For the Soul of 𓈖𓂓𓈖

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at the phrase “For the Soul of 𓈖𓂓𓈖.”

For the Soul of 𓈖𓂓𓈖 as seen on a statue at the Brooklyn Museum in Brooklyn, NY.

“For the Soul Of 𓈖𓂓𓈖” would appear as part of the Offering Formula which typically began with “𓇓𓏏𓊵𓏙 An Offering the King Gives.”

“For the Soul Of 𓈖𓂓𓈖” indicates that the offering is not only being made for the deceased person, but the soul 𓂓 of the deceased person, which demonstrates the ancient Egyptian cultural practice of the distinct parts of a person’s identity. In order to exist, a person needed to have five 𓏾 essential elements: the body 𓎛𓂝𓄼, the shadow 𓆄𓏏𓅱𓋼, the Ba 𓅡𓏤, the Ka (soul/life force) 𓂓𓏤, and the name 𓂋𓈖.

More specifically, the “ka 𓂓” or the soul is the part of the person that interacted with others (family 𓅕𓉔𓅱𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏦, friends 𓈘𓈇𓀀𓁐𓏦, even the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻) and can be thought of as the offices you held in life. Usually the list of jobs/titles/offices would follow “𓈖𓂓𓈖 For the Soul Of…” on the inscription! These memories of a person and their interactions were important to maintaining their offering cult when they died.

“For the Soul Of 𓈖𓂓𓈖” could also be written as “𓈖𓂓𓈖𓏺” with the little stroke at the end! So let’s take a closer look at the hieroglyphic symbols 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

The “ripple of water 𓈖” is a phonogram sign, and it functions as a uniliteral sign. The “𓈖” is associated with the sound of “n!” The 𓈖 has many grammatical functions on its own, and it can mean “to,” “of,” “for,” “we/us/our,” “in,” “because,” “through,” and some others! How do we know which word it is? Context clues!

The “two arms 𓂓” functions as a biliteral phonogram and an ideogram, both with the sound of “ka/k3.”

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