ankh
Sign in to savethumb|upright=0.5|The ankh has a T-shape topped by a droplet-shaped loop. The ankh or key of life is an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol used to represent the word for "life" and, by extension, as a symbol of life itself.
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The ankh is an ancient Egyptian symbol shaped like a T with a loop on top, designed to represent the concept of life. It served both as a written hieroglyph for the word "life" and as a broader symbol of life itself in Egyptian culture.
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Article
9 sectionsContents
- Use in writing
- Origins
- Use in religion and art
- Other ancient cultures
- Modern use
- Citations
- Works cited
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|upright=0.5|The ankh has a T-shape topped by a droplet-shaped loop. The ankh or key of life is an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol used to represent the word for "life" and, by extension, as a symbol of life itself.
The ankh has a T-shape topped by a droplet-shaped loop. It was used in writing as a triliteral sign, representing a sequence of three consonants, Ꜥ-n-ḫ. This sequence was found in several Egyptian words, including the terms for "mirror", "floral bouquet", and "life". The symbol often appeared in Egyptian art as a physical object representing either life or related life-giving substances such as air or water. Commonly depicted in the hands of ancient Egyptian deities, sometimes being given by them to the pharaoh, it represents their power to sustain life and to revive human souls in the afterlife.