Carved Scarabaei of all sizes and qualities are quite common in the cabinets of Europe. They were principally used for sets in rings, necklaces, and other ornamental trinkets, and are now called Scarabaei gems, though some suppose them to have been money. All of these gems, Winckelmann says, which have a beetle on the convex side, and an Egyptian deity on the concave, are of a date posterior to the Ptolemies; and, moreover, all the ordinary gems, which represent the figures or heads of Serapis, or Anubis, are of the Roman era. According to C. Caylus, the Egyptians used these gems for amulets, and made them of all substances except metal. They preferred, however, those of pottery, covered with green and black enamel. Cylinders, squares, and pyramids were first used; then came the Scarabaei, which were the last forms. They now began to have the appearance of seals or stamps, and many believe them to have been such. The body of the beetle being a convenient hold for the hand, and the base a place of safety and facility to engrave whatsoever was wished to be stamped or printed. Many of these characters are as yet unintelligible. These seals are made of the most durable stones, and their convex part commonly worked without much art.
The Egyptian form of the Scarabaeus, which somewhat resembled a half-walnut, the Etruscans adopted in the manufacture of their gems. These scarcely exceed the natural size of the Scarabaeus which they have on the convex side. They have also a hole drilled through them lengthwise, for suspension from the neck, or annexation to some other part of the person. They are generally cornelians. Some are of a style very ancient, and of extremely precious work, although in the Etruscan manner, which is correctness of design in the figures, and hardness in the turn of the muscles.
The Greeks also made use of the Scarabaeus in their gems; but in the end they suppressed the insect, and preserved alone the oval form which the base presented, for the body of the sculpture. They also mounted them in their rings.
Several Egyptian Scarabaei were among the relics discovered by Layard at Arban on the banks of the Khabour; and similar objects have been brought from Nimroud, and various other ruins in Assyria.
Of those deposited in the British Museum, Mr. Birch has made the following report:
- A Scarabaeus having on the base Ra-men-Chepr, a prenomen of Thothmes III. Beneath is a Scarab between two feathers, placed on the basket stib.
- A Scarabaeus in dark steaschist, with the figure of the sphinx (the sun), and an emblem between the fore paws of the monster. The sphinx constantly appears on the Scarabaei of Thothmes III., and it is probably to this monarch that the one here described belongs. After the Sphinx on this Scarab are the titles of the king, "The sun-placer of creation," of Thothmes III.
- Small Scarabaeus of white steaschist, with a brownish hue reads Neter nefer nebta Ra-neb-ma, "The good God, the Lord of the Earth, the Sun, the Lord of truth, rising in all lands." This is Amenophis III., one of the last kings of the xviii. dynasty, who flourished about the fifteenth century B.C.
- Scarabaeus of white steaschist, with an abridged form of the prenomen of Thothmes III., Ra-men-cheper at en Amen, "The sun-placer of creation, the type of Ammon." This monarch was the greatest monarch of the xviii. dynasty, and conquered Naharaina and the Saenkar, besides receiving tribute from Babel or Babylon and Assyria.
- Scarabaeus in pale white steaschist, with three emblems that cannot well be explained. They are the sun's disk, the ostrich feather, the uraeus, and the guitar nablium. They may mean "Truth the good goddess," or "lady," or ma-nefer, "good and true."
- Scarabaeus in the same substance, with a motto of doubtful meaning.
- Scarabaeus, with a hawk, and God holding the emblem of life, and the words ma nefer, "good and true." The meaning very doubtful.
- A Scarabaeus with a hawk-headed gryphon, emblem of Menta-Ra, or Mars. Behind the monster is the goddess Sati, or Nuben. The hawk-headed lion is one of the shapes into which the sun turns himself in the hours of the day. It is a common emblem of the Aramaean religion.
- Scarabaeus with hawk-headed gryphon, having before it the uraeus and the nabla or guitar, hieroglyphic of good. Above it are the hieroglyphics "Lord of the earth."
- Small Scarabaeus in dark steaschist, with a man in adoration to a king or deity, wearing a crown of the upper country, and holding in the left hand a lotus flower. Between this is the emblem of life.
- Scarabaeus, with the hawk-headed Scarabaeus, emblem of Ra-cheper, "the creator Sun," flying with expanded wings, four in number, which do not appear in Egyptian mythology till after the time of the Persians, when the gods assume a more Pantheistic form.
Layard has figured a bronze cup, and two bronze cubes, found among the ruins of Nimroud, on which occur as ornaments the figures of Scarabs. Those on the cubes are with outstretched wings, inlaid with gold. The cubes have much the appearance of weights.
The Scarabaeus was not only venerated when alive, but embalmed after death. In that state they are found at Thebes. It, however, was not the only insect thus honored, for in one of the heads brought by Mr. Wilkinson from Thebes, several others were discovered. These were submitted to Mr. Hope for examination; and the species ascertained by this gentleman, Mr. Pettigrew has enumerated as follows:
- Corynetes violaceus, Fab.
- Necrobia mumiarum, Hope.
- Dermestes vulpinus, Fab.
- Dermestes pollinctus, Hope.
- Dermestes roei, Hope.
- Dermestes elongatus, Hope.
- Pimelia spinulosa, Klug.
- Copris sabaeus?
- Copris midas, Fab.
- Copris pithecius, Fab.
- A species of Cantharis. The House-fly has also been found embalmed at Thebes.
Concerning the worship in general of the Scarabaeus, many curious observations have been made besides the ones above recorded.
Pliny, in the words of his ancient translator, Philemon Holland, tells us "The greater part of Egypt honour all beetles, and adore them as gods, or at leastwise having some divine power in them: which ceremoniall devotion of theirs, Appion giveth a subtile and curious reason of; for he doth collect, that there is some resemblance between the operations and works of the Sun, and this flie; and this he setteth abroad, for to colour and excuse his countrymen."
Dr. Molyneux, in the conclusion of his article on the swarms of beetles that appeared in Ireland in 1688, makes the following allusion to the worship of the Scarabaeus by the Egyptians: "It is also more than probable that this same destructive Beetle (Hedge-chafer Melolontha vulgaris) we are speaking of, was that very kind of Scarabaeus the idolatrous Egyptians of old had in such high veneration, as to pay divine worship to it. For nothing can be supposed more natural, than to imagine a Nation addicted to Polytheism, as the Egyptians were, in a Country frequently suffering great Mischief and Scarcity from Swarms of devouring Insects, should from a strong Sense and Fear of Evil to come (the common Principle of Superstition and Idolatry) give sacred worship to the visible Authors of these their Sufferings, in hopes to render them more propitious for the future. Thus 'tis allowed on all hands, that the same People adored as a God the ravenous Crocodile of the River Nile; and thus the Romans, though more polite and civilized in their Idolatry, Febrem ad minas nocendam venerabantur, eamque variis Templis extructis colebant, says Valerius Maximus, L. 2, c. 5."
It is curious to observe how the reason is affected by circumstances. The mind of Dr. Molyneux being long engaged upon the destruction caused by insects, worked itself insensibly into certain grooves, out of which it was afterward impossible to act. The same may be remarked of Mr. Henry Baker, as appears from his article, "On a Beetle that lived three years without Food." In conclusion, this gentleman says, "As the Egyptians were a wise and learned people, we cannot imagine they would show so much regard to a creature of such a mean appearance (as the Beetle) without some extraordinary reason for so doing. And is it not possible they might have discovered its being able to subsist a very long time without any visible sustenance, and therefore made it a symbol of the Deity?"
In parts of Europe the ladies string together for necklaces the burnished violet-colored thighs of the Geotrupes stercorarius and such like brilliant species of insects.
Under Copris molossus, in Donovan's Insects of China, it is mentioned that the larvae of the larger kinds of coleopterous insects, abounding in unctuous moisture, are much esteemed as food by the Chinese. "Under the roots of the canes is found a large, white grub, which, being fried in oil, is eaten as a dainty by the Chinese." Donovan suggests that perhaps this is the larvae of the Scarabaeus (Copris) molossus, the general description and abundance of which insect in China favors such an opinion.
Insects belonging to the family Scarabaeidae have been used also in medicine. Pliny says the green Scarabaeus has the property of rendering the sight more piercing of those who gaze upon it, and that hence, engravers of precious stones use these insects to steady their sight.
Again, he says: "And many there be, who, by the directions of magicians, carrie about them in like manner," i.e. tied up in a linen cloth with a red string, and attached to the body, "for the quartan ague, one of these flies or beetles that use to roll up little balls of earth." We learn from Schroder (v. 345) that the powder of the Scarabaeus pilurarius "sprinkled upon a protuberating eye or prolapsed anus, is said to afford singular relief;" and that "an oil prepared of these insects by boiling in oil till they are consumed, and applied to the blind haemorrhoids, by means of a piece of cotton, is said to mitigate the pains thereof." Fabricius states that the Scarabaeus (Copris) molossus is medicinally employed in China.
We quote the following from Moufet: "The Beetle engraven on an emerald yeelds a present remedy against all witchcrafts, and no less effectual than that moly which Mercury once gave Ulysses. Nor is it good only against these, but it is also very useful, if any one be about to go before the king upon any occasion, so that such a ring ought especially to be worn by them that intend to beg of noblemen some jolly preferment or some rich province. It keeps away likewise the head-ach, which, truly, is no small mischief, especially to great drinkers.
"The magicians will scarce finde credit, when foolishly rather than truly, they report and imagine that the precious stone Chelonitis, that is adorned with golden spots, put into hot water with a Beetle, raiseth tempests. Pliny, l. 37, c. 10.
"The eagle, the Beetle's proud and cruel enemy, does no less make havock of and devour this creature of so mean a rank, yet as soon as it gets an opportunity, it returneth like for like, and sufficiently punisheth that spoiler. For it flyeth up nimbly into her nest with its fellow-soldiers, the Scara-beetles, and in the absence of the old she eagle bringeth out of the nest the eagle's eggs one after another, till there be none left; which falling, and being broken, the young ones, while they are yet unshapen, being dashed miserably against the stones, are deprived of life, before they can have any sense of it. Neither do I see indeed how she should more torment the eagle than in her young ones. For some who slight the greatest torments of their own body, cannot endure the least torments of their sons."