Let’s read some Hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Today we are going to be looking at the throne name cartouche 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷 for the Middle Kingdom pharaoh Montuhotep II! While Montuhotep 𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪 is his birth name 𓂋𓈖, the cartouche 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷 we are looking at in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 is his throne name 𓂋𓈖, which is “Nebhapetra 𓇳𓎟𓊤.”
Let’s look even closer at the individual glyphs!
𓇳 – Ra
𓎟 – “Neb” (nb)
𓊤 – “Hapet” (ḫrw or ḥjpt)
The “𓇳 sun disc” symbol is an ideogram for “ra” or “re,” but can also be a determinative in words such as sun 𓆄𓅱𓇳, today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳, and for words associated with time. The single symbol alone (like in cartouches) would be pronounced like “ra” or “re.” Re is written first but pronounced last due to “honorific transposition” – the name of the god is written first out of respect.
The “𓎠 basket” is a biliteral phonogram symbol that has the sound of “nb,” which is inferred to be pronounced like “neb.” The 𓎟 alone can also mean the common words “Lord,” “Possessor,” and “All.”
The “oar 𓊤” symbol is a triliteral phonogram or an ideogram. As a triliteral it represents the sound “ḫrw,” and as an ideogram for “oar” it represents the sound “ḥjpt” which is the sound used in this case!
So all 𓎟 together his name 𓂋𓈖 means “Possessor of the Oar of Ra.”
𓇳 – Ra
𓎟 – Possessor
𓊤 – Oar
This raised relief is originally from Montuhotep II’s 𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪 mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri. This relief was part of one of the main areas of the temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 that was added at the end of Montuhotep’s 𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪 reign 𓋾. This dates the relief to c. 2010–2000 B.C.E. (Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 11).
Read about Montuhotep II’s Birth Name in this post!
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