Canopic Jars
Ancient Egyptian Canopic Jars
- Definition - What were Canopic jars used for?
The Ancient Egyptian Canopic jars played an important role in the
process and rituals associated with mummification, the creation of
Mummies. Definition: Canopic jars were wide
necked funerary jars designed to contain the large human organs called
the *viscera which were extracted during the process of mummification.
The heart was left in the body as the Ancient Egyptians believed the
heart held the spirit, understanding and senses and would be needed on the Day of
Judgement in the Underworld.
*The viscera are the are the large inside organs of the body, such as
the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines.
The Purpose of
Egyptian Canopic Jars - Why were Mummy Organs put in Canopic jars?
Why were Mummy Organs put in Canopic jars? The Ancient Egyptians
believed the dead person would need their organs for the afterlife and
should be carefully stored and buried in the tomb of the corpse.
The purpose of the Ancient Egyptian Canopic jars was to contain the
liver, lungs, stomach and intestines which were removed during the
process of mummification. Each organ had a separate canopic jar which
were all stored together in a Canopic chest or box. The Ancient
Egyptians believed that as the body was incomplete without these organs
they were always placed and stored together in the Canopic chests.
Storing the organs
in the Canopic Jars
The stomach, liver, lungs and intestines were individually wrapped in
linen. The linen packages were then put into the Canopic jars and
resinous, consecrated oil was poured over them. The canopic jars were
then ritally closed and conserved for "eternity".
Description of the
Ancient Egyptian Canopic Jars
The different canopic jars for each of the four organs were identified
with different gods who were the sons of Horus. The main vessel of the
jars were beautifully sculptured or painted with a depiction of each the
gods. The lids or stoppers of Canopic jars adopted the shape of the
heads of the four patron gods depicting either a hawk, ape, jackal or
man. The content to go in each of the Canopic jars was therefore
identifiable from the jar paintings and tops.
The description of the Ancient Egyptian Canopic jars is as follows:
-
Canopic jars
were made of a range of materials according to the wealth of
the owner and included alabaster (calcite), stone, pottery,
wood, bronze and gold
-
The size of the
wide necked canopic jars varied from 5 inches to 10 inches
in size
-
The liver,
lungs, stomach and intestines were stored in their
appropriate canopic jars decorated with depictions of the
four sons of Horus.
-
The liver was
protected by the man-headed Imsety
-
The lungs were
protected by the baboon-headed Hapi
-
The stomach was
protected by the jackal-headed Duamutef
-
The intestines
were protected by the falcon-headed Qebehsenuef
-
The style and
shape of the Canopic jars changed with time starting with a
basic, plainly decorated canopic jar and head which became
more and more elaborate in design
Ancient Egyptian Canopic Jars
- The Four Sons of Horus
The canopic jars containing each of the four organs were identified with
different gods who were the sons of Horus.
-
Horus was the
son of Isis and Osiris and was depicted with the body of a
man and the head of Hawk. Horus was a god of the sky and the
sun
-
The four sons of
Horus who were deemed to be protectors of the parts of the
body which had been removed during the process of
mummification. The four sons of Horus were in turn each
protected by powerful female gods:
-
Imsety was
depicted as the man-headed god and was under the protection
of Isis
-
Hapi was
depicted in baboon form and was under the protection of
Nephthys
-
Duamutef was
depicted in jackal form and was under the protection of
Neith
-
Qebehsenuef was
depicted in hawk form and was under the protection of Serket
-
The sons of
Horus became closely associated with the cardinal compass
points, so that Hapi was the North, Imsety the south,
Duamutef the east and Qebehsenuef the west and the images of
the sons of Horus or more usually their protective goddesses
were painted on coffins and significantly placed to
reflect the compass points
Canopic Heads
The Ancient Egyptians sculpted the Canopic heads or stoppers of the jar
to take the shape of the heads of the four sons of the god Horus. The
Ancient Egyptian canopic heads therefore were depicted with the
man-headed Imsety, the baboon-headed Hapi, the jackal-headed Duamutef
and the falcon-headed Qebehsenuef.
Canopic Chests
The Ancient Egyptians believed that as the body was incomplete without
the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines they were always placed and
stored together in the Canopic chests or boxes. The canopic chests
started as simple boxes and became more and more elaborate. The oldest
canopic chest ever found belonged to Hetepheres, the mother of the
Pharaoh Cheops (aka Khufu).
Khufu (Greek Cheops) 2589 - 2566BC erected the Great
Pyramid of Giza. The canopic chest of Heterpheres
therefore dates back to the 4th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. The
simple canopic chests with flat or vaulted lids began to imitate
shrines. In the period of the New Kingdom the four goddesses of
protection are depicted with outstretched wings on the corners of the
canopic chests. The same guardian goddesses are also found on the
corners of the Ancient Egyptian sarcophagus.
Ancient Egyptian Canopic Jars
- Origin of the Name
The origin for the name 'Canopic' is under debate. There was an ancient
Egyptian port called Canopus, east of Alexandria, whose inhabitants
worshipped Osiris, the Egyptian god of the dead. Most believe that the
name 'canopic' derives from this source as the name came to be applied
by early Egyptologists to any vase with a human or animal head. This
connection is somewhat nebulous and thereby enables some credence to be
given to the following theory...
The Egyptian mummification
process lasted for a period of 70 days. The seventy day period
corresponded to the length of time during which Sirius, the 'Dog Star',
appeared to die by dipping below the horizon. Osiris and his wife Isis
have both been closely associated with this star. However, Canopus is
the second brightest star in the Egyptian sky and according to Plutarch,
Canopus is linked with the god of the dead, Osiris. In Greek the word
Canopus means "eye of the dog" implying a relationship with Sirius, the
Dog star. Could this confusion have led to the god Osiris being wrongly
associated with Sirius when he should have been associated with Canopus?
Canopic Jars
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