Kedaga Symbol

‘Kedaga’ symbol means ‘Protection’ in the Indus civilization.

Abstract:

Ancient Indus civilization followed many magic rituals. The Indus script shows a shield (Kedaga) like symbol. It could have been an apotropaic magic symbol suggesting protection against evil forces.

The above-given symbols are variants of the ideogram ‘kedaga’ (Shield).

Figure 1: Apotropaic wand from Egypt.

Picture courtesy- Wikipedia. (1)

Apotropaic magic is a type of spell intended to “turn away” harm or evil influences, as in deflecting misfortune or averting the evil eye. “Apotropaic” observances may also be practised out of vague superstition or out of tradition, as in good luck charm or amulets. (1)

The above given apotropaic wand from ancient Egypt shows a procession of protective deities. Such a wand would have been used in rituals associated with birth and was perhaps used to draw a magical circle around the mother and child. (1).

Apotropaic magical rituals were practised throughout the ancient Near East and Egypt. Fearsome deities were invoked via ritual to protect individuals by warding away evil spirits. In ancient Egypt, these household rituals were performed in the home, not in state-run temples. The two gods most frequently invoked in these rituals were the fertility goddess, Taweret, and the lion-demon, Bes.

Objects were often used in these rituals to facilitate communication with the gods. One of the most commonly found magical objects, the ivory apotropaic wand, gained widespread popularity in the Middle Kingdom (ca. 1550 – 1069 BCE). These wands were used to protect expectant mothers and children from evil forces and were adorned with processions of apotropaic solar deities. Likewise, protective amulets bearing the likenesses of gods and goddesses like Taweret were commonly worn. (1)

The relevance of this ritual to Indus civilization is that some of the Indus inscriptions are showing symbols similar to the above given Egyptian magic wand. (Figure-1). The below given four logos represent the word ‘Kedaga’ (Protection) (Shield) in Indus inscriptions. All four graphemes are variations of the same idea ‘Kedaga’ (Protection) (Shield). The fourth grapheme has a loop-like structure within the inner curve side. This loop-like structure is the handle to hold the shield, and this grapheme conclusively proves that the intended meaning behind this grapheme is ‘Keda’ (Shield).

However, no ‘apotropaic magic wand’ made of ivory has been found among the artefacts catalogued in Indus excavation sites. The absence of ‘Ivory wand’ need not be taken as conflicting evidence to disprove this theory because there is a possibility that over a period of time (centuries), the actual usage of ‘ivory wand’ would have disappeared, and only the concept of ‘protection’ would have remained. There is another possibility that the grave robbers (Antique robbers) would have vandalized tombs and taken away those ‘ivory wands’, and nothing is available at the time of official archaeological excavations.

Figure 2: Seal showing ‘Kedaga ‘symbol.

Seal picture courtesy- (2)

	Kedaga symbol- meaning protection		The fish symbol means ‘Pithru’ (Ancestors/ manes)
	Istika – means sacrifice to the desired God.		Double offering table- one for gods and second for Pithrus
	Number three means many gods as well as dangerous gods		Kavu- symbol means sacrifice
	Firesticks symbol indicates the word ‘Yajna.’

The above-given Indus seal inscription shows the symbol of ‘Kedaga’. The inscription can be read as follows: (Read from right to left) Istika (desired god) – number three means dangerous God–Kedaga –Yajna – Pithru (fish symbol) – offering – Kavu (sacrifice). The meaning of the sentence is as follows:

The Kedaga ceremony was held to protect the dead man’s soul from a dangerous god. Name of God not specified. Yajna was performed to please the many gods/dangerous god (Ista -Devata), and the meat was offered to ‘pithrus’(Ancestors) and Ista Devata. Double offering indicates meat was offered to gods as well as pithrus (Dvi-Kavu).

Figure 3: Kedaga ceremony for God.

Picture courtesy: (2).

The above-given figure-3 shows that the Kedaga ceremony had been conducted to protect a person from ‘Rudra’. The inscription can be read as follows: (Read from left to right): Rudra (Bow bearing God) – Kavu – fifth day –Kedaga –Kavu.

The sentence’s meaning is as follows: The sacrifice was carried out to please the God Rudra. (3) Number five indicates the fifth day of the fortnight. The fifth day is assigned to ‘goddess meshkhenet’. (4) It was a Kedaga (protection) sacrifice. Protection against disease-causing arrows of Rudra, pleading to Meshkhenet.

Figure 4: Seal showing god ‘Ammit’.

Picture courtesy: (2).

The above-given figure -4 shows a crocodile, whereas the ancient Egyptian counterpart was ‘Ammit’.

Figure 5: Ancient Egyptian god ‘Ammit’.

Picture courtesy: (5).

Ammit (“devourer” or “soul-eater”; also spelt Ammut) was a female demon in ancient Egyptian religion with a body that was part lion, hippopotamus and crocodile—the three largest “man-eating” animals known to ancient Egyptians. A funerary deity, her titles included “Devourer of the Dead”, “Eater of Hearts”, and “Great of Death”. (5)

Ammit lived near the scales of justice in Duat, the Egyptian underworld. In the Hall of Two Truths, Anubis weighed a person’s heart against the feather of Ma’at, the goddess of truth, which was depicted as an ostrich feather (the feather was often pictured in Ma’at’s headdress). If the heart were judged to be not pure, Ammit would devour it, and the person undergoing judgement was not allowed to continue their voyage towards Osiris and immortality. Once Ammit swallowed the heart, the soul was believed to become restless forever; this was called “to die a second time“. (5)

There is a second possibility that the crocodile may not indicate Ammit, but the crocodile was sacrificed on that day to please many gods. Number three is not associated with any specific god. (4) Number three might have stood for the meaning ‘many gods’. (6)

The conclusion is that ancient Harappans followed religious ideas similar to ancient Egyptians, and this symbol ‘Kedaga’ indicates the concept of ‘Apotropaic magic’.

1. wikipedia(Apotropaic). Apotropaic magic. wikipedia.org. [Online] 2015. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apotropaic_magic.

2. Sullivan, Sue. Indus Script Dictionary. s.l. : Suzanne Redalia, 2011.

3. Jeyakumar(Rudra). Rudra was the most important god of Indus Valley Civilization. www.academia.edu. [Online] https://www.academia.edu/43654003/Rudra_was_the_most_important_god_of_Indus_Valley_Civilization.

4. Jeyakumar(Indus-gods-calendar). Indus script Numerals represent various gods as per calendar days. Academia.edu. [Online] https://www.academia.edu/31708667/Indus_script_Numerals_represent_various_gods_as_per_calendar_days.

5. wikipedia (Ammit). Ammit. wikipedia.org. [Online] 2015. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammit.

6. jeyakumar(number-three). Number three specifies Many gods and also Dangerous gods. Academia.edu. [Online] https://www.academia.edu/41294661/Number_three_specifies_Many_gods_and_also_Dangerous_gods..