The Hieroglyphics of Horapollo Nilous

[Josie Linde]

p. 7

II. HOW THE UNIVERSE.

When they would represent the universe, they delineate a SERPENT bespeckled with variegated scales, devouring its own tail; by the scales intimating the stars in the universe. The animal is also extremely heavy, as is the earth, and extremely slippery, like the water: moreover, it every year puts off its old age with its skin, as in the universe the annual period effects a corresponding


p. 8

change, and becomes renovated. And the making use of its own body for food implies, that all things whatsoever, that are generated by divine providence in the world, undergo a corruption 1 into it again.



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Footnotes
7:1


I. II. III. The three species of serpents found upon the monuments.

The figures of the god Atmou sometimes exhibit instances of a serpent with its tail in its mouth. See Pl. I. fig. 1. Perhaps the nearest known approximation to the text is the serpent running round the lid of the sarcophagus of Ramesses III. at Cambridge, which rusts its head upon its tail, and may indicate the Universe.

8:1 De Pauw proposes εἰς αυτὸ, or εἰς αὑτὰ, which Leemans adopts. But it simply refers to the ancient doctrine of Generation and Corruption. See Arist. de Gen. et Cor.



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[Josie Linde]

III. HOW A YEAR.

[Josie Linde]

When they would represent a year, they delineate


p. 9

[Josie Linde]

 ISIS, i. e. a woman. By the same symbol they also represent the goddess. Now Isis is with them a star, called in Egyptian, Sothis, but in Greek Astrocyon, [the Dog' star]; which seems also to preside over the other stars, inasmuch as it sometimes rises greater, and at other times less; sometimes brighter, and at other times not so; and moreover, because according to the rising of this star we shew all the events of the ensuing year: 1 therefore not without reason do they call the year Isis. When they would represent the year otherwise, they delineate a PALM TREE 2 [BRANCH], because of all others this tree alone at each renovation of the



p. 10

moon produces one additional branch, so that in twelve branches the year is completed.


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[Josie Linde]

Footnotes
8:2

I. A year.

II. ISIS SOTHIS, from the ceiling of the Ramesseion.

III. The palm branch; on which Thoth measures time.



9:1 Regulate the calendar.

9:2 Qy. A palm branch, Sharpe, 636. Clemens Alex. describing a procession, states that the Horoscopus carries a φοίνικα, which evidently must imply a palm branch. See passage of Clemens in the Appendix.



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[Josie Linde]

IV. HOW A MONTH.



 1

To represent a month they delineate a PALM BRANCH, or, the MOON INVERTED.

[Josie Linde]

A palm branch for the reason before mentioned respecting the palm tree; and the moon inverted, because they say, that, in its increase, when it has come to fifteen degrees, 1 it appears in figure with its horns erect; and in its decrease, after having completed the number of thirty days, 2 it sets with its horns inverted.


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[Josie Linde]

Footnotes
10:1


I. II. A month.

III. The twelve months, divided into three seasons:


Season of Vegetation.
 
Thoth.
 Paophi.
 Hathor.
 Choiak.
 
Season of Harvest.
 
Toby.
 Mechir.
 Phamenoth.
 Pharmuthi.
 
Season of Inundation.
 
Pachon.
 Paoni.
 Epiphi.
 Mesori.
 

 




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[Josie Linde]

V. HOW THE CURRENT OR CIVIL YEAR.



'To represent the current year, they depict [with the sign of the year?] the fourth

[Josie Linde]

p. 12

part of an ARURA: now the Arura is a measure of land of an hundred cubits. And when they would express a year they say a quarter [add the quarter?]: 1 for they affirm that in the rising of the star Sothis, 2 the fourth part of a day intervenes between the (completion of the solar year and the) following rising (of the star Sothis), because the year of the God [the solar year] consists of only 365 days; 3 hence in the course of each tetracterid 4 the Egyptians intercalate an entire day, for the four quarters complete the day.






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[Josie Linde]

Footnotes
11:3


I. Year as used in dates that refer to the reigns of kings or ages of individuals.

II. Year as an interval of time.—Sh. 634, 633.



11:1 During the first fifteen days?

11:2 During the last fifteen days.

12:1 Substitute a square?

12:2 i.e. calculating according to Sothic time.

12:3 Salm. and De Pauw suggest, and Leem has ventured to insert in the text καὶ τετάρου, i.e. and a quarter, which entirely destroys the passage. Mr. Wilkinson says, "They had two years, one intercalated, the other not: the former was calculated from the Heliacal rising of the Dogstar, to that of the ensuing year, and was hence called the Sothic year: it had also the name of Squared year, from the intercalation; and when expressed in hieroglyphics a square is placed instead of the globe of the solar year, which last was used in the dates of their tablets, that refer to the reigns of kings or ages of individuals." Mat. Hier. part ii. p. 134.

12:4 The period of four Julian years.



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[Josie Linde]

p. 13

VI. WHAT THEY SIGNIFY BY DELINEATING A HAWK.

[Josie Linde]

When they would signify God, or height, or lowness, or excellence, or blood, or victory, (or Ares, or Aphrodite,) [Hor or Hathor] 2, they delineate a HAWK. They symbolize by it God, because the bird is prolific and long-lived, or perhaps rather because it seems to be an image of the sun, being capable of looking more intently towards his rays than all other winged creatures: and hence physicians for the cure of the eyes use the herb hawkweed: hence



p. 14

[Josie Linde]

also it is, that under the form of a HAWK, they sometimes depict the sun as lord of vision. And they use it to denote height, because other birds, when they would soar on high, move themselves from side to side, being incapable of ascending vertically; but the hawk alone soars directly upwards. And they use it as a symbol of lowness, because other animals move not in a vertical line, but descend obliquely; the hawk, however, stoops directly down upon any thing beneath it. And they use it to denote excellence, because it appears to excel all birds—and for blood, because they say that this animal does not drink water, but blood—and for victory, because it shews itself capable of overcoming every winged creature; for when pressed by some more powerful bird, it directly turns itself in the air upon its

p. 15

back, and fights with its claws extended upwards, and its wings and back below; and its opponent being unable to do the. like, is overcome.


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[Josie Linde]

Footnotes
13:1


I. RA or PHRA, the Sun, also HOR.—Sh. 110.

II. HATHOR.

III. This figure is constantly found over the head of the Egyptian kings in the representations of their victories, as well as upon other occasions.



13:2 Ald. and Treb. omit.



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