The Egyptian pyramids, one of the most mysterious and ancient structures in the world, are of great interest to many people as to why they were built and their symbolism. However, if we delve deeper into the ancient astronomical and religious connotations that the pyramids represented, we can get a clearer picture of the true meaning of these magnificent structures.
First, let's look at why pyramids are usually oriented north. This question is not accidental, but is essentially a reflection of the ancient Egyptians' unique understanding of the universe, of astronomy. According to ancient Egyptian ideas, the North Star remained the same, just as the center of the sky;It is known as:"The Stars That Never Fall"and always shine in the night. When the pharaoh dies, he will transform into a star and meet the North Star for eternal life. Therefore, the pyramid faces north in such a way that the souls of the pharaohs can smoothly ascend to the North Star.
The establishment of the North is a very important step. The simplest but most effective way to do this is to utilize a tool called"Level"of the device. The instrument has a long vertical rod on top and water on the horizontal line below. Just find the two bright stars in the northern sky, the last star in the constellation Ursa Major (Sirius) and the first star in the constellation Ursa Minor (Pleiades), and align them with the horizontal line of the level, to confirm the true north.
In addition to the north, the ancient Egyptians also showed amazing precision in their refinement in other directions. People divide the sky into 24 pieces, each corresponding to a specific star. These stars are treated as:"Clock star", which can help calculate time. In addition, a calendar was developed to divide the year into 12 months, with one for each month"Moon Star"to determine the phases of the moon. The winter solstice is established as the starting point of the year, which is the day when the sun rises at its lowest and the day is the shortest and the coldest weather;The summer solstice is the day when the sun rises at its highest, and it is also the time when the days are longest and the weather is the hottest.
In addition, the ancient Egyptians had a long history of belief and reverence for the sun god. The sun god was seen as the source of life, the creator of all things, and even the father of the pharaohs. They used the process of the sun to symbolize the life course of the sun god. Every time the sun god is born in the east, he takes a solar ship through the sky, reaches the west and sinks into the ground, after a battle with death and **, the sun god will usher in a new life in the early morning of the next day, repeating this endless cycle process. The goddess of the moon is seen as the cursor of the night, a barometer of time, and a protector of the pharaohs. The fullness and incompleteness of the moon is like the change of the moon goddess, who appears in the sky at the beginning of each month, gradually brightening and strengthening to the full moon;After that, the moon gradually darkens to a new moon, disappears in the sky, and after a period of sleep, it wakes up again and begins a new round of reincarnation.
The long history, profound cultural heritage and wisdom of this ancient civilization are hidden behind the pyramids, waiting for us to explore and understand. From the deep understanding of astronomy and religion in ancient Egypt to the precise setting of the pyramids in the direction of the north and beyond, it may bring more thinking about the philosophy of human existence in modern society.