The two layers were then pressed and allowed to dry. A solution of resin from the plant was laid down and a second layer of papyrus was put into place, horizontally. The stem of the papyrus plant was cut into thin strips which were laid side by side in perpendicular fashion. The papyrus reeds, in this case, hid the mother and child from Set's intentions to kill Horus and so again symbolize order prevailing over disorder and light over darkness. Papyrus fields feature in a number of important myths most notably that of Osiris and Isis after Osiris is murdered by his brother Set and Isis hides their child Horus in the marshes of the Delta. The dark and mysterious nature of the papyrus fields were frequently employed as a motif in mythology. Kings are regularly depicted hunting in the papyrus fields of the Delta to symbolize the imposition of order over chaos. At the same time, however, the papyrus thicket represented the unknown and the forces of chaos. The name 'Field of Reeds' actually refers to the reeds of the papyrus plant. The plant may also be seen etched in stone on temples and monuments, symbolizing life and eternity as the Egyptian afterlife, known as the Field of Reeds, was thought to mirror the fertile Nile River Valley right down to the abundance of papyrus. This symbol is a bouquet of papyrus (associated with the Delta of Lower Egypt) bound with a lotus (the symbol of Upper Egypt).īesides writing, papyrus was used as a food source, to make rope, for sandals, as window shades, material for toys such as dolls, as amulets to ward off throat diseases, & even to make small fishing boats. Papyrus also served as a political symbol through its use in the Sma-Tawy, the insignia of the unity of Upper and Lower Egypt. It also played a part in religious devotion as it was often bound together to form the symbol of the ankh and offered to the gods as a gift. Papyrus was used as a food source, to make rope, for sandals, for boxes and baskets and mats, as window shades, material for toys such as dolls, as amulets to ward off throat diseases, and even to make small fishing boats. The papyrus of Egypt is most closely associated with writing - in fact, the English word 'paper' comes from the word 'papyrus' - but the Egyptians found many uses for the plant other than a writing surface for documents and texts. Papyrus still exists in Egypt today but in greatly reduced number. These plants once were simply part of the natural vegetation of the region, but once people found a utilitarian purpose for them, they were cultivated and managed in farms, harvested heavily, and their supply depleted. Stalks reached up to 16 feet tall (5 m) ending in small brown flowers which often bore fruit. Papyrus buds opened from a horizontal root growing in shallow fresh water and the deeply saturated Delta mud. Papyrus is a plant ( cyperus papyrus) which once grew in abundance, primarily in the wilds of the Egyptian Delta but also elsewhere in the Nile River Valley, but is now quite rare.
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