The Symbols
PharaohThe Symbols
The Pharaonic Beard:
- The false beard or Postiche
- Symbol of power
- Symbolically looked like the Djed
- Represented Pharaohs in their Deity form
- Has been found to be made of goat hair
The Crook:
Symbol of the Shepherding of the Egyptian people by the Pharaoh
The Flail:
Symbol of Fertility of the Land
The Ankh Jewellery:
Symbol of Life
The Crowns
Lower Egypt, the North of Egypt today, was represented by the Red Crown named Deshret.
Upper Egypt, the South of Egypt today, was represented by the White Crown named Hedjet.
Both Crowns together were called the Pschent, although the Egyptians usually called it Sekhemty or “the 2 Powerful Ones” and this represented the Pharaoh’s power over the unified Egypt.
The 2 patron animals were the Wadjet and the Nekhbet – attached to the front of the Pschent and referred to as the Two Ladies.
The Wigs
Pharaohs would often shave their heads and wore wigs for specific events during the year. This is thought to be for coolness and for cleanliness purposes. Wigs were often decorated with plants, feathers, jewellery and perfume cones
The Headdress: The Nemes
Symbol of the Crown without having the full weight of the Lower, Upper or joined Crowns. Made from Cloth, perhaps Linen, and tied to the back of the Head using Leather straps to avoid staining the cloth
The Kilt: The Shendyt
The Kilt would be from the waist to knee level, but Pharaoh is often depicted as Festivals in a shorter version, especially when required to run such as in the Heb Sed Festival and was made from white linen.
