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Khnum is one of the ram-headed gods. He's an ancient divinity of Upper Egypt, related to ram god Ba-neb-djedet of Lower Egypt. A creator deity, Khnum directs the Nile floods and makes humans on his pottery wheel. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Ba Bird & Sacred Ram - Ancient Egypt Was Scepter, Djed & Ankh Power Trio Ram God of Egypt Ba-neb-djedet Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books At his island centers of worship, Khnum is revered in specific fertility rituals by women wanting to conceive. He's also important to the creative powers of the annual Nile floods. He directs flow of water from the caverns of Hapi (Hapy), who embodies the flood. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The Nile floods come from the deluge of the rainy season in the Ethiopian highlands. The floods are crucial for life. The inundation provides welcome water after a hot dry season, fish, deposits of nutritious silt to feed the seasonal crops, and mineral-rich clay. See also: Ka - Life Essence in Ancient Egypt Heh Gods & Eternal Life in Ancient Egypt Sailing - Bronze Age Sails & Sailcloth Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle For 5,000 years, the annual floods of the Nile River provides for the people of Egypt. With construction of the 1965 Aswan dam, fishing in the Nile Delta at the Mediterranean dwindles due to lack of nutrients to attract fish. Basin irrigation is used by ancient Egyptians to channel and hold water to last through the hot dry times. Silt settles in the basins, a bounty of fertility for the fields. If the flood doesn't come, drought and famine set in. See also: Heqet, Frog Goddess of Egypt Flooding of the Nile - Nature & Myth Joyful Arrival of Hapi in Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Egyptians grow such crops as emmer wheat, flax, hemp, castor bean, barley, broad bean, grapes and later cotton. Several gods are involved in the flood celebrations including Heqet, frog goddess and consort of Khnum. In one myth of the Nile floods, the cascade is caused by the tears of Isis as she searches for her husband Osiris in the resurrection tale. A rebirth and fertility god of the dead, Osiris connects to the flooding and retreat of the Nile, and the cycle of growth and death of crops. See also: Magic: Heka & the Ka in Ancient Egypt Witches & Witchcraft: Ancient World Drude: Germanic Demon of Darkness Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Khnum is one of the oldest and longest-lived Egyptian gods. Worship of Khnum is known by the First Dynasty (c. 3500 - 3100 BCE) and lasts until the Greco-Roman period of (332 BCE - 395 AD). The earliest use of hieroglyphs or ancient writing is dated to c. 3100 BCE. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Due to his elder status Khnum is thought in later periods to mold the other deities. He's also the creator of the animal kingdom. His main cult center is Herwer in Upper Egypt. Khnum and Heqet are worshipped together as Lord and Lady of Herwer. See also: Wigs & Natural Hair in Ancient Egypt Emmer Wheat - First Domestic Crops The Igigi - Why Humans are Created Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Khnum's primary form is that of a man with horns of a ram, one of the sacred animals of Ancient Egypt, or ram-headed deity. In this he's similar to Ba-neb-djedet of the Lower Nile. The ram represents fertility, rebirth, regeneration and resurrection. He's a symbol of dominion and kingship since the 30th century BCE. Alongside the god Ptah of Memphis, who creates heaven and earth on a potter's wheel, Khnum is credited with molding, on his wheel, the great cosmic egg containing the Sun. See also: Terrazzo Floors & Neolithic Masons Wadjet - Winged Snake Goddess of Egypt Verdigris: Volatile Blue Green Pigment Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Khnum is also linked to the Island of Elephantine in the Nile. The island is downstream of the river's First Cataract, at the southern border of Upper Egypt and Lower Nubia. The Nile has six cataracts or shallow rapids. The Nile flood is also called the Cataract, or Inundation. Reverence of Khnum is known on the Island of Elephantine since c. 3150 BCE. In the New Kingdom (16th - 11th century BCE) he becomes the principal deity of the island. He receives the title Overseer of the First Cataract of the Nile River. See also: Ptah: God of Creators & Creation Egypt Lammašaga: Sumerian Angel Goddess Hathor: Cosmic Cow Goddess of Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books With his daughter Goddess Anuket, deity of all six cataracts of the Nile, and his regional consort, the Goddess Satis, protector of borders, Khnum forms a sacred triad. Elephantine is at the border of Upper Egypt and Lower Nubia ( Land of Punt; Sudan). The Egyptians raise two types of sheep. The breed with horizontally spiraled horns is the extinct Ovis longipes palaeoaegyptiacus, a type of Barbary sheep. After its extinction in the Middle Kingdom, the horizontal horns remain in iconography. See also: Taweret - Hippopotamus Goddess of Egypt Nekhbet - Vulture Goddess of Egypt Egyptian Blue Faience - Ceramic Glass Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Khnum can also be portrayed with the head of a crocodile to signify his dominion over the Nile. He may be mistaken for crocodile god Sobek. He might wear the Atef crown of Osiris, adorned with two ostrich feathers, or the white crown of Upper Egypt. Khnum is associated with iw m hapy or "the coming of the Nile". He's also called Khnum-Ra, an aspect of the sun-god, Ra. Other names include "Creator God", "Potter God", "Lord of Life", "Lord of the Field", "the good protector" and "Lord of the Crocodiles". See also: Crocodilopolis - Sobek Crocodile God Apis - Sacred Fertility Bull of Egypt Ancient Deities: Proto Indo European Gods Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books On the Island of Elephantine, rams dedicated to Khnum have been found. They're mummified, dressed with headpieces of gold and interred in stone coffins. Limestone fragments and other items from the 13th Dynasty (c. 1773 - 1650 BCE) give insight into architectural features of the temple complex including an entrance, a room embellished with imagery of ceremonial rites, and a sacred boat shrine. See also: Kaolinite: White Pigment with Benefits Visigoths, King Alaric & the Ruin of Rome Apis - Sacred Fertility Bull of Egypt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Opposite Aswān, Upper Egypt, Elephantine is the Greek name for Egyptian Abu. From c. 1550 BCE onward, Pharaohs erect temples to Khnum, as well as to his consort, Satis, and daughter Anuket, goddess of nearby Sehel. On the Island of Sehel to the north, Khnum is featured in a gigantic rock stele telling of a terrible seven-year famine and drought in the time of Pharaoh Djoser (27th century BCE). The stele itself is inscribed in the Ptolemaic period, 332 - 31 BCE. See also: Neolithic Nubia & Early Egyptians The Way to Aaru - Egyptian Paradise Sekhmet - War Goddess of Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Some fragments are missing. The inscription reads: "Royal sacrifice for Khnum-Re, lord of the cataract, first of Nubia, as reward for what you favor me with. I make you a gift of your western shore by the mountain of the dusk and your eastern shore by the mountain of dawn, from Elephantine to ... ... with twelve arouras (measurements of land) on the eastern and western shores, with the plants, with the harbors with the river and with every settlement on these arouras. See also: Emmer Wheat - First Domestic Crops Sobekneferu - Queen of the Pharaohs Dream Interpretation (Oneiromancy) - Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books "All the peasants working their fields with their laborers and bringing water to their new and high-lying lands, their harvest shall be stored in your granary in excess of the part that used to be your due ... "All fishermen and trappers and hunters on the water and lion catchers in the desert, I impose on them a duty of one tenth of their catch. Every calf born by the cows on these arouras shall be given to the stables as a burnt offering and a remaining daily offering ... See also: Kulullu - Fish Man Monster of Tiamat Nixies - Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Hesperus (Vesper) the Evening Star Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle "Moreover one tenth of the gold and ivory and the wood and minerals and every tree stem and all things which the Nubians of Khenet-hen-nefer bring to Egypt shall be handed over together with every man who comes with them." Khnum is featured at the temple at Esna (Latopolis), Upper Egypt, a site of ancient rituals and festivals. Popular among these is a fertility rite, exclusively for women seeking to conceive. Male priests are banned. The festival is also popular on the Island of Elephantine. See also: Rise of Pan: Fertility Goat God Péh₂usōn Arcadia - Greek Lands of Ancient Gods White Pigments of Ancient Artisans Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Held late in the evening at the temple, the ceremony involves women presenting a potter’s wheel and intoning chants before a hidden statue of Khnum. The "Installation of the Potter's Wheel" finishes with a feast on the first day of Paremhat, 7th month of the Egyptian calendar. The name Latopolis for Esna refers to the Nile perch, Lates niloticus, largest of the 52 perch species in the Nile. The Nile perch is also sacred to Goddess Neith, who's known by the Greeks as Pallas-Athene. The fish species has its own cemetery west of the town. See also: Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans Scribes & Writing - Ancient Egypt Ephedra - Oldest Medical Stimulant Herb Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books An aroura is a measurement of land, the Greek term for Egyptian Sett or arable land. The aroura is a square with sides of 100 cubits or 2756 sq meters (30,000 sq ft). Land measurement, surveying and urban planning are among the duties of the Egyptian scribe. The south of Elephantine Island is the site of ancient Abu. Its name means both 'elephant' and 'ivory' in Egyptian. The island is an important center of the ivory trade in the ancient world. See also: Ebony - Precious Wood of Ancients Myrrh - Mystique, Death & Divinity Elixir of Life: Alchemy & the Emperor Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Egypt conquers all of Nubia during the New Kingdom (c. 1550 - 1070 BCE), installing viceroys who administer the lands and collect tribute. In return, Nubia conquers all of Egypt between c. 750 and 712 BCE to establish the Kingdom of Kush. After the c. 487 BCE destruction of Jerusalem, refugee Jews move onto the Island and erect a temple to Yahweh. In 410 BC, the Jewish temple, the House of Yahweh, is burned down by a Persian military commander bribed by priests of Khnum. See also: Land of Punt: Pre-Bronze Age Kingdom of Riches Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek Silver - Queen of Precious Metals Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the Pyramid Texts of the later Old Kingdom (c. 2686 - 2181 BCE), Khnum creates ferry boats and a ladder ascending to heaven. In the Fifth Dynasty (c. 2465–c. 2325 bce) he's the creator of the solar barque used by the sun god Ra. In the Middle Kingdom, Khnum is credited as the creator of humans (spell 214 of the Coffin Texts). He's also considered to craft the ka or life essence. In one version of the human ka creation myth, frog goddess Heqet breathes the ka into the person at birth. See also: Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Wine God Liber: Liberty & Liberal Libation Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Hymns from temples at Elephantine and Esna feature Khnum as a central or significant figure. The Morning Hymn to Khnum connects him to primal gods Amun and Shu. It praises him as the "Lord of Life" and celebrates his ability to shape the bodies of humans. Another composition, The Great Hymn to Khnum, honors him as the creator of humans, gods and animals, provider of minerals and nurturer of plants. The hymn describes Khnum's intricate craftsmanship in forming body parts and assigning their functions. See also: Sistrum (Sistra) Music: Ancient Egypt Music of Ancient & Medieval Egypt Garnets - Gemstones of Blood and Life Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Khnum also appears in The Hymn to Hapy, relating to the the Nile floods. Khnum is described as the "Ba-of" or aspects of different deities throughout Egypt. As ba he can merge with other gods representing an embodiment of their souls. See also: Lora Ley Adventures - Feast of Fools Ancient Marsh Muse - Rough Horsetail Shen Rings Egypt - Divine Protection Back to Top

The ba is part of the concept of the soul, broadly defined as personality, in the form of a man-headed bird. In ancient Egypt ba also sounds like the word for ram. The sacred ram is considered the ba of Osiris, personified by four-headed Ram God Ba-neb-djedet. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Was Scepter, Djed & Ankh Power Trio Ram God of Egypt Ba-neb-djedet Ka - Life Essence in Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In Egypt the cult of the sacred ram Ba-neb-djedet is ancient Djedet, called Mendes by the Greeks. The ram signifies power, authority or dominance, virility and strength. He's associated with kingship, wealth and abundance. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure During the Age of the Pyramids c. 2589 - 2504 BCE, only kings have bas. By c. 22nd century BCE everybody has one. See also: Apis - Sacred Fertility Bull of Egypt Linen, Hemp & Cotton - Fabrics of Ancient Egypt Medicine in Ancient Egypt: Ebers Papyrus Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The relationship of the ba with kingship and the sacred ram goes back an early Egyptian ruler, Ba, c. 2900 BCE. In hieroglyphs his name incorporates the glyph of the ram. Egyptians use similar sounding words to impart meaning. Another example of this is the Chinese dislike of the number four because it sounds like the word for death. See also: Heh Gods & Eternal Life in Ancient Egypt Magic: Heka & the Ka in Ancient Egypt Wigs & Natural Hair in Ancient Egypt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Thus is the Ram an emblem of royalty, and may have inspired the mummification and burial of 2000 rams' heads in part of the tomb of Ramesses II (c. 1213 BCE). The name Ramesses means 'beloved of Ra'. Egyptians of the Late Period (c. 713 - 332 BCE.) don't distinguish specifically between sheep and goats. They're all called "small cattle". This might have caused the confusion of the Greeks, who invent the Goat of Mendes based on a story of Herakles and Zeus. Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Herakles desires to see Zeus, whose divine form is indiscernible to mortals. Zeus refuses but Herakles pesters him until Zeus finds a solution. He beheads and skins a ram, and faces Herakles wearing the ram's head and fleece. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure This is why statues of Zeus in Lower Egypt may have heads or horns of rams. The ram is specifically a breed of Barbary sheep, Ovis longipes palaeo-aegyptiacus, with horizontal twisting horns. Ra takes a ram-headed form when he travels through the underworld at night. Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Although the breed of sheep goes extinct in the Middle Kingdom, Egyptians continue to use the iconography. Later Christians typically associate the fictional Goat of Mendes with the devil. Stories of satanic cult sacrifices motivate demonism of traditional deities. It facilitates closure of temples in the 6th century CE by Christian Roman Emperor Justinian, who believes it his divine duty to purge paganism from the known world. See also: Benu - Ba Heron God of Ancient Egypt Chamomile - Herbology & Folklore Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In ancient Egyptian religion Gods can have one or more ba, just as they can manifest multiple kas. The ba of creator god Atum-Ra (Atum-Re) is the African grey heron, Benu (Bennu). Also a representation of the Phoenix, Benu self-forms at the beginning of time. Egyptian heron god Benu has no connection with Mesopotamian bennu or benu disease, epilepsy. His call enables and directs the creative powers of Atum-Ra. See also: Atum of Egypt - First Primordial God Herbs & Natural Remedies - Ancient Egypt Drude: Germanic Demon of Darkness Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Atum is the first god of creation. As time goes by worship of Ra (Re) increases, and Atum combines with Ra. Deific synchronization is common in regions such as ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Syria and Hittite Anatolia. The bꜣ (ba) is that which makes a person unique. It embodies the concept of personality. Bꜣw (baw), plural of bꜣ, relates to power, reputation and greatness, particularly of a god/dess. When a deity intervenes in human affairs, it's said the bꜣw of the deity are at work. See also: Neolithic Nubia & Early Egyptians Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Curse of the Evil Eye & Apotropaic Magic Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Often pictured as a bird with a man's head, the ba is the only part of the soul able to leave the tomb. It must return at night to revitalize. As a bird the ba flies out of the tomb, a symbol of freedom and rebirth. In this form the deceased connects with sights, scents and sounds of the living world. According to the Coffin Texts (c. 2130 -1938 BCE) the ba is the sensory, feeling aspect which can eat, drink and even have sex. Ba birds can also visit friends and family. See also: Scribes & Writing - Ancient Egypt Joyful Arrival of Hapi in Egypt Bird Woman Elwetritsch: German Folklore Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the world of the living the ba bird may be seen as the embodiment of the deceased. The ba bird can travel to the afterlife, transcending boundaries of life and death. Ba can exist in inanimate objects. Old Kingdom pyramids are often called the ba of their owners. In the Egyptian Book of the Dead (c. 1550 - 50 BCE), the bꜣ of the deceased takes part in mortal life outside the tomb and returns to the mummy after dark. This cycle reflects the unification of Ra and Osiris every night. See also: Witches & Witchcraft: Ancient World Terrazzo Floors & Neolithic Masons Rise of Pan: Fertility Goat God Péh₂usōn Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books According to the Coffin Texts the united ba symbolizes union of the ba of Ra and the ba of Osiris. At Mendes they meet together and unite in one body represented by a ram-headed mummy, which called the ram of Mendes (Djedet). The two bas create the United Ba. Ra can be shown as a solar disk, a ram-headed bird or ram-headed man. He's usually a falcon-headed deity with solar disk. God of the Dead Osiris appears as a mummy or phallic god. Life returns to him as the rays of Ra shine on his body. See also: Early Sun Mythology: Mid European Hünenburg: Bronze Age European Trade Hub Egyptian Blue - First Synthetic Color Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books At first the two gods are seen separately. They meet at the Ram Cult town of Djedet (Mendes). "Osiris, when he entered Mendes, he found the ba of Re. Then the one embraced the other. Then (they) became the one with two bas in Mendes" See also: Sacred Scarab: Lucky Bug of Ancient Egypt Pagan Pantheon - Anu, Oldest of the Gods Reiker For Hire, Victorian Era & Nixies Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle This ba is named in hieroglyphic ddt, referring to the continuation and eternity of this union. From the Book of the Dead comes the first description of the two gods in one form, in one body, speaking with one tongue. Egyptian perception of the multiple aspects of the soul and afterlife makes it difficult for people of antiquity to comprehend the Christian concept of a single "soul". They use the Greek word psyche as the closest definition. See also: Crocodilopolis - Sobek Crocodile God Rhinestones: Treasures of the Rhine Herbology & Lore: Poison Hemlock Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The ka or life essence departs the body but can't leave the tomb. Sometimes special rooms with hidden doors are constructed to house the ka. The ka can live in a statue or image of the deceased. See also: The Way to Aaru - Egyptian Paradise Red Ocher (Ochre) Ancient Pigments Nature Spirits of German Mythology Back to Top .

The was scepter, djed and ankh are three of the most powerful symbols in Egyptian hieroglyphs, statuary, painting and other iconography. Below they're combined into one form with the tiny Heh god, symbol of infinity, atop the pillar holding two curved palm stems. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Heh Gods & Eternal Life in Ancient Egypt Magic: Heka & the Ka in Ancient Egypt Ram God of Egypt Ba-neb-djedet Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Was scepter The was scepter is a symbol of power and authority. It's carried by ancient Egyptian deities like Set and Anubis, and by the Pharaoh. A was scepter can represent the creator god Khnum or the 'Set animal'. It signifies control over the forces of chaos personified by Set. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Below the was scepter is shaped to represent the animal of Set. The identity of the Set animal has never been discovered. When Set appears in animal-head form he resembles the mighty aardvark. See also: Ka - Life Essence in Ancient Egypt Khet, the Body: Death Rites of Ancient Egypt Taweret - Hippopotamus Goddess of Egypt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The was scepter is the sign of authority, divinity and kingship. In a funerary aspect the scepter connects to the continued health of the deceased. It's also considered an amulet. Symbol of Thebes (Egyptian: wꜣst) the scepter can represent the four pillars of the sky. Was scepters are carried by gods, pharaohs and priests. They're often seen in paintings, drawings and carvings. Usually they're shown with the others of the sacred trio, the ankh and djed-pillar. The earliest was scepters date to the First Dynasty c. 3100 - 2900 BCE. See also: Wigs & Natural Hair in Ancient Egypt Chamomile - Herbology & Folklore Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Was (wꜣs) is the Egyptian hieroglyph for power. The scepter also relates to prosperity of the Pharaoh and land, and all good things in life. Above, the pillars have papyrus shaped tops or capitals. The stripes just under the capitals can represent the djed tower or pillar. Djed Pillar The djed relates to the spine of Osiris, god the dead, who dwells in the paradise Aaru, or the spine of creator god Ptah, patron of Memphis, Egypt. The djed is the pillar of stability. In the story of the death of Osiris, he's locked in a chest by Set (Seth) and thrown into the water. See also: Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Benu - Ba Heron God of Ancient Egypt Sacred Scarab: Lucky Bug of Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Where the chest comes to land near Byblos, a cedar tree grows around it. The lord of the lands, unaware of the coffin within, cuts down the tree to make a pillar. Turning into a bird to fly far and wide, Isis speaks to the birds and animals, and finally finds the body of Osiris. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure She returns next day with her tools of resurrection. Isis is a powerful goddess of magic. She's shocked to find Set has been here. He chopped the body of Osiris into 14 pieces and buried them throughout the land. See also: Byblos Vibrant Port City: the Egyptians Nanaya - Goddess of Erotic Love Kamrushepa: Hittite Goddess of Magic Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books An Eye of Ra goddess, Isis doesn't easily give up. She unearths pieces of her husband and works magic to resurrect him. Osiris revives, gets Isis pregnant and expires again. He must stay in the Afterlife as God of the Dead. The spine of Osiris becomes the Tower of Djed. Isis is now impregnated with baby Horus. She and her sister Nephthys hide in the marshes, protecting Horus from the attacks of Set, until Horus grows into a strong young man. Later battles between Horus and Set are legendary. See also: Alchemy: Science, Philosophy, Magic White Pigments of Ancient Artisans Crocodilopolis - Sobek Crocodile God Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Ankh Symbol Ankh is a symbol of life and life everlasting. Early examples of the ankh date from the First Dynasty of Egypt (c. 30th to 29th century BCE). Within the concept of life, the ankh signifies air or water. In funerary art, gods hold the ankh to the king's nose, offering the breath of life. Human servants who carry fans behind the king can appear in art as personified ankh signs with arms. In ritual purification, in which water is poured over the deceased, zigzag lines usually associated with water can be replaced with chains of the ankh sign. See also: Oldest Cult Megaliths - Gobekli Tepe Lotan - Chaos Sea Dragon of Ugarit Ullikummi - Rock Monster of Legend Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Where there is a god, there's almost always an ankh. The deity carries the ankh to signify the power of giving life. When a person dies, life can be renewed the same way as rebirth in nature. The gods are often depicted in tombs giving ankhs to humans, usually the pharaoh. In Egyptian belief, "life" is the essential energy of all things. Life force circulates through the world and individual entities, which are all manifestations of this energy and connected to it. Ancients are aware of the collective unconscious. Life begins at the creation of the world. See also: Ptah: God of Creators & Creation Egypt Ammit - Eater of the Heavy Heart Egyptian Blue Lotus: Visionary Beauty Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Repeated occurrences like sunrise, sunset, seasonal floods and lunar cycles, are seen as reenactments of original creation events. They maintain and renew life in the cosmos. Nurturing life is the primary ambition of deities who govern the cycles of nature. See also: Witches & Witchcraft: Ancient World Hesperus (Vesper) the Evening Star Red Ocher (Ochre) Ancient Pigments Back to Top

Heka is the god of magic and magical power. His name is the Egyptian word for 'magic'. It also pertains to cult practice. Heka (Hike, Hekau) is the personification of magic and medicine in ancient Egypt. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Witches & Witchcraft: Ancient World Hathor: Cosmic Cow Goddess of Ancient Egypt Scribes & Writing - Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In Egyptian magic heka is a neutral force, neither good nor bad. Ancient Egyptians could call upon the heka for solutions to overcome difficulties in life. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The name Heka is identical to the Egyptian word ḥkꜣ(w) "magic". This hieroglyphic spelling includes the symbol for the word ka (kꜣ), the ancient Egyptian concept of the vital force. Heka is associated with medicine, healing and power of the written and spoken words. See also: Shen Rings Egypt - Divine Protection Khet, the Body: Death Rites of Ancient Egypt Dream Interpretation (Oneiromancy) - Ancient Egypt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In the Pyramid Texts (2400 - 2300 BCE) Heka is divine energy of gods. The "cannibal pharaoh" devours other gods for this power, as in the Cannibal Hymn. The hymn depicts the pharaoh flying in a stormy sky, eating gods and men. Thus the king receives divine life force. Heka is also personified as a creator god in the form of man or child. He may hold two snakes. As a child figure he wears a "youth lock", traditional for young nobles in Egyptian society. The child wears it on the right, but in profile art it's shown either way. See also: Wigs & Natural Hair in Ancient Egypt Oldest Cattle Cult 6000 BCE - Arabia Egyptian Blue Faience - Ceramic Glass Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books By c. 2100 BCE Heka evolves from a concept to a deity. Most often he is depicted as a young male. Heka sometimes has a leonine head, the hieroglyph for strength/power (pḥty) and sun disc. Above he wears the hemhem crown. Also called the Triple Atef Crown. it's connected to the sunrise or 'rebirth'. It's sometimes seen in hieroglyphs with a solar child inside a lotus flower. It's supported by horizontal rams' horns. The horns are those of an extinct sheep breed, Ovis longipes palaeo-aegyptiacus. See also: Egyptian Blue Lotus: Visionary Beauty Book of the Heavenly Cow - Myths of Egypt Ephedra - Oldest Medical Stimulant Herb Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books An Egyptian Coffin Text spell (261, c. 2100 BCE) says Heka exists "before duality has come into being." In Heliopolis he's described as the son of Atum due the latter’s association with primordial creator of humans and animals, Khnum. Elsewhere Heka is the son of Khnum and Menhit. Lioness goddess of war in Kush, Nubian divinity Menhit is a tutelary and Sun deity. Her name means either "she who sacrifices" or "she who massacres." She's associated with Eye of Ra Goddesses Wadjet and Neith. See also: Wadjet - Winged Snake Goddess of Egypt Sekhmet - War Goddess of Ancient Egypt Hathor: Cosmic Cow Goddess of Ancient Egypt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Heka is initially the deity who watches over one's soul, infuses the soul with energy and power, allowing it to be elevated in death to the afterlife. Due to his protective powers, he's given a prominent place in the sun god's barque as it travels through the underworld at night. As Heh, Heka forms a trinity of the triple creator facets, with Sia and Hu. Sia forms a dyad with Hu, who represents the tongue. Hu personifies the authority and influence of the spoken word. Sia personifies perception and thoughtfulness, needed to understand truth. See also: Jimson Weed, Witches & Zombies Horse in Dreams - Meaning of Horses Hesperus (Vesper) the Evening Star Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The creator Sun god, Ra, calls on Heka as the source of power to begin the act of creation on land. He empowers life. Part of Heka's name is hieroglyphs is the 'ka' symbol. The ka is the essence of life, or the life force. Heka personifies this force. He pertains to the deity, concept and practice of magic. Since magic is an important part of Egyptian medicine, a physician invokes Heka in order to practice heka. Sia represents the heart, considered the seat of emotion, thought, and character. Hu symbolizes word of the Creator Ptah or Atum, which brings thought into reality. See also: Music of Ancient & Medieval Egypt Lammašaga: Sumerian Angel Goddess Bizilla - Shining Love Goddess Sukkal Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Names and naming are powerful magic in ancient Egypt. The name of a god or goddess is often incorporated into given names. Personal names associated with Heka include Hekawy, Hekaf, or just Heka. Goddess Isis is also sometimes affiliated with Heka. One of her titles is Weret Hekau, Great Lady of Magic. See also: Red Ocher (Ochre) Ancient Pigments Castor Oil, Wigs & Death in Ancient Egypt Curse of the Evil Eye & Apotropaic Magic Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Dieties bearing the name of Heka include: Upt-heka - Enchantment god Ur-heka - A god of Denderah Werethekau (Weret Hekau aspect of Isis) - Goddess of protection, esp. the king; personification of supernatural powers Neb ḥekau (Nebt ḥekau) - goddess of spells Urit-ḥekau or Hekau-ur: Goddess of Upper Egypt ruling the 10th hour of the day. See also: Creation, Cattle & the Cosmic Cow Lucifer, Venus & Anti-Gods of Mythology Soap & Medicine Herb of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The main cult center of Heka in ancient times is Esna, south of Luxor on the Nile. During the Ptolemaic dynasty (c. 305 - 30 BCE), Heka bestows divine kingship upon the Pharaoh. During Pharaoh's enthronement as a son of Isis, Heka holds him in his arms. The double snake staff of Hermes has origins in the Egyptian god of magic and medicine. It's said Heka kills two serpents and entwines them on a staff as a symbol of his power. Snakes are associated with medicine, fertility, rebirth, mystery, prosperity and sensuality. See also: The Sex Demons - Incubus & Succubus Drude: Germanic Demon of Darkness Abu - Ancient Vegetation Snake God Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The motif is adopted by the Greeks and later Romans as the caduceus or symbol of commerce. The Rod of Aesculapius, associated with medicine, is a single snake twined around a branch. The ka sign may have two snakes or a twist of flax between the arms. The 30th day of Up-Renepet, the 12th month in the Egyptian Lunar calendar, is in late August-early September. It falls on the night of the new moon. On this day ancient Egyptians and modern neo-pagans celebrate the Feast of Heka. See also: Lora Ley Adventures - Feast of Fools Pagan Christmas Yule Fests: Frau Holle 12 Days of Zagmuk: Chaos & the King Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Heka is later linked to the Greek goddess Hecate. It's thought Hecate is the one who can grant access to the power of Heka, and she can be invoked through rituals and offerings to bring gods and goddesses to life. See also: Kamrushepa: Hittite Goddess of Magic Wandering Womb - Ancient Medicine Lavender (Lavandula) Magic of Nature Back to Top

Heqet is associated with fertility, health of the land and people, germination of corn, the last stages of childbirth and the last stage of the flooding of the Nile. The Nile floods are an annual event celebrated for two weeks starting August 15 with the festivities of Wafaa-El-Nil. See also: Carnelian - Gems of the Ancient World Sacred Scarab: Lucky Bug of Ancient Egypt A Viking Christmas Yule Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Frog Goddess signifies luck, good health, medicine, prosperity, creation and metamorphosis. Frog statuettes and amulets of Heqet are popular in the ancient world. It's thought birthing mothers wore frog amulets to ease childbirth. Frogs have been associated with medicine since the time of the early humankind. Although they have lungs frogs also breath through the skin. No frog can live in salt water or water with high pollution levels. See also: Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Nergal - Ancient Underworld Gods Kiashe (Kiaše) - Elemental Sea God Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The skin of the frog is sensitive and in some cases, produces toxins. Tribal shamans use the skins of frogs in medicine riturals. An area of no frogs signifies poor envirornmental health. Before she becomes an independent Goddess, Heqet is the female counterpart of Khnum, a primordial creator god associated with the annual Nile floods. She splits off early in deific history to form her own identity, with Khnum as her husband or consort. See also: Hattusa Green Stone - Mystic Secrets Benu - Ba Heron God of Ancient Egypt Aya - Goddess of Dawn, Mesopotamia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books She is considered the mother of falcon-headed god Horus. In the Osiris myth, Heqet breathes life essence or ka into the new body of Horus at birth. Heqet is one of the deities, with Goddess Meskhenet, who bestows ka at the moment a child is being born. As the birth of Horus becomes linked to the resurrection of Osiris, Heqet's role is more closely associated with rebirth or creation of life from death. Heqet becomes a goddess of childbirth in the Middle Kingdom, 2040 - 1782 BCE. See also: Asherah: Goddess of Childbirth & Fertility Šassūrātu (Sassuratu): Deific Midwives Elixir of Life: Alchemy & the Emperor Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The flooding of the Nile is part of the planting and harvest cycles. The floods begin as heavy tropical rainfall in Ethiopia. The mating seasons of frogs depend on plenty of fresh water. They lay eggs in water and tadpoles, the children of frogs, are completely aquatic. The Nile brings much-needed water into Egypt and deposits layers of nutrient rich silt. The Egyptians hold silt in high regard because not only is it essential to the fertility of the land, it's also the substance from which the first humans are made. See also: Sacred Scarab: Lucky Bug of Ancient Egypt The Way to Aaru - Egyptian Paradise Hutena & Hutellura: Dyad of Birth & Fate Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Nile Floods must be in a natural state of balance. The Egyptians practice a method of basin irrigation to conserve the soils, their fertility sustained by the annual silt deposit of the Nile floods. If a flood is small, water doesn't reach the upper basins, resulting in poor crop irrigation, drought and famine. If a flood is too large it devastates villages, dams and canals. See also: Arabian Leopard: Bronze Age Predators Bashmu (Bašmu): Voracious Serpent Dragon Demons - Evil Udug of Mesopotamia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books During and after the floods, the land is literally hopping with frogs. It's a sure sign of health and prosperity to come. Frogs are also common prey for fish, herons, snakes and other aquatic or semi-aquatic predators. Amphibians such as the marsh frog (Pelophylax ridibundus), Nile Valley Toad (Sclerophrys kassasii) and Nile Delta Toad (Amietophrynus kassasii) are at home in the reedy rivers of Egypt. They mate and lay eggs as the flood waters rise. See also: Kushuh (Kušuḫ) Hurrian Moon God Jade - Jadeite, Nephrite & Jade Roads Myth & Metallurgy - Metals of Antiquity Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The Frog is associated with creation and feminine or yin energy. As ancient Egyptians depend on the Nile floods each year to infuse the lands with vigor and health, frogs are a sign of luck and prosperity. In China the money frog / toad Chan Chu is said to attract wealth. Frogs relate to the night and moon magic, vocalization and singing. In the Lora Ley novels riverbank frogs sing out the news every night. See also: Papyrus (C. papyrus): Sacred Reeds of Aaru Copper - Ruddy Metal of Mystic Magic Before the Viking Age - Gods of the Sámi Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In some depictions Heqet is shown seated on a shen ring or shenu. Due to her connection with nature magic, scholars suggest the name Heqet is a precursor to Hekate, goddess of witchcraft, moon and night. Both relate to Heka, ancient Egyptian personification of magic. See also: Animal Spirits - Frog, Cat, Bull Shen Rings Egypt - Divine Protection Nekhbet - Vulture Goddess of Egypt Back to Top

Ka ( kꜣ ) is part of the human soul, the vital essence of life. When the ka departs the body, the person is dead. Frog goddess Heqet or creator goddess Meskhenet bestows the ka of every individual, breathing it into the child at the moment of birth. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Khet, the Body: Death Rites of Ancient Egypt Heqet, Frog Goddess of Egypt Magic: Heka & the Ka in Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In ancient Egypt, creation of humans is attributed to Khnum, a ram-headed primordial god. He molds children on a potter's wheel from Nile silt and clay. He puts each child in the mother's womb. He also creates all the animals. In some versions Khnum supplies the ka for the new child. Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The concept of the human soul includes a number of facets or aspects. Altogether they create the akh or the form of the deceased person in the Afterlife. Khet - physical body Sah - spiritual body Ren - name, identity Ba - personality Ka - vital essence Ib - heart Shut - shadow Sekhem - power, form See also: Witches & Witchcraft: Ancient World Wine God Liber: Liberty & Liberal Libation Wigs & Natural Hair in Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Only the ba is able to leave the tomb of the deceased, for a short time. The ka can inhabit a statue or image but must be given food and drink. Thus consumable gifts are offered to the dead. The unseen ka of the deceased is sustained by the ka of the food and drink. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure In the Middle Kingdom of Egypt (c. 2030 - 1650 BCE) a soul house, or form of offering dish, is created to facilitate the process. Soul houses are pottery trays often molded into the form of a dwelling. See also: Seshat - Scribe Goddess Ancient Egypt Music of Ancient & Medieval Egypt Egyptian Blue Lotus: Visionary Beauty Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The house contains clay versions of food offerings. Some structures have spouts so libations can be poured over the soul house and flow away. Scholars suggest these are built for the ka to inhabit, to mark the surface of the tomb, or just as convenient offering trays. In iconography the kꜣ may be shown as a second image of the king. In this way the concept of a double world develops, with necessary objects or people existing for the ka owner. See also: Heh Gods & Eternal Life in Ancient Egypt Red Ocher (Ochre) Ancient Pigments Cattle Goddesses & the Cosmic Cow Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle According to curator Andrey Bolshakov, "The notion of the ka was a dominating concept of the next life in the Old Kingdom. In a less pure form, it lived into the Middle Kingdom, and lost much of its importance in the New Kingdom, although the ka always remained the recipient of offerings." See also: Emmer Wheat - First Domestic Crops Pomegranate - Food of the Ancients Nungal (Manungal) Prison Goddess Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the Late Period (c. 664 - 332 BCE), the ka becomes more complex. The theory of a multiple ka takes hold. Deities and kings are presumed to have more than one ka. It's not long before everybody wants more than one. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The ka is split into aspects such as power, life span, splendor, fame, food, seeing, hearing, knowing. The aspects are independent and perceived as the immortal principles of life itself, not linked to the life of an individual. See also: Terrazzo Floors & Neolithic Masons Megaliths & Building at Gobekli Tepe White Pigments of Ancient Artisans Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Ka Statues A ka statue is frequently put in a tomb, especially for rulers, royalty and elite, and other illustrious persons. Scribes, priests, viziers, doctors, learned people receive an elaborate or stately tomb. The statue is created as a resting place for the ka after death of the person. The statuette below represents Kha, an overseer of tomb building. Discovered in the tomb of Kha (d. 1350 BCE) and his wife Merit, with chests of clothes, Merit's wig, beauty products and more, this 48 cm (18.8 in) statue might house the ka of Kha. See also: Limonite: Ancient Earth Pigments Hippomancy: Sacred Horse Divination Crocodilopolis - Sobek Crocodile God Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Ka statues can also be set up as memorials or representations of the deceased in absentia. In Abydos, Upper Egypt, hundreds of Ka statues are erected to allow the dead to participate in the yearly festivals commemorating the resurrection of Osiris. The Ka statue may or may not bear the ka symbol as crown. Tutankhamun's ka statue of 1324 BCE doesn't have one. The Ka statue of Pharaoh Hor below has a prominent ka symbol. It's a Middle Kingdom artwork c. 1700 BCE. See also: Sacrifice of the Male: Temple at Uppsala Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Egyptian Blue Faience - Ceramic Glass Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The ka statue might be placed in an anteroom or serdab (house of the statue or Ka chamber). The Ka chamber is found in the funerary monuments built during the Old Kingdom of Egypt (c. 2649 - 2130 BCE). Often constructed without access, it houses the statue where the ka of the deceased lives. the ka can interact with activities in the funerary chapel through an opening or holes. These allow the deceased to receive offerings. The serdab may be hidden behind a false door. See also: Papyrus (C. papyrus): Sacred Reeds of Aaru Obsidian: Volcanic Black Glass of Gods Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Anterooms and false doors may be included as part of the tomb to foil grave robbers, who are responsible for considerable damage to tombs and contents. There might also be a secret back or side entrance to the tomb itself for use by family bringing offerings. See also: Fairy Rings, Moon & Nature Magic Queen Eleanor & the Calamitous Crusade Alchemist Dippel: the Frankenstein Files Back to Top

Ḥeḥ is the personification of infinity in the Ogdoad in ancient Egypt. The Ogdoad are eight primordial deities. His name at first means "flood", the watery chaos Nu existing before world creation. His female aspect is Hauhet. See also: Magic: Heka & the Ka in Ancient Egypt Witches & Witchcraft: Ancient World Abzu - Primal Waters of Creation Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Ancient Egyptians view this chaos as infinite, in comparison to a finite created world. The water is in all directions, everlasting. Heh personifies this aspect of the primordial waters. Heh's female counterpart is Hauhet, the feminine form of his name. The Ogdoad of Khmunu (Hermopolis) live in the Nu as four frog gods and four snake goddesses of chaos. They're seen as male and female aspects of an androgynous deity, or separate gods and goddesses in relationships. See also: Drude: Germanic Demon of Darkness Wigs & Natural Hair in Ancient Egypt Hathor: Cosmic Cow Goddess of Ancient Egypt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle They are: Nun and Naunet (water) Amun and Amaunet (invisibility) Heh and Hauhet (infinity) Kek and Kauket (darkness) The Ogdoad mythology tells of the eight divinities converging in a cataclysmic explosion. This gives birth to the Sun and its deific personification, Atum. See also: Atum of Egypt - First Primordial God Music of Ancient & Medieval Egypt Scribes & Writing - Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Symbols of Heh above include two palm stems with Shen rings & tadpoles at bases and palm stem head ornament. The Ankh, meaning eternal life, dangles from his arm, holding a scale, showing the was scepter (left) and the Djed or pillar of stability in balance. Heh and Hauhet symbolize limitless time and long life. Like the others in the Ogdoad, Heh in male form is a frog or frog-headed human. His female form is a snake or snake-headed human. See also: Heqet, Frog Goddess of Egypt Egyptian Blue Lotus: Visionary Beauty Joyful Arrival of Hapi in Egypt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The frog head represents fertility, creation, and regeneration. The other male Ogdoad Kek, Amun and Nun may also have frog heads. Heh is also shown as a man kneeling and holding palm stems, which represent long life. Notches on the stems indicate years. Images of Heh are used in hieroglyphs to denote one million, considered equivalent to infinity in Ancient Egypt. Heh is also known as the god of millions of years. A tadpole represents 100,000 years. It's also a sign of water, magic, transformation and growth. See also: Taweret - Hippopotamus Goddess of Egypt Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek The Way to Aaru - Egyptian Paradise Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Sun god Ra travels across the sky during the day in the Barque of a Million Years. The people believe his journeys will continue until the end of time, when chaos overruns the land once more. Heh can be one god or eight different gods. As several, they may support the great celestial cow in the heavens. Heh also supports the solar barque of Ra, and raises it into the morning sky at the end of its journey through the Underworld. See also: Terrazzo Floors & Neolithic Masons Book of the Heavenly Cow - Myths of Egypt Nefertum: He Who is Beautiful Gods of Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Heh might help Shu, wind and air god, to support the sky goddess Nut. In the Book of the Heavenly Cow, eight Heh gods are shown together with Shu supporting Nut, who has taken the form of a cow. If not held up as the cosmic sky, Nut falls to earth and mortal life ceases. Identified with Shu, Heh is a god of wind also connected to four pillars supporting the sky. Like Shu, he's sometimes shown with arms raised to help hold up the firmament. See also: Sphinx - Mythical Monster of Ancients Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Castor Oil, Wigs & Death in Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books "O you eight chaos gods, keepers of the chambers of the sky, whom Shu made from the efflux of his limbs, who bound together the ladder of Atum...The bnbn [phoenix] of Ra was that from which Atum came to be as Heh... I am the one who begot the chaos gods again, as Heh, Nun, Amun, Kek. I am Shu who begot the gods." -Spell from Coffin Texts As a conceptual entity, Ḥeḥ has no cult center, shrine or sanctuary. Veneration of Heh involves specific symbolism and personal beliefs. The god's image and iconographic elements relate to millions of years of life or rule. Ullikummi - Rock Monster of Legend Verdigris: Volatile Blue Green Pigment Çayönü Tepesi: Blood of the Earth Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Figures of Ḥeḥ are popular as amulets, luxury items and royal iconography from the late Old Kingdom (c. 2150 BCE) on. Heh is associated with Kings and the quest for longevity. On the tomb of King Tutankhamen, Heh wears a winged scarab crown, the beetle symbolizing existence and rebirth; and a sun disc. Placement of Heh in relation to King Tutankhamen's corpse means he grants Tut "millions of years" in the afterlife. See also: Sun God of Heaven - Hittite Solar Deity Wadjet - Winged Snake Goddess of Egypt Silver - Queen of Precious Metals Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The feminine of the god Heh, Hauhet (Hehet), is a less known figure. A snake-headed woman, snake or all woman, who rules over infinity, she may be seen as a separate deity. Often she's portrayed as a female aspect of Heh, as in yin/yang. See also: Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Mercury (Quicksilver): Miracle Metal of Alchemy Egyptian Blue - First Synthetic Color Back to Top

A sexual spirit or demon preys on a person through the act of intercourse or intimacy. In traditional lore the incubus is the male spirit, the succubus is female. They arrive in dreams to drain essential life force and leave the victim exhausted and sick. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Drude: Germanic Demon of Darkness Egyptian Blue Lotus: Visionary Beauty Rise of Pan: Fertility Goat God Péh₂usōn Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books They attack when the victim is emotionally vulnerable. Their purpose is selfish, insofar as existence is selfish. They need to feed on sexual passion and sensual energy of humans. Metaphysical energy vampires, they are emotionally draining, soul-sucking sponges. They drink of human life essence. Too many encounters with these unfeeling predators can kill a person. See also: Striped Hyena - Bronze Age Wild Verdigris: Volatile Blue Green Pigment Elixir of Life: Alchemy & the Emperor Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle A sexual spirit in popular culture is often a beautiful person seducing a hapless victim until the moment of intercourse or orgasm. Then it transforms to a crazed demon and tries to rip the person's face off. Those are only books and movies. The real thing is far worse. READ: Lora Ley Adventures - Germanic Mythology Fiction Series Ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians believe evil spirits can enter the body through orifices (ears, nose, anus, etc) and / or hair. Demons can also possess a person through the contact of sexual intercourse or intimacy such as kissing or fondling. See also: Wandering Womb - Ancient Medicine Çayönü Tepesi: Blood of the Earth Myrrh - Mystique, Death & Divinity After an encounter with a sex demon, a person may have a vague recollection of an erotic dream or wake up in the grips of a nightmare, possibly in half-dream state. Possession by a demon isn't easy to define as outward appearances may deceive. There are certain signs. anger, strong emotions sensitivity and overreaction change in habits erratic behavior change in libido (higher or lower) unusual strength conflict with others amnesia See also: Curse of the Evil Eye & Apotropaic Magic Semen - Life & Death in the Ancient World Ancient Egypt Remedies: Ebers Papyrus Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books One of the earliest mentions of an incubus comes from Mesopotamia on the Sumerian King List, c. 2400 BCE. The father of Gilgamesh is listed as Lilu, an entity described as "disturbing" and "seducing" women in their sleep. READ: Reiker For Hire Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Lilitu (Lilith), a female demon, seduces men in erotic dreams. Mesopotamian sexual entities include Ardat lili, who also visits men by night. She supposedly died before being sexually fulfilled, and stalks through dreams and darkness seeking humans to satisfy her desires. See also: Edimmu: Evil Demons of Vengeance Witches' Night - Hexennacht Jimson Weed, Witches & Zombies Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Ardat lili and her male counterpart Idlu lili were once storm or wind demons, ruled by the infamous Pazuzu. "Lili" means wind demon. Idlu lili visits women by night and impregnates them. Merlin of Arthurian legend is said to be born this way. In medieval Europe, it's thought union with an incubus results in birth of witches, demons and deformed humans. See also: Castor Oil, Wigs & Death in Ancient Egypt Horse in Dreams - Meaning of Horses Pazuzu - Demon God of Mesopotamia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The child of demon and mortal is a cambion. The cambion can also be the offspring of succubus and incubus, born in the demon realm and exchanged with a human baby as a changeling. The Bishop of Paris, William d'Auvergne writes about cambions in his 13th-century De Universo. He calls them "... cambiones, from cambiti, that is 'having been exchanged'": the "sons of incubi demons." These false infants constantly wail for milk and cannot be satisfied even by four nurses." Canadian scholar Richard Firth Green notes that this "was to become the standard scholastic explanation for changelings throughout the Middle Ages." See also: German Myth - White Ladies & Changelings Namtar: Underworld Sukkal & Disease Demon Lora Ley Adventures - Feast of Fools Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books With sexual demons, encounters can be one time or repeated. While a one-nighter might cause a person to feel used, repeated sexual activity with an incubus or succubus can create serious health problems. Deterioration of physical, mental conflict and death can result as the demon drains one's life essence. A person can feel exhausted on waking, or ill at ease and not sure why. Eventually the immune system breaks down or madness sets in. See also: Erra - Plague Demon of Mesopotamia Enuma Elish: Marduk & the Chaos Monsters 12 Days of Zagmuk: Chaos & the King Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Possession is another matter, in which the demon takes over the person's body and thoughts. In many parts of the ancient world demons are considered to cause sickness and insanity. The demon responsible for epilepsy or "bennu" disease is Shulpae. Demonic possession may be perceived as a health problem, for which exorcism is a medical as well as spiritual treatment. In Mesopotamia there are three types of healer. See also: Disease Demons & Doctors: Ancient Mesopotamia Anubis: Jackal-Headed God of Egypt Shulpae (Šulpae): Demon Warrior God Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The exorcist (ašipu) works with the diviner or barû (baru), who identifies the demon(s) or angry god(s), and the objective healer or ašu who treats symptoms with methods known to work, such as fresh aloe vera on a burn. Mesopotamian doctors often practice from temples. The ašipu is typically a priest specializing in demonology, exorcism and spiritual healing. This healer's body of knowledge is āšipūtu, translated as “exorcistic lore” or, simply “magic”. See also: Song of the Loreley - Lethal Beauty Soap & Medicine Herb of Ancients Eye of Ra Egypt - Wrath of the Woman Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The trope of priests vs. demons might begin here, but it doesn't. The pagan priest goes by different names but overall is a mystic specialist, shaman, guide or spirit worker from the time of the Paleolithic. In Hebrew literature the original succubus is Lilith, Adam's first wife. She leaves him and refuses to come back after a sexual encounter with Archangel Samael, whose name means "Venom / Poison of God". See also: Cattle Goddesses & the Cosmic Cow Arsenic: Murderous Metal & Miracle Cure Ḫulbazizi - Ancient Exorcism Ritual Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Samael is described as a seducer and destroying angel. Lilith is a Mesopotamian demon before she meets Adam. She appears in myth as a class of wind demon, Lilitu. Her name means 'night monster'. In Germania the demonic Drude may take a role as a succubus or incubus to possess a person. The Alp or Elf, for example the nocturnal Mare also causes nightmares and misery but is not a demon. A nightmare in German is Alptraum, or elf dream. See also: German Myth: Lindwyrm, Mare & Pig Demons Lucifer, Venus & Anti-Gods of Mythology Winter Tales - 4 Novellas Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Malleus Maleficarum or Witches' Hammer (1486 CE) says succubi collect semen of men they seduce. Incubi or male demons use the semen to impregnate human females. This way the church explains the 'offspring' of demons, as it is written they can't reproduce. In Arabian myth the qarînah is similar to the succubus. A qarînah sleeps with the person and has relations during sleep as shown in dreams. They're invisible, except to someone with second sight. The victim cannot marry or the qarina will harm him. See also: Herbology & Lore: Poison Hemlock Alchemist Dippel: the Frankenstein Files Lammašaga: Sumerian Angel Goddess Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books A Buddhist scripture regarding prayer to Avalokiteśvara promises to those who pray, "you will not be attacked by demons who either suck your energy or make love to you in your dreams." The Trauco of Chile, is a hideous deformed dwarf who lulls nubile young women and seduces them. The Trauco is said to be responsible for unwanted pregnancies, especially in unmarried women. See also: Erinyes - Vengeful Women of Ancient Greece Lord Rodent (Ninkilim) Sumerian Pest God Pagan Solstice Fests: Saturnalia Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle A variation is the Tintín of Ecuador, a dwarf who is fond of long-haired women and seduces them at night by playing guitar outside their windows. This myth is believed created during Colonial times to explain pregnancies in women under the watch of a chaperone. In Hungary, a lidérc comes from the egg of a black chicken. It attaches itself to a person and shifts gender if desired for intimacy. The creature is also a type of vampire, sucking out the victim's blood until the person weakens and dies. See also: Garnets - Gemstones of Blood and Life Blood Sacrifice, Twin Brothers & Creation Neolithic Skull Cults & Ritual Skulls Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In Zanzibar, Popo Bawa is an evil spirit or shetani who attacks men and women anally. It's a violent demon and although known only about 50 years, has caused mass panic attacks in entire regions of the country. See also: German Myth - Headless Horseman Oldest Cattle Cult 6000 BCE - Arabia Orpiment - Painter's Golden Poison Back to Top

The art of wig-making in history dates back to pre-Bronze Age Egypt. The earliest known Egyptian wig is found in a female burial at Hierakonpolis, dating c. 3400 BCE. In Egypt, wigs are usually made of human hair and dressed with oils, wax or gels, resins and perfumes. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Chamomile - Herbology & Folklore Castor Oil, Wigs & Death in Ancient Egypt Nekhbet - Vulture Goddess of Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The wig of Merit, wife of Kha, a royal overseer of tomb building, is found in the tomb of the couple in Thebes. Made in the 14th century BCE, the wig is of human hair. To create the crimped look the hair is wet-braided, and unbraided when dry. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Merit's wig is similar those of the women below. They're a special class of temple musician called Awalim, who also play for harems. The cones atop the wigs gradually dispense scent and conditioning oils. See also: Seshat - Scribe Goddess Ancient Egypt Music of Ancient & Medieval Egypt Egyptian Blue Lotus: Visionary Beauty Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle According to researchers Yakeen Hafouda and Paul Devakar Yesudian: "Predominantly worn by the elite of Egyptian society, wigs served a dual purpose: they signaled high rank in Egypt's strict social hierarchy and helped protect shaven scalps from the sun. Wigs also helped maintain hygiene levels by reducing the incidence of head lice." Wig Making Egyptian wig-making is an intricate process. Human hair is the preferred material for wigs and becomes an important commodity of trade. Like saffron, hair is worth more than its weight in gold. See also: Neolithic Nubia & Early Egyptians Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Herbs & Natural Remedies - Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books See this wig at the British Museum. According to description: "Wig made from human hair impregnated with beeswax and resin. This type of wig, comprised of both curled strands and plaits, would have been worn by a man of high status." A wig of any style is a work of art, woven through a mesh shaped to the head of wearer. Women's wigs are longer than those of men, with exceptions. The wig might be dressed with combs, beads, feathers, ornaments and scents depending on the fashion. See also: Egyptian Blue - First Synthetic Color The Way to Aaru - Egyptian Paradise Emmer Wheat - First Domestic Crops Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The hairdresser is responsible for maintaining elite hair, especially wigs. Wig care includes cleaning, styling and fitting them to the person's head. In ancient Egypt hair dressers are usually men. Beliefs in Egypt surrounding hair vary from desirable to demonic. It's thought evil spirits can enter the body through the hair. Finely dressed hair or wigs are also a status symbol. Head shaving became an option in Egypt with the invention of the copper razor c. 3000 BCE. See also: Verdigris: Volatile Blue Green Pigment Kohl: Eye Beauty Magic of Ancients Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Nubian Wigs As the legend goes, Queen Nefertiti (c. 1370 - 1340 BCE) is beguiled by the hair styles of Nubians in the Egyptian army. The Nubians come from lands south of Egypt, the area of Sudan today. Nefertiti has a wig made to imitate their coiffures. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure In the work below Nefertiti wears the lappet style or layered Nubian wig. Despite the destruction of many of her monuments following her death, later royals adopt and adapt the Nubian wig. See also: Taweret - Hippopotamus Goddess of Egypt Hesperus (Vesper) the Evening Star Sobekneferu - Queen of the Pharaohs Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Natural Hair According to archaeologist Natalie McCreesh in an article by Jo Marchant, an analysis of 18 mummies shows hair styled using fat-based "gel". She says wigs are more prevalent among the elite and "the majority of the mummies I've looked at have their own hair." Wig or natural, the hair is treated separately from the body, or Khet, at death. The mysterious hair gel, components not yet known, shared by several mummies. It ensures the style stays in place, in both life and death. See also: Hathor: Cosmic Cow Goddess of Ancient Egypt Turquoise: Precious Stone of Ancients Sacred Scarab: Lucky Bug of Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books An example of a female mummy with her own hair is Tiye (d. 1338 BCE), the mother of Pharaoh Akhenaten and mother-in-law of Nefertiti. In life she's proud of her hair and keeps it carefully groomed. The Egyptian goddess connected to long beautiful hair is Hathor. The sidelock of youth is worn by children of Pharaohs. Usually a braid, it connects to childhood and the youthful god Horus. As a child Horus wears the sidelock as heir to his father Osiris. For royals, the sidelock is symbolic of their right to rule. See also: Nefertari Queen of Peace Ancient Egypt Silver - Queen of Precious Metals Baltic Amber - Gold of the North Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle When the child reaches maturity, the lock is cut and offered to the God Horus. Above, Ramesses II (c. 1303 - 1213 BCE) wears the sidelock along with the cobra crown or uraeus signifying his royal status. The lock is worn by both princes and princesses. The barber, another essential worker in Egyptian society, is responsible for shaving the people. His tools are scissors, razors, tweezers and ointments. Barbers cater to different classes. Royal barbers have tenure at court. A people's barber often has stations outdoors. See also: Egyptian Blue Faience - Ceramic Glass Minoan Genius (Genii) Helper Spirits Wild Women and Winter Tales Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the 14th century servants and slaves are shaven bald and forbidden to wear hair. Priests and scribes (often the same person) also shave their heads. The wig above, an adaptation of the Nubian wig, is popular for men during the later Ptolemaic period. See also: Amethyst - Divine Purple Quartz Gemstone Sekhmet - War Goddess of Ancient Egypt Land of Punt: Pre-Bronze Age Kingdom of Riches Back to Top

Hathor (Ancient Egyptian: ḥwt-ḥr, lit. 'House of Horus') is a primary goddess of ancient Egypt. A sky deity, she's mother of Horus and wife of the sun god Ra. She can act as the ferocious Eye of Ra to punish misbehaving mortals. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Book of the Heavenly Cow - Myths of Egypt Eye of Ra Egypt - Wrath of the Woman Herbs & Natural Remedies - Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Ra the Sun God and Horus the falcon-headed god are both associated with kingship. The Pharaohs are their mortal representations. Hathor is the symbolic mother of the Pharaohs. With Ra and Horus she forms a divine triad. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure She's often portrayed as a cow with both celestial and maternal qualities. As a benevolent goddess she's patron of music, dance, love, sexuality, joy, motherhood and maternal care. She also acts as a psychopomp like Anubis, guiding the deceased to the Afterlife. See also: Crocodilopolis - Sobek Crocodile God Anubis: Jackal-Headed God of Egypt Ancient Egypt Remedies: Ebers Papyrus Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In her female form, Hathor appears as a woman wearing a headpiece of cow horns holding a sun disc and pointing up to the heavens, reinforcing Hathor's connection to the cosmic skies. Hathor can also manifest as a lioness, cobra, or sycamore tree. Cattle deities appear in 4th millennium Egyptian art. Hathor herself may be among them. The first mention of Hathor as a figure of worship is in the Old Kingdom (c. 2686 - 2181 BCE). As patron of Old Kingdom rulers she becomes one of Egypt's most significant deities. See also: Sekhmet - War Goddess of Ancient Egypt Thoth - Ibis Scribe Moon God of Egypt Steatite (Soapstone) - Ancient World Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In ancient Egypt it's customary to pray for the health of the Pharoah and invoke his protective deities. Thus the influence of Hathor spreads quickly though the land. She has more temples dedicated to her than any other goddess. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Her epithets include Mistress of the Sky and Mistress of the Stars. She's also a household protection figure, being one of the deities most often invoked in private prayers and votive offerings. Women wanting children pray to Hathor. See also: Sistrum (Sistra) Music: Ancient Egypt Nefertari Queen of Peace Ancient Egypt Scribes & Writing - Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Goddess of youth and beauty, Hathor may be depicted with lush beautiful hair. In ancient Egypt, through centuries of fashion, many men and women shave their bodies and heads and/or wear wigs. The "lock of youth" is a braid or braided style on the right side of the shaven head for a child of noble birth. Ramesses II has one as a child in the 13th century BCE. At maturity the lock is cut and given in offering to the God Horus, a symbolic casting away of childhood roles. See also: Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Kohl: Eye Beauty Magic of Ancients Worship of Hathor is connected to the sistrum, an ancient musical ritual instrument. Priestesses of Hathor are skilled in its use. Nefertari, Royal Wife of Ramses II and priestess of Hathor, is especially dedicated to the goddess. She's often shown shaking her sistra. Hathor's center of worship is her temple at Dendera, Upper Egypt. Besides being patroness of Kings, Hathor also receives offerings at temples of her male consorts. These include Ra, Horus, Atum the creator god, Amun (after 16th century BCE), and Khonsu the moon god. See also: Atum of Egypt - First Primordial God Khella - Ancient Health & Herbology Tooth Worms of Ancient Mesopotamia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Khonsu is first worshipped c. 2055 BCE. At first he's seen as a cannibal god. In one myth he plays senet with the ancient god Thoth, who gambles with him for five nights of moonlight. Because of her celestial connection, Hathor is connected with trade and travel by sea or wide waters, where sailors navigate by the stars. The Egyptians associate Hathor with foreign lands such as Nubia and Canaan. See also: Abzu - Primal Waters of Creation Steppe Trade Routes: Before the Silk Road Garnets - Gemstones of Blood and Life Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Thus linked to valuable trade goods, such as incense and gemstones, the gentle powers of Hathor are influential in harmonious relations. Nubia especially incorporates her worship, already having a strong cattle cult and trade tradition. In turn the Egyptians adopt protector god Bes. He also becomes a popular household deity, eventually becoming the god of all Good, including helpful magic, household protection and music. See also: Egyptian Blue Faience - Ceramic Glass Bes: Household Protector God of Egypt Music of Ancient & Medieval Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books As the Eye of Ra, Hathor is bloodthirsty and vengeful, trampling and spearing men, causing war, disease, famine, ruin. Other Eye of Ra goddesses include war goddess Sekhmet, winged cobra goddess Wadjet, and earth mother goddess Mut. Worship of Hathor replaces that of a crocodile god, perhaps Sobek, at Dendera, Upper Egypt. Hathor becomes patron deity of Dendera. From nearby Hu, bovine goddess Bat is assimilated into the cult and fused with Hathor in the Middle Kingdom (c. 2055 - 1650 BCE). See also: Cress, Watercress: Natural Health of Ancients Wadjet - Winged Snake Goddess of Egypt Seduction of Hedammu, Father of Snakes Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In the New Kingdom (c. 1550 -1070 BCE), goddesses such as Mut and Isis rise up in power. Isis assumes characteristics initially related to Hathor. One of her roles is as psychopomp, and in later depictions she wears the horned solar headdress of Hathor. Nonetheless Hathor remains one of the most widely worshipped deities due to her influence as a goddess of women, connections to the Sun God, the stars and the economy. The idea of the cosmic cow goes back to primordial creation myths. See also: Cult of the Bull - Prehistoric Aurochs Primeval Deities: Goddess of the Dawn Baltic Amber - Gold of the North Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books After the end of the New Kingdom, Hathor's cosmology becomes lost in the shadow of Isis. Her cult survives, and continues until the extinction of ancient Egyptian religion in the first millennium CE. Pretty Poisons: Holly, Yew, Mistletoe Sobekneferu - Queen of the Pharaohs Heqet, Frog Goddess of Egypt Back to Top

Chamomile is essential to any herbal medicine shelf. It's one of several species of bright daisy-like plants with white petals and cheerful yellow center. The flowers are routinely used to make tea, either as a comfort or medicinal drink, often with honey. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Spelt Wheat - Bronze Age Grain Crops House Spirits of Germanic Mythology Weld Yellow: Ancient Nature Pigments Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Chamomile (Brit. camomile) has a mild, delicate taste and aroma. It's known since the early days of medicine and continues as a popular folk remedy for insomnia, anxiety or digestive disturbances today. The flowers are used to make tea. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The plant belongs to the Asteraceae or daisy family, occurring most often as Matricaria chamomilla - German Chamomile or Water of Youth Chamaemelum nobile - Roman, English, or garden chamomile See also: Einkorn Wheat - First Domestic Crops White Pigments of Ancient Artisans Cress, Watercress: Natural Health of Ancients Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle It's said to attract prosperity as well as good health. Chamomile is popular as a restful tea and an ingredient in specialty beer and mead. It's used as a flavoring in foods and a gentle scent in cosmetics or soap. Washing one's hands in chamomile tea is considered good luck in parts of Europe, especially before gambling. Chamomile can also be carried as a dry herb to ward off evil magic. See also: Nigella Sativa: Black Seed of Healers Lammašaga: Sumerian Angel Goddess Nature Spirits of German Mythology Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books To make tea, only the dried flowers are used. Flowers have the terpenoids and flavonoids which contribute medicinal properties to the plant. Dehydrate fresh flowers by spreading them on a rack in place with good air circulation. Avoid placing plants in direct sunlight. It can take flowers up to 10 days to dry properly. See also: Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans Jimson Weed, Witches & Zombies Gold-of-Pleasure: Bronze Age Crops Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Pour just-boiled water over dried flowers in strainer or pot, steep as desired and enjoy. It makes a mild transparent yellow-green tea. Chamomile and chamomile essential oil are used in aromatherapy for mental and spiritual calm and balance. In folk medicine chamomile is used to treat insomnia bad dreams nausea and upset stomach sore throat cold or flu symptoms anxiety tired eyes - apply in pack or bag moodiness See also: Woad, the People's Blue: Ancient Pigments Emmer Wheat - First Domestic Crops Dream Interpretation (Oneiromancy) - Ancient Egypt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Researchers at Zhejiang University in China find fermented chamomile to have a cytotoxic (toxic and damaging) effect on cancer cells. Tea or beer blended with honey is high in antioxidants, for management of high blood pressure or cardiac tension. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Chamomile gently cleanses hair. Science finds the chamomile herb brimming with healthy antioxidants to help treat skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and sunburn. Natural polyphenols and phytochemicals in chamomile help treat wounds and speed healing. See also: Verdigris: Volatile Blue Green Pigment Emmer Wheat - First Domestic Crops Soap & Medicine Herb of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Matricaria chamomilla is used by early Egyptians to repel insects and treat malaria. Both Greeks and Egyptians apply chamomile as skin tonic against harsh dry weather and skin ailments. Romans bathe in chamomile. Used for bathing it leaves a soft scent and no residue on the skin as oil does. As a flower of the Sun with cheerful rays and golden center, chamomile relates to happiness and joy. It's considered to attract gold or prosperity, or a lover. See also: Kusarikku - Bull Men of Mesopotamia Primeval Deities: Goddess of the Dawn Turquoise: Precious Stone of Ancients Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In Egypt the flower is associated with Sun God Ra and especially his female aspect Raet Tawy. One of Egypt's most important plants for medicine and fragrance, chamomile has been cultivated on the Nile for centuries. In Wicca, lighting a green candle anointed with flowers of chamomile is said to attract money. Sprinkling chamomile on windowsills and door thresholds repels invasive negative energy, as does planting chamomile around the house. See also: Joyful Arrival of Hapi in Egypt Istustaya & Papaya - Dyad of Destiny Rhinestones: Treasures of the Rhine Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Chamomile plants and flowers and other daisy family flora are a joyful, showy addition to the garden. They're also known to attract butterflies. See also: Baba Yaga - Slavic Forest Witch Sun God of Heaven - Hittite Solar Deity Ereshkigal & the Mesopotamian Underworld Back to Top

The herbal medicine shelf isn't stocked without chamomile. This fragrant flowering herb is said to attract prosperity as well as good health. It's popular as a restful tea and an ingredient in specialty beer. In beauty cosmetics and soap it's used as a scent, and as a flavoring in gourmet tea and other consumables. See also: Nibelung - Of Worms & Heroes Amazing Legacy of Alexander von Humboldt German Herbology - Edelweiss Chamomile Tea & Beer Chamomile is the popular name for a number of daisy-like plants in family Asteraceae. With petals of white and bright yellow gold center, this cheerful plant represents the Sun. The most common species include: Matricaria chamomilla – German chamomile or Water of Youth Chamaemelum nobile – Roman, English, or garden chamomile See also: Herbology & Lore: Poison Hemlock Chicken Soup: Chickens in German Folklore Angel of Long Point - Abigail Becker Chamomile is a popular ingredient in home-made and specialty beer and ale. Brewers use parts of the whole plant to add a sweet, mild or bitter element. It can be blended with honey or fermentable fruits. The fresh plant carries the scent of apple. While the chamomile plant has been used since ancient times, Germanic and other European lore are passed down through oral tradition. An English drawing dates to the 11th century. The first written mention of the name chamomile comes from the 13th century. To make tea, only the dried flowers are used. Drop a handful in boiling water and steep as desired for a fragrant cup. To dry fresh flowers, spread them on a rack in a dry, airy place. Avoid direct sunlight. Folk medicine uses of chamomile include treatment of insomnia; nausea and upset stomach; sore throat and symptoms of head cold. Applied in a pack or bag it can help refresh tired eyes. Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Sylvia Rose Books Author Website Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Uses of chamomile also include adding flavor to mouthwash or fragrance to soap and cosmetics. Chamomile plants are a beautiful, showy addition to the garden and known to attract butterflies. Researchers at Zhejiang University in China found fermented chamomile to have a cytotoxic (toxic and damaging) effect on cancer cells. In tea and beer chamomile is often blended with honey, which is high in antioxidants and used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease. See also: Rhinestones: Treasures of the Rhine German Myth & Folklore: Elves Sugar Beets, Altbier & First Newspaper Chamomile represents the Sun because of its cheerful rays and golden center. In Egypt it's associated with Sun God Ra and thus his female aspect Raet Tawy. The rising sun relates to Horus. One of Egypt's most important plants for medicine and fragrance, chamomile has been cultivated for centuries. The Egyptian species is the same as the German species, Matricaria chamomilla. Medicinally it was used by early Egyptians to repel insects and treat forms of malaria. See also: Herbology & Lore: Plantain Plant Happy Friday! Tidbits & Trivia Writing Process - on Learning As a flower of the Sun it relates to happiness and joy. It's also considered to attract gold or prosperity, or a lover. Folklore surrounding this pretty plant includes washing one's hands in chamomile tea for good luck, especially before gambling. It can be carried dry as a charm against bad luck in general. Both Greeks and Egyptians applied chamomile a healing skin tonic against harsh dry weather as well as diverse skin ailments. Romans bathed in it. Vikings were said to use it as a hair lightener. Chamomile nourishes and gently cleanses hair. Science finds the chamomile herb brimming with healthy antioxidants to help treat skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and sunburn. Natural polyphenols and phytochemicals in chamomile can treat wounds and speed healing. Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Sylvia Rose Books Author Website Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series In Wicca, a green candle anointed with flowers of chamomile is said to bring money. Incense, tea or aromatherapy promote restful sleep. In the American south, a garland of chamomile flowers in the hair is one way to attract a lover. Sprinkling chamomile on windowsills and door thresholds protects against invasive negative energy, as does planting chamomile around the house. As a prosperity herb it can also be used this way to attract money. In gardens, it's known to attract butterflies. See also: The Mystic Victorian - Fortune Telling Magic of Music & Cats Famous Women Inventors - Anna Connelly