What Does aegis Mean
The root etymology of aegis is found in aigós , a word in the Greek language that can be translated as “goat” . This term came to Latin as aegis , which passed into Castilian as aegis .
According to the first meaning mentioned in the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ), the aegis is the skin of a goat called Amalthea that, decorated with the head of Medusa , represents the goddess Athena .
There are multiple versions of the aegis according to the different mythologies developed regionally. It is said that Zeus used the skin of the animal that had suckled him (the goat Amalthea ) as a shield when he fought against the giants. Another legend indicates that the aegis was carved by Hephaestus for Zeus , with the head of Medusa in its central area. Zeus , in this framework, used to lend this shield to Athena .
If we take this meaning as a reference, we can understand the expression "being under the aegis", which is used in our language to refer to a situation in which we are protected, either because someone defends us or protects us or because we are in a position that isolates us from danger.
In the mythology of Egypt , the umbrella was a kind necklace with a lioness head utilizing the goddess Bastet . This kind of object is also present in Norse mythology as the helmet worn by the dwarf Fafner .
Bastet was a goddess worshiped by ancient Egyptians from the Second Dynasty , which began around 2890 BC. C .; it offered harmony and protection for temples and homes. In Lower Egypt, which corresponded to the Delta region of the Nile River, she was the goddess of war, before cultures were unified.
Some of the many depictions of the goddess Bastet show her with an aegis in one hand and a ceremonial sistrum in the other. On the other hand we have ancient Nubia , a region that is located towards the south of Egypt and borders with the north of Sudan, which developed a mythology very similar to the Egyptian in a large number of aspects to the point that scholars have been debating for decades. about the true source of certain concepts of religion, as they are present in both cultures .
In Sudan a representation of the goddess Isis with an aegis was discovered. There are several transliterations of his original name, which is translated as "throne", a term that represents the hieroglyph that he carried on his head. She is known as the goddess of motherhood and birth .
By extension to these meanings, an aegis can be called a shield (a defensive weapon that allows to protect the body ) or specifically a rodela (a round shield to protect the chest in the middle of a confrontation with swords).
It is even possible to refer to an aegis as a defense or protection at a general level. In ancient times, the aegis was an emblem of invulnerability guaranteed by the gods .
In the video game Xenoblade Chronicles 2 , developed by the Japanese team Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for its Switch console , the term aegis is used to designate a series of legendary characters who occupy a very important role in the story. They belong to the Blade class , artificial life forms that accompany pilots and grant them weapons, arts and special abilities, among other forms of support .
Among the features that distinguish the aegis from normal Blades , we can say that they have a different hue (for example, the characters Mythra and Pyra are green), and they present a cross-shaped crystal .