What Hieroglyphics Meant
Many of the images used in Egyptian writing were of familiar plants and animals. These hieroglyphs could be read as the plant or animal itself or as the symbol of an idea.
Here are a few of the symbols we in modern times would likely recognize, and what they meant to the ancient Egyptians:
- Scarab: sunrise
- Feather: truth, justice, morality
- Circle: eternity
- Cobra: protection against enemies
- Lotus Flower: creation and rebirth
- Palm Frond: age; each notch in the frond represents a year
