How to Read a Three-Symbol Cartouche

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! 

When I was first starting to learn to read hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, the cartouches of the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 were some of the first things I learned how to read and recognize! Learning the cartouches allowed me to become familiar with the different uniliteral, biliteral, and triliteral signs! By remembering the signs/meanings of the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 associated with the names 𓂋𓈖𓏥 of the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦, I was able to then expand my knowledge using the Book of the Dead transliteration/translation!

A lot of the New Kingdom pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 had simple three 𓏼 symbol throne name cartouches, which sometimes takes some practice to read because of the order of the symbols! For the three symbol cartouches, usually (not always) the symbols were read “Middle-Right-Left” or “Middle-Bottom-Top” depending on the orientation of the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪.

For example, Hatshepsut’s throne name of (𓇳𓁦𓂓) would be read “Maatkare” (Maat 𓁦 ka 𓂓 re 𓇳) and the throne name of Thutmosis III (𓇳𓏠𓆣) would be read “Menkhepherre” (Men 𓏠 kheper 𓆣 re 𓇳). 

While to most this is just a piece of wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺, to me this is significant because this piece of wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 is inscribed with the cartouche of the throne name of the 19th Dynasty pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Seti I!

So in this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏, Seti I’s cartouche reads (𓁦𓏠𓇳) or “Menmaatre” (Men 𓏠 maat 𓁦 re 𓇳), however, in most inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 his cartouche is written as (𓇳𓁦𓏠)! A lot of people will translate his name as “Maatmenre” (Maat 𓁦 men 𓏠 re 𓇳) because of the way it is written. So as you can see, the orientation of the three 𓏼 symbols definitely changes and can be confusing to a beginner! I have seen both Menmaatre and Maatmenre used in published books, but if we are going to get technical, the translation of Menmaatre (Eternal is the Truth of Re) makes a little more sense than Maatmenre (Truth is the Eternal of Re). 

I chose to use Seti I’s 𓇳𓁦𓏠 cartouche for this example because Nonno loved Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠!