Was

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Was symbol

The Was is the Egyptian hieroglyphic character that stands for a word meaning power. In their 2004 book "The Quick and the Dead", Andrew H. Gordon and Calvin W. Schwabe speculated that the Ankh, Djed and Was symbols have a biological basis derived from ancient cattle culture, thus:

• the Ankh - symbol of life - thoracic vertebrae of a bull (seen in cross section)
• the Djed - symbol of stability - base or sacrum of a bull's spine
• the Was - symbol of power and dominion - a staff made from a dried bull's penis

[edit] Usage as a Staff (Was)

The Was staff–with attached Ankh symbolage(represents more than hieroglyph), of Set (mythology) represented in the tomb of Thutmose III (KV34).

The Was also can be found as a common staff used by the pharaoh, (or other honorees, etc). The associated picture shows its usage as part of "Egyptian wall ornamentation" .

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