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Ancient
Egyptians - Meaning of Red |
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The Ancient Egyptian Symbolism and
Meaning of Red
Ancient Egyptian Color Symbolism - Different
Shades of Red
Red
Colors
of
Ancient
Egypt Red Lead Red Ochre Madder Carmine
Ancient Egypt - Symbolism and Meaning of Red Fact Sheet Fact 1 on Meaning of Red:
The Egyptian name for this color was
'desher' Fact 2 on Meaning of Red: In Ancient Egyptian art males were
traditionally painted with a dark red-brown skin color that represented outdoor
life and pursuits of men Fact 3 on Meaning of Red:
Various forms of plant dyes and
mineral compounds were used for creating the different colors and shades.
Chemical tests of red fabrics found in the tomb of King Tutankhamen in Egypt
show the presence of alizarin, a pigment extracted from madder. Fact 4 on Meaning of Red:
The plants used to create dyes and pigments to produce the color included
madder, alkanet and henna plants. The paint used for this color red was usually
made from red ochre or hematite. Fact 5 on Meaning of Red:
The chemical compounds used to
create dyes and pigments to produce the color included oxidized iron, red ochre,
red clay and realgar which was an arsenic sulfide mineral that is also known as
"ruby sulphur". Fact 6 on Meaning of Red:
The precious and semi-precious red colored
Magical
Stonesused by the ancient Egyptians included jasper, carnelian, rose quartz and
garnet. Garnet was found in the rocks in the Eastern Desert and Sinai. Fact 7 on Meaning of Red:
The color represented life, fire and victory and was also used to convey anger,
hostility and chaos.
Fact 8 on Meaning of Red:
It was deemed to be a powerful color by the ancient Egyptians because of its
association with blood. The color invoked the protective power of the blood of
Isis.
Fact 9 on Meaning of Red:
The jasper
stone symbolized the goddess Isis and was used to make the magic amulet or
talisman called the Knot of Isis. Fact 10 on Meaning of Red:
The sacred scarab
Talisman and Amuletsoften featured the jasper stone and was placed in the heart cavity of mummies.
continued...
Ancient Egypt - Symbolism and Meaning of Red Fact Sheet
Facts about the Symbolism and
Meaning of Red in Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt - Symbolism and Meaning of Red Fact Sheet Fact 11 on Meaning of Red:
A tiny red stone,
a reproduction of the heart, was also placed in the heart cavity of a mummy with
the scarab amulet. This heart-shaped amulet represented the Ba, the part of the
soul that embarked on a journey to follow the gods Fact 12 on Meaning of Red:
The Ba
heart-shaped amulet was also carried by ancient Egyptians who suffered from a
heart condition. Fact 13 on Meaning of Red: The body of the deceased turned black during the process of mummification and
the skin of
deceased men were often painted with red during the rituals of
mummification. Fact 14 on Meaning of Red: Due to its
association with hostility, chaos and anger the this color was symbolic of Set
the ancient Egyptian god of evil, who was often depicted with red hair in
Egyptian art.
Fact 15 on Meaning of Red:
Some images in
ancient Egyptian art show Set colored with red skin. People with red-colored
hair or skin were believed to be under the influence of Set and prone to display
bursts of anger and rage.
Fact 16 on Meaning of Red:
Angry gods and
goddesses were described as having red-eyes: "Beware of the Red-Eyed Horus,
violent of power!" Fact 17 on Meaning of Red:
A sun disk
amulet, associated with the sun god Ra, was always painted in this color and
represented the attributes of the life-giving sun.
Fact 18 on Meaning of Red:
Ancient Egyptian
scribes used black or red ink. Reddish colored ink was used to record important
words and phrases Fact 19 on Meaning of Red: Reddish colored
ink was used for passages about demons, such as the serpent Apothis, in the
Book of the Dead and to describe
anything that was evil. Unlucky days were
also written in this color. Fact 20 on Meaning of Red:
The color was
strongly associated with the desert, an inhospitable place where people were
exiled or sent to work in the desert mines of Egypt. The west was considered the
place of death and is why all Egyptian tombs were located on the west side of
the Nile in order to enter the afterlife. The desert was regarded as the
entrance to the underworld where the sun disappeared each night.
continued...
Ancient Egypt - Symbolism and Meaning of Red Fact Sheet Facts about
the Meaning of Red to the Ancient Egyptians
The Deshret Crown Lower Egypt (the North of Egypt)
The Hedjet Crown Upper Egypt (the South of Egypt)
The Pshent Double Crown Unified Egypt Ancient Egypt - Symbolism and Meaning of Red Fact Sheet Fact 21 on Meaning of Red: Red Crown of Egypt was called the Deshret and was the symbol that represented Lower Egypt (the North of Egypt), the white crown symbolised Upper Egypt. When Upper and Lower Egypt were unified a crown combining the colors and designs was adopted by the pharaohs as depicted in the above image. Fact 22 on Meaning of Red: The Carnelian was believed to protect the wearer from witchcraft, and, by warding off the glance of the envious. Fact 23 on Meaning of Red: The Carnelian eventually came to be considered an ill-omened stone and its name in Egyptian was 'herset' meaning sadness. Fact 24 on Meaning of Red: Jasper comes in different shades of reddish, yellow or brown stones and was believed to possess magical healing powers. Fact 25 on Meaning of Red: The area next to the River Nile was called the 'black-lands' further away from the river were the 'red-lands'. Both were extremely important to the economy and civilisation of ancient Egypt. Fact 26 on Meaning of Red: The 'Black Lands' were the farming areas on the banks of the Nile. The 'Red-Lands' were the desert areas that protected the lands of Egypt on two sides and separated ancient Egypt from neighbouring countries and invading armies. The 'Red-Lands' were also rich in raw materials such as stone and precious metals such as gold, silver and copper and semi-precious stones. Fact 27 on Meaning of Red: The word "desert" is derived from the Egyptian "deshrt", meaning the 'red place'. Fact 28 on Meaning of Red: Granite is a common type of rock in Egypt consisting of mainly of quartz, mica, and feldspar and many Egyptian monuments were constructed from this stone. The Red Pyramid of Egypt, the third largest of Egyptian pyramids, was named for the light crimson hue of its exposed granite surfaces. Royal statuary was often made of crimson granite invoking the regenerative properties of the solar cycle emphasizing the connection between the pharaoh, the sun and the gods. Fact 29 on Meaning of Red: The Great Pyramid of Giza contains a huge granite sarcophagus fashioned of "Red Aswan Granite." Fact 30 on Meaning of Red: Other uses of red granite in Ancient Egypt include columns, door lintels, walls and floor veneer. Ancient Egypt - Symbolism and Meaning of Red Fact Sheet
Egypt and the
Symbolism & Meaning of Red The Symbolism and Meaning of Red to the Ancient Egyptians |
