Amulet

An object designed to protect the wearer against disaster or to give him certain powers or help. Both the living and the dead could benefit from amulets, and it is often not possible to differentiate between these two target groups. The living usually wore amulets on a cord around the neck, as is shown in representations in tombs and on statues. The dead had amulets on their bodies or wrapped into the mummybandages. Signs of wear indicate that the amulets in question had already been used during life. Amulets acquired their magico-religious power by having a certain spell recited over them (numerous spells in the Book of the Dead are examples of this) but also from the material they were made of and the colours used. Faience, a shiny material and a symbol of regeneration, was a favourite material for amulets, particularly in the Late Period. A papyrus dating from the Roman Period contains a list of the materials to be used (plants and minerals) and their respective effects. Colour also offered a wide range of possibilities. Green, the colour of vegetation and regeneration, was frequently used, as was red, the colour of the sun above the horizon and of blood, but also of the enemy. The shape of the amulet also gave it power and many different shapes are known. Figures of gods were very popular. Bes and Taweret occur regularly, and in the Late Period many other gods appear as well. In addition, animals, usually with a divine significance, were important. Perhaps the most popular was the udjat-eye, but other body parts are also known. In a funerary context, the heart amulet, closely connected with the heart scarab, was popular. Crowns, jewels and objects of daily use have also been frequently found, as well as symbols such as the djed-pillar. Besides actual amulets, the dead were often given lists of sometimes as many as 75 different amulets. Depictions of amulets on papyrus, satisfactory substitutes for the original amulets, are also worth mentioning. Finally, the living are also known to have licked or eaten the drawing of an amulet on papyrus or a limb, thus imbibing its magical power