Do scarabs exist? Sacred Scarab (lat.
Who would have thought that one of the species of dung beetles would become a sacred animal. In ancient Egypt, the scarab was worshiped as a deity. The Egyptians saw in his skating big balls symbol of the movement of the sun across the sky.
Holy Scarab(lat. Scarabaeus sacer) (eng. Dung Beetle). Photo by Manuel Schulz And the fact that this ball consists of dung did not in the least spoil the status of its divinity, but quite the contrary. After all, the use of this processed animal waste product is one of the main guarantees of a good harvest.
These sacred beetles are found not only in Ancient Egypt, but also in other warm and sandy areas: in the steppes of Ukraine, in the Ciscaucasia, Crimea, in the south of Dagestan and in other countries located in the south of Western Europe.
These are large black beetles, reaching 3-4 centimeters in length and weighing about 2 grams. In males, the inner surface of the hind legs is covered with golden-red hairs, which for the Egyptians became another sign of the “sunshine” of this beetle.
Not only are scarabs quite large beetles, but they are also very strong. Not every insect, in addition to some other species of arthropods, is capable of moving a load tens of times greater than their own weight. But the mass of the dung balls that they constantly roll can reach 40 grams!
Photo by Ridfa Why are these balls created? Well, firstly, for food supplies, and, secondly, female scarabs lay larvae in them. The beetles themselves feed on balls of, so to speak, low-grade manure, but for their babies they try to find the best - sheep manure.
Photo byGerenuk The period when the balls start rolling begins in mid-March and lasts until the end of July. In the spring they “work” during the day, and in the summer, when the hot season sets in, they switch to night image life. When searching for suitable material, building and rolling balls together, the meeting of the future “married” couple most often occurs.
Photo by Josef Mikuška The male and female roll several balls and for each of them they dig special holes, where the dung ball will be dumped and sprinkled with earth on top. In the future, some of them will serve as a cradle for scarab larvae, while others will serve as food for adult individuals.
After the formation of a pair, the male and female begin to create a “family nest”. They dig a hole 10-30 centimeters deep, which ends in a nesting chamber, where mating occurs. Then the male recovers on all 4 sides, and after a while the female lays a large egg in one of the buried balls. For every egg laid there is a ball of dung.
Photo by Tarkhnishvili After 1-1.5 weeks, a larva hatches from the egg and has an excellent appetite. She eats constantly and as a result grows very quickly. After a month and a tail, it turns into a pupa, and after another 2 weeks - into an adult. But she is in no hurry to get out into the world yet. And only in spring or autumn, when the rains begin, this “false cocoon” softens and adult individuals can crawl to the surface.
Photo by Fernando Cartagena Scarab is very important place occupies in mythology Ancient Egypt. In addition to the fact that he is a symbol of the Sun, his image can be seen on various frescoes and sculptures as the face of the Egyptian god Khepri - the creator of the world and man.
Egyptian god Khepri with a scarab-shaped head Also, the sacred scarab is a symbol of rebirth in the afterlife, so its images can often be seen on paintings in tombs.
Tourists who visit the Karnak Temple, located near Luxor, can see and even walk a couple of circles around the column of the Sacred Scarab.
I'm spinning circles around the Sacred Scarab :) P.S. I couldn't miss this opportunity. They say that by walking 3 circles around it, you need to make a wish, and it will definitely come true. Well, unmarried girls are advised to go around him 7 times, and then she will soon get married. 🙂 Therefore, every year huge crowds of people circle around this column, like bees around a flower.
Sacred Scarab September 30th, 2013
Probably the most famous of the scarabs is the sacred scarab (Scarabaeus sacer), a beetle deified by the ancient Egyptians. In the balls that the beetles roll, they saw the image of the sun with its daily movement across the sky, and in the teeth on the head and paws of the beetle - a similarity sun rays. Tombs were decorated with images of the sacred scarab, it was painted on papyri, and imprinted in stone. The beetle was honored and considered a symbol of happiness.
In the Karnak temple complex near the city of Luxor (the territory of ancient Thebes), a column crowned with a stone scarab has been preserved. According to legend, whoever walks around the column seven times and touches the beetle can make a wish - it will come true. And an endless round dance of tourists who came to look at the Karnak temples walks around the beetle. Whether their wishes come true is unknown, but the owners of numerous surrounding shops have something to thank the sacred scarab for.
Ancient legends also served science well - to a certain extent, because of them, the famous entomologist of the last century, Jean-Henri Fabre, became interested in the scarab and revealed many of its secrets. Thanks to the observations of this scientist, we have learned many interesting facts and from the life of relatives of the sacred beetle - Spanish copra, Isis copra, lunar copra and some others. It was Fabre who discovered that most of the balls that scarabs roll are their food supplies. Beetles, both males and females, not only make the balls themselves, but also steal and take them from each other. Having obtained the ball in one way or another, the beetle tries to roll it away, bury it in the ground and there, in comfort and tranquility, indulge in a meal. The scarab is very voracious, and soon it has to climb to the surface for new prey.
When the time comes to lay eggs, the females of the sacred scarab make special balls, usually from more delicate sheep dung, and one by one (beetles of a number of other species perform their parental duties together) bury them in the ground. Then an egg is laid in the ball, and this is where the female’s care for the offspring ends. When the food supply comes to an end, the larva in the ball pupates, and after about a month, an adult beetle emerges from the pupa. 
Much more interesting are the family relationships of many other types of scarabs. For example, in the Spanish copra, the moon copra (C. lunaris), the males of which wear a slightly curved horn on their heads, and some other copra, or caloeaters, the male and female work side by side, digging under a suitable pile of manure a rather large gallery ending in a widening camera. Beetles drag it there a large number of manure and form it into a special “pie” of an elongated or spherical shape. In such a “pie,” specific processes of anaerobic fermentation occur, as a result of which future food for the larvae becomes more homogeneous and easily digestible.
And only when the “pie” is ready, the female begins to mold nutritious balls from it for future offspring. And then she continues to take care of the larvae - if the ball begins to crack and threatens to dry out, the female seals the cracks, if mold appears on it, she cleans it off. And this happens until the young beetles emerge from their cradles or until the mother dies. The latter happens more often - most scarabs reproduce once in a lifetime and do not live to see the offspring emerge from the pupae.
The parental care of Australian scarabs from the genus Cephalodesmius is also complex and surprising. Adult beetles appear on the surface at the end of summer and immediately dig feeding holes for themselves, into which they steal food supplies. In autumn, a meeting between a male and a female occurs. And although the breeding season is still far away, they no longer separate, but start a common burrow, where they store food for the winter. The time of reproduction comes in the spring. Now both parents are constantly scurrying back and forth, bringing a huge amount of a wide variety of food into the hole - unlike most scarabs, representatives of this genus feed mainly on plant material.
Among their reserves you can find rotten leaves, small flowers, small fruits, seeds, and animal droppings. As supplies accumulate, food acquisition becomes mainly the concern of the male, and the female begins to “process” the delivered provisions. She adds her own litter and the male's litter to the total mass and begins to form balls from all this, in which a specific fermentation process takes place. When the nutrient mass “ripens”, the female makes peculiar cups out of it, lays eggs in them and closes them with lids - so that the result is again balls.
From this time on, the female Cephalodesmis never leaves the nest - all her strength goes into caring for her future children. As soon as the larva hatches in the cradle and begins to feed on the contents of its ball, the mother’s worries increase. She adds new portions of food to the ball, which the male continues to supply her with.
While the larva is small, the mother adds only fermented mass to its ball, but then switches to food that is not fully “ripe” and even fresh, just brought by the male. At this time, the developing larva begins to make sounds in its ball that arise due to the friction of small tubercles on the inner surface of the last abdominal segment and special ridges on the head. The function of these sound signals is unknown, but scientists suggest that in this way the larva can communicate to the mother about its condition and need for food. Adult cephalodesmis do not make any sounds.
When the development of the larva is completed and it is ready to pupate, the mother plasters the surface of the ball with a special mixture of her droppings, the droppings of the male and the larvae (the latter is released from the ball through the walls). After the mixture dries, the ball becomes especially durable and strong. Having “sealed” one cradle, the female continues to care for the others, but by the time the young beetles are born, the parents have already died.
However, Australian dung beetles are striking not only because of their amazing family relationships. For example, in Australia there lives the only representative of the subfamily that is unable to fly. This beetle was discovered completely by accident, and not in nature, but in museum collections. In 1972, Australian researcher Eric Matthews, working at the Paris Museum, noticed an unusual specimen labeled “Queensland, from the collection of Henry Bates.”
How did the Australian beetle get to one of the greatest naturalists of the last century, who worked mainly in the Amazon and had never been to Australia? It turned out that Bates bought this specimen from the collector Francis Du Boulay, who actually visited Queensland, in an area located about 150 km from the place where the wingless beetles are now discovered.
Their winglessness was also discovered by accident - when an incomprehensible specimen from an old collection was softened and the convex elytra of the beetle were lifted. More precisely, it has wings, but they are small, unable to ensure the flight of a heavy insect.
The newly discovered beetle received the Latin name Onthophagus apterus, which reflected its “winglessness.” However, the specimen from the Bates collection continued to be the only one known to scientists.
Living beetles were found only 24 years later - in 1996, when several insects of this species fell into entomological traps set by scientists in western Queensland. It turned out that wingless dung beetles live in small mountains, in the resting places of wallabies, and feed on the droppings of these marsupials. Later, another colony was discovered in another area, also in wallaby resting areas.
This commitment of beetles to one place, abundant with food for many centuries, may, according to scientists, explain their inability to fly. However, this is only an assumption - after all, in this case, the population of dung beetles turns out to be very vulnerable. As soon as changes occur in the landscape, the wallabies will change their resting place - and then the beetles will disappear...
It is interesting that although about 400 species of dung beetles are found in Australia, they are all quite specialized and adapted to the peculiar conditions of the “fifth continent”. And when, following the European settlers, herds of sheep and cows appeared here, it turned out that there was no one to process their droppings! In the 60s century, the problem assumed alarming proportions - huge areas were covered with drying and dried manure.
As a result, it was necessary to bring and acclimatize African dung beetles here, which adapted to cope well with the rich “harvest” left by herds of ungulates. After numerous experiments, representatives of the species Onthophagus gazella were appointed to the position of “vacuum cleaners”, which, by the way, were already used in this position in Texas and California. These beetles are very hardworking and calm towards each other - from 10 to 50 pairs can simultaneously “work” on one cake of manure without entering into conflicts.
This species is probably the most productive among dung beetles. The larva in the ball develops within 2.5 weeks, and the pupa – 2 weeks. Puberty occurs in beetles within 4–5 days after leaving the nesting hole. Each female makes from 10 to 12 balls and lays an egg there, and the male helps her create food reserves for future children...
The dung beetles include three subfamilies of beetles of the lamellar beetles family (Scarabaeidae)1; aphodia (Afodiinae, about 2500 species); true dung beetles, or geotrupes, (Geotrupinae, about 900 species), and scarabs (Scarabaeinae, about 4500 species).
Ecologically, all three subfamilies are very similar - their representatives process the organic matter of the droppings and transfer it to the soil, where further decomposition is carried out by various microorganisms.
Dung beetles, and scarabs in particular, - excellent flyers. They usually get to a food source by air, and their well-developed sense of smell tells them where to fly.
Although scarabs, as already mentioned, do not like dryness and therefore usually avoid deserts, among them there are a number of species that have nevertheless adapted to live in regions with arid climates. To survive, they developed peculiar forms of behavior. For example, in the dry steppes and deserts of Turkmenistan, the very large (up to 5 cm) dung beetle tmol (Synapsis tmolus) and the smaller (up to 3 cm) Spanish copra (Copris hispanus) retain food moisture by first quickly burying their food right in place, and then transferring it to deeper burrows in which the air remains moist.
The Australian beetle Coproecus hemiphaericus buries dry excrement very deep, about aquifers, and there they become damp and soften to the desired condition. Many species of scarabs found in deserts North America and in mountain deserts, they often do not leave rodent burrows at all, where there is food and a favorable microclimate for them.
But some Australian dung beetles, which feed on marsupial droppings, act differently. There is not much moisture in the excrement of desert mammals, and when they fall on dry soil, they instantly turn into hard pebbles. In order to prevent the food from drying out, the beetles grab the fur near the animal’s anus with their tenacious paws and thus travel, waiting for the desired prey. They then jump off and quickly drag their trophy underground.
Particularly interesting is the fact that in nature, the scarab is an African sewage plant. Herds of elephants living on the plains of Africa, eating 250 kg of food per day, most it is returned back to the earth, in the form of large dung heaps. Perhaps Africa would have been mired in a huge layer of manure if it had not been saved every day by thousands of scarab beetles living there. They contribute to the disposal of manure.
There is no need to introduce the scarab, even though it is not very common in Russia. Most of us, at the mere mention of this insect, think of Egypt. This is not accidental, because the veneration of him and the attribution of magical properties came from there. Read below why the Egyptians revered the simple dung beetle so much, and what power the scarab amulet is endowed with.
Amulet "Scarab Beetle"
In appearance, this is an unremarkable insect, very large, with a matte black back and fringe on the legs. Its length can reach 37 mm. At the same time, the head and antennae are small, but the body and legs are powerful.
Now in Egypt, at every step you can come across images of a scarab. This is the legacy of an ancient civilization that enriched world culture. Mostly paintings on the walls of tombs are found. It can be seen no less often on jewelry, which is widely represented in museums. All this was obtained from tombs and sarcophagi preserved from the times of ancient Egypt. Mysteries shroud these objects to this day. Thus, the scarab amulet from the pyramid of Tutankhamun is decorated with an oval stone, which researchers initially mistook for. Further research showed that this is a special glass that has no analogues. The origin of this material is still unknown.
Another mystery of the scarab from the tomb of the great Egyptian is the curse of the jewelry stolen from the tomb. For many years, until the item returned to its homeland, it brought misfortune to its owners.
You will hear this and many other stories in Egypt itself. One of the most famous scarab sculptures is located in Luxor, in the Karnak temple complex. There is a scarab statue located here. Be sure to visit this place, after all. To do this, you need to walk around the sculpture seven times, keeping your cherished thoughts in your head.
History of the scarab symbol
Scarab Beetle Symbol
People, observing these beetles, which are very common in Africa, noticed a peculiarity of behavior: they roll balls of regular shape from dung, larger than themselves, and hardworkingly roll them from east to west. They travel a long distance, pushing a heavy burden. During the creation of the ball, the scarab acquires a pair. Together they lay larvae, for which the stored manure becomes both a cradle and food.
In the minds of the Egyptians, the sun, the fiery sphere, makes the same journey from sunrise to sunset. It goes out in the world of shadows and is reborn every morning, bringing life to everything on earth. So the scarab rolls a ball, huge in comparison with it, storing in it the germ of a new life.
The scarab was identified with Khepri, the god of the rising sun. He was even depicted on frescoes with a beetle instead of a head.
Symbolism and meaning of the talisman
The scarab is found in various types. One of the most popular images is a beetle spreading its wings with fireball ahead. The wings are like two eyes. One of them is associated with the sun and sees during the day, and the other at night, he is associated with the moon. So the scarab carries the meaning of rebirth to life. This is a reminder that you can get out of any situation, out of any trouble, you can be resurrected using the wisdom of your heart.
In addition, you can find figurines made from any materials, both precious and simple. Often magic words and wise sayings are applied to them, which gives the talisman even greater power.
Why use an amulet
The scarab has become a symbol of resurrection, rebirth, renewal. The belief was reflected in the funeral rites of ancient Egypt. The soul is released from the body after death and continues its journey. The scarab was the impulse for the flight of the soul to another world, the impulse that helped the spirit to be reborn. To do this, instead of a heart, a talisman with the image of a scarab was placed in the body of the deceased. That is why most of the finds came from tombs. Nowadays such rituals are not carried out. However, the scarab still reminds us of beauty, of the inner strength hidden in a person and the ability to overcome obstacles and be reborn even after enormous upheavals. This will be an excellent gift for a person who has lost the will to live, finds himself in a difficult situation and needs support.
It is also a symbol of the student’s path. Just as a scarab creates an ideal form from a shapeless mass, so a student gains knowledge from scattered facts and misconceptions, forming his personality and accumulating wisdom. This sign should accompany students throughout the entire journey.
This scarab talisman also helps women who dream of children. In Egypt, a medicine made from dried and crushed beetles was common. Nowadays they do not resort to this method, but a talisman with the image of a sacred insect will help. An insect figurine would be appropriate in any home where there is a lack of children and family happiness.
Varieties of scarab talisman
This is an incredibly popular image that has gone beyond the borders of the republic; it is used in many places. Here are the main examples:
- Figurines. They can be large and become the guardians of the hearth, attracting happiness to the house. They are most often made of semi-precious stones, but wooden ones are also found. Small figurines are intended to be carried with you. At the same time, contact with the human body charges the amulet with strong energy and its effect increases and is directed towards a specific person - its owner.
- . In ancient times, tattoos with scarabs were applied to their bodies by priests. This helped them to be reborn and continue to exist even after death. Now they are also used, symbolizing the immortal soul of the owner. Such a body sign gives self-confidence to the one who wears it and protects from bad influences. The tattoo is placed on the neck, back, behind the ear, or on the arm.
- Jewelry. One of the most common types of amulet. When using it, it is worth remembering that this is not a decoration, but a talisman, so it is advisable to hide it from prying eyes and try to keep the jewelry in contact with the body. From time to time the decoration needs to be recharged by exposing it to the rays of the sun.
Whatever type of amulet you choose, remember that it is your faith, strength and purity of thoughts that gives it magic.
Scarab as a gift
It is quite natural to want to bring a souvenir from your trip as a souvenir to your relatives and friends. At the same time, choose not just a trifle, but a truly meaningful gift. In this regard, an item with a scarab can be excellent choice. You just have to remember some rules:
- Do not buy a souvenir with signs on it if you do not know their meaning. Any symbol has magical powers. Wrong interpretation can lead to troubles in life;
- Remember and give it to someone who needs it: a couple who dreams of children, a student facing important exams, someone who has lost faith in himself;
- You should not give such a gift to a deeply religious person. The scarab does not belong to the symbols of the Christian faith, therefore it may be unpleasant and even harmful to a devout person;
- When presenting a gift, be sure to tell about its meaning and how best to use it;
- Give with all your heart, with a pure heart and a sincere desire to help.
The history of Egypt is full of secrets and mysteries. Grandiose pyramids and mummies of pharaohs, sacred animals and a scarab as one of the symbols former greatness ancient civilization. The Egyptians endowed it with divinity, and numerous myths and legends, along with the pyramids, made it an emblem of tourist Egypt. To understand why this little bug has earned worldwide fame, let’s learn more about it.
Who is this sacred scarab?
The sacred scarab - and it is to this species that our hero belongs - is a matte black insect with an almost round smooth body 25–35 cm long. Old individuals become shiny over time. On the head of the beetle there is a frontal protrusion and eyes, divided into upper and lower parts. There are spurs on each leg. Their gender differences are weakly expressed. The lower part of the body is covered with dark brown hairs. The photo of the scarab beetle, taken in macro mode, clearly shows these features.
These beetles are found on the coasts of the Mediterranean and Black Seas, in Southern and Eastern Europe, on the Arabian Peninsula, in Crimea, Turkey and, of course, in Egypt.
Scarabs are dung beetles that feed on the dung of cattle, horses, and sheep.
The main feature of beetles is their feeding method. They roll a shapeless mass of excrement into a perfectly flat sphere and bury it in the ground, where they then use it for food.
Scarabs live for about two years. They spend almost their entire lives underground, emerging to the surface at night. They overwinter by burrowing to a depth of 2 meters. The emergence of beetles begins in March and lasts until mid-July.
Couples are formed during the process of preparing dung balls, and further work takes place together. A pair of scarabs digs a burrow 15–30 cm deep, which ends in a chamber. After mating, the male leaves, and the female begins to roll special pear-shaped balls and lays eggs in them. At the end, the burrow is filled up.
After 1–2 weeks, the beetle larvae hatch. For a month they eat the food that their parents have prepared for them, and then they are reborn into pupae. In unfavorable weather, the pupae remain in the burrow for the winter. In spring, young beetles leave their burrows and come to the surface.
Scientists believe that in hot tropical climate play vital role in processing the huge amount of manure produced by wild and domestic herbivores. Elephants, common in Africa alone, consume about 250 kg of food per day, and return a little less to nature in the form of dung heaps.
Some time ago, through the efforts of introduced scarab beetles in Australia and South America A countless amount of manure was processed, which local insects could no longer cope with. The scarabs did not take root in the new place, but they completed their task perfectly.
Where do the myths about scarabs come from?
While observing the scarabs, the Egyptians noticed interesting feature- beetles always roll their balls from east to west, and fly only at noon. Attentive Egyptians saw in this a connection between beetles and the sun. The luminary passes its path from east to west and disappears behind the horizon, only to appear again in the east tomorrow.
According to the ideas of the ancient Egyptians, the sun was a deity who brought life to all living things and resurrection after death. The Egyptians correlated the development cycle of scarabs inside a dung ball and its emergence to the surface with the movement of the sun. The similarity struck the ancient people so much that the god Khepri, who personified rising Sun, began to be depicted with a scarab instead of a head.
Luxor is home to a statue of a sacred scarab; this place is especially revered by tourists and locals.
The role of the scarab in the life of Ancient Egypt
The Egyptians had poetic religious texts that called the scarab the god that lives in the heart and protects the inner light of a person. Therefore, the beetle symbol gradually became a connecting link between the divine principle and the human soul, uniting them.
The symbol of the sacred scarab accompanied the ancient Egyptians all their lives and, according to their beliefs, passed with them into the afterlife. If the body was mummified after death, then instead of the heart, an image of a sacred beetle was inserted. Without it, the resurrection of the soul in the afterlife could not occur. Even at the primitive level of medicine, the ancients understood the importance of the heart in the human body and, by placing in its place an image of the sacred beetle, they believed that it represented the primary impulse for the rebirth of the soul. Somewhat later, instead of a figurine of a scarab beetle, the Egyptians made a heart from ceramics, and the names of the deities were depicted on it next to the symbol of the sacred beetle.
What do amulets with a scarab mean in our time?
At all times, people believed in the miraculous power of various amulets that brought good luck, wealth, and happiness. Egyptian talismans among them because of their ancient origin are considered the strongest.
The scarab beetle mascot is one of the most revered, and it is what is offered to tourists as a souvenir. Initially, amulets were made from stones, both precious and ornamental. Green granite, marble, basalt or ceramics were used, which, after drying, were covered with green or blue azure. Nowadays tourists are offered metal amulets decorated with stones.
Before buying a talisman with the image of a scarab beetle, you should find out its meaning. The little thing helps its owner gain self-confidence, achieve desires and achieve their goals. First of all, this concerns work and creative activity. Since the scarab is a symbol of life, it is believed that it preserves youth and brings beauty to women. With its help, the strong half of humanity should gain stable income and a high position in society. Students take the talisman with them to exams, and in the house the symbol of the sacred beetle can provide protection from thieves, fires and other troubles.
It is believed that gifted amulets have greater power, but handling the amulet should be respectful and careful. A careless attitude towards magical objects and foreign culture and mythology can be dangerous for a person.
