Egyptian Art Questions?

Question

I have a couple questions for my Art History class!

1.) What was the significance of the cobra medallion placed on Nespernnub's forehead? Generally this was for royalty (which he wasn't), so why would he have it?

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/online_tours/egypt/mummy_the_inside_story/nesperennubs_snake_amulet.aspx

2.) Why was is so important to keep the organs with the mummy?

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/online_tours/egypt/mummy_the_inside_story/embalming_the_body.aspx

Thanks!

Answer 1

The cobra is an emblem of Lower Egypt. It is associated with the king, and kingdom of Lower Egypt. It is also associated with the sun and with many deities. The cobra represented the "fiery eye of Re", in which two uraei can be seen on either side of a winged solar disk. Starting in Middle Kingdom The uraeus appears as a symbol worn on the crown or headdress of royalty. It is used as a protective symbol, the Egyptians believed that the cobra would spit fire at any approaching enemies.



The body would need those organs in the afterlife. The four sons of Horus would keep them safe.

Answer 2

For question 1: T

he cobra represented that the Cobra Goddess, Wadjet, was protecting the person it was worn by, so in theory, Nespernnub was being protected during his afterlife. Why it was given to him, a simple priest? No one really knows. There could be many different reasons why he has it. Maybe he was good friends with the King at the time or maybe his Anubis priest knew Nespernnub and was special to him.



Question 2:

my best guess is that they thought they would be needed in the afterlife but if they kept them inside the body then the body would rot. In the embalming process, the organs were taken out and put into four different jars and then these jars would be placed with the mummy. "Each organ had it's own guardian, represented by the figure on top of each jar. The guardian of the liver was represented by a human called Imset, the guardian of theintestines was represented by a falcon called Kebechsenef, the guardian of the stomach was represented by a jackal called Duamutef, and the guardian of the lungs was represented by a baboon called Hapi. Not all the internal organs were put in canopic jars. The heart was left in the body as they believed it was the most vital organ in the body and the brain was considered worthless, so it was thrown away."

Here is the website I got this information from.

http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00194/mummies.htm

Answer 3

I don't really know anything about the cobra medallion thing but I know that the organs were significant to keep with the mummy because the brain, heart, and other organs were symbols of very strong and powerful things for them and believe they even need them when they pass on.