Happy World Animal Day!ย Let’s learn about the significance of Animals in Ancient Egypt!
Me with a blue faience hippo at the Brooklyn Museum! The blue faience hippos are one of my absolute favorite types of artifacts!
Believe it or not, there is no Middle Egyptian word for โanimalโ – there was the word โ๐๐ ๐โ but it translates more accurately to โbeastโ than to all animals in general. What I love about language ๐๐บ is that even a small detail such as this can show us so much about the culture of the people who spoke it!ย
An ibis on display at the MET
In ancient Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐, Animals were usually referred to by their name ๐๐ instead of as a singular category. What I love about Middle Egyptian is that the name ๐๐ the animal was given was sometimes very similar to the sound the animal made! For example, the Middle Egyptian word for cat is ๐ ๐๐ ฑ๐ (miu) which can be pronounced similarly to โmeow.โ The word for dog is ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ ฑ๐ฅ (iwiw) which can almost sound like โwoof woof.โ
A cat mummy on display at the MET
Why is this significant? It shows that the Egyptians ๐๐๐๐๐ช didnโt regard animals as different from humans or less than humans (unlike the Greeks and Romans, and eventually Western cultures). Animals were living things that contained a ba ๐ ก๐บ (part of the soul that is active in this world and the spiritual world). They could become gods ๐น๐น๐น through death ๐ ๐๐ฑ and mummification ๐ด๐ง๐๐ ฑ๐ just like humans.ย
Hathor in her cow form from the Book of the Dead of Imhotep at the MET
Animals like cats ๐ ๐๐ ฑ๐ ๐ช, ibises ๐๐๐ ค๐ช, cows ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐ฆ, snakes ๐๐๐๐๐๐ช, hippos ๐๐๐ฏ๐ฆ, and many others were held in high regard due to the gods ๐น๐น๐น and goddesses ๐น๐น๐น๐ who could take the form of those animals!ย
A fish bowl on display at the Brooklyn Museum
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.
Letโs read some hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช! Today ๐๐๐๐ณ we are going to be looking at a word that I use frequently in my descriptions, โ๐๐ ฑ๐,โ which translates to โimage,โ โlikeness,โ โstatue,โ or โfigure.โ
The word “Image” in hieroglyphs from a papyrus on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
I also utilize this particular word to translate the words โpictureโ and โphotoโ because that would be the closest Middle Egyptian to English translation! For the word โstatue,โ the โ๐พโ determinative is put at the end of the word so it would be spelled like โ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ.โย
The importance of the visual representation of the deities ๐น๐น๐น was embedded in ancient Egyptian religion and culture. For example, when the pharaoh ๐๐ป was alive, he/she was thought to be the living image ๐๐ ฑ๐๐น of the God ๐น Horus ๐ ๐ญ.
The Egyptians built temples ๐๐๐๐ช and shrines ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ to their gods ๐น๐น๐น and goddesses ๐น๐น๐น๐ because they believed that the gods ๐น๐น๐น could be approached and prayed to through the statues ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ๐ช that resided in these places of worship. The statues ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ช or โimages of the godsโ were thought to be the actual deity and were thus treated with great reverence ๐๐ช๐ ฑ and respect.
Another example is that when a personโs name ๐๐ was written down in hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช, it meant that the person would live ๐น forever ๐๐ณ๐. The visual representation of a personโs name ๐๐ had the power to give the person eternal ๐ life ๐น. This is why pharaohs wanted their name on as many monuments as possible – their name ๐๐ in hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช had immense power!
Letโs break down the symbols in the word โ๐๐ ฑ๐!โ
The โQuail Chick ๐ ฑโ 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 โ๐ ฑโ is representative of the sound โwโ or โu.โ This symbol is also an ideogram for the word โchick ๐ ฑ๐บ.โ
The โflat loaf of bread ๐โ is a uniliteral phonogram used to represent the sound โt.โ It also functions as the ideogram for the word โbread ๐๐บ.โ
So why did I choose to highlight this particular word? โ๐๐ ฑ๐โ was one of the first words that I learned when I was first starting to read hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช! The reason is because it is part of Tutankhamunโs ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ฑ๐๐น๐พ๐บ๐ cartouche, which translates to โLiving Image of Amun!โย
Here is a breakdown of Tutankhamunโs ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ฑ๐๐น๐พ๐บ๐ name ๐๐:
๐๐ ๐ – Amun
๐๐ ฑ๐ – Tut (image)
๐น – Ankh (life/living)
๐พ – Ruler
๐บ – of/on
๐ – Upper Egypt
As a side note, I am a visual learner, and I think thatโs why Iโm really great at things like reading hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช 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 ๐น๐๐ช of the Earth, so I am grouping geology in with languages too!ย Despite the auditory nature of languages, for me, they are actually more visual.
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.ย
Letโs read some hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช! Today ๐๐๐๐ณ we are going to be looking at the word/phrase “A Voice Offering โ๐.”
The composite hieroglyph symbol for “A Voice Offering” painted on a Middle Kingdom sarcophagus at the MET.
๐ is classified as a composite hieroglyph ๐น๐. A composite hieroglyph ๐น๐ is a single hieroglyphic symbol that is actually a combination of multiple symbols! The individual symbols do not lose their phonetic meaning when they become the composite hieroglyph ๐น๐, instead they combine to just make a multi-consonant symbol! Composite hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช can be phonograms, ideograms, or determinatives too!ย
While a lot of the composite hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช are combinations of two ๐ป symbols, โ๐โ is actually a combination of four ๐ฝ symbols! I like to think of composite hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช as a math equation:
๐ = ๐ + ๐ค + ๐ + ๐
Here is the modern name, (and sound value in parentheses) designated to each of the symbols that are part of ๐:
๐ – House Plan (pr)
๐ค – Oar (แธซrw)
๐ – Bread (t)
๐ – Beer Jug (usually a determinative like in this case, but can be hnw on occasion)
๐ would be pronounced like โprt-แธซrw.โย
Another example of the phrase “A Voice Offering” from a Middle Kingdom sarcophagus on display at the MET.
In terms of meaning, โ๐โ is classified as an ideogram (a single symbol that takes on the meaning of a full word) for the phrase โinvocation offeringโ or โvoice offeringโ and is a part of the standard offering formula that is seen on stelae ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ธ๐ช, false doors, sarcophagi ๐๐น๐๐๐ญ๐ช/coffins ๐ด๐ ฑ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฆ and other funerary equipment ๐๐๐ด๐๐๐ญ.ย
You can read my full translation for the sarcophagus pictured above here. You can also watch the video of the translation here!
Why are bread ๐ and beer ๐ highlighted in such a popular inscription that persisted for thousands of years? Bread ๐ and beer ๐ were pretty much the staples of the ancient Egyptian diet and they needed enough food ๐ฌ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ฅ in the Duat ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ too!
๐ Is definitely a great symbol to recognize because it is very common and part of a very common inscription. The pictures ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ฆ in this post are both from Middle Kingdom sarcophagi ๐๐น๐๐๐ญ๐ช at the MET.
These are my personal photographs and original text. DO NOT repost.
Did you know that the word for โcow ๐ค๐๐๐๐โ and โbeautiful woman ๐ค๐๐๐๐โ are the same in hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช/the Middle Egyptian language? Well now you do! This is one of my absolute favorite โfun factsโ about hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช and it has been since I was a little girl!
Did you know that the word for โcow ๐ค๐๐๐๐โ and โbeautiful woman ๐ค๐๐๐๐โ are the same in hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช/the Middle Egyptian language? Well now you do! This is one of my absolute favorite โfun factsโ about hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช and it has been since I was a little girl! The root of both of these words is โ๐ค๐๐โ which would probably be pronounced like โnefer.โ This word could mean perfect, beautiful, or good in Middle Egyptian! Adding the โ๐โ to the end of the word makes it feminine, and then the determinative symbol distinguishes the meaning! So โ๐ค๐๐๐โ could also mean a beautiful woman or beautiful/perfect! Both โcow ๐ค๐๐๐๐โ and โbeautiful woman ๐ค๐๐๐๐โ would have probably been pronounced like โneferetโ due to the addition of the uniliteral phonogram of โ๐โ which would have been pronounced like a โt.โ In order to make words pronounceable in modern times, a lot of Egyptologists/linguists will add a soft โeโ sound in between the consonants! This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost. #ancientegypt#egyptianhistory#egyptologist#letsreadsomehieroglyphs#hieroglyphs#hieroglyphics#languagelearning#egypt#hathor#metropolitanmuseumofart#historytok
The root of both of these words is โ๐ค๐๐โ which would probably be pronounced like โnefer.โ This word could mean perfect, beautiful, or good in Middle Egyptian! Adding the โ๐โ to the end of the word makes it feminine, and then the determinative symbol distinguishes the meaning! So โ๐ค๐๐๐โ could also mean a beautiful woman or beautiful/perfect!ย
Both โcow ๐ค๐๐๐๐โ and โbeautiful woman ๐ค๐๐๐๐โ would have probably been pronounced like โneferetโ due to the addition of the uniliteral phonogram of โ๐โ which would have been pronounced like a โt.โ In order to make words pronounceable in modern times, a lot of Egyptologists/linguists will add a soft โeโ sound in between the consonants!
I love learning little things like this about the culture of ancient Egypt! It’s incredible what a language can tell us!
Did you know that the word for โcow ๐ค๐๐๐๐โ and โbeautiful woman ๐ค๐๐๐๐โ are the same in hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช/the Middle Egyptian language? Well now you do! This is one of my absolute favorite โfun factsโ about hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช and it has been since I was a little girl! The root of both of these words is โ๐ค๐๐โ which would probably be pronounced like โnefer.โ This word could mean perfect, beautiful, or good in Middle Egyptian! Adding the โ๐โ to the end of the word makes it feminine, and then the determinative symbol distinguishes the meaning! So โ๐ค๐๐๐โ could also mean a beautiful woman or beautiful/perfect! Both โcow ๐ค๐๐๐๐โ and โbeautiful woman ๐ค๐๐๐๐โ would have probably been pronounced like โneferetโ due to the addition of the uniliteral phonogram of โ๐โ which would have been pronounced like a โt.โ In order to make words pronounceable in modern times, a lot of Egyptologists/linguists will add a soft โeโ sound in between the consonants! This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost. #ancientegypt#egyptianhistory#egyptologist#letsreadsomehieroglyphs#hieroglyphs#hieroglyphics#languagelearning#egypt#hathor#metropolitanmuseumofart#historytok
Today ๐๐๐๐ณ we are going to look at a word that appears in most funerary inscriptions! This word/phrase is “Revered One ๐๐ด๐ช๐โ and it has many different variations!ย
One of the variants for “Revered One” in hieroglyphs.
โThe Revered One ๐๐ด๐ช๐โ appears on funerary equipment ๐๐๐ด๐๐๐ญ (coffins ๐ด๐ ฑ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฆ, False Doors, Canopic Jar Cases, etc.)! This word can be tricky though because there are a lot of different variants of it – meaning that it can be spelled differently depending on how the word is used or the amount of space available on the object.
Here are some of the variants for โThe Revered Oneโ/โReveredโ that can appear in hieroglyphic inscriptions:ย
๐๐ด๐ช๐ (this is the one pictured)
๐๐ด๐ช
๐๐ด๐ช๐ ฑ
๐๐ด๐ช๐๐ ฑ
๐๐ช๐ ฑ
๐๐ด๐ช๐๐
๐๐ช๐๐ ฑ
๐๐ด๐ช๐๐ ฑ (Revered Man – Dead)
๐ช๐๐๐ (Revered Woman – Dead)
Iโm sure I did not list all of the variants either! Word variants can be confusing for people who are just starting to read hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช and thatโs okay! It will just take some practice, and the best way to practice is to just keep reading real Egyptian inscriptions ๐๐๐ฅ!
Next time you go to a museum, see if you can find a variant for โRevered” or “Revered Oneโ in hieroglyphs! Iโm sure you will!!ย
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.ย
Letโs read some Hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช! This False Door belonged to the Royal Sealer ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ Neferiu ๐ค๐ป๐ ฑ (8th-11th Dynasty).
False Door of Neferiu on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
These two pieces of text basically say what a great person Neferiu ๐ค๐ป๐ ฑ was and it also lists all of the wonderful things he did in his life!
I did not write out all of the hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช this time because it was too long! Please enjoy the translation though!ย
A closeup image of the top section of the False Door of Neferiu
This is the top line of text:
๐๐๐ต๐๐น๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฝ๐ง๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ค๐ป๐ ฑ – โAn offering the King gives Osiris, Lord of Djedu, a voice offering before and to the revered Neferiu.โ
This is the second line of text:
๐๐๐ต๐๐ฃ๐ถ๐บ๐๐๐ถ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ป๐ ฑ – โAn offering the king gives Anubis, Upon His Mountain, in the mummy wrappings, a voice offering before and to Neferiu.โย
A closeup of the bottom portion of the False Door of Neferiu
Inscription on the left side: โI gave bread ๐๐ to the hungry ๐๐๐๐ ฉ๐ and clothes ๐๐๐ด๐ ฑ๐ณ๐ฆ to the ๐ naked ๐ฟ๐๐๐ณ๐. I drove the boatless in my boat. I gave property to someone I knew as well as to the one I did not. The seal-bearer ๐จ๐ ฑ of the King of Lower Egypt ๐ค, the sole companion, the revered ๐ช๐ Neferiu ๐ค๐ป๐ ฑ.โ
Inscription on the right side: โO the living ๐๐๐น, those who are upon the Earth ๐พ, who love life ๐น๐๐, I gave assistance to those in the year ๐๐๐ณ๐๐ค of hardship. I acted mightily with my strong arm in order to endure among my children. It is Iqer who did it that I might become greater than the great ๐ ฉ๐ ones and the noblemenโฆof my entire town, who bore witness to me.โ
On the bottom, next to Neferiu ๐ค๐ป๐ ฑ and his wife ๐๐ on both sides the hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช say:
๐๐๐ธ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ or โHis ๐ beloved ๐ธ๐ wife ๐๐ Wedjbet ๐๐.โ
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.
This bronze ๐๐ค๐๐ฆ statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ of the god ๐น Ptah ๐ช๐๐๐ฑ from the Third Intermediate Period is striking to see in person not just because of its wonderful state of preservation, but its size as well!
Bronze Statue of Ptah on display at the MET
For a bronze ๐๐ค๐๐ฆ statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ, it is quite large! In antiquity, this statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ would have been covered in gold ๐๐๐๐ leaf, and itโs amazing that you can still see some of the gold ๐๐๐๐ on the statue! Imagine how magnificent it would have looked in all gold ๐๐๐๐! I also love how the eyes ๐น๐๐ฆ are still perfectly preserved; they really stand out among the bronze ๐๐ค๐๐ฆ and the gold ๐๐๐๐!ย
The staff that Ptah ๐ช๐๐๐ฑ is holding in his hands is actually a merging of the Djed Pillar ๐ฝ and the Was Scepter ๐. The hieroglyph ๐น๐ for Djed ๐ฝ means โstabilityโ while the hieroglyph ๐น๐ for the Was Scepter ๐ means โstrength,โ and this staff exemplifies Ptahโs ๐ช๐๐๐ฑ representation of both!
One of the epithets that follows Ptahโs ๐ช๐๐๐ฑ name ๐๐ in inscriptions is โThe One of Fair Face ๐ค๐ท๐ค๐ญโ and I think that description totally fits with how beautiful ๐ค๐๐ this particular statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ represents him! That epithet could also be translated as โKindly of Face ๐ค๐ท๐ค๐ญโ and can also be written as โ๐ค๐๐๐ท๐ค๐ญ.โ
Ptah ๐ช๐๐๐ฑ was not created; he existed before anyone else and anything. In short, he was the creator of the other creator gods ๐น๐น๐น, like Atum ๐๐๐๐ญ. Due to Ptahโs ๐ช๐๐๐ฑ creativity, he is also the designated god ๐น of all forms of craftsman such as carpenters , shipbuilders, potters, metalworkers, and sculptors.
This statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ would have been housed in a shrine ๐๐๐ ๐๐ and would have received offerings ๐ต๐๐ช๐๐๐ฆ from priests ๐น๐๐ช.
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.
Letโs read some hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช! Today ๐๐๐๐ณ we are going to be learning about the Shabti Spell! The Shabti Spell was a special hieroglyphic inscription ๐๐ ฑ๐ which gave the ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ figure the ability to perform tasks, such as manual labor, for the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ in the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐.
We are going to look at the blue ๐๐น๐๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฅ faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ that is in this picture!
The โShabti Spellโ usually starts off with the following phrase:
๐ด๐๐๐ถ – The Illuminated One
๐น๐จ๐ญ – The Osiris
Then the โShabti Spellโ will usually list the deceasedโs ๐ ๐๐ฑ job/titles:
๐ – Scribe
๐ – Treasury
So this specific ushabtiโs ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ spell starts off with โThe Illuminated One, The Osiris, The Scribe of the Treasuryโฆโ – after this, the name ๐๐ of the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ person would appear (we canโt see it the text wraps around the ushabti) and then the name ๐๐ of either the deceasedโs ๐ ๐๐ฑ mother ๐ ๐๐ or father ๐๐๐ would also be listed.
The word for โushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พโ also appears in the Shabti Spell! It is usually part of the phrase โO these Shabtis, if I am counted, if I am reckoned at any works in the godโs landโฆโ which is the part of the spell ๐๐๐ that calls on the ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ to do the work for the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ in the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ so it is very important because this is the whole point of the ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ figure!ย
Let me know if you like the image above with the inscriptions ๐๐๐ฅ highlighted!ย
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.
Did you know that Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ was referred to as the โLord ๐ of the Nine Bows ๐๐บ๐โ in certain religious texts? The most famous example of the use of this title for Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ is from the Pyramid Texts! Letโs take a closer look at what this means!
The โnine bows ๐๐บ๐โ was a phrase that was used to refer to the enemies of Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐. Egyptologists and historians actually still donโt know the exact countries or territories were represented by the nine bows ๐๐บ๐, but they are agreed to be foreign lands.ย
Anubis, the Lord of the Nine Bows on a scarab/seal on display at the MET.
In statues ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ๐ช, pharaohs ๐๐ป๐ฅ can be depicted standing on nine bows ๐๐บ๐, however on scarabs ๐๐ช๐๐๐ฃ๐ช or seals such as this one pictured, the nine bows ๐๐บ๐ are represented by the images of nine captives with their hands tied behind their backs. A recumbent jackal (aka Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ) is seen presiding over the nine captives.
Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ is most commonly known as the god ๐น of mummification ๐ด๐ง๐๐ ฑ๐, however, in many early myths he had proven himself in battle hence why he was given the title โLord ๐ of the Nine Bows ๐๐บ๐.โย
Seals such as these were popular in the Theban necropolis during the 18th Dynasty. This is such a small piece, but one that contains so much meaning. I of course love it because I look for any representation of Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ that I can find!ย
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.
This large red granite ๐ ๐ณ๐๐ถ statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ of Hatshepsut ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช is large and majestic and one of the most beautiful ๐ค๐๐!ย
The most striking aspect of this statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ besides the size is the fact that Hatshepsutโs ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช face, which displays feminine features, remained pretty much intact! Many of Hatshepsutโs ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ statues ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ๐ช have the faces destroyed, possibly in an attempt to destroy her image ๐๐ ฑ๐ so she would be forgotten from history.
Hatshepsut ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช is in a kneeling position holding a nemset jar ๐๐บ in each hand ๐ง๐๐บ. In ancient Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐, kneeling is considered a worshipping ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ข/offering ๐ต๐๐ช๐๐๐ฆ position. A pharaoh ๐๐ป only kneels to another god ๐น, who in this case is probably Amun-Ra ๐๐ ๐๐ณ๐บ.
Hatshepsut ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช is depicted wearing the nemes ๐๐ ๐ด head cloth and the false beard which was typical fashion for a pharaoh ๐๐ป!
The hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช on the back of the statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ show her throne name, Maatkare ๐ณ๐ฆ๐.
This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost.ย
