Knot of Isis

The origin of the Isis knot is unknown but it may be a variation of the ankh, which it resembles except that its crossing arms curve downward. The tiet was often shown with the ankh and djed signs as early as the Third Dynasty. The hieroglyph is usually translated to mean "life" or "welfare."

It may be because it was so often paired with the djed pillar (a symbol of Osiris) that the tiet came to be associated with Isis. The djed and the tiet used together often alluded to the binary nature of life.

The tiet was often called the "knot of Isis" and the "blood of Isis." Complex myths surround these names, but it is uncertain whether they came about to explain the established epithets or if they truly relate the origin of the tiet. As it was called the "blood of Isis", amulets of the sign were often fashioned from red stones such as carnelion and jasper, or from red glass.