Egyptian crown

The Egyptian crown was one of the most distinctive symbols of the pharaohs and gods of Ancient Egypt.

The pskent or psent is the Hellenized name for the double crown, sejemty, worn by the pharaohs from the dawn of the dynastic era and meant that they possessed power in the Two Lands (Egypt).

It was formed by the superposition of two different crowns:

• The symbol of the two superimposed crowns represented the union of the ancient kingdom of Lower Egypt (North) with that of the ancient kingdom of Upper Egypt (South).

• La White crown or hedyet. Mitra white oblonga, crown of the kings of the ancient kingdom of Upper Egypt (South), associated with the god Seth.
• La Red crown or deshret. Crown with curly protuberance of the kings of the ancient kingdom of Lower Egypt (North), associated with the god Horus.

The Egyptian name of this double crown, sejemty, became pskent by deformation of pa-sejemty, &# 34;the two powers".

They were used as symbols of power by the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt over three millennia, throughout their history; also to distinguish the different divinities of this civilization. The ornamental complexity evolved over time. Based on the two regions, Upper Egypt (south) and Lower Egypt (Nile delta), you can admire countless pharaonic sculptures and paintings from all eras. From these works we can distinguish the regions from which the nobility came. During the predynastic era, the country was divided into the two regions already mentioned, and they were reunited by Pharaoh Menes, under his command, thus beginning the dynastic era. Each region was identified with a crown and had a particular god.

Crowns

White crown: Hedyet

It represented Upper Egypt and was called hedyet or Uereret; It had a truncated-conical structure, with a rounded upper end. The material that made it up is not known, but it is possible that it was of plant origin, therefore, it would be greenish in color, although in Egyptian iconography it is represented with the white color, that of Upper Egypt. She is related to the vulture goddess Nejbet.

Red Crown: Deshret

She represented Lower Egypt and was called Deshret, Mehes (the one from the north), or Net (similar to the goddess Neit), among other names. It was made of the same material as the white crown, probably, as the texts on the pyramids show. Its representative color is red and it appears on the walls of the temples facing north. Cylindrical in structure, with a curly protuberance, associated with the bee (another symbol of the north) and with the goddess Neit. It was carried by the goddesses Wadjet, Amonet and Neit.

Double crown: Sejemty

It represented Upper and Lower Egypt, that is, the union of both kingdoms, the unification of Egypt. In iconography she is represented as a White crown within the Red one. She was called by the Egyptians Sejemty , "the two powerful ones".

Atef Crown

It is a more complex form of the white crown, to which two ostrich feathers are added, sometimes with two horns at its base, uraeus and a solar disk. It is represented in yellow. It was thought to help the deceased to be reborn. It also appears in the pyramid texts. It was related to the god Osiris.

Hemhem Crown

It has the style of a triple Atef and can be considered a variant of it. It represents the triumph of the Sun over darkness, youth, and in iconography it is carried by child gods.

Jepresh Crown

It is shaped like a blue cap. Ceremonial crown, worn by kings in offerings to the gods. It was made of blue fabric. It is assumed that it could have been related to the energy necessary to govern. She was related to the goddess Uerethekau.

Shuty Crown

Represented by two falcon feathers, although it undergoes transformations, such as the inclusion of two horns or a solar disk. It is related to the union of the Two Lands and the two goddesses Wadjet (Lower Egypt) and Nejbet (Upper Egypt). In the New Kingdom it became a crown worn by the women of the royal house and the Divine Adorers.

Nemes

The Nemes is a cloth scarf worn by gods and pharaohs. One of the most famous depictions of a nemes is on the funerary mask of Tutankhamun. It covered the entire head, falling over the shoulders, and was tied behind the neck. It is estimated that it was white with blue bands, or gold and lapis lazuli blue. Some gods carried it like this, such as Sah and Atum among others.

Hieroglyphs of the main crowns

Crown Hedyet White crown

Corona Desheret Red crown

Corona Sejemty Double crown

Crown Atef

Jepresh Crown

Crown Shuty