The name of the god “Shu” in Hieroglyphs from the coffin of Khnumnakht (The MET)
Letβs read some hieroglyphs πΉππͺ! Once again, these hieroglyphs πΉππͺ are from the wooden π±ππΊ Coffin π΄π ±πππ± of Khnumnakht, an individual who lived during the 12th-13th Dynasties (c. 1850-1750 B.C.E.).
These hieroglyphs πΉππͺ pictured spell out the name ππ of the god πΉ βShu ππ ±.β Shu ππ ± is the god πΉ of the atmosphere/air and sunlight. The name ππ Shu can also mean βemptiness.β In this inscription, the determinative symbol is missing; Shu can also be written as βππ ±π.β
The βfeather πβ is a biliteral symbol and is representative of the sound Ε‘w. βπβ can also function as an ideogram for βfeather ππΊ,β and as a determinative for βMaat/Truth ππ΄π£ππ.β
The βQuail Chick π ±β is a super popular symbol! It is a uniliteral symbol that is representative of the sound w/u, and it is also an ideogram for the word βchick π ±πΊ.β
Here are some other words that are similar to Shu ππ ±! What is so cool about all of the words is that they all have to do with the atmosphere! ππ ±π ¨ – Empty ππ ±π³, ππ ±πΆ – sun, sunlight ππ ±π³ – be dry
The name of the goddess “Nephthys” from the coffin of Khnumnakht
Letβs read some hieroglyphs πΉππͺ! These hieroglyphs πΉππͺ are from the wooden π±ππΊ Coffin π΄π ±πππ± of Khnumnakht, an individual who lived during the 12th-13th Dynasties (c. 1850-1750 B.C.E.).
Today, our inscription very simply reads βπ ,β which is the shortened version of the name ππ of the goddess πΉπ Nephthys π !
This type of symbol that is used in Nephthysβ π name ππ is called a Composite Hieroglyph. A Composite Hieroglyphic symbol is a symbol that is the combination of multiple symbols into a single glyph.
The three πΌ symbols βπππβ can be combined to make the βπ β symbol, which is not only the crown that Nephthys wears π , but a space saver when writing out hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!
Nephthysβ π title was βMistress of the House ππππΊ.β If you look, even the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ for βMistress of the House ππππΊ,β are very similar to her name (π )! Both πand π are part of the symbols that relate to βStructures and their Parts;β I love when it is all connected!
Her name ππ could also be written as ππππππ―π or more commonly as π ππ.
In statuary and funerary art, the crown on her head πΆπΊ is one of the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ that is used in her name (π ), which makes Nephthys π ππ very easy to identify in tomb art/funerary art.
Here is a close up of an inscription πππ₯ from a sarcophagus ππΉπππ at the MET! While this is only part of the inscription πππ₯, it is my favorite part! Itβs my favorite because this is the part of the inscription that is the dedication to Anubis πππͺπ ±π£! Whenever I see Anubisβ πππͺπ ±π£ name ππ in the inscriptions πππ₯ I get really excited – as if Iβm seeing a celebrity!
Letsβs read some hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!
πππͺπ£ – Anubis πΆπͺππΊπ Upon His Hill
This inscription can also be written as: πππͺπ ±π£ πΆπΊππ. If you notice, on the sarcophagus ππΉπππ, Anubisβ πππͺπ ±π£ name ππ is missing the βπ ±β hieroglyph πΉπ! Anubisβ πππͺπ ±π£ name ππ might have been pronounced βInpw,β but here itβs written just as βInp!β
Anubisβ πππͺπ ±π£ name ππ Can be written many different ways! Here are some common variations: πππͺπ ±π£ πππͺπ£ πππͺπ ± πππͺπ ±π’ π£ π€ π’
Much like in English and other languages, the same words could have different spellings! In ancient Egypt ππ ππ, most of the time the different spellings had to do with the space that was available on the piece that was being inscribed!
βUpon His Hill πΆπͺππΊπβ refers to Anubisβ πππͺπ ±π£ role as the protector of the tombs and cemeteries. Most of the time, tombs/cemeteries weβre surrounded by cliffs, hence the title! It could also be translated as βUpon His Mountain.β
The Emperor Augustus depicted on the Temple of Dendur at the MET
Here is the Emperor Augustus πΏπ²πππππ! He doesnβt look like an Emperor though – he looks like a pharaoh ππ»! Augustus is seen wearing the Atef crown π, a false beard, a broad collar π ±π΄ππΊπ, armlets ππ΄π‘ππ ±π¦, and bracelets ππ πππππ¦. These are all features that are associated with Egyptian pharaohs ππ»π¦, even though Augustus was Roman.
In this sunken relief, Augustus πΏπ²πππππ is making an offering π΅ππͺπππ¦ of Maat ππ΄π£ππ¦ to another god πΉ. Augustus had many temples ππππ¦ constructed that adhered to Egyptian religion and culture instead of the Roman/Hellenistic ways. This was a strategy that Augustus used to legitimize himself as the ruler of Egypt ππ ππ and gain the respect πππ of the local population. This particular image ππ ±π is from the Temple of Dendur, which is at the MET.
To me, what is most interesting though are the cartouches of Augustus! Unlike the Greek rulers of Egypt ππ ππ that spelled out their names πππ¦ using phonogram symbols, Augustus went a different route when having his name ππ represented in hieroglyphs πΉππͺ. In this image ππ ±π you can see two π» (of his three πΌ) cartouches:
πΏπ²πππππ Augustus (Autokrator) ππππππΉπ Augustus (Kaisaros)
βAutokratorβ is the Greek word for βEmperor,β while βKaisarosβ is the Greek word for βCaesar.β
Augustus chose to have various words for βrulerβ as his name ππ in hieroglyphs πΉππͺ. Again, this was probably a way to assert his power as the first Emperor of the Roman Empire. He didnβt want anyone to question his right to rule!
A close-up of Augustus’ cartouche on the Temple of Dendur at the MET
Here is another variant of Augustusβ cartouche: ππ»π
This cartouche I have always found so fascinating because it is literally the word for pharaoh ππ» in Middle Egyptian plus the determinative sign π. Most names (even when spelled out with phonograms) are followed by a determinative for a male π person or female π person. By choosing to have his name depicted in this way, Augustus was literally calling himself the Pharaoh ππ» of Egypt ππ ππ!
In Middle Egyptian the word for pharaoh ππ» literally translates to βGreat House. β this is a direct reference to the palace where the pharaoh ππ» resided during his/her rule.
π – House π» – Great
Augustus chose to have various synonyms for βruler πΎβ as his name ππ in hieroglyphs πΉππͺ (Emperor, Caesar, Pharaoh). Again, this was probably a way to assert his power as the first Emperor of the Roman Empire. He didnβt want anyone to question his right to rule!
The Great God πΉπ€ or The Perfect God πΉπ€ is another extremely common phrase you will find in hieroglyphic πΉππͺ inscriptions πππ₯ across all different types of artifacts and monuments. It is definitely a good one to know and recognize because it is so common!
The Great God πΉπ€ is usually found before ππ the titles that accompany the prenomen (throne name) cartouche of a pharaoh ππ». Another popular title that often accompanies the prenomen is ππΏπΏ , which translates to βLord of the Two Lands.β Sometimes both titles will appear together!
Whether or not βπΉπ€β is translated as βThe Great Godβ or βThe Perfect Godβ is really up to the translator – I have equally seen it both ways in fantastic books!! I just tend to translate it as βThe Great Godβ for some reason!
Letβs break this down: πΉπ€ πΉ – God π€ – Good/Beautiful/Perfect
For a female pharaoh ππ», the title would look like this: πΉππ€ which would translate to βThe Perfect Goddess.β Adding a βπβ to the word πΉ makes it the feminine version!
π€ on its own in inscriptions translates to βbeautifulβ and appears often as well! This is another great word/symbol to be on the lookout for!
I hope you all are enjoying these little hieroglyph πΉππͺ phrase posts! Itβs different from other things I have done but I have enjoyed going through my photos and making them!
Letβs read some hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!!! While I have spoken about this particular inscription πππ₯ a lot, itβs a great one to review because it always shows up! Without fail if you got to a museum, you will see this inscription πππ₯! It appears on pieces from pretty much every time period of Egyptian history! Also, look at how beautiful π€ these hieroglyphs πΉππͺ are! The colors are so bright even after thousands of years!
This is the famous Offering Formula! The Offering Formula is: πππ΅π which translates to βAn Offering the King Gives.β This particular inscription πππ₯ is arranged differently than usual because of the space that is available on the piece! If you know how to read these four π½ symbols, you are well on your way to reading stelae ππ ±ππΈπ¦, false doors, coffin π ±ππΎ/π΄π ±πππ± inscriptions πππ₯ and more! The offering π΅ππͺπππ¦ was being made to the deceased π ππ± as a way to sustain them in the afterlife πΌπΏππ.
Letβs break it down: π – King ππ΅ – Offering (this is the shortened version of the word. π΅ππͺπππ¦ is the actual word for offering) π – Gives
πππ΅π Is always followed by the name ππ of a god πΉ (usually Anubis πππͺπ ±π£ or Osiris πΉπ¨π, but other gods πΉπΉπΉ will make appearances ππ¦ too).
If you would like to read more about the full Offering Formula, check out my βHieroglyph Fun Factsβ highlight – I have a lot of information there!
These hieroglyphs πΉππͺ are from the sarcophagus ππΉπππ of Nectanbo π³π£π, a pharaoh ππ» who ruled πΎ during the 30th Dynasty! The sarcophagus ππΉπππ is at the British Museum!
I think itβs time we read a full inscription πππ₯! We have gone through some of the popular titles that accompany the cartouches of the pharaohs ππ»π¦, so letβs put it all together! We will start reading from the right, since the symbols point to the right!
Letβs read some hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!
π₯ – King of Upper and Lower Egypt ππΏπΏ – Lord of the Two Lands π³π£π – Kheperkare (Nectanboβs Throne Name) π π³ – Son of Ra πππ₯ – Lord of Appearances ππ±πππ‘ππ – Nectanbo (Nakht Nebef)
I hope you were able to recognize some of these phrases from previous posts! Keep practicing them! These titles come up frequently in inscriptions πππ₯! These were some of the first phrases I learned, and I was so proud when I was able to read a full inscription πππ₯ like this for the first time! I really studied cartouches too, and maybe we should do those next! The cartouches are another great way to learn phrases/symbols! Since I canβt help myself, letβs get started!
π³π£π Kheperkare (Nectanboβs Throne Name) translates to βThe manifestation of the soul is Ra.β
I have been highlighting various titles seen commonly because they are a great way to practice reading hieroglyphs πΉππͺ, and I realized that I didnβt talk about one of the titles that appeared in yesterdayβs post, so Iβm going to talk about it today! Oops!
πππ₯ – Lord of Appearances another popular title that is seen across many different types of monuments across Egypt ππ ππ and museums around the world. To review: a title is a phrase that appears before a cartouche, which is the oval that encloses the name ππ of a pharaoh ππ».
The meaning of πππ₯ – Lord of Appearances seems to be the one that can confuse people the most and the meaning can kind of be a little subtle/abstract. I always took it to mean that when the pharaoh ππ» arrived or appeared somewhere it was a BIG DEAL; basically a god πΉ showed up! Since the pharaoh was a god πΉ on EarthπΎπΎ, his/her arrival needed a whole title to mention it!
Letβs break down the title:
π – Lord ππ₯ – Appearances
The hieroglyph πΉπ for appear π is the sun π³π€ rising over the horizon, which is to signify Raβs π³πΊπ daily journey across the sky πͺππ―. The addition of the three strokes π₯ makes the word plural, hence why it is translated as βappearancesβ instead of just βappear.β
ππΏπΏ βLord of the Two Lands,β is an extremely common title that is seen across many different types of monuments across Egypt ππ ππ and museums around the world. A title is a phrase that appears before a cartouche, which is the oval that encloses the name ππ of a pharaoh ππ». I have been highlighting various titles seen commonly because they are a great way to practice reading hieroglyphs πΉππͺ.
ππΏπΏ βLord of the Two Landsβ is in reference to Upper π and Lower π€ Egypt and the unification of both by Narmer π’π who is regarded as the first pharaoh ππ» of a fully united Egypt ππ ππ. The current pharaoh ππ» always wanted to be associated with the pharaohs ππ»π¦ of the past (most of the time not so much Akhenaten ππππ³π ππ) because that association would legitimize their own rule πΎ.
Letβs break down the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ: π – Lord πΏπΏ – Two Lands
The title can also be written as πππΏπΏ or βLady of the Two Landsβ if the pharaoh ππ» was female! This was the case for Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ!
βπ Lordβ becomes βππ Ladyβ with the addition of the π!
Soon you will be able to read a full inscription πππ₯! This is very exciting!!
π₯ is an extremely common title that is seen across many different types of monuments across Egypt ππ ππ and museums around the world. A title is a phrase that appears before a cartouche, which is the oval that encloses the name ππ of a pharaoh ππ».
This gorgeous π€ and colorful sunken relief of the phrase π₯ comes from the King List that is currently located in the British Museum. I love it when ancient works of art retain their color, because it allows us to see the art as the ancient Egyptians πππππͺ themselves saw it. The blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ and yellow paint is so bright and beautiful π€!
π₯ can either be translated as βHe of the Sedge and the Beeβ or more simply βKing of Upper and Lower Egypt.β
π (a sedge) is the symbol that is used to represent Upper Egypt, while the π€ (bee) is the symbol that is used to represent Lower Egypt.
π₯ is such a common phrase and you can find it everywhere – if you know how to recognize it, you can really impress people (and most importantly, yourself) in museums! Since the titles appear so often in sculpture, they are a great way to practice reading hieroglyphs πΉππͺ because you see them over and over again! I didnβt learn over night – it took years of practice for me to be able to read hieroglyphs πΉππͺ with the ease I do now!
