𓄫𓄣 – “Be Happy, “Happiness,” “Be Cheerful,” “Joy,” – or in Middle Egyptian, “Wide Heart.”

𓄤𓆑𓂋𓅱𓏭𓇑𓇑 – How beautiful is this piece!? While this piece of jewelry may be unassuming to most who walk past it in the galleries as it is very small 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩, it carries such a universal message that has permeated for thousands of years – Happiness 𓄫𓄣! I LOVE how the actual Middle Egyptian version of the word is “Wide Heart” – I think it carries so much meaning in such a little phrase. “Ancient Egypt makes my heart wide” sounds cooler than “Ancient Egypt brings me joy/happiness”
I always love seeing Happiness/Joy 𓄫𓄣 written on objects because that is exactly how I felt when I was in a museum and looking at Egyptian artifacts with my Nonno. The only emotion I could feel at the time was joy 𓄫𓄣 and I was so lucky. I would do anything to go to a museum with my Nonno and experience those emotions again. While I do feel immense joy 𓄫𓄣 in museums now, there’s always a sadness to it as well because I truly miss my Nonno more than anything. I would love a piece like this as a necklace – sometimes we all need a reminder to find joy 𓄫𓄣!
𓄫𓄣𓏏, 𓄫𓏏𓄣𓏺, and 𓄫𓄣𓏺 are all common variants of the word, that I have seen many times in inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 too!
This beautiful 𓄤 clasp belonged to the princess Sithathoryunet, who is thought to be the daughter 𓅭𓏏 of the 12th Dynasty (c. 1887–1813 B.C.E) Pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Senwosret II 𓄊𓋴𓂋𓏏𓊃𓈖. She is thought to be his daughter 𓅭𓏏 because her tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 is linked to his. Flinders Petrie was actually the one to discover her tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐. Despite being robbed in antiquity, the tomb robbers left a chest full of beautiful 𓄤 jewelry behind! The clasp is made out of gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 and carnelian, which is a stone with a red color. I will speak more about the jewelry in future posts, it is is so beautiful 𓄤 and I love jewelry!
Since I shared what makes me happy 𓄫𓄣, I’d love to hear from all 𓎟 of you! Share something that makes you happy/your heart wide 𓄫𓄣!






