Who reads Egyptian hieroglyphs?

Tarot Orat

I can't figure out which forum this should go into, if anyone can think of a better one let me know! It's not specifically Tarot-related, but it's more "historical research" than chat :)

I took a year of hieroglyphic Middle Egyptian in college, using Alan Gardiner's "Egyptian Grammar" as a textbook. That was about 10 years ago, but I can still read a standard funerary inscription and if I've got a dictionary I can pick my way through longer texts.

But I don't know Early or Late Egyptian heiroglyphs, and was wondering if anyone here does. I'm trying to review a couple of Egypt-themed decks, and if the deck uses real hieroglyphic text, I would think it a cut above another deck that used random glyphs because they looked cool. However, just knowing Middle Egyptian might not be enough - if the glyphs are recognizable but I can't turn them into words, it might be because it's in Early or Late Egyptian, not because the artist made it up. I'd like to make sure before submitting a review!
 

AJ

I wish I did.
Please let us know what you discover. My Ancient Egyptian and Nefertari are two favorites, it would be lovely to know if they were the 'real deal'. I'm guessing Barrett's is and Alasia's aren't. Never even crossed my mind to check them against a hieroglyph dictionary.
 

Tarot Orat

AJ said:
My Ancient Egyptian and Nefertari are two favorites

I don't have either of those, but I do have the Tarots of the Sphinx, which I think is the Nefertari without all the gold on it! That's the one I'm trying to figure out right now. I looked at the Ancient Egyptian sample cards in the deck review here, and wow, they're gorgeous! I'll see if I can make out anything in the hieroglyphic borders when I get home to my Egyptian dictionary tonight...I'll be squinting though :)
 

Bernice

"Bernice" in hiroglypic

I have an egyptian hiroglyphic program, free from Egypt's Tourism Net. I've no idea how valid this may be. The software is called, "Cheops Tra".

I typed in my name = bernice. The attached image is what it returned.

Tarot Orat, would this be of any use?


Bee :)
 

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Tarot Orat

Bernice said:
I have an egyptian hiroglyphic program, free from Egypt's Tourism Net. I've no idea how valid this may be. The software is called, "Cheops Tra".

I typed in my name = bernice. The attached image is what it returned.

Tarot Orat, would this be of any use?


Bee :)


I'm trying to get out of hieroglyphs into English, and my dictionary is fine for that. But I can tell you that your program is valid! (Other than using an "A" instead of an "E" because there's no "E" in hieroglyphs.) If you time-traveled back to ancient Egypt, you could put that on your calling card :)
 

Bernice

.....If you time-traveled back to ancient Egypt, you could put that on your calling card.
Cheers TO. Thank you for that. I used this software to help create my 'egyptian oracle', you've confirmed that the hiros' are valid :)

Bee :)

ETA: Hiroglyphic numbers are also in the program. Might help? See attached.
 

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Tarot Orat

Bernice said:
Cheers TO. Thank you for that. I used this software to help create my 'egyptian oracle', you've confirmed that the hiros' are valid :)

Bee :)

ETA: Hiroglyphic numbers are also in the program. Might help? See attached.

Wow, those numbers are totally the real thing! Pretty colors, too :) What's your Egyptian oracle like? I'd be interested in seeing how you used the hieroglyphs! Now I can't WAIT to get home and look at my Tarots of the Sphinx again :)
 

Bernice

Here you go TO, attached are a couple of the images. They're nothing special, but fine for me :)

Bee :)
 

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Tarot Orat

Cool! "Sesh" means "scribe" so "Sesheta" could be one of the gods for scribes. (Thoth was the main one, but there were a lot of gods to go around!)
 

Bernice

Hi TO,

Sesheta existed before Thoth rose to recognition/fame. Thoth 'assimilated' her attributes, along with her Temple. Yes, she was a scribe with other special duties as well.

Also, Thoth was not the orginal Moon God, he 'assimilated' that office too. In fact 90% of his attributes were assimilated (pinched) from other older gods.

Our modern take on the egyptian deities arn't truly 'historical'. This is why Dua & Hike are also in my deck along with a few other ancient/valid 'gods'. They were recognised on a daily basis for ages by the Kemet (egyptian) people.


Bee :)