A serekh was an important type of heraldic crest used in Ancient Egypt.
Appearance
Serekhs, particularly those found throughout Egyptian history, are typically composed of three components: a recessed or niched façade, the king’s name inscribed in a panel, and a falcon. While both the façade and name depictions are consistent in history, during a portion of Egyptian history there appears variety among the animal incarnation specified. This can be seen by the falcon being presented singularly, joined alongside a Seth chimera, completely replaced by the Seth, or absent of both. Prominent examples include the mid-Dynasty II’s ruler Peribsen whose serekh exclusively displays the Seth animal and his predecessor, Khasekhemwy, whose serekh joins both falcon and Seth animal.
Dissecting these components, it appears each element serves a purpose in its iconography of kingship. The recessed or niched façade, which appears at the bottom of the serekh, is often considered associated with the king’s ownership of large building such as a palace or tomb. This rendition would serve both to certify the king’s authority but also to acknowledge his possession of wealth. The panel, which exists between the niched façade and the falcon, is observed as the space where the king’s name is written. It’s underlying purpose is often debated, however, some claim it to be an allusion to early architectural elements such as the false doors in many pharaonic tombs. On top of this panel, as stated earlier, is often a falcon denoting the god Horus. Horus’s presence in the serekh suggests the name inscribed in the panel as being the king’s Horus name, but the god’s association with kingship often lends credibility to the monarch. Both the Seth and Horus animals can be shown wearing a red, white, or double crown of Egypt and in some instances, appear in control of weapons. Such personification indicates the larger role played by the serekh, and potentially the use of the animal god as a representation of the king. The king himself would often be known to contain or exemplify the ‘Ka’ of Horus, which was the internal spirit that was later removed following the kings death and transitioned to fill that of the succeeding king. This retention of a godly spirit would be then be used as the deciding testament for the kings right to the throne. This relationship between the king’s Ka and the Horus god in royal serekh’s can be traced to many of the earliest texts and coalesce with the development of early writing. Until Dynasty IV, serekhs served as the only means for royal identification and later become secondary to the cartouche.
The name depicted in the panel is denoted as the king’s Horus name- in the case that the Horus animal is depicted- and is a tribute to the belief that kings were considered son of the god Osiris and therefore a semi-divine earthly representation of Horus. This name, which is one of five great names, is further argued to be the king’s Ka name. The characterization of the Horus falcon also provides a means of dating serekhs and further identifying their owner. For instance, Horus's represented in crouching positions is a distinguishing trademark of Dynasty 0 and First Dynasty serekhs. Additionally, the presence of a concave top below the Horus symbol, rather than straight, suggests a date no later than the reign of king Aha. After Dynasty 2, the previously broad falcon tail is also redesigned to become more narrow and straight.
The word "serekh" comes from the Egyptian word for "facade". There are many different serekhs on different types of objects. Many different decorations and details of the facade are shown in many different examples. It seems that there were no strict rules for the design of the serekh.
Use
A serekh was normally used as a royal crest, showing the name of the pharaoh. They have been found as far back as the predynastic Naqada II (Gerzean) period (ca. 3400 BC.). The hieroglyphs forming the king's name were placed inside a rectangular area above the serekh. From the Old Kingdom period onward, the word serekh appears in old papyri.