Tag: hieroglyphs

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!!! While I have spoken about this particular inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 a lot, it’s a great one to review because it always shows up! Without fail if you got to a museum, you will see this inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥! It appears on pieces from pretty much every time period of Egyptian history! Also, look at how beautiful 𓄤 these hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are! The colors are so bright even after thousands of years!

This is the famous Offering Formula! The Offering Formula is: 𓇓𓏏𓊵𓏙 which translates to “An Offering the King Gives.” This particular inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 is arranged differently than usual because of the space that is available on the piece! If you know how to read these four 𓏽 symbols, you are well on your way to reading stelae 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸𓏦, false doors, coffin 𓅱𓇋𓀾/𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 and more! The offering 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 was being made to the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 as a way to sustain them in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐.

Let’s break it down:
𓇓 – King
𓏏𓊵 – Offering (this is the shortened version of the word. 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 is the actual word for offering)
𓏙 – Gives

𓇓𓏏𓊵𓏙 Is always followed by the name 𓂋𓈖 of a god 𓊹 (usually Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 or Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭, but other gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 will make appearances 𓈍𓏦 too).

If you would like to read more about the full Offering Formula, check out my “Hieroglyph Fun Facts” highlight – I have a lot of information there!

These hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are from the sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭 of Nectanbo 𓇳𓆣𓂓, a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 who ruled 𓋾 during the 30th Dynasty! The sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭 is at the British Museum!

I think it’s time we read a full inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥! We have gone through some of the popular titles that accompany the cartouches of the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦, so let’s put it all together! We will start reading from the right, since the symbols point to the right!

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

𓆥 – King of Upper and Lower Egypt
𓎟𓇿𓇿 – Lord of the Two Lands
𓇳𓆣𓂓 – Kheperkare (Nectanbo’s Throne Name)
𓅭𓇳 – Son of Ra
𓎟𓈍𓏥 – Lord of Appearances
𓈖𓆱𓐍𓏏𓂡𓃭𓆑 – Nectanbo (Nakht Nebef)

I hope you were able to recognize some of these phrases from previous posts! Keep practicing them! These titles come up frequently in inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥! These were some of the first phrases I learned, and I was so proud when I was able to read a full inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 like this for the first time! I really studied cartouches too, and maybe we should do those next! The cartouches are another great way to learn phrases/symbols! Since I can’t help myself, let’s get started!

𓇳𓆣𓂓 Kheperkare (Nectanbo’s Throne Name) translates to “The manifestation of the soul is Ra.”

𓇳 – Ra
𓆣 – Manifestation (kheper)
𓂓 – Soul (ka)

I have been highlighting various titles seen commonly because they are a great way to practice reading hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, and I realized that I didn’t talk about one of the titles that appeared in yesterday’s post, so I’m going to talk about it today! Oops!

𓎟𓈍𓏥 – Lord of Appearances another popular title that is seen across many different types of monuments across Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 and museums around the world. To review: a title is a phrase that appears before a cartouche, which is the oval that encloses the name 𓂋𓈖 of a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻.

The meaning of 𓎟𓈍𓏥 – Lord of Appearances seems to be the one that can confuse people the most and the meaning can kind of be a little subtle/abstract. I always took it to mean that when the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 arrived or appeared somewhere it was a BIG DEAL; basically a god 𓊹 showed up! Since the pharaoh was a god 𓊹 on Earth𓇾𓇾, his/her arrival needed a whole title to mention it!

Let’s break down the title:

𓎟 – Lord
𓈍𓏥 – Appearances

The hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃 for appear 𓈍 is the sun 𓇳𓏤 rising over the horizon, which is to signify Ra’s 𓇳𓏺𓁛 daily journey across the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯. The addition of the three strokes 𓏥 makes the word plural, hence why it is translated as “appearances” instead of just “appear.”