Category: Reading Hieroglyphs

𓆥 is an extremely common title that is seen across many different types of monuments across Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 and museums around the world. A title is a phrase that appears before a cartouche, which is the oval that encloses the name 𓂋𓈖 of a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻.

This gorgeous 𓄤 and colorful sunken relief of the phrase 𓆥 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 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 themselves saw it. The blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 and yellow paint is so bright and beautiful 𓄤!

𓆥 can either be translated as “He of the Sedge and the Bee” or more simply “King of Upper and Lower Egypt.”

𓇓 (a sedge) is the symbol that is used to represent Upper Egypt, while the 𓆤 (bee) is the symbol that is used to represent Lower Egypt.

𓆥 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 𓊹𓌃𓏪 because you see them over and over again! I didn’t learn over night – it took years of practice for me to be able to read hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 with the ease I do now!

𓅭𓇳 – Let’s learn some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

𓅭𓇳 simply means “Son of Ra.” Let’s break down the phrase:
𓅭 – Son
𓇳 – Ra

𓅭𓇳 is a very common title and you will see it in any museum you go to! A title is a phrase that is seen before 𓐍𓂋 the cartouche 𓍶 of a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 and can be viewed as an “introduction” so that way the reader knows that the name 𓂋𓈖 of a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 is about to show up!

Now, the name 𓂋𓈖 of a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 is no mystery because it always appears in a cartouche 𓍶 but the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 wanted to make sure their names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 were known/preserved for all eternity 𓎛𓇳𓎛!

The phrase “Son of Ra 𓅭𓇳“ also implies that the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 is the child of a god 𓊹, which would give them the divine right to rule. A pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 was considered to be a god 𓊹 on Earth 𓇾𓇾!

This beautiful 𓄤 inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 is from the King’s List Relief that is located in the British Museum!