Relief of Seti I and Hathor

This is such a beautiful 𓄤 relief and it is actually from the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 of Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠! The tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 of Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 is the largest in the Valley of the Kings and it is also my Nonno’s favorite of all the tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏪! This relief is now located at the Louvre in France.

The relief shows Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 and the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Hathor 𓉡. Hathor 𓉡 was known as the Lady of the West 𓎟𓏏𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 (the underworld 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐). The West 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 and the Underworld 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 were equated by the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 because the sun 𓇳𓏺 set in the west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊! This is why all of the Egyptian tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏪 are located on the western 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 side of the Nile!

Here, Hathor 𓉡 is seen welcoming Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 into her domain, while offering him a menat necklace 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏏𓋧, which was a symbol of protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜. They are even holding hands 𓂧𓏏𓏺!

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

𓉡 – Hathor
𓁶𓁷𓏏𓏏𓊖𓋆 – Chief one of Thebes
𓎟𓇿𓇿 – Lord of the Two Lands
(𓇳𓁦𓏠) – Menmaatra (throne name – “Eternal is the Truth of Ra”)
𓎟𓈍𓏥 – Lord of Appearances
(𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁵𓇌𓈘𓈖) – Seti, Beloved of Ptah (birth name – this is an uncommon variant that uses the Osiris 𓁵 symbol instead of the Seth 𓁣 symbol)
𓏙𓋹𓇳𓏇𓏺𓆖 – Given Eternal Life, Like Ra