Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower: The Sacred Secret of the Nile
The biological clock and the spiritual heart of the Nile was the Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower. The ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower symbolized the sun, the birth of the world and life after death. Its blue and white petals were the symbol of the Pharaohs as seen in temple columns, royal jewelry and so on during three millennia.
Why the Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower Was Sacred to the Nile Civilization?
Suppose you were standing on the muddy banks of the Nile four thousand years ago the first thing you would see would be the thousands of blue and white flowers floating on the water. It was the Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower, a plant which became the heartbeat of a whole world. Nature to the people of the time was not merely something in the landscape, but a means by which the gods communicated with the people. The most articulate communication was the lotus. It has shown them the way of time and how the simplest things can be beautiful.
The Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower had a special potency on the imagination due to its mode of existence. It was born in the deep, curvy mud at the base of the river, but it came out into the water and opened a flawless and spotless face to the sun. This was a lesson to the soul of rising above the mud. However you were a high priest in one of the temples of stone or a farmer who worked in the fields, the lotus made you stay in mind that however hard and dirty life seemed, there was still a way to reach out to the light and remain pure.
Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower Meaning
An Egyptian-looking man holds a lotus flower on a long stalk
The symbolic value of the Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower that was used in Ancient Egypt had a much deeper significance than its visual image. It was a physical symbol of the notion of new beginnings called the Seshen in the local language. The citizens also thought that the flower had some divine power since it would be resurrected every morning. This made it the main icon of the sun and the day-to-day rebirth of the world. It was a promise that the light would never be lost even after the night ended so that the land would always be warmed.
This meaning was also related to the notion of Ma’at, which was the balance and order in the world. The Lotus Flower of Ancient Egypt demonstrated that order was possible even in the disorder of the muddy bottom of the river. To each citizen, the blooming of the lotus was an indication that the deities were not gone away and that everything was operating as planned in the world. It offered the feeling of comfort and stability, a reminder of strokes of flowers that life is a cycle of cycles but it never really ends, it just continues like a cycle with a clean piece of paper.
Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower Symbol
Photograph of a detail of the throne of Sesostris I showing the gods Horus and Seth performing the ritual of the meeting of the Two Lands
The ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower found in Egypt was a location and a symbol in the government and politics arena. Each country has its icons and in the kingdom of Upper Egypt, the lotus was the primary icon. Lower Egypt was represented by the papyrus plant. When you observe ancient carvings of the “Sema-Tawy“, you observe the stems of the lotus and of the papyrus being bound together around a divan image. This meant the artistic expression that the two sections of the country were now united under the crown as one.
The ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower was a symbol that was displayed on the crowns of kings, the seals of the government, and government structures. When you saw a lotus, you were sure that you were having the strength of the southern countries. This made the flower look powerful and dominating. It was not merely something pretty to look at but it was a demonstration of how the king was able to keep the two halves of the world united. The lotus was the symbol of the half, which held the southern half of the great balance which made the country stable for thousands of years so that it was the royal symbol of uniting.
The Creation Myth: How the Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower Gave Birth to the Sun?
The Nile people were very precise in describing the origin of everything. In their most popular story of creation, they thought that the universe had previously been a vast, soundless ocean of dark water called Nun. It was this darkness which gave birth to one large Egyptian Lotus Flower that was ascending to the sky. And when its petals opened there came out a golden child: the sun god. Such a child was the very first to light up the world, breaking the great darkness of disorder. It is due to this tale that all single lotus were regarded as a tiny fragment of that original miracle.
The ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower became their father of all life according to this myth. They perceived it to be a reenactment of the initial day of creation every morning when the sun rose. The lotus would even bloom just as the sun came out, almost as though the flower was beckoning the light. The close relationship between the plant and the sun god also implied that the lotus was not just a flower, but an ally in maintaining the operation of the world. In the absence of the lotus to unfold and greet the sun, they were afraid that the world would sink into darkness again.
The History of the Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower in Art and Culture
Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower
The ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower has as long a history as the pyramids. We have some indication of people using the flower as early as 3100 BCE. The sculptors were carving the lotus in ivory hairpins and stone bowls even during the early days of the kings. It was not a fad but was a constant of their visual language. The form of the petals and the curve of the stalk had resisted their art in thousands of years, and they showed a respect for tradition which we can hardly observe at this day.
Since centuries had passed, the Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower ceased serving as a carving and became a magnificent construction. The flower was ubiquitous during the Middle and New Kingdoms. The royal palaces, the handles of the bronze mirrors, the huge stone pillars which supported the roofs of temples, all became covered with it. Although the country was over-taken by the foreign groups, they still did not dispose of the lotus. They were impressed by its beauty and the power of its meaning so much that they continued to use it. This enabled the symbol to remain alive even after the native Pharaohs had died.
The Lotus and the Sun: Daily Cycles of the Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower
The ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower has some of the most interesting biological behaviors of the plant. It has what scientists refer to as nyctinastic and it has a sleep cycle. The most popular kind of it, blue in colour, opens its petals in the morning to get a full share of the sun and closes them at night, drawing a little in towards the water. This was observed by the people on a daily basis and it was perceived as a ritual. The flower to them was going to bed like a person, and then the following morning born again.
This was a daily practice that transformed the Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower to represent the time of change. They did not regard time as a straight line which ends in a wall, they regarded it as a circle. Like the sun goes round the heavens and the Nile inundates each year, the lotus blossoms every morning. This made the people have an immense amount of comfort. It implied that death did not mark the end of the story. And since a simple flower might perish each evening and rise each morning, then, most certainly, a human being might likewise do it in the next life.
Nefertem and the Sacred Power of the Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower
A representation of the Egyptian God Nefertem as a man with a Lotus flower on his head
There was a deity to preside over every significant aspect of the Nile valley life, and in the case of the Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower, it was Nefertem. He was the son of the god Ptah who was the creator and Sekhmet who was the lion-headed goddess. Nefertem was the god of beauty, fragrances as well as health. He was nearly constantly depicted as a young man, with a huge lotus flower on his head. On occasions, this flower was depicted with two long feathers, and he appeared even more dignified and godlike.
The Nefertem was believed to introduce the first sweet scent to the world using the Egyptian Lotus Flower which is ancient. They referred to the odour of the blue lily as the sweat of the gods. Due to this reason, lotus was employed in curing rituals. In case a person was feeling depressed or unwell then the smell of the lotus was believed to revive their spirits. Nefertem was not a war god but a god of sensuality. He embodied the aspect of life that was enjoying the beauty and getting revitalized. He was the protector of the perfume of the sun.
Blue vs White Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower: Sacred Types of the Nile
Blue-Lotus
Although we are used to discussing the lotus as a single entity, there were actually two major types of lotus that inhabited the Nile. The Lotus Flower was made in blue and white color by the Ancient Egyptians. The white lotus was a nocturnal plant. It remained open at the time of the moon and closed at the rise of the sun. This made it have a quieter and more peaceful energy. It was frequently associated with the concept of silence, rest and the unknown realm of the night. It was the blossom of the evening hours.
The Blue Lotus was however the one that really won the heart of the nation. The day-bloomer was of far more powerful scent. Due to its blue colour that matched the sky and deep water of the Nile, it was perceived as more heavenly. The Lotus Flower which you are used to seeing held by queens and gods in nearly all paintings is the blue Egyptian Lotus Flower. Though white lotus was revered, the blue one was the superstar in the world of flora, it symbolized active and bright power of the sun and the king during the day.
Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower in Temple Architecture
Hypostyle Hall at Karnak
When you see those columns in the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak you are viewing stone reproductions of the Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower. The designers then did not want the buildings to appear as dull blocks of stone. They desired their temples to resemble the first island of Creation. They cut the pillars to resemble bunches of lotus stalks to do this. The tops were modelled in the form of a flower in blossom or a closed bud, as the column was in the temple.
This construction with the help of the Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower implied that every time one entered a temple they were entering a temple in a sacred swamp. The roof was blue and had gold stars to depict the sky and the floor was the earth. The lotus columns were an intermediary between the two. This was a successful design that proved to be lasting for thousands of years. This was a style that was later on imitated by the Greeks and the Romans much later after the demise of the Pharaohs and this goes to show that the Egyptian sense of beauty would never go out of fashion.
The Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower in Royal Banquets and Perfume
The Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower was not only the prerogative of deities and deceased kings, but also a very large element of the high society. During a large royal party, the scent of fresh blossoms was going to be heavy in the air. A lotus was also presented to the visitors on their arrival. You would find ladies with a lotus bud stuck to their hair or on their foreheads. The flower would gradually open as the party continued and the room warmed making its sweet heavy scent flow out. It was the final primitive perfume.
It is also evidenced that the Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower was used to make their drinks. They would also imbibe the petals of blue lotus in their wine over a couple of days. This was not only to the taste but many researchers believe that the blue lily had a soft and soothing effect that caused the party-goers to feel that there was a feeling of happiness and calmness. To the Nile people, a party without the lotus was a party nowadays without music or food. The ingredient turned the evening to be special, divine, and beautiful one for all.
Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower and the Journey to the Afterlife
Head of Tutankamun as a child emerging from an open lotus flower
The Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower had the most significant purpose when it comes to the dying process. The Egyptians did not view death as a new beginning, but a journey to a destination that they referred to as The West. They had to have magic assistance to reach it safely. One of their most reliable devices was the lotus. There are special spells in the Book of the Dead, which enable the dead person to become a lotus. The thought was that, when you could be a lotus, then you could ascend out of the gloomy water of the grave and blossom eternally.
In the tombs of prominent individuals such as King Tutankhamun, archaeologists have discovered actual, withered blossoms of the Lotus Flower which were used during the burial process of the individual. These were not the funerary remains of the funeral. They were stationed there to put the smell of life in the king. They thought that in case the king could smell the lotus in the underworld it would fool his spirit to wake up. The flower was a spiritual alarm clock, which was created to ensure that the soul was not in the darkness and was aware to come and be with the gods in the sky.
Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower Facts
In order to get a clear idea of why the Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower was so special, we can examine some angles on it that indicate how it influenced their world. The number one thousand in the math system was denoted as a single lotus leaf, which symbolized growth. Although we refer to it as a lotus, it was really a water lily, though to the Nile people the Seshen was the most sacred plant in the river. Physicians would make patients smell the blue lily to alleviate stress because god known as Nefertem is acting through them.
The lotus chalice in the tomb of Tutankhamun is composed of white alabaster and resembles precisely an open lotus flower. It was designed to provide the king with the rebirth powers whenever he used it. The ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower is also among the rare symbols of the ancient world which remains in use in Egypt even today, being used on stamps, the design of the Cairo Tower and so on. These facts go to reveal that the flower was an extension of the brain and the heart of the civilization that was applied in science, math and everyday life.
Conclusion
The legend behind the Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower tells us that there are ideas that do not go out of fashion. The Pharaohs have passed away, the temples are ruined, the language of the Nile is dead, yet the lotus still grows. It comes up out of the mud every morning and opens its very petals to the sun. This plant is an introduction to a world five millennia ago. Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower informs us that the humans of that time were similar to us; they sought beauty and wanted to have a clean slate.
The ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower is still a symbol of growth. It reveals that purity is something which you make by ascending into the light. As long as the Nile runs, the legend of this holy flower will be continued. Ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower is a heritage of beauty, a promise of rebirth, and a hymn to a people who had more knowledge of the magic of the natural world than any other people.
