Ankh Symbol Pendant Small

Life and Fertility

The Ankh, also known as the Egyptian Cross or Key of Life, has always been associated with life, the promise of eternal life, the sun, fertility, and light.

The Ankh could symbolize physical life on earth, eternal life in heaven or the underworld, immortality, and even reincarnation. The Egyptians believed that the afterlife was as meaningful as the present one and the Ankh provided the key to the gates of death and what lay beyond this life. 

The Ankh is said to be a symbol of fertility; the symbol depicting the union of the male and female nature. Through the merging of male and female energies new life is created. 

The Ankh's association with the afterlife made it an especially potent symbol for early Christians in Egypt who took the symbol as their own. This use of the Ankh as a symbol of Christ's promise of everlasting life through belief in his sacrifice is the likely origin of the Christian cross used today.