Uraeus Meaning: The Cobra Symbol of Egyptian Royal Power

The Uraeus is the rearing cobra worn on the brow of Egyptian kings, queens and gods. It is one of the clearest signs of royal authority in Egyptian art, and it stands for the goddess Wadjet, poised to defend the king.

Cobra and goddess

"Uraeus" is the Greek name for the motif. The Metropolitan Museum of Art explains that the cobra represents Wadjet, an ancient goddess closely connected with royalty, and that when the snake rears on the king's forehead with its hood spread, it is called a uraeus.

Wadjet and Nekhbet

Wadjet was the patron goddess of Lower Egypt. In royal imagery she was often paired with Nekhbet, the vulture goddess of Upper Egypt, so that the two protective goddesses together stood for the whole kingdom. Some royal diadems show both the cobra and the vulture on the brow.

Royal first, protective second

The Uraeus was protective, ready to strike at the king's enemies, but the Met calls it above all a consummate symbol of royalty. Over time it was also worn by queens and gods, and it could carry a sun disk or a crown, joining royal, solar and protective ideas.

Not just any snake

Egyptian art includes many serpents, some of them hostile, such as Apep, the enemy of the sun. The Uraeus is specifically the rearing cobra of royal and divine headdresses.

Uraeus in jewellery

A Uraeus design references Egyptian kingship and the protective goddess on the royal brow. See the AURYN Egyptian Uraeus charm, read about Mut and the vulture imagery of divine motherhood, or return to our guide to ancient Egyptian symbols.