The Throne Name of Pharaoh Hatshepsut

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! 

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at the throne name (also called the prenomen) cartouche 𓍷 of my favorite pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, and one of the first 𓏃 “phrases” that I learned how to read when I was first learning hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! The pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 always distinguished their names in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 by wrapping them in a cartouche 𓍷, which is an oval shape with a straight line closing the oval at one end. The oval shape was meant to protect 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 and their name 𓂋𓈖 from evil 𓃀𓇋𓈖𓏏𓅨 in both life 𓋹 and death 𓅓𓏏𓏱. 

With the three 𓏼 symbol cartouche, especially when Re 𓇳𓏺 is involved, the name 𓂋𓈖 read middle-right-left. So why is Re 𓇳𓏺 written first but said last!? Honorific transposition! As a sign of respect, Re 𓇳𓏺 (or another god 𓊹) is always written first 𓏃 but said last! 

Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 throne name 𓂋𓈖 is Maatkare 𓇳𓁦𓂓, which translates to “Truth is the Soul of Re.” I love 𓈘𓏏 this name 𓂋𓈖, and the meaning behind it – to me, it just screams “powerful!” Let’s take a closer look at the symbols that are a part of her name 𓂋𓈖! 

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.”

The “𓁦 goddess with a feather” symbol is used commonly as a determinative in the name 𓂋𓈖 for the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Maat 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁦, but is also commonly used as an ideogram for the word “maat.” 

The “𓂓 two arms” symbol is a biliteral phonogram for the sound “ka,” and also functions as an ideogram for the same. The word “ka” has been translated into our modern languages as “soul,” since the person’s ka 𓂓 was the part of the person that interacted with others and was considered one part of a person’s soul. 

This cartouche 𓍷/inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 is from the Stela of Hatshepsut, which is at the Vatican Museum. When I saw this stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 (one of my most favorite artifacts) I made sure to try and close up pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 of the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 because I love 𓈘𓏏 it so much!

Here’s a post about Hatshepsut’s Birth Name

Here’s a post about Hatshepsut’s Horus Name