An ancient Egyptian hieroglyph known as the "ankh," also known as the "key of life," was used in Egyptian writing and art to represent the word "life" and, by extension, life itself. The ankh has a cross shape, however with a tear molded circle instead of an upward upper bar.
It's the symbol for life. Nowadays in both jewellery and art , the ankh is used as a representation of its original meaning, life, and also symbolizes ancient Egypt. It's a unisex symbol and can be worn by anyone.
The Coptic church of Egypt inherited the ankh as a form of the Christian cross, symbolizing eternal life through Christ. While other vestiges of the old religion slipped away, the ankh took on a new role while retaining its old meaning of life and the promise of eternal life.
The Ankh has long-since been revered as a powerful bringer of wealth and good-fortune. As far back as the time of the Ancient Egyptians, it was known to be a powerful occult tool one used in magical ceremonies, healing practices and secret initiations.
The Ankh was often buried in amulet form with the pharaohs of the New Kingdom to protect their bodies from grave robbers. An ankh is a costume item worn by people of African descent to honor their cultural heritage on occasion. The ankh is likewise used to address Kemetism, or Egyptian Neopaganism.
What's more, the image is utilized in the goth subculture in relationship with vampires, who customarily ride the universes of life and demise. The Ankh is especially popular because of its meaning, a symbol of life, which has a certain poetic translation to Goth's philosophy of appreciating the light within darkness.
The traditional Ankh of the Elders was used by Upper Class vampires to show their status and lineage. Considered very fashionable amongst the most elite and the Eldest. Based on the ancient Egyptian Ankh.
If an Ankh is broken it is the symbol of the soulless, who, through a simple touch, can turn immortal beings, werewolves, vampires, and ghosts, mortal — so the ankh, being the symbol or eternal life, is broken.
A double Ankh with both sides inscribed with one ankh hieroglyphs (meaning life); the other ankh and two nefer hieroglyphs (meaning good or beautiful).
It really is something else that much importance can be wrung out of such a straightforward image. The male and female genitalia, the sun ascending into the great beyond, and the association of paradise and earth are undeniably addressed by the ankh. The ankh is typically depicted in gold due to its connection to the sun; The moon, on the other hand, is associated with silver and the colour of the sun. The fact that it looks like a key suggests that the ankh has a different meaning as a magical symbol. The Egyptians accepted that life following death was similarly pretty much as significant as this one; Likewise, they accepted that the ankh held the key to death's doors and what lay ahead.
Oh to the power of the Ankh and life and death are both as important as each other.