TITLE:
Bâ as an Example of the Ancient Egypt Religious Thought in Effect on Ancient World Civilization until the Renaissance Era
AUTHORS:
Hamdi Alsorogy, Mamdouh Al Karadawi, Ahmed Salem Al Karadawi
KEYWORDS:
Bâ, Seren, Harpy, Human-Headed Bird, Pottery, Lusterware
JOURNAL NAME:
Archaeological Discovery,
Vol.12 No.1,
January
8,
2024
ABSTRACT: This research article investigates the development of Bâas an example of the ancient Egyptian compound figures throughout the ancient world civilizations up until its decline in the renaissance era. The article consists of three sections. First, it investigates the origin of the Bâ in the ancient Egyptian civilization. The second section investigates the development of the Bâ figure to the Seren in the Greco-Roman and Byzantine civilizations. The final section addresses how Seren was developed into the concept of a Harpy compound figure in Islamic civilization, from the Fatimid era, up until its decline in the era of the renaissance. This paper follows a descriptive research method, conducting a comprehensive review on the human-headed bird imagery, how it is depicted in different eras, and what their symbolic representations were. The article provides a comprehensive overview of the development of the Bâ/Seren/Harpy as an example of compound figures, which corresponds to how compound figures were perceived and theorized. Implications include understanding the purpose of compound figures and the rise and fall of such concepts in the ancient world.