Ankh: Egyptian hieroglyph consisting of a 'T' topped by a loop, used to symbolize "life", "procreation", and the eternal continuation of life in the hereafter.
The
ankh is frequently present in ancient Egyptian grave paintings and mural reliefs.
In these, the ankh is often depicted being handed over to a mortal by a ►god as a symbol of life or fertility. This motif later inspired a variant of the ankh, ♀, which was the symbol of the Roman goddess Venus, and still later that of the female sex.
Early ►Christianity adopted the ankh in the shape of the Coptic cross. Today, the ankh is a frequently-used pop culture symbol that appears in many areas of entertainment, from the Burning Man Festival, to the TV show South Park, to any number of computer games. In the field of ►esoterics, the ankh is the symbol of ►eternity and ►immortality, but it also stands for many other things.