Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 15:23:42 -0000 From: Jose Barrios Garcia To: EEF List Subject: A picture in Tutankhamun's Tomb Dear List members, I am trying too obtain information about a picture at the Tutankhamun funerary chamber. The one I am interested in, is located behind the head of the Pharaon (I think it is on the western wall of the chamber), despicting a rectangular lattice with 12 cells disposed in 3 files and 4 column. Each one of the cells despicting a monkey and some black and red hieroglyphics. The only information I have is very vague, and says that this particular picture shows the 12 hours of the duat (it does not seems to appear in Marshall Clagget's book on Ancient Egyptian Science, 1995, vol. 2). Anybody could provide me with a literal transliteration / translation of the black and red hierogliphic signs appearing in each one of the squares. Also, there is any possiblity that the monkey appearing in each one of the squares could represent the moon, so the 12 squares could represent the 12 months of a lunar year? Many thanks for your help! Yours - Jose Barrios University of La Laguna Canary Islands ---------- Date: Tue, 8 Dec 1998 20:34:11 +-100 From: Aayko Eyma To: 'EEF List' Subject: EEF: A picture in Tutankhamun's Tomb Dear Jose, >I am trying too obtain information about a picture at the Tutankhamun >funerary chamber. The one I am interested in, is located behind the head of >the Pharaon (I think it is on the western wall of the chamber), despicting a >rectangular lattice with 12 cells disposed in 3 files and 4 column. Each one >of the cells despicting a monkey and some black and red hieroglyphics. >Anybody could provide me with a literal transliteration / translation of the >black and red hierogliphic signs appearing in each one of the squares. >Also, there is any possiblity that the monkey appearing in each one of the >squares could represent the moon, so the 12 squares could represent the 12 >months of a lunar year? ***Yes, they are on the western wall and are the baboons that greet the rising sun in the first hour of the Amduat book. So they are not lunar. [In the Amduat book of Tutmosis III you have 9 baboons in cells on the top row (they open the ways for Re) and 9 baboons in cells on the below row (they make music when Re enters the netherworld). In both rows there is a 'rhythm' of 12-9-12-9 figures, hence in this case the 9 baboons and not 12, I suspect.] In Tutankhamun's tomb, the red and black glyphs spell the names of the animal/god: sometimes the same name spelled differently, sometimes slightly different forms of the same name. I'll give both red/black below. (Q: what is the AE idea behind this doublure?) I do not have full pictures of the western wall, but this is visible: right column (cells top to bottom:) 1) Ib-ta (jb-t3 / j-b-t3) 2) Ibib-ta (jb-jb-t3 / j-b-j-b-t3) 3) Hekenu (j-k-n-nw / {A26} ) second column 1) Benti (b-n-t-y / b-n-tj) 2) Ifu (j-f-w / j-f-j) 3) Djehdjeh (D-H-D-H / d-H-d-H) thirth column [not visible to me] fourth column 1) Hetjti (2x h-T-t-y) 2) Patjetj (2x p-p3-T-T) 3) Besa (2 x b-z-[3]) Best wishes, Aayko Eyma ------ Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1998 00:14:05 +0100 From: Michael Tilgner To: 'Egyptologist's Electronic Forum' Subject: EEF: A picture in Tutankhamun's Tomb (long) Jose Barrios wrote: > I am trying too obtain information about a picture at the Tutankhamun > funerary chamber. The one I am interested in, is located behind the head of > the Pharaon (I think it is on the western wall of the chamber), despicting a > rectangular lattice with 12 cells disposed in 3 files and 4 column. Each one > of the cells despicting a monkey and some black and red hieroglyphics. > Anybody could provide me with a literal transliteration / translation of the > black and red hierogliphic signs appearing in each one of the squares. > Also, there is any possiblity that the monkey appearing in each one of the > squares could represent the moon, so the 12 squares could represent the 12 > months of a lunar year? In addition to Aayko's answer: A complete photograph of the west wall can be found in: Treasures of Tutankhamun, London, 1972, p. 44 and - less accessible, but of better quality - in: Alexandre Piankoff, The Shrines of Tut-ankh-Amun, New York, 1955, pl. 8; both are b/w. Other books have only partial views, though in color. Tutankhamun's tomb is described in some detail by Georg Steindorff, Die Grabkammer des Tutanchamun [the burial chamber of Tutankhamun], ASAE 38, 641-667 (1938). I also used Erik Hornung, Das Amduat - Die Schrift des verborgenen Raumes [the Amduat - the writing of the hidden chamber], 3 vols., Wiesbaden, 1963-67 (AeA 7 and 13) On top there is a long pt [= sky] hieroglyph over the whole scene. Next there are two inscriptions, both in reversed writing. (1) On the right side: mAa.ti sTA[.w] nTr pn m mskt.t sqdi.t m arry.t nt niw.t tn "The Two Truths pull this god in the night-bark which sails in the gateway of this place" The wording is corrupted; the signs are not in the proper order. Only by comparing it with the text of, for example, Amenophis II one can find its original meaning. This sentence belongs to the first half of the middle register of the first hour of the Amduat. Some remarks: - mAa.ti: the "Two Truths" are well-known since the time of the pyramid texts; also in the BD spell 125 "the Hall of the Two Truths". Later at the end of the first hour they are called "the Two Daughters of Re". - m mskt.t: the m must be read twice. - niw.t: originally "town", designates the region of one night hour; sometimes similar in the BD; note: niw.t n.t nHH "City of Eternity = Necropolis" (2) On the left side: [missing: arry.t tn] app nTr pn Hr-sn m sr "[... (and) this gateway] which this god passes by as a ram" Again the sentence is corrupted; the signs are out of order. This is the beginning of the second part of the middle register. Remark: - seems to continue the last sentence of the first part of the middle register [not cited in Tutankhamun's tomb] which ends "this god begins ... to take care of those in the Netherworld near this field ..."; otherwise it would be difficult to explain the Hr-sn. Below this line are two scenes: (1) On the right side are five gods (from right to left): mAa.t woman with maat-hieroglyph on her head; nb.t wiA "Mistress of bark" a goddess of the respective night hour or probably Hathor, who is member of the crew since the time of the CT, or both; Hr[-Hknw] the falcon-headed "Horus, who praises" (?); kA-mAa.t "bull of Maat" a god; nHs a god, known almost only from the Amduat. The last four of these gods are from the night bark in the first part of the middle register; here shown without the bark! (2) On the left side: a sun-bark; at its bow is an wDA.t-eye. This bark is called wiA-xprr "bark of Khepri" in the final section of the first hour. The sun-god is shown as a scarab and called xprr, beside him are two Osiris, one looking to the right, the other one to the left, worshipping Khepri in the dwA-attitude. The scarab is with the sun-god from the very beginning of the night in the company of Osiris: The rejuvenated sun is worshipped by the dead sun! - This scene is part of the lower part of the middle register. Now the baboons are depicted looking to the right with their names written twice, once in red, once in black - see below. The names had been transcribed by Aayko, some explanations and additions follow: Below the right scene: 2nd column from the right (1) bnti "baboon" from bnt "baboon", possibly a dual or nisbe (2) ifw/ifi "*who is cheering (someone)"; * means: unclear, not yet provable (3) DHDH/dHdH "?" meaning unclear - there is a god in human form (n) DHDH as one of the seven spirits who protects the body of Osiris (BD 17) 1st column from the right (4) ib-tA "heart of the Earth" - no parallel known (5) ibib-tA "darling of the Earth" - ibib "statue" (Hannig, p. 41) may also be possible - not known anywhere else (6) iknw (Hknw) "a praising one" from Hkn "to praise" (p. 565) - Hknw or composita with Hknw designate divine beings in the guides to the next world. Below the left scene: 1st column from the left (7) hTti "baboon" from hTt "baboon" (8) pATT "?" meaning unclear, ancient name for a baboon in the Pyr. 505 (9) bsy "fiery one", also written with Q7 "flame" 2nd column from the left (10) Hkn[w]-m-bs=f "who is praising with his flame"; bs is often written with Q7 "flame" (11) ibAw "dancer" - the ibA-dance can be found in the funerary cult, but designate also the dance of baboons, ostriches, and men in front of the sun-god (12) name missing (1)-(6) belong to the baboons of the upper register, the remaining (7)-(11) to the baboons of the lower register of the complete drawing of the first hour of the Amduat. What is the meaning of all this? The Amduat of Amenophis II has the following inscription above the 9 baboons of the upper register: "Names of the gods who open (the doors) for the great Ba" and the inscription above the baboons of the lower register is: "Names of the gods who praises Re when he enters the Netherworld." The role of baboons as worshippers of the sun-god is well-known. But there is also a relation to Thoth who is often depicted in the form of a baboon, and to the Moon; however, not in the Amduat. It is clear now that the west wall consists of some fragments of the first hour of the Amduat, but they do not form a consistent scene; therefore it is not possible to find its meaning without resorting to a full version of the Amduat. In addition the writing is corrupted. - A similar painting can be found in the tomb of Aye. Aayko Eyma wrote: > In Tutankhamun's tomb, the red and black glyphs spell > the names of the animal/god: sometimes the same > name spelled differently, sometimes slightly different > forms of the same name. I'll give both red/black below. > (Q: what is the AE idea behind this doublure?) The red inscription is the "explanation" of the black enigmatic or cryptographic form. Black M17-D58-M17-D58-N16 ibib-tA is made clear by F34*F34:N16; similar black A26 Hknw by red V28-V31:N35-W24-G43-A26 etc. A detailed discussion can be found in: Hermann Grapow, Studien zu den thebanischen Koenigsgraebern [studies on the Theban royal tombs], ZAeS 72, 12-39 (1936), especially the section "The enigmatic writing system in the large (version) of the Amduat", pp. 24-29 The reason why some passages had been written cryptographically is not clear. However, LAe II, 1189-1199, s.v. "Hieroglyphen", section H. Cryptography: "In some cases the intention was to clothe a religious text in mystery; in others it was not so much to conceal the meaning as to intrigue the reader; thus a passing scribe might be tempted to voice the texts of a statue or stela placed in the precincts of a temple, and so pass its benefits on to the deceased owner." (1196) Season's Greetings, Michael Tilgner mtilgner@baan.nl