Basic Information
Type/Species: Great Serpent or Amphiptere
Origin: Egyptian Mythology
Other manifestations: Greek Mythology, Persian Mythology, Chinese Mythology, Hindi Mythology, Mexican Mythology
Origin and Etymology
The Greek word uraeus comes from the Egyptian word iaret, meaning "the one who rears up." [10] The symbol, or hierogram, consistently contains components of a circle, wings, and a serpent. [1] The circle, or solar disc, represents the divine aspect. The wings show omnipresence, and the serpent depicts the world quality of the Divine Line. [1]
There are several accounts of the Egyptian myth of Atum's Lost Children, particularly found in the Bremner-Rhind Papyrus, but many allusions are made to this story in such sources as the Coffin Texts. [5] When the creator deity Atum lost his children, [10] sometimes specifically named as Shu and Tefnut, [7] in the dark primeval waters before creation, [10] he sent the Eye, also called the Solar Eye, [7] his Sole Eye, or Eye of Ra, to find them and to give light to the dark. This act has been interpreted as the first sunrise; later stories that combined the deities of Atum and Ra to Atum-Ra also attribute this as the moment of his transformation into the creator and sun deity. [7]
When she returned with the lost children, she discovered that Atum-Ra had grown a new solar eye: [10] the Glorious One. [7] From the tears of rage from the Solar Eye or the tears of joy of Atum-Ra, human beings sprang up. [7] Atum-Ra placated his angry daughter, the Solar Eye, by transforming her into the first serpent, the Uraeus cobra, and placed her upon his forehead, a place of honor. [5] Atum-Ra also gave her power over all the other deities, [7] as her fiery poison destroyed anyone who dared challenge the sun deity or his appointed heirs. [10]
About Uraeus / Uraeon
The Uraeus was found in the symbolism and mythology of Persia, Egypt, Mexico, China, Greece, and sometimes Italy. The symbol has also appeared in Hinduism. [1] In ancient Egypt, the Uraeus was the sacred and terrible cobra that rears up upon the heads of the gods and kings. [3]
While the Uraeus can be described as a poison-spitting serpent, [2] many other sources describe the serpent as a flame-breathing [4] or fire-spitting. [8] All snake goddess could be identified with the Uraeus, no matter their other abilities and positions, [10] such as the deities Renenutet [8] and Buto of Lower Egypt. [4] Even deities like the powerful Sekhmet was identified with the Uraeus by the Coffin Texts, calling the serpent, 'the serpent who is upon her father.' [9] The Uraeus is sometimes the special protector of the goddess Hathor. [2]
Uraeus, the fire-breathing asp, protected those who bore her image. [4] These separate depictions of Uraeus could be seen as invoking the original serpent or as separate entities of protection. As a guardian and protector, a Uraeus threw fire (or in some accounts, spat poison) to destroy all who dared to oppose the wearer. [3] Other accounts claim that the Uraeus would kill all those who invaded the tombs of the dead. [4]
The Uraeus's power over the Egyptian deities was manifest in many stories. In one legend, Ra left Uraeus in a casket with some of his hair and a staff. The deity Geb and his followers opened the casket and received a potent blast of poison from the guardian serpent that killed all of them except for Geb, who was badly injured in the encounter. [2] In the case of Atum-Ra, who first bore her image, the Uraeus destroyed anyone who opposed the deity with fire. [4] Among the Egyptian pantheon, only Isis was clever enough to win the throne of Egypt for her future son through the Uraeus, by turning her power against her father Ra. [10]
Physical Description
The Uraeus was a huge, spitting serpent, [2] usually referred to as a cobra, [3] that coiled around the solar disc [2] holding its hood erect with the burning eye of Ra, the Egyptian sun god. [3] In representations of solar deities, the Uraeus is shown in front of or coiled around the solar disc. [6]
Crowns and headdress of many of the deities of Egypt have the image of the Uraeus. [4] Even Atum-Ra, the powerful sun deity, is sometimes depicted with the Uraeus on his head. [4] Thus, the Uraeus is an emblem of the deity as creator and preserver, [1] as well as a symbol of royalty and power. [4]
Footnotes
- Howey 1
- Rose [Dragons] 377
- Stevens [Clue] 378
- Turner 484
- Pinch 64
- Pinch 95
- Pinch 129
- Pinch 186
- Pinch 188
- Pinch 199
For more information on footnotes and references, please see the bibliography.
