Isis knot

Isis knot , also Isisblut or Tit Charm called, referred to a charm in a modified form of anch character

with the "side arms" folded down:

. The hieroglyph is read as tit or tet . It is one of the most important knot amulets. The Isis knot could also be depicted as the head of the goddess Hathor with cow ears, expressing the close connection between Isis and Hathor.

meaning

The name Isis blood goes back to the discussion formula “Your blood belongs to you, Isis” and later in a modified form “O blood of Isis” in the Egyptian Book of the Dead . However, nothing is known about the original meaning of the sign. It is already documented as a sacred symbol in the Old Kingdom . In the New Kingdom it is referred to as the "Isis knot" and probably functioned as a symbol of the goddess Isis as a counterpart to the Djed pillar , which is an attribute of her husband Osiris. There is, however, a clear relationship with the goddess Isis, and in the late period she bore the sign as a garment knot, which can also be found in depictions of Osiris in graves.

The tying and untying of knots was also of great importance in the magic of ancient Egypt .

Examples of usage

The Isis knot was used in various ways, but mainly as an amulet or decoration. Carnelian (ancient Egyptian --rst - hereset), red faience or glass were used for amulets .

As an amulet, it represented a very important protection for pregnant women and women giving birth. It was also given to the “transfigured” deceased ( Maa-cheru - “true in voice”) and placed around the neck. Proverb 156 of the Egyptian Book of the Dead not only specifies what material it should be made of ( carnelian or jasper ), but also gives instructions for its use, which is specified in a so-called postscript to the proverb:

“This saying is to be recited over an Isis blood made from red jasper, moistened with the juice of the ankhimi plant; sewn on sycamore bast (?) and placed on the neck of this deceased on the day of burial. "

In decorations on temple walls or sarcophagi , the symbol can be found again and again together with the Djed pillar or the Ankh sign, with the Djed pillar symbolizing the god Osiris and the Isis knot the goddess Isis . Both symbols in connection with Proverbs 155 on the Djed pillar and 156 on the Isis knot are intended to protect the deceased through the magical power of Isis.

"Your blood is yours, Isis,

your magic power is yours, Isis,

your magic is yours, Isis.

The amulet is the protection of the great and protects (him from) him who commits crimes against him. "

In the tomb of Tutankhamun ( KV62 ) there were not only several of these amulets, which were not all made of the red semi-precious stone, but also, for example, the outer shrine, which surrounded the three inner shrines and the sarcophagus, has a djed decoration. Pillars and isis nodes. This decor also adorns the small, gilded wooden shrine ( Anubisschrein ) on which a figure of the god Anubis rested in the form of a reclining canid, the base of the sarcophagus and the canopic box .

Nefertari , the great royal wife of Ramses II , is depicted several times in her grave QV66 in the Valley of the Queens in a robe that is tied with a red Isis knot.
A game of Senet Amenhotep III. , which was found in his grave WV22 , is decorated with Isis knots on the outside.

Senet game Amenophis III.
outermost shrine of Tutankhamun
Queen Nefertari in QV66 with a garment knot
Isis knot with the throne name Seti I.

literature

Hans Bonnet : Isis blood. In: Lexicon of Egyptian Religious History. Nikol, Hamburg 2000, ISBN 3-937872-08-6 , p. 332 f.
Wolfgang Helck , Eberhard Otto : Isis knots. In: Small Lexicon of Egyptology. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1999, ISBN 3-447-04027-0 , p. 133.
Manfred Lurker : Lexicon of the gods and symbols of the ancient Egyptians. Scherz, Bern / Munich / Vienna 1998, ISBN 3-502-16430-4 , p. 109.
Ian Shaw, Paul Nicholson: Reclam's Lexicon of Ancient Egypt. Reclam, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-15-010444-0 , p. 310.

Web links

Commons : Isis knot - collection of images, videos, and audio files

Individual evidence

^ Rainer Hannig : Hannig-Lexika: The language of the pharaohs. (2800-950 BC). Volume 1: Large concise dictionary of Egyptian-German. 5th edition. von Zabern, Mainz 2009, ISBN 978-3-8053-1771-9 , p. 1080.
↑ Erik Hornung : The Egyptian Book of the Dead. Unchanged photomechanical reprint of the 1979 edition, Artemis & Winkler, Düsseldorf / Zurich 1997, ISBN 3-7608-1037-3 , p. 511.
^ Hans Bonnet: Lexicon of the Egyptian religious history. 2000, p. 332.
↑ Lucia Gahlin: Egypt - gods, myths, religions. Edition XXL, Reichelsheim 2001, ISBN 3-89736-312-7 , p. 196.
↑ Lucia Gahlin: Egypt - gods, myths, religions. Reichelsheim 2001, p. 196.
^ Günther Roeder : Documents on the religion of ancient Egypt. Diederichs, Jena 1923, p. 290.
↑ Excerpt from Erik Hornung : The Egyptian Book of the Dead. Düsseldorf / Zurich 1997, p. 336.
↑ Manfred Lurker: Lexicon of the gods and symbols of the ancient Egyptians. 1998, p. 109.
↑ Erik Hornung: The Egyptian Book of the Dead. Düsseldorf / Zurich 1997, p. 511.

[1] Rainer Hannig : Hannig-Lexika: The language of the pharaohs. (2800-950 BC). Volume 1: Large concise dictionary of Egyptian-German. 5th edition. von Zabern, Mainz 2009, ISBN 978-3-8053-1771-9 , p. 1080.

[2] Erik Hornung : The Egyptian Book of the Dead. Unchanged photomechanical reprint of the 1979 edition, Artemis & Winkler, Düsseldorf / Zurich 1997, ISBN 3-7608-1037-3 , p. 511.

[3] Hans Bonnet: Lexicon of the Egyptian religious history. 2000, p. 332.

[4] Lucia Gahlin: Egypt - gods, myths, religions. Edition XXL, Reichelsheim 2001, ISBN 3-89736-312-7 , p. 196.

[5] Lucia Gahlin: Egypt - gods, myths, religions. Reichelsheim 2001, p. 196.

[6] Günther Roeder : Documents on the religion of ancient Egypt. Diederichs, Jena 1923, p. 290.

[7] Excerpt from Erik Hornung : The Egyptian Book of the Dead. Düsseldorf / Zurich 1997, p. 336.

[8] Manfred Lurker: Lexicon of the gods and symbols of the ancient Egyptians. 1998, p. 109.

[9] Erik Hornung: The Egyptian Book of the Dead. Düsseldorf / Zurich 1997, p. 511.