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Although most commonly associated with the
goddess Isis, the ankh was actually depicted as being held by many of the
Egyptian gods. Even
Anubis, the god of
death and the
underworld, carried an ankh. The ankh, or
crux ansata, had different
powers, depending on the god who held it. Primarily they were the powers of
life, of
water and for Anubis, for
protection of the
dead.
The symbol itself combines the forces of man and woman, the cross and the oval, heaven and earth, the womb and penis, and so also, Isis and Osiris.
This symbol is often associated with water, which the Egyptians believed could regenerate life. The ankh can be viewed as a form of key, a key to balance and enlightenment.
A related Egyptian symbol is that of the shen, standing for infinity and shown as a circle on a horizontal line.
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