You met the pharaoh and the two halves of Egypt. A king could show which land he ruled just by what he wore on his head.
Key idea
The tall white crown stood for Upper Egypt (the south). The red crown, with a curl in front, stood for Lower Egypt (the north). The double crown, the two put together, meant the king ruled both. Kings also held a crook and a flail.
Why it works
Crowns worked like flags: anyone could tell at a glance what a king stood for. When Egypt became one kingdom, kings put the two crowns together, so the double crown said "ruler of the Two Lands." The crook is a shepherd's staff: the king guards his people as a shepherd guards sheep.
| Crown | Looks like | Stands for |
|---|---|---|
| White crown | tall and white, shaped like a bowling pin | Upper Egypt, the south |
| Red crown | red, flat on top, with a tall back and a curl | Lower Egypt, the north |
| Double crown | the white crown set inside the red one | both lands together |
Worked example: Which crown?
A carving shows a king wearing a tall white crown. Which land does it stand for?
- White crown = Upper Egypt.
- Upper Egypt is the south, up the river.
Answer: Upper Egypt, the south.
Common mistake
Mixing up the crowns. A memory trick: the white crown is tall and points up, like Upper Egypt. The red one has a curl, like a curling branch of the Delta.