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The ancient Egyptians
developed the art of counting to a high degree, but their system of numeration
was very crude. For example, the number 1,000 was symbolized by a picture
of a lotus flower, and the number 2,000 was symbolized by a picture of
two lotus flowers growing out of a bush.
The Egyptians of very ancient times decorated their fabrics by painting them. Favorite motifs in the designs were the lotus blossom, a zigzag line representing waves, and the sacred beetle. Some mummy cloths were painted with religious scenes. (Excerpted from Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia Copyright © 1993, 1994 Compton’s NewMedia, Inc.) |
The lotus is an Asian water lily known for the delicate beauty of its water flowers. It possesses an amazing ability to flourish in a variety of environments ranging from clear ponds to muddy marshes. It is also known for its exceptionally hearty seed pods, which often plant themselves far from its source, bringing the beauty of the lotus blossoms everywhere.
Lotus {loh'-tuhs}
Lotuses are 5 species of water lilies, three in the genus Nymphaea and
two in Nelumbo; both genera are members of the water-lily family, Nymphaeaceae.
Lotus is also the name of a genus in the pea family, Leguminosae, which
contains such plants as the bird's-foot trefoil, Lotus corniculatus.
Nymphaea lotus,
the Egyptian white lotus, is believed to be the original sacred lotus of
ancient Egypt. It and the Egyptian blue lotus, N. caerulea, were often
pictured in ancient Egyptian art.
The white lotus
is a shallow-water, night-blooming plant with a creeping rootstock (rhizome)
that sends up long-stalked, nearly circular, dark green leathery leaves,
which float on the surface. The flowers, up to 25 cm (10 in) across, remain
open until midday.
The blue lotus is
a smaller, less showy day-blooming plant.
The Indian blue
lotus, N. stellata, differs from the blue Egyptian species largely in its
leaves. Nelumbo contains but two species.
The American lotus,
N. lutea, is found in the eastern half of the United States into southern
Canada. It has thick, spreading rootstock and large bluish green circular
leaves, up to 60 cm (2 ft) across, which are usually raised above the surface
of the water. The pale-yellow flowers, up to 25 cm (10 in) across, usually
open on three successive days. Both the seeds and the rootstock (rhizomes)
were eaten by the Indians.
The East Indian
lotus, N. nucifera, found in southern Asia, was introduced into Egypt about
2,500 years ago but is no longer found in the Nile region. Its flowers
are considered sacred by the Buddhists of India, Tibet, and China.
(Edwin E. Rosenblum) Picture Caption[s] The lotus, Nymphaea lotus, bears
many-seeded, berrylike fruit and leathery, floating leaves that may reach
50 cm (20 in) across. The cup- shaped flowers of the lotus were often represented
in ancient Egyptian art and architecture.
Lakshmi (luhk'-shmee),
wife of the Hindu god VISHNU, and one of the incarnations of the Mother-Goddess,
or Devi, is the goddess of fortune and prosperity as well as the epitome
of feminine beauty. According to Hindu legend she was born radiant and
fully grown from the churning of the sea. Lakshmi is portrayed as sitting
on a lotus, her traditional symbol. SHAKTI art objects is a basic characteristic
of all Phoenician art.
A 13th-century BC
sarcophagus from BYBLOS that was reused for King Hirain in the 10th century
BC, for example, shows a bearded ruler seated on a throne that is flanked
by winged sphinxes and topped by a lotus frieze. Also shown is a procession
of servants and worshipers approaching a table laden with food; below the
scene four lions support the sarcophagus.
Most seeds remain
quiescent during a cold or dry season and germinate only with the coming
of favorable growing conditions. Seeds that require special treatment to
germinate, even when presented with adequate water and oxygen and favorable
temperatures, are said to exhibit DORMANCY. Seeds with thick or waxy coats,
which inhibit the entry of water and oxygen, may remain in a prolonged
quiescent state. Seeds of the Indian lotus can germinate 200 years after
they are shed. Most seeds, however, lose the ability to germinate within
several years of shedding. Following the return of the rains, primitive
peoples witnessed the rise of the undefiled water lily from the bottom
of dried-up watercourses and considered the living blooms symbols of immortality
and resurrection. The ancient Egyptians from the 4th dynasty greatly valued
the sacred lotus, N. totus, in religious ceremonies and funerals.