The Uraeus
The rearing cobra worn on the brow of the pharaoh and of deities such as Ra, embodying the goddess Wadjet, protector of Lower Egypt and of the crown. The uraeus spat fire at the king's enemies and stood for the blazing eye that defended the sun god, and its image on the royal diadem made the king's anger divine. Golden examples survive on royal regalia, most famously the cobra and vulture that guard the brow of Tutankhamun's gold mask, the vulture being the goddess Nekhbet of Upper Egypt paired with Wadjet. In temple scenes the uraeus rises from the brows of gods and kings alike, and the 'urae