Amulets at the British Museum

The ancient Egyptians used amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 a lot in both their daily life and afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐! No matter who was wearing it, amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 had the same function: to invoke magical protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 for the wearer! Amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 could represent gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 and goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏, everyday objects, hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, plants 𓆾𓆰𓆰𓆰, and many other things!

In this display at the British Museum, there are a bunch of different amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 featured! The Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 amulet (3) is considered unusual because it shows Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 sitting on a throne wearing the Atef crown 𓋚, just how he would be depicted in the Book of the Dead or on various reliefs. The Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 amulets were the most popular form of funerary jewelry and were tasked with overall protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱.

The Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 amulet (4) was most likely only used by the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱 because of Anubis’ 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 association with mummification and tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐. It most likely protected 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 the body of the dead to ensure the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 could make it to the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐.

The Triad Amulet (5) (sometimes referred to as the Ossirian Triad) is a representation of Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 (goddess 𓊹𓏏 of healing and magic), Horus 𓅃𓀭 (god 𓊹 of the sky and the protector of the ruler of Egypt), and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 (“Mistress of the House” and associated with vultures). Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 is the mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐 of Horus 𓅃𓀭, the sister 𓌢𓈖𓏏 of Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇, and the wife 𓈟𓏏 of Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭. The amulet 𓊐𓊪𓅆 is representative of Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 protecting Horus 𓅃𓀭 and that protective power extends to the wearer. This amulet 𓊐𓊪𓅆 became very popular during the 26th Dynasty, and was usually used by mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪 for protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 on their journey into the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. The amulet 𓊐𓊪𓅆 was either placed on the chest, stomach 𓂋𓄣𓏻, or the thighs of the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾.

The carpenter’s tools 𓊋 (16) are interesting because they might have guaranteed eternal 𓆖 righteousness and equilibrium. This is an example of an everyday object that had magical powers when an amulet 𓊐𓊪𓅆! These would have been placed on a mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾!

The staircase amulets 𓊍 (17) represent the primordial mound from which all life 𓋹𓈖𓐍 was created. Here is the short version of the myth because it can be long/complicated and there are many versions:

The ancient Egyptian creation myth begins with endless dark water without any purpose or matter. Out of this dark water 𓈗, rose the primordial hill and the god 𓊹 Atum 𓇋𓏏𓂟𓀭 (or Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 in some of the myths). Then with his own shadow, Atum 𓇋𓏏𓂟𓀭 gave birth to Shu 𓇋𓅱𓀭 (god 𓊹 of the atmosphere/principles of life) and Tefenet 𓏏𓆑𓈖𓏏𓆗 (goddess 𓊹𓏏 of moisture/order). Since there was only the primordial hill, Shu 𓇋𓅱𓀭 and Tefenet 𓏏𓆑𓈖𓏏𓆗 gave birth to Geb 𓅭𓃀𓀭 (god of the Earth 𓇾𓇾) and Nut 𓏌𓏏𓇯𓀭 (goddess of the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯/cosmos). Geb 𓅭𓃀𓀭 and Nut 𓏌𓏏𓇯𓀭 eventually gave birth to the more recognizable gods – Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭, Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥, Seth 𓊃𓏏𓄡𓁣, and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇.