AMULETS

ANCIENT EGYPT

Amulets were believed to have magical powers which could prevent or keep away evil influences. They were worn around the neck, threaded on a necklace or simple string, in order to protect the wearer from illness, danger and the enemy or to bring good luck; but they were also placed in great numbers amongst the wrappings of mummies, in precise positions to protect each part of the body by reciting special formulae contained in the so called “Book of the Dead”.
Amulets were made from glazed siliceous paste (faïence), bones and stones as well as from precious materials which added ornamental value to the magical and protective functions and the symbolic meaning.
275 types of Egyptian amulets are known which reproduce in miniature the figures of divinities, animals and divine objects and symbols.
The gods most often represented were those linked with magic and the superstitions of popular religion.
The most common, since it was considered to be the most effective in protecting physical wellbeing, was the amulet which represented the ugiat, the eye of Horus, son of Osiris and Isis.
The goddesses Bastit, Sekhmet e Tueris, represented as a cat, a lioness and a hippopotamus respectively, guaranteed their intervention in specific circumstances and kept the evil spirits at bay.
Grotesque and monstrous beings like Bes or Ptah-pateco were a sure defence against demons and protected the household and nocturnal slumber.
The pillar (djed), the column shaped like a papyrus (wadi) and the double feather were symbols of solidity, regeneration and royalty.
The scarab was considered to be the emblem of the god Khepre. the expression of the rising sun and a portent of good fortune.
It also often had the function of a seal due to the incisions on the flat inner face of symbols and inscriptions with magical –religious significance or particular signs to identify their owner.

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