Tutankhamun Crook and Flail

These emblems were found separately in the hall the crook and flail in the Treasury in King Tutankhamun Tomb . The beam is historically the most interesting because it deals with the gold cap at the base of the handle name of the king in its early form Tutankhatun with his throne name Nebkheperura, showing that he had belonged to him then that he was still a child, but after he had ascended the throne.

Since a plague was one of the symbols held by the kings of Egypt in some of their coronation ceremonies, there is at least possible that this object was used by the real scourge Tutankhaton in his coronation at Amarna, when he was about nine years before he was crowned at Karnak. The scammer is listed on both terminals with the caps the throne name only - a difference that, in spite of equal size of two objects, may indicate that they were not originally made as a pair.

A second pair and an odd crook, all the greatest, were found in the same wooden box as this plague. All three crooks are composed of alternating cylindrical sleeves of metal covered with gold and dark blue glass on a bronze core. The grip of the plague, as far as the sleeve upward angle, is composed of the same, but the gold beads in the strips of the rudder have wood cores.

Although the crook and flail were most often represented as emblems of the god Osiris, they were also conducted on some of the ceremonies, in addition to the coronation, the reigning Pharaoh. Very occasionally, the swindler was organized by the viceroys of Nubia and also by viziers. A painted scene of tribute from Asia in the tomb of Tutankhamun viceroy of Nubia, Huy, shows the king holding both the crook and flail in his left hand and the sign of "life" (ankh ) in the right, while the Viceroy holds a crook, but not evil, in his left hand and a single ostrich plume in his right.

Only rarely is the scourge shown in the hands of priests or officials and bodies such are limited to scenes of royal jubilee festivals. Despite these sporadic exceptions, the crook and flail were essentially Osirian emblems, if possible, if not the cause.

Osiris is suspected of having acquired Andjeti, the local god of the city in the Delta Djedu named, who was represented in human form with two feathers on the head and keeping the crook and flail in his hands . At a very early date in Egyptian history Osiris absorbed Andjeti and adopted his badge. Osiris, however, was seen not only as a god, but also as a deified king deceased and therefore his badge, especially the crook and flail, were treated as symbols of royalty.

It is not difficult to imagine how a shepherd's crook could have acquired the symbolic meaning of domination. His name in Egyptian is heqat and most common word for "rule" is heqa. Naturally it was compared with the butt, the Christian pastoral staff.

A plague (called nekhakha), however, seems out of character for a kind and benevolent god like Osiris and for this reason some authorities prefer to regard it as a ladanisterion, an instrument used as a scourge, to this day by the shepherds in the Mediterranean region and elsewhere to collect labdanum, a gummy substance excreted by the leaves of the plant Cistus. According to classical authors, it was used in the preparation of incense and ointments.

This suggestion, proposed by the late Professor PE Newberry contributed to the clearance of Tutankhamun's tomb, is plausible, but, still, there is no clear evidence that the plant grew in Egypt in Cistus Pharaonic times.