Due to its numerous offspring, Egyptians associated the frog with fertility, rebirth and, therefore, the afterlife. The frog-headed goddess Heqt was the wife of Khum and the patron of rebirth and resurrection. Such amulets were worn by women in the hope for a newborn and for less painful childbearing. When worn by men, they were seen as a symbol of protection for the afterlife.
Amulets were popular in Ancient Egypt, and were worn by the living or buried with the dead. The common word for amulet in the dynastic period was ‘mkt’, which means ‘protector’: amulets were designed to protect their owners. Frog shaped amulets would have been placed on the deceased body to encourage rebirth and resurrection.
To find out more about Ancient Egyptian amulets please see our relevant blog post: Egyptian Amulets and their Meanings