Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at a word that I use frequently in my descriptions, “𓏏𓅱𓏏,” which translates to “image,” “likeness,” “statue,” or “figure.”
I also utilize this particular word to translate the words “picture” and “photo” because that would be the closest Middle Egyptian to English translation! For the word “statue,” the “𓀾” determinative is put at the end of the word so it would be spelled like “𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾.”
The importance of the visual representation of the deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹 was embedded in ancient Egyptian religion and culture. For example, when the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 was alive, he/she was thought to be the living image 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹 of the God 𓊹 Horus 𓅃𓀭.
The Egyptians built temples 𓉟𓏏𓉐𓏪 and shrines 𓐍𓊃𓅓𓂜𓉐𓏦 to their gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 and goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 because they believed that the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 could be approached and prayed to through the statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 that resided in these places of worship. The statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏪 or “images of the gods” were thought to be the actual deity and were thus treated with great reverence 𓐍𓄪𓅱 and respect.
Another example is that when a person’s name 𓂋𓈖 was written down in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, it meant that the person would live 𓋹 forever 𓎛𓇳𓎛. The visual representation of a person’s name 𓂋𓈖 had the power to give the person eternal 𓆖 life 𓋹. This is why pharaohs wanted their name on as many monuments as possible – their name 𓂋𓈖 in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 had immense power!
Let’s break down the symbols in the word “𓏏𓅱𓏏!”
The “Quail Chick 𓅱” is a super common symbol that you will see in a lot of inscriptions! It is a uniliteral phonogram sign, which means it has the sound of a single consonant. The “𓅱” is representative of the sound “w” or “u.” This symbol is also an ideogram for the word “chick 𓅱𓏺.”
The “flat loaf of bread 𓏏” is a uniliteral phonogram used to represent the sound “t.” It also functions as the ideogram for the word “bread 𓏏𓏺.”
So why did I choose to highlight this particular word? “𓏏𓅱𓏏” was one of the first words that I learned when I was first starting to read hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! The reason is because it is part of Tutankhamun‘s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓 cartouche, which translates to “Living Image of Amun!”
Here is a breakdown of Tutankhamun‘s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓 name 𓂋𓈖:
𓇋𓏠𓈖 – Amun
𓏏𓅱𓏏 – Tut (image)
𓋹 – Ankh (life/living)
𓋾 – Ruler
𓉺 – of/on
𓇓 – Upper Egypt
As a side note, I am a visual learner, and I think that’s why I’m really great at things like reading hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 and geology – both are topics which require the brain to use images and visuals over other types of processing. Even when I speak English and Italian I see the words in my head as if they are subtitles so I think my visual brain is why I am good at languages! Plus I always say that rocks are the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 of the Earth, so I am grouping geology in with languages too! Despite the auditory nature of languages, for me, they are actually more visual.
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.