Ankh

Ankh

**Other Names:**

//Anx, Anch//, Cross of Life, Looped Cross, Key of Life, Eyed Cross, Handled Cross, Key of the Nile


 * Hieroglyphics:**



An ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic widely used as a symbol of life, immortality, and reincarnation. The //Ankh// is a cross with a looped, oval top. Early examples of the //Ankh// actually show the ends separated. //Ankhs// have been found made of gold, carnelian, wood, lapis lazuli, turquoise, faience, and copper. Egyptian deities are often portrayed carrying it by its loop, or bearing one in each hand, conferring the gift of life on the dead person's mummy.

The //Ankh// was extremely popular in ancient Egypt – it was carved onto temple walls, painted on tombs, and used to decorate furniture. In addition to wearing the symbol itself as an amulet, the Egyptians made //Ankh//-shaped vessels, fan bases, sistrums, perfume jars, spoons, and mirror cases. Special bouquets of flowers, formed into the shape of //Ankhs//, were offered to the dead.

The //Ankh// could also symbolize the purifying power of water - various temple scenes depict the king flanked by two gods who pour a stream of //Ankhs// over his head to cleanse him.

The origin of the symbol remains a mystery to Egyptologists, and no single hypothesis has been widely accepted. Some think that the //Ankh// represents the union of male and female sexual symbols: a female oval surmounting a male cross. Others have noted the similarities between the //Tyet// (knot) of Isis and theorize that the //Ankh// is a variation of the //Tyet//. Other theories claim that the //Ankh// is meant to be a sandal-strap, a garment knot, a penis sheath, a mirror, or the vertebrae of a bull.

Some hold that the //An////kh// was symbolic of the sunrise, with the loop representing the sun rising above the horizon, which is represented by the crossbar. The vertical section below the crossbar would then be the path of the sun. According to the University of Cairo, the //Ankh// is representative of the pivotal role of the Nile in Egypt. The oval head is said to represent the Nile delta, with the vertical mark representing the path of the river and the East and West arms representing the two sides of the country and their unification.


 * Outside of Egypt:**

In later times, Coptic Christians adopted the //Ankh// as their own, calling it the //crux ansata//.

Magical Amulets