Continuation of the Appendix on Royal Titles and Symbols | Egyptology
Continuation of the Appendix on Royal Titles and Symbols
Funerary Temples (continued)
| Temple | Name (Transliteration) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Temple of King Thutmose I | ḫnmt-ꜥnḫ | United with Life |
| Temple of King Thutmose II | šspt-ꜥnḫ | Recipient of Life |
| Temple of Queen Hatshepsut | ḏsr ḏsrw | Holy of Holies |
| Temple of King Thutmose III | ḥnkt ꜥnḫ | Offering of Life |
| Temple of King Amenhotep II | šspt ꜥnḫ | Recipient of Life |
| Temple of King Amenhotep III at Thebes | ḫspt imn | Which Amun Receives |
| Temple of King Amenhotep III at Memphis | ḫnmt ptḥ | United with Ptah |
| Temple of King Ay | mn mnw | Enduring of Monuments |
| Temple of King Ramesses II | ḫnmt wꜣst | United with Thebes |
| Temple of King Ramesses III – Medinet Habu | ḫnmt nḥḥ | United with Eternity |
6 – The Capitals of Political Egypt
The Capital before the Unification
| Capital of the South | Transliteration | Meaning / Modern Name |
|---|---|---|
| Nekhen | nḫn | Hierakonpolis |
| Capital of the North | Transliteration | Meaning / Modern Name |
|---|---|---|
| Pe / Dep | pr-wꜣḏt | Buto (Tell el-Fara’in) |
The Capitals after the Unification
| Dynasty | Capital | Transliteration | Modern Name / Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–8 | The White Wall | inb-ḥḏ | Memphis |
| 9–10 | Heracleopolis | nn-nsw | Ihnasiya |
| 11 | Thebes | wꜣst | Thebes |
| 12 | Itj-tawy | iṯi-tꜣwy | (near Lisht) |
| 13–14 | Sakha | ḫꜣsw | Sakha |
| 15–17 | Avaris | ḥwt-wꜥrt | Avaris (Hyksos) |
| 18–20 | Thebes | wꜣst | Thebes |
| 18 (Akhenaten) | Akhetaten | ꜣḫt-itn | Tell el-Amarna |
| 19–20 | Pi-Ramesses | pr mry-imn rꜥ-ms-sw | Qantir / Pi-Ramesses |
| 21 | Tanis | ḏꜥnt | Tanis |
| 22 | Bubastis | pr-bꜣstt | Tell Basta |
| 23–24 | Sais | sꜣw | Sais |
| 26 | Sais | sꜣw | Sais |
For more details on these capitals, see: Abdel Halim Nour El-Din, The Ancient Egyptian Language, and also the website of the Egyptian Museum.
7 – Essential Vocabulary
I have chosen these few vocabulary items which I consider to represent fundamental elements in Egyptian civilisation – in architecture, the arts, religious beliefs and royal traditions – and which must therefore be known.
| Hieroglyphic Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| mr | Pyramid |
| r-pr / ḥwt-nṯr | Temple |
| is | Tomb |
| bḫnt | Pylon |
| ḏsr ḏsrw | Holy of Holies |
| wḏ | Stela |
| pr-nsw ꜥꜣ | Palace |
| sbꜣ | Door / Gateway |
| iwn | Column |
| ḳrsw | Coffin |
| ḏꜣdw | Hypostyle Hall |
| pr | House / Temple |
| ꜣḫt | Horizon |
| ipt-rsyt | Temple of Luxor |
| ipt-swt | Temple of Karnak |
| niwt | City |
| ḥrt-nṯr smt | Necropolis |
| ḏt nḥḥ | Eternity |
| tḫn | Obelisk |
| ḳrst | Burial / Funerary |
| dmi | Village / Town |
| sš | Writing / Drawing |
| ḳꜣwt | Work |
| twt | Statue |
| ḏw | Mountain |
| inr | Stone |
| iwn | Colour |
| sš | Scribe |
| ḥtpw-nṯr | Divine Offerings |
| mnw | Monument |
| rꜥ | Sun |
| ṯm | Cartouche |
| šfdw | Papyrus (roll) |
| ḫꜥw | Appearance / Rising |
| sbꜣ | Star |
| iꜥḥ | Moon |
| rsy | South |
| mḥt | North |
| ḥtp | West / Setting |
| itrw ꜥꜣ | The Great River (the Nile) |
| imntt | West |
| iꜣbtt | East |
| grḥ | Night |
| dwꜣt | The Other World |
| dšrt | Desert |
| pt | Sky |
| psḏt | Ennead |
| hrw | Day |
| nsw | King |
| nṯr | God |
| tꜣ | Land / Earth |
8 – The Formulae
1 – Formulae of Wishes and Invocations
| Formula | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ꜥnḫ wḏꜣ(w) snb(.w) | May he live, be prosperous and healthy |
These three signs each represent one of the words as follows. It is clear that the Egyptian chose the first sign from the first and third words, and the second sign from the second word, intending that all the signs should be vertical so as to appear in beautiful harmony. This formula follows the names of the kings and can be translated in more than one way, but I have chosen the most common translation. This formula also occurs after the names of individuals, especially in letters, but then it is preceded by the preposition “m” to mean “in life, prosperity and health.”
| Formula | Meaning |
|---|---|
| di ꜥnḫ | May life be given |
This is a formula also associated with the kings. It expresses the wish for life for the king, and it occurs in the passive form because the gift is granted by the god.
| Formula | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ꜥnḫ ḏt | May he live for ever |
This is a wish for the king that he may enjoy eternity in the other world.
| Formula | Meaning |
|---|---|
| di ꜥnḫ ḏt | May life be given for ever |
This is the complete formula of the two preceding ones.
| Formula | Meaning |
|---|---|
| di ꜥnḫ mi rꜥ ḏt | May life be given like Re for ever |
The formula here is more detailed and links the king with the god Re, wishing that he may live for ever like the god Re.
2 – Formula of Address
| Formula | Meaning |
|---|---|
| i nṯrw imyw dwꜣt | O gods who are in the other world |
| i ꜥnḫw | O living ones |
| i nṯrw | O gods |
3 – The Formula that begins the God’s Speech
| Formula | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ḏd mdw in imn-rꜥ | Words spoken by Amun-Re |
4 – Formula of Presentation (offering of offerings) by the King to the God
| Formula | Meaning |
|---|---|
| di.n(i) n.k ḥtp | I have given to you an offering |
Sometimes the gift is from the god to the king.
5 – Formula of the Offerings for the Deceased
| Formula | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ḥtp di nsw wsir | An offering which the king gives to Osiris |
6 – Formula of the Dedication of the Monument to the God
| Formula | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ir.n.f m mnw.f n it.f imn … | He made (it) as his monument for his father Amun … (temple, obelisk, etc.) |
7 – The Formula that occurs after the Name of the Deceased
| Formula | Meaning |
|---|---|
| imꜣḫy ḥr … mꜣꜥ-ḫrw | The revered one before …, true of voice (justified) |
8 – The Dating Formula (Year – Month – Season – Day, then the name of the king)
Example:
ḥꜣt-sp 12 ꜣbd 3 prt sw 20 ḥr ḥm n nsw-bity …
“Year 12, month 3 of the season of Winter (Peret), day 20, under the Majesty of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt …”
9 – The Offering Formula
This is among the formulae that occur frequently on the Egyptian monuments – on the façades of the tombs, the false doors, the offering tables and the coffins. It is the formula that begins with (ḥtp di nsw), that is “an offering which the king gives,” then follows the names of certain gods who were associated with this formula, the most prominent of them being Osiris and Anubis, on account of the role of the former in the other world and the role of the latter in mummification.
Among the goddesses who also appear in this formula are Isis, Nephthys, Neith and Serket, as well as the gods Sokar and Wepwawet, and the four sons of Horus (Hapy, Imsety, Duamutef and Qebehsenuef). Then the name of the god or goddess is followed by the offerings presented to the deceased, which may be solid offerings (such as bread, meat, vegetables, fruit, alabaster and clothing) or liquid (such as milk, wine, beer and oils, etc.).
The offerings are presented explicitly to the ka (the double) on the consideration that the ka – by virtue of its closeness to the deceased, whether inside the tomb or around it – will guarantee the continuity of food and drink for the deceased in the other world. As for the spirit, it has ascended to the world of the sky. The formula ends with the name of the deceased and the invocations and wishes that indicate his justification.
Perhaps the difficulty which the offering formula represents lies in the role of both the king and the god in the process of giving: does each of them grant to the deceased, or does the king present to the god who is the rightful owner of the gift? Despite all the studies that have discussed this formula from the point of view of the rules of the language, from the point of view of the meaning, and from the religious point of view, we see – by analogy with the scenes and the texts that represent the rituals of presentation which unite the king or the ordinary individual with the god – that the person is the one who approaches the god with the offerings and with every kind of gift in the hope of a reciprocal gift from the god consisting in the granting of life, kingship, authority, health and long life. Accordingly, what is intended here is that the king presents the offerings to the god (who in his turn, as the owner of the gift, presents these offerings to the deceased) on the consideration that he will care for him or help in caring for him in the other world. And because the king is the representative of the god upon the surface of the earth, and at the same time the representative of the people before the god, it was incumbent upon him to perform this role.
We shall interpret the matter in our reading of this formula by means of two examples, one of them associated with Osiris and the other with Anubis.
The Offering Formula associated with the god Osiris (as it appears in Gardiner’s Grammar):
ḥtp-di-nsw wsir nb ḏdw nṯr ꜥꜣ nb ꜣbḏw di.f prt-ḫrw (m) t ḥnḳt kꜣw ꜣpdw šs mnḫt ḫt nb(t) nfr(t) wꜥbt ꜥnḫt nṯr im n kꜣ n imꜣḫy s-n-wsrt mꜣꜥ-ḫrw
“An offering which the king gives to Osiris, Lord of Busiris, the great god, Lord of Abydos, that he may give an invocation-offering (consisting of) bread, beer, oxen, fowl, alabaster, clothing, and every good and pure thing upon which a god lives, to the ka of the revered one Senusret, true of voice.”
The Formula associated with the god Anubis:
ḥtp-di-nsw ḥtp (di) inpw ḫnty sḥ-nṯr tpy ḏw.f prt-ḫrw n.f m ḥb nb rꜥ nb ptḥ-špss
“An offering which the king gives, an offering which Anubis gives, who is at the head of the divine booth, who is upon his mountain, (that there may be) an invocation-offering for him at every festival and on every day (for the ka of) Ptahshepses.”
9 – Some of the Common Titles
First: Royal Titles
| Title | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| nb tꜣwy | nb tꜣwy | Lord of the Two Lands |
| mwt nṯr | mwt nṯr | Mother of the God |
| mwt nsw | mwt nsw | Mother of the King |
| nṯr nfr | nṯr nfr | The Good God |
| nṯr ꜥꜣ | nṯr ꜥꜣ | The Great God |
| ḥnwt tꜣwy | ḥnwt tꜣwy | Mistress of the Two Lands |
| ḥmt nṯr | ḥmt nṯr | Wife of the God |
| ḥmt nsw | ḥmt nsw | Wife of the King |
| snt nsw | snt nsw | Sister of the King |
| sꜣt nsw | sꜣt nsw | Daughter of the King |
| sꜣ nsw | sꜣ nsw | Son of the King |
Second: Non-Royal Titles
| Title | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| iry pꜥt | iry pꜥt | Hereditary Prince / Noble |
| im(y)-r pr | im(y)-r pr | Overseer of the House / Steward |
| im(y)-r | im(y)-r | Overseer |
| rḫ nsw | rḫ nsw | King’s Acquaintance |
| nbt pr | nbt pr | Mistress of the House |
| wꜥb | wꜥb | Wab-priest / Pure Priest |
| ḥm nṯr | ḥm nṯr | Prophet / Servant of the God |
| ḥm | ḥm | Servant |
| ḥꜣty-ꜥ | ḥꜣty-ꜥ | Count / Mayor |
| sš | sš | Scribe |
| ḥr(y)-ḥb(t) | ḥr(y)-ḥb(t) | Lector Priest |
| ḥm-kꜣ | ḥm-kꜣ | Ka-servant |
| ṯꜣty | ṯꜣty | Vizier |
| šmꜥyt | šmꜥyt | Chantress |
10 – Dating
There is no doubt that the arrival of the ancient Egyptian at the process of measuring time is a prominent landmark on the path of Egyptian civilisation, which occupies a clear priority in this field; for the measurement of time is a matter essential to the movement of life in any age and upon any land. Egyptian man remained for a long period of time extending over tens of thousands of years in that period (which is known as Prehistoric Egypt) not knowing how to date, because he had not yet settled upon a particular calendar, and because he had not yet known writing as an instrument of dating.
As soon as he arrived at the knowledge of agriculture, which means settlement, it was necessary for him to organise the agricultural cycle, to know the movement of the planets and the heavenly bodies, and to follow the timing of the rise and fall of the Nile. As soon as he knew writing he began to record the events of his day, and consequently the idea of the calendar began to become clearer.
It is clear that the ancient Egyptian divided the year into 12 months, and made the month a period of thirty days, so that the total of the days of the year became 360 days. He also knew the five epagomenal days which are known by the name (*hryw rnpt*). He divided the year into three seasons, each season consisting of four months, as follows:
| Season of the Inundation (Akhet) | Season of Winter (Peret) | Season of Summer (Shemu) |
|---|---|---|
| ꜣḫt | prt | šmw |
The beginning of the Egyptian year coincided with the beginning of the inundation, which coincides with the appearance of the star Sirius (Sothis), which occurs around the 19th of July in our present calendar. The ancient Egyptian used to begin the dating with the year; he did not use the word *rnpt* which is used to indicate “year” in general, but rather used a compound word which is (*ḥꜣt-sp*), then followed the year with the word indicating the month which is (*ꜣbd*), then the word indicating the season, then the day for which the Egyptian did not use the word indicating “day” in general (which is *hrw*), but rather used (*sw*); then the dating ends with the name of the king under whose reign it is dated.
Example:
ḥꜣt-sp 8 ꜣbd 3 prt sw 20 ḥr ḥm n nsw-bity ………… ꜥnḫ wḏꜣ snb
“Year 8, month 3 of the season of Winter (Peret), day 20, under the Majesty of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt ………… May he live, be prosperous and healthy.”
Module Key Takeaways
- Royal titles, symbols, and temple names formed a consistent system of Egyptian religious and political expression.
- Political capitals changed across dynasties, while essential funerary and offering formulae remained central to Egyptian monuments.
- Dating used a 365-day year divided into three seasons, beginning with the inundation and the rising of Sirius.