring them
good will in the after life.
-Use the information sheets on Pharaohs and amulets to create an
amulet that is well suited to the characteristic of your pharaoh.
Make sure to use design elements which depict life in ancient
Egypt during the life time of your Pharaoh.
-Each group must also submit a paragraph explaining how your
amulet is suited to the characteristics of your Pharaoh and what
elements depict life in ancient Egypt during the life time of your
Pharaoh.
-Have fun!
To get a 4: Paragraph is error free and written professionally,
creativity is definitely there, characteristics of Pharaoh and Ancient
Egyptian life have been researched and are portrayed.
Bibliography included.
THE CHARM OF THE AMULET
Do you believe in amuletic magic? No? Chances are that you do, without even realizing
it. That special T-shirt the you wear playing basketball to guarantee a win for your
team; the lucky silver dollar you never leave home without – these are modern
examples of the power of the amulet, which can be any object that you believe carries
an aura of magic, or luck, with it. Egyptians believed so strongly in the healing and
protective power of the amulet that they sought its protection not only during life, but
also in the afterlife, as is evidenced by burials dating back to pre-dynastic times. In fact,
amuletic magic was so important to the protection of the deceased that either duplicate
amulets or amulets that served the same purpose were sometimes included in burials so
that if the primary amulet didn’t work properly, the secondary amulet would take over.
Hidden malevolent forces were everywhere in ancient Egypt. They could take the form
of poisonous snakes, scorpions, disease, floods or almost any natural disaster, illness, or
tangible foe. To combat and protect themselves against these forces, ancient Egyptians
wore amulets, or charms, around their necks, ankles, wrists, or anywhere else on their
bodies. As Egyptians also used jewelry to draw attention to the more attractive aspects
of their bodies as well as to camouflage less attractive areas, amuletic jewelry could
serve a double purpose.
In any case, amulets were worn from infancy through death. As stated in, Breaking the
Color Code, the gemstones used to create the amulets were as important as the shapes
or images carved upon them. The power of the gem coupled with the symbolism on the
amulet served as powerful protection against harm and evil both on earth and in the
afterlife. In order to give an amulet its power, it had to be made and dedicated in
strict accordance with the instructions written in the Book of the Dead. Only then,
would the appropriate god’s spirit live within and energize the amulet. This now sacred
object would have to be treated with respect in order for the god to continue bestowing
his blessings upon the wearer.
The Scarab amulet was one of several amulets dedicated to the Sun God Ra, and was
one of the most important of over thirty funerary amulets. The Scarab was a stylized
depiction of the dung beetle, which ancient Egyptians used to illustrate life-giving
powers. The dung beetle was chosen for this honor because after it laid its egg in animal
dung and rolled it into a ball, it then pushed the ball into the sun so that the sun’s heat
hatched the egg. Thus, the important connection with the life-giving powers of the sun
was recognized. In addition, the Scarab was known as the "protector of the heart", so
this amulet was placed in the mummy’s heart cavity while a priest read an appropriate
dedication from the Book of the Dead. During life, Egyptians carried the Scarab amulet
to protect their hearts and give them long lives.
Three of the first Egyptian gods, often referred to as the Egyptian trinity, were Osiris,
Isis, and Horus, and the amulets associated with them are the Djet, the Knot of Isis, and
the Wedjat, or Eye of Horus, respectively. The Djet was used to cure or protect the
wearer against injury to the back in general and to protect the spine. When used as a
royal funerary amulet, it guaranteed that Osiris’ spirit would accompany the pharaoh’s
soul to the underworld, and he would then be reborn with a strong spine. The Djet can
be recognized in its two forms: That of a square column topped by four cross pieces
(older version) which was a stylized symbol of the tree that hid Osiris’ body after it was
retrieved from the Nile; and that of a short "T" shaped cross, a stylized symbol of a
bone from Osiris’ spine.
The Knot of Isis was a stylized representation of the genitals of Isis and was always
made of red stone. Almost every woman carried this amulet in order to be granted all of
Isis’s wisdom and knowledge. When Isis was shown clutching the Papyrus Scepter
(described below), the amulet would contain a green stone and served as a fertility
charm.
The Eye of Horus consisted of an image of either the left or right eye and eyebrow,
along with a stylized beard, the symbol of divine kingship. This powerful funerary
amulet assured the person that in his next life, he would defeat his enemies just like
Horus triumphed over his uncle Set. Although the Eye of Horus was originally
constructed of many different materials from wood to gemstones, eventually a latter
chapter in the Book of the Dead stated that it must be made from lapis lazuli.
Papyrus plants grew abundantly in ancient Egypt; therefore, they symbolized fertility
and life. As an amulet, it was called either the Papyrus Scepter or Papyrus Wand,
shaped like a papyrus shoot, and when used as a funerary amulet, it assured the
deceased of great fertility in the next life.
During the New Kingdom, a funerary amulet called the Collar of Gold was added to the
Book of the Dead. The Collar, a stunning necklace of which most people have seen
illustrations, was made from small oblong gold plates strung together. In larger, more
ornate pieces usually worn by royalty, there could be several rows of plates, sometimes
alternating between gold and lapis lazuli. Originally, the Collar’s purpose was to enable
the mummy to break free of his bandages during resurrection, but eventually its purpose
changed to that of protecting the throat from accidental harm and infection. Perhaps it
was because of the Collar’s beauty that it also became a very popular amulet among the
living.
Not many of the amulets in ancient Egypt were considered as simply "good luck"
charms, but the Nefer, which was made of gold, promised to bring the deceased
boundless happiness in the afterlife. For the living, it was carried to assure good luck
and happiness, and it became a very popular amulet. Even as a hieroglyph, the Nefer
symbol meant "joy", and as such, it was incorporated into many girls’ names, i.e.
Nefertiti and Nefertari.
During the period of the 11th to 22nd Dynasties, some major changes took place in
Egypt regarding the standard traditions of amuletic magic. These changes, brought
about by the Rekh-Khetu, or temple wise men, also changed amuletic traditions in
civilizations all over the world. The first change was that the lengthy consecration ritual
that priests normally performed on amulets carried by the living was now considered
unnecessary. During the original consecration ritual, the appropriate chapter from the
Book of the Dead was read, but according to this new decree, the amulet only needed to
be inscribed with the chapter number or the first line of the prayer. However, the
original consecration ritual was still performed on funerary amulets, which the temple
wise men claimed doubled the amulets’ powers.
The next modification in amuletic tradition was the declaration that a drawing of an
amulet or any sacred symbol contained the identical power as the actual amulet. A very
specific procedure had to be followed in order to accomplish this task, most of which
dealt with the mental and physical purity of the scribe as well as the purity of the tools
he used. There was even a specific formula created to make the ink used on these
drawings, which were done on papyrus, clay tablets, parchment, and stone. The details
of this entire process were covered in new chapters added to the Book of the Dead.
With these and other new changes, the purposes fulfilled by amulets grew, as did the
number of amulets. No longer were amulets simply to protect the deceased and keep the
living safe from illness and accidents, but new amulets were created to fulfill almost
any wish, even for tangible goods.
These are only a few examples of the amulets used in ancient Egypt. Just as there were
many major and minor gods, there were also quite a few amulets dedicated to each god.
Some symbols differ only subtly; for example, the principal symbol for the powerful
god Amun was a ram with curved horns, yet the symbol for the minor god Khnum was
a ram with wavy horns. With so many gods and even more amulets, it’s no wonder that
the manufacture of amulets in ancient Egypt became a major industry.
Amuletic magic and symbolism sheds a good deal of light on the overall societal beliefs
and concepts of ancient Egyptians, and it is a fascinating part of the culture. So, put
down that rabbit’s foot just long enough to delve a little deeper!
Source: http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/amulets.htm