Late Period Faience Amulets

These are some Late Period faience amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪! Amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 were protective symbols that could be used by either the living 𓋹𓈖𓐍 or the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱 and each amulet 𓊐𓊪𓅆 had its own power based on the image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 it represented. 

The first amulet 𓊐𓊪𓅆 on the left is Shu 𓇋𓅱𓀭, the god 𓊹 of the air and atmosphere. In the Egyptian creation myth, Shu 𓇋𓅱𓀭 raised the atmosphere from the Earth’s 𓇾𓇾 surface, separating the two 𓏻. Shu 𓇋𓅱𓀭 was often worshipped 𓇼𓄿𓀢 by sailors, who were looking for favorable winds 𓇋𓇬𓈖𓅱𓊡𓏦! 

The next two 𓏻 amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 are different representations of the god 𓊹 Khnum 𓎸𓏏𓀭. Khnum 𓎸𓏏𓀭 is usually represented as a ram and is one of the oldest Egyptian deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹 – evidence of worship 𓇼𓄿𓀢 dates back to the First Dynasty!! Khnum 𓎸𓏏𓀭 is the god 𓊹 of the Nile River 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 and fertility. In the creation myth, Khnum 𓎸𓏏𓀭 is said to have created all of the world’s people on his potter’s wheel. He is associated with Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱, who created the heavens 𓊪𓏏𓇯 and Earth 𓇾𓇾 on a potter’s wheel. 

The next two 𓏻 amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 are a hare 𓃹𓏺 and an Apis Bull 𓎛𓐑𓊪𓃒. The hare 𓃹𓏺 amulet was thought to have regenerative powers, and in a funerary context, would help the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 be reborn 𓄟𓍿𓅱 in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. The Apis Bull 𓎛𓐑𓊪𓃒 was associated with fertility and rebirth 𓄟𓍿𓅱 and was mostly worshipped 𓇼𓄿𓀢 in Memphis 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖. 

Taweret 𓏏𓄿𓅩𓂋𓏏𓆗 is a fierce Egyptian goddess 𓊹𓏏 who is associated with childbirth. Women who were pregnant would wear amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 of Taweret 𓏏𓄿𓅩𓂋𓏏𓆗 for protection. Taweret 𓏏𓄿𓅩𓂋𓏏𓆗 is always represented as a pregnant hippopotamus 𓌉𓏏𓃯 and was a household deity – she didn’t have any temples 𓉟𓏏𓉐𓏪 dedicated to her specifically.