The Tyet Knot

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at a symbol known as the Tyet Knot 𓎬 or the Isis Knot 𓎬! 

This particular Tyet Knot 𓎬 is from the Book of the Dead of 𓉐𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓉔𓂋𓏲𓇳𓏺𓍼𓏺 Imhotep at the MET! Even though this Book of the Dead 𓉐𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓉔𓂋𓏲𓇳𓏺𓍼𓏺 is from the Ptolemaic Period, the origin of the Tyet Knot 𓎬 from the First Dynasty/Early Dynastic Period! It always amazes me how the same religious symbols just persisted through Egyptian history! 

The Tyet Knot 𓎬, also known as the Isis knot 𓎬, was considered a very strong symbol of protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 and came to be associated with Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥. The Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 believed that knots 𓎬 were able to bind and then release magic 𓎛𓂓𓄿𓏜. The Isis Knots 𓎬 were also mostly used in a funerary context, such as amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏦 (starting in the New Kingdom) placed on mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪 or as part of spells 𓎛𓂓𓏛𓏦 in the Book of the Dead 𓉐𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓉔𓂋𓏲𓇳𓏺𓍼𓏺. 

In chapter 156 of the Book of the Dead 𓉐𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓉔𓂋𓏲𓇳𓏺𓍼𓏺, it states that the Tyet Knot 𓎬 amulet 𓊐𓊪𓅆 should be made of red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 jasper and placed on the neck of the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾! The spell states that the Tyet Knot 𓎬 amulet 𓊐𓊪𓅆 “will drive away whoever would commit a crime against him.” 

Let’s take a look at the hieroglyphic meaning! Called the “tie 𓎬” by Gardiner, this symbol is an ideogram for “Tyet Knot 𓎬” or “Isis Knot 𓎬” and is associated with the sound “tjt” which would be pronounced like “tyet.”