Easter eggs are a major symbol of the Christian tradition. We hard boil them, decorate them and then hold an egg-tapping contest, after which a victor -the one whose egg shell can crack all others- is declared champion for the day.
Yet while we all may have an idea on the origin of the tradition -eggs being the symbol of life and regeneration- little do we know that our fascination with eggs dates back to ancient times.
According to renowned Italian archeologist Sabatino Moscati -a man who dedicated his life to unraveling the mysteries of Phoenician and Punic cultures- eggs, ostrich eggs to be specific were used as vases or decorative objects by ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians.
Many relics have been found in Carthagian tombs and places that were once home to Punic settlements including Lebanon, Spain, Sicily and Sardinia.
Placing them in tombs was meant to signify and highlight their belief in the notion of eternal life and rebirth.
“Since the very dawn of history, man has always identified the egg with the principle of life, the continuity of generations and by 'sympathetic' magic its deposition in a tomb was a sure promise of the seed of life… The custom of including these shells in funerary deposits at Carthage continued until the 2nd century B.C…” – Excerpt from Sabatino Moscati’s Phoenicians.
Decorated Ostrich Egg 7th Century BC Found in the Isis Tomb. Phoenician Ostrich egg vessel carved in low relief with warriors in procession, somewhat like a hoplite phalanx
An ancient Phoenician ostrich egg painted with four panels divided by cross hatched bands. The scenes include, two lotus buds, a small tree, and an abstract symbol of the goddess Tanit. 8th - 6th century BCE
Present
From the time of the ancients we fast forward to present time Middle East where the egg-tapping/cracking tradition is still a renowned practice. The connection between ancient cultures that once inhabited the region reflects in some ways more than others -egg-tapping being one of them- long standing traditions carried throughout the ages.
As Christianity took over the Middle East, the egg -still considered a symbol of rebirth and everlasting life- came to symbolize the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
While the egg and egg tapping traditions symbolize the resurrection of Jesus Christ, dyeing Easter eggs actually comes from the orthodox tradition whereby red was the color of choice. This of course is not by chance, but instead is a direct representation of the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.
Christians refrain from eating eggs during Lent prior to Easter and so with the start of the holiday meaty foods and eggs are reintroduced into daily meals.
Fun fact: In Louisiana, egg-tapping is a serious competition, official as of 1956. Preparation for this contest is a serious science. People breed chickens to lay harder eggs and must be fed calcium-rich food and have plenty of exercise.
Future
Eggs have and will always remain a symbol for the circle of life and since this piece is all about eggs, ending it with death and rebirth only seems suiting. Eggs buried with the dead to signify rebirth during the times of the Punics may literally become just that with these pods that use decomposing bodies as a source of life; bodies placed in egg-shaped pods.
Capsula Mundi is an eco-friendly alternative to being buried in a coffin. Like a coffin, these egg-shaped pods are designed to each house a deceased human body for burial.
And on that note I end this post with these words; an excerpt from Therion’s Land Of Canaan.
(They Were) Founders of towns, And the founders of states, Punic Phoenicians. Praise of El Elyon, mighty God of the skies, He's the Father of Man.