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A
Abtu: The Greeks called this place Abydos. It was the seat of worship
of Osiris. It was also called Busiris, "the house of Osiris". Egyptian tradition says that the sun ended his daily journey
at Abydos, and entered into the underworld here, through a gap in the mountains called "peq". In the 12th dynasty it was believed
that the souls of the dead entered into the afterlife here
Aker: The double lion god, gaurdian of the sunrise and sunset. Gaurdian of the peaks
that supported the sky. The western peak was called Manu, while the eastern peak was called Bakhu
Akh: The akh
was the aspect of a person that would join the gods in the underworld being immortal and unchangeable. It was created after
death by the use of funerary text and spells, designed to bring forth an akh. Once this was achieved that individual was assured
of not "dying a second time" a death that would mean the end of one's existence.
Akhet: This was the horizon from which the sun emerged and disappeared. The horizon thus embodied
the idea of both sunrise and sunset. It is similar to the two peaks of the Djew or mountain symbol with a solar disk in the
center. Both the beginning and the end of each day was guarded by Aker, a double lion god. In the New Kingdom, Harmakhet ("Horus
in the Horizon") became the god of the rising and setting sun. He was pictured as a falcon, or as a sphinx with the body
of a lion. The Great Sphinx of Giza is an example of "Horus in the Horizon".
Amarna: . The name given to the historical time period under the
rule of Amenophis IV /Akhenaten. During this time period there were unprecedented changes in the government, art and religion
Amenta: The Underworld. Originally the place where the sun set, this name was later applied
to the West Bank of the Nile where the Egyptians built their tombs
Ammut: A female demon, she is found in The Book of the Dead, She plays an important role in
the Hall of Maat.
Amulet: A charm, often in the form of hieroglyphs, gods or sacred animals; made of precious
stones or faience. They were worn like jewelry during life, and were included within the mummy wrappings for the afterlife.
Amun: A god who's cult center was the temple of Amun at Karnak. He was considered to be king
of all the gods and the the creator of all things.
Anrosphinx: One of three varieties of Egyptian sphinx , having
the head of a man.
Ankh: A symbol of life, resembling a looped cross. It was later adapted by Coptic Christians
as their cross. Widely used as an amulet.
Anthropoid: A Greek word meaning; man-shaped. This term is used for coffins made in the shape
of a human.
Anubis: A jackal headed god. Guardian of the necroplis
Apis Bull: The Apis Bull was sacred to Osiris.
It was revered from the earliest times, through the Graeco-Roman period.
Aquert: A name for the land of the dead.
Atef Crown: The atef crown was worn by Osiris. It is made
up of the white crown of Upper Egypt and the red feathers are representative of Busiris, Osiris's cult center in the Delta.
Aten: The god that gained its prominence during the reign
of Akhenaten, who abolished the traditional cults of Egypt and replaced them with the Aten. This created the first monotheistic
cult in the world.
B
Ba: The ba can best be described as someone's personality. Like a person's body, each ba was
an individual. It entered a person's body with the breath of life and it left at the time of death. The ba is associated with
divinity and power. It had the ability to take on different forms, in this respect the gods had many bas. The ba of the deceased
is able to move freely between the underworld and the physical world. The ba is similar to the ka.
Bastet: A cat headed goddess. As a sun goddess she represents the warm, life giving power
of the sun.
Bakhu: The mythical mountain from which the sun rose. The region of the eastern horizon. One
of two mountains that held up the sky, the other being Manu. These peaks were guarded by the double lion god, Aker.
Barque: . A boat in which the gods sailed. The barque of Ra carried
a host of deities across the sky each day.
Barque Shrine: Model barques were kept in these shrines in temples. These model barques were
used to carry deities out of the temples in festival processions.
Birth House: These were small temples, attached to the main temples of the Late and Greco-Roman
Periods. These small temples are where the god of the main temple was born, or if the main temple was dedicated to a goddess
it was where she bore her children.
Benben: A stone resembling an obelisk, representative of a sun ray
Bennu: An aspect of Ra-Atum in the form of a phoenix. The patron of the reckoning of time.
The carrier of eternal light from the abode of the gods to the world of men.
Book of The Dead: This is a collection of magic spells and formulas that was illustrated and
written, usually on papyrus. It began to appear in Egyptian tombs around 1600 BC. The text was intended to be spoken by the
deceased during their journey into the Underworld. It enabled the deceased to overcome obstacles in the afterlife. It did
this by teaching passwords that allowed the deceased to turn into mythical creatures to navigate around hazards, while granting
the help and protection of the gods, and proclaiming the deceased's identity with the gods. The texts continue the tradition
of the Pyramid Texts and Coffin Texts. There are about 200 known spells and the choice of spells can vary from copy to copy.
C
Canopic Jars: Four jars used to store the preserved internal organs of the deceased. Each jar is representative
of one of the four sons of Horus. The term comes from the Greek , Canopus, a demigod venerated in the form of a human headed
jar.
Cartonnage: Papyrus
or linen soaked in plaster, shaped around a body. Used for mummy masks and coffins.
Cartouche: A
circle with a horizontal bar at the bottom, elongated into an oval within which king's names are written It is believed to
act as a protector of the kings name. The sign represents a loop of rope that is never ending.
Cenotaph: From
the Greek word meaning; "empty tomb". A tomb built for ceremonial purposes that was never intended to be used for the interment
of the deceased.
Coffin Texts: Texts written inside coffins of the Middle Kingdom that are intended to direct the souls of the
dead past the dangers and perils encountered on the journey through the afterlife. More than 1,000 spells are known.
Colossus: A more then
life size statue, often of a kings, but also of gods and even private individuals. These huge statues usually flank the gates
or pylons of temples. They are believed to act as intermediaries between men and the gods.
Criosphinx: One
of three varieties of Egyption sphinx, having the head of a ram.
D
Deshret: The red crown.
This was the crown that represented Lower Egypt (northern).
Divine Adoratrice: Chief
priestess of Amun in Thebes, an office known from the New Kingdom through the Late Period. The office was an important vehicle
of political control.
Djed Column: It is believed that the Djed is a rendering of a human backbone. It represents stability and strength.
It was originally associated with the creation god Ptah. Himself being
called the "Noble Djed". As the Osiris cults took hold it became known
as the backbone of Osiris . A djed column is often painted on the bottom of coffins, where the backbone of the deceased would
lay, this identified the person with the king of the underworld, Osiris. It also acts as a sign of stability for the deceased'
journey into the afterlife.
DjEw: This
means mountain. The Egyptians believed that there was a cosmic mountain range that held up the heavens. This mountain range
had two peaks, the western peak was called Manu, while
the eastern peak was called Bakhu. It was on these peaks that heaven rested. Each peak of this mountain chain was guarded by a Akerlion deity named AKER, who's job it was to protect the sun
as it rose and set. The mountain was also a symbol of the tomb and the afterlife, probably because most Egyptian tombs were
located in the mountainous land bordering the Nile valley. In some texts we find Anubis, the gaurdian of the tomb being referred
to as "He who is upon his mountain." Sometimes we find Hathor
takeing on the attributes of a deity of the afterlife, at this time she is called "Mistress of the Necropolis." She
is rendered as the head of a cow protruding from a mountainside.
Dromos: A straight,
paved avenue flanked by sphinxes.
Duat: The land of
the dead. It Iies under the earth and is entered through the western horizon
E
Ennead: A group of 9 deities that are associated with
a major cult center. The best known is the great ennead of Heliopolis, It consists of Atum, Shu, Tefnut, Geb, Nut, Osiris,
Isis, Seth and Nephthys.
Eletrum: A mixture of gold and silver.
F
Faience:
A glazed material, with a base of either carved soapstone or moulded clay, with an overlay of blue/green colored glass.
False Door: A
door carved or painted on a wall. The ka would use this door to partake of funerary offerings.
Fecundity Figure: Type of offering bearer rendered at the base of temple walls. They are shown bringing offerings
into the temple. The male figures are often shown with heavy pendulous breasts and bulging stomachs, this plumpness symbolizing
the abundance of the offerings they bring.
Fetish: An
animal skin hanging from a stick. It was used by the cults of Osiris and Anubis.
Flagellum: A
crop or whip used to ward off evil spirits.
Funerary Cones: Clay
cones inserted above a tombs entrance with the name and title of the deceased.
Funerary Offerings: Bread, beer, wine and other food items provided by mourners or magically, through inscriptions
and pictures in the tomb.
Flame: This symbol
represents a lamp or brazier on a stand from which a flame emerges. Fire was embodied in the sun and in its symbol the uraeus which spit fire. Fire also plays a part in the Egyptian concept of the underworld.
There is one terrifying aspect of the underworld which is similar to the christians concept of hell. Most egyptians would
like to avoid this place with its fiery lakes and rivers that are inhabited by fire demons.
G
Geb: A god that is sometimes pictured with the head of a goose. Geb was called 'the Great
Cackler', and as such, was represented as a goose. It was in this form that he was said to have laid the egg from which the
sun was hatched. He was believed to have been the third divine king of earth. The royal throne of Egypt was known as the 'throne
of Geb' in honor of his great reign.
H
HapI: The god
of the Nile, particularly the inundation. He is pictured as a bearded man coloured blue or green, with female breasts, indicating
his powers of nourishment. As god of the Northern Nile he wears papyrus plants on his head, and as god of the southern Nile
he wears lotus plants.
Hathor: Hathor
was the goddess of joy, motherhood, and love. Hathor was originally worshipped in the form of a cow, sometimes as a cow with
stars on her. Later she is represented as a woman with the head of a cow, and finally with a human head, the face broad and
placid, sometimes she is depicted with the ears or horns of a cow.
Hedjet: A white
crown. This was the crown of Upper Egypt (southern).
Hieracosphinx: One
of three varieties of Egyptian sphinx, having the head of a hawk.
Hieratic: From the
Greek word meaning "sacred," Although this form of the written language was used throughout Egyptian history, it's name comes
from the later periods when it was used only in religious texts.
Hieroglyph: The
Egyptian picture language. From the Greek word meaning "sacred carving". The symbols are individual pictures that do not join
together.
High Priest: The
head of the local priesthood.
Horus: A falcon headed
god. Horus was so important to the state religion that Pharaohs were considered his human manifestation and even took on the
name Horus.
Horus Name: A
king's name. It identifies the king with a form of the god Horus.
Hypostyle Hall:
From the Greek word meaning; "bearing pillars". It is a term used to describe the grand, outermost halls. They are believed
to represent a grove of trees
I
Ibu: The tent of purification.
This is the place where mummification was preformed.
Ieb: This is the heart.
The Egyptians believed the heart was the center of all consciousness, even the center of life itself. When someone died it
was said that their "heart had departed." It was the only organ that was not removed from the body during mummification. In
the Book of the Dead, it was the heart that was weighed against the feather of Maat to see if an
individual was worthy of joining Osiris
in the afterlife.
Isis: Isis was
a great enchantress, the goddess of magic. She is often represented as a woman wearing on her head the hieroglyphic symbol
of her name, which represents a throne or seat.
Ithyphallic: From
the Greek word meaning; "with erect penis". Various gods are represented in this form. Most notably Min and Amun.
K
KA: The ka is usually
translated as "double", it represents a person's double. It is what we would call a spirit or a soul. The ka was created at
the same time as the physical body. It was believed that the ram-headed god Khnum crafted the ka on his potter's wheel at the time of a persons birth. A persons ka
would live on after their body had died. It was thought that when someone died they "met their ka". The ka existed in the
physical world and resided in the tomb (House of the Ka). It had the same needs that the person had in life, which was to
eat, drink, etc. The Egyptians left offerings of food, drink, and worldly possessions in tombs for the ka to use.
Khepresh: The
blue crown was a ceremonial crown.
Khepri: A scarab headed god. The Egyptians
believed that Khepri pushed the sun across the sky in much the same fashion that a dung beetle (scarab) pushed a ball of dung
across the ground.
Khet: This is
a flame or fire. Fire was embodied in the sun and in its symbol the uraeus which spit fire. Fire also plays a part in the Egyptian concept of the underworld.
There is one terrifying aspect of the underworld which is similar to the christians concept of hell. Most egyptians would
like to avoid this place with its fiery lakes and rivers that are inhabited by fire demons.
Khnum: A ram headed
god. His name means to create. He was the creator of all things that are and all things that shall be. He created the gods
and he fashioned mankind on a potters wheel.
Khu: A spiritual
entity often mentioned in association with the ba.
It was viewed as an entirely spiritual and absolutely immortal being.
L
Lector Priest: Translates as "One who bears the ritual book". This priests function was to recite from
the ritual texts.
Lotus: A
symbol of birth and dawn; it was thought to have been the cradle of the sun on the first morning of creation, rising from
the primeval waters. The lotus was a common architectural motif, particularly used on capitals
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