The Pillow Amulet

Fact 1:

The Pillow was worn as a protective talisman by the deceased.
 

Fact 2:

Meaning of the Pillow: To the ancient Egyptians the Pillow symbolized the protection of the head by powerful gods during the perilous journey through the Underworld (Duat).
 

Fact 3:

The Pillow amulet was usually made of Hematite, a dark reddish-black stone when used as a decorative piece of jewelry. However, when used as an item in funerary equipment it was made of a variety of different dark stones, wood including ebony and ivory.
 

Fact 4:

Unlike other ancient Egyptian amulets, the pillow talisman was rarely inscribed with a spell.
 

Fact 5:

The large pillows were placed under the necks of mummies in order to 'lift up the heads" of the deceased in the Afterlife and also to prevent the "decapitation of the head".
 

Fact 6:

During the time period of the New Kingdom, Ancient Egyptian priests devized a magic spell to transfer the protective power of the amulet to the deceased via a magic spell in the Book of the Dead.
 

Fact 7:

Spell 167 in the Book of the Dead relates to the pillow talisman and states, "Thou art lifted up, O sick one that liest prostrate. They lift up thy head to the horizon, thou art raised up, and dost triumph by reason of what hath been done for thee. Ptah hath overthrown thine enemies, which was ordered to be done for thee. Thou art Horus, the son of Hathor, . . . who givest back the head after the slaughter. Thy head shall not be carried away from thee after [the slaughter], thy head shall never, never be carried away from thee."
 

Fact 8:

A Talisman or an amulet can be described as a religious object consisting of a stone or other small item, often inscribed or carved with magical inscriptions, magic signs, magic symbols, formula or sacred text.