Monday, December 10, 2012
Canopic Jars
During the mummification process, human organs were removed from the body and put into jars. The jars were buried in the ground with the body as symbol to protect the persons internal organs. Egyptians took out a persons liver, stomach, intestine, and lungs to slow down the bodies decomposing process. Each organ had their own separate jar and a specific head to a god head on the top of it. Although many organs were taken out of the body, the heart was one of the few organs kept.
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I never knew that the heart was one of few organs left in the dead body. Is their some special ritual involved with the jars and the process of removing the organs. The organs could be a sacrifice to the gods also. Why did the Egyptians want to slow down the decomposition process? Also, what were the jars made out of?
ReplyDeleteI was a little curious of what each “head” of these jars represented so I looked online. This is what I found:
ReplyDeleteEach canopic jar guarded a different organ.
1. Imsety had a human head, protected the liver.
2. Qebehsenuf had the head of a falcon and guarded the intestines.
3. Hapy had a baboon head protected the lungs.
4. Duamatef had the head of a jackal, and guarded the stomach.
http://www.chiddingstone.kent.sch.uk/homework/egypt/canopic.htm
I would like to have these jars as decorations in my house, they're very decorative.
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