The ancient Egyptians believed in magic. They believed that if one was to decorate Temples and Tombs with pictures, then the pictures would contain magical properties and happen.
To give you an example in the 21st century, if you were to draw a picture in your tomb, of your self say with 20,000 Steemit Power, then the belief in ancient Egypt is that this would happen.
Here is an example of the iconography with a papyrus picture, the original picture was in side king Tuankhaten/amun's tomb.
http://www.scaca.co.uk/images/papy(sm).gif
Of course what does it all mean - well here we go.
- The ancient Vulture Goddess Nekhebet, from El-Kab or Hierakonpolis in Upper Egypt, protecting Tutankhamun
- The Cobra Goddess Wadjet, from Buto in Lower Egypt, who sits upon the kings brow, to spit venom into the eyes of the
kings enemies - One of five names of Tutankhamun, meaning Tutankhamun, ruler of Heliopolis (city of the sun god Ra)
- The lion a symbol of the regal power of kings
- The kings throne name, Everlasting Lord of Ra
- The name, Tutankhamun
- One of the thrones of Tutankhamun (represents kingship)
- Foot Stall (associated with status)
- Sandals (only a small proportion of the population owned leather sandals)
- Kilt (the shande kilt, represents the king as the mighty bull, able to conceive)
- Collar representing the wings of Nekhebet, always protecting the king
- Ankhesenamun, wife of Tutankhamun
- Papyrus marshes of Lower Egypt (an icon of the kingdom of lower Egypt)
- Ducks (hunting ducks was an elite past time)
- Tutankhamuns wife passes an arrow to her husband the king, demonstrating the kings rank
- Tutankhamun fires an arrow from his bow (the ability to pull back a bow is the kings demonstration that he is fit to rule)
Interpretation and conclusion of the iconography
A favourite pastime of the kings of Egypt was to hunt in the papyrus marshes of Lower Egypt, which is what Tutankhamun is doing. The 2 goddesses of Upper & Lower Egypt confirms the unity of the 2 lands of Egypt - and because the king had this picture in his tomb, then he believed that this is what was going to happen in his afterlife.
I hope you enjoyed this example of understanding ancient Egyptian pictures - enjoy painting your steemit pictures.