The Ankh
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The ankh is a tau cross with a loop at the top, known in Latin as a crux ansata ("handle-shaped cross").
It is the Egyptian hieroglypic symbol for life, health, and happiness. Egyptian gods are often portrayed
carrying it by its loop, or bearing one in each hand, arms crossed over their chest.
The Ankh represents the unity of the male and the female, which is the basis for eternal life.
The upper oval represents the womb of the woman, and the lower vertical line represents the sexual organ of the male.
The ankh is also a sign of fertility.
The ankh is now used as an attribute or sacred emblem, symbolizing generation or enduring life.
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Over time, the ankh has come to symbolize life and immortality, the universe, power and life giving air and water.
Its key-like 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. The design for the pin symbolizing membership in Wolf's Head Society, Yale University, sets
a wolf's head on an inverted ankh.
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.
Origins:
There are numerous theories as to the origin of the Ankh. Theories include:
The Ankh represents the sun crowning over the horizon.
The Ankh represents the path of the sun from east to west (with the loop representing the Nile).
The Ankh represents a stylized person, or 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.
Time Line:
The origins of Egyptian Hieroglyphs can be traced to approximately 3800 BC.
Associated Subjects:
A similar symbol was used to represent the Roman goddess Venus. This symbol, known benignly as Venus' 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 sex.
SEE: Astrological Symbols
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