The dung beetle rolls its egg-laden pellet along the ground in
delineation of the sun coursing through the heavens while being
pushed along by a giant scarab. I wonder… did the Egyptians think
the sun was nothing more than a large luminous ball of excrement? And
then the pressing question becomes… from whence did they think the
sun emerged? These question need to be answered by greater minds than
mine.
In ancient Egypt the falcon as well as the scarab was a symbolic
representation of the sun god. Thusly… both creatures were often
depicted in composite form to portray the burning orb.
Look closely at the scarab centered on the pendant. It has the
forelegs of a beetle and the hind legs of a falcon. The entire
intention of the winged scarab amulet is only secondarily for
decorative purposes and primarily for protection. Signs and
symbols… from the eye of Horus on top to the three gods above it
and the two cobras flanking it… all these had the purpose of
serving the wearer by shielding him from evil.
An image of a bull or a lion attracted courage. The ankh was the
symbol of life itself. The color blue was there for protection. Each
and every particle of the 5.5 inch by 5.5 inch talisman (gleaned from
the tomb of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings) you are about to
view served a particular need and had a particular meaning.
The cloisonn techniques used in them thar days and visible under the
eye of Horus ain’t nothing to sneeze at. Their jewelers were no
slouches. Every element here is outlined with thin gold strips.
I could go on… but this is a Tidbits and not a thesis… so I leave
you to view and lean back and bask in the glory of olden days long
gone by.
For those of you who are new to this thing called Tidbits…may I
direct you to my home page at www.tyler-adam.com where you will
scroll down the left side menu till you get to the area that says
Current Tidbits… and you will get to view a winged scarab pendant
of major beauty.
And there ya have it.
That’s it for this week folks.
Catch you all next week.
Benjamin Mark