Crook and Flail

Two items used to symbolise the responsibility of the pharaoh

The earliest representation of a king carrying the crook is a small statue of Ninetjer from the 2nd Dynasty

•Introduction•

An ancient Egyptian artifact used to represent the pharaoh's responsibility to the people and the sign of kingship. It was also a sign of the god Osiris, who was once a well respected pharaoh and the god of the underworld. These two items represent most of what the people of Egypt want from the pharaoh. An extremely important artifact that once belonged to the people of Egypt.

•Description•

These aritfact consists of a crook and a flail which symbolises the pharaoh's responsibility. The iconic color of the crook and flail is gold and blue and were typically made from gold or ivory with blue copper bands.

The crook originated from the staff used by shepherds to protect their sheep. It was similar to a normal staff and with a hook at the top of it. The crook represents the pharaoh’s role as the protector of the nation and of the people. The flail is an object used to thresh grain, and was commonly used for farming and sometimes used for fighting if you were too poor to afford a weapon. The flail represents the pharaoh's responsibility in providing food and protecting the nation. It overall represents the morals and responsibilities that the pharaoh has.

•Purpose & Use•

This artifact was mostly used for ceremonial purposes and didn't really serve as a tool but as a symbol for the values and the responsibility that the pharaoh holds. It is a symbol of responsibility and it is extremely important to the pharaohs and is a defining symbol of kingship. Mostly just used to praise or honor the gods.

•Relevance in Ancient Egypt•

Explain how this artifact reflects the values and practices of Ancient Egyptian civilisation.

How this artifact reflects the values and the practices is by representing what sort of values that a pharaoh should have. What the responsibilities the people of ancient Egypt thought that a pharaoh has. It reflects the practices of the ancient Egyptian people. The afterlife and gods were things that the ancient Egyptian people believed in and played a big role in the the values and practices of ancient Egypt. The crook and flail showed how they thought that by keeping this important artifact on or near the tomb would allow the pharaoh to have it with him in the afterlife. Another example of the artifact reflecting practices, is when they used it for ceremonies, they thought that holding it at ceremonies are praising that gods and honouring them.

•Optional: location•

Found in the Tomb of ancient pharaohs

•Process for creating artifact• (DIY I don't have the crook creation process sorry)

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•Works Cited•

"Ask CALLIOPE." Calliope, vol. 15, no. 7, 03, 2005, pp. 40. ProQuest,

http://proxy.stjohns.bc.ca/docview/229388689?accountid=82199.

Baker, Charles F. "SYMBOLS OF POWER." Calliope, vol. 19, no. 1, 09, 2008, pp. 10-11. ProQuest, http://proxy.stjohns.bc.ca/docview/229419615?accountid=82199.

Dunn, Jimmy. “Tour Egypt.” The Crook and Flail in Ancient Egypt, 2012, www.touregypt.net/featurestories/crooksandflails.htm.

History Museum, of Canada. “Royal Symbols.” Egyptian Civilization - Government - Royal Symbols, 2020, www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/civil/egypt/egcgov5e.html.

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