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Lotus,
papyrus, and the heraldic plants
of ancient
Egypt
- A Visual Story -
Extended and revised, December
2008
All
photographs and drawings by the author, except when indicated otherwise.
Glyphs by
Glyph for Windows Basic, with a few signs from the
Hieroglyphica.
The photographs in this section are approx. 10-25 kB. You can click on
most of them, to download a more detailed version of about 100 -150 kB.
Introduction
As most textbooks about
ancient Egypt will tell you, lotus and papyrus were the heraldic plants
of Upper and Lower Egypt, respectively. In symbolic pictorial groups, a
lotus stood for Upper Egypt, while Lower Egypt was represented by a
papyrus plant.
Now although the connection of papyrus with Lower Egypt is undisputed,
matters are less certain for the lotus. The lotus (also known as the
water lily) undeniably plays an important part in ancient Egyptian art,
architecture, and religion, but the identification of the heraldic plant
of Upper Egypt as a lotus is in fact regularly challenged.
Or, to put it in other words: the dichotomy of lotus and papyrus on the
one hand, and that of the heraldic plants of Upper and Lower Egypt on
the other hand, may not entirely correspond. That is why we will in this
Visual Story take a look at lotus, papyrus, and the heraldic
plants of Upper and Lower Egypt - and we will do so from three different
angles.
Firstly by focusing on the actual plants themselves.
What do lotus and papyrus look like? When and where do we encounter them
in the arts, and in architecture? What are
their names in hieroglyphs, and what do these names mean?
Then by examining the concept of the Two Lands: Upper
and Lower Egypt. What are the roots for this
notion of two parts that together made one nation? What other symbols
pertain to it, and how do these symbols relate to Egypt’s earliest
history?
And lastly by studying the use of the heraldic
plants. In what contexts, and in what formats, does this use occur? What
are the names of these plants in hieroglyphs, and what
do these names mean? Are there any developments to be
observed over time? And finally: can we actually identify the species?…
Table
of
contents
(If you
are
relatively
new to this “business”, you may find some sections a bit taxing. In that
case, just scroll down to the bottom of the page, and click “Next”.
There is still plenty more to come…)
I. Lotus and Papyrus
-
The lotus: introduction
The botanic
specifics: orders, families and species.
-
The white lotus
The softly rounded
one, that blossoms in the night.
-
The blue lotus
The one with the pointed petals: crisp - and with a heady fragrance.
-
The pink lotus
A newcomer from
the east.
-
Papyrus: introduction
Facts and figures.
-
The papyrus plant
Pictures from all
over the world: Uganda, Cambridge, Hawaii - but not from Egypt...
-
Lotus and papyrus in the script
Not really coinciding
with Upper and Lower Egypt. Includes an unexpected encounter with a
brand new species: the sedge.
-
The sedge
A genuine UFO: an Unidentified Floral
Object. Is it a sedge, is it a reed, or is it a bulrush?
-
The names of lotus and papyrus in hieroglyphs
There were several: we will take a look at
five of each.
-
Lotus and papyrus in arts and architecture
In temples and tombs,
on furniture and household implements.
-
Lotus and
papyrus in arts and architecture: the symbolism
involved
About resurrection,
vegetative powers, and the landscape of creation.
II. Upper and Lower Egypt
-
Upper and Lower Egypt:
what's what? And why?
Why oh why do we call
the Delta "Lower Egypt", and the Valley "Upper Egypt"?
-
The word "Tawy"
This
word, meaning “the Two Lands”, has the grammatical form of a “dual”.
As we will see, this elevates the word well above the level of a
simple description.
-
A
host of symbols
A
very rich array, indeed...
-
The Two Kingdoms
About a fiction, more real than others - and false promises about the
origin of the Egyptian state.
-
The Two Lands, their symbols, and their names
About an unmistakable reality, recognized as early as the 1st dynasty.
III. The heraldic plants
-
The heraldic plants' allocation to either Land
This is mostly about
papyrus and Lower Egypt - a discovery that sets the tone for much of
what is to follow. Includes a discussion of the "rebus" on the Narmer
Palette.
The heraldic plants in the script
With lots of papyrus:
lotus sends a stand-in.
The heraldic plants in
monumental
applications
A short introduction to the various uses.
The heraldic plants in the Sma Tawy vignette
Sma Tawy means: uniting the Two Lands.
The Sma Tawy vignette: a historic overview
From the 1st till the 19th dynasty: a period of 1,800 years.
The significance of the Sma Tawy vignette
Why every new king of Egypt re-enacted the accession of the first
king.
Other uses of the heraldic plants: the "Nile gods"
Derived from the personifications of the Two Lands, but with an
emphasize on the plants' natural habitat: water.
Other uses of the heraldic plants: as a symbolic
motif
The hallmark of this type of
use is, that both plants will always appear together.
The names of the heraldic plants
in hieroglyphs
Before we try to
identify the heraldic plants, let's ask the Egyptians themselves what
names they gave to them.
Identifying the heraldic plants
The main course (but don't peek!)
Appendix: a summary of
developments until the New Kingdom
The use of the heraldic plants from
the Early Dynastic Period until the New Kingdom.
Start series
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