▁made ▁of ▁st u cco ed ▁lin en , ▁but ▁also ▁of ▁pap yrus , ▁bronze , ▁gold , ▁wood , ▁or ▁cl ay , ▁which ▁ancient ▁Egypt ians ▁from ▁the ▁Late ▁Period ▁on wards ▁placed ▁under ▁the ▁heads ▁of ▁their ▁dead . ▁The ▁circle ▁was ▁believed ▁to ▁mag ically ▁protect ▁the ▁dece ased , ▁cause ▁the ▁head ▁and ▁body ▁to ▁be ▁en velop ed ▁in ▁light ▁and ▁warm th , ▁making ▁the ▁dece ased ▁divine . ▁It ▁replaced ▁the ▁earlier ▁cow - am u let . ▁ ▁Symbol ism ▁Hy po ce ph ali ▁symbol ized ▁the ▁E ye ▁of ▁Ra ▁( E ye ▁of ▁Hor us ), ▁which ▁represents ▁the ▁sun ▁de ity . ▁The ▁scenes ▁port rayed ▁on ▁them ▁relate ▁to ▁Egypt ian ▁ideas ▁of ▁res urre ction ▁and ▁life ▁after ▁death , ▁connecting ▁them ▁with ▁the ▁O si rian ▁myth . ▁To ▁the ▁ancient ▁Egypt ians ▁the ▁daily ▁setting ▁and ▁rising ▁of ▁the ▁sun ▁was ▁a ▁symbol ▁of ▁death ▁and ▁reb irth . ▁The ▁hy po ce phal us ▁represented ▁all ▁that ▁the ▁sun ▁enc ir cles ▁— ▁the ▁world ▁of ▁the ▁living , ▁over ▁which ▁it ▁passed ▁during ▁the ▁day , ▁was ▁dep icted ▁in ▁the ▁upper ▁half , ▁and ▁that ▁of ▁ ▁the ▁dead , ▁which ▁it ▁crossed ▁during ▁the ▁night , ▁in ▁the ▁lower ▁portion . ▁▁ ▁Hy po ce ph ali ▁first ▁appeared ▁during ▁the ▁Egypt ian ▁Sa ite ▁D ynast y ▁( 6 6 3 – 5 2 5 ▁B . C .) ▁and