Sistrum: Encyclopedia II - Sistrum - The Egyptian sistrum

Sistrum - The Egyptian sistrum

The sistrum was a sacred instrument in ancient Egypt. It was used in dances and religious ceremonies, particularly in the worship of the goddess Hathor, with the U-shape of the sistrum's handle and frame seen as resembling the face and horns of the cow goddess. It was also shaken to avert the flooding of the Nile and to frighten away Set. Additionally, the goddess Bast is often depicted holding a sistrum, symbolizing her role as a goddess of dance, joy, and festivity.

Sistra (pl.) are still used in the rites of the Coptic and Ethiopian churches. Besides the depiction in Egyptian art with dancing and expressions of joy, the sistrum was also used in Egyptian literature. The hieroglyph for the sistrum is shown, but there are other varieties (sistrum and castanets).

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "The Egyptian sistrum", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki