Sistrums with Hathor
- WORDSWORTH WORDSMITHY
- Feb 7, 2024
- 2 min read
Music ๐๐๐ธ and musicians were highly regarded in ancient Egyptian culture. I love music ๐๐๐ธ, and music ๐๐๐ is something that I cannot live without! This is a sistrum ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ, which is a musical instrument from ancient Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐ that is similar to a modern rattle or tambourine.ย
Since Hathor ๐ก was the goddess ๐น๐ of music ๐๐๐, she was portrayed on most sistrums ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ช in her human form! However, even though Hathor ๐ก is represented as a woman ๐๐๐๐๐, she is recognized easily because of her characteristic cow ๐ค๐๐๐๐ ears!ย
I love these two sistrums ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ช pictured below because while they are both from the Ptolemaic Period, they look so different! One of the sistrums ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ช is made of blue ๐ ๐๐ faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ while the other is made of silver ๐๐๐๐๐.ย
Fun fact: in ancient Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐, silver ๐๐๐๐๐ was actually considered to be more valuable because it was harder to obtain through trade! Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐ does not naturally have a lot of silver ๐๐๐๐๐!
The silver ๐๐๐๐๐ sistrum ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ has hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช on the handle, however they are very hard to read due to cracks and natural wear. The blue ๐ ๐๐ faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ one has hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช that are much easier to read!ย
Letโs read some hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช!
๐ ญ๐ณ โ Son of Ra
๐๐๐๐ โ Lord of Appearances
๐ช๐๐ฏ๐ญ๐๐๐ด โ Ptolemaios (Ptolemy I)
๐น โ Life
๐ โ Like
๐ณ๐บ โ Raย
๐๐ณ๐ โ Eternity
๐ โ Eternity
When ๐๐ณ๐ and ๐ are used in the same phrase, itโs usually translated as โEverlasting Eternityโ instead of โEternity Eternity.โย
Another way to write โLord of Appearancesโ is like this โ ๐๐๐ฅ โ using three strokes โ๐ฅโ instead of repeating the โsun over the horizon ๐๐๐๐โ hieroglyph three times! Both of these ways are the correct way to write the phrase, however the three strokes โ๐ฅโ is usually used more because it takes up less space!ย
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.ย
