Thursday, August 15, 2013

Essential Info About North African Jars

By Gamal Rasheed


Egyptians are popular because of their ritualistic habits. They practiced peculiar and complicated rituals, especially during burial ceremonies. Additionally, they used special items like the Canopic jars for this function. The Canopic jars were utilized while mummifying the dead body. The visceral organs were stored in these jars to preserve life even after the death of a person.

Ancient Egyptian Canopic jars have been in use since the old Kingdom and lasted up until the very last era of the Egyptians. However the way these jars were used varied with time. When it came to storing the viscera in the jars the Egyptians would use a number of different jars and each organ had its own dedicated Canopic jar.

Most of the people link the Canopic jars to the Greek legendary stories of Canopus. But Egyptology has helped historians to make it clear that the above two historical aspects are entirely different and there is no link between them.

According to tradition the deceased individual would have four Canopic jars. Each of these jars was meant to safeguard a particular organ. The main organs in the view of the Egyptians were the lungs, liver, the stomach and the intestines. The design sense used in creating Canopic jars went through a number of changes with time.

During the period of the ancient Egyptian Kingdom, the Canopic jars did not have any complicated designs, but were rather simple and covered with lids which were plain. As they approached the first intermediate era, the jars were sculpted with human heads, symbolizing the dead.

Until the start of the new Kingdom of Egypt, Canopic jars portraying human heads were commonly in use. As the 18th century was coming to a close, the human head symbol became obsolete. The lids were now made in order to portray the four sons of Horus.

The four sons of Horus were also considered to be the "gods of cardinal compass points". Every one of the four was charged with the responsibility of protecting one of the four sacred organs while they themselves would protect each other from harm that may be caused to them from the outside.

The four sons of Horus pictured on the Canopic jars are described as follows. The jackal-headed deity named Damutef, was in charge of protecting the stomach. Symbolizing the East, this deity received protection from another deity namely, goddess Neith. The second falcon-headed deity named Qebehsenuef was responsible for protecting the intestines. This deity further obtained protection from Selkat.

The Egyptian deity Hapi was appointed to safeguard the lungs put in the third jar. Hapi was symbolic of the North; he was to be protected by Nephthys. Imseti, the fourth son of Horus was appointed to guard the liver. He was symbolic of North; he was to be protected by the goddess Isis.




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