Scarabaeus
The ancient Egyptians observed Scarab beetles rolling the balls of dung, in which they lay their eggs, and bury underground.
They thought the sun was rolled around the sky in the same way, and like the ball of dung, the sun descended down into the under world each night. As the ball of dung gave birth to another generation of beetles so the sun was reborn each morning bringing warmth and life to the earth.
The Egyptians called Scarab beetles Khepera. He was the god representing regeneration, new life, virility and resurrection.
He was sometimes shown with outstretched wings but the most common forms were the little amulets worn as ornaments or buried with the dead. The reverse of the Scarab is often inscribed with name of kings, and these were made and worn as much as a thousand years after the death of the kings whose names they bear. Many of the kings themselves took the name of Kheper as part of their own name.
For example Tutankhamun's throne-name was Neb Kheperu Ra. This means 'The Lord of forms is Ra' this is the name the people of his time would have known him by. The name Tutankhamun is more personal and less important.
African Dung Beetle National Geographic Video
|
My book Imagining Egypt is now available.- New Egyptian reference book, for all ages - 192 pages and hundreds of illustrations. 
