The king in front of a god

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The king in front of a god

Many a scene in Egyptian iconography, represents the king accomplishing some ritual in front of a god.

Usually, the name of the ritual is written in front of the king, and the discourse of the god is in front of him.

Important words, here, are:

$\htimage {\begin{hieroglyph} {\leavevmode \Hunh{\ligAROBDd }\Hitmts \Hunh{\Aca S/47/}\Hitmts \Hunh{\Aca M/17/}\Hrp \Hunh{\Aca N/35/}}\end{hieroglyph}}$ ``Djed medou in'', Words spoken by (A god), which introduce the speech of a god.
$\htimage {\begin{hieroglyph} {\leavevmode \Hbt{\HhbtI{\Aca D/39/}\Hhbt{\Aca N/35/}\Hhbt{\Aca N/35/}\Hhbt{\Aca V/31/}}}\end{hieroglyph}}$ or $\htimage {\begin{hieroglyph} {\leavevmode \Hbt{\HhbtI{\Aca X/9/}\Hhbt{\Aca N/35/}\Hhbt{\Aca N/35/}\Hhbt{\Aca V/31/}}}\end{hieroglyph}}$ , ``I give you'', which introduce the list of things the god gives to the king.

For example, in figure 2, The texts translate:

Ramesses

above him: $\htimage {\begin{hieroglyph} {\leavevmode \Hbt{\HhbtI{\Aca V/30/}\Hhbt{\Aca N/16... ...ca F/31/\hfill\Aca H/6/}\Hhbt{\Aca O/34/}\Hhbt{\Aca O/34/}}} }\end{hieroglyph}}$
The lord of the Two lands, Ouser-Maat-Re-Setep-en-Amon, the Lord of the crowns, Ramesses, beloved of Amon, Ruler of truth.
in front of him: $\htimage {\begin{hieroglyph} {\leavevmode \Hunh{\Aca D/41/}\Hitmts \Hbt{\HhbtI{\... ...\Aca S/37/}}\Hitmts \Hbt{\HhbtI{\ligAROBDt}\Hhbt{\Aca N/17/}}}\end{hieroglyph}}$
giving Maat to his father Amon, after he had given (to Ramses) eternal life
note that the name of Amon should in theory be spelled $\htimage {\begin{hieroglyph} {\leavevmode \Hunh{\Aca M/17/}\Hrp \Hbt{\HhbtI{\Aca Y/5/}\Hhbt{\Aca N/35/}}}\end{hieroglyph}}$ In this case, the name Amon is reversed and written in the normal direction for texts spoken by Amon, although it is part of the king's speech. It's yet another sign play: the figure of Amon is here used as a giant determinative for the word. But if the word was written

Amon

$\htimage {\begin{hieroglyph} {\leavevmode \Hbt{\HhbtI{\Hqrtesp }\Hhbt{\Aca S/47/... ...\Hbt{\HhbtI{\Aca N/5/}\Hhbt{\Aca Z/1/}}\Hrp \Hunh{\Aca W/21/}}\end{hieroglyph}}$

Words said by Amon-Re, Lord of the thrones of the Two Lands: ``I give to you life, stability, power, like (those of) Re''

khonsu

$\htimage {\begin{hieroglyph} {\leavevmode \Hbt{\HhbtI{\Hqrtesp }\Hhbt{\Aca S/47/... ...\Hhbt{\Aca D/61/}}\Hrp \Hunh{\Aca Y/9/}\Hrp \Hunh{\Aca V/30/}}\end{hieroglyph}}$

Words said by Khonsu Nefer-Hotep: ``I give to you all health''

An interesting feature of this picture is that the offering of Maat, that is, ``justice'', ``cosmic order'', is usually depicted $\htimage {\begin{hieroglyph} {\leavevmode \Hbt{\HhbtI{\Aca C/10/}\Hhbt{\Aca V/30/}}}\end{hieroglyph}}$ Here, it's an elaborate hieroglyphic composition writing the name of Ramses, Ouser-Maat-Re: $\htimage {\begin{hieroglyph} {\leavevmode \Hbt{\HhbtI{\Aca F/12/\hfill\Hbti{\Hhb... ...ca N/5/}}\Hhbt{\Hqrtesp }}\hfill\Aca C/10/}\Hhbt{\Aca V/30/}}}\end{hieroglyph}}$ The hieroglyph $\htimage {\begin{hieroglyph} {\leavevmode \Hunh{\Aca V/30/}}\end{hieroglyph}}$ which can be used to write both the adjective ``all'', ``every'', and the word ``lord'', can have here the two readings, to mean ``lord, possessor of Maat'', ``the Lord Ouser-Maat-Re'', and ``all the Maat''. This multiplicity of readings is most probably intended.

Next: If you can write, Up: Stereotyped formulas Previous: Offering Formula

Serge Rosmorduc
2/26/1998