mysteries of egyptian zodiacs - HiddenMysteries Information Central

106 5 Symbolism on Egyptian Zodiacs and New Complete Decoding
5.4.8 Additional Symbols associated with
Mercury on Egyptian Zodiacs
During the process of our research, it became clear that Mercury
on various Egyptian zodiacs was often accompanied by
additional symbols. In this subsection we will classify briefly
these symbols, which turned out to be very useful in certain
difficult situations to locate Mercury on a zodiac. These symbols
are:
• Creatures with double faces or with two heads. A pair of
two identical animals looking in opposite directions or a
figure pointing opposite directions with spread hands. (See
for example Figure 5.46 (EB)) Notice that on the Color
Thebes zodiac (OU) among the hieroglyphs standing near
the head of one of the figures, which is most probably representing
Mercury, there is a small symbol of a person in
a sitting position with arms spread in different directions
(see Figure 5.46 (OU)). There is some resemblance between
this figure and one of the sitting figures on the Big
Esna zodiac (see Figure 5.46 (EB)).
• A snake in a vertical position, sometimes held in a hand
like a walking stick. This symbol can also be sometimes
associated with Venus. It is quite common in the partial
horoscopes but can also appear in the main horoscopes.
For example, notice two vertically placed snakes on the
Big Esna zodiac in the Mercury procession (see Figure
5.46 (EB)). In certain cases, like in the partial horoscope
of the summer solstice on the Big Esna zodiac, the snake
can be two-headed (we will discuss this example in the
subsection devoted to partial horoscopes). We would like
to point out that snakes placed horizontally, even with two
heads, can be found in many places on the Egyptian zodiacs
and they are not connected to Mercury. Some types
of such snakes denote the equinox points. Similarly, there
is also a special type of a snake in a vertical position, “sitting”
on its tail, which is neither related to Mercury, but
denotes the solstice points. We will discuss these symbols
later with more details.
• A feather on the head of figure or replacing the head. This
symbol very often denotes Mercury, but there are also
some exceptions. It is a common symbol for Mercury in
the partial horoscopes, in particular for the summer solstice
horoscopes. Notice that the figure with spread hands
sitting in the Mercury procession on the Big Esna zodiac
(see Figure 5.46 (EB)) has a feather instead of its head.
5.4.9 Representation of Mercury in two locations
on one Horoscope
Mercury is moving on the sky much faster than all the other
planets (except the Sun and Moon). In one or two days it can
noticeably change its position on the ecliptic. We should mention
that a typical horoscope shows a date with an accuracy
from one to several days and sometimes even more than one
week. We are not sure about the intentional accuracy of the
dates encoded in the Egyptian zodiacs, but it is likely that
it was up to several days. As in the old epochs the time was
sometimes measured in weeks not in days, it is probable that
the Egyptian zodiacs were intended to show the astronomical
picture for the whole week when some important events
related to this zodiac took place. If it was indeed the truth,
then a horoscope was a perfectly sufficient tool to commemorate
an important date with such accuracy. However, in order
to keep up with the fast changing position of Mercury, which
within one week could move from a visible to invisible position
(or vice versa), sometimes it was necessary to record its
multiple positions. This would explain the fact that on some
Egyptian zodiacs Mercury appears in two positions simultaneously.
For example on the Long Denderah zodiac, Mercury
is shown in two close to each other positions, in one of which
it was visible but in another it wasn’t.
The fact that Mercury is shown on the Long Denderah
zodiac two times, was already noticed by N.A. Morozov 40 . On
Figure 5.46 (DL) we show a fragment of the Long Denderah
zodiac with two symbols representing Mercury. On the left
from Taurus, Mercury is shown in visible position represented
by a couple of males — one of them with a walking stick and
another one, with two feathers on its head (which are features
of Mercury), is holding vertically a snake. The visibility of
Mercury is indicated here by a star symbol over the head of
the figure with a walking stick. On the right side from Taurus,
Mercury is shown as a two-faced male with a walking stick.
As there is no star over its head, it wasn’t visible at that
time. The symbols of visibility are not the same of different
Egyptian zodiacs and we will discuss them in more detailed
way later in this chapter. On the both Denderah zodiacs the
visibility symbol, which was discovered by Morozov, is a star
over the head.
Mercury has also two representations in the Horoscope in
Boats on Brugsch’s zodiac (see Figure 5.46 (BR)).
5.4.10 Relation between Mercury and the
Roman god Janus
Let us make few remarks concerning the idea expressed by
N.A. Morozov that Mercury corresponds to the two-faced Roman
god Janus. This idea is supported by some facts from
mythology. The Greek name of Mercury was Hermes 41 and
this name is believed to be derived from herma — the Greek
word for a heap of stones, which was used in the country to
indicate boundaries or as a landmark.
Hermes was the swift messenger of the gods, and the name
of this planet refers to its rapid motions relative to the other
objects in the sky. Hermes was also the god of roads and
doorways, and he was the protector of travelers. He was also
called Hermes Propylaeum, what means Hermes the Gatekeeper.
On the other hand, in the Roman mythology, the gate god
is Janus and his name was derived from jani (i.e., ceremonial
40 See [4], Vol. 6, p. 654.
41 See [26], p. 151.