For the Ancient Egyptians, magic was alive, a vital part of everyday life. Whereas for many later civilisations folk-magic was considered distinct from the practice of legitimate religion, in Egypt magic came directly from the gods. Heqet, the frog-headed goddess of magic, was an essential part of motherhood and childbirth, including assisting the creator-god Khnum at the birth of the new Pharaoh. The great goddess Isis, one of the most significant in the Egyptian pantheon, used magic regularly, importantly to resurrect her dismembered husband Osiris, and then to protect her son – Horus, the god of Pharaonic rule, and the legitimate godly Pharaoh of Egypt – from the various dangers of the marshes in which they were hiding. Isis’ magic abilities, earned by guessing the secret name of the sun-god Ra, resulted in one of her most widely-used titles, ‘Great of Magic’ (wrt-hkau). Magic could even be used to lie to the gods. One spell, 30A in the infamous Book of the Dead, seeks to intervene in the Weighing of the Heart ceremony, the ritual of judgement in which Osiris determined worthiness to enter the afterlife. The ceremony involves balancing the heart of the deceased against the feather of the goddess of justice Ma’at; too heavy or light, the heart failed and was consumed by The Devourer (Ammut), perfectly balanced then the individual entered paradise. Spell 30A (and a variant, 30B) beseeches the heart not to betray the secrets of the deceased to the gods, and through its silence to guarantee entry into the Netherworld.

The most popular way of incorporating magic into daily life was through the wearing of amulets. Made from various materials, from the mundane to the unobtainable, Egyptian amuletic necklaces were worn throughout Egyptian society, from the Pharaoh to the poorest peasant. Imbued with magic, these necklaces were supposed to protect the owner from the dangers, trials and tribulations of daily life. The humble fly (known to the Egyptians as aff) was a persistent pest in Egyptian daily life. One must imagine the streets of Egypt as filthy, and given the intense heat and the moisture of the air near the River Nile, flies would have been a constant annoyance, and a potential health hazard. The fly whisk was often an important symbol of status, and some have even associated the flail (nekhakha) held by the Pharaoh in his left hand as being derived from the fly whisk, though it is perhaps more likely to come from the flails used to separate grain from chaff. Flies were thought to be able to see all, appearing surreptitiously in the background of daily life, and observing the humans (consider the modern phrase ‘like a fly on the wall’), as well as being able to take advantage of a view from above. Indeed, a figure known as the ‘bird-fly’ was one of the creatures tasked with showing the human spirit (ka) through the various realms of the underworld. And, of course, flies were associated with death. While the Egyptians were careful in the treatment of their own dead, those killed in battle were often left to the carrion flies (Sarcophagidae paramachronychiinae). As a result, golden flies were handed out by the Pharaoh as a symbol of the bravery of soldiers, either because their actions brought so many of their enemies to the carrion fly, or else because they risked becoming food for them themselves.

The associations between flies and bravery, as well as their perceived tenacity, led to a number of positive associations with flies, which were often featured in apotropaic amulets. Additionally, most ancient peoples knew there was some correlation between the presence of flies and the presence of disease, though they were not aware of the mechanism. It is possible, then, that amulets of flies were supposed to protect their owners from succumbing to the many illnesses which plagued the banks of the Nile. This exquisite fly necklace is of a variety which is common in Egypt. While they are often made from faience, an attractive and naturally-occurring opaque blue glass, this extraordinary necklace is instead made from carnelian, a stone with deep magico-religious significance to the Egyptians. Interspersed with ovoid beads, the flies seem to represent two distinct species. One is depicted with flat, unadorned, wings, with a clear segmented head, and with an almond-shaped body with prominent stripes down the dorsal region. These are most likely carrion flies of the species Sarcophagidae or Calliphoridae. The other is a fly with striped wings, a very slender body, and no clearly segmented head. It is unknown which species this might represent.