Quote:
Originally Posted by troutman
Is she ironically wearing some new age symbol around her neck?
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Tis an Anhk. About as 'old age' as you get. About 5000 years old from Ancient Egypt. Sometimes also called the original cross because it is believed the Christian cross and other symbols like that came from it.
Obviously there is a TON of mythology surrounding it (Isis and Osiris, Phraohs breathing it in to get to the afterlife, etc.) but some of the imagry and philospohy in it's meaning is the sun rising over the horizon, as the Sun god Ra was central in their beliefs (as with most early religions though they obviously gave it different names. In fact some people believe Sun god became Son of God over the years, but that's obviously more of an english translation and would probably make no sense in translations or history)
It is also used to show the importance of both male and female energies. The loop representing the womb and the stem representing the phallus. It has also been used as a symbol for the energy in water which of course is very important to a desert culture.
People do use it for new age beliefs, and it became trendy for 'vamps' after Anne Rice wrote Queen of the Damned which basically made Egypt the beginning for her vampire culture, but the true meanings behind it are very historically, philisophically, and spiritually interesting.