Sycamore

The Sycamore in Ancient Egypt


 * Egyptian Name:**

//Nh't// or //Nehet//

The Sycamore Fig grew throughout ancient Egypt. Its wood had great economic importance, being used to make coffins, chests, household utensils, jewelry boxes, tables, doors, vases, statues, and barques, and the fruit was eaten. Planted for its shade and fruit, it was a common tree near private homes. Sycamores were so abundant in the Egyptian nomes Memphite and Latopolite that these areas were referred to as the "Lands of Sycamores." Physicians used the fruit for "calming the vessels" or against the "bite of a hippopotamus." Sycamore seeds were used for "setting the bones" and "treating the nails of toe and finger." The milky sap of the sycamore - referred to as //jrt-tnh-t -// was collected and used for hair removal.

In mythology the sycamore was one of the most important and most frequently mentioned trees, known to the ancient Egyptians as the "Tree of Life." The god Ra emerged from the sycamore, and two "sycamores of turquoise" stood by the eastern gate of the heavens. The sycamore tree protected the god Osiris and rejuvenated his soul in its branches. According to myths, the coffin of Osiris was made of sycamore wood, and sycamore trees shaded his tomb. The sycamore was known as //Nht Hnmt Ntr// ("The Tree That Encloses the God.") The Egyptians favored sycamore wood for their own coffins, and often had a tree planted in front of their tombs as well. Amulets made in the shape of sycamore leaves were buried with the dead to ensure their renewal.

The sycamore was also closely associated with goddesses such as Isis, Nut, and Hathor, who were all called "Lady of the Sycamore." The sycamore was often drawn with images of breasts being offered to the deceased. Goddesses were sometimes pictured with their torsos rising out of a sycamore tree or with the sacred tree growing out of the top of their heads, offering a tray of wine and bread to the deceased.

The hieroglyphic of a sycamore tree was used in words such as "shelter," and the hieroglyphic for "sycamore tree" came to represent "tree" in general. People even took their names from this tree, such as Sinuhe (“Son of the Sycamore.”) One inscription informs us that there were over 100 kinds of sycamore tree.


 * Modern Influence:**

Most Egyptian towns had their local sacred tree. In the second half of the twentieth century there was still, near Cairo, an ancient sycamore tree associated with the Virgin Mary. Thus its sacredness endured until modern times. Interestingly, near the Giza plateau there still survived in the 1950’s a deep and very ancient well in the midst of a grove of sycamores. The Tree of Life is a theme commonly encountered in Near Eastern art of all ages.


 * Quotes from the Book of the Dead and other sources:**

Planting a Sycamore Tree for Hathor

The Sycamore Tree in the Orchard

The Fruit of Ancient Egypt

The Trees of Ancient Egypt