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The Djed pillar represents stability and has been interpreted as the backbone of the Egyptian god Osiris, especially in the form Banebdjedet (the ba of the lord of the Djedet). Djedu is the Egyptian name for Busiris, a centre of the cult of Osiris.
In their 2004 book "The Quick and the Dead", Andrew H. Gordon and Calvin W. Schwabe speculated that the Ankh, Djed and Was symbols have a biological basis derived from ancient cattle culture, thus:
- the Ankh - symbol of life - thoracic vertebrae of a bull (seen in cross section)
- the Djed - symbol of stability - base or sacrum of a bull's spine
- the Was - symbol of power and dominion - a staff made from a dried bull's penis
Gordon and Schwabe's speculation is based on the Egyptian belief that semen was formed from spinal fluid. Applying the above correspondences, according to Gordon and Schwabe, the essence of life starts here in the Ankh - it flows down through the vertebral canal, past the strong base of the spine (the Djed), and out through the penis, the Was - symbol of power.
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