The Hieroglyphics of Horapollo Nilous

[Josie Linde]

LII. HOW THEY REPRESENT KNOWLEDGE.

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To represent knowledge, they delineate an ANT, for

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whatever a man may carefully conceal, this creature obtains a knowledge of: and not for this reason only, but also because beyond all other animals when it is providing for itself its winter's food, it never deviates from its home, but arrives at it unerringly.

[Josie Linde]

LIII. HOW THEY REPRESENT A SON.

[Josie Linde]

When they would denote a son, they delineate a CHENALOPEX (a species of goose). For this animal is excessively fond of its offspring, and if ever it is pursued so as to be in danger of being taken with its young, both the father and mother voluntarily give themselves up to the pursuers, that

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their offspring may be saved; and for this reason the Egyptians have thought fit to consecrate this animal.

[Josie Linde]

Footnotes

73:1

I. The Goose signifies a Son; and with the globe, Son of the Sun, the common title of the Pharaoh.

[Josie Linde]

LIV. HOW A FOOL.

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When they depict a PELICAN, they signify both a fool, and an idiot, because although like other winged creatures it is able to deposit its eggs on the higher places, it does not, but it merely scrapes up the earth and there lays its eggs. And the people observing this, surround the place with dried cows’ dung, to which they apply fire. And when the pelican sees the smoke, by endeavouring to extinguish the fire with its wings, she on the contrary kindles it by their motion: and thus, her wings being burnt by the fire, she easily becomes a prey for the

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fowlers. And because it enters into the contest simply for the sake of its young, the priests consider it unlawful to eat it. But the rest of the Egyptians eat it, alleging that the pelican does not enter into the contest with discretion, as do the geese, but with folly.

[Josie Linde]

LV. HOW THEY REPRESENT GRATITUDE.

[Josie Linde]

To represent gratitude, they delineate a CUCUPHA, because this is the only one of dumb animals, which, after it has been brought up by its parents,

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repays their kindness to them when they are old. For it makes them a nest in the place where it was brought up by them, and trims their wings, and brings them food, till the parents acquire a new plumage, and are able to assist themselves: whence it is that the Cucupha is honored by being placed as an ornament upon the sceptres of the gods.

[Josie Linde]

Footnotes

75:1

The top of the sceptre placed in the hands of the gods is ornamented with a crated head which appears to be that of some beast, but was evidently considered by Horapollo to be the Hoopoo of Egypt. See Ch. 8. and title page.

[Josie Linde]

LVI. HOW AN UNJUST AND UNGRATEFUL MAN.

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To symbolize an unjust and ungrateful man, they depict TWO CLAWS OF AN HIPPOPOTAMUS TURNED DOWNWARDS.

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[Josie Linde]

For this animal when arrived at its prime of life contends in fight against his father, to try which is the stronger of the two, and should the father give way he assigns him a place of residence, permitting him to live, and consorts himself with his own mother; but if his father should not permit him to hold intercourse with his mother, he kills him, being the stronger and more vigorous of the two. And they make use of the lowest parts of the hippopotamus, the two claws, that men seeing this, and understanding the story of it, may be more inclined to kindness.

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Footnotes

76:1

I. II. Typhonian figures.

II. Has the body of an hippopotamus.

http://sacred-texts.com/egy/hh/hh058.htm

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LVII. HOW ONE WHO 1S UNGRATEFUL TO HIS BENEFACTORS.