ANCIENT EGYPTIAN STUDY GROUP - 2 Swords

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Two warriors meet at dawn, kneeling together in peace or at least an attempt at friendship. Dawn symbolizes hope, the abundance of possibilities, new beginnings, and a fresh perspective. It also symbolizes growing awareness or enlightenment. It can suggest something that gradually becomes clear to the mind's eye. For something to "finally dawn on one" means that one finally understands it.

Kneeling represents homage, supplication, submission and inferiority. Ostensibly both men should be equals because they're both kneeling, but the man on the left is more on bended knee while the other is truly on his knees. The man on the right may be readier for peace or might be the weaker of the two while the man on the left may be less sure of the peace itself and/or the other warrior's motivations or may even just not want to be there. "To bring to one's knees" means to dominate or force into submission while "to fall to one's knees" means to ask for forgiveness.

As a symbolic gesture, they present each other with gifts of swords. "To look a gift horse in the mouth" is to be overly critical of something that one has been given.

The laurel was believed to be physically and morally cleansing. It also symbolizes victory, triumph and peace after the defeat of one's enemies. It can also be used to represent martyrdom.

The shield represents a barrier that is put up for protection or self-defense. It may represent spiritual, emotional, mental or physical protection or aid. It can symbolize that which keeps one emotionally apart, detached or protected from the surrounding environment. It can also indicate resistance. The fact that the swords are in non-aggressive positions suggests openness and joining together.

Rodney