Author: ancientegyptblog7

Let’s read some Hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳, we are going to be looking at the significance of the epithet “Upon His Hill/Mountain.” 

An epithet is almost like a title, except it comes after a name 𓂋𓈖 instead of before it! The epithet ““Upon His Hill” or “Upon His Mountain” will commonly follow the name 𓂋𓈖 of the god 𓊹 Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 in inscriptions! This phrase is representative of Anubis’ 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 role as protector 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 of the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱; he was always standing watch on tombs/cemeteries from above! 

Here are some variants of the phrase: 

𓁶𓈋𓆑𓏺

𓁶𓊪𓈋𓆑𓏺

𓁶𓊪𓈋𓏺𓆑

Let’s break down the sentence! 

𓁶/𓁶𓊪 – Upon “tp”

𓈋 – Hill “ḏw”

𓆑 – His “f”

Let’s take a closer look at each of the symbols! 

The “head 𓁶” symbol is a biliteral phonogram that represents the sound “tp.” It can also be used as an ideogram and determinative for the word “head.” In this case it is a phonogram. 

The “stool 𓊪” symbol is a uniliteral phonogram for the sound “p.” In this phrase, it is acting as a phonetic complement, which means it is emphasizing the “p” sound in the “𓁶𓊪” part of the phrase. 

The “mountain 𓈋” symbol is a biliteral phonogram that represents the sound “ḏw.” It also functions as an ideogram for the words “mountain” and “hill.” 

The “horned viper 𓆑” functions as a uniliteral phonogram and represents the sound “f.” In this case, the singular symbol represents the word “his,” which has a sound of just “f.” In Middle Egyptian, the pronoun comes after the word it is describing. 

The “stroke 𓏺” has many different uses but here it is used for aesthetic purposes! The “stroke 𓏺” is used to fill up that extra space as needed and can almost be thought of as punctuation! 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

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Let’s read some Hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳, we are going to be looking at the significance of the “west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊.” 

The sun 𓇳𓏺 rising in the east 𓋁𓃀𓏏𓏭 and setting in the west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 is a natural phenomenon that has occurred since the Earth formed over 4.5 billion years ago. The illusion of the sun 𓇳𓏺 rising and setting is caused by the Earth rotating on its axis, and this motion causes us to have night 𓎼𓂋𓎛𓄛 and day 𓉔𓂋𓏺𓇳. 

The ancient Egyptians observed this phenomenon and not only developed the concept of the 24 hour day, but centered one of the biggest parts of their religion around it! Since the sun sets in the west 𓊿𓏏𓏏𓈊, the west 𓋀𓏏𓈊 was determined to be the land of the dead. It’s no coincidence that tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏪 are located on the western 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 banks of the Nile River 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺! 

Here are some of the popular ways to write “west” in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! These are only three of the popular variants, but there are many others! 

𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 

𓋀𓏏𓈊

𓊿𓏏𓏏𓈊

Let’s break down the symbols! 

The “feather on a standard 𓋀/𓊿” symbols are actually variants of each other and function the same way in inscriptions! This is an ideogram for the word “west” and is associated with the sound “jmnt.” 

The “flat loaf of bread 𓏏” is a uniliteral phonogram used to represent the sound “t.”

The “mountain range 𓈊” symbol is both an ideogram and a determinative. It is associated with the sound “ḫ3st” and means “desert cliffs” or “foreign land.”

So whichever way you write “west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊, 𓋀𓏏𓈊, 𓊿𓏏𓏏𓈊,” it would be pronounced as “jmnt” and any extra “𓏏” symbols function as a phonetic complement! 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

Follow me @ancientegyptblog on Instagram and TikTok to learn all about ancient Egypt, hieroglyphs, mythology, culture and more! 

Let’s read some Hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! 

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at one of the most common and recognizable uniliteral phonogram hieroglyphic symbols: the owl 𓅓! 

A uniliteral sign is a hieroglyphic symbol that corresponds to a single sound, just like a letter in the alphabet. The “owl 𓅓” symbol represents the sound of “m” and it has many different uses!  

The “owl 𓅓” symbol is one that appears in inscriptions all the time and is most commonly seen as part of other words! Some words that use the “owl 𓅓” symbol are: 

𓅓𓂋 – Overseer

𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 – Kemet (Egypt)

𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 – Papyrus Roll

Of course these are not all the words that contain the “owl 𓅓” symbol! 

But what happens if the “owl 𓅓” symbol appears by itself in an inscription and isn’t part of another word? The “owl 𓅓” symbol has its own meaning when it appears alone! It’s one of those words in a sentence that can kind of “mean what we need it to” in English! I guess it functions as the all-around preposition! 

For example, the “owl 𓅓” hieroglyph can mean: In, On, At, By, With, and As! This symbol has so many meanings/uses! 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

Follow me @ancientegyptblog on Instagram and TikTok to learn all about ancient Egypt, hieroglyphs, mythology, culture and more!