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         GLOSSARY         

Afterlife- The Egyptian concept of the afterlife was a complex one. While the body remained in its coffin, other aspects of the person such as the ba, ka, and akh moved within the realms of heaven and earth.  

Ba- Usually depicted as a human-headed bird, the ba represented one aspect of the human being. It was free to leave the body after death and move in the afterlife, and to return at will.

Ka- One form of the human "soul," the ka was viewed by the Egyptians as a spiritual double which continued to exist after death among the living. The ka received the offerings given to the deceased at the temples and tombs.

Akh-The akh was the eternal part of the spirit, which existed forever. The akh went into the heavens and circled the stars.

Ma'at-The Egyptian word for "what is right." It includes the idea of truth instead of lies, and a good balance instead of evil chaos. Ma'at is also the name of an ancient Egyptian goddess who wears a feather on her head. This feather is balanced against the heart of a person who died before they pass into the afterlife. If the heart remains as light as the feather, the person can move into the afterlife.  

Book of the Dead- A collection of spells for a person who had recently died. Papyrus rolls, containing the name of the person who died, were made up of this collection of spells with the dead person's name inserted at appropriate points.

Anubis- God of mummification. He is usually shown with the head of a jackal and the body of a man. He is often shown in paintings leading the deceased to the "weighing of the heart ceremony."

Horus- Originally a falcon god of the sky, Horus became associated with the role of the king early in Egyptian history. Later he was connected with Osiris as his son and the avenger of his death. He is usually depicted as a falcon or a falcon-headed man.

Isis-The wife of Osiris and mother of Horus, Isis is usually depicted as a woman with the hieroglyph for the word throne on her head. She is often shown in Egyptian art as mourning her husband Osiris or nursing her son Horus.

Nepthys- Sister of Isis who helped bring all the pieces of Osiris together after his death. She protects the bodies of deceased persons, along with Isis, Neith, and Selket.

Osiris- Supreme god of the underworld, Osiris was associated with kingship. As a king who died and was returned to life through mummification, he represented all who had died, and especially a deceased pharaoh. He is usually shown as a mummified man with a crown and the crook and flail of kingship.

Sons of Horus-These were the four minor deities who guarded the organs (lungs, stomach, liver, intestines) which were removed from the body and embalmed during mummification. They were usually portrayed with the heads of different creatures: Imsety, human-headed; Duamutefm jackal-headed; Hapy, ape-headed; and Qebesenuef, falcon-headed.

Thoth- God of the moon and of writing, wisdom, and learning. Thoth was depicted as an ibis-headed deity, or in the shape of an ibis or baboon. He was often depicted in scenes showing the "weighing of the heart ceremony", where he recorded the verdict of the judges. 

Ankh- Looking like a cross with a loop on top, the ankh was the symbol for eternal life. It is often seen in the hands of the gods in tomb paintings.

Cartouche- Shaped like an oval loop, the cartouche was a way of separating hieroglyphics from the rest of the words that were written. Hieroglyphics are written inside the oval, which showed that these symbols stood for a person's name.

Scarab- Another name for the dung beetle. The beetle rolls a ball of dung across the ground, and lays its eggs inside. Eventually the eggs hatch, and young beetles emerge. The ancient Egyptians considered the scarab lucky, and some believed that a scarab moved the sun across the sky.

Shen- A symbol, shaped somewhat like a squished circle. The symbol meant "for all eternity" to the ancient Egyptians.

Hieroglyphic-The primary script of ancient Egypt. It was used for inscriptions on monuments and tombs. The word hieroglyphic means "sacred carved sign."

Hieratic-A cursive script based on hieroglyphics and used as handwriting by scribes in ancient Egypt.

Demotic-A cursive script used in the later years of ancient Egypt. Found on the Rosetta stone and used to first crack the "mystery" of hieroglyphics.

Natron- A natural salt composed of sodium chloride (common salt) and sodium bicarbonate, which is similar to baking soda. Together they are very effective for drying out the body during mummification.

Ancient Egyptian Art and Culture

• Pre-Visit Lesson

• Post-Visit Lesson

• Glossary

• Brief History

• Egyptian Archaeology

• Timeline

• Web Resources

• Bibliography