Tag: gods and goddesses

Wooden Anubis at the Brooklyn Museum

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date July 7, 2022

I had the most amazing day at the Brooklyn Museum with my sister and parents! This was the best birthday (May of 2021) I have had in a long time and I’m so lucky that my family not only supports me in my love of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, but that they went out of their way to make my day special! Thank you Amanda for following me around and taking pictures 😃.

Here I am with a figure of Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 from the Ptolemaic Period! As you all know, Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 is my favorite ancient Egyptian god 𓊹 so I was really excited to see this beautiful 𓄤 piece! This wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 statue shows Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 in his jackal form. The kneeling position is representative of him guarding the necropolis from high above on a hill/mountain- as was his role as the god of cemeteries (and mummification). It’s also similar to his determinative hieroglyph 𓃣.

One of Anubis’ 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 titles is “upon his hill 𓁶𓏺𓈋𓆑” and this hieroglyphic 𓊹𓌃𓏪 phrase usually follows his name in dedication texts! Another common title associated with Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 is “he who is in the mummy wrappings 𓇋𓏶𓅱𓏏𓐎𓊖.“

Tags anubis, artifact, brooklyn museum, gods and goddesses

Egyptian Artifacts

Bronze Statues of Isis, Horus and Osiris

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date July 7, 2022

Here’s a picture featuring bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪! of Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥, Horus 𓅃𓀭, and Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 at the Brooklyn Museum!

Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 was one of the main figures of Egyptian religion. This is because Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 was the god 𓊹 of the dead and the ruler of the afterlife, and Egyptians spent their entire time living preparing for their death and meeting with Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭. When the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 was alive, he was thought to be the living image 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹 of the God 𓊹 Horus 𓅃𓀭, but more importantly when the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 died, he was thought to then become an Osiris-like figure.

The image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 of Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 feeding Horus 𓅃𓀭 as a baby is one of the most popular images 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 of the Late Period through the Ptolemaic Period. Symbolically, Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 was thought to be the mother 𓄿𓏏𓁐 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, and was often associated with motherhood 𓅐𓏏𓁐, the protection of women, and a user of magic. As Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 became a more popular religious figure, she was associated with cosmological order and was considered to be the embodiment of fate by the Romans. This image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 of a mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐 holding a child is thought to have inspired the well known Catholic images of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus as a baby.

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum, gods and goddesses, horus, isis, osiris

Egyptian Artifacts

Sarcophagus with Nephthys

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date July 7, 2022

This is the side of a beautifully 𓄤 painted sarcophagus at the Brooklyn Museum!

The goddess 𓊹𓏏 Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 is portrayed where the head of the deceased would be laid because she is regarded as a protector 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 of the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱. This tradition began during the New Kingdom. Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 was Seth’s 𓊃𓏏𓄡𓁣 wife, the sister 𓌢𓈖𓏏 of Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥, and during later parts of mythology the mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐 of Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 through a union with Osiris 𓁹𓊨 𓀭.

Even though Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 is associated with Seth 𓊃𓏏𓄡𓁣, she is regarded as a positive figure in the later evolutions of Egyptian mythology, and she even helped Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 find Osiris’ 𓁹𓊨 scattered body pieces and put him back together after Seth 𓊃𓏏𓄡𓁣 cut him up!

One of her titles is “Mistress of the House.” She is often associated with vultures, hence why she is frequently depicted with wings. The headdress that she wears are the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 for her name! Something super interesting is that even though Seth 𓊃𓏏𓄡𓁣 and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 are husband and wife they are rarely shown together. Instead, Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 is usually depicted with Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 and Osiris 𓁹𓊨 𓀭.

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum, gods and goddesses, mummy, nephthys

Egyptian Artifacts

Coffin of Nespanetjerenpere

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date July 7, 2022

Look at how gorgeous this is 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓅱𓏭𓇑𓇑!!!

I spent so long just trying to take in all of the beautiful 𓄤 𓅱𓏏𓅱𓏪 images of the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 that are on this Mummy Cartonnage at the Brooklyn Museum! Cartonnage is a material that is linen or papyrus mixed with plaster! This is from the Third Intermediate Period, and dates from the 22nd through 25th Dynasties.

This mummy case 𓅱𓇋𓀾 belonged to a priest 𓊹𓍛 named Nespanetjerenpere. While to many the images 𓅱𓏏𓅱𓏪 may seem like random pictures of the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹, it is actually a collection of carefully selected religious symbols meant to help guide Nespanetjerenpere on his journey to the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 and associate him with and ensure divine resurrection.

The ram headed pendant on his chest is meant to represent the sun god’s journey across the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯 during the day 𓉔𓂋𓏺𓇳 – and through the underworld 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 at night 𓎼𓂋𓎛𓄛. The images 𓅱𓏏𓅱𓏪 of the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 can almost be thought of as the picture-book version of the Book of the Dead.

On the back, Horus 𓅃𓀭 and Thoth 𓅤𓀭 are seen with a Djed pillar 𓊽, which is the symbol of stability. The Djed pillar 𓊽 is thought to be the spine of Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭, so it’s very cool that this image 𓅱𓏏𓅱 appears on the back of the mummy 𓅱𓇋𓀾!

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum, gods and goddesses, mummy

Reading Hieroglyphs

“Isis” in Hieroglyphs

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date July 7, 2022

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

These hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are from the wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 Coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 of Khnumnakht, an individual who lived during the 12th-13th Dynasties (c. 1850-1750 B.C.E.).

This is a variant of the name 𓂋𓈖 of the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Isis 𓊨𓏏𓏺 in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! More commonly, her name 𓂋𓈖 is written as “ 𓊨𓏏𓁥,” and the difference between the two is the determinative at the end. Why was the determinative not used in this inscription? Most likely due to spacing issues!

The “seat 𓊨” symbol has many different functions in Middle Egyptian! In the case of the name “Isis 𓊨𓏏𓏺,” the seat functions as a biliteral phonogram for the sound “js.” In other words, it can be a phonogram for the sounds “st,” and “hst.” 𓊨 is even an ideogram for the word “seat!”

The “flat loaf of bread 𓏏” is a uniliteral phonogram used to represent the sound “t.” It also functions as the ideogram for the word “bread 𓏏𓏺” and can be used to make words feminine!

The “stroke 𓏺” hieroglyph is used at the end of words when there is a bit of space left over – it’s all for the aesthetic! This symbol is not pronounced, it is solely used for punctuation/aesthetic purposes!

The name 𓂋𓈖 “Isis” is actually the Greek version of the name 𓂋𓈖 of this goddess 𓊹𓏏! If we were to pronounce her name 𓂋𓈖 the way the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 did (or inferred how they did), her name 𓂋𓈖 would be pronounced like “Ist 𓊨𓏏𓏺.”

Tags gods and goddesses, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, isis, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Statue of Sekhmet at the Brooklyn Museum

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date July 4, 2022

Every time I go to a museum, I need to get a picture with Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐!

Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 was one of my Nonno’s absolute favorite Egyptian goddesses 𓊹𓏏𓏪. Whenever I see Sekhmet, 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 she makes me think of my Nonno. He probably really liked her due to her strength and power!

In Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, most of the feline 𓅓𓇋𓅱𓃠 deities were female! This was most likely intentional – much like a lioness 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓏏𓄛 can be gentle and nurturing with her cubs, she can also be extremely fierce and aggressive when she needs to protect 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 them. This duality is quintessential to not only Sekhmet’s 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 role in the Egyptian pantheon, but to the other feline 𓅓𓇋𓅱𓃠 goddesses 𓊹𓏏𓏪 as well!

Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 is always seen with a sun-disk on her head, which shows that she is the daughter of Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛. She was known as the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of destruction/war, and her name means “she who is powerful.” She could also represent the destructive aspects of the sun 𓇳𓏺. There were many religious rituals designed to appease her. Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 was feared for being a very powerful and very destructive goddess 𓊹𓏏.

This particular statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 was made during the rule of Amenhotep III 𓇳𓁧𓎠 during the 18th Dynasty.

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum, gods and goddesses, nonno, sekhmet

Egyptian Artifacts

The Temple of Dendur and the Crocodile!

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date July 1, 2022

Being at the Temple of Dendur is just so relaxing to me. I just love being in this room – I have so many amazing memories here with my Nonno and my sister 𓌢𓈖𓏏 who is in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 with me! I could literally just sit in here for hours and just exist.

One of my favorite things as a kid was the little crocodile 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌 statue that’s in the “river” that goes around the temple! I always thought it was so cool! The ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 both feared and worshipped crocodiles 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌𓏦. Sobek 𓋴𓃀𓎡𓆋, the god 𓊹 with the head of a crocodile 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌 was worshipped from the time of Narmer all the way through the Roman period. He was a fertility god 𓊹, associated with the annual flooding of the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺.

Sobek 𓋴𓃀𓎡𓆋 also represented the power and might of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 because crocodiles 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌𓏦 are incredibly strong – and were a constant threat to those living along the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺. Sobek 𓋴𓃀𓎡𓆋 is the son 𓅭 of the war goddess 𓊹𓏏 Neith 𓈖𓏏𓋌𓀭 and is sometimes referenced as being the son 𓅭 of Seth 𓊃𓏏𓄡𓁣. Hundreds of crocodile 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌 mummies have been found in Faiyum and other places in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, most likely as way to appease Sobek 𓋴𓃀𓎡𓆋.

Taweret 𓏏𓄿𓅩𓂋𓏏𓆗, another crocodile 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌 goddess 𓊹𓏏 is associated with female fertility and childbirth.

Tags gods and goddesses, sobek, taweret, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Funerary Figures of the Four Sons of Horus

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date July 1, 2022

These are Funerary Figures of the Four Sons of Horus and are dated to the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period (c. 400-30 B.C.E.). The Sons of Horus were deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹 who were charged with protecting 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 the internal organs 𓇋𓂧𓂋𓄹𓏦 of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱, and were usually represented as the lids of canopic jars.

Funerary Figures of the Four Sons of Horus at the MET

What’s really cool about these statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 is that they are decorated so beautifully 𓄤! I love how they look like mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪 (the proper term is “mummiform”), and how a large broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 is painted 𓏞𓏜 on their chests. Also, each statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 has a heart 𓇋𓃀𓄣 amulet 𓊐𓊪𓅆 in the middle of the broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝! The details are exquisite!

While each Son of Horus was associated with an organ 𓇋𓂧𓂋𓄹, they were also each associated with a cardinal direction and were protected 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 by a funerary goddess𓊹𓏏. Let’s take a look at each deity (starting from the left):

Duamutef 𓇼𓅐𓏏𓆑 had the head of a jackal 𓊃𓄿𓃀𓃥, protected 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 the stomach 𓂋𓄣𓏻, was associated with the East 𓋁𓃀𓏏𓏭, and was protected by Neith 𓈖𓏏𓋌𓀭.

Qebehsenuef 𓏁𓌢𓌢𓌢𓆑 had the head of a falcon 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄, protected 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 the intestines 𓈖𓊪𓅮𓄿𓏲𓏼, was associated with the West 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊, and was protected by Selket 𓊃𓂋𓈎𓏏𓁐.

Hapy 𓎛𓐑𓊪𓇌 had the head of a baboon, protected 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 the lungs 𓊃𓌴𓄥𓅱𓄺, was associated with the North 𓎔𓏏, and was protected by Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇.

Imsety 𓇋𓐝𓋴𓍘𓇋 had the head of a human, protected 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 the liver 𓅓𓊃𓏏𓄹𓏸𓏸𓏸, was associated with the South 𓇔𓅱𓏏 and was protected by Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥.

Tags artifact, gods and goddesses, sons of horus, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

The Book of the Dead of Hunefer

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date July 1, 2022

The Book of the Dead of Hunefer is one of my absolute favorite artifacts, and seeing it in the British Museum was a dream come true for me!

On the top panel, Hunefer (the deceased) stands before the 42 divine judges and pleads their lifetime of truth and moral doings. The Book of the Dead provided the deceased with the words to say so they would pass this trial!

On the bottom panel: This is the Weighing of the Heart ceremony! Let’s start from the left! Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 is leading Hunefer (the deceased) to the scales (not gonna lie, I’m a little jealous they are holding hands 😂). Here, Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓁢 weighs the heart 𓇋𓃀𓄣 of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 against Maat’s 𓌴𓐙𓂣𓏏𓁦 feather (Maat is sitting on top of the scales). If Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 determines there’s balance between the two 𓏻, that means that the deceased lived a truthful 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓆄 and just 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓆄𓏜 life 𓋹.

Ammit 𓂝𓅓𓅓𓏏 (the Devourer of the Dead/Eater of Hearts) is there waiting to see if the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 didn’t live a truthful 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓆄 life! If the deceased’s 𓅓𓏏𓏱 heart 𓇋𓃀𓄣 weighs more than the feather, Ammit 𓂝𓅓𓅓𓏏 would eat the heart 𓇋𓃀𓄣 and the deceased would “die a second time” and not live in eternal paradise. Thoth 𓅤𓀭 records the findings of the ceremony.

If the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 passed the Weigning of the Heart, they would be presented to Osiris 𓁹𓊨 𓀭 by Horus 𓅃𓀭 and would then enter the Field of Reeds 𓇏𓏏𓈅𓇋𓄿𓂋𓅱𓆰𓊖 and live in eternal paradise!

Tags anubis, artifact, book of the dead, british museum, gods and goddesses, horus, maat, osiris, thoth

Reading Hieroglyphs

Sketch of Osiris

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 28, 2022

While this may seem like a simple sketch of Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 on limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉, I actually find it very interesting! This is easily recognizable as the god 𓊹 Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 because the lord 𓎟 of the underworld 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 is always depicted in the same way – as a mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾, holding the crook 𓋾 and flail 𓌅 , and wearing the Atef crown 𓋚. The Atef crown is the White Crown of Upper Egypt 𓌉𓏏𓋑 with two 𓏻 feathers 𓆄𓏏𓏭𓋛 of Ma’at 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁦 adorning the sides.

Sketch of Osiris at the Brooklyn Museum

The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are as follows:
𓊨𓁹𓉼𓉼𓊹

It simply says “Osiris, the great god.” In this caption, Osiris is written “backwards” and without the determinative 𓀭 hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃. This was probably due to the fact that the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 would appear neater when written like this “𓊨𓁹” instead of like this “𓁹𓊨.”

Also, “great god” is written like this “𓉼𓉼𓊹” instead of this “𓉼𓊹.” It was either done to take up the appropriate amount of space (aesthetics were everything, and was much more important than proper spelling/grammar 😂) or to emphasize Osiris’ greatness. It could’ve even been for both reasons!

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum, gods and goddesses, hieroglyphs, osiris

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