We use this term, derived and corrupted from the Arabic hamulet (meaning 'something which is worn or carried') to describe the sacred, magical charms which the Egyptians possessed to ward off evil and attract good luck. They were incorporated in jewellery, used in rituals, sewn on to clothing, or placed between the bandages of a mummy; both living and dead made use of them as a protective measure against illness, natural disasters and the evil wishes of enemies. They took the form of hieroglyphs, animals, plants, figures of deities, parts of the body, and other devices. The ankh-sign ('life'), the scarab ('eternal renewal') and the djed-pillar ('stability') were especially potent and widely employed.
Biographical Dictionary of Ancient Egypt by Rosalie and Antony E. David
Ancient Egypt. A Reference Guide. EdwART. 2011.