Tag: anubis

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Egyptian Artifacts

Limestone Statue of Anubis

This limestone π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“Œ‰ Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ was found near the Sacred Animal Necropolis at Saqqara (Memphis π“ π“ˆ–π“„€π“†‘π“‚‹π“‰΄π“Š–). The Sacred Animal Necropolis housed thousands 𓏲𓏲𓏲 of mummified animals such as falcons π“ƒ€π“‡‹π“Ž‘π“…„π“¦, baboons, ibises 𓉔𓃀𓅀𓏦 and bulls/cows 𓄀𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒𓏦. This piece is dated to the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period (664–30 B.C.E.).

Although mummified jackals π“Šƒπ“„Ώπ“ƒ€π“ƒ₯𓏦 were not found in the area, statues π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύπ“ͺ of Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 have been found most likely because Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 is the god π“ŠΉ of mummification and embalming, so it would make sense that there would be statues π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύπ“ͺ of him in the vicinity of this large necropolis. It is thought that Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 statues π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύπ“ͺ such as this were used to guard embalming tents.

Interestingly, this piece was originally painted π“žπ“œ black π“†Žπ“…“, but through time it has lost its coloring! It’s hard to see in my pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 (the MET really needs better lighting – the galleries are so dark) but you can still see remnants of some of the black π“†Žπ“…“ paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦 on the statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ!

I was very excited to see this statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ, because there is a similar one in the Petrie Museum in London! I love seeing similar pieces in different museums around thr world! Also (no surprise), I love anything Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣!

Nicole (me) with Anubis!

Fun fact! There are no temples π“‰Ÿπ“π“‰π“¦ dedicated to Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 because all tombs π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰π“¦ and large burial areas were considered β€œtemples” to worship 𓇼𓄿𓀒 Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 in! It makes so much sense because he is the god π“ŠΉ of tombs π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰π“¦ and mummification!

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Egyptian Artifacts

The Weighing of the Heart

The Weighing of the Heart 𓇋𓃀𓄣 is my absolute favorite scene from the Book of the Dead, and just one of my favorite scenes from literature in general! I have been so fortunate to see many different version of the Book of the Dead in various museums! While this is a simplified version of the scene, I still love it! This papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 is kinda hidden amongst many other papyri 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛𓏦 at the MET, and I’ve definitely missed it during other visits!

Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 is the center of the scene so of course it is my favorite! Here, Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓁒 weighs the heart 𓇋𓃀𓄣 of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 against Maat’s π“Œ΄π“™π“‚£π“π“¦ feather. If Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 determines there’s balance between the two 𓏻, then the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 would be presented to Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨ π“€­ by Horus π“…ƒπ“€­. The deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 would then enter the Duat 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐, or the afterlife.

Thoth π“…€π“€­ records the findings. While Thoth π“…€π“€­ is usually represented in his human body/ibis 𓉔𓃀𓅀 head form during this scene, that is not the case here! Thoth π“…€π“€­ is in his baboon form and is sitting on top of the scale! Ammit 𓂝𓅓𓅓𓏏(the Devourer of the Dead/Eater of Hearts) is also absent from this version! It’s always so interesting to see different versions of the same scene!

In the hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ, it’s interesting to see Osiris spelled like β€œπ“Š©π“Ήβ€ instead of the common form β€œπ“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­.” For some reason I’m always fascinated when I see alternate spellings; I don’t know why!

In the hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ, the phrase β€œπ“Š©π“Ήπ“ŽŸπ“Ž›π“‡³π“Ž›β€ or β€œOsiris, Lord of Eternity” is written! We have learned all of those words through other posts!! Can you find it?!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Was Anubis Mentioned in the Bible?

As we all know, Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 is the Egyptian god π“ŠΉ of embalming and tombs/cemeteries. This means that Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 was the main protector π“…“π“‚π“Ž‘π“€œ of the recently deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱! During the New Kingdom, more specifically the 18th Dynasty, it became common for statues π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύπ“ͺ of Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 to be placed in tombs π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰π“¦ as a sort of protection π“…“π“‚π“Ž‘π“€œ for the dead! The most famous example is the β€œAnubis Shrine 𓃣” that was found in Tutankhamun’s π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ tomb π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰! The statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ in this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 is from the Late Period.

Since I am in the process of reading the Bible, here’s something very interesting about Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 I just learned recently! Did you know that some Bible/religious scholars believe that Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 is actually mentioned in Exodus!? When I was reading Exodus, and I caught what I thought was a reference to Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣, I was shocked and immediately had to start researching!

β€œBut not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.” (Exodus 11:7, English Standard Version) Another translation is “But against all the Israelites, whether man or beast, not even a dog will snarl.”

The plagues of Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– can be interpreted as the Egyptian gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ being powerless against God himself – such as when God blocked the Sun 𓇳𓏺 for three 𓏼 days during the ninth plague, Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 was powerless to stop it. So, the mention of Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 can be interpreted as Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 having no power over life and death 𓅓𓏏𓏱, or that Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 will have no power over the death 𓅓𓏏𓏱 of the people of Israel (Canaan π“‘π“„Ώπ“‰”π“ˆŠπ“­ in The Bible). It can also be taken as God (not Anubis) would bring death 𓅓𓏏𓏱 to Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–, but not Israel π“‘π“„Ώπ“‰”π“ˆŠπ“­.

Again, these are interpretations of the Bible (including some of my own), and I’m sure many scholars and other readers have their own interpretations that are different and just as valid!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Amulets of Anubis

Amulets π“Šπ“Šͺπ“…†π“ͺ of Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣! One of Anubis’ π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 titles is, π“‡‹π“Άπ“…±π“π“Žπ“Š–, β€œHe who is in the mummy wrappings” – which reminds me of amulets π“Šπ“Šͺπ“…†π“ͺ!

Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 amulets π“Šπ“Šͺπ“…†π“ͺ were quite abundant during the Late – Ptolemaic Period (664–31 B.C.E.). These are made of faience π“‹£π“ˆ–π“π“Έπ“Ό, which was a popular material to make amulets π“Šπ“Šͺπ“…†π“ͺ out of because faience π“‹£π“ˆ–π“π“Έπ“Ό is both easy to work with and very cheap. It was very easy to mass produce these types of amulets π“Šπ“Šͺπ“…†π“ͺ!

Funerary amulets π“Šπ“Šͺπ“…†π“ͺ such as these were often made in the form of deities π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ who had various roles in protecting π“…“π“‚π“Ž‘π“€œ the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱. Amulets π“Šπ“Šͺπ“…†π“ͺ would be woven into the wrappings of the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾, and placed in specific locations in the wrappings depending on its function. Amulets π“Šπ“Šͺπ“…†π“ͺ were magical π“Ž›π“‚“π“„Ώπ“œ items whose main role was protection π“…“π“‚π“Ž‘π“€œ!

While some amulets π“Šπ“Šͺπ“…†π“ͺ were worn by the living, an amulet π“Šπ“Šͺπ“…† of Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 would have been worn only by the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱. As Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 is the god π“ŠΉ of embalming/mummification and tombs/cemeteries, he was tasked with protecting π“…“π“‚π“Ž‘π“€œ the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱. Since the body of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 needed to be preserved in order for them to reach the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐, Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 had a significant role in the deceased’s journey – which is where amulets π“Šπ“Šͺπ“…†π“ͺ in his likeness came into play! Amulets π“Šπ“Šͺπ“…†π“ͺ commonly took the form of the power that they represented!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Anubis – Name in Hieroglyphs

Can you tell that I love Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣?!?! πŸ–€ And yes, I did take a selfie with Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 that was on a sarcophagus π“ŽŸπ“‹Ήπ“ˆ–π“π“Š­ when I was the MET!

Nicole (me) with Anubis!

There are so many misconceptions about Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 especially in pop culture (Anubis was the villain for like seven seasons of Stargate SG-1)! Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 is always depicted as the β€œbad guy,” when in reality, he most certainly was not! Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 was an extremely respected Egyptian god π“ŠΉ due to his role in protecting π“…“π“‚π“Ž‘π“€œ the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱, preserving the body (mummification) and aiding the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱 in reaching the Duat 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 (afterlife) through the Weighing of the Heart.

In the Old Kingdom, Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 was the most prominent god π“ŠΉ of the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱, however, he was replaced by Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­ during the Middle Kingdom when Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­ became the more prominent god π“ŠΉ of the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱.

Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 in hieroglyphs

Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 played a big role in the myth of Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­ as well – after Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯ recovered Osiris’ π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­ body parts, she brought them to Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 who wrapped them in cloth and performed the Opening of the Mouth on Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­. The Opening of the Mouth was a ritual that would restore the senses to the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 and allow them to work in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Interesting Roman-Egyptian Stela

Limestone stela from the Roman Period of Egyptian history

This is certainly an interesting stela π“Ž—π“…±π“†“π“‰Έ for sure! This stela π“Ž—π“…±π“†“π“‰Έ is made of limestone π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“Œ‰ but the craftsmanship is kind of…off! This is very typical for work from the time period (1st Century B.C.E. – 4th Century A.D.). During the Greek and Roman periods, objects like amulets π“Šπ“Šͺπ“…†π“ͺ, stelae π“Ž—π“…±π“†“π“‰Έπ“ͺ, statues π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύπ“ͺ, and more were so mass produced that the craftsmanship suffered. Let’s take a look at what is going on!

The first thing I noticed is that there are no hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ on this stela π“Ž—π“…±π“†“π“‰Έ! So the only way to β€œdecipher” it is by looking at who is depicted! At the top, you can see the winged π“‚§π“Œ³π“π“†ƒ sun disk 𓇳𓏺, a symbol of life π“‹Ήπ“ˆ–π“ and regeneration. Beneath the sun disk 𓇳𓏺 are two 𓏻 snakes π“‡‹π“‚π“‚‹π“π“†˜π“ͺ and the β€œankh π“‹Ή,” which is the symbol for life π“‹Ήπ“ˆ–π“! While crudely carved, this is a very typical design to see on the top of a stela π“Ž—π“…±π“†“π“‰Έ.

In the middle panel, Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 (middle) is presenting the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 (right) to Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­ (left). This scene is a very typical one that you would see on a stela π“Ž—π“…±π“†“π“‰Έ! During the Roman times, Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 was viewed as the β€œconquerer of death,” and was depicted a lot with the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 person in artwork.

On the bottom panel, it is inferred that Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 (left) and Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯ (right) are pictured in a mourning stance. I say β€œinferred” because usually when Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯ and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 are pictured, they have their crowns on their head which make them very easy to recognize! Here they do not, however, there might be a tiny indication of a crown on Isis’ π“Š¨π“π“₯ head (though it is hard to see). I think the crowns are missing because the artist ran out of room!!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Book of the Dead: Images of Deities

The Book of the Dead of Imhotep at The MET

These images 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 are from the Book of the Dead of Imhotep (Early Ptolemaic Period) at the MET! This particular Book of the Dead is incredible because even though it is only in black π“†Žπ“…“ or red π“‚§π“ˆ™π“‚‹π“…Ÿ ink and not in full color like some other versions, it is still so beautiful π“„€ to look at and I am always mesmerized by the details! Let’s take a closer look at both the images 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 and the hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ!

The top panel shows the goddesses π“ŠΉπ“ Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯ (left) and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 (right) on their knees in a mourning position on either side of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱. The deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 is in the form of a mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 and is laying on a table that is in the form of a lion π“Œ³π“Ήπ“„Ώπ“„›.

I love how a row of stars 𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼π“ͺ separate the two 𓏻 panels! The star 𓇼 hieroglyph π“ŠΉπ“Œƒ is another one of my favorite symbols and I love how it is used in both writing and drawing/art!

On the bottom panel, two 𓏻 of the Sons of Horus are pictured with Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 in the center. Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 is on his shrine π“‰±π“ŠΉ, just like my favorite hieroglyph π“ŠΉπ“Œƒ! Qebehsenuef π“π“Œ’π“Œ’π“Œ’π“†‘π“€­ is on the left of Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 and Duamutef 𓇼𓅐𓏏𓆑𓀭 is on the right. The Sons of Horus had and Anubis all had roles in the protection of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱.

One thing I love about Egyptian art is how a lot of times there are β€œcaptions” next to the people/deities π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ that are pictured so that way you know who they are! Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯ and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 are obvious to spot because of the crowns on their heads. Their crowns match the hieroglyphs in their names π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“¦ – Isis has a π“Š¨ crown while Nephthys has a 𓉠 crown! However, Duamutef 𓇼𓅐𓏏𓆑𓀭 and Qebehsenuef π“π“Œ’π“Œ’π“Œ’π“†‘π“€­ are not as easy to recognize because they are mummiform and not in their usual form with the jackal π“Šƒπ“„Ώπ“ƒ€π“ƒ₯ or falcon π“ƒ€π“‡‹π“Ž‘π“…„ heads! So in this case, the β€œcaptions” are quite useful!!!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Anubis as the Defender of Osiris/Dionysus

How cute is this little (4.9 cm) gold π“‹žπ“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰ statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ?!?! This statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ is titled β€œAnubis as Defender of Osiris/Dionysus (?).” It is always so cool to see elements of Egyptian, Greek, or even Roman culture combined into a single statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ! This statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ is dated to the 2nd – 3rd Centiry A.D., which is the Roman Period of Egyptian history!

While the Romans equated Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 to Mercury, the Greeks actually equated Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­ to Dionysus! One interpretation of the statue is this: Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 is dressed in a military outfit, in order to signify his role as a fighter against the enemies of Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­! Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 is holding a Thysrus in one hand 𓂝𓏺, which is a staff symbolic of/carried by the followers of Dionysus. In the other hand 𓂝𓏺, Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 is holding a falcon π“ƒ€π“‡‹π“Ž‘π“…„.

Cool Connection! BTS actually have a song called β€œDionysus” and it is incredible with lots of cool mythological references/metaphors! My favorite line from the song is β€œArt is alcohol too, if you can drink it, you’ll get drunk fool…” The song is about loving art so of course I love the lyrics because you all know how much I love Egyptian art!

In my independent study of Korean I did learn this though: The Korean word for β€œart” is 예술 (yesul) and the Korean word for β€œalcohol” is 술 (sul) so these lyrics are actually a word play! I just love languages and connecting the things I love together!

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Egyptian Artifacts

The Sarcophagus of Artemidora

Details of the Winged Scarab on the Sarcophagus of Artemidora at The MET

This picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 shows the details on a sarcophagus π“ŽŸπ“‹Ήπ“ˆ–π“π“Š­ that belonged to a woman π“Šƒπ“π“‚‘π“π“ named π“‚‹π“ˆ– Artemidora who lived in Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– during the Roman Period (A.D 90-100). The gold π“‹žπ“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰, glass, stone π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“Šͺ, and painted 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦 details on this sarcophagus π“ŽŸπ“‹Ήπ“ˆ–π“π“Š­ are stunning π“„€!

One of my favorite pieces of imagery from Egyptian art is the Winged Scarab 𓐍π“Šͺ𓂋𓂋𓆣! The wings π“‚§π“Œ³π“π“†ƒπ“¦ allowed the scarab 𓐍π“Šͺ𓂋𓂋𓆣 to join the rising and setting of the sun 𓇳𓏺 each day – which to the ancient Egyptians π“†Žπ“π“€€π“π“ͺ represented the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The cycle was central to the ancient Egyptian π“†Žπ“π“€€π“ religion! As a god π“ŠΉ who was constantly reborn, Khepri 𓆣𓂋𓇋𓁛 was associated with resurrection! On this sarcophagus, we can see the sun 𓇳𓏺 represented above the scarab 𓐍π“Šͺ𓂋𓂋𓆣; this was because Khepri 𓆣𓂋𓇋𓁛 used to carry the sun 𓇳𓏺 across the sky π“Šͺ𓏏𓇯!

Below the winged π“‚§π“Œ³π“π“†ƒ scarab 𓐍π“Šͺ𓂋𓂋𓆣, we can see the shen 𓍢 symbol! The shen 𓍢 symbol is a circle of rope that is tied at the end. The tied rope symbolizes completeness, infinity/eternity π“Ž›π“‡³π“Ž›, and is also a symbol of protection π“…“π“‚π“Ž‘π“€œ. The shen 𓍢 was first seen during the Old Kingdom, and was a very popular symbol throughout Egyptian history; Nekhbet π“‡‘π“ƒ€π“π“…π“ŽŸ and Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯ are frequently seen holding them!

Cool Fact: the wings π“‚§π“Œ³π“π“†ƒπ“¦ on the scarab 𓐍π“Šͺ𓂋𓂋𓆣 are not those of a beetle, but are actually the wings π“‚§π“Œ³π“π“†ƒπ“¦ of a bird! Also, I just love the painted 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦 details on these wings π“‚§π“Œ³π“π“†ƒπ“¦; it’s stunning π“„€!

(from Left) Nephthys, Anubis, Horus, and Isis on the Sarcophagus of Artemidora at The MET

I really like this scene because you can see Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 and Horus π“…ƒπ“€­ standing with the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 of the deceased who is laying on a bed with a lion design. Anubis’ π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 arms are raised, and Horus π“…ƒπ“€­ is holding the traditional crook π“‹Ύ and flail π“Œ…. Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 is my favorite Egyptian god π“ŠΉ, and Horus π“…ƒπ“€­ is my sister’s π“Œ’π“ˆ–π“ favorite! I always like seeing Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 and Horus π“…ƒπ“€­ together π“ˆ–π“Š— for that reason – it reminds me of me and my sister π“Œ’π“ˆ–π“!

To the left of Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 is the goddess π“ŠΉπ“ Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 and to the right of Horus π“…ƒπ“€­ is the goddess π“ŠΉπ“ Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯. Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯ and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 are the actual sisters π“Œ’π“ˆ–π“π“¦ in Egyptian mythology and in funerary scenes are usually depicted together!

You can tell which goddess π“ŠΉπ“ is which based off of the crowns on their head 𓁢𓏺! The crown on Nephthys’ head is 𓉠 which is the hieroglyph π“ŠΉπ“Œƒ that’s part of her name π“‚‹π“ˆ–, and the crown on Isis’ head is π“Š¨ which also corresponds with her name π“‚‹π“ˆ–! If you also look at the text that is next to each of them, their names are also written – it’s almost like a caption!

See if you can spot Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯ and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 in the hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ!

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

Anubis and his Common Title

Here is a close up of an inscription π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ from a sarcophagus π“ŽŸπ“‹Ήπ“ˆ–π“π“Š­ at the MET! While this is only part of the inscription π“Ÿπ“›π“₯, it is my favorite part! It’s my favorite because this is the part of the inscription that is the dedication to Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣! Whenever I see Anubis’ π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 name π“‚‹π“ˆ– in the inscriptions π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ I get really excited – as if I’m seeing a celebrity!

Lets’s read some hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ!

π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓃣 – Anubis
𓁢π“Šͺπ“ˆ‹π“Ίπ“†‘ Upon His Hill

This inscription can also be written as: π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 π“Άπ“Ίπ“ˆ‹π“†‘. If you notice, on the sarcophagus π“ŽŸπ“‹Ήπ“ˆ–π“π“Š­, Anubis’ π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 name π“‚‹π“ˆ– is missing the β€œπ“…±β€ hieroglyph π“ŠΉπ“Œƒ! Anubis’ π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 name π“‚‹π“ˆ– might have been pronounced β€œInpw,” but here it’s written just as β€œInp!”

Anubis’ π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 name π“‚‹π“ˆ– Can be written many different ways! Here are some common variations:
π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣
π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓃣
π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺπ“…±
π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓁒
𓃣
𓃀
𓁒

Much like in English and other languages, the same words could have different spellings! In ancient Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–, most of the time the different spellings had to do with the space that was available on the piece that was being inscribed!

β€œUpon His Hill 𓁢π“Šͺπ“ˆ‹π“Ίπ“†‘β€ refers to Anubis’ π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 role as the protector of the tombs and cemeteries. Most of the time, tombs/cemeteries we’re surrounded by cliffs, hence the title! It could also be translated as β€œUpon His Mountain.”