A religious symbol of ancient Egypt, an emblem of immortality and eternity, the Egyptian cross of life is a talisman shrouded in mystery. From antiquity to the present day, it continues to fascinate and captivate with its mystical and spiritual side.
SYMBOLISM OF THE EGYPTIAN CROSS
Also known as the "ankh cross" or "handled cross," the Egyptian cross symbolizes the divine gift of eternal life. It was the attribute of the gods of Ancient Egypt, most often associated with the goddess Isis. Also known as the "cross of life," it is the symbol of eternal life and immortality. The ultimate gift of life, it represents both existence on earth and life after death. The pharaoh used it to represent and assert his power. It was worn as a protective amulet by the Egyptians.
There are many hypotheses explaining its shape. For example, it could be the strap of a sandal or the vertebra of an ox. Others advocate a stylized representation of the Nile, a source of life for the Egyptian people, with the river (lower part of the cross) and its delta (loop).
A theory often recurs, claiming that the ankh symbolizes the union of the feminine (oval part for the vagina or uterus) and the masculine (vertical line for the phallic shape), thus giving rise to the creation of life, woman and man in perfect harmony. The outstretched arms represent the children created by the unification of the two sexes.
As with the Latin cross, the vertical axis could also symbolize the divine dimension and the horizontal axis the physical axis.
From a spiritual point of view, the ankh represents the key to all hidden knowledge, the key to solving the mysteries of life and death. The loop symbolizes the eternal soul because it has neither beginning nor end, the cross represents death.
The meaning of the Egyptian cross also seems to differ according to its color. Gold or yellow represents the South, shiny silver represents life on earth, oxidized silver represents the West and the realm of the dead, blue represents deities and the sky, green represents the green Nile and the North.
The early Coptic Christians (Christians of Egypt) used a cross called "crux ansata" ("cross with a handle" in Latin) which resembled the ankh.
THE DIFFERENT REPRESENTATIONS OF THE ANKH
In Ancient Egypt, it was generally painted or sculpted in association with the gods. Many representations of the handled cross have been found on funerary paintings, in tombs, on statues and temples. Mirrors were also often cut in the shape of an Egyptian cross.
The gods involved in the judgment of the dead may possess the ankh. They generally hold it by the loop or in each hand, with arms crossed over the chest. Some place it under the nose of the deceased, as if to breathe eternal life into them. Many reliefs in ancient Egyptian temples show scenes where the king is offered the ankh by the deities.
THE ANKH TODAY
Nowadays, the Egyptian cross continues to be worn by a wide range of people. It is a very popular symbol in cinema, decorative arts, tattooing and jewelry. For the latter especially, many versions of the ankh are offered, ranging from the simplest to the most sophisticated.
Many "new age" and neo-pagan fans use the ankh more generically as a symbol of life or sometimes wisdom.
In the Western esoteric doctrine of Thelema, it is considered the union of opposites as well as a symbol of divinity and moving towards one's destiny.
