Many people want to learn more about ancient Egyptian symbols, their meanings, and how they linked to their ancient Egyptian gods.
This article has compiled some of the most well-known symbols and meanings the ancient Egyptians used daily.
Egypt is one of the most advanced places to live in the ancient world.
They devised a complicated system of hieroglyphs that they could use to write and talk.
In many different places, these symbols are used to show what they mean.
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The Purpose of Ancient Egyptian Symbols
Many things in Ancient Egypt wrote in hieroglyphs, a language of the ancient Egyptians.
These symbols can be found all over, like temples and tombs.
The Egyptians used these symbols to show concepts, ideas, and emotions.
Ancient Egyptians thought that death was a part of life.
They thought that it was essential for people to die to be born again.
The Egyptians created symbols to show this process of death and rebirth.
A lot of old Egyptian things and buildings have these symbols on them.
These symbols are used on tombs, coffins, and other things to show eternal life and resurrection, for example,
- The hieroglyph for “to live” is a picture of a heart with an air symbol.
- The hieroglyph for “to die” is a picture of a skull with two crossed bones.
- The Ankh is one of the most well-known symbols in ancient Egypt and has many meanings. It represents eternal life, fertility, and protection from evil spirits.
So, for those wondering what Egyptian symbols and their names are?
Top Ancient Egyptian Symbols and Their Meanings:
1- Ankh Symbol – Represents Life & Immortality.
The Ankh represents life and immortality as the most widely used ancient Egyptian symbol.
To symbolize the union between men and women. Osiris and Isis’s coalition believed to flood the Nile River, bringing fertility to Egypt. The Ankh is also known as the Key of the Nile.
The ankh symbol associated with clairvoyance made the Ankh a potent symbol in ancient Egypt.
This symbol paint sometimes on the temple walls as divine protection.
2- Eye of Hours – Egyptian Symbol of Protection & Health
It’s one of the Egyptian protection symbols. Protective and good health are all associated with the Eye of Horus symbol and also referred to as the moon’s symbol.
The eyes of Horus amulets thought to have healing powers in ancient Egypt. Measuring ingredients in medicine preparation is done using the Eye of Horus.
Horus and Seth were fighting over who would succeed Osiris as king after his death. Seth allegedly attacked Horus in the left eye with a splinter.
Hator (or Toth) used magic to heal the eye, but Seth gave it to his father, Osiris, to bring him back to life. Hence, a sacrifice is a common connotation associated with Horus’ Eye of Horus.
Eye of Horus is the inspiration for the Eye of Providence (the all-seeing Masonic eye) on US dollar bills.
3- Eye of Ra – Ancient Egyptian Symbol of Sun
The Eye of Ra symbol is a subject of debate. Most experts believe that the ancient Egyptians used this symbol to represent the right eye of Horus, which they called the Eye of Ra.
The concepts represented by the two symbols were primarily the same.
The Eye of Ra symbol has associated with a variety of Egyptian goddesses. Various myths include Wadjet, Hathor, Mut, Sekhmet, and Bastet.
In Egyptian mythology, Ra or Re is the god of the Sun. So the Eye of Ra represents the Sun.
4- Ouroboros – Represents Cycle of the Life & Rebirth
One of the Sun’s symbols in Egyptian mythology is the Ouroboros snake. It’s represented the journeys of Aten, the sun disc. The serpent Ouroboros symbolizes rebirth, a new beginning, and an eternal cycle.
Atum, the first god, born from the primordial Nun (the water from which all creation sprang), is depicted as a serpent eating its tail. Atum taken from these waters as a serpent that renewed each morning.
Phoenicians and Greeks shared the Ouroboros symbol, which used by the Egyptians. The Greeks gave the symbol its name, the Ouroboros.
5- Amenta – Represents the Land of the Dead
Egyptian mythology depicts the land of the dead as Amenta (the earthly world). Amenta used to represent the horizon, precisely the sunsets point.
The western bank of the Nile, where the Egyptians interred their dead, came to symbolize this area over time. As a result, it thought that amenta became associated with the Underworld because of this.
6- Scarab Symbol – Represents Transformation
Ancient Egyptians revered the Egyptian Scarab beetle as a sacred symbol. The Sun, rebirth, resurrection, and Transformation are all represented by the dung beetle, also known as the dung beetle.
The ancient Egyptians believed dung beetles rolling balls meant re-creating the world.
In reality, they mistook the sand-dwelling eggs of female dung beetles for their food supply. These beetles “created life out of nothing,” they believed.
7- Djed Pillar – Represents Strength & Stability
Known as “the backbone of Osiris,” the Djed Pillar is one of the ancient Egyptian symbols of strength and stability in the ancient Egyptian culture.
Osiris, god of the Underworld and death, and Ptah, god of creation, are among the gods it is associated with.
It known initially as the Ptah symbol, but the cult of Osiris eventually adopted the Djed symbol. That’s how the name “the backbone of Osiris” started.
Historically, the ancient Egyptians regarded Pillar Djed as a composite of the four earthly pillars.
8- Tyet – Represents Feminism
Tiet or Tyet is an Egyptian symbol that resembles the ankh symbol, and it is also known as the Knot of Isis and the Blood of Isis.
Its symbolism has also compared to that of the Ankh, and it meant to represent life.
It associated with Isis and the Ankh and Djed pillar of Osiris because they represent the dual nature of existence.
The Blood of Isis termed such because it mirrored Isis’ menstrual blood and conferred supernatural qualities.
9- Ka Symbol or Spirit of Ka – Represents the Soul
The hieroglyphic symbol for Ka is one of the most intricate ever devised by the Egyptians.
It is because it symbolized three distinct spiritual ideas.
Ka is the symbol of acquiring life from other men and gods and the source of these powers.
The word “ka” means “spirit” or “soul” and thought to represent the souls of Heket and Meskhenet.
Every human creature has a spiritual twin, and Ka is one of them.
When that individual died, his life ended, and he continued to exist for as long as he had somewhere to call home.
While his body is still there, this may be true. That a significant factor in the ancient Egyptian practice of embalming the deceased.
A person’s chance at everlasting life thought to be lost if his body decayed and killed his ka.
10- Ba – Represents Physical Soul & Rebirth
The symbol of Ba is a bird (particularly a hawk) with a human head leaving or entering a tomb.
A better translation of “Ba” is “spiritual manifestation.” Because in Egyptian religion, Ba is a part of the soul.
Ba regarded item uniqueness as a distinctive characteristic. It, for want of a better name, describes “personality.” According to this belief, even inanimate objects possess Ba.
According to the Coffin Texts, Ba is generated after death when Ka, the essence of life, joins Ba. Others believed Ba existed before the end and had survived.
11- Feather of Maat – Represents Justice & Truth
A frequent hieroglyphic symbol is the Maat feather or Ma’at feather.
The goddess Maat represented justice in Egyptian culture, and the Ma’at pen used to “ensure justice” in ancient writings.
Due to the belief that a person’s soul would assessed when it reached the Hall of Two Truths.
Aaru would accept him if he had a heart that weighed this or less (paradise ruled by Osiris).
If he didn’t, Ammit, the goddess who ate souls, would consume his heart and send him to the Underworld.
12- Deshret – Represents Lower Egypt
Deshret, the Red Crown of Egypt, is the sign of Lower Egypt, the territories of the goddess Wadjet.
As a symbol of Kemet, the affluent areas inside Seth’s domain, it is also employed in several cultures today.
13- Hedjet – Represents the Kingdom of Upper Egypt
Hedjet, the White Crown, one of Egypt’s two royal crowns, represented the kingdom of Upper Egypt. Hedjet the White Crown one of the two royal crowns of Egypt.
When Egypt united, the Pschent, or Double Crown of Egypt, formed by merging the Red Crown of Lower Egypt with the White Crown of Upper Egypt.
14- Pschent – Represents Unity of Egypt
Pschent, or Double Crown of Egypt, formed by merging the Red Crown of Lower Egypt with the White Crown of Upper Egypt.
It symbolized the unification of Egypt and the Pharaoh’s complete sovereignty over the whole country of Egypt.
15- Shen – Represents Divinity & Protection
The Shen is a spiral circle representing a god. Mesopotamia and Egypt utilized it.
Initially used as a circle, and then as part of a cartouche.
It believed to signify divine protection. The person whose name engraved inside the Shin sign, especially the king, is protected by the heavens.
16- Uraeus – Represents the Power of Gods & Pharaohs
Uraeus is an ancient Egyptian symbol emblem represented by a rising snake. It symbolizes the relationship between gods and kings and gods and pharaohs.
It is possible to identify some of them by the Uraeus sign that they utilized.
As well as representing absolute authority and power, Uraeus represented the gods and the pharaohs.
This symbol believed to worn as an amulet to provide magical skills and protect the bearer from harm.
17- Seba – Represents Star-Gods or Constellations
Seba, the star emblem, represented the star-gods or constellations in ancient Egyptian culture.
In Egyptian mythology, the stars known as “followers of Osiris” and associated with deceased spirits in Duat, the Underworld. Inside the circle, the symbol represents the Seba Duat.
18- Hekha and Nekhakha – Represents the Power of Kingship
It symbolizes the state’s control over its people in ancient Egypt. The Crook “Hekha (HqA),” which is also an epithet of Osiris, means “to rule.”
The Flail (Nekhakha) is also a royal power emblem. Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson said that the Flail symbolized the king’s oppressive authority over his people.
19- Menat – Represents Prosperity, Fertility, and Fortune
Menat, who closely affiliated with Hathor and Ihy, his son, recognized as the goddess Hathor’s emblem. One of Hathor’s titles was “the Great Menat.”
Menat’s emblem symbolized life, fertility, birth, rebirth, power, and joy. The Egyptians wore this sign as an amulet hoping that it would bring them riches, fertility, and fortune.
20- Was Scepter – Represents Rule of the Gods
In ancient Egyptian society, the Uas or Was Scepter was a sign of authority. In other words, it represented divine authority and power over earthly force, as opposed to godly rule and strength.
Popular belief also assured the continuation of a king’s riches over the long term.
21- Primordial Hill – Represents Process of Creation
Ancient Egyptian writings depict the Primordial Hill sign, one of the earliest symbols still used today.
During the tumultuous creation process, the Egyptians thought this hill was responsible for land formation.
It is believed to have served as an inspiration for constructing the pyramids.
22- Khepresh – Represents Ceremonial & War
Known as the Blue Crown, it is a ceremonial crown of ancient Egypt that was often worn in war.
The 18th dynasty rulers wore it during wartime, earning it a “war crown.” The Pharaoh’s crown can often see in Ramses’ temples, such as Abydos.
23- Tree of Life – Represents Destiny & Eternal Life
Egyptian mythology and ritual firmly tied the Tree of Life with water.
It symbolized immortality and understanding of time cycles in ancient Egypt.
These two trees were considered to grow at the gates of heaven, where Ra was constantly present by the Egyptians and others as emblems of life.
The Tree of Life was at Heliopolis’ Temple of Ra, and it initially appeared during Ra Atum’s first visit to Heliopolis. Eating the fruit of the Tree of life ensured eternal life in Ished’s mythology.
Horus, the acacia god, one of the many gods, sprung from a single plant spread over the Nile Valley.
The Bennu Bird and the Djed have long been associated with the Tree of Life.
24- Ieb – Represents the Heart
This symbol symbolizes the heart. In Egypt, it is widely held that one’s heart is the source of one’s awareness and existence.
The expression “his heart broke apart” is often used to describe the death of a loved one. While embalming, the heart was the sole organ that remained intact.
A Maat feather was placed on one pane of a scale, and the heart was set on the other; if the scales were balanced, the holder was regarded worthy of joining Osiris in the afterlife.
It is according to the Book of the Dead. As a result, you may rest easy with a clear conscience.
25- Akhet – Represents Horizon of the Sun
This symbol represents the horizon where the Sun rises and sets. The horizon, therefore, represents sunrise and dusk.
The mountain sign “Djew” surrounds the Sun’s disc, while the lion god Aker protects the day’s start and finish.
Hermakhet (Horus on the Horizon) was the sun god during the New Kingdom.
This god’s Egyptian sphinx features a hawk-and-lion head; Giza’s Great Sphinx is one example.
26- Atef – Represents Egyptian deity Osiris
One of the many names given to Osiris’ feathery white crown is Atef.
Ostrich feathers on each side of the Hedjet, the white crown of the Upper Egyptians, give it a reddish hue.
The tiny curl and flare at the base of the highest ends of ostrich feathers may distinguish.
Maat wore a similar set of feathers, which were identical ones (singly).
27- Canopic Jars – Represents Mummification & Protection
The internal organs were removed and placed in four jars during mummification. These vessels often had lids with human or animal heads.
Canopic is the Greek name of the human-headed god of Canopus in the Nile Delta.
Canopic jars make limestone, alabaster, wood, pottery, and even cardboard.
The heads of the canopic jar belong to the Four Sons of Horus.
- Imsety; it would protect the jar in which they placed the human liver.
- Duamutef, the jackal or wild dog-headed jar, was the stomach guardian.
- Qebehsennuef, the jar of this god symbolized by the falcon bird, was the guardian of the intestine.
- Hapi, the monkey-headed Nile god, symbolizes the jar in which the lung is placed.
28- Sesen – Represents Sun, Rebirth & Creation
The lotus flower, which symbolized Upper Egypt, is now extinct. Also, it represents the Sun, rebirth, and creation.
As a result, this flower, which lies dormant throughout the day, re-emerges at dawn.
According to a belief, there was once a gigantic lotus sprouting out of the muck at the beginning of time. The Sun has risen on the first day of this massive lotus.
29- Sistrum – Represents Music & Good Luck
The Sistrum – a holy percussion instrument associated with the Hathor cult played on a drum.
It had a wooden or metal frame with loose metal strips and discs that generated noise. This uproar was thought to attract the gods’ notice.
30- Winged Sun Disc – Represents Solar Power & Eternity
The god Horus took a model in his battle with Seth. God Thoth uses his magic to transform Horus into a magnificently extended-winged sun disk.
Goddesses Nekhbet and Wadjet, as Uraeus (cobra) snakes, also participate in this battle alongside him.
Know more about the Secrets of Ancient Egyptian Symbols.
Relationship between Ancient Egyptian Symbols and Gods
The Ancient Egyptians had a lot of symbols in their lives.
They used symbols to show how they thought about their gods and what they did.
The Eye of Ra, the Ankh, and other symbols are still used today because of their importance.
It is a picture of the sun god Ra’s powerful eye. The Eye of Ra shows this picture.
They often drew it on the walls of temples and tombs to keep them safe from evil spirits like the devil.
In Ancient Egypt, the Ankh was a symbol of life, but it could also signify fertility or eternal life.
As we have already said, religion was a big part of people’s everyday lives in ancient Egypt.
The gods are present at birth, life, and death and continue to nurture the soul in the afterlife.
In an illiterate society like ancient Egypt, symbols were vital in passing down cultural norms from generation to generation.
The peasant couldn’t read Egyptian art, literature, poetry, or songs but could read an obelisk or a relief on a temple wall by the symbols employed.
Thus, each Egyptian amulet had a meaning that revealed the gods’ histories and symbols.
→ Read our article about Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses and their Powers.
Finally, the Egyptians, their history in ancient times, and their myths are some of the most influential cultures in the world.
