30/08/2026
🐝 The bee in ancient Egypt
The bee hieroglyph, 𓆤, represented the Egyptian word “bjt” (bit), meaning bee. But its significance went well beyond the insect itself.
Most importantly, the bee was associated with Lower Egypt and with the king of Lower Egypt.
The pharaoh was traditionally described using the title:
“He of the Sedge and the Bee”
nswt-bity
* 🌾 Sedge/reed → Upper Egypt
* 🐝 Bee → Lower Egypt
Together they symbolised the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the pharaoh.
The two cartouches
A pharaoh normally had two names enclosed in cartouches:
1. Birth name (prenomen? actually the nomen) — the name given at birth, often preceded by “Son of Re”.
* 𓅭 = a duck/goose, representing sa = “son”
* 𓇳 = the sun disk, representing Ra/Re
So the combination literally reads “Son of Re.”
2. Throne name (prenomen) — the royal name assumed on becoming pharaoh, preceded by nswt-bity.
* 𓇓𓏏𓊖 — the sedge/reed element → traditionally associated with Upper Egypt
* 𓆤 — the bee → traditionally associated with Lower Egypt
🍯 Why the bee?
Bees and honey were highly valued in Egyptian culture. Honey was used as:
* food and sweetener
* medicine and wound treatment
* an offering to the gods
* part of religious rituals
* an ingredient in cosmetics and preparations
The bee therefore also came to represent order, productivity, fertility and the organised society of the Egyptian kingdom.
(Pictures from my personal collection. Text ChatGPT)
