Ancient Egyptian legend - sacred scarab beetle
The history of Egypt is full of secrets and mysteries. Grandiose pyramids and mummies of the pharaohs, sacred animals and a scarab, as one of the symbols of the former greatness of the ancient civilization. The Egyptians endowed him with divinity, and numerous myths and legends, along with the pyramids, made him the emblem of tourist Egypt. To understand why this little bug has earned worldwide fame, let's learn more about it.
Who is he - a sacred scarab?
These beetles are found on the coasts of the Mediterranean and Black Seas, in Southern and Eastern Europe, on the Arabian Peninsula, in the Crimea, Turkey and, of course, in Egypt.
Scarabs belong to dung beetles that feed on dung from cattle, horses, sheep.
The main feature of beetles is their feeding method. They roll a perfectly flat sphere from a shapeless mass of excrement and bury it in the ground, where they are then used for food.
Scarabs live for about two years. They spend almost all their lives underground, coming to the surface at night. They hibernate, burrowing to a depth of 2 meters. The flight of beetles begins in March and lasts until mid-July.
Vapors are generated in the process of harvesting dung balls, and further work takes place together. A pair of scarabs digs a burrow 15-30 cm deep, which ends in a chamber. After mating, the male leaves, and the female begins to roll special pear-shaped balls and lays eggs in them. At the end, the mink is filled up.
Beetle larvae hatch after 1–2 weeks. For a month, they eat food that their parents have prepared for them, and then they are reborn into pupae. In unfavorable weather, pupae remain in the burrow for the winter. In spring, young beetles leave their burrows and come to the surface.
Scientists believe that dung beetles in hot tropical climates play a critical role in the processing of huge amounts of manure produced by wild and domestic herbivores. Only elephants common in Africa consume about 250 kg of food per day, and a little less is returned to nature in the form of dung heaps.
Some time ago, through the efforts of the imported scarab beetles in Australia and South America, a myriad of manure was processed, which local insects no longer cope with. In the new place, the scarabs did not take root, but they completed their task perfectly.
Where do the scarab myths come from?
Observing the scarabs, the Egyptians noticed an interesting feature - the beetles always roll their balls from east to west, and fly only at noon. The attentive Egyptians saw in this a connection between beetles and the sun. The luminary travels its way from east to west and disappears behind the horizon, in order to reappear in the east tomorrow.
According to the ideas of the ancient Egyptians, the sun was a deity that brought life to all living things and resurrection after death.The cycle of development of scarabs inside the dung ball and its emergence on the surface of the Egyptians correlated with the movement of the sun. The similarity struck the ancient people so much that the god Khepri, who personified the rising sun, was depicted with a scarab instead of a head.
In Luxor, there is a statue of a sacred scarab; this place is especially revered by tourists and local residents.
The role of the scarab in the life of Ancient Egypt
The Egyptians had poetic religious texts that called the scarab a god that lives in the heart and protects the inner light of a person. Therefore, the beetle symbol gradually became a connecting link between the divine principle and the human soul, uniting them.
The symbol of the sacred scarab accompanied the ancient Egyptians all their lives and, according to their beliefs, passed with them to the afterlife. If the body was mummified after death, then instead of the heart, an image of a sacred beetle was inserted. Without him, the resurrection of the soul in the afterlife could not have occurred. Even at the primitive level of medicine, the ancients understood the importance of the heart in the human body and, placing in its place the image of a sacred beetle, believed that it was the primary impulse for the revival of the soul. Somewhat later, instead of a figurine of a scarab beetle, the Egyptians made a heart from ceramics, and the names of the deities on it were depicted next to the symbol of the sacred beetle.
What do scarab amulets mean in our time
At all times, people believed in the miraculous power of various amulets that bring good luck, wealth, happiness. Egyptian talismans among them, due to their ancient origin, are considered the most powerful.
The mascot of the scarab beetle is one of the most revered, and it is he who is offered to tourists as a souvenir. Initially, amulets were made from stones, both precious and ornamental. Green granite, marble, basalt or ceramics were used, which, after drying, were covered with green or blue azure. Now tourists are offered amulets made of metal, decorated with stones.
Before buying a mascot with a picture of a scarab beetle, you should find out its meaning. The thing helps its owner to gain self-confidence, achieve desires and achieve their goals. First of all, this applies to work and creative activity. Since the scarab is a symbol of life, it is believed that it preserves youth and brings beauty to women. A strong half of humanity with its help should find a stable income and a high position in society. Students take the talisman with them to the exams, and in the house the symbol of the sacred beetle can provide protection from thieves, fires and other troubles.
It is believed that donated amulets are more powerful, but handling the amulet should be respectful and careful. Careless attitude to magical items and to foreign culture and mythology can be dangerous for a person.