DOI issue:
Nr. 3
DOI article:Lipińska, Jadwiga: Some problems of the funerary figures of Egyptian God Ptah-Sokaris-Osiris
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17136#0075
Jadwiga Lipińska-BoJdok
SOME PROBLEMS OF THE FUNERARY FIGURES OF EGYPTIAN
GOD PTAH-SOKARIS-OSIRIS.
In the Egyptian art we can see among the statues of gods some, rather rare, represerr
ting a curious triune god named Ptah-Sokaris-Osiris. Such statues were made as standing
mummy-shaped figures, having human, or sometimes falcon heads, wearing a crown whieh
consists of a pair of feathers mounted on horizontal horns, with the sun-disc between them.
Those statues were set on special pedestals, on one side of which is a rectangular cavity
containing a smali roli of inscribed papyrus or mummified portions of the bodies of deceased
persons, whose names were inscribed upon them. Inscriptions cover often both front and back-
sidc of the figures and are placed in vertical columns of the texts. Sometimes these statues
had no inscriptions.
The shape shows a mixture of appearances and characteristic features of the three gods.
The body received its form from the body of Osiris, the feather crown represents the crown of
Sokaris (or Ptah-Tatenen), the falcon's head also figured the god Sokaris; Ptah occurs,
as it seems, in hidden shape, only the pedestals in the form of sign maat are like that of
Ptah. Those statues were placed in the tombs beside the sarcophagi, near the heads of the
dead.1 The idea seems to be elear — the body of the deceased had got the special protection
of god Ptah, one of the creators, and of two powerful mortuary gods — Sokaris and Osiris.
Let us acąuaint ourselves with the matter of this remarkable triune of gods from its begin-
ning. During the period of the Old Kingdom Sokaris acąuired his peculiar appearance: a mound-
like base on which a falcon's head is placed. sometimes with dropping wings. Afterwards
Sokaris was often represented as a falcon with, or without a human body. Sometimes he was
depicted as a man with a feather crown on his head.
The identification of the Ptah and Sokaris is as old as the time of the Old Kingdom.2
It seems rather simple, owing to the syneretistic tendency in Egyptian religion that Sokaris
and Ptah came to be identified. Ptah was the main god in Memphis, Sokaris was worshipped
as the mortuary god of the cemetery of Memphis, called Sakkara.3 Sokaris had associations
with agriculture and craftmanship and those two traits seem to be common in the naturę
of Ptah and Sokaris, but it is possible that Sokaris borrowed them from Ptah.4 The
place, where representations of Ptah-Sokaris can best be studied is the chapel of the mor-
tuary tempie of Seti I at Abydos, where Ptah-Sokaris is repeatedly mentioned and
represented with different variations.
The next identification, of Sokaris and Osiris appeared also as far back as the time of the
Old Kingdom, and it is stated in the Pyramid Texts.5 Osiris probably was worshipped in the
tempie of Sokaris in the Memphis district, at least from the time of Shabaka we have a sta-
tement that Osiris was buried in the tempie of Sokaris.6 This union seems very elear
sińce the cult of Osiris was growing all over Egypt and a natural tendency was to perso-
nify in him many loeal mortuary gods. Even one of the greatest, Sokaris, happened to be
included into the cult of Osiris.
1. Cf. J. Garstang, The Burial Cusloms of Ancient F.gypl, London, 1907, p. 203; fig. 216.
2. Cf. A. Erman, Die Religion der Agypler, Berlin —Lcipzig, 1934, p. 49.
3. The lianie of the cemetery is probably derived from the name of the god.
4. The statement of M.S. Holmberg. that M. . . Ptah, from an early date had the eharacter of a craftsmaii, a mortuary
god nnd a god of vegelation", and Jaler that Ptah and Sokaris didtft need to horrow the traits from one another,
seems to go too far; espccially at the point where the god Ptah is regardcd as a nuutuary god. Cf.M.S. Holmberg,
The God Ptah, Lund, 1946, p. 138.
5. Cf. Pyr. 1256 c.
6. 11. Junker, Die Gótlerlehrc tom Memphis, Berlin, 1940, p. 36; H. Kees, Gótlerglaube . . ., Berlin, 1956, p. 293.
75
SOME PROBLEMS OF THE FUNERARY FIGURES OF EGYPTIAN
GOD PTAH-SOKARIS-OSIRIS.
In the Egyptian art we can see among the statues of gods some, rather rare, represerr
ting a curious triune god named Ptah-Sokaris-Osiris. Such statues were made as standing
mummy-shaped figures, having human, or sometimes falcon heads, wearing a crown whieh
consists of a pair of feathers mounted on horizontal horns, with the sun-disc between them.
Those statues were set on special pedestals, on one side of which is a rectangular cavity
containing a smali roli of inscribed papyrus or mummified portions of the bodies of deceased
persons, whose names were inscribed upon them. Inscriptions cover often both front and back-
sidc of the figures and are placed in vertical columns of the texts. Sometimes these statues
had no inscriptions.
The shape shows a mixture of appearances and characteristic features of the three gods.
The body received its form from the body of Osiris, the feather crown represents the crown of
Sokaris (or Ptah-Tatenen), the falcon's head also figured the god Sokaris; Ptah occurs,
as it seems, in hidden shape, only the pedestals in the form of sign maat are like that of
Ptah. Those statues were placed in the tombs beside the sarcophagi, near the heads of the
dead.1 The idea seems to be elear — the body of the deceased had got the special protection
of god Ptah, one of the creators, and of two powerful mortuary gods — Sokaris and Osiris.
Let us acąuaint ourselves with the matter of this remarkable triune of gods from its begin-
ning. During the period of the Old Kingdom Sokaris acąuired his peculiar appearance: a mound-
like base on which a falcon's head is placed. sometimes with dropping wings. Afterwards
Sokaris was often represented as a falcon with, or without a human body. Sometimes he was
depicted as a man with a feather crown on his head.
The identification of the Ptah and Sokaris is as old as the time of the Old Kingdom.2
It seems rather simple, owing to the syneretistic tendency in Egyptian religion that Sokaris
and Ptah came to be identified. Ptah was the main god in Memphis, Sokaris was worshipped
as the mortuary god of the cemetery of Memphis, called Sakkara.3 Sokaris had associations
with agriculture and craftmanship and those two traits seem to be common in the naturę
of Ptah and Sokaris, but it is possible that Sokaris borrowed them from Ptah.4 The
place, where representations of Ptah-Sokaris can best be studied is the chapel of the mor-
tuary tempie of Seti I at Abydos, where Ptah-Sokaris is repeatedly mentioned and
represented with different variations.
The next identification, of Sokaris and Osiris appeared also as far back as the time of the
Old Kingdom, and it is stated in the Pyramid Texts.5 Osiris probably was worshipped in the
tempie of Sokaris in the Memphis district, at least from the time of Shabaka we have a sta-
tement that Osiris was buried in the tempie of Sokaris.6 This union seems very elear
sińce the cult of Osiris was growing all over Egypt and a natural tendency was to perso-
nify in him many loeal mortuary gods. Even one of the greatest, Sokaris, happened to be
included into the cult of Osiris.
1. Cf. J. Garstang, The Burial Cusloms of Ancient F.gypl, London, 1907, p. 203; fig. 216.
2. Cf. A. Erman, Die Religion der Agypler, Berlin —Lcipzig, 1934, p. 49.
3. The lianie of the cemetery is probably derived from the name of the god.
4. The statement of M.S. Holmberg. that M. . . Ptah, from an early date had the eharacter of a craftsmaii, a mortuary
god nnd a god of vegelation", and Jaler that Ptah and Sokaris didtft need to horrow the traits from one another,
seems to go too far; espccially at the point where the god Ptah is regardcd as a nuutuary god. Cf.M.S. Holmberg,
The God Ptah, Lund, 1946, p. 138.
5. Cf. Pyr. 1256 c.
6. 11. Junker, Die Gótlerlehrc tom Memphis, Berlin, 1940, p. 36; H. Kees, Gótlerglaube . . ., Berlin, 1956, p. 293.
75