The White Crown of Upper Egypt, known as the Hedjet, traces its roots deep into prehistory. The first representations of the tapered bulb-shaped headdress occur in Nubia around 3500–3200 BC. It is unclear how the White Crown subsequently became the preferred headdress of Egyptian (as opposed to Nubian) rulers–perhaps Nubians conquered Upper Egypt or vice versa early in prehistory–but the crown appears frequently in predynastic iconography from Upper Egypt. The white crown was an emblem of Hedjet, the white vulture goddess of Upper Egypt and she is sometimes portrayed wearing it. Osiris, lord of the underworld is also frequently portrayed in the white crown (albeit in a special priestly version adorned with feathers).
It is unclear when the Red Crown of Lower Egypt (the Deshret) first came into use but it seems to have been a familiar device by the era of the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt around the 31st century BC and it is entirely possible that it traces its origin to some point centuries before that. It is unfortunate that we don’t know more about the origin of the Red Crown because its form is meant to mimic that of a honey bee with the strange red wire curl representing the bee’s proboscis. A bee’s sting was nothing compared with the Red Crown’s other animal association: Wadjet the cobra goddess of Lower Egypt is often portrayed wearing the red crown (which looks very fetching on her hooded head).

King Narmer wearing the Red Crown (pictured with his eponymous catfish and chisel) from the Narmer Palette ca. 31st century BC
The two crowns are first seen together on the Narmer palette (from the 31st century BC) which commemorates the unification of Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt under King Narmer of Upper Egypt. Subsequent to the unification of the two lands, the two crowns are also sometimes shown unified as the Pschent, the Double Crown of Egypt.
Although both the White Crown and the Red Crown are well known images which reoccur throughout ancient Egypt’s 3000 year history, archaeologists and excavators have never found a single example of either one. We don’t even know how they were made. It has been speculated that the original white crown may have been woven of green papyrus and the original red crown may have been made of copper, but this is only speculation. They may have been constructed of felt or leather or something else entirely.
There was a third crown worn by pharaohs, the Blue Crown known as Khepresh. The Blue Crown was originally a battle crown and may have actually doubled as a helmet. It was blue leather or cloth with gold disks. The first pharaoh depicted wearing the blue crown was Amenhotep III of the XVIII dynasty (who ruled from 1380’s to the 1360’s). The Blue Crown became popular during Egypt’s age of empire when some pharaohs were always depicted with the battle crown, but it fell from favor after the conquest of Egypt by Cushites during the XXV dynasty.
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October 25, 2011 at 11:51 AM
Renee
The image of Ahkenaten (Ahken-adm) does not look like the images in Egypt. Why?
October 25, 2011 at 3:16 PM
Hieronymo
You have a good eye, but I can’t fully answer your insightful question (since nobody can).
Akhenaten was a rebel pharaoh who championed monotheistic worship instead of traditional Egyptian polytheism. During his reign (in the eighteenth dynasty from approximately 1353 BCE – 1336 BCE) a different and more naturalistic style of art was adopted. Although animals, plants, and people were painted and sculpted in a more realistic manner, the royal family was portrayed with exaggerated features (most notably elongated heads and potbellies). It is a long-running (oft-debated mystery) as to what these features signified.
November 14, 2011 at 9:24 PM
Kate
I’ve heard various theories. One is that in the naturalist style of the day, Akhenaten was depicted as he really looked. He may have been a product of inbreeding, or had Marfan’s disease. There is also a theory that in the monotheistic Amarna Period, when he reigned, he needed to stand in for both male and female deities of previous eras – hence the wide hips and somewhat feminine appearance. Have you looked at the relief with Akhenaten, Queen Nefertiti, and three of their daughters? Try explaining those oddly shaped heads!
November 17, 2011 at 2:23 PM
Hieronymo
Thank you for the additional theories. Marfan’s Syndrome was ruled out following DNA tests on Tutankhamun in 2010, however there was a serious (and unknown) plague which struck Egypt during the Amarna Period which may have contributed to the religious iconoclasm of that time.
February 1, 2012 at 2:02 PM
LAWL
LAWL
February 3, 2012 at 9:39 AM
Wayne
Thanks I think.
August 4, 2012 at 1:25 AM
Nico
Does anybody know what the etymology of Hedjet and Kepresh is ?As I already know the etymology of Deshret being ‘desert’.I wonder If the word ‘Kepresh,etymologically has some similarities with the word ‘Khepri’…hence maybe the Kepresh was probably a mimicry of some unfamiliar species of beetle or arachnid.As the weaving shuttle headress worn by Neith is also sometimes said to resemble the
blue click beetle.
Just a theory..
August 4, 2012 at 1:29 AM
Nico
Though interestingly,Im not sure what family of hymenopteran the Deshret(red crown) was said to represent.Was is the honey bee,the hornet or the solitary wasp ?
August 7, 2012 at 2:59 PM
Wayne
I think it was supposed to be the bee!
August 4, 2012 at 2:01 AM
Nico
Oh and,has anybody figured out what the Set Animal actually is ?Was it a marsupial anteater,sort of like a kangaroo aardvark ‘?
Oh and something that also surprises me about Egyptian iconography is that there only seems to be one type of primate that usually gets depicted,the baboon.Why dont chimpanzees ever appear ?
August 7, 2012 at 2:59 PM
Wayne
I am not sure the ancient Egyptians knew about Chimpanzees. Don’t Chimpanzees live in Sub Saharan jungles?
August 4, 2012 at 6:48 PM
sallyann50
the reason why no “crowns” have ever been found is because they are actually hairstyles. afro hair is easy to grow and trim into those styles. an explanation for those “oddly” shaped heads is because from birth they are bound to create that shape. check out the mengbute tribe from central africa and look at the practice of headshaping
April 10, 2013 at 7:45 PM
isis1037
There was one crown found on King Tutankhamun after the death mask was removed….it is described as the “sheshed-circlet”; [ssd or mdh= ‘luminous’]. It is a diadem of gold, glass,obsidean and semi-precious stones….the cobra head is made of gold, inlaid with dark blue glass and carnelian…..
“The seshed-circlet (ssd or mdh) is attested from the reign of Sneferu and later. At this early time, it is always combined with the atef-crown or the Double Feathers. Its primary function is to bear the uraeus. A few examples survive of golden or silver circlets, usually inlaid with semi-precious stones or colored glass. One is from the tomb of Tutankhamun, where it was placed on top of the bandages covering his head. It is always shown worn around a short wig. When combined with the Amun-Crown, the seshed may be tied directly onto the crown base. Textual evidence for the term ssd (luminous) and mdh can be found in the Pyramid Texts as well as in the later funerary literature, where they denote the radian appearance of the stellar gods and of Thoth and the deceased. Like the nemes, the circlet appears in conjunction with the transfiguration of Osiris
Read more: http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/crowns2.htm#ixzz2Q6fxNvWc
April 22, 2013 at 4:51 PM
Wayne
Ooh! Thanks so much for the description and the link. I need to get back to writing about Ancient Egypt: the art and iconography are so beautiful.
September 6, 2014 at 3:44 AM
S.R.
Yes I have seen the natural African hairstyles that look exactly like the Khepresh crown on a YOUTUBE Video about African hairstyles and hair types. The videos is very educational and interesting!
September 18, 2014 at 1:40 PM
Wayne
I will check it out: thanks for the reference!
November 14, 2020 at 5:51 AM
Jason
I used to believe this same Afrocentric nonsense until i found out my haplogrouping matches many pharoahs mummies. The pharoahs were very much white and their corpses and DNA prove this. Black race in NOWHERE near as old as the white race. Keep in mind the Annunaki created races of man trying to hybridize the perfect slave.
October 15, 2012 at 4:45 PM
Lauren
Thanks for the info guys!!
June 24, 2013 at 4:01 PM
Prospect Heights Dentist
Nice post. I learn something new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon
every day. It’s always interesting to read articles from other writers and practice something from other web sites.
April 27, 2014 at 5:02 PM
Maddi
This actually makes sense to me
April 27, 2014 at 5:04 PM
Maddi
my daughter is doing a report i e mailed this to her and she loved it
April 26, 2016 at 9:52 PM
Laura Koscki
I have to say that this is one of Mr. Cati’s finest videos to date, for those who follow him. The wealth of information contained in this is astonishing.
Cati mentions the red, white, and blue thread or cable on the Statue of Liberty in the Google doodle, saying that these are the colors of America and France, both. But what is the archetypal first use of these colors? You guessed it–ancient Egypt. Hence, we should understand that red, white, and blue wherever used in the flags of nations signifies the establishment of a Masonic state of the esoteric or speculative variety of Freemasonry, which is welded to Egyptian mystery religion. And no sooner did I find the related link on the red, white, and blue of ancient Egypt than Cati begins talking of Akenaten and the “Lost City” in the context of the false flag being planned for NYC!!! Instant confirmation when it happens like this is an indicator that one is dead on the money.
Cati continually references the Obama Tango that occurred when Obama was in Argentina. We must understand this “Last Tango” event as a symbolic representation of the Dance of Destruction of the Hindu god Shiva, Lord of the Dance, whose fundamenal empowerment is his consort Kali. A depiction of Kali’s face was projected not that long ago on the facade of the Empire State Building.
The Psychos That Be and their obsession with Shiva’s dance of destruction brings to mind the bizarre ritual dance of destruction recently performed at CERN. What? Scientists promoting the Arts at the Large Hadron Collider? Hardly. This is all satanic ritual. Bear in mind, too, that Obama’s lucky charm is an amulet of the Hindu trickster monkey-god, Hanuman, that he always carries in his pocket. Quite a fitting choice for this impostor, trickster president. It goes without saying that Christians do not believe in lucky charms and amulets.
Finally, Cati’s mention of the acronym “RAM” on the cornerstone of the Baal arch and the connection of that inscription with Royal Arch Freemasonry immediately calls to mind a similar inscription “JAM” on the cornerstone that was removed from the Georgia Guidestones. The ceremonious removal and chipping of the cube-shaped stone in front of gathered spectators of course was another occult ritual performed for the benefit of the audience and to achieve dark intentions that are not yet fully understood.
RELATED LINKS:
The White Crown, Red Crown, and Blue Crown of Ancient Egypt
https://ferrebeekeeper.wordpress.com/…/the-white-crown-red…/
Obama Slammed for Doing Tango in Argentina Amid Brussels Attacks
http://www.newsmax.com/…/barack-obama…/2016/03/23/id/720597/
Nataraja | Shiva
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nataraja
The Meaning Of Shiva’s Cosmic Dance (Nataraja)
http://experiencehinduism.com/…/nataraja-shiva-cosmic-dance…
Kali
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali
Goddess Kali projected on New York’s Empire State Building
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/…/articlesh…/48420733.cms
Bizarre ‘Dance Of Destruction’ Performed At CERN Ahead Of Launch
http://yournewswire.com/bizarre-dance-of-destruction-perfo…/
Hanuman
http://mythology.wikia.com/wiki/Hanuman
Lord Hanuman figurine is US President Obama’s lucky charm
http://www.hindustantimes.com/…/story-L0SGmLAaBXIGw5JEpLwAP…
New ‘2014’ Cube Removed from Georgia Guidestones
http://sgtreport.com/…/breaking-georgia-guide-stones-2014-…/
April 27, 2016 at 5:30 PM
Wayne
Red, White, and Blue forever! Thanks for the list (and for the shout-out).
November 28, 2017 at 8:50 AM
Andrew
I wonder why it’s red white and blue because I live in America. Is that just a coincidence or what. Also what does LAWL mean. Is it like LOL?
June 22, 2020 at 7:05 PM
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