The ankh (symbol ) was the Egyptian hieroglyphic character that read "life," a triliteral sign for the consonants ˁ-n-ḫ. Egyptian gods are often portrayed carrying it by its loop, or bearing one in each hand, arms crossed over their chest. It is also known as the key of life, the key of the Nile, or as crux ansata, Latin for "cross with a handle".
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The ankh (symbol ) was the Egyptian hieroglyphic character that read "life," a triliteral sign for the consonants ˁ-n-ḫ. Egyptian gods are often portrayed carrying it by its loop, or bearing one in each hand, arms crossed over their chest. It is also known as the key of life, the key of the Nile, or as crux ansata, Latin for "cross with a handle".
The ankh appears to be associated with the Egyptian glyph for magical protection, sa. However, what the sign itself represents is disputed. For example, Sir Alan Gardiner thought that it showed a sandal strap with the loop at the top forming the strap, but if so, the symbolism is obscure and so his theory has found little support. However, this interpretation seems to have received some acceptance among modern writers.
The precise origin of the symbol remains a mystery to Egyptologists, and no single hypothesis has been widely accepted. One of the earliest suggestions is that of Thomas Inman, first published in 1869:
E. A. Wallis Budge postulated that the symbol might have originated as the belt-buckle of the mother goddess Isis, an idea joined by Wolfhart Westendorf with the notion that both the ankh and the knot of Isis were used as ties on ceremonial girdles. Sir Alan Gardiner speculated that it represented a sandal strap, with the loop going around the ankle. The word for sandal strap was also spelled , although it may have been pronounced differently.
Still other theories include the notion that the ankh represents the sun crowning over the horizon,Internet Book of Shadows: Egyptian Metaphysics (Michael Poe) the path of the sun from east to west (with the loop representing the Nile), a stylized person, or that it is a combination of the male and female symbols of Osiris (the cross) and Isis (the oval) respectively, and therefore signifies the union of heaven and earth. Christian Resource Center
In their 2004 book "The Quick and the Dead", Andrew H. Gordon and Calvin W. Schwabe speculated that the ankh, djed and was symbols have a biological basis derived from ancient cattle culture (linked to the Egyptian belief that semen was created in the spine), thus:
- the Ankh - symbol of life - thoracic vertebra of a bull (seen in cross section)
- the Djed - symbol of stability - base on sacrum of a bull's spine
- the Was - symbol of power and dominion - a staff featuring the head and tail of the god Set, "great of strength"
Over time, the ankh has come to symbolize life and immortality, the universe, power and life-giving air and water. Its keylike shape has also encouraged the belief it could unlock the gates of death, and it is viewed this way by the modern Rosicrucians and other hermetic orders. The Coptic Christians have used it as a symbol of life after death."The Origin of Early Christian Book Illumination: The State of the Question". Kozodoy, R. Gesta, Vol. 10, No. 2 (1971), pp. 33-40.The design for the pin symbolizing membership in Wolf's Head Society, Yale University, sets a wolf's head on an inverted ankh.
