uræus (ure us)

[NL., Gr. οὐραῖος, of the tail: see uræum.] The sacred serpent, either the head and neck, or sometimes the entire form, of a serpent, represented by the ancient Egyptians upon the head-dre es of divinities IMG:content-1616.jpg:[graphic] IMG:content-1617.png:[graphic] Uræus.-Head of Statue of Menephtah (the supposed "Pharaoh of the Exodus") from Memphis, now in the Berlin Museum. The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia: The Century dictionary uræus and royal personages, as an emblem of supreme power. It also occurs frequently on either side of a winged solar disk, emblematic of the supremacy of the sun, of good over evil, or of Horus over Set. The actual basis of the symbol is supposed to be the Egyptian asp or cobra, Naja haje. See also cut under asp.