Ankh Cross Ankh of Life Egyptian Symbol African T-Shirt

The Ancient Egyptian Ankh was a symbol of life itself: the Key of Life. The Ankh cross has an upper oval loop instead of a bar. The origin of the Ankh symbol is not known but in Egyptian art the Ankh cross appeared as an object that represented life or life-giving elements such as water or air. Often deities were depicted holding an Egyptian cross in their hands or together with the pharaoh giving them the sacred Ankh Cross. It symbolised their power to support life and revive the human soul in the next world. Some people still believe that this sacred ancient symbol can protect you from evil and decay. Egyptian Christian Copts used the Crux Ansata (shaped like an ankh but with a circular rather than oval loop) extensively in the decoration of textiles. In the 1960s the interest in ancient religions brought about the revival of the Egyptian Ankh. In the USA and Europe people of African descent use the Ankh cross as a symbol of their African identity. It also represents Kemetism, based on the contemporary revival of the Ancient Egyptian religion. The sacred Ankh is also popular in the Goth culture where it is associated with vampires because of the prominence of an Ankh pendant in the 1983 vampire film The Hunger.