Symbols of Ancient Egypt: Crowns
Contrast of the red (left) and white (right) crowns in an image of a lintel from the Medamud temple currently in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Image credits: Hirmer Fotoarchiv, Munich
Crowns are among the most significant and recognizable symbols of the Kemet rulers. The tradition of using crowns to signify authority extends deep into prehistory. To visibly distinguish authority, the head was chosen as it is the most visible part of the body even from afar. From the moment the first leader donned a crown to assert power over a group, crowns have been emblematic of monarchy, as well as military and religious leadership.
In Ancient Egypt, crowns symbolized the king's power, who, alongside the gods, was entitled to wear it. Various crowns have been utilized throughout the nation's history. This brief overview will cover the most renowned and emblematic crowns, alongside an analysis and examination of numerous other crowns referenced in The Pyramid Texts that merit attention.
The primary function of a crown is to denote power and the connection between the earthly and celestial realms for both the king and deities. Indeed, it is often depicted in temple reliefs that deities themselves crown the monarch. Its use is also documented during temple rituals, provided the king was present, which likely occurred infrequently, symbolizing the god's daily rebirth cycle.
ROYAL CROWNS
White Crown or Hedjet
The White Crown of Upper Egypt (the south) has been present since the protodynastic period, safeguarded by Nekhbet, the vulture goddess and protector of Upper Egypt. The earliest depiction in the archaeological record appears on the Narmer Palette, which shows the first historical or legendary king wearing it. This belief was reinforced by the discovery of a stone image near Aswan, depicting a king adorned with the White Crown, dated to the late pre-dynastic or early dynastic period, as noted by Stan Hendrickx and María Gatto.
Various deities are also portrayed wearing this crown, such as Ra (in Sarcophagus Text CTV1), symbolizing an aspect of Maat (justice and balance), or as Horus (Jer), where the deceased is equated with this god in Sarcophagus Text CT16. Although this association is more commonly found in the mythology surrounding Osiris (Usir), it is also depicted as Horus's crown in CT556.
In another sarcophagus text (CT730), it is mentioned alongside the Wrrt Crown, where the deceased is described as Thoth (Yejuti) participating in a council overseeing the struggle for control of the country between Horus (Jer) and Seth (Suti).
Red crown or Deskheret
Red crown worn by King Amosis I of his temple at Abydos. Image credits: Metropolitan museum
The crown of the king of Lower Egypt (the north) has been a symbol of authority since the beginning of Egyptian civilization. It was protected by the cobra goddess Wadjet, who was the patron and protector of Lower Egypt. The earliest recorded appearance of this crown is on the Narmer Palette.
In the Pyramid Texts and Coffin Texts, it is referred to by several names besides Deshret. It is also known as the 'green one' or 'the bright one' (Wadjet), and 'nt', which is likely associated with the goddess Neith. Other epithets include 'wrt' (the great one), 'neseret' (the flame), and 'wrt hekau' (great in magic).
This crown is sometimes linked to bloodshed and destruction, as indicated by various funerary texts. These texts emphasize the violent aspect of the crown, such as in Pyramid Text PT221. Similarly, this darker aspect of the crown is also reflected in the so-called 'Cannibal Hymn' (PT273-274), which describes how the king consumes his enemies and his own people to gain power.
Double crown or Sekhemti
The king receiving the double crown at the Sebek temple in Kom Ombo.
The crown that symbolizes the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt is a combination of the white and red crowns. This emblematic headgear indicated that the pharaoh ruled over both regions. The white crown could be placed atop the red one, or vice versa. Its origin dates back to the First Dynasty, which marks the moment of national unification.
Blue Crown or Heperesh
Ramses II with the blue crown in his temple at Abydos
The war crown, also known as the 'pschent', was primarily used in ceremonial contexts, such as during the 'opening of the mouth' ritual and various offering ceremonies. It first emerged in the Eighteenth Dynasty.
Nemes
It is not a crown but a royal headdress. This particular headdress is exclusively associated with the king and was designed for use both during his lifetime and posthumously. It has also been discovered in some distinguished burials, indicating that certain nobles desired to be equated with a king in their afterlife.
Atef
The Atef crown, commonly associated with the deities Osiris and Herishef, bears a resemblance to the White Crown but is distinguished by the addition of ostrich feathers at its sides. The differentiation between the Atef and White crowns has been a subject of debate among scholars. For instance, Abubakr (1937) contends that the Atef is merely a variant of the White Crown, adorned with feathers and occasionally horns. Conversely, other scholars like Collier (1996) maintain that they are distinct and independent crowns. With the advent of the New Kingdom, embellishments such as a solar disk, ram horns, or uraeus were incorporated.
This crown is also seen adorning other deities, such as Ra, in the CTV1 sarcophagus text alongside the White Crown, further supporting the notion of their distinctiveness.
The earliest depiction of the Atef crown is found in the chapel of Hathor at the Deir el-Bahari temple complex. Typically, its color is yellow or gold, mirroring the divine flesh of the gods.
Hemhem
Image of the crown in a low relief of the temple of Edfu.
The ritual crown, often depicted on deities associated with children, consists of three atef crowns. Its earliest depiction is found in the tomb of Panehesi in Amarna, but it is more commonly seen in art from the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. This crown is thought to symbolize the sun's victory over darkness. The word 'hmhm' translates to 'roar' in English.
Shuty
Composed initially of two large hawk feathers, evolved over time with the addition of two horns and a solar disk during later periods. It first came into use during the reign of Senefru. In the New Kingdom, it underwent a transformation and became a crown that was adorned by the gods Amun (also known as Imen) or certain goddesses, as well as by women of the royal court.
CROWNS IN THE TEXTS OF THE PYRAMIDS
Wrrt crown
The text mentions the wrrt crown a total of 21 times within the Pyramid Texts and up to 34 times within the Coffin Texts. It appears to be exclusively associated with male deities. Particularly in Pyramid Text 677, which discusses the rebirth of Osiris, he is depicted as a deity wearing the wrrt crown, akin to Ra's crown. This suggests that the wrrt crown symbolized rebirth and the deceased king's identification with Osiris and subsequently Ra.
In Pyramid Text 599, the king is equated with Geb, described at the zenith of creation donning the wrrt crown, with an imperative to "seize the wrrt crown at creation's center." This passage emphasizes the crown's connotation of authority and command rather than its funerary or rebirth aspects. While there have been attempts to equate this crown with the white crown, textual evidence to confirm they are identical is lacking.
For those interested in further exploration of the wrrt crown, Katja Goebs' comprehensive work provides an extensive review and analysis of these instances and is recommended for consultation.
White Crown or Hedjet
The presence and attributes of the crown, as mentioned in the previous list, warrant further discussion. Notably, within the Pyramid Texts, the crown is depicted differently from the white crown symbolizing the rule of Upper Kemet or its association with certain deities. In these ancient texts, specifically in PT555 and PT570, it is presented as a royal insignia. The purpose of this crown in the texts is to align the deceased with the legitimate sovereign Jer (Horus), mirroring the significance attributed to the red crown.
Red crown or Deskheret
With less presence in the texts of the pyramids, only on five occasions, and in the texts of the sarcophagi, on twenty-six occasions, it is not possible to distinguish between the different names that are given in these texts among those that we saw previously in their section. at the beginning of the entry. Usually used by both the deceased and the gods in a funeral context.
To end:
I do not wish to conclude this brief excerpt about crowns without offering an alternative perspective that I encountered during the research for this post. This perspective comes from a study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, which you can find fully cited in the bibliography. It discusses the symbolism of crowns featuring mushrooms. This is the sole reference I have discovered on this topic, so it ought to be regarded, in my view, more as an intriguing notion than as something that can be substantiated in any form.
For instance, there is an effort to draw parallels between the white crown and the Psilocybe cubensis mushroom, both visually—with the crown's upper portion resembling those seen on the Narmer Palette and in a depiction within an Eleventh Dynasty tomb at Deir el-Bahari—and in a religious context, suggesting that this mushroom led people to believe, among other things, in the divine and eternal nature of the king.
Similarly, there is an attempt to liken the triple crown to a grouping of the same species of fungi. One piece of evidence supporting this hypothesis is found in the Pyramid Texts within Unis's pyramid, where it is mentioned that the king consumes the red crown, thereby filling his belly with magic.
Bibliography:
Egyptology at the Dawn of the Twenty-first Century: Proceedings ..., Volumen 2 - International congress of egyptologists, Lyla Pinch Brock
Crowns in early Egyptian Funerary Literature: Royalty, Rebirth, and Destruction (Griffith Institute Monographs). Oxford: Griffith Institute (2008) - Katja Goebs
Crowns in early Egyptian Funerary Literature: Royalty, Rebirth, and Destruction (Griffith Institute Monographs). Oxford: Griffith Institute (2008) - Katja Goebs
The entheomycological origin of Egyptian crowns and the esoteric underpinnings of Egyptian religion - Journal of Ethnopharmacology 102 (2005) 275–288
Egipto: Signo y símbolos de lo sagrada - Elisa Castel
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