The Hieroglyphics of Horapollo Nilous

[Josie Linde]

face, and about it hairs like rays in resemblance of the sun; and hence it is, that they place lions under the throne of Horus, intimating the connexion of the animal with the god. And the sun is called Horus from presiding over the Hours.

[Josie Linde]

Footnotes

38:1

I. The Lion signifying Lord.—Sh. 770.

II. Lions supporting the sun in his resting place; from Thebes about the beginning of the 18th dynasty.

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XVIII. HOW THEY DENOTE STRENGTH.

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To denote strength, they pourtray the FOREPARTS OF A LION, because these are the most powerful members of his body.

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Footnotes

39:1 This hieroglyphic signifies "Powerful;" and the head by itself "Victrix," as it occurs in Nitocris or Neith victrix.

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XIX. HOW THEY DENOTE A WATCHFUL PERSON.

[Josie Linde]

To denote a watchful person, or even a guard, they pourtray the HEAD OF A LION, because the lion, when awake, closes his eyes, but when asleep keeps them open, which is a sign of watching. Wherefore at the gates of the temples they have symbolically appropriated lions as guardians.

[Josie Linde]

Footnotes

40:1

II. Watchful.

I. III. Andro-Sphinxes, and Crio-Sphinxes, were almost universally placed in the dromos of a temple. The magnificent lions, presented by Lord Prudhoe to the British Museum, are from Napata, now Gebel B

[Josie Linde]

XX. HOW THE TERRIBLE.

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To signify the terrible they make use of the SAME SYMBOL, 1 because this animal, being the most powerful, terrifies all who behold it.

[Josie Linde]

Footnotes

41:1 See Chap. XVIII.

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XXI. HOW THE RISING OF THE NILE.

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To signify the rising of the Nile, which they call in the

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[Josie Linde]

 Egyptian language NOUN, and which, when interpreted, signifies New, they sometimes pourtray a LION, and sometimes THREE LARGE WATERPOTS, and at other times HEAVEN AND EARTH GUSHING FORTH WITH WATER. And they depict a LION, because when the sun is in Leo it augments the rising of the Nile, so that oftentimes while the sun remains in that sign of the zodiac, half of the new water [Noun, the entire inundation?] is supplied; and hence it is, that those who anciently presided over the sacred works, have made the spouts [?] and passages of the sacred fountains in the form of lions. 1

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[Josie Linde]

 Wherefore, even to this day in prayer for an abundant inundation - - - - - - - - - And they depict THREE WATERPOTS, or HEAVEN AND EARTH GUSHING FORTH WITH WATER, because they make a waterpot like a heart having a tongue,—like a heart, because in their opinion the heart is the ruling member of the body, as the Nile is the ruler of Egypt, and like [a heart with?] a tongue, because it is always in a state of humidity, and they call it the producer of existence. And they depict three waterpots, and neither more nor less, because according to them there is a triple cause of the inundation. And they depict one for the Egyptian soil, as being of itself productive of water; and another for the ocean, for at the period of the inundation,

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