Ancient Egyptian religions were focused on the king, and the afterlife. The king was also associated with Osiris and Horus, the gods of ancient Egypt. The most important Egyptian myth involved the first king, Osiris, who was killed by his evil brother Seth, and was then avenged by his son, Horus. Plutarch, in the second century AD, has the most elaborate version of this myth. It was designed to make a living king more familiar with Horus.
The afterlife beliefs of the Egyptians
Ancient Egyptians believed in a spiritual afterlife for the dead. During their journey they would face demons and other malevolent creatures. They had to use the help of Horus (a falcon-headed god), to get past the obstacles. Because of this belief, the Egyptian tombs were filled with incantations and spells from the Book of the Dead. The dead also had guardian gods who helped them on their journey.
The crook and flail
Ancient Egyptian religion regarded the flail and crook as symbols of authority and power. It is often depicted in the form of a god's weapon by the ruler pharaoh or viceroy de Nubia. Although often depicted together the crooks, flails weren't always used in tandem.
The solar vision of the afterlife
Ancient Egyptians had a complex view of reality. Their religious beliefs often overlapped with science. The sky was viewed by the ancient Egyptians as a vast ocean and monuments were built in accordance with this view. The Sphinx, for example, was positioned to catch the rising sun over its shoulder.
The role of the king and egypt’s afterlife beliefs
The Egyptians believed that after death, the soul would go to a different realm. This realm was called Duat. In this realm, the dead would live to the end of their lives freed from all the disease and nastiness they had suffered. The king, a powerful figure in the afterlife, played an important role in preparing his people for this realm.
The crook
Ancient Egyptian symbols of fertility and kingship, the flail and crook were both symbols of kingship. They were attributes to the god Osiris. The Gerzeh Culture has the earliest examples of the crook. Meanwhile, Abydos found the first flail in tomb U547. The original crook was a separate object, but the Second Dynasty made them more often seen together.
The crook and flail as a sign of filial piety
Ancient Egypt had the flail (crook) and flail (flare) as symbols of pharaonic strength. The Osiris god represented the crook. It looked similar to a snake. The flail was made with wood, which was extremely rare in ancient Egypt. Howard Carter found a flail & crook in King Tut’s tomb.