Lotus

The Lotus in Ancient Egypt


 * Egyptian Name:**

//Seshen// or //Reset//

Hieroglyphics:



What are commonly called the "lotuses" of ancient Egypt are actually the Blue Egyptian Water Lily and the White Egyptian Water Lily, known since very ancient times. The symbol of Upper Egypt, the lotus was a popular motif used in jewelry, mirrors, and tomb paintings. In architecture pillars were sometimes shaped like bundles of lotus supporting the skies, embodied by the temple ceiling. Grown in small artificial ponds, the flower was often seen in celebrations, being offered to guests or worn on the head.

The root was eaten raw or turned into flour to make bread. In order to make lotus bread, the ripe heads of the white lotus were left to decay, then washed in water. The fruit was then pounded and left to dry. The resulting flour was kneaded with milk and water, and formed into loaves. Lotus flowers were pressed in linen and twisted by two people using sticks to extract the juice, which was used in perfumery. The lotus was associated with alcoholic intoxication, and it was used as a recreational drug when soaked in wine (the roots and blossoms contain narcotic substances which are soluble in alcohol.) It was also used in medicine (the juice has a mild sedative effect.)

The lotus was a symbol for life: at the very beginning of creation a lotus flower containing the god Ra was the first thing to emerge from the primordial waters. The lotus was strongly associated with the sun, as the flower retreats beneath the water at night and rises again each day at dawn like the sun-god. The lotus was also associated with other deities such as Hapi and Nefertem, who was known as the "Great Lotus." "Life bouquets" of lotuses were offered to the dead and the gods.

Votive offerings to the goddess Hathor at Deir el-Bahari included bowls with lotus motifs and bouquets of the flowers, alluding to fertility, the renewal of life, and rebirth. The Egyptian idea of sexuality was identified with creation. Being a flower of creation, the lotus became linked to human fertility. Inhaling the scent of a lotus flower became a common image of sensual pleasure. Images of women holding the flower may be hinting at her ability to bear children or that she was sexually desirable, and images of men holding the flower may hint at their potency.

As with many symbols of fertility, the lotus was also symbolic of rebirth after death. Tutankhamen's innermost coffin had lotus petals scattered over it, and a pair of slippers buried with the king were embroidered with chamomile and lotus designs. Remains of a lotus garland has been found in the burial tomb of Ramses II. The Egyptians looked forward to their souls coming to life "like a lotus reopening," and the Book of the Dead has a spell to allow the deceased to transform into one of these flowers. Faience models of lotus buds were sometimes placed in tombs. In many tomb scenes, the deceased is shown with a lotus flower held to his nose in order to breath in the divine perfume.

A floral collar worn by both men and women, called the Wah Collar, was made primarily of the petals of the blue and white lotus. This collar symbolized protection, rebirth, and regeneration. It was worn on festival occasions or by the members of a funeral party, and was draped around the necks of mummies and statues. The Wah Collar was made of actual lotus petals, or colorful beads in an imitation of the floral motif.

Flowers of Ancient Egypt