Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!
Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at the cartouches 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷𓏦 of the first 𓏃 pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of the 19th Dynasty, Rameses I 𓇳𓄟𓋴𓇓𓅱! Rameses I 𓇳𓄇𓏠 was of non-Royal birth and was already quite old when the previous pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, Horemheb 𓇳𓂦𓆣𓏼𓇳𓍉𓈖, chose him as his successor. Rameses I 𓇳𓄟𓋴𓇓𓅱 had a very brief reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏 of about two 𓏻 years!
Before he was pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, Rameses I 𓇳𓄇𓏠 served as the vizier 𓅷𓏏𓏺𓀀 to Horemheb 𓇳𓂦𓆣𓏼𓇳𓍉𓈖 and was a High Priest of Seth 𓊃𓏏𓄡𓁣. This means that Rameses I 𓇳𓄇𓏠 probably played an important role in the restoration of the old religion! Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 (his 𓆑 son 𓅭) succeeded him on the throne and this was the first direct father 𓇋𓏏𓀀 to son 𓅭 succession since Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖!
Let’s break down each of the cartouches 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷𓏦! We are going to start with the throne name cartouche 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷 (prenomen) on the left! This is the name 𓂋𓈖 that the person took when they became the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻!
𓇳𓄇𓏠 – Men Pehty Ra (“Eternal is the Strength of Ra”)
Let’s break down the symbols/phrases in the cartouche 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷 to gain a better understanding of the name 𓂋𓈖:
𓇳 – Ra
𓄇 – Strength/Strong
𓏠 – Eternal
Now let’s look at the birth name cartouche 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷 on the right! The birth name is the name 𓂋𓈖 that the person was born with!
𓇳𓄟𓋴𓇓𓅱 – Ramessu (“Ra has Bore Him” or “Ra has Fashioned Him”)
Let’s break down the symbols/phrases in the cartouche 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷 to gain a better understanding of the name 𓂋𓈖:
𓇳 – Ra𓄟𓋴𓇓𓅱 – Bore Him/Fashioned Him/Born Of