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Sa
A hieroglyph meaning 'protection', itsīorigin might have been a rolled-up reed mat used by shepherds, or a papyrus shelter for boatmen. In the Middle Kingdom it was used as a decorative element in jewelry and on magic wands, and later, in the New Kingdom it was often combined with the Ankh, Djed and Tyet (Isis knot).
Gods like Bes and Tawaret were often depicted holding the sa.
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Scarab
Amulet in the shape of a scarab, a beetle, commonly used from the 6th Dynasty until the Ptolemaic Period. During the Middle Kingdom the became inscribed and used as seals.
The scarab was personified as Khepri, the sungod when he rises in the morning and therefore also with rebirth. It was often made of blue faience, with a flat underside inscribed with decorations or inscriptions. In funerary practice, a form of the winged scarab was often included with the mummy. The Heart Scarab was common in burials from the 13th Dynasty onwards.
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Sed
The Sed festival, or Heb Sed, meaning 'royal jubilee', was held at the thirtieth anniversary of a King. The name sed comes from a jackal god with the same name, who was associated with Wepwawet of Asyut, and the celebrations, which can be seen on an ebony label in the British Museum, consisted of several parts, of which the most important one seem to have been the King running around a set of boundary markers, possibly denoting the borders of Egypt, to prove that his strength and ability to rule was intact.
It seems that often kings celebrated their Heb Sed long before their thirtieth year as a ruler and there are two possible explanations for this; either they chose to celebrate it beforehand to manifest and strengthen their power, or they simply had ordered the reliefs to be begun in advance.
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Sekhem
A sceptre symbolizing power and from the Early dynastic period seen held by the King in his right hand, together with a mace or censer in his left. Later on it was also held by the highest officials.
Sekhem means 'power' or 'might', and is associated with several gods; Sekhmet meaning 'She who is powerful', Osiris who was sometimes called 'Great sekhem who dwells in the Thinite nome'. Also Anubis was associated with the sekhem through his relation with Osiris. The sekhem sceptre could also be held by persons making offerings at tombs and it appears that the sceptre was waved over the offerings to give power to the Ka of the deceased.
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Serekh
A hieroglyphic symbol showing a palace facade, showing a rectangular frame above which the Horus falcon is perched. The frame encloses the Kingīs Horus name, one of the five Royal titles of the King, thus symbolizing the concept of the domain of Horus, i.e. the royal residence.
The serekh is seen on Early Dynastic and Old Kingdom mastabas, on false door steale, coffins and other funerary artifacts throughout history. The enclosure wall of the Step Pyramid complex of Djoser, 3rd Dynasty, is built in a serekh form. During a very short period Horus was substituted with Set but the name of Horus was still being written inside a serekh even alongside the practice of the cartouche.
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Shen
The shen is a symbol of eternity, for it is without beginning and end. It is depicted encircling the sun to symbolize the eternity of the universe. Itsī hieroglyphic sign forms a ring, like a rope knit together at the bottom in a loop, the ends sticking out on either side so that it forms a sort of line or platform for the ring to rest on. It denotes infinity, eternity and protection. It is frequently associated with the goddess Nekhbet and the Horus falcon.
The shen was often used as a decorative element, and from the Middle Kingdom it was used with jewelry, not only for fingerings, but also as earrings, pendants and pectorals.
'Magic' rings were often thought to give protection from illnesses and different types of dangers. It was not, however used as a token of marriage, as the ancient Egyptians did not celebrate any marriages the way we do.
In an elongated form it was called cartouche (a French name given by the Napoleonīs soldiers, because it resembled their gun cartridges) and encircled two of the Kingīs five Royal titles, the 'throne name' and the 'birth name'.
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Sistrum
A musical instrument used in worship by women. Itīs believed to perhaps have its origin in bundles of papyrus flowers which were shaken before the goddess Hathor to make a rattling sound. Royal wives, priests and priestesses were often depicted shaking the sistrums in rituals and ceremonies.
Two basic types of sistrum can be found; the hooped one and the naos type, which can be traced back to the Old Kingdom. Both had close associations with the cult of Hathor whose head is often depicted on the handle.
The sound of the sistrum was believed to repel powers of darkness, and texts of songs tell of the goddess Hathor giving blessings through the sound of the sistrum. Later, it was incorporated into the cult of Amun and of Isis.
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