AKER

[Egyptian] The Egyptian personification of the earth and god of the dead. He rules over the meeting point between the eastern and western horizons in the underworld. He is also the guardian of the gate through which the pharaoh passes into the underworld. Aker provides a safe passage for the barque of the sun during its nightly journey through the underworld. He is represented as a small strip of land with both ends forming the head of a lion or a human. Alternatively, he is also represented as a pair of lions with the back to each other, with one head facing the east and the other head facing the west, thus seeing the sun rise and set.