Tit (Isis Knot)
Tit, sometimes referred to as the Isis Knot or Isis Belt, is an ancient Egyptian symbol associated with the goddess Isis.[1] Its hieroglyphic depiction is classified as symbol V39 in the Gardiner's List of Hieroglyphs.
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History
In many ways, the Tit symbol resembles the Ankh symbol, except that its arms curve downward. Its meaning is also similar to the ankh, often translated as "welfare" or "life."
The Tit resembles a cloth knot and may have originally been a bandage used to absorb menstrual blood.[2]
One of the earliest examples of the Tit symbol comes from a tomb dating to the First Dynasty at Helwan, excavated by Zaki Saad in the 1940s. This example predates the first written references to Isis and may not have been associated with her at that time.[3] In later periods, it became associated with Isis and the healing powers that were an important part of her character.[2]
Tit amulets began to be buried with the dead in the early New Kingdom of Egypt (around 1550-1070 BCE). The earliest examples date back to the reign of Amenhotep III, and from then until the end of pharaonic Egyptian history, it was rare for a person to be buried without one placed among the wrappings of the mummy, usually at the top of the torso.[4] Ancient Egyptian funerary texts include many sections that describe the use of various types of amulets, along with incantations to recite over them.[5] Chapter 156 of the Book of the Dead, a funerary text from the New Kingdom, calls for the placing of a Tit amulet made of red carnelian at the neck of the mummy, stating that "the power of Isis will protect the mummy's body" and that the amulet "will drive away any wrongdoers against it."[6] These amulets were often made from red carnelian or similarly colored materials, such as red glass. However, many were made from green materials like faience, a color that symbolized the renewal of life.[4]
Another type of knot, sometimes called the "Isis Knot," is a large knot in the garment worn by Egyptian women from the Late period of ancient Egypt. It became associated with Isis because it often appeared on her statues in the Hellenistic and Roman periods, but, aside from the name, it is not related to the Tit.[7]
The Tit can be compared to the sacred knot from the Minoan civilization, a symbol of a knot with a protruding loop found at Knossos, in Crete.
References
- ↑ Allen, James Peter (2014). Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs. Cambridge University Press. p. 557. ISBN 978-1-139-91709-4. Archived from the original on 2024-05-25. Search this book on
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Griffiths 2001, p. 190
- ↑ Griffiths 1980, p. 41
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Andrews 1994, pp. 44–45
- ↑ Andrews 1994, p. 6
- ↑ Goelet et al. 2015, pl. 32-B
- ↑ Bianchi 1980, pp. 10, 22–23
Works Cited
- Allen, James P. (2014-07-24). Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-139-91709-4. Archived from the original on 2024-05-25. Search this book on
- Andrews, Carol (1994). Amulets of Ancient Egypt. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-70464-0. Search this book on
- Bianchi, Robert S. (1980). "Not the Isis-Knot". Bulletin of the Egyptological Seminar. 2.
- Goelet, Jr., Ogden; Faulkner, Raymond O.; Andrews, Carol A. R.; Gunther, J. Daniel; Wasserman, James (2015). The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going forth by Day, Twentieth Anniversary Edition. Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-1-4521-4438-2. Search this book on
- Griffiths, J. Gwyn (1980). The Origins of Osiris and His Cult. E.J. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-06096-8. Search this book on
- Griffiths, J. Gwyn (2001). "Isis". In Redford, Donald B. Template:Ill-WD2. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-510234-5. Search this book on
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