This depiction of the god 𓊹 Osiris 𓊩𓁹 is on the inside of a sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭. Osiris 𓊩𓁹 is the lord of the Duat 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 and it was the goal to be “reborn” like Osiris 𓊩𓁹 was after death. Much like Osiris 𓊩𓁹 in the myth, the deceased would not return to the world of the living, but instead live on in the Duat 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐.
Osiris 𓊩𓁹 is always depicted in the same way – as a mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾, holding the crook 𓋾 and flail 𓌅 , and wearing the Atef crown 𓋚. The Atef crown is the White Crown of Upper Egypt 𓌉𓏏𓋑 with two 𓏻 feathers 𓆄𓏏𓏭𓋛 of Ma’at 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁦 adorning the sides. Above Osiris 𓊩𓁹 is Khepri 𓆣𓂋𓇋𓁛, who is the god 𓊹 of the rising sun 𓇳𓏺.
I love how Khepri 𓆣𓂋𓇋𓁛 is drawn in the “Horizon 𓈌” hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃. The ancient Egyptians used to use hieroglyphic symbols 𓊹𓌃𓏪 as artistic depictions for a lot of the natural happenings! Another example is how the “sky 𓇯” and “star 𓇼” hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 were often also used to depict these object in art.
Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! We are going to start near Osiris’ head!
𓊩𓁹 – Osiris
𓎟 – Lord
𓇽 – Duat (ancient Egyptian word for Afterlife/Netherworld)
𓎟 – Lord
𓂦𓈊 – Sacred Land/Necropolis
Next to the flail:
𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 – West
Osiris 𓊩𓁹 is often referred to as “Foremost of the West 𓏅𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊” because in ancient Egypt, the “west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊” was referred to as the Land of the Dead since the sun 𓇳𓏺 set in the west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊.
Now beneath “west” is where I don’t know what the glyphs say! It looks like “𓊹𓌃” which is “divine writing” (aka hieroglyphs” but “Great God 𓊹𓉼” would make more sense! Sometimes the way the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are drawn/painted can make it difficult to read and interpret!
There are many different ways to write Osiris’ name in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪. Much like any language, Middle Egyptian changed and evolved over time. The way that Osiris is written on this sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭, “𓊩𓁹,” is a popular spelling from the Third Intermediate Period – Late Period, which is when this sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭 is dated to. The most common way that Osiris was written before then was “𓁹𓊨𓀭,” which is the spelling that most are familiar with. Other ways to write Osiris are: 𓁹𓇓𓀴 and 𓁹𓊨𓂋𓀴, but these are less common.
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.