Winged Scarab Tapestries
Description: Scarab (scarabaeus) is an important symbol in ancient Egyptian religion and mythology. The dung beetle (Scarabaeus sacer) lays its eggs in rolled up dung balls, thus giving its offspring food to survive. This beetle was associated with the divine manifestation of the early morning sun, Khepri, whose name was written with the scarab hieroglyph and who was believed to roll the disk of the morning sun over the eastern horizon at daybreak. Since the Kheper symbolizes existence, manifestation, development, growth, and effectiveness, the dung beetle was often used for amulets in all periods of Egyptian history.
Description: Khepri is a god in ancient Egyptian religion who represents the rising or morning sun. By extension, he can also represent creation and the renewal of life. The god was connected with the scarab beetle because the scarab rolls balls of dung across the ground, an act that the Egyptians saw as a symbol of the forces that move the sun across the sky. Khepri was thus a solar deity.
