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DOI Artikel:Grenfell, A.: Amuletic scarabs, etc., for the deceased
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12677#0116
AMULETIC SCARABS, ETC., FOR THE DECEASED
105
AMULETIC SCARABS, ETC., FOR THE DECEASED
" Gli oggetti cbe svelano il culto dominante
" sono gli scarabei." (G. Spano.)
" Quels que soient les rites employés, l'être
" divin pour les Égyptiens, c'est, avant tout, celui
" qui a franchi le seuil de la mort." (A. Moret.)
by
A. Grenfell
In the late dynasties the Egyptians became more mystical. Their surviving
monuments show this. Late sepulchral stelse portray the four children of Horus
standing on a lotus flower; or a picture of the solar boat is given, with the Deceased
in adoration before it, while stelse of the Xllth and earlier dynasties depict only
family scènes; the Deceased, — witli a few stereotyped emblems above, — and his
relatives; the latter bearing oiïerings, his wife sitting behind him, with a pet dog or
a monkey underneath their seats.
The same mystical tendency is shown in the choice of personal names. The in-
cised faïence pale green or blue ushabtis of the XXVIth dynasty supply numerous
examples of the then fashionable names. A XXVIth dynasty ushabti belonging to
Queen's Collège, Oxford, has a man's name written on it compounded of three gods :
Ra-Ptah-Hapi,
-—a But this mysticism is displayed above ail on the amuletic scarabs, scara-
j^pjT boids, plaques, etc., provided for the Dead, which were buried with the mummy,
^ X in order to place the Deceased under divine protection, and keep him safe from
| ^ the dangers of the next life.
~ Some of the wish-scarabs, etc., refer to this life, especially the "Happy New
]>I Year" séries :— [They are often found on the bezels of rings.] Nos. 1-8, Plate I,
are examples :
Eight Wish-scarabs which refer to this life — [Nos. 1-8]
See Plate I, 1. "May Maat (give) a happy new year!" Bower Collection.
— 2. "May Bast (give) a happy new year!" Liverpool Muséum.
— 3. "May Isis (give) a happy new year!" Cawthorne Collection.
— 4. "May Amen (give) a happy new year!" Queen's Collège, Oxford.
— 5. " May Ra give double good luck ! " Ashmolean Muséum.
— 6. "May your name be established; may you have a son." Coltman-
Clephan Collection.
7. "May Ra give a good beginning and duration" (of life). Florence
Muséum.
— 8. "May Amen (give) a happy old âge!" The verb is omitted. Fraser
Collection.
recueil, XXX.
— nouy. sér., xiv.
14
105
AMULETIC SCARABS, ETC., FOR THE DECEASED
" Gli oggetti cbe svelano il culto dominante
" sono gli scarabei." (G. Spano.)
" Quels que soient les rites employés, l'être
" divin pour les Égyptiens, c'est, avant tout, celui
" qui a franchi le seuil de la mort." (A. Moret.)
by
A. Grenfell
In the late dynasties the Egyptians became more mystical. Their surviving
monuments show this. Late sepulchral stelse portray the four children of Horus
standing on a lotus flower; or a picture of the solar boat is given, with the Deceased
in adoration before it, while stelse of the Xllth and earlier dynasties depict only
family scènes; the Deceased, — witli a few stereotyped emblems above, — and his
relatives; the latter bearing oiïerings, his wife sitting behind him, with a pet dog or
a monkey underneath their seats.
The same mystical tendency is shown in the choice of personal names. The in-
cised faïence pale green or blue ushabtis of the XXVIth dynasty supply numerous
examples of the then fashionable names. A XXVIth dynasty ushabti belonging to
Queen's Collège, Oxford, has a man's name written on it compounded of three gods :
Ra-Ptah-Hapi,
-—a But this mysticism is displayed above ail on the amuletic scarabs, scara-
j^pjT boids, plaques, etc., provided for the Dead, which were buried with the mummy,
^ X in order to place the Deceased under divine protection, and keep him safe from
| ^ the dangers of the next life.
~ Some of the wish-scarabs, etc., refer to this life, especially the "Happy New
]>I Year" séries :— [They are often found on the bezels of rings.] Nos. 1-8, Plate I,
are examples :
Eight Wish-scarabs which refer to this life — [Nos. 1-8]
See Plate I, 1. "May Maat (give) a happy new year!" Bower Collection.
— 2. "May Bast (give) a happy new year!" Liverpool Muséum.
— 3. "May Isis (give) a happy new year!" Cawthorne Collection.
— 4. "May Amen (give) a happy new year!" Queen's Collège, Oxford.
— 5. " May Ra give double good luck ! " Ashmolean Muséum.
— 6. "May your name be established; may you have a son." Coltman-
Clephan Collection.
7. "May Ra give a good beginning and duration" (of life). Florence
Muséum.
— 8. "May Amen (give) a happy old âge!" The verb is omitted. Fraser
Collection.
recueil, XXX.
— nouy. sér., xiv.
14