Hekha and Nekhakha (Crook & Flail) “Symbol of Kingship”

The Crook and the Flail were considered a symbol of the state’s power and the king’s absolute might and control over his subjects. The word “Hekha” is an epithet of Osiris which means “To Rule” and is considered a symbol of royal power and dominion. The symbols appear in the Early Dynastic Period during the reign of the first King Narmer (3150 BCE). The crook and the flail were first used as two emblems of the god Osiris which symbolized the authority of the Pharaohs. The Staff represents kingship, the Pharaoh is the shepherd of his people while the flail stood for the fertility of the land and the Pharaoh is the provider of food for his subjects. It was made out of wood as the ancient Egyptians believed it was scarce but the kings always used ones made of decorated gold. Note: The Heka and Nekhakha are ancient Egyptian symbols of kingship, power, royalty, fertility, the divine authority of the Pharaohs, and wisdom. The Crook represents the caring wisdom of the Pharaoh as the shepherd and the fail represents the scourge needed to maintain order within the society. For these reasons, these symbols and artifacts have been found with the gods of pharaohs of Egypt across the ages.

Theories on significance Traditionally crossed over the chest when held, they probably represented the ruler as a shepherd whose beneficence is formidably tempered with might. In the interpretation of Toby Wilkinson, the flail used to goad livestock, was a symbol of the ruler’s coercive power: as shepherd of his flock, the ruler encouraged his subjects as well as restrained them. Still another interpretation, by E. A. Wallis Budge is that the flail is what was used to thresh grain. Percy Newberry, a specialist on ancient Egypt, speculated that the “flail” or “whip” of Osiris was more likely an instrument for collecting labdanum similar to that used in nineteenth-century Crete. He examined archaeological remains of such items and their representations in art and found that they were mechanically incapable of acting as either a flail or whip and so must be some other instrument. Similarly, to crooks, he further noted that these items were also associated with shepherds, who used them to gather labdanum while their flocks grazed on and among the bushes from which the gum was gathered.