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A sistrum is an ancient Egyptian women's ritual instrument resembling a tambourine. Shaped like an ankh, the sistrum consists of a handle topped with a metal or wooden loop containing wires strung with metal plates that jingled when shaken. The sistrum was used primarily in the worship of the Goddesses Isis, Hathor, and Bast. According to the historian Plutarch, the noise of the sistrum was used to keep Typhon, the god of chaos, at bay through its constant movement. The sistrum is still used today by practitioners of the Kemetic faith.

Isis with sistrum

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• Dictionary of Symbols
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• Kemet
  The beliefs and practices of Kemet, a modern revival of ancient Egyptian religious practices.
• Neopaganism
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