Sail

Sail


 * Egyptian Name:**

//Hetau//


 * Hieroglyphics:**



Ancient Egyptians wishing to travel up the Nile river had only to take advantage of the force of the prevailing winds that blew south. A barque under sail became the hieroglyphic for traveling south, while a barque without a sail or mast was the hieroglyphic for traveling north. In art, river barques are typically shown under sail. The hieroglyph for "sail" was a determinative not only for words such as "sail" and "ship's captain," but also for such words relating to the wind, and by association the concept of "breath."

In the Book of the Dead, the deceased were often shown holding an unfurled sail. The sail represents the breath of life which would be available to the deceased in the afterlife. Many times, the dead are shown holding a sail and the //ankh// ("life") which illustrated the idea of "the breath of life."

The hieroglyphic sail was also seen in many Book of the Dead illustrations in which the deceased must cross the celestial river in a barque. This river was the Milky Way, called by the ancient Egyptians the "Nile in the Sky." The barque the deceased used was powered on its journey by the sail which, once again, carries the connotation a breath and life in the afterlife.

Magical Objects